Guest Column News Updates

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha has reported 70 cases of acid attack between 2011 and 2019, according to an NGO engaged in helping acid attack survivors. Both government and the civil society need to take these statistics seriously because victims invariably are women, especially young women who are left with permanent scars on their bodies […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: It is not often that one sees an IAS officer in Odisha trekking through a hilly terrain and fording a river to reach out to people living life dangerously in virtually inaccessible areas. On Sunday the sub-collector of Ganjam, Shinde Dattatraya Bhausaheb undertook such a journey to interact with the residents […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Within a span of less than two months POCSO courts in different parts of the state have awarded death penalty to three persons in cases of rape and murder of minor girls. The punishment will hopefully serve as a deterrent and curb the worrisome trend of rise in such cases. The […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: A section of the media has reported that Keonjhar district administration has decided to use sal leaf plates and disposable paper cups in a bid to reduce the consumption of plastic. Sal leaf plates, popular known as “ khali”, have been part of socio-cultural life of Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts. They […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Chief minister, Naveen Patnaik seems keen to ensure that his 5T formula of governance is followed both by civil as well as the police administration. Ahead of the launch of his government’s Mo Sarkar initiative, which is one of the steps towards making 5T effective, he has urged police officials to […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: It is often said that the next world war would be fought over water which, considering its fast depletion, has become a resource more valuable than oil. Yet water conservation is yet to become a priority area for the government. While huge quantity of water is wasted daily in both rural […]

I am circumambulation around history but have not titled this with the same. Because history as a subject is not my problem, but it to be treated as a tool…

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Fake beneficiaries have pocketed more than Rs.170 crore disbursed under the KALIA ( Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation ) scheme, an initiative being widely hailed as the panacea for the problems afflicting the state’s farming community. This revelation has thickened the controversy surrounding this financial assistance programme that covers […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The famous Chilika lake continues to be in the grip of the prawn mafia. Cash rich prawn traders , who export the boneless fish to international destinations, pay the local culturists who build prawn dykes by encroaching parts of the lake which is choking. Commercialisation of Chilika began long ago with […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The difference hits you in the eye once you arrive in the city of London. In fact, it was visible to us soon after landing at the Gatwick airport. Cleanliness and discipline were remarkable. Everything was orderly with the staff ready to help newcomers at every point. The long queues at […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Democracy notwithstanding extreme right wing racists are active in parts of Britain. Fringe groups like Britain First are patrolling the country’s beaches to hunt down desperate migrants. Branded ‘racist vigilantes’ members of the group, armed with binoculars, have been scanning the south coast looking for asylum-seekers crossing from France in little […]

By Ashutosh Mishra London: As we came out of our apartment in Lewisham the sky was clear blue and the entire area was soaked in bright sunlight. It was a cheerful day inviting you to explore a bit of the city. The bus from Lewisham to O2, one of the landmarks of the city thronged […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Battle lines have been drawn in Bijepur with Election Commission announcing the by-poll schedule for the western Odisha constituency made famous by chief minister, Naveen Patnaik’s victory from there in the recent election. The bye-election has been necessitated by Patnaik’s decision to quit the seat in favour of his pocket-borough of […]

By Ashutosh Mishra London: Brexit has Britain on the edge. Public opinion over the issue is sharply divided and the stand-off between the ruling Conservatives and the Labour party seems set to worsen as the October 31 deadline for Prime Minister, Boris Johnson to make good his promise of leading Britain out of the European […]

By Ashutosh Mishra London: Apart from the mounting problems of Prime Minister, Boris Johnson who, still reeling from calls to explain his relationship with an American model-turned-tech entrepreneur, sustained a fresh blow with Supreme Court quashing his attempt to suspend the Parliament for five weeks, the other big story in the British newspapers is about […]