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Walking For 6 Hours a Day, Odisha Group Clear 5 Tons of Beach Waste With Bare...
After a gap of one month, when meeting friends and relatives, Soumya Biswal and his five friends in Odisha faced a common question – “Why do you look tired, tanned and slimmer than usual?” Most could...
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Brothers from Odisha’s Largest Slum Join Punjab FC, Creating the...
From spending their childhood kicking a ball around on dusty grounds with slum children to playing professional football on the grounds of Punjab Football Club, these two brothers from Odisha made it...
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After 7 Years of Work, Farmer Builds Seed Extractor That Cuts Process Time by...
For over a decade, a modest farmer’s simple innovation remained hidden from the world. It was only after his work was appreciated through an award by the Odisha government that his genius came to...
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Potatoes From Paddy: Odisha Farmer’s Idea Saves 80% Water, Prevents Stubble...
Dark plumes of smoke engulfed Dilip Baral’s wide paddy fields in Odisha’s Resinga village for nearly two decades. Like the majority of the farmers in the country, Dilip too would burn the agricultural...
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How a Mother’s Courage Helped Her Suicidal Son Become an Accomplished Odissi...
Holding her less-than-a-day old son in her arms, a teary-eyed Manjulata vowed to raise him with high self-esteem and dignity on a chilly February morning in 1990 in a Cuttack hospital, Odisha. She...
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Despite Threats, Forest Officer Busts Smuggling Ring of World’s Most...
This article is a part of The Better India’s series to highlight the work of those who have dedicated their lives to saving some of the most endangered species of plants and animals in India. This...
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Engineer Creates 20 Mini Forests in Odisha Villages, Plants 1 Lakh Trees
Amresh Samant is an electrical engineer at the Paradip Port Trust in the Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha. But during weekends and holidays, the 46-year-old man strives to increase the green cover in...
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Odisha IFS Officer Helps Save 1,000 Acres of Forestland From Fires
The Similipal forest reserve in Odisha has been burning for more than 10 days. The fire that spread widely affected eight of the 21 forest ranges in the state. While the forest fires in this region are...
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Odisha Man Creates 25 Acres of Mangrove Forest in 12 Years, Saves Village...
One of India’s worst climate hotspots, Odisha experiences floods, cyclones, storms, droughts, among other natural disasters. With extreme weather conditions, the 492 km stretch coast spread across six...
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Unable To Get Job, ITI Grad Grows Over 3000 Bananas Trees In Hilly Areas;...
Odisha’s Prakash Chandra Dehury (32) had studied a vocational course from the Industrial Training Institute (ITI), but lack of opportunities in his village, as well as limited pay, never let him earn a...
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After Creating A Multi-Million Dollar Company, Odisha Woman Breaks EV Glass...
What does it take for a woman from a conventional middle-class family in Rourkela, Odisha, to become a successful entrepreneur in the technology domain whose first venture ends up becoming a...
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Odisha Engineer Spends Rs 4 Lakh To Plant Thousands Of Trees, Revive 12 Ponds
From his very childhood, Odisha’s Sagar Pradhan has chased his dream of writing. The 30-year-old is both an author and a software engineer, from Mallikeswarpur village. He recalls how he would pen...
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13-YO’s Patented Washing Machine Recycles Soap Water, Saves Hundreds Of...
In Samabesh Nayak’s house, finding ways to reduce wastage of water has always been given utmost importance. The Bhubaneswar resident, who works as an administrative officer at a management school,...
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Unable To Live His Dream Of Being In The Army, Man Helps 70 Students Get Into...
Every morning, Silu Nayak from Arakhadu village of Odisha wakes up to train about 50-odd candidates aspiring to qualify for the defence service examinations. His day begins at 5.30 am. The students...
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Poachers Turn Protectors, Bring 5 Lakh Birds to Chilika – Success India Must...
Mangalajodi village in Odisha is roughly a 1.5-hour-long journey from the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is adjacent to the freshwater wetland Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon....
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Odisha Organic Farmer Earns Rs 18 Lakh/Year, Buy 10 Acres of Farmland With...
Odisha-based Krushna Nag has always held affection for nature in his heart, he says. He began working as a driver of light and heavy vehicles in 1996, but alongside his work, he’d spend hours admiring...
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Odisha College Director Grows Half-Acre of Sunflowers, Feeds 500 Parakeets a...
Imperial College in Bargarh district of Odisha is spread across a nine-acre area with an abundance of open space, and is surrounded by farms and nature. The greenery around the college, which offers...
