Now fly IndiGo direct to Abu Dhabi from Bhubaneshwar and Visakhapatnam - Travel Daily Media

Now fly IndiGo direct to Abu Dhabi from Bhubaneshwar and Visakhapatnam Travel Daily Media

IndiGo Introduces Direct Flights to Abu Dhabi from Bhubaneshwar and Visakhapatnam

The flights on BhubaneshwarAbu Dhabi routes will operate three times a week w.e.f. June 12, 2025, and between Visakhapatnam - Abu Dhabi four times a week starting June 13th, 2025.

Harit Yoga among 'signature events' to mark tenth anniversary of Yoga Day

Harit Yoga, integrating environmental sustainability with yoga, gains momentum as a signature event for the International Day of Yoga. Launched in Bhubaneshwar, the initiative promotes tree plantation drives, yoga retreats in nature, and clean-up initiatives.

Vital installations, religious places being fortified: Majhi

BHUBANESHWAR: With war clouds looming large, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday asserted that all necessary steps have been taken to protect vital installations and religious places in Odisha. The chief minister told media that the Centre is prepared to deal with any situation arising out of Indias resolve to stamp out terrorism from the country. The state government on its part has taken robust steps to enhance security at key locations after thorough assessment of potential threats. Stating that the state government is fully prepared, the chief minister assured that there is nothing to panic. He said Odisha does not face much threat at present but there are places like DRDOs integrated test range at Chandipur in Balasore district, Shree Jagannath temple in Puri and other locations which can be likely targets from the side of the Bay of Bengal. On Friday, he reviewed the security situation with chief secretary Manoj Ahuja, DGP YB Khurania and other senior officials. He said security reinforcements were discussed at the high-level meeting. Strict security checks will be implemented and measures are being taken to seal sensitive areas, he said. The chief minister said steps are also being taken by the state government to bring back Odias including students who have been stranded at places in northern and western India, particularly those in the India-Pak border which are witnessing missile and drone attacks by the latter. A round-the-clock help desk has been set up at the office of the resident commissioner in New Delhi to assist those in need. He said some Odia students studying in Central Sanskrit University at Jammu were relocated to Delhi as a precautionary measure. The state government is making arrangements to bring them back to Odisha. The chief minister also said that all offices and other official establishments in Odisha will function normally. However, everybody will have to remain alert. We are reviewing the situation constantly and will take steps as the situation demands. The war against terrorism will be long one. But, India will definitely win, he stated.

UGC sets up panel to probe twin suicides

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Friday set up a four-member fact finding committee to examine the two suicides which took place within four months at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneshwar. The panel will take steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents. It has been given a ten days to submit its report. An order issued by the UGC said, In view of the consecutive suicide incidents at KIIT, Bhubaneshwar on February 16, 2025, and May 1, 2025, the UGC as the regulatory body, has decided to constitute a fact-finding committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the incidents and ensure compliance with student welfare and safety regulations and further suggest measures to prevent such incidents.

Nepal launches diplomatic initiatives to probe death of another student at Odisha's KIIT

