Permainan Online

Thursday, October 15, 2026

10th edition of Ekamra Walks to return in Bhubaneswar from Saturday

Ekamra Walks, the heritage tourism initiative of Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), will return for its 10th edition from October 17 (Saturday), offering special trails during Dussehra and curated experiences for delegates attending the Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference and Expo-2026 in the capital city.

The Dussehra special morning trails will run till October 22, while exclusive heritage, nature and cultural excursions will be organised for UMI delegates from October 23 to 25. The special experiences will include the Living Temple City trail, Nature Walks at Deras, handloom and handicraft shopping, light and sound shows at Dhauli and Udayagiri, nocturnal jungle safaris and curated night trails.

The regular 2026-27 season will commence on November 1 and continue until February 28, offering a mix of heritage walks, cultural experiences and nature-based excursions. Among the featured trails are the Living Temple City Trail, that explores capital’s Kalinga architecture and temple traditions, and the Story of a Planned Capital Trail, that highlights the city’s urban planning legacy and the 1948 master plan designed by German architect Otto Königsberger.

The Odia Literary Trail and Lost Games will combine literary narratives with traditional indoor and outdoor games, while Bhubaneswar by Night will explore the city’s heritage and devotional traditions. Late Night Specials will feature nocturnal heritage explorations and stargazing sessions.

The season will also see the return of the Sunday District Signature Food Trail, offering participants a taste of traditional Odia delicacies and local sweets while introducing them to the stories behind the region’s culinary heritage, said officials from the BDA. Other experiences include the Dhauli Peace Walk, Spiritual Sojourn, Mystical Odyssey, etc.

Campuses go to polls amid tight security in Odisha

Campus elections began across the state on Thursday amid tight security, with voting under way to elect student representatives after an eight year hiatus.

Polling began at around 8 am at public universities, colleges and aided colleges under the Higher Education department and will continue till 2 pm.

Extensive police deployment has been made at Utkal University, Rama Devi Women's University and BJB Autonomous College in the state capital. Security has also been tightened at Ravenshaw University in Cuttack to ensure peaceful polling.

At Utkal University, voting is underway at 36 polling stations to facilitate polling for more than 3,600 students, including over 2,000 boarders.

Security has been tightened on the campus following a clash between student groups shortly before the ‘Why I Stand For’ meeting on Wednesday.

“Polling is going smoothly. Around five platoons of police have been deployed in and around the campus. The deployment could be increased during counting of votes,” said an official from the University.

Candidates and representatives of student organisations were seen stationed near the campus gates, making last minute appeals to voters.

Allegations also surfaced that some students were being brought from their homes to cast votes in favour of particular candidates, in violation of norms.

At Rama Devi Women's University, students turned out enthusiastically even as a war of words broke out between Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) representatives outside the main entrance over alleged distribution of Lord Jagannath's Mahaprasad to influence voters.

ABVP candidates objected to the distribution alleging that Mahaprasad was being offered on certain conditions to influence students' voting choices.

“There is nothing wrong with distributing Mahaprasad. Our objection is to imposing conditions and discouraging students. They are offering it in the name of God and asking students to vote for them, which may make them feel obliged,” alleged ABVP candidate Pratikshya Das Mahapatra.

BCJD state president Ipsita Sahoo, however, rejected the allegation, describing Mahaprasad as sacred and saying that her organisation is encouraging students to vote according to their conscience.

Sahoo, in turn, alleged that ABVP members had been caught distributing money to secure votes at one of the campuses earlier in the morning.

She also accused the administration and police of favouring ABVP.

In Cuttack, polling also began at Ravenshaw University and other educational institutions amid heightened security.

After polling concludes at 2 pm, counting will begin from 3 pm. Institutions are scheduled to announce the results by 5 pm.

Elections are being held across 346 colleges and 13 universities. As many as 866 candidates are contesting for the post of president, 716 for vice-president and 616 for general secretary.

Reliance Jio IPO Dates Confirmed, IPO Starts on October 21

Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom operator, will soon be on the stock exchanges. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has filed the Red Herring Prospectus (RHP) for Jio IPO (Initial Public Offering) with the stock exchanges. The document outlines the IPO dates and details. However, some details such as the price-band and more are not revealed.

