Jadumani Naik OAS

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OAS Training – Essay on “EDUCATION IS THE PANACEA FOR ALL THE PROBLEMS PREVALENT IN OUR NATION”

EDUCATION IS THE PANACEA FOR ALL THE PROBLEMS PREVALENT IN OUR NATION

By Jadumani Naik, OAS Probationer, OCSE 2015 Batch

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INTRODUCATION:
- One fine morning, Mr Sahu came hurriedly to my room and informed me that water was not coming to his room through the taps. He admitted that he was unable to sort out the problem and requested me for a kind favour. Though the overhead tank was same for us, water was available for me. I checked the taps, followed the pipe lines and found that the main valve to his room was closed. I opened the same and water came out through the taps of his room. The problem was solved within two minutes. This is the power of commonsense and technical education.

One of my highly qualified friends and I used to take lunch at 1.00 pm from a house. One day, saying that we were going for a tour to a nearby village of the town, we told the house owner to serve lunch around 2.30 pm. On reaching the village, we came to know that there was provision for lunch for us. Since we had already informed the house owner for lunch, I denied taking lunch at the village citing the meal of the house owner would be wasted. I persuaded my friend not to eat at the village since we had promised the house owner for lunch. But he was much interested in taking the meat feast there. He assured me that he would take lunch at the house of house owner. We returned to the town. I took lunch at the house. My friend gave order for parcel his own lunch for dinner. I warned him that the parcel would not be fit for dinner. He didn’t listen to me. He kept the parcel in the room, didn’t take it for dinner and next morning threw the whole packet in dust bin. In a country where millions of people are sleeping with empty stomachs and dying of hunger, how far is it justifiable to throw the food? Can we say it as an act of an educated person? Never. Then who is really educated? What do we mean by education? Let’s have a discussion on the definition of education first.

These are some of the examples of prevalent problems found here and there in our nation but solutions are always available depending on our educational standard.

DEFINITION OF EDUCATION:
- Before explaining the actions of an educated person and how through education we can solve the problems, here is a big question – “What is education?”. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines, “Education is a process of teaching, especially in schools and colleges, to improve knowledge and develop skills”. Further, as defined in Wikipedia, “Education is the process of facilitating learning or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits”.

Are the above two definitions sufficient to define education? No. It is very difficult to define education. Many great personalities have given different definitions of education.

After spending 35 springs of my life and studying over hundreds of books and interacting with thousands of people, what I strongly believe on education is:

“Education is not merely a process of collection of information, getting more marks in examinations, getting degrees and highly qualified. Also, education is not merely an ability to reproduce and influence people. Education, I strongly believe, is a process of Receiving, Thinking, Analysing and Responding to the external world accordingly. It is an adjustment to every odd situation in life. It is a process of socialisation. Education is a lifelong process to give a positive direction to our thoughts, ideas and behaviour for the betterment of the self & others.”

POTENTIAL OF EDUCATION:
- What is the potential of education? Limitless, infinite, unbound and inexhaustible. It is the single thing and perhaps the only thing that has the potentiality to correlate all things in the universe. Our nation, India, is suffering from hundreds of problems in every field of life and education is the panacea for all such problems.

SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND EDUCATION AS A PANACEA:
- Can education eradicate untouchability and casteism prevalent in our society? Education means a process of socialisation. Realising this great value, the founding fathers of our Indian Constitution stressed on abolition of untouchability under Article 17. If we compare the magnitude of untouchability some thirty years ago and that of today, it is well noticed that we are moving towards more socialisation. Untouchability is receding. The so-called Dalits of our society are mingling with people and entering to temples and ponds where they were forbidden earlier. They are placed in important positions and well respected. But a balanced development and equity is required; so is the case of casteism. It is the power of education that made a dalit like Bhimrao to Bharat Ratna Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Indian Constitution.

Production of waste materials is a basic tendency of human being. We prefer to remain in a clean environment. For this a section of the society does manual scavenging for others. Manual scavenging is inhuman. Can we get out of this? Can education help us in this regard?