BHUBANESHWAR: Nepal has launched diplomatic initiatives to probe the death of an 18-year-old student from the Himalayan nation at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha's Bhubaneswar, hours after she was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her hostel room. The incident comes barely two-and-a-half months after Prakriti Lamsal, another Nepalese student of the same institute, died by suicide on February 16 . The incident of Prisa Sah, a Nepali student studying at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Odisha, India, being found dead in her hostel room has left us deeply saddened. I pray for the eternal peace of Prisa's soul and express my deepest condolences to her family at this sad hour, Nepal's Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba said in a post on X. () pic.twitter.com/ojPdVadvXI Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba (@Arzuranadeuba) May 2, 2025 Immediately after the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs initiated diplomatic initiatives to investigate the truth of the incident through high-ranking officials of the Government of India, the Government of Odisha, and the Embassy of Nepal in Delhi, she said. Ambassador of Nepal to India, Shankar P Sharma, said authorities are coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, the Odisha government, police and the university for a thorough investigation. Deeply saddened by the tragic death of Nepali student Prisha Sah, found in her hostel room at KIIT, Odisha. Heartfelt condolences to her family. Prayers for eternal peace. We are closely coordinating with MEA, Odisha Govt., police & the university for a thorough investigation, Sharma said in a post on X. Deeply saddened by the tragic death of Nepali student Prisha Sah, found in her hostel room at KIIT, Odisha. Heartfelt condolences to her family. Prayers for eternal peace. We are closely coordinating with MEA, Odisha Govt., police & the university for a thorough investigation. pic.twitter.com/ae8X3ZlZwQ Dr. Shankar P Sharma (@DrShankarSharma) May 2, 2025 The body of the B.Tech computer science student from Nepal was recovered from room number 111 of the ladies hostel of the institute on Thursday evening, a senior officer said. It seems that she has died by suicide at the ladies hostel of KIIT, Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh told PTI. The deceased's parents will reach Bhubaneswar on Friday, and after that post-mortem examination of the body will be conducted, Singh said, adding that her body has been sent to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. The police commissioner, who visited the ladies' hostel, also said an unnatural death (UD) case has been registered. The fresh case comes from the same hostel and same floor, another officer said. However, the police have not recovered any suicide note from the possession of the deceased. We have not got any such note, but the scientific team has been searching her room, Sharma said. While the Odisha government expressed grief over the incident and termed it unfortunate, the KIIT was yet to make any comment. The death of the Nepalese student in February had triggered protests after reports suggested that the victim was allegedly blackmailed, and she ended her life for not getting justice from the private university authorities. There was an outcry on the KIIT campus as the institute authorities, with the help of staffers and security personnel, had allegedly assaulted Nepalese students who demanded justice for the deceased. The Nepalese students were forcibly evicted from the campus and asked to leave for their country. Nepal's Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli had raised the issue at the diplomatic level and urged the central government to ensure justice for Nepalese students of the institute. The Odisha government had subsequently formed a high-level committee, headed by the additional chief secretary of the Home Department, to probe into the matter. The NHRC also investigated the incident. At least 10 university employees were arrested on charge of assaulting Nepalese students, and an Indian student was sent to jail for abetting the suicide of the Nepalese girl.

DRDO successfully conducts release trials of glide bomb Gaurav

BHUBANESHWAR: India successfully conducted release trials of long range glide bomb (LRGB) 'Gaurav' from a fighter aircraft paving its early deployment for engagement of targets from outside the range of standard anti-aircraft defences. Defence sources said a series of tests of the LRGB was carried out from frontline aircraft Sukhoi-30MKI in last three days. The weapon was integrated to multiple stations in different warhead configurations, with land targets on the island. Developed by DRDO, Gaurav is among the newly developed precision guided bombs that has a range of 30 km to 150 km. The trials successfully demonstrated the glide bombs range close to 100 km with pinpoint accuracy, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement. DRDO has developed two glide bombs - Gaurav and Gautham. While the winged version of LRGB Gaurav weighs around 1,000 kg, the non-winged Gautham weighs 550 kg. With a diameter of 0.6 mentre, both the bombs are four metre long and the wingspan of Gaurav is 3.4 metre. Designed by Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Research Centre Imarat and Integrated Test Range (ITR), the glide bombs use an inertial navigation system with satellite guidance and digital control for accuracy. Senior officials of DRDO and Indian Air Force (IAF) participated and reviewed these trials. The weapon system has been produced with the support of development cum production partners Adani Defence Systems and Technologies, Bharat Forge and various MSMEs. Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) and Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) contributed towards certification and quality assurance. The trials will pave the way towards induction of the weapon into the IAF, the MoD said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented DRDO, IAF and industry for successful development trials of LRGB Gaurav. He said the development of the LRGBs will further enhance the capabilities of the armed forces.

