BHUBANESWAR: Odisha will start production of semiconductors in the next couple of years, Electronics and IT Minister Mukesh Mahaling has asserted. Addressing a summit titled From Temple to Tech hosted by the state in collaboration with the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) here, he said Odisha is in a very good position in the field of digital infrastructure, skill development and startups. Leading IT companies have set up their centres in the state and several are

BHUBANESWAR: As deposits amounting to Rs 5.6 crore remain unpaid to members of Panapana Service Cooperative Society (SCS) in Balasore district for more than four years due to large scale financial bungling by the management, the Registrar of Cooperative Society (RCS) on Saturday requested the state government to refer the case to the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) for investigation. The office of the RCS has also directed the deputy registrar cooperative society (DR CS), Balasore division, to initi

BHUBANESWAR: Odishas hydropower generation capacity is set to go up by 600 MW as the Upper Indravati Hydro Power (UIHP) project has got the final approval from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). The project is set to come up at an estimated cost of Rs 3,160 crore. UIHP project was among the three mega pumped storage projects the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) has planned in the state with an estimated power generation capacity of 1,700 MW. The two other projects - 500 MW Balimela PS

ROURKELA: A delegation of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) led by Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati on Saturday visited Telendihi and Ratansara forests in Hemgir block where illegal coal mining was unearthed recently. Bahinipati along with MLAs Ashok Das and Raazen Ekka called for a high-level inquiry into the illegal mining to investigate the role of senior administrative officers and local political leaders. Ekka alleged that government officials were involved in the illegal coal mini

JEYPORE: Hill brooms produced by the tribals of Kotia panchayat under Pottangi block in Koraput district have gained significant popularity in neighbouring Chhattisgarh. A Bilaspur-based agro company, BIOCART, has placed an order for 100 tonne of hill brooms in March following last years encouraging market response. According to sources, the Pottangi block administration has actively promoted awareness among the tribal communities of Kotia region, encouraging them to engage in hill broom product

BARIPADA: Zilla parishad members of all 26 blocks of Mayurbhanj district on Saturday voiced strong discontent that essential sectors such as health, education and agriculture are in shambles. During a high-level meeting, they urged immediate intervention from the political leaders and district administration. The members urged Housing and Urban Development minister Krushnachandra Mahapatra, Zilla parishad president Bharati Hansdah, local MLAs and district officials to take decisive action to rev

PARADIP: Tension prevailed in the prohibited area of Paradip Port after two drivers were killed in an accident on Saturday night. Cargo operations at the port were disrupted for 14 hours as thousands of contractual workers blocked all the four gates following the mishap. Sources said the accident occurred when a dumper deployed by the inter-port transport agency broke down due to air compression failure. Two persons were assigned to repair the vehicle inside the ports restricted area. Ratnakar S

BERHAMPUR: Finding itself on a sticky wicket over a recent spurt in violent crimes, Ganjam police has arrested 18 criminals and seized 17 illegal firearms with 66 live ammunition from them. Addressing mediapersons at Chhatrapur on Sunday, IG (Southern range) Niti Shekhar and Ganjam SP Suvendu Patra said the crackdown was part of preventive policing in the district. The 18 criminals include members of an organised crime syndicate. Patra said Sheragada police arrested six criminals and seized five

ANGUL: The decomposed body of a 25-year-old woman was recovered from a field near Kuspangi village within Banarpal police limits here on Sunday afternoon. Police identified the deceased as Subhadra Padil of Ludhajhari village in Kaniha area. It is suspected that the woman was set on fire after being gang-raped. Police sources said Subhadra worked in a private company in Bhubaneswar. She was last seen on April 26 when she boarded an auto-rickshaw to Talcher Road railway station on her way to Bhub

PURI: Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Arabinda Padhee on Sunday served a show cause notice to the secretary of Daitapati Nijog Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra following his statement after the inauguration of Dighas Jagannath temple in West Bengal. Apart from Ramakrushna, the SJTA chief also summoned the president of Daitapati Nijog Ganeswar Dasmahapatra and questioned the duo. Ramakrushna has been asked to file his reply within seven days. If he fails to give a sati