With the spread of education, science and technology is rapidly developing, so is our mindset. From dry latrines, we have mostly moved towards flush latrines and septic tanks. It has drastically reduced the number of manual scavengers. Further, the drains of every village and town can be cleaned with the use of machines rather than men. Realising this problem, our educated government enacted “The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013”. Further, to change the mindsets of people, it has started campaigns like “Swachh Bharat” and “Open Defecation Free India”.

Civil servant aspirants write very good essays on “Dowry prohibition” and get through the examination. After getting into the premier service, some of them demand or accept heavy dowry. Why do they do so? Are they not qualified? Are they not knowledgeable? Are they not educated? No doubt, they are qualified and knowledgeable but certainly not educated. They lack moral and legal education. It is the power of moral education that forces one to think what is right and what is wrong and he or she acts accordingly. Unfortunately, most of the people of our nation lack this value of education. We need to apply this in our daily life.

It is often seen that some people commit suicide. Why does it happen? Can education prevent it? Why it happens – the reasons are many like betrayal, frustration, depression and so on. Can education prevent it – yes, there is no doubt in it. How? The essence of education is “Live and Let others live”. Education teaches us “Love to self”. If a person has a good family bondage, a good friend circle and good social relation, he or she will never commit suicide. Life is very beautiful. This is what education teaches us.

ECONOMICAL PROBLEMS AND EDUCATION AS A PANACEA:
- Why people are poor? Why, as per NSSO 68^th Round 2011-12 data, 21.9% of the population of our country are living in poverty? Again, the reasons are many. But the solution remains in education. Education teaches us hard working, devotion to work and legally bound. With education, one develops his or her skills and excels in the field, at least manages to earn bread and butter for sure. Dhirubhai Ambani, APJ abdul Kalam, Rajanikanth and many others are burning examples who defeated poverty by their hard work and determination.

Unemployment is very high in our country. Many of us know the reasons. Then, how to solve this national problem? The single most factor is education. With proper education, a person becomes qualified, skilled and fit to his or her desired job. Apart from government and private jobs, the educated persons can be self-employed; and thus, no longer remain as unemployed.

POLITICO-ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS AND EDUCATION AS A PANACEA:
- Mahatma Gandhi has rightly said, “Politics without principles is a sin”. And where do the principles come from – Education? Yes, it is education which facilitates the establishment of many good principles essential for good governance and good administration. There are many problems in politics like vote bank politics, minority appeasement, criminalisation of politics and so on. Can education solve all these problems? Yes. Education grooms the moral and ethical values. A politician with such nature or a government fully filled up with educated politicians with moral values will never take any action harmful for the society and our nation at large. Recently, Lord Bates tendered his resignation over lateness to the House of Lords of British Parliament. In his words, “I have always believed we should rise to the highest possible standards of courtesy and respect in responding on behalf of the government to the legitimate questions of the legislature. I am thoroughly ashamed of not being in my place and therefore I shall be offering my resignation to the Prime Minister with immediate effect”. How many parliamentarians of our country possess such high standard of morality? This is the main difference why that country is so much developed and we are still a developing one.

After independence, the first, second and third parliament of India had many educated politicians. Discussions inside the parliaments were held in amicable ways respecting each other’s opinions. But in course of time, it has changed a lot. Now-a-days, inside parliament or outside it, many politicians are behaving in a disruptive way and there is no mutual respect between the opposition parties and ruling parties. Further, the government is indulged in many scams hindering the development of our nation. Why all these things are happening? Lack of patriotism is the most suitable answer for it. Patriotism is one of the basic lessons of education. A nation develops a lot if she has patriotic leaders and citizens, otherwise not.

34 percent of the Members of Parliament (MPs) of 16^th Lok sabha of India have criminal records, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms which analysed the election affidavits filed before the Election Commission of India. Millan Vaishnav in his book “When Crime Pays: money and Muscle in Indian Politics” writes, “A penchant for criminality is an electoral asset in India”. Such type of public servants cares little about the welfare of the people and as a result hampers the development of our nation. Why do people elect them? Because most of them are ignorant, uneducated or under threats. Some people do not come for voting, and some other after getting freebies, meat, wine or saree give vote to such criminals. Again these very same people complain that government is not listening to their demands. People need to be politically educated to choose their leaders and aware of their importance and thus can play a significant role in governance and administration.

