All posts tagged: Odishas

Nita Ambani’s beautiful hand-painted saree for Independence Day is a ‘living canvas’ of Odisha’s Pattachitra art. Watch

Nita Ambani’s beautiful hand-painted saree for Independence Day is a ‘living canvas’ of Odisha’s Pattachitra art. Watch

Published by Parlour News

Nita Ambani marked India’s 80th Independence Day in a saree that celebrated the country’s rich artistic heritage. For the occasion, the Founder of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) chose a handcrafted creation, showcasing the traditional Pattachitra art of Odisha. The saree was designed exclusively by Swadesh and features artwork by renowned Pattachitra artist Prashanta Moharana. The artwork was painted on luminous Tussar silk woven by master weavers from Raghurajpur, Odisha, bringing together the region’s celebrated textile and painting traditions. (Also read: Radhika Merchant goes soft in yellow kurta, Nita Ambani turns heads in red at Independence Day celebration in London ) Nita Ambani’s saree features the Tree of Life At the heart of the saree is the Tree of Life, inspired by the Vedic Ashvattha. The motif represents creation, continuity and the interconnectedness of life. Its branches, leaves and birds are rendered in the distinctive Pattachitra style, turning the saree into what Swadesh describes as a “living canvas” of Odisha’s artistic heritage. The intricate artwork gives the otherwise elegant saree a deeply cultural character, …

A freebie that frees women | Odisha’s Subhadra Yojana

A freebie that frees women | Odisha’s Subhadra Yojana

Published by Webster

It is a near-ubiquitous feature of state budgets now: direct cash transfers to women. In state after state, it has won power for parties across the spectrum, swelling the ranks of women voters, even weaning them away from the default political choices of their class. Arguments for and against it are conducted largely at the fiscal level. “Can states afford it?” Or, “is this welfare or just a freebie?” Nobody bothered to ask the women, to map what the crores of budgetary outgo is doing at the level of individuals and families. Till now. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

More than half of Odisha’s PVTG adult women anaemic, says a study by Utkal University

More than half of Odisha’s PVTG adult women anaemic, says a study by Utkal University

Published by Parlour News

A sizeable section of Odisha’s particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) suffers from anaemia, affecting 37% of adult men and over 53% of adult women, while indicators such as blood pressure and random sugar levels point to an early onset of metabolic risks, according to a Utkal University study released on Monday (July 20, 2026). “The growth, nutritional, and health profile of Odisha’s PVTGs reflects a complex interplay of undernutrition, emerging lifestyle changes, increasing metabolic risks and persistent health inequities,” says the study. According to University, the interdisciplinary study covered 10 of Odisha’s 13 PVTGs,- the Bonda, Didayi, Dongria Kandha, Kutia Kandha, Juang, Paudi Bhuiya, Hill Kharia, Mankidia, Lodha and Lanjia Saora communities across the tribal-dominated districts of Malkangiri, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Deogarh, Mayurbhanj and Gajapati. Researchers had surveyed 9,222 individuals from 2,041 PVTG households. The study released by Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati says there is high prevalence of anaemia among adult male members of the PVTGs in Odisha, highlighting significant intra-group differences and a moderate overall anaemia burden. “Out of 1,015 adult males studied, 36.95% …

NGT orders sealing of chromium-tainted wells in Odisha’s Sukinda

NGT orders sealing of chromium-tainted wells in Odisha’s Sukinda

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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the Odisha government to permanently seal contaminated wells in the chromite-rich Sukinda valley, following findings that cancer-causing hexavalent chromium have contaminated the region’s groundwater. The NGT began the suo motu proceedings following a letter by Mantu Das. (NGT) The eastern zonal bench of NGT passed July 10 order after a comprehensive study by Central Ground Water Board revealed alarming levels of cancer-causing hexavalent chromium in the region’s deeper aquifers, even though the tribunal explicitly ruled out a direct link between the industrial pollution and a highly publicized string of kidney-related deaths in the area. The NGT began the suo motu proceedings following a letter by Mantu Das, a resident of Odisha’s Jajpur district, alleging that unchecked chromite mining in the Kaliapani industrial area had severely polluted local water sources. Das claimed this unchecked toxic contamination had triggered an urgent public health crisis, resulting in 10 to 15 deaths from kidney-related ailments within a single month. The Sukinda valley in Jajpur district holds roughly 97% of India’s chromite reserves and …

Inside Odisha’s Dhokra craft: The lost-wax tradition surviving against the odds | News Today News

Inside Odisha’s Dhokra craft: The lost-wax tradition surviving against the odds | News Today News

Published by Parlour News

The petrichor hangs heavy in the air after a fresh round of showers. A dense smoke emerges from a corner of the grounds of the Belgadia Palace in Mayurbhanj, Odisha, as two men squat uncomfortably close to the source – a small pit dug in the ground. One of them holds up a skewer of sorts with a clay-like mass at its end over the flames emanating from the pit. “The temperature is 800 degrees celsius,” says Gopal Sahu, as he swiftly takes the mass in his hand, kneads it in between his palm and fingers before putting it back on the fire. Sahu is a dhokra artist from Kuliana, a village in Mayurbhanj, Odisha’s largest district, which houses over 30 artisan families of the artform. He, however, is among the last few who continue to practise it as their primary source of livelihood. Gopal Sahu demonstrating Dhokra casting (Image: Anik Dutta) The clay-like mass is beeswax. Sahu mixes the now-malleable dough with mustard oil, then shapes it into a small cylinder, and puts it …

