Recent Current Affairs related to Odisha

The Odisha government has signed two strategic MoUs with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and CivicDataLab (CDL) in Bhubaneswar.

The partnership aims to strengthen the disaster risk management ecosystem of the state by leveraging data, technology, and innovation, and fostering institutional collaboration.

The National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park Odisha Ltd (NSHIPOL) has received in-principle approval to establish a shipbuilding and heavy industries cluster in Kendrapara, Odisha, with a projected investment of ₹24,700 crore.

The approval was granted under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS) of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW). The project will be implemented through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) comprising the Odisha Maritime Board (OMB) and the Paradip Port Authority (PPA).

Ashutosh Parida, a renowned Odia poet and former scientist, has been selected for the 47th edition of the Sarala Puraskar for his poetry collection titled “Bishwas De Pruthwi” (2024). The award carries a cash prize of ₹7 lakh.

The Odisha government has launched the ‘Bidesh Sikhyabruti’ scholarship scheme to provide financial assistance of up to ₹25 lakh per year to meritorious Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students pursuing higher education abroad.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated 7 major infrastructure projects at the Paradip Port Authority (PPA) in Odisha, with a total outlay of ₹427.8 crore. The projects are intended to strengthen the capacity and operational efficiency of the port.

The PPA has attained an 18.5-metre deep-draft capability, enabling the handling of larger cargo vessels. Furthermore, concession agreements for 3 mechanisation projects were signed with a cumulative investment of ₹1,580.36 crore. The port also reached an environmental milestone by completing its one-millionth tree plantation.

The Odisha government has signed a tripartite agreement with Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) to implement the amended BharatNet programme in the state. The project has an outlay of ₹3,384.8 crore.

Additionally, the state government has also signed an MoU with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) to collaborate in the field of emerging technologies.

The Odisha government has signed an MoU with HCL Technologies (HCLTech) and Sarvam AI to set up the first AI data centre of the state.

The facility will be located at the Odisha Sovereign AI Park in Bhubaneswar, with a total project outlay of ₹14,257 crore.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved 2 multitracking projects under the Ministry of Railways with an estimated cost of ₹3,907 crore.

These projects, covering 145 km across 4 districts in Odisha and Jharkhand, include the doubling of the Paradeep to Haridaspur line and the construction of a 4th line between Rajkharsawan and Dangoaposi. The projects are scheduled to be completed by FY31.

The Department of Fisheries has organised the national launch of the 'Letter of Authorisation' (LoA) for Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the High Seas in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.

Vice President CP Radhakrishnan presided over the event and launched the LoA for Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the High Seas. He also unveiled the 'Odisha Deep Sea Mission Document'.

The National Aluminium Company (Nalco) and NLC India Ltd (NLCIL) have signed a joint venture agreement to establish a 1,080 MW captive thermal power plant in Angul, Odisha.

The project will be developed through a 50:50 joint venture and will consist of four units of 270 MW each. This project is aimed at supporting the aluminium capacity expansion of Nalco.

Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) and International Resources Holding (IRH), a part of the International Holding Company (IHC) group, have signed an MoU with the Odisha government on setting up an integrated greenfield aluminium project with an investment of $11.5 billion (₹1.08 lakh crore).

PM Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu have visited Odisha and inaugurated/laid foundation stones for various developmental projects worth over ₹47,600 crore at Rairangpur.

They jointly laid the foundation stone for India's first commercial-scale 'Coal-to-Ammonium Nitrate Project' at Lakhanpur. They also participated in a programme marking the completion of 2 years of the Odisha government, themed 'Vikas ra Dhara, Odisha Sara'.

During the visit, 60 projects were inaugurated and foundation stones were laid for 12 projects across various sectors. PM Modi also announced that Pahadpur will be developed as a 'Model Solar Village', ensuring every household is equipped for solar power generation.

Sudarsan Pattnaik, a sand artist from Puri, Odisha, has won the Russia Grand Sand Master Cup 2026 at the II International Festival of Sand Sculpture in Kaliningrad, Russia. He is the first Indian to receive this honour.

His winning entry was a 3-meter high sand sculpture depicting two contrasting faces of Earth. It is to be noted that he was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2014 for his contributions to the field of Arts.

The DRDO has conducted three consecutive flight tests of its integrated multi-layered Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system. These trials, executed from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha, demonstrated the system’s capability to intercept long-range (5,000 km) and medium-range (2,000 km) missiles using two advanced interceptor missiles.

Additionally, the maiden flight test of the indigenous Naval Anti-Ship Missile–Medium Range (NASM-MR) was also successfully conducted.

The DRDO has successfully conducted the flight-test of the indigenous Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha.

All sub-systems of the missile were developed by various DRDO laboratories and Indian industry partners, with the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) in Bengaluru serving as the nodal laboratory for the project.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the 4-laning of the Armoor-Jagtial-Mancherial section of National Highway (NH)-63 and the Jagtial-Karimnagar section of NH-563. These projects, spanning a total length of 190.76 km, will be developed at an estimated cost of ₹7,597 crore.

Additionally, the CCEA has sanctioned the construction of a new coastal highway connecting Rameshwar to Paradeep in Odisha. The project, spanning 160.18 km, will be implemented at an estimated cost of ₹8,300 crore.

India has secured the hosting rights for the 2027 Asian Relay Championships and the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, marking the first time both events will be hosted in India.

The decision was finalized by the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) during an executive council meeting in Hong Kong, chaired by Dahlan Al Hamad. The 2027 Asian Relay Championships will be held at the Sector 7 Sports Complex in Chandigarh, while the 2028 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships will be hosted at the Kalinga Stadium complex indoor facility in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The Government of Odisha has signed an MoU with Intel Corporation and 3DGS Inc to establish an Advanced Packaging Glass Core Substrate Manufacturing Facility in the Bhubaneswar–Khurda region.

The project involves an estimated investment of $3.3 billion, making it one of the largest high-technology manufacturing investments in India.

Scientists at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) in Cuttack, Odisha, led by Kutubuddin Ali Molla, have developed and validated a platform named “Plant-OpenCRISPR1” (POC1).

This represents the first AI-designed genome-editing platform in the world for plants, developed utilizing rice as a model crop. The POC1 platform facilitates advanced gene knockout, base editing, and prime editing in rice crops using AI-designed enzymes, surpassing conventional Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technologies.

It is to be noted that the research findings have been accepted for publication in the international journal “New Phytologist”.

India has successfully test-fired the Agni-1 missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha. The test was conducted under the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) to validate all operational and technical parameters of the system.

Agni-1 is an indigenous, single-stage, surface-to-surface Short Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM) powered by solid propellants. Designed for rapid deployment via road or rail mobile launchers, the missile has an operational strike range of 700-900 km and is capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear warheads.