Why are there a number of strikes and demonstrations we are coming across very often? Farmers go on strikes, so are workers, teachers, officials and many others. What are the main reasons behind it? Unequal distribution of resources and unbalanced administration, governance and development are the prime causes for these strikes. And how the problems can be solved? Education always teaches balanced development, good governance and good administration. It makes a person responsible and forces him or her to do duties and responsibilities assigned to him or her in the proper way.

CULTURAL PROBLEMS AND EDUCATION AS A PANACEA:
- We often complain degradation of our Indian Culture. Why is it so? We are largely a nation of colonial mindsets. Though bodily we are independent, in mind we are still independent. We, the Indians, are rapidly following the western culture diminishing our own rich culture. We are increasingly love to wear western clothes, drink western soft drinks, eat western food, sing western songs, dance western pop dances and so on. The effect of western culture is gradually overshadowing our Indian culture which is not a good sign for the identity of a nation. Our culture is our identity which is logically based on our geography and history. For example, during a wedding ceremony, as per the culture the groom wears a dhoti and kurta. It is scientific and logical as well because India is a hot country. But our so called educated masses increasingly prefer to wear suits even during the scorching Sun. It is highly needed for the people of western countries as the weather there is very cold. Without knowing this reason, we are blindly following it and sweating in order to look handsome. What foolishness! Through education we should inculcate the spirit and importance of our Indian culture in the minds of every Indian.

Pleasure or entertainment without conscience is a sin, as rightly pointed out by Gandhiji. Our Indian Cinemas are, to a great extent, affecting our cultural values negatively. We complain a lot – this is not happening, that is happening. Indian cinemas and TV serials are mostly made for entertainment purpose but it has a great impact on our society and culture. For example, “Ab karunga tere saath Gandi baat…” (Now I will talk obscene language to you…) is a very vulgar Bollywood song. But we are happily enjoying the song in public places. In the same time we are complaining that there occurred sexual abuses. A nation that loves such vulgar songs is bound to witness antisocial activities. One of the essence of education is enjoy yourself without affecting the others rights. So, through this value of education, we can wipe out this cancer and restore the rich values of our Indian culture.

SECURITY PROBLEMS AND EDUCATION AS A PANACEA:
- “Naxalism is the biggest internal security problem of India”, said Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. He was true. Today Naxalites are spread over 10 states covering 106 districts of India and built the infamous “Red Corridor”. They are a constant threat to the government and officials. The questions here are – Why do people prefer to join Naxalites? How to bring them back to the mainstream society? Unbalanced regional developments along with displacement, deprivation, disconnect, discontent, discrimination, lack of good governance and good administration are the major causes of Naxalism. It is education which creates good administrators, good decision makers and good government leading to balanced development in all the fields throughout the country.

Why did Osama-bin-Laden become a terrorist? Why do some people join terrorist organisations? Many of them are highly qualified and knowledgeable. Still they prefer to destroy humanity. Are they not educated? No, they lack social education, humanism and religious tolerance. Though it is a toughest international problem, only education has the capacity to end terrorism through inculcating the values of humanism and earnest cooperation among nations to wipe it out. Victor Hugo once said, “One can resist invasion of armies, but one cannot resist invasion of ideas”. Terrorists spread ideas of terror through physical or psychological means. Education has the strength to give direction to these ideas towards welfare of the society.

Since independence the issue of Jammu & Kashmir has been remained as a constant headache for India. Apart from border issues with Pakistan, separatism, insurgencies, even stone pelting to our Indian army often captures the international news. The problems are many. Can we solve these problems? Yes, it can be. Patriotism is one of the basic gifts of education. It should be inculcated in the young minds from the school level. Further, the level of education should be strengthened there. Government of India should wisely enact a “Patriotism Act” to neutralise the anti-national activities. No one is greater than a nation. For the interest and security of a nation, anything can be compromised. Laws need to be very strong, in this regard. Renowned Hindi poet Maithilisaran Gupt has rightly penned down:

“Jo bhara nahin hai bhavon se jisme bahati rasdhar nahin,

Wah hridaya nahin pathhar hai jisme swadesh ka pyar nahin.”

