Guest Column News Updates

Op-Ed: New Health Policy Must Address Pressing Issues

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: A new health policy for the state is on the anvil. The government is keen to stop the flight of doctors to hospitals in the private sector, especially outside the state. If the new policy, which is expected to offer fresh and more alluring incentives to doctors, can address the issue […]

Op-Ed: Why No Odisha Monument In Centre’s List of Iconic Destinations?

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha has always prided itself on its art and culture. Temples scattered across the state bear testimony to its great architectural tradition. The sun temple at Konark, a marvel of architectural excellence, has been listed as a UNESCO heritage site. Apart from the Sri Jagannath temple in Puri and the shrine […]

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Battling Second Wave: A Few Quick Learnings For Odisha

In the collective memory of the nation, few times would come close to the shared despair, fear and gloom that is prevalent all across now. Certain parts of the country…

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Op-Ed: Let Rebels Return To Social Mainstream

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Recently newspaper reported about CPI (Maoist), a banned outfit with a history of violence, expelling one of its divisional committee members in Odisha from the organisation for ‘anti-party’ activities. According to some reports, Navin, who was active in the “ swabhiman anchal ” ( earlier known as cut-off area) of Malkangiri, […]

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Op-Ed: Time For Odisha To Stand Up For Its Rights

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: As expected chief minister, Naveen Patnaik has written a letter to union tourism minister expressing his disappointment over the omission of Odisha from the list of 17 iconic tourism sites to be developed by the Centre with provision made for the same in the budget for 2019-20. In his missive to […]

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Op-Ed: Will Naveen’s Tips For Good Governance Work?

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: In his fifth coming as the chief minister of Odisha, Naveen  Patnaik has donned the role of teacher for his ministers and MLAs. He has been imparting tips to make them better people’s representatives and administrators. In his first meeting with the newly elected Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislators he advised […]

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Op-Ed: Is Naveen Government Finding KALIA Hard To Handle?

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Ruling Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) campaign for the recent Lok Sabha and state assembly elections revolved around the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme of its government. Hailed by economists and planning experts it was supposed to be the panacea for the all problems being faced by the […]

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Op-Ed: Let Others Follow Agrawal’s Example

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: It was heart-warming to read about Malkangiri collector, Manish Agrawal’s wife having a safe delivery at the district headquarters hospital. Agrawal’s decision to get his pregnant wife admitted to a hospital that had received a lot of negative publicity only three years ago following a string of Japanese Encephalitis deaths, the […]

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Adieu, Storyteller Extraordinaire! Tribute To Jewel Manoj Das

Though I had read a few stories written by Manoj Das as part of the curriculum in high school, my lifelong affair with the legendary storyteller started in right earnest…

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Op-Ed: Was BJD’s Support For Vaishnav A Mistake?

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Newspapers have quoted union minister of state for finance, Anurag Thakur as telling the Lok Sabha that Centre is not considering any proposal to grant special category state status to Odisha. There is also no move to increase Centre’s share of funds for centrally sponsored schemes in the state. Thakur’s statement […]

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Op-Ed: Why BJD’s Excessive Focus on Patkura?

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Chief minister, Naveen Patnaik seems to have made the Patkura assembly poll a prestige issue. What else can explain the ruling Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) excessive focus on a constituency where the party already enjoys a strong base. Patkura, in any case, is part of Kendrapara district which enjoys the reputation […]

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Op-Ed: Time To Call A Halt To Crime Against Women

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha, which once ranked among the most peaceful and crime-free states of the country, seems to have become an unsafe place for women. Crimes against members of the fair sex have been taking place in the state with alarming frequency. Of late newspapers have reported a spate of rape cases, some […]

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Op-Ed: Lagging Behind in Tourism Promotion

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s tourism sector suffered massive losses in the wake of cyclone Fani which left behind a trail of destruction in several coastal districts, the worst affected being Puri and Khurda. On a rough estimate the loss has been to the tune of Rs.732 crore. Puri being a major tourist hub of […]

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Op-Ed: The Government Must Put An End To This Shame

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: There is growing concern in the state over cases of pregnancy of teenage girls in schools and hostels run by SC\ST development department. The issue not only raises moral questions it also puts a question mark over the management of these institutions. For the record as many as 17 cases of […]

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Op-Ed: Odisha Must Assert Its Rights Over Mahanadi

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: A section of the media has reported that Chhattisgarh is planning more projects on Mahanadi, the river considered to be the lifeline of people in Odisha. One of the mightiest rivers of the country it caters to the water needs of people in around 15 districts of the state. It is […]

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