Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik. File.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi being felicitated by Deputy CM Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo during the Global Energy Leaders’ Summit, in Puri on December 6, 2025.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Kolkata:

The five persons arrested in connection with the forcible eviction of Nepali students from hostels at Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology or KIIT, have got bail. 

The arrested persons included Sibananda Mishra (59), Director General, HR, Pratap Kumar Chamupaty (51), Director (Administration), and Sudhir Kumar Rath (59), Director of Hostels, at KIIT University, and two security guards- Ramakanta Nayak (45), and Jogendra Behera (25).

The arrests came days after protests by Nepali students following the death of a Nepali student, Prakriti Lamsal.

Prakriti Lamsal. was found dead in her hostel room on February 16. Students claimed she was being harassed by a fellow student. As talks with the protesters failed, they were ordered to vacate the hostel.

Then men arrested allegedly came and tried to hurry them and in the process, manhandled some of the students. 

There were also allegations that the students were dropped them at Cuttack railway station without any arrangements being made for their travel.

“The administration made extensive efforts, engaging in counselling and discussions for over 10 hours to manage the situation peacefully. However, despite their best attempts, some protestors were unwilling to listen to the university authorities and continued to create disruptions, posing a challenge to law and order. They also blocked the main road for hours, causing inconvenience and escalating tensions,” the institute later said. 

Another student, Advik Srivastava, meanwhile has been arrested and accused of abeting Lamsal’s suicide. The third year BTech student is in judicial custody.

The Odisha government has set up a high-level fact-finding committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.

New Delhi:

Adani Group on Tuesday committed to investing Rs 2.3 lakh crore over the next five years across power, cement, industrial parks, aluminium and city gas expansion in Odisha. According to a statement by the group, the investment commitment was made during Utkarsh Odisha 2025 – the state’s investor meeting.

Karan Adani, Managing Director of Adani Ports and SEZ Limited (APSEZ), met state Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and exchanged MoUs for investment in Odisha over the next five years, it added.

“The Adani Group committed to invest Rs 2.3 lakh crore over the next five years across power, cement, industrial parks, aluminium, city Gas etc,” the statement said.

It, however, did not give details.

“This is the biggest investment intent by any group in Utkarsh Odisha 2025.” Also, the first test flight landed at Dhamra Airstrip successfully on Tuesday.

Additionally, on the occasion of Utkarsh Odisha, six projects of ATGL in Odisha were commissioned. These include an EV charging station at Bhubaneswar airport and the completion of the city gate station cum mother station project.

Other projects include the groundbreaking for an LNG cum multi-fuel hub at Bhadrak, a CNG station in Balasore, the first domestic piped cooking gas charging and burner in Bhadrak and a CNG station project completion at Rairangpur (1st in the city) of Mayurbhanj district.

“It will be open to the public soon,” it added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

Jajpur:

A class 4 student died after falling off a swing on the school premises in Odisha’s Jajpur district on Saturday, police said.

The deceased boy was identified as Soumyaranjan Sahu of Bagapatia Upper Primary school under Danagadi block.

The 10-year-old boy was playing on a swing with some of his friends during school hours when he suddenly fell and sustained critical injuries. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival, police said.

Soumyaranjan’s family and locals blamed carelessness of the teachers for his death. They allegedly detained the teachers after the incident and demanded strict action against them, police added.

Bagapatia Upper Primary School has 72 students and five teachers including the headmaster, official sources said.

“This is an unfortunate incident. We cannot compensate for the irreparable loss. However, we will certainly advise all the schools in the block to take necessary precautions to avoid such accidents during school hours,” said Subhranshu Puhan, block education officer of Dangdi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhubaneswar:

The Odisha government on Monday announced a monthly pension of Rs 20,000 and other benefits for people jailed during Emergency, a notification by the state home department said.

On January 2, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi declared the provision of monthly pension for those arrested and imprisoned during the Emergency under Maintenance of Internal Security Act, Defence of India Rule or Defence and Internal Security of India Rules.

Along with pension, the state government will bear the medical expenses of all the people jailed during the Emergency. Pension and medical facilities will be available to all people still alive as of January 1, 2025, it said.

Hundreds were imprisoned in various jails across the country for opposing the Emergency between June 25, 1975 and March 21, 1977.

“The pension will be sanctioned in favour of the living persons (those who are alive as on January 1, 2025) irrespective of the period of detention in jail,” it said, adding that they can also avail of free medical treatment in accordance with the provisions of health & family welfare department.

The benefits will take effect from January 1, 2025, and no benefits will be provided for any period before that date, it added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Baripada (Odisha):

A 66-year-old tusker engaged in protecting timber and tigers in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, has died during treatment, a senior forest department official said on Monday.

On Sunday around 10.30 pm, the elephant, Mahendra, died in the Chahala camp.