We need to inculcate this value of patriotism in the minds of every citizen of India.

DISASTERS AND EDUCATION AS A PANACEA:
- Bomikhal flyover of Bhubaneswar collapsed, one died and many injured. One of the under-construction buildings of Chennai collapsed and many people died. SUM hospital of Bhubaneswar caught on fire and many people died. The newly built concrete road was washed out in rain. We often come across all such kinds of news every day. These are manmade disasters. It is reminded that these are constructed by so called educated persons of our society. Though these accidents are few in number in comparison to many successful ones, still we can avert these. How – through education. Education teaches us to do our best with devotion for the welfare of the society. The building of a well educated engineer and skilled persons never collapse before its guaranteed period.

Can we get rid of natural disasters like landslides, heavy floods, cyclones and earthquakes? We can prevent some of these using the sophisticated technology we have. For the others like earthquake and cyclones, we need more researches, experiments and inventions. We need to expand our horizon of knowledge to such an extent which is a part of education. Further, with education, we can better mitigate these disasters as we saw during cyclone Phailin. With better education comes better administration against any challenges.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND EDUCATION AS A PANACEA:
- Lack of environmental education is leading to many problems like deforestation, pollution, global warming and climate change. Individual, community and the nation at large are not seriously worried about this problem. We all need to be environmentally educated – not only on knowledge part but also on how to implement it. Then only we can see a clear and greener earth where we can breathe peacefully. We must not forget that: “Sometimes it takes a natural disaster to reveal a social disaster”. Hence, we must strike at the root causes of social disasters as well for a healthy environment.

It is the environmental awareness that gave birth to Chipko movement. Had the Chipko movement alive today, we could have avoided many disasters like the Uttarakhand Landslides of 2013.

MISCELLANEOUS PROBLEMS AND EDUCATION AS A PANACEA:
- In household activities, sometimes it is seen that pressure cooker explodes, cooking gas cylinder explodes, food materials burns while cooking, house catches fire, fingers are wounded while cutting vegetables, clothes are burnt during ironing and so on. There are many such problems which can be averted with due knowledge on its use and safety measures.

Drunkards die of liver failures, smokers die of lungs failures and eaters of gutkha die of mouth cancer. Continuous use of intoxicants leads to deterioration of health and finally death. Almost all the persons addicted to drugs know about its harmful effects but still use it. This is not education as the lacking is in implementation part of the acquired knowledge.

In some tribal parts of India, children are branded and some of them die. Branding has harmful effects. People and the traditional healers need to be educated about its harmful effects and at the same time they should be aware to take the benefits of modern health system.

Elopement of lovers from house challenging the social system and practices is one of the serious issues for the parents. The youths need to be educated on this issue and respect their parents. At the same time parents and society at large should bend their prevailing practices to suit the changing trends in the globalised world.

It is often seen that some people park their motor vehicles in the road sides making inconvenience for others. Further, traffic rules are not followed by many people. Also, it is often observed that some people involve in talking amidst the road creating problems for others. Are they really educated?

It is very unfortunate that in our country Driving Licence is given without proper testing the skill of the person applied for the purpose. This is one of the reasons for so many road accidents which can be reduced with better education, efficiency and transparency.

At times news of cyber crimes like illegal transfer of money from someone’s account comes to the lime light. Sometimes, some people write their ATM PIN codes on the debit card itself and see their bank accounts empty after some days due to mishandling of their ATM cards by someone else. We need to be e-literates and cautious in this regard to avert such problems.

The problem of low agricultural productivity can be solved through proper skill training to the farmers and by providing required infrastructure and materials to them.

OVERALL PROBLEM AND EDUCATION AS A PANACEA:
- Why our country India is not a developed nation whereas Japan, the USA, the UK, Australia and many others are? India is the seventh largest country in area, second largest in population, one of the ancient civilisations of the world and full of natural resources. Still why we are a poor country? In comparison, Japan is a small country both in area and population and has very less natural resources. Still why she is a developed nation? The reason lies in human resource development and her education. The quality of education given there to her citizens starting from childhood is highly praiseworthy and should be followed. They are a nation of educated people having the values of morality, patriotism and hard working that we lack to a great extent in our country India. Unless and until we give due importance to education, educational institutions and our teachers we will never be a great nation.

