Odisha Politics & Governance

Odisha Cabinet approves Gyanodaya education scheme

1 July 2026

Odisha’s Cabinet approved the Gyanodaya—Shiksha Ru Samruddhi scheme for the 2026–27 academic year. It provides admission-fee exemptions for eligible students in regular courses at government and government-aided institutions; the five-year estimated outlay is ₹5,467.55 crore. The scheme excludes specified courses and institutions, and does not cover hostel or examination fees.

Key Facts

• The fee exemption is designed to reduce education costs, particularly for economically weaker and disadvantaged families.

Odisha considers Anti-Narcotics Task Force proposal

1 July 2026

Odisha Police proposed a state Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) to coordinate action against drug trafficking, illegal cannabis cultivation and interstate drug networks. The proposal, which was under state-government consideration, envisaged leadership by an Additional Director General-level officer, along with 10 special police stations and 19 intelligence units.

The state had separately approved four special NDPS courts in Bhubaneswar, Khordha, Angul and Sambalpur to expedite trials.

Key Facts

• The NDPS Act, 1985, prohibits activities including cultivation, possession, sale and transport of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

Odisha identifies sites for proposed World Skill Centre campuses

1 July 2026

Odisha identified sites for proposed World Skill Centre campuses in Ganjam and Sambalpur, advancing plans to expand skills training beyond the state capital. The selected locations are Laudigam village in Kanisi tehsil, Ganjam, and Badasinghari village in Sadar tehsil, Sambalpur.

The sites comprise about 40 acres in Ganjam and 15 acres in Sambalpur. The 2026–27 state budget had announced ₹278 crore for the two centres, while administrative steps to transfer the land were under way.

Key Facts

• The proposed campuses aim to expand industry-oriented skills training and employment opportunities for youth in southern and western Odisha.

Odisha Cabinet approves State Data Centre 2.0 and other projects

2 July 2026

Odisha’s Cabinet approved the State Data Centre 2.0 project at an estimated cost of ₹197.44 crore. Planned as a secure, scalable, Tier III-compliant facility, it will include a disaster-recovery data centre to support continuity of government applications and digital services.

The Cabinet also approved proposals across eight departments, including water-reservoir projects, road works and fisheries initiatives. These approvals set out planned infrastructure and targets, not completed projects or outcomes.

Key Facts

• The approved brackish-water aquaculture framework promotes scientific, environmentally responsible and regulated fish and shrimp farming in coastal areas.

Odisha signs MoU for proposed integrated aluminium project

2 July 2026

The Odisha government signed a memorandum of understanding with Adani Enterprises and UAE-based International Holding Company for a proposed integrated aluminium project. With an estimated investment of about ₹1.10 lakh crore, the project is planned to include bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting, captive power generation and downstream manufacturing.

The project is projected to create more than 53,500 direct and indirect employment opportunities across its construction and operational phases. The proposed collaboration also covers research and development, metallurgy, digital systems and infrastructure development.

Key Facts

• The proposed integrated project links bauxite mining and alumina refining with smelting, captive power and downstream aluminium manufacturing, enabling local value addition.

Odisha reviews Kharif crop insurance and weather-station planning

2 July 2026

Odisha’s State Level Crop Insurance Coordination Committee reviewed implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana for the Kharif 2026 season, including the state’s 60:130 cap-and-cap model, localised calamities and post-harvest losses. The meeting also reviewed progress under the Weather Information Network and Data System project.

District administrations were asked to identify suitable sites for automatic weather stations and rain gauges. The meeting discussed continuing the crop insurance scheme for Kharif 2026 and improving enrolment, digital monitoring and crop-cutting data collection.

Key Facts

• PMFBY insures notified food, oilseed and eligible commercial or horticultural crops, with coverage including localised calamities and specified post-harvest losses.

Odisha releases CPET 2026 results for postgraduate admissions

2 July 2026

Odisha released the Common PG Entrance Test (CPET) 2026 results on the SAMS portal for postgraduate admissions for the 2026–27 academic year. Of 58,613 applicants, 53,901 sat the examination, which covered 50 postgraduate programmes.

The Higher Education Department reported 32,309 postgraduate seats across 132 institutions under its remit. Admissions will be based on CPET results, and the admission schedule was to be published on the SAMS portal.

Key Facts

• For Odisha’s 2026–27 ...