The jumbo had stopped eating from Sunday morning and it died of old age-related weakness, STR field director Dr Prakash Chand Gogineni said.

“Mahendra was under the treatment of veterinary doctor Abhilash Acharya. A post-mortem examination will be conducted,” Gogineni said.

Mahendra, a trained jumbo, was brought to Similipal in December 2001 from the Rajiv Gandhi National Park in Karnataka, along with two female elephants Bhavani and Shobha.

The jumbo during its deployment in Similipal, had received bullet injuries in a Maoist attack in 2012.

The elephant had also suffered arrow hits by poachers in the forest. It, however, recovered and resumed work, an official said.

Mahendra was also deployed to guard the tigress Sundari. It was brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh to Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in Angul district in 2019.

The jumbo was later shifted back to Similipal.

Forest officials and local communities on Monday mourned Mahendra’s death and described the tusker as a true “hero” as it was a protector of wildlife in Similipal.

“Mahendra was not just an elephant, but a symbol of strength against poachers and timber smugglers. His bravery will always be remembered,” a forest department official said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Last week, the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the factsheet of the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) for the year 2023-24. The survey was undertaken consecutively after the 2022–23 study. Back-to-back surveys were necessary to capture sequential consumption trends, ensuring methodological consistency and data reliability. This approach facilitates the recalibration of base years for macroeconomic metrics and provides policymakers with a more granular understanding of household expenditure dynamics to inform evidence-based economic planning.

The data has some interesting findings. The average monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) has been estimated at ₹4,122 in rural areas and ₹6,996 in urban areas, rising to ₹4,247 and ₹7,078, respectively, when accounting for the imputed value of items provided through social welfare programmes. Both rural and urban MPCEs have increased nominally by approximately 9% and 8%, respectively, from 2022-23 levels, reflecting an overall rise in consumption. Importantly, the urban-rural MPCE gap has narrowed significantly, falling to 70% in 2023-24 from 84% in 2011-12, suggesting a sustained consumption growth in rural areas. Additionally, the most significant increase in MPCE has been observed among the bottom 5-10% of the population in both urban and rural regions, highlighting improved spending capacity among lower-income groups.

The findings indicate a significant shift in household expenditure patterns, with non-food items constituting 53% of rural and 60% of urban household spending. This marks a notable trend of diversified spending and a move away from food-dominated expenditure. An EAC-PM paper by Mudit Kapoor et al., based on the unit-level data of HCES 2022-23 (unit-level data of HCES 2023-24 will be available in a few months), also points to this trend. For the first time since independence, the average household spending on food has fallen below 50% of overall monthly expenditures. The findings align with Engel’s Law, which posits that as household income increases, the proportion of income spent on food declines, even if absolute spending on food rises.

Within food categories, cereal expenditure has declined markedly, especially among the bottom 20% of households in rural and urban areas, likely reflecting the effectiveness of government food security initiatives, such as free foodgrain distribution. These trends have important implications for agriculture and nutrition policies. There is now a need to promote diverse food production, such as fruits, vegetables, and animal-source foods.

Further, key non-food expenditure categories include conveyance, clothing, durable goods, and entertainment. In food expenditure, beverages, refreshments, and processed foods dominate, indicating evolving consumption preferences. Rent contributes 7% to urban household non-food spending, underscoring the growing significance of housing costs. Notably, consumption inequality has declined, with the Gini coefficient dropping to 0.237 for rural areas and 0.284 for urban areas from their 2022-23 levels. These trends imply a positive trajectory in bridging economic disparities and enhancing living standards across India, driven by robust social welfare interventions and broad-based economic growth.

However, how are the states performing? Several decades ago, demographer Ashish Bose coined the term BIMARU, an acronym for the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh (as they existed before subsequent divisions). The term, introduced in the 1980s in a paper presented to then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, phonetically resembles the Hindi word ‘bimaar’ and served as a stark metaphor for the developmental challenges these states represented. Over time, the acronym was expanded to include Odisha, forming BIMAROU. These states collectively symbolised many of the structural issues that hindered India’s progress, such as stagnant economic growth, inadequate infrastructure, poor social indicators, and persistent poverty.

The socio-economic trajectories of these states remain central to India’s overall development, given their substantial population and significant share of the country’s poverty base. With millions living below the poverty line, the performance of the BIMAROU states is crucial for national poverty reduction, employment generation, and economic growth. Their development directly impacts India’s overall metrics for poverty alleviation and human development.

If one looks at the consumption patterns in these states, one will notice that while there are massive improvements as compared to HCES 2011-12 and even HCES 2022-23, they still have lowest HCES; in some cases, it is lower than the national average MPCE. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh report the lowest rural MPCE at ₹3,788 and ₹3,578, and urban MPCE at ₹5,165 and ₹5,474. Madhya Pradesh (₹3,522 rural, ₹5,589 urban) and Odisha (₹3,509 rural, ₹5,925 urban) show slightly better figures but still fall below the national average. Rajasthan fares comparatively better with ₹4,626 rural and ₹6,640 urban MPCE but remains behind more developed states.

