Odisha Politics & Governance

Odisha launches PMGSY-IV road programme for 898 villages

1 May 2026

Odisha launched the fourth phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-IV) at Rayagada, approving projects worth more than ₹1,700 crore. The programme plans 1,702 km of all-weather roads through 827 projects to connect 898 villages across Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Khordha, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Sambalpur.

The planned works will be funded in a 60:40 Centre–State ratio. Rayagada and Malkangiri are together slated to receive 442 new roads.

Key Facts

• PMGSY is a nationwide scheme aimed at providing all-weather road connectivity to unconnected villages.

Odisha to issue matriculation certificates in Odia and English

1 May 2026

The Board of Secondary Education, Odisha, announced that matriculation certificates would be available in both Odia and English for the first time. The change applies to matriculation certificates only; Plus Two certificates were not included.

The 2026 matriculation results were scheduled for release on 2 May. Schools were later directed to upload students’ Odia-language details by 25 May as part of certificate preparation.

Key Facts

• Odisha’s Board of Secondary Education oversees secondary education for government, public and private schools across the state.

Odisha Class 10 Results Record 95.33% Pass Rate; Gajapati Leads

2 May 2026

Odisha’s 2026 Class 10 examinations recorded a state pass rate of 95.33%, with Gajapati district leading at 99.31%. Baripada student Parthasarathy Mahanta was a joint state topper, scoring 588 out of 600 marks.

Gajapati’s District Education Officer credited the district’s result in part to the Prayasa programme, which uses pre-tests, remedial teaching, peer mentoring and additional academic support.

Key Facts

• Prayasa used school-level pre-tests to assess students before providing targeted academic support.
• The programme provided selected students with special remedial teaching and used student mentors to support classmates.

Odisha Forms Committee to Revise Land-Recording Procedures

2 May 2026

Odisha formed a high-level committee to review and draft revised standard operating procedures for recording government and raiyati land. The committee is to consider the existing procedures alongside subsequent laws, rules and government directions, and prepare the draft in simple Odia and English.

It was directed to submit the draft for government approval within one month; the revised procedures had not yet been issued.

Key Facts

• The committee is reviewing land-recording procedures last issued in 1990 against later laws, rules and government directions.
• The revised draft is to be written in simple Odia and English.

Mahanadi Tribunal Receives Joint Technical Account from Odisha and Chhattisgarh

2 May 2026

Odisha and Chhattisgarh submitted a jointly signed technical account to the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal on water availability in the river’s upper and lower reaches during monsoon and non-monsoon periods. The states also informed the tribunal that technical-level discussions on a possible mutual settlement were under way.

The tribunal scheduled its next hearing for 30 May 2026. No settlement had been reached at the time of the hearing.

Key Facts

• The Mahanadi is a trans-state river flowing through Chhattisgarh and Odisha before reaching the Bay of Bengal.
• Hirakud Dam is a major multipurpose river-valley project on the Mahanadi near Sambalpur.

Kendu-Leaf Workers Mobilise for Higher Rates and Welfare Benefits

2 May 2026

Kendu-leaf workers and pluckers staged protests and submitted petitions across Odisha, seeking higher rates and welfare benefits. The union said the mobilisation involved about five lakh people across 22 districts and 2,000 gram panchayats.

Their demands included a ₹2-per-kilogram increase in the leaf rate, bonuses, higher pay for seasonal workers, restoration of marriage assistance and an increase in death assistance to ₹4 lakh.

Key Facts

• Kendu leaves are commercially important as wrappers for Indian beedis, linking their collection to a forest-based livelihood.

Odisha Launches Shaktishree App at National Education Policy Workshop

3 May 2026

Odisha launched the Shaktishree mobile app at a two-day national workshop on implementing the National Education Policy 2020. The app is intended to support women students’ safety and rights in colleges, including reporting adverse situations.

The Higher Education Department organised the workshop, which brought together university and college representatives and education officials to discuss higher-education reforms.

Key Facts

• NEP 2020 proposes replacing the 10+2 school structure with a 5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical framework.
• NEP 2020 proposes multidisciplinary undergraduate degrees with flexible ...