CUTTACK: The Cyber Crime and Economic Offence police on Sunday arrested six persons from Balangir for allegedly duping a man of around Rs 78 lakh on the promise of receiving high financial returns by investment in stock market. The accused have been identified as Bijaya Meher (28), Bishwambhar Kharsel (27), Rajesh Tandi (20), Anil Naik (21), Sritam Meher and Dipak Dharua (24), all belonging to Balangir. Briefing mediapersons, DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo said the victim filed a complaint on Ap

BERHAMPUR: Murders of a father-son duo followed by another killing within a span of 20 hours have rocked Rayagada district. The father-son duo was allegedly murdered in Sariguda village of Likitipadar panchayat under Padmapur police limits on Friday night. The deceased were identified as 45-year-old Agadhu Gamang and his 65-year-old father Sumbura Gamang, the husband and father-in-law of local sarpanch Jenit Gamang. According to sources, on Friday morning, Agadhu publicly reprimanded his cousin

PURI: The alleged use of surplus neem wood (or Daru) of Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri in the carving of the deities of Digha Jagannath Temple took a new turn with the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) swiftly getting into action to find out the truth behind this issue. On Saturday, chief administrator Arabinda Padhee convened a meeting of all traditional establishment heads like Deula Karan, Tadhau Karan, Pattajoshi Mahapatra, Chhatisha Nijog president and Bhitarchhu Mahapatra, and d

BHUBANESWAR: The Raj Bhavan in Odisha is spearheading a transformative shift to net-zero energy consumption by installing a 150-kilowatt solar power plant on its premises, with an additional 400 kW set to be put up soon. Informing this to mediapersons here, Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati said both the state and central governments are offering subsidies for installation of solar rooftop facilities up to a maximum capacity of 3 kW under various schemes like PM Surya Ghar Yojana. He informed that

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has decided to ensure regular and quality healthcare services for children residing in child care institutions (CCIs) across the state. The departments of Women and Child Development (W&CD) and Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) have jointly laid out specific directives to be implemented through convergence at both the state and district levels. As decided, all CCIs in the state will be mapped to the nearest health facilities such as district hospitals, CHCs, PHC

BHUBANESWAR: Leading aluminium producer Vedanta has integrated a wide range of advanced technologies including AI-powered drone-based surveillance system in its Jamkani coal mines to elevate safety standards of mining operations for its workforce at the site. The drone-based surveillance system enables the company to secure realtime aerial monitoring of a 500-metre blasting zone in the mines by automatically detecting and recording the presence of humans, animals and vehicles. Launched in collab

BHUBANESWAR: All government employees coming to the state secretariat in vehicles will have to use electric vehicles (EVs) or else they may not get the requisite passes to enter, said deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo on Saturday. He said the state government has taken a policy decision to phase-out petrol or diesel vehicles following a call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a just energy transition. All government employees who come to the secretariat should opt for EVs. Otherwise, passes wi

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the state government to reappoint 15 employees who were disengaged from their services with the closure of State Institute of Educational Technology (SIET) in 2013. The SIET had been functioning under the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) for promotion of primary and secondary level education through audio visual programmes since 1980. The state government conferred it autonomous status on January 1, 1990 on suggestion of Cent

BHADRAK: The high school certificate (HSC) examination results brought immense joy to nine transgender students from Sarojini Sanskrit High School in Boualpokhari, Charmpa under Bhadrak municipality who cleared their Class 10 exams defying social odds and stigma. The students included Riya Sahu, Jitu Swain, Jadunatha Hansda, Sanjana Samal, Sasmita Bindhani, Ashirbad Sahoo, Rajkishor Das, Sima Tangur, and Sandhya Champia. Headmaster of Sarojini Sanskrit Vidyalaya Malayaranjan Panda said their suc