Overall, among the large states, Chhattisgarh recorded the lowest rural MPCE at ₹2,927, followed by Jharkhand (₹3,056) and Uttar Pradesh (₹3,578). In urban areas, Chhattisgarh also had the lowest MPCE at ₹5,114, with Bihar (₹5,165) and Jharkhand (₹5,455) close behind.

When analysing the national average Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) for rural areas, which stands at ₹4,122, several major states fall below this benchmark. These include West Bengal (₹3,620), Assam (₹3,793), Bihar (₹3,670), Madhya Pradesh (₹3,441), Uttar Pradesh (₹3,481), Odisha (₹3,357), Jharkhand (₹2,946), and Chhattisgarh (₹2,739).

Similarly, for urban areas, where the national average MPCE is ₹6,996, a significant number of states also lag behind. These states include Assam (₹6,794), Rajasthan (₹6,574), Odisha (₹5,825), West Bengal (₹5,775), Madhya Pradesh (₹5,538), Uttar Pradesh (₹5,395), Jharkhand (₹5,393), Bihar (₹5,080), and Chhattisgarh (₹4,927).

This will have a bearing on the poverty numbers. The HCES provides detailed insights into household consumption patterns, and applying this data to a revised poverty line could give a more accurate measure of deprivation in the country. Since unit-level data will be available soon, it will be the right time to review the existing metrics, such as the consumer price index, and it will also be an opportunity to come up with a new poverty line. Also, as data shows, poverty alleviation interventions should now focus more on states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh apart from the usual states where MPCE is still significantly lower than the national average.

(Aditya Sinha is a public policy professional.) 

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Balasore:

A couple in Odisha’s Balasore district allegedly sold their newborn boy to a childless couple in neighbouring Mayurbhanj district, police said on Sunday.

The matter came to light when locals could not find the nine-day-old baby in the home of Dharmu Behera and his wife Shantilata in Hadamouda village under the Basta Police Station limits, an officer said.

On December 19, Shantilata gave birth to a baby boy at Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital at Baripada and she was discharged three days later.

When villagers did not find the newborn in their home, they suspected that the couple sold the baby through a middleman due to “poverty”, the officer said.

Based on a complaint, a joint investigation was initiated by the police and the Child Welfare Committee, Mayurbhanj.

The baby was rescued on Saturday from the possession of a childless couple in Manicha village under the Sainkola block in Mayurbhanj district, he said.

Both Shantilata and the family from where the baby was rescued denied the allegation of any sale or purchase of the newborn.

Shantilata and Dharmu claimed to have donated the baby to the childless couple.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

After the Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc, Odisha’s opposition Biju Janata Dal or BJD has red-flagged the unexplainable variances in the voting figures from the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections held earlier this year. Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s party has made it clear that they are not against Electronic Voting Machines, questioning instead the integrity of the election process.

A delegation of senior party leaders – including Amar Patnaik and Sasmit Patra — met the Chief Election Commissioner and his team in Delhi today, six months after the party suffered a massive defeat at both Lok Sabha and the state level.

The BJD, which has been ruling the state for five consecutive terms, won only 51 of the state’s 153 assembly constituencies. The BJP won 78 and in a first, came to power in the state. The party also won 20 of the state’s 21 Lok Sabha seats.

The BJD has now given a memorandum to the Election Commission asking about the discrepancies – especially why there is a huge gap between the total votes polled in a booth and the votes counted from the EVMs.

The BJD has also pointed out how the total votes polled for the Lok Sabha election was different from the number of votes cast for the assembly segments that come under it.

In a first in Odisha, the voting percentage difference between polling day turnout and the final turnout figure is 15 per cent to 30 per cent.
In Keonjhar constituency, from where Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi was contesting, the difference between voting percentage on polling day and the final percentage is 30.64 per cent.

This difference is the highest in the country — perhaps the highest ever in the country’s electoral history, the party said. 

Its leaders claimed that the discrepancy is high enough to affect the final outcome of the election and questioned how this could happen in an age of sophisticated EVMs and foolproof telecom network. 

“We filed an application with the Chief Election Officer of Odisha two months ago, asking them to provide us the Form 17 data. We have requested the Commission to clarify the discrepancies,” said senior party leader Amar Patnaik.

“We are not questioning the EVM, we are questioning the Election process in which the EVM is a component,” he added. 

Unlike the Congress, the party, he added, has not taken any call on the ballot box.  “The Election Commission has assured us that it would look into the matter and action will be taken if any discrepancies are found. The Commission, however, has not given any timeline for its response.