Customs department seizes exotic wildlife, including snakes, monitor lizards and turtles at Bhubaneswar airport

Customs officials at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneshwar confiscated a variety of exotic wildlife, including king snakes, monitor lizards, and turtles, hidden in chocolate boxes. These animals were smuggled from Bangkok to Chennai. A tip-off led to the search and seizure. The species, intended for sale in Tamil Nadu, were handed over to the forest department.

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department conducts roadshow in Bhubaneshwar

Odisha Governor Hari Babu highlights tourism opportunities and collaboration between the two States

India's first homegrown aerosol lidar to help IMD accurately predict weather, air pollution

BHUBANESHWAR: In a major technological breakthrough, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully developed India's first indigenous aerosol lidar, which will help in climate monitoring and significantly enhance air pollution detection. An aerosol lidar system uses light detection and ranging (lidar) to remotely sense and profile atmospheric aerosols, providing information on their concentration, distribution, and properties, crucial for studying their impact on climate and air quality. Developed by the Dehradun-based Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE), a unit of DRDO, this aerosol lidar is the second of its kind in the world and a major import substitute, being cheaper and more compact. India, currently the third most polluted country in the world, has long needed advanced tools to monitor aerosols, air pollutants, and atmospheric changes. The new aerosol lidar will fill this crucial gap and allow the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) to analyse the vertical distribution of aerosols and clouds. Director general (electronics and communication systems) of DRDO Binay Kumar Das handed over the cutting-edge system to IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Wednesday, marking a significant step toward self-reliance in advanced environmental monitoring technologies. These lidars will help in weather monitoring, forecasting, atmospheric research, climate change assessments and pollution control mechanisms. The first lidar is being installed at IMD observatory, Ranichauri in Uttarakhand, said Mohapatra. The newly developed aerosol lidar is a combination of Mie, depolarisation and Raman channels with high energy fixed laser wavelength and large aperture receiver telescope, which is useful for vertical profiling of atmospheric parameters. Mie and Depolarisation channels can characterise the aerosols and clouds in terms of height of occurrence, shape and optical properties up to an altitude of 20 km, while Raman channel can provide the information on water vapour mixing ratio up to 5 km. The lidar system provides critical data on aerosol concentration at different altitudes, cloud properties and water vapor distribution that are crucial fo weather and rainfall predictions, besides the ice crystal cloud detection at high altitudes, which will help in lightning forecasting. Until now, India's air quality monitoring primarily relied on surface-level sensor and satellite-based observations. Though IMD has a sky radiometer network which provides the columnar load of aerosol, it lacked detailed vertical distribution data. This missing information had made it challenging to accurately estimate radiative forcing, a key component in climate change studies. With aerosol lidar, IMD will now have access to high-resolution, real-time vertical data. Its deployment will strengthen our position in atmospheric research and contribute to better environmental strategies. It will also eliminate India's reliance on expensive imported lidar technology, said Das. The aerosol lidar costs Rs 1.25 crore and weighs around 270 kg as compared to the 400-kg atmospheric lidar manufactured by Athens-based Raymetrics. The Greece lidar costs Rs 5.5 crore. IRDE director Ajay Kumar was present along with senior officers from IMD and the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Rail Budget 2025: A new era for Railway infrastructure, modernization, and connectivity in Odisha Vaishnaw

BHUBANESHWAR, Feb 3: The Rail Budget 2025 marks a new era for Odishas railway infrastructure, ushering in unprecedented growth, modernization, and connectivity, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday. He stated that ongoing projects and future investments will strengthen Odishas position as a key player in Indias railway network while significantly contributing to regional economic growth. Addressing a press conference on Monday, Vaishnaw unveiled key highlights of the 2025 Rail Budget for Odisha via video conferencing from New Delhi. [] The post Rail Budget 2025: A new era for Railway infrastructure, modernization, and connectivity in Odisha Vaishnaw appeared first on Daily Excelsior .