Banarpal: India is known worldwide for its rich biodiversity. Rural areas, in particular, are home to diverse ecosystems, plant and animal species, traditional livelihoods and cultural practices. However, rural biodiversity is increasingly coming under threat from human activities. To promote its conservation, sustainable use and importance among future generations, Anugola-based environmental organisation Sathi Parivar has launched a...

Chhatrapur: Ganjam district administration Saturday distributed laptops to 19 visually impaired students, in a significant move towards inclusive education and learning. A special event was organised by the District Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities department in the Ganjam Collectorate here with ADM Sunil Kumar Kerketta distributing the laptops to the students. Laptops are crucial...

Paralakhemundi: A fire broke out Saturday morning at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Paralakhemundi, the headquarters of Gajapati district, destroying important official documents and equipment worth lakhs of rupees. The fire reportedly broke out at around 9:45am in the office’s computer section. Employees who had arrived for work noticed smoke emanating from the server room. Within...

Digapahandi: A 17-year-old boy was killed and another minor was seriously injured after large rocks fell on them while they were digging murram at an unauthorised quarry near Ustapalli village under Patiguda panchayat in Ganjam district’s Sanakhemundi block Saturday morning. The deceased was identified as Binod Mallik of Ustapalli village under Sahadeb Tikarapada panchayat. The injured boy...

A foreign outlet interviewed me this week and at the end of it, after we had wrapped up, the interviewer said he was surprised. He said he did not know that this was the position India was in, and I find this is quite a common reaction. Other than the academics who study India and foreign correspondents...

On 24 August 2024, the Trump administration started “Operation Economic Outcast” in order to totally isolate the Islamic Republic of Iran, along with any country that enables Iran’s economic survival in the global economy. This is not merely an economic onslaught against the Iranian regime and the people of Iran; it is an assault on the global...

By publishing a recent article smearing the Nobel laureate economist Daron Acemoglu, The Economist has demonstrated bad judgment, overweening arrogance, and bad faith. The magazine engages with Acemoglu’s academic work disingenuously, quoting the snarky comments of unnamed economists interviewed over drinks to support its argument that his influential research makes sweeping, unfounded claims. Acemoglu’s research linking institutions...

Whether you’re dealing with workplace challenges, financial priorities or personal relationships, today’s horoscope offers valuable astrology. Ganesha’s forecast points to the best ways to approach the day with confidence and balance. Aries: Your day is packed full. There are negotiations, commitments, plans and decisions to wade through. You may feel low on energy and swamped due to lack...

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Saturday said that four persons from the state remain missing following the devastating floods in Nepal, while two others have safely reached India. The missing persons have been identified as Sandeep Mohapatra and his wife Sidharthi Kumari Sahu of Khurda district, and Gunnam Sai Bindu Kumari and her daughter Gunnam Hareskha of Bargarh...

Bhubaneswar: BJD chief Naveen Patnaik Saturday urged Odisha BJP MPs to call for the reversal of amendments to the MMDR Act, saying the changes would curtail the state's powers to levy taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing land. Patnaik, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, appealed to the saffron party MPs to...