CONCLUSION:
- Many of us are literates, qualified, highly qualified and knowledgeable. In this sense, we are educated but at times we behave in an uneducated way. Perhaps, this is why no one is perfect and no one has achieved all round development of his or her personality. We need to constantly groom the values of education within us and act accordingly to solve any type of problems prevailing in our country. Education is really the panacea for all the problems prevalent in our nation.

“Asato ma sad gamaya,

Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya,

Mrutyorma amrutam gamaya,

Om shantih, shantih, shantih.”

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OAS Training – Best Practice in Nabarangpur District – CAMPAIGN JYOTI Against Branding of Children

Write up on one best practice initiated by the district administration of Nabarangpur:

CAMPAIGN JYOTI AGAINST BRANDING OF CHILDREN

By Jadumani Naik, OAS Probationer, OCSE 2015 Batch

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1. INTRODUCTION:

What is Branding – Branding is a process by which a mark or symbol is burned into the skin of a living person, mostly children, by using a hot iron rod, hot sickles or pieces of hot bangles etc.

Why is Branding –

Branding in India has remained mostly as a traditional practice for healing various diseases like convulsion, seizure disorder, hepatosplenomegaly and jaundice in children.

Tribals and non-tribals believe that a baby who is branded with hot bangle or nail is assured of good health. It is like buying medical insurance for the child. They believe the healer is no less than a doctor, executing the will of God. But death has also been reported following this procedure in newborns.

Why “Campaign Jyoti” – During January to February of 2016, at least three children had died at hospitals while being treated after being branded for their ailments in Nabarangpur district. Also, over 30 children, admitted to various hospitals, were cured after getting serious by branding. With a spurt in such incidents, the district administration of Nabarangpur launched “Camapign Jyoti” on 28th February, 2016 against branding of children.

2. ACTIONS TAKEN BY NABARANGPUR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION AGAINST BRANDING OF CHILDREN:

Awareness Programme:

The district administration launched an awareness campaign known as “Campaign Jyoti” on 28.02.2016 at Kendriya Vidyalaya Nabarangpur to educate traditional healers about harmful healing techniques.

The first phase of “Campaign Jyoti”, a 45-days campaign, was started with effect from 01.03.2016 with an aim to train 4,400 traditional healers in Nabarangpur district. In the first phase of campaign the officials prepared a database of traditional healers known as disharis, gurumayees and jaanis for the first time in the district’s history. This phase involved jingles, audio clips and posters in the local language which were distributed in all the 10 blocks of the district.

The second phase of the campaign started in the first week of July 2016, and involved trainers staging folk plays to educate people about the drawbacks of traditional healing.

During distribution of old age pension every month, songs warning about the harmful effects of branding were played at all 10 block offices.

Awareness on various government schemes and facilities like NRC, JSSK, MAMATA, and ISY was made.

Regarding “Campaign Jyoti”, the pioneer of the campaign, the District Collector Smt. Rashmita Panda says:

“This is not a fight between modern medicine and traditional healing. Disharis and Jaanis are a respected part of tribal society, and our aim is not to challenge them. They need to be reoriented and convinced to shun harmful practices like branding. Our aim is to bring them into the mainstream”.

Training:

The launch was attended by over 250 ASHA and anganwadi workers, who had to train the traditional healers.

Child Development Project Officers were the master trainers for the four-hour module training.

By end of April 2016, over 4,200 ASHA and Anganwadi workers trained the traditional healers.

Target groups for training were traditional healers, Anganwadi and healthcare workers, Panchayat officials, local leaders and local youth. Books and posters were distributed to the trainees.

Threat of legal actions:

The healers were also made aware of the legal actions they could face for branding children. As per the District Collector, “The campaign was not meant to combat traditional healing, which is considered part of the tribal way of life, but to make it clear that anyone who propagates branding of babies would be arrested”.

3. ACHIEVEMENTS OF CAMPAIGN JYOTI:

Achievement Report of District Child Protection Unit:

10,000 nos. of posters developed;
10,000 nos