BARGARH: The mystery surrounding the brutal murders of two men in Bargarhs Baghapali village has started to unravel with police confirming it as a case of revenge killing. Balangir SP Abhilash G, who was in-charge on the day of incident, revealed that Nepal Bhue (28), son of one of the deceased, was arrested for allegedly killing Tarani Bag (35) after discovering that the latter had murdered his father Magha Bhue (55) over a prior altercation. According to police, on May 1 around 3 pm, an alterc

JAJPUR: A 22-year-old man was reportedly killed by three persons, including the owner of the stone crusher where he worked, in Dharmasala area in Jajpur district. The incident, which occurred on April 27, came to light after the victims father filed a complaint on Friday evening. The deceased, Arijit Jena of Jaraka in Dharmasala block, had recently completed his engineering degree and was working at Padmabati Stone Crusher in Rahadpur for the past three months. According to the complaint lodged

BARGARH: To ensure safety of devotees attending the six-day long Baisakha Mela, the Sri Sri Nrusinghnath Temple Trust has secured an insurance coverage of Rs 5.40 crore for the festival. This means each participating devotee is covered for accidents and calamities during the event, marking it a first for the temple to have opted for such a social security measure. The Baisakha Mela, hosted at the Nrusinghnath Temple near Paikmal, is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Nrusingha. It

CUTTACK: In a relief for the lecturers on contract who were relieved from their services by the Central University of Odisha at Koraput nearly six years ago, the Orissa High Court on Friday ordered for their appointment as assistant professors in their respective posts. The lecturers were engaged from 2012 with their service renewed from time to time with increase in their monthly remuneration. But the University issued a fresh advertisement on July 1, 2019 for empanelment of guest faculty for 2

BHUBANESWAR: Amid the monotonous hum of city life and concrete jungle taking over, a new presence quietly commands attention at Kalinga Studio square here. Carefully crafted from scrap, stands tall an art installation that is not just art but a tribute to the man whose voice was, and still is, an emotion for every Odia - Akshaya Mohanty. Made using scrap materials of old vehicles and other industrial waste, what makes the structure even more unique, is that it not only commemorates the music leg

SAMBALPUR: Sparrows, that were once a common sight around Samaleswari temple, have gradually disappeared, with the urban growth robbing the little birds of their nesting sites. But with temple premises now widened and tall constructions cleared to pave way for SAMALEI project, efforts are being made to draw the birds back. In an initiative spearheaded by Sanjay Baboo, president of the Samaleswari Temple Trust Board, bird nests are being installed across the temple premises with an aim to create

BALANGIR: As the dusk sets in, chants of Jai Sri Ram fill the air at Jagannathpada in Balangir town. After a round of prayers at the local Ramjee Mandir, artistes of Ramjee Natya Sansad dressed as various mythological characters gather at a corner of the lane to showcase Ram Leela - a tradition that was preserved by their forefathers over a century back. Leading them is 70-year-old Balamukunda Behera, who is the director (Natyaguru) of the 50-member Natya Sansad that stages Ramayana in a dramati

CUTTACK: At least three persons were killed and two others critically injured after a concrete slab fell on them during construction of a bridge near Khannagar on Saturday evening. The construction has been going on for the six-lane road conversion from Kathajodi riverside of NH-16 to Cuttack Netaji Bus Terminal (CNBT). The deceased have been identified as site engineer Soumya Ranjan Mallick (30), workers Shiba Sankar Patnaik (28) of Balasore and Subhas Chandra Bhakta of West Bengal. Two other w

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday reaffirmed the commitment of Odisha government to ensure that indigenous sports get their rightful place on the world stage. Addressing a session on Indigenous Sports - From India to the Global Stage at the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) in Mumbai, the chief minister said traditional games must be promoted and expanded to the global stage. Preserving indigenous sports is preserving our soul. It is about giving our

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan police on Saturday searched a flight arriving here from Chennai after being tipped-off that a suspect linked to the Pahalgam terror attack could be on board, police spokesperson said here. A statement from the national carrier SriLankan Airlines said that its flight arrived at Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport from Chennai at 11:59 am and underwent a comprehensive security inspection upon arrival. The search was carried out in coordination with local authorities fo