Reliance Jio IPO will open on October 21, 2026, and will close on October 23, 2026. Reliance Industries has filed the RHP with the Registrar of Companies, Gujarat, at Ahmedabad, on October 14. As per the details, the anchor investor bidding date has been set for October 19. The IPO will be open for three days.

In the IPO, shares worth Rs 500 crore will be reserved for eligible employees and up to Rs 2,500 crore for the eligibel Reliance Industries shareholders. This will bring the combined reservation of the total IPO to Rs 3,000 crore. The eligible Reliance Industries shareholders are the ones who are either individual shareholders or Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs). But the eligible shareholders are the ones who have held the Reliance Industries shares as of October 14, 2026.

Reliance Industries is doing a fresh issue of shares. There are a total of 27 crore shares with a face value of Rs 10 each, according to the regulatory filing. To be precise, Jio Platforms is the company being listed in the stock exchanges. Jio Platforms is the parent company of Reliance Jio.

Reliance Jio is India’s Largest Telco

Reliance Jio has more than 500 million mobile users, and is the leading player in the wireless and wireline segment. Jio is also innovating a lot on the artificial intelligence (AI) department, and has launched several solutions powered by AI. In the future, we can expect to see more AI solutions from the company. The company is also looking at different areas for growth, and not just core telecom services post IPO. Keep reading TelecomTalk to stay updated with the developments.

Speeding SUV rams into multiple vehicles in Bhubaneswar, kills one

One person was killed and at least six others sustained serious injuries after a speeding SUV allegedly rammed into multiple motorcycles on a busy road in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday night.

The deceased has been identified as Manas Barik. Preliminary investigations revealed that a black Mahindra Scorpio bearing registration number OD-07-BG-1777 first hit a two-wheeler near Nuagaon Chhak.

Locals attempted to stop the SUV, but the driver continued at high speed and hit six to seven more motorcycles before crashing into a road divider near the main entrance of a private hospital in Ghatikia.

Enraged locals caught the driver and assaulted him. Police reached the spot and rescued the driver.

Sources said at least four people were travelling in the SUV and were apparently under the influence of alcohol. While the driver was apprehended, the three other occupants reportedly managed to flee.

Bhubaneswar DCP Saravana Vivek M visited the accident site and said an investigation had been launched. Further details would emerge as the probe progressed, he added.

The accident occurred a day after a fourth-year law student allegedly attempted to mow down four people by hitting them with his speeding electric car in the city.

ECoR logs 18% rise in passenger earnings during first six months of FY 2026-27

East Coast Railway (ECoR) has recorded substantial growth in passenger earnings during the first six months of the 2026-27 financial year, with revenue increasing by 18.01 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year.

Passenger bookings also registered a growth of 1.76 per cent during April-September 2026, reflecting sustained demand for rail travel.

According to the ECoR, passenger earnings reached Rs 1,079.30 crore up to September 2026, compared with Rs 914.62 crore during the corresponding period last year, highlighting the strong performance of passenger services.

The growth in passenger earnings significantly outpaced the increase in passenger bookings, indicating higher average earnings per passenger. Average earnings per passenger increased from approximately Rs 240 to Rs 278, registering a rise of around 16 per cent.

The ECoR stated this growth was supported by greater patronage of AC and premium train services, including Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains, along with introduction of new services, extension of existing trains and augmentation of coaches on popular routes.

“Special trains operated during festive and holiday seasons further helped cater to additional passenger demand,” it said and added that steady patronage on tourism and pilgrimage routes and the wider use of digital ticketing facilities also contributed to the overall performance.

All divisions contributed to the growth in passenger earnings. Khurda Road Division recorded earnings of Rs 744.96 crore, registering an increase of 18.68 per cent over the previous year.

Sambalpur Division earned Rs 133.76 crore, marking a growth of 12.78 per cent while Rayagada Division recorded Rs 53.10 crore, registering an increase of 24.41 per cent. The consolidated figures also include the performance of the erstwhile Waltair Division for April and May 2026.

Passenger bookings across ECoR stood at 3.877 crore up to September 2026, as compared to 3.81 crore during the corresponding period last year, registering a growth of 1.76 per cent.

Similarly, ticket checking activities also contributed to passenger revenue. Up to September 30, 2026, ECoR registered 5.15 lakh cases of ticketless and irregular travel and realised Rs 36.21 crore. Earnings from ticket checking increased by 27.28 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year.