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ITI Prof’s Trolley Transports Heavy Oxygen Cylinders Easily, Saves Critical Time
As the number of COVID-19 cases rises rapidly, several make-shift hospitals have been set up across the country to treat patients. However, these centres may be in remote areas, uneven terrains, and...
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Odisha Startup’s E-scooters Cost Just 18 paise/KM, Come With Swappable Batteries
A few years ago, Harshvardhan Didwania from Odisha became the fourth generation entrant in his family-owned automobile business. But he had different ideas on scaling operations of his family’s...
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How Tribal Women Have Been Protecting 1/3 of Odisha’s Forests, All By Themselves
Every morning most women in the Kodarapalli tribal village in Odisha prepare to fetch forest resources and then prepare for their household chores. Interesting, a few others pick up lathis or sticks...
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Scientists Grow Purple & Orange Sweet Potatoes; Can Help Reduce Diabetes,...
Sweet potatoes, which are a type of root crop grown in subtropical regions, have a host of health benefits. Dr Nedunchezhiyan Maniyam, the principal scientist at the Indian Council of Agriculture...
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Meet the Indian Cycle Mechanics & Welders Who Won the Land Rover Competition...
Kailash Chandra Barik from Mayurbhanj in Odisha is a cycle mechanic who had no knowledge of space exploration. Never in 18 years of his life did he receive the opportunity to be exposed to the concept...
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As Artwork Worth Lakhs Lies Unsold, Odisha Artists Paint Homes With Ancient Art
Raghunath, a resident of Odisha’s Raghurajpur village, is a fourth generation artist engaged in Pattachitra, a cloth-based scroll painting. This art form dates back to the 12th century. In the last 22...
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Professor Shares How Odisha’s Wild Yams Are Better in Nutrition Than Farmed...
Many wild plant species, such as wild fruit, leaf, flower and wild tubers, etc. are used by rural and tribal populations, and significantly contribute to their livelihood and nutrition. “The wild crops...
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30,000 Trees, 1 Man: Meet Odisha’s Incredible 75-Year-Old ‘Tree Teacher’
Antaryami Sahoo from Kantilo village in Odisha was barely 11 years old when he planted a banyan sapling on his school premises. This was not part of a plantation drive, but an individual effort born...
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16 Years of Tireless Efforts By Teacher Turn 13 Barren Hillocks Green
In 2002, Sudhir Rout, a native of Odisha, became a principal at the Nalanda Residential college in Vijayawada. Months after taking charge at the institute, he realised that the 150 engineering students...
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Vet’s Unique & Free ‘Moving Classes’ Help 1 Lakh Villagers Treat Cattle Diseases
The year was November 2008, and Dr Balaram Sahu, a veterinary doctor with the Odisha government, was presiding over a training workshop for the rural population of Bhubaneswar. The workshop was being...
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Meet ‘Dada’ & His Team Of Kids, Who Are Turning 40 Acres Of Barren Land Into...
Naren Hansda, a member of the Santhali community, lives in a small yet scenic plateau surrounded by Ajodhya hills in the Purulia district of West Bengal. Having studied only until Class 8, in 2012 he...
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76-YO Preserves 900-YO Legacy With an Artform That Can Last Upto 5 Centuries
For the last 65 years or so, Maga Nayak’s routine has remained unchanged. Every morning, the pothi chitra artist from Odisha’s Nayakapatna village sits on the floor with a Lekhani or metal needle, and...
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She Grows ‘Floating’ Pearls & Carp Fishes in Artificial Ponds & Earns Rs 10 Lakh
Dr Nina Singh from Odisha’s Balasore district was one of the first few farmers in India to do pearl farming. The year was 2014 and Nina had just left her two-year-old corporate job. A PhD in Zoology,...
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Who Is Paralympic Gold Winner Pramod Whom Sachin Called ‘Inspiration to the...
It was a hair-raising match that concluded with a superman pose. Pramod Bhagat was well aware of the fact that his opponent Daniel Bethell of Great Britain had defeated him previously in the same...
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Horrific Experience Pushes Truck Driver to Use His Savings & Help 300...
Witnessing an accident along a road or highway can be a harrowing experience for the onlooker — fear, shock, concern and anxiety are part and parcel of it. These were the same emotions that Pankaj...
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How Documents Helped Odisha Village Become Child Marriages Free in 5 Years
Set in the lap of nature, Thianal village in Odisha’s Deogarh district offers a picturesque view with hills and a perennial river ‘Hinjuli’ flowing on one side. Located approximately 60 km from the...
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Thousands of Girls Have Escaped Child Marriage & Violence, Because 1 Woman...