BHUBANESWAR: Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati has urged the state government to form a high-level task force under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to ensure better coordination and effective implementation of PESA, the Forest Rights Act (FRA), and various schemes of the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare department. Chairing a review meeting of the department with ST & SC Development minister Nityananda Gond on Friday, the Governor said a dedicated tas

JAGATSINGHPUR: A 15-year-old boy of Alasudha village within Jagatsinghpur police limits allegedly died by suicide after performing poorly in the High School Certificate (HSC) examination, results of which were declared on Friday. Police said the boy, a Class X student of Purohitpur high school in Jagatsinghpur town, had appeared the HSC examination this year. He reportedly scored 296 out of total 600 marks, which was just below 50 per cent. Family members said the boy was expecting to score at l

BERHAMPUR: A 16-year-old girl was reportedly murdered at her home by a stalker in Karapalli village within Gopalpur police limits in Ganjam district on Thursday. Police on Friday said the prime accused, Muna Khan (20) of Jatni area in Khurda district, was arrested for murdering the teen girl. A 16-year-old juvenile of Kaipadar in Khurda was also apprehended for assisting Khan in the crime. Khan was allegedly stalking the girl for some time. Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said at around 6 am, the

CUTTACK: The overall pass rate in the annual high school certificate (HSC) examinations- 2025 dipped by 1.14 per cent from last year as 94.93 per cent students have emerged successful this year. The pass rate was 96.07 per cent in 2024. As per the results announced by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) on Friday, 4,84,863 of the 5,02,417 students who had appeared the exams this year have passed. While 1,812 students have achieved A1 grade securing more than 90 per cent marks, 12,200 have obt

BARGARH: Two men were reportedly found murdered under mysterious circumstances inside a house at Baghipali village within Bheden police limits in Bargarh district on Thursday afternoon. The deceased were identified as Magha Bhue (55), the owner of the house, and Tarani Bag (35) of Baghipali. Sources said the duo was killed at around 3 pm on Thursday and the matter was reported to police by villagers in the evening. Magha was reportedly drinking alcohol with Tarani at his home when the incident t

BHUBANESWAR: The department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment on Friday signed MoUs with four corporations for support to farmers in 2025-26. The MoUs were signed with the Odisha Agro-Industrial Corporation (OAIC), Odisha Agriculture Promotion and Capital Investment Corporation Limited (APICOL), Odisha State Seed Corporation Limited (OSSCL) and Odisha State Cashew Development Corporation Limited (OSCDCL) in the presence of deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo. Official sources said OAIC has s

BHUBANESWAR: Eminent sculptor and former Srimandir managing committee member Sudarsan Pattnaik on Friday sought Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhis intervention into the controversy surrounding Jagannath temple at Digha. In a letter to the chief minister, Pattnaik said the use of word Dham by the West Bengal government for the temple has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Jagannath devotees across the world. According to sacred scriptures, there exists only one Jagannath Dham, wh

ROURKELA: Jhirpani police on Friday arrested a 55-year-old man for allegedly duping a real estate businessman of Rs 2.83 crore. Police said Md Qumar Khan of Koelnagar along with his wife and an accomplice cheated realtor Biswa Bhusan Nanda (36) in 2024. Khans wife Sindhu AS (50), a native of Chengannur in Kerala, worked as a teacher in a reputed English medium school in Rourkela. In December last year, Nanda of Basanti Colony had filed a complaint with police stating that Sindhu was known to him

BHUBANESWAR: The newly inaugurated Jagannath temple at Digha in West Bengal has sparked a massive controversy over the purported use of Daru (neem wood) that had remained unused during the Holy Trinitys Nabakalebara in Puri in 2015 for carving the deities, and naming the shrine as Jagannath Dham. Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Friday ordered an enquiry into the use of Daru in making the deities and the association of Srimandir servitors in its consecration ceremony. While the nam

NEW DELHI: Responding to a call from Nepals Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba for an investigation into the death of a Nepali student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Odisha the second such case involving a Nepali national at the institution in under three months New Delhi said that a thorough enquiry is currently being conducted by the Odisha Police. A press statement from the Minstry said it is 'deeply saddened' by the tragic demise of a Nepali student of KII

