Bhubaneswar: Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Sujata Karthikeyan, wife of former IAS turned politician VK Pandian, has taken voluntary retirement from service (VRS), according to sources. She had applied for VRS nearly a month ago. However, no official confirmation has yet been made public. Now, discussions within the government have intensified following reports that the central...

Sukma: At least 16 Naxalites were killed, and two security personnel sustained injuries in an encounter in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district Saturday, police said. The gunfight broke out in the morning hours in a forest under the Kerlapal police station area where a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, an official said. He...

New Delhi: As part of its Act East policy, India sent more than 15 tonnes of relief material to Myanmar Saturday, following a series of powerful earthquakes that led to widespread death and destruction Friday, with over 600 people feared killed and the toll expected to climb further. The official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs,...

Bangkok: The death toll from a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar has jumped to nearly 700, according to the government. State-run television MRTV reported that 694 people have now been found dead and another 1,670 injured, according to a statement from the military-led government. The same figures were also reported by the independent news site The...

Kendrapara: Over 70 per cent population of Kendrapara district depends on agriculture for livelihood. However, lack of proper irrigation facilities and ineffective drainage management have become major obstacles for agriculture in the district. The coastal district, home to seven rivers and 27 distributaries, has potential water pathways. Canals like Kendrapada, Pattamundai, and Gobari, along with nearby Mahanadi...

Rourkela: Researchers of the National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NITR) have developed a new technology that will prove immensely helpful in treating bone defects caused by injury and diseases. The team led by Devendra Verma, Associate Professor, Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, has developed a bioink made from natural materials for 3D bioprinting of bone-like structures....

Keonjhar: A video showing a young man beating an elephant herd with a stick has gone viral on social media, prompting outrage from wildlife activists. The incident, which occurred in Keonjhar district, highlights the ongoing conflict between humans and elephants in the region. Though the Forest department has been attempting to drive the elephants back into the...

Athmallik: Satyapriya Nayak, a senior revenue assistant of Athmallik tehsil in Angul district, was arrested by Vigilance officials on bribery charges Friday. Authorities also seized Rs 20,000 cash from Nayak during the operation. According to sources, Charan Nayak of Kendupati village in Aida Circle had applied for partition of his ancestral land at Athmallik tehsil office. However,...

Balasore: Special Judge, Odisha Protection of Interests of Depositors (OPID) Court, Balasore, Biswajit Das Friday convicted a man for committing a financial fraud to the tune of Rs 1.2 crore by deceiving Haj pilgrims and awarded him seven years rigorous imprisonment (RI). The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 2.75 lakh and ordered that on default...

Bhubaneswar: A total of 13,923 students in the state have received benefits under Krushi Vidya Nidhi Yojana (KVNY), a component of CM-KISAN Yojana, in the current academic year, said an official. CM-KISAN Yojana is a groundbreaking initiative launched by Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment department of the state government. As part of this initiative, KVNY provides scholarship to...