Popularly known as the land of Lord Jagannath, Odisha is the tenth largest state of India in terms of area and is located in the northeastern Indian peninsula. Odisha, once a land of kings and kingdoms, is known for its rich natural resources, temple architecture, cultural heritage, classical dance, tribal people and festivals.
Till 1949, the capital of Odisha was Cuttack and a few years later, Bhubaneswar was made the capital city of the state. In 2011, the state's name was officially changed from Orissa to Odisha. Formerly known as Kalinga, the state has a coastline of 485 kilometers along the Bay of Bengal and Odia is its official language. The state was formed on April 1, 1936, comprising of Odia-speaking districts of Bihar and Orrisa province and every year, this day is celebrated as Utkala Dibasa.
The tribals constitute two-fifth of the population of Odisha and the state is endowed with varieties of rich mineral resources and reforms in industralisation in recent years have made it as an epicenter for industrial growth. The beaches of Puri, Lord Jagannath Temple, Lingaraj temple, Sun temple, Chilka Lake, Simlipal National Park, Hirakud Dam (longest eastern dam) and others make it a popular tourist destination.
Odisha is also home to some renowned universities and has been an important educational hub since ancient times. The state boasts of prestigious NIT Rourkela, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Biju Patnaik University of Technology and other important institutes.
The major point of attraction in Odisha is the Lord Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra or the Chariot Festival, a 15-day long affair when devotees throng the temple to seek the blessings of the deities.
A special report on Postmortem investigates serious concerns surrounding the safety of young people and women in public spaces across India.
This special broadcast covers major national developments concerning law and order, crimes against women, and student safety across India.
Speaking about air pollution, Sandeep Sharma, Business Head at Zero Carbon Tech 24 Private Limited, highlighted that Delhi's air pollution is a "long term environmental challenge" rather than a seasonal problem. Addressing multiple pollution sources including vehicular emissions, road dust, construction, and industries, Sharma emphasised the need for scalable and sustainable Made in India technologies. He presented patented filterless, self-cleaning, IoT-enabled dust and smoke capturing devices, including the STR 101 streetlight model, the DVR 101 road divider model, and the Thor 101 industrial unit designed for heavy emitters like cement, pharma, steel, and aluminium plants. Sharma explained that these low-power devices can process millions of litres of air hourly without maintenance filters. He noted that deployments across Delhi, Odisha, and Meghalaya achieved an average 40 to 45 per cent reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 levels. Sharma also commended India Today's campaign for fostering collaboration between industries, policymakers, and citizens to drive measurable environmental solutions.
The proposal to link the Godavari and Cauvery rivers faces complex political and legal hurdles among southern states. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has advocated linking the Godavari with the Cauvery by tapping surplus river water flowing into the Bay of Bengal and diverting it to drought-prone regions, proposing a route starting at Polavaram and seeking national project status. Under the Central government's National River Linking Project blueprint, the route begins at Inchampally in Telangana and passes through Nagarjuna Sagar and Somasila before reaching the Grand Anicut in Tamil Nadu. However, interstate disagreements persist. Telangana questions how surplus water is calculated, raising concerns over downstream diversions impacting its needs. Karnataka insists any extra Cauvery inflows cannot solely benefit Tamil Nadu and demands its own share be protected. Tamil Nadu seeks additional water without compromising existing river entitlements. Upstream states including Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Maharashtra also hold stakes, leaving a consensus among stakeholders elusive.
The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches across multiple premises linked to alleged ganja syndicate kingpin Kalapathi Mithubai and her relatives in Hyderabad's Gachibowli area. Eight ED teams were deployed to investigate money laundering and hawala transactions stemming from the illegal narcotics trade. According to investigators, the family-run syndicate procured ganja from Odisha, Araku, and Phulgam, repackaged it, and sold it across Nanakramguda's IT corridor for six years. Prior police actions led to three FIRs, the seizure of 53.5 kilograms of ganja, over 67 lakh rupees in unaccounted cash, digital payment scanners, phones, and vehicles.