Odisha born Dharitri Patnaik recalls that her childhood was far from easy. At the age of just five, she was abused by a family member. “My repeated attempts to raise my voice against what was happening...
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Eco-Friendly Bamboo, Sabai Grass Gift Packs Help Entrepreneur Earn Rs 2...
Odisha born Chandni Khandelwal says she had always been concerned over the usage of plastics, especially when it comes to packaging. “When I was living in a hostel in college, we used to get carry away...
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Duo Quits Jobs to Invent Solar-Powered ‘Smart’ Devices That Cut Farming Costs...
Minushri Madhumita and Amrita Jagatdeo are childhood friends from Kalahandi, a western region of Odisha. After finishing school together, Minushri pursued post-graduation in Chemistry and a diploma in...
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Father’s Fight Against Poverty Inspires Doctor To Open 1 Rupee Clinic, Treats...
Growing up, Dr Shankar Ramchandani saw how his father, the sole breadwinner of their family of 32 members, struggled to make ends meet while running a small stationery store. When he lost his...
View ArticleArtist PK Mahanandia Cycled Over 6000 KM From India to Sweden — All for Love
Life has always been tough for Odisha native Pradyumna Kumar, better known as PK. But he never let anything take him away from his love for art that fuelled his survival. A stupendous artist by passion...
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Security Guard Cleaned 1 Tonne Waste from Beach & Mangrove Plantation, All by...
Rahul Maharana, a security guard working with a private company in Odisha, was in Class 12 when he first learned about climate change. “In 2018, an awareness programme at my college helped me...
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At This Unique Odisha Eco-Stay, You Can Enjoy Waterfalls & Learn From Tribals
I had first read about the tribal markets in Odisha around three years ago, it was instantly on my list of places to visit. A search for accommodation in that region led me to the Desia Koraput website...
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40 Yrs Before 1857, A Local Odisha Uprising Fearlessly Took Down The British Raj
In October 2017, the state of Odisha put forth a demand before the Centre to recognise a 200-year-old rebellion as the First War of Independence, as opposed to the Revolt of 1857. This was the Paika...
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Meet Odisha’s Twitter Queen, Whose One Tweet Gets Govt Officials to Solve Any...
Former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj was always known to be a tweet away to help a large diaspora of Indians through Twitter. But without a ministerial position, Charubala Barik—fondly called...
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Once as a Cook, 74-YO Grandma Now Runs One of Odisha’s Favourite Catering...
“I cook well and I enjoy doing it, so I decided to take this up as a job when the situation demanded. So, I have been working for the past 40 years,” says 74-year-old Santoshini Mishra who runs a...
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Meet the Zoology Lecturer Travelling to 1000 Villages To Revive Near-Extinct...
Rajat Kumar Panigrahi is a zoology lecturer at Yuvodaya College in Balangir of Odisha by day. But when office hours conclude, he dons another role — that of a preserver of folk art and music....
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First Odia to Get a Law Degree, This ‘Grand Old Man’ Helped Give Birth to Odisha
Madhusudan Das, a lawyer and social reformer, did trailblazing work in the late 19th and early 20th century, laying the foundations for the present state of Odisha. Sadly, he remains a largely...
View Article10 Things About Droupadi Murmu, India’s 1st President From a Tribal Community
This article was updated on 22 July 2022. Droupadi Murmu scripted history on Thursday as she was declared the 15th President of India. She bagged votes from 2,824 electors, which included 540 MPs,...
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Ex-Google Employee Delivers Healthcare at the Doorsteps of Odisha’s Most...
At the peak of the pandemic — when the underlying vulnerabilities in India’s healthcare system were further exacerbated — Odisha resident Priyadarshi Mahapatra quit his job to launch CureBay....
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‘Toured Across India To Learn From Farmers’: How a Retd Colonel Found Passion...
Colonel Sujan Mohanty (57), is a retired army man who set out to create a successful life for himself post his service of 22 years. A civil engineer as well, he now cultivates and manages an orchid...
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‘They Call Me ‘Queen of Millets’: Tribal Woman Preserves 30 Types of Rare...
The recent G20 Summit saw significant participation from global delegates from across 19 countries including Australia, China, Italy, and the European Union. Among the eminent invitees was Odisha’s...
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Farmer’s Unique Model Helps Him Grow Vegetables Over Ponds, Inspires Others
Every day, farmers from far and wide flock to see Hirod Patel’s fields. His innovative approach has proved to be a beacon of success for them as the young farmer from Odisha cultivates vegetables, not...
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