DRDO successfully test fired Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet SFDR technology at Chandipur, Odisha on 3 February 2026. With this achievement, India has become one of the few countries capable of developing long-range air-to-air missiles, which will give the country a strategic edge. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh appreciated DRDO and industry on this important success.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav announced that Rs 10,928 crore has been allocated for the rail sector of Odisha in the Union Budget for FY 2026-27. Railway projects worth Rs 90,659 crore are underway in the state, taking the total investment to soon cross Rs 1 lakh crore. Odisha will also benefit from the East-West Freight Corridor and Amrit Station Scheme, along with installation of AI-based cameras for elephant protection.
Eight masked dacoits raided the house of a businessman in Keonjhar district of Odisha. The miscreants entered on the pretext of asking for water, took the family hostage and looted about Rs 17.80 lakh in cash and gold jewellery. This is the second major incident in the district in two days, due to which there is anger among the villagers. Police have registered the case and started investigation.
Odisha DSP Rashmi Ranjan Das went viral on internet media for her red hair. After memes and questions, a departmental inquiry took place. Das clarified that this is not a style, but the result of medical and hormonal problems that occurred many years ago. The department was not aware of this earlier, but now after the clarification the matter has calmed down. This incident teaches us not to take hasty decisions.
A tragic incident took place in Jagatsinghpur, Odisha on Republic Day. While lowering the national flag, Class 10 student Om Prakash Dwivedi died of electrocution after coming in contact with a high tension wire. This accident happened on the rooftop of a private coaching center, where the negligence of safety standards has come to light. The police have detained the coaching center operator and investigation into the matter is ongoing.
Famous Oriya composer and singer Abhijit Majumdar passed away at AIIMS Bhubaneswar at the age of 54. He was suffering from hypertension and liver disease for a long time. Many prominent personalities, including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, expressed deep condolences on his demise.
New research on the construction history of Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha has revealed shocking things. On the basis of ancient inscriptions, it has been claimed that the first builder of the temple was not a king, but a skilled craftsman named 'Pall'. The discovery comes from an inscription found near the Nrisimha temple complex, which challenges historical assumptions so far and highlights the important role of craftsmen in temple construction.
In a major action against the cow-smuggling network, Odisha Police has frozen around 200 bank accounts in Keonjhar district. The action came after extensive raids in which crores of rupees in cash and vehicles were seized. The accounts of cow mafia accused Arun Kumar Sahu alias Mantu are also under investigation. Four special teams of police are investigating the bank lockers, with more revelations expected in the coming days.
Odisha Police showed its commitment towards coastal security and national sovereignty by hoisting the national flag at Udayabali Island in Bhadrak ahead of the 77th Republic Day. DGP Yogesh Bahadur Khurania hoisted the flag. The police will spend Rs 149 crore to modernize coastal security, including maritime patrol boats, drones and CCTV. This initiative has been taken on the instructions of the Prime Minister, in which flag hoisting will also take place on other islands.
Salaries of 72 head teachers in Puri district have been stopped and show cause notices have been issued to them. This action has been taken due to non-submission of reports of awareness programs related to snakebite and lightning strike prevention on time as per the instructions of the state government. These programs were essential to reduce deaths during monsoon. The district administration has considered this as serious negligence.
President Draupadi Murmu is coming on a five-day visit to Odisha in the first week of February. She will reach Bhubaneswar on 2 February. Will attend the convocation ceremony of Fakirmohan University, Baleshwar on 3rd February. On February 4, she will visit Maa Birja in Jajpur and participate in various programs. Will participate in several programs in Mayurbhanj district on 5th and 6th February, which will also include Rairangpur visit. After this she will go to Chhattisgarh.
The Odisha High Court has quashed the State Information Commission's order which had banned an RTI applicant from seeking new information. The court clarified that it is not justified to stop a citizen from seeking information under the RTI Act, no matter how many applications he makes. This decision strengthens the basic spirit of the Right to Information and is an important step towards transparency and accountability.
Akhilesh Yadav accused BJP of stealing data and doing communal politics by using central agencies ED, CBI, Income Tax. He claimed that there is a big difference of voters in the figures of UP Election Commission. Supporting Mamata Banerjee, Yadav said other parties will have to learn professional politics to defeat the BJP. He talked about strengthening PDA in Odisha and also met Naveen Patnaik.
Sales of products manufactured by prisoners in Odisha's Berhampur Circle Jail are set to double to Rs 14.53 lakh in 2025. Quality, reasonable prices and FSSAI certification have increased people's trust. Clothing, food and household products are making the prisoners self-reliant. The jail administration is now preparing to open a second sales outlet, which will help in the rehabilitation and skill development of prisoners.
Two deaths were reported within 24 hours in Sundergarh district of Odisha. A speeding bike hit 54-year-old Francis Tirkey in Sabdega, killing him. At the same time, a decomposed body of an unknown person was found in Kush Dam of Talsara police station area, due to which murder is being suspected. Police are investigating both the cases.
An interstate cyber gang operating from Cuttack has been exposed. Police have arrested three main accused and four private bank employees. This gang used to cheat people of crores of rupees in the name of trading on social media, using accounts and inactive accounts of fake companies. A large number of mobile phones, SIM cards and bank documents have been seized from the accused, and accounts worth Rs 90 lakh have been frozen.
India One Air's Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft coming from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela made an emergency landing in Jalda Kansar Gadia Toli area on Saturday afternoon. In this incident due to technical fault, all 14 people on board the plane, 12 passengers and 2 crew survived safely. On the information of Kolkata ATC, the local administration reached the spot and took control of the situation and tightened the security arrangements.
Two youths died in a tragic hit-and-run accident on NH-16 in Odisha's Khurda district on Friday morning. Bikash Baral and Shubhranshu Sundaraya were on their way to Bhubaneswar for a job interview when an unknown vehicle hit their scooter. Police have sent the bodies for post-mortem and are searching for the accused driver by scanning the CCTV footage.
Mohan Charan Majhi's political journey is the story of understanding the pain and suffering of the people and converting ground truths into policy. As 'People's Chief Minister', he has made public hearing the basic mantra of governance. With the mission of 'Develop Odisha 2036' they are empowering the state economically, socially and administratively. His journey from teacher to Sarpanch, from MLA to Chief Minister is a symbol of change and development.
CBI has filed a 60-page preliminary charge sheet in the Odisha Police Sub-Inspector Recruitment Exam Scam. It has revealed large-scale rigging and serious systemic failures in the conduct of examinations. There are names of 16 accused, of which Shankar Prusthi has been said to be the mastermind. The charge sheet has raised questions about irregularities in the printing of question papers and the role of the Odisha Police Recruitment Board. There is an allegation of leaking the paper by taking Rs 25 lakh per candidate.