Recent Current Affairs related to Odisha

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.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated the Bhimmandali Eco Heritage Site in the Naktideul Block of Sambalpur district, Odisha. The centre has sanctioned over ₹8.3 crore for the project.

He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 304 projects, including a new Nursing College at the Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital with an investment of ₹580 crore. The Panchayati Raj Samikshya portal was also launched to enhance transparency and accountability in rural governance systems.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has renewed its strategic partnership with the Department of Sports and Youth Services (DSYS) of the Government of Odisha by signing a 5-year MoU.

The agreement builds upon the initial collaboration established in 2023. The partnership aims to expand elite youth football and solidify the position of Odisha as the premier football hub in India.

India has successfully conducted the second flight trial of the Agni-5 missile, integrated with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology.

The test, designated as “Mission Divyastra”, was carried out from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. It is to be noted that Agni-5 is a nuclear-capable ballistic missile with a strike range exceeding 5,000 km.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched the fourth phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-IV) in Rayagada, Odisha, with an outlay of ₹1,700 crore. Under the initiative, 827 road projects spanning 1,701.84 km have been initiated at a cost of ₹1,698.04 crore to provide all-weather connectivity to 898 habitations for the first time.

The project targets 898 villages across 8 districts in Odisha to enhance connectivity in remote and underserved regions. It is to be noted that the financial responsibility for the PMGSY-IV is shared between the central and state governments in a 60:40 ratio.

India has successfully conducted the second flight test of the indigenous Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-AShM) from Launch Complex-IV at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. The missile, developed by the DRDO, successfully engaged a target at a distance of over 1,500 km.

The missile system is powered by a two-stage solid propulsion mechanism. It is capable of reaching a peak speed of Mach 10 and maintains an average speed of Mach 5 during its cruise and glide phases.

L&T Energy Hydrocarbon Onshore, a division of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), has secured a contract valued between ₹2,500 crore and ₹5,000 crore from Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Ltd (BCGCL) to develop a coal-to-ammonium nitrate project in Odisha.

BCGCL is a Joint Venture (JV) between Coal India Ltd (CIL) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL). The project is designed to produce 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate per day, aiming to reduce import dependence and conserve foreign exchange.

The DRDO and the Indian Navy have successfully conducted the maiden salvo launch of the indigenous Naval Anti-ship Missile Short Range (‘NASM-SR’) from a helicopter of the Navy off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal. The trial involved launching two missiles in quick succession to evaluate the air-launched anti-ship system.

The missile, developed by the Research Center Imarat (RCI) in Hyderabad along with other labs of the DRDO, weighs 400 kg and can carry a warhead payload of up to 100 kg. It has a length of 3.6 m, a diameter of 300 mm, a strike range of 55 km, and a speed of Mach 0.8. The ‘NASM-SR’ can function at altitudes between 50 m and 3 km.

The Board of JSW Steel Ltd has approved a proposal to form a 50:50 Joint Venture (JV) with the South Korea-based POSCO Group to establish an integrated steel plant in Odisha. The proposed plant will have a production capacity of 6 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA).

Saffron Resources Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Steel, will transition into the JV entity through a share subscription and joint venture agreement.

The Odisha government has signed an MoU with the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), an agency under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, to implement a specialized Marine Spatial Plan (MSP).

The MSP aims to maintain a balance between the coastal economy and the marine environment of the state. It is to be noted that Odisha is the first state in India to initiate the second phase of the national sustainable ocean planning initiative.