Bengal to drop ‘dham’ from Digha Jagannath temple on Odisha’s CM’s request

Bengal to drop ‘dham’ from Digha Jagannath temple on Odisha’s CM’s request

Published by Parlour News

West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday said the state government will drop the word “dham” from the Jagannath temple complex constructed by Mamata Banerjee government in East Midnapore district’s Digha, following a request from Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The Jagannath Temple in Digha (ANI) Built on the architectural lines of the iconic 12th-century Jagannath Temple in Puri, the coastal temple complex was a flagship project of the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, which inaugurated it in April 2025. “A request came from Mohan Charan Majhi, chief minister of Odisha. I have accepted the letter which he sent through Sambit Patra, MP from Puri. I have held discussions with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) authorities. The word ‘dham’, which was tagged with the Digha temple complex, is not in accordance with the Sanatan culture. The previous government built it as a cultural centre and added the word ‘dham’ to it. We would soon drop the word dham from the name,” Adhikari told reporters. The nomenclature of the shrine has been …

Odisha’s Brahmapur station to gte 300cr upgrade, India-New Zealand to sign FTA, 50% slump in West Asia exports

Odisha’s Brahmapur station to gte 300cr upgrade, India-New Zealand to sign FTA, 50% slump in West Asia exports

Published by Parlour News

2 min readNew DelhiApr 26, 2026 06:21 PM IST School Assembly News Headlines for Today, April 27, 2026: Here are the news headlines for the school assembly on April 27. Today’s key developments include 300 crore upgradation package for Odisha’s Brahmapur railway station, shooting at White-House event, India-New Zealand to sign free-trade agreement, Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe making history and more. National News Back-to-back cub deaths in Kanha Tiger Reserve raise concerns over tiger monitoring systems, putting wildlife protection mechanisms under renewed scrutiny. Indian Railways has approved Rs 300 crore upgrade for Odisha’s historic Brahmapur station, aiming to modernise infrastructure and passenger facilities. International News India and New Zealand are set to sign a Free Trade Agreement on April 27 to boost trade and investment, marking a key step in strengthening bilateral ties. Security concerns resurfaced after shots fired incident at Washington Hilton recalled past presidential attack, with heightened vigilance around US leadership events. Sports News Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe made history after he ran a marathon in under two hours in a landmark performance, achieving a rare …

BJD Bandh disrupts normal life in Odisha`s Mayurbhanj over school student death

BJD Bandh disrupts normal life in Odisha`s Mayurbhanj over school student death

Published by Webster

Normal life was affected in Odisha`s Mayurbhanj district on Saturday, due to opposition BJD`s 12-hour bandh over the death of a school student allegedly due to food poisoning. A girl studying in Class 5 died and more than 100 students fell ill due to alleged food poisoning, after a meal at a government-run residential school in the district, officials said. The Congress also extended support to the bandh that began at 6 am. Vehicular movement was disrupted, as BJD and Congress leaders and supporters blocked roads and burnt tyres in various parts of the district. Most shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed in several places in the north Odisha district, though some offices functioned amid tight security. Adequate police personnel have been deployed in the district in view of the bandh, a senior officer said. BJD district president and former minister Sudam Marndi told reporters: “We demand a judicial probe under the supervision of a sitting high court judge to unearth the truth behind the incident. Criminal cases should be lodged against all …

Odisha’s Late Marriage Incentives fails to reach beneficiaries in PVTGs, says CAG

Odisha’s Late Marriage Incentives fails to reach beneficiaries in PVTGs, says CAG

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The Odisha Government has failed to effectively implement late marriage incentives aimed at checking early marriages in Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) despite earmarking a dedicated fund for the purpose, says Comptroller Auditor General of India, whose report on performance audit of micro project agencies (MPAs) was tabled in Odisha Legislative Assembly on Tuesday (March 31, 2026). A scheme called  ‘Late marriage incentive to PVTG households’ programme was introduced under Odisha PVTG Empowerment and Livelihood Improvement Programme (OPELIP) in December 2020. The objective was to create awareness regarding prevention of early marriage. According to the CAG report, under the scheme, financial assistance ranging between ₹2,000 and ₹20,000 was to be paid to each girl marrying after 18 years of age, in the shape of an account payee cheque, in a community meeting in the presence of villagers to encourage other girls and their families to adopt a similar practice. Identified community resource persons were assigned to identify girls of PVTG families marrying after 18 years and inform the Village Development Committees (VDCs). “Audit noticed that …

Half of Odisha’s most vulnerable tribals cut off from welfare schemes: CAG report| India News

Half of Odisha’s most vulnerable tribals cut off from welfare schemes: CAG report| India News

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A performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has flagged major lapses in welfare delivery for Odisha’s most vulnerable tribal groups, revealing that over half of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) remain excluded from key schemes, while the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has failed to provide the mandated 100 days of work to 90% of households. CAG audit exposes gaps in Odisha tribal schemes (Getty/ Representative photo) The report, tabled in the state assembly, highlights that despite hundreds of crores in expenditure, 54% of the PVTG population—approximately 1.60 lakh people—were left out of welfare coverage, as the Micro Project Agencies, the primary institutional mechanism for tribal upliftment, failed to extend basic services to newly notified habitations populated by tribals of 13 PVTGs. According to the report, a baseline survey in 2018–19 identified 1,138 new villages inhabited by PVTGs, yet these areas remained outside the reach of the Odisha PVTG Empowerment and Livelihood Improvement Programme. While 18% of these excluded households had access to safe drinking water, gas connectivity …