MBBS, BDS, and FMGE intern doctors across Jammu and Kashmir have launched an indefinite strike demanding an immediate revision of their monthly stipend from 12,300 rupees to at least 30,000 rupees. Protesting doctors outside Government Medical College in Jammu stated that they work over 80 hours a week, earning merely 400 rupees a day. They highlighted that their stipend has remained unchanged since 2019, making it the lowest in the country compared to other states such as Odisha, Assam, and Delhi, as well as central institutes like AIIMS Vijaypur. Although Health Minister Sakina Itoo acknowledged their demand as genuine and stated the file is under process, the protesting doctors rejected verbal assurances, citing three years of unresolved promises. Nearly 1,600 to 1,700 medical interns across all medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir are participating in the agitation, maintaining they will not call off the protest without a formal written implementation order.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has renewed the push to link the Godavari and Cauvery rivers to address recurring water shortages in southern states. The proposal aims to transfer surplus Godavari water to water-stressed regions across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. Scaled-down versions of the plan envisage transferring approximately 140 to 150 TMC of water annually to provide irrigation across several lakh hectares, drinking water for millions, and potential hydropower generation. However, achieving inter-state consensus remains a significant hurdle. Upstream and riparian states, including Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Maharashtra, have raised concerns regarding water rights, diversion points, and actual surplus availability. Environmental experts also cite challenges such as transmission losses, climate change impacts on rainfall patterns, and ecological effects on river deltas and fisheries.
A investigation is underway after dismembered body parts of a woman were found inside a red suitcase on board the Tamil Nadu Express at Agra Cantonment Railway Station. Railway police and Chennai police traced the suitcase back to a couple using CCTV footage, showing them carrying the trunk into Chennai Central and boarding the train before abandoning it. Further investigation at the couple's rented house in Guduvancheri revealed evidence suggesting the victim was hanged and dismembered. Additional body parts were found stored inside a large biryani vessel, which police seized for forensic examination. Authorities suspect a man from Assam and a woman from Odisha are involved, while special police teams have been formed to trace the missing couple.
A Panama-flagged cargo ship, MV Ocean Winner, carrying 72,100 metric tonnes of iron ore fines, sank in the Bay of Bengal approximately 240 nautical miles off the Paradip coast in Odisha. The vessel was en route from Paradip to Singapore with 24 crew members on board, including 20 Chinese, three Myanmarese, and one Bangladeshi national. The Indian Coast Guard launched a massive search and rescue operation, deploying ships Varad, Anmol, and Vijay, alongside Indian Navy assets. Two survivors were recovered from life rafts by commercial vessel MT Isopos. Search operations remain underway to locate the remaining missing crew members.
This edition of News Today examines public order and protest rights following a Supreme Court hearing on the July 20 student demonstrations.
India Today’s debate on India First focused on the continuing deadlock in Parliament during the Monsoon Session, with BJP spokesperson RP Singh and Congress leader Salman Soz clashing over youth issues, student protests and repeated disruptions.
An India Today news report features an interview with Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Deepke following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
In a special broadcast of Battle Cry, host Gaurav Sawant discusses the maiden flight test of DRDO's Project Kusha long-range surface-to-air missile defense system, conducted off the coast of Odisha.
The big talking point of this episode of News Today is the BJP's 'Mission 360' to get a two-thirds majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha as the stage is set for a stormy monsoon session next week.
A stampede-like situation broke out during the Puri Rath Yatra in Odisha, leaving one dead while over 100 devotees were injured.
The big focus of this episode of Democratic Newsroom is on the shrinking of regional parties as they face internal rebellion and the changing map of Indian politics amid BJP's growing dominance at the centre.
In this episode of First Things Fast, we break down the politics, the facts, and why Odisha’s model may hold the answer.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended warm birthday greetings to President Droupadi Murmu. The Prime Minister said that her journey, marked by courage, simplicity, humility and unwavering commitment to public service, continues to inspire people across the country.
Prime Minister Narenrda Modi and President Droupadi Murmu are on a visit to Odisha's Mayurbhanj district to celebrate the President's 68th birthday in her hometown of Paharpur. During the visit, both leaders offered prayers at the sacred Santali Jahera and Ho Jahera groves, participating in traditional nature-based worship revered by the local tribal communities.
A late-night incident in Odisha's capital city of Bhubaneswar was captured on camera when a speeding heavy-duty truck rammed into a car. The truck pushed and dragged the vehicle, which was carrying a father and his daughter, for several metres along a busy city road.