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

BHUBANESWAR: A female undergraduate student from Nepal allegedly died by suicide in her hostel room in BhubaneswarsKalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) on Thursday, the second such case in less than three months. The victim was 18-years-old and was a first year student of computer science engineering, Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena told TNIE. The DCP said they have launched a thorough investigation to ascertain the reason behind the girl's decision to end her life. Police Commission

BHUBANESWAR: The state government and the Gates Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on several areas including promoting inclusive agriculture and enhancing productivity in dairy and fisheries sectors. This strategic partnership anchored by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment and state Fisheries and Animal Resources Development department will be a multi-year collaboration focused on technical support, research and implementation of climate-smar

BHUBANESWAR: The state government has initiated process for formation of an expert committee to move forward with its plan of declaring Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve (TR). A senior forest officer informed that the wildlife wing has been asked to suggest names for formation of the tiger expert panel that will help the government in carrying out the assessment and proceed further in the matter. The panel is expected to be formed within a week, he said. This apart, the Forest depa

BARIPADA: A 56-year-old widow was reportedly axed to death over suspicion of practising sorcery in Bisoi area of Mayurbhanj district on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Shakri Hembram of Jadia village within Bisoi police limits. The accused, Dula Hembram (25) of the same village, surrendered before police after committing the crime. IIC of Bisoi police station Sarat Kumar Das said the accused and the deceased were neighbours. Preliminary investigation revealed that around 18 months back,

KENDRAPARA: A 16-year-old minor girl, kidnapped from Kendrapara, was rescued after more than a month by police from Hyderabad on Monday. The kidnapper was arrested too. The girl was allegedly raped by the accused who was identified as Ajit Samal, a 22-year-old neighbour of the victim. As per report, the victim is a Class X student of Chandibausamula village under Rajnagar police station. She was allegedly abducted by her neighbour on March 3 when she was on way to the local market. The victims m

SAMBALPUR: Rabi paddy procurement in Sambalpur district will commence from May 14. This was decided at the district-level procurement committee (DLPC) meeting held under the chairmanship of Sambalpur collector Siddeshwar Baliram Bondar on Tuesday. The meeting was convened in the conference hall of the collectors office to finalise arrangements for a smooth and transparent procurement process for the current rabi season. This year, 58 paddy procurement centres will be made operational across the

BERHAMPUR: A Pakistani national living at Bada Masjid lane in Berhampur for over forty years was issued notice by the Berhampur town police to leave India by April 27 as per direction by national government. Sixty-year-old Rahima Araa, however, has not left yet. Her family says she has no family in Pakistan. Addressing mediapersons here on Tuesday, Berhampur SP Dr Saravana Vivek M said that Rahima is originally from Rawalpindi. She has been staying in Berhampur since 1980 after she got married t

BARIPADA: A 52-year-old man was trampled to death while attempting to drive elephants away from paddy fields in Purnachandrapur village under Rasgovindpur police limits on Monday night. According to sources, a herd of 23 elephants has been in the locality for some days and damaged high-yielding crops in the field. Local farmers had been attempting to drive the herd away by beating drums, bursting crackers, and waving torches. On Monday night, during one such attempt, a tusker turned back toward

ROURKELA: The demand for setting up a medical college and hospital (MCH) of the ESIC at Rourkela has picked up pace with local outfit Sachetan Nagarik Manch writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya in this regard on Monday. The move comes in wake of the announcement by Mandaviya about ESICs in-principal approval for 10 new MCHs in the country. Manch president Bimal Bisi and general secretary PP Ray sent separate memorandums to PM Modi

BERHAMPUR: Ganjam is witnessing a sudden spurt in violent crimes with the district reporting its sixth murder in the last four days. On Tuesday, a 30-year-old man was found murdered on the roadside with his throat slit in K Nuagaon police limits of Berhampur. The deceased was identified as Balaram Mahankuda of Rampur village in Chikiti block. Balaram used to work at Chennai and had returned to his village three months back. Sources said Balaram had married a divorcee of Jalantar village in Andhr