Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will soon implement the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, Panchayatiraj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik said Thursday. The PESA Act was enacted in 1996, giving similar powers to tribal communities in Scheduled Areas to self-govern. "A proposal to enforce the Act will be brought in by my department in...

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Thursday wound up his three-day business trip to Gujarat after securing investment commitment of worth Rs 48,330 crore from the western region of the country, officials said. Starting his business tour from Gujarat capital Ahmedabad, the Odisha delegation led by Majhi also held road shows at Mundra and Vadodara. "The...

Mumbai: India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and his wife Devisha Shetty welcomed their first child, a baby girl, Thursday, marking a joyous personal milestone. The couple, who tied the knot in 2016, had celebrated their baby shower in March, in the presence of close friends and family members. The development comes at a crucial stage of the...

Saharsa: More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar's Saharsa district, a senior official said Thursday. The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district. The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital,...

Kolkata: Governor R N Ravi has dissolved the West Bengal State Legislative Assembly with effect from May 7 after completion of its term, according to an official notification. The current assembly was constituted in May 2021 after the Trinamool Congress, under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, returned to power for the third consecutive term in the state....

New Delhi: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Thursday stated that 11 Indian ships have exited the Strait of Hormuz so far as a result of ongoing diplomatic engagement with Iran. Addressing a weekly media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that a forward movement is being seen in diplomatic engagements with Tehran, and the...

Thuamul Rampur: The Forest Rights Act has remained largely confined to paper in Similipadar village under Karlapat panchayat in Thuamul Rampur block of Kalahandi district. Tribal families who have depended on water, forests and land for generations are still deprived of their legal rights. Although the historic Forest Rights Act, enacted in 2006, aimed to restore traditional...

Lucknow: Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl against Lucknow Super Giants in an Indian Premier League match Thursday. LS made a few changes due to injuries, with Josh Inglis, Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan missing out, while Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav and Shahbaz Ahmed came into the side. RCB named...

Bhubaneswar: A man was beaten to death and another critically injured by a mob for allegedly sexually assaulting two women on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar Thursday, police said. The incident took place near a bridge at Ramchandrapur under the Balianta police station area on the Hanspal-Nimapara road during noon. The deceased was identified as Soumya Ranjan Swain,...

Kathmandu: An earthquake of 4.1 magnitude hit Dhading district of central Nepal Thursday morning, a government agency said here. There was no immediate report about any damage caused by the quake, tremors of which were also felt in capital Kathmandu. The epicentre was situated 90 kms west of Kathmandu. "An earthquake measuring 4.1 magnitude with its epicentre...