Bhubaneswar: With heavy rainfall continuing across several parts of the state, the Odisha government on Friday stepped up flood preparedness, directing district administrations to accelerate evacuations, strengthen relief operations and maintain round-the-clock monitoring in vulnerable areas. The preparedness measures were reviewed at a high-level meeting chaired by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, who…

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to expand formal skill training under the State Institute for Development of Arts & Crafts (SIDAC) by introducing structured training programmes for 15 additional traditional handicrafts, aiming to preserve the state’s rich craft heritage while creating new livelihood opportunities for artisans. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired…

Puri: The Puri Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has urged the Centre and the Odisha government to initiate the process for securing UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) status for the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, describing the centuries-old festival as a living tradition of universal cultural significance….

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to strengthen passenger safety during the ongoing Rath Yatra festivities, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of East Coast Railway has deployed its Artificial Intelligence-powered robotic security platform, DSC ARJUN, at Puri Railway Station to assist in surveillance and crowd management. The deployment comes as lakhs of devotees continue to arrive in…

Bhubaneswar: East Coast Railway (ECoR) has announced a series of special trains for Suna Besha and Adharapana to facilitate the movement of thousands of devotees visiting Puri during the ongoing Rath Yatra festivities. The special services, in addition to regular trains to and from Puri, have been planned from various parts of Odisha and neighbouring…

Bhubaneswar: Odisha took a major stride towards becoming a leading destination for artificial intelligence and digital innovation on Friday by signing strategic agreements with HCLTech and Sarvam AI. The partnerships are expected to bring investments of around ₹15,000 crore over the next five years while creating thousands of employment opportunities in the state’s fast-growing technology…

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has approved an ambitious ₹1,037.19-crore annual action plan under the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) for 2026-27, paving the way for the implementation of 16 integrated schemes aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity, promoting climate-resilient farming and accelerating the adoption of modern technologies. The plan received approval during the 39th State Level…