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free shoes uniform to Odisha school students
Op-Ed: This Decision Needs A Re-think

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha government’s decision to close down around 1000 schools with student strength of less than 10 has stirred a controversy with the move not going down well with parents and educationists. The government plans to shift these students to nearby schools. Arrangements will be made for escorts and payment of transport […]

Tantrik
Op-Ed: Step Up The War Against Superstition

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The bizarre spectacle of a black magician trying to revive a dead woman, a victim of snakebite, near the morgue of Padampur sub-divisional headquarters hospital in Bargarh district on Sunday, once again proves that despite the spread of education superstition continues to rule roost in the rural areas of the state. […]

Nominee
Op-Ed: Nothing But Sheer Political Opportunism

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The visuals of Biju Janata Dal and BJP candidates filing their nominations for the Rajya Sabha by-poll together in the state assembly have made many political observers conclude that bonhomie is back between the two parties which had parted ways after ruling the state in tandem for more than nine years. […]

Op-Ed: The Urgent Need to Preserve Our Heritage

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s temple architecture is the most important reminder of its glorious past. Temples with intricate carvings and great miniature works are scattered across the state. Old Bhubaneswar houses some of these architectural marvels located mostly in its narrow lanes and by-lanes. The sad part, however, is that we have utterly failed […]

Op-Ed: Polavaram Embarrassment For Naveen

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Union environment ministry’s decision to grant a two-year extension for the construction of Polavaram multi-purpose project in Andhra Pradesh comes as an embarrassment for the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government which has been opposing the dam that threatens to submerge several tribal villages in Malkangiri district. The discomfiture of […]

RATION CARD
Op-Ed: Ghost Cards Make PDS System Porous

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The phenomenon of ghost ration cards is in focus in the wake of cyclone Fani with authorities reportedly trying to plug such loopholes in the public distribution system. But this is easier said than done because beneficiaries of the phenomenon are part of the system itself. There are two types of […]

school-up
Op-Ed: Time To Revamp School Education

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The alarming fall in the standards of education in government-run schools has finally made the mass education department sit up and think of corrective measures. As a first step towards this the department recently organised the first-ever interaction between parents and teachers in schools across the state. The purpose was to […]

Tribals
Op-Ed: Hope dawns, aspirations seek fulfilment

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The tribal residents of more than 25 villages in Malkangiri’s Swabhiman area ( earlier known as cut-off area) recently staged a demonstration at Mudulipada demanding that it be declared a panchyat as it was more accessible to them. They also sought infrastructure development and livelihood opportunities in the area which has […]

chilika
Op-Ed: Ecotourism Boost A Welcome Move

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Ecotourism is the buzzword. Odisha government, too, seems keen to make the most of it having set aside Rs 7.7 crore in the current budget for infrastructure development at ecotourism sites. This sector has tremendous potential for revenue generation and the best thing about it is that local communities have a […]

Labourer1
Op-Ed: The Horror Story Continues

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: With employment scenario in the state remaining bleak the focus has once again turned to the annual phenomenon of migration of labourers from the hunger zones of what has come to be known as the KBK belt. The argument that people from this region migrate to other states in search of […]

Op-Ed: Odisha's Healthcare Blues

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The visuals of Dana Majhi, a tribal from Kalahandi, carrying his wife’s body on his shoulders after failing to get a hearse are still fresh in the minds of people. That was 2016 but three years down the line nothing much seems to have changed in the state as far as […]

Rahul Gandhi
Op-Ed: Rahul’s Resignation and The Questions It Raises

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Congress president, Rahul Gandhi has finally made his resignation from the post official. The contents of his resignation letter are on the Twitter for anyone interested to peruse. There are some obvious conclusions to be drawn from the letter. First and foremost it puts a premium on accountability which is a […]

Op-Ed: Congress in Odisha Needs A Thorough Overhaul

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The AICC-appointed Odisha Congress in-charge, Jitendra Singh recently dropped clear hints about a through revamp of the party structure in the state. Such an exercise seems to have become imperative following Congress’s crushing defeat in the recent Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state. While in the Lok Sabha the […]

Patkura-Elections
Op-Ed: Patkura Contest Will Be An Interesting Watch

Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Will BJP be able to make a battle of it in Patkura? The question has become extremely relevant with by-poll dates announced and three major parties in the fray chalking out their strategies. The by-poll has to be seen in the context of ruling Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) comprehensive victory in the […]

Op-Ed: BJP Needs to Rework Its Strategy In Odisha

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Against a target of 120 plus set by BJP president, Amit Shah the party has managed to win to just 23 assembly seats in Odisha. But party leaders remain upbeat about BJP’s prospects in the state where they see tremendous potential for growth. In fact, a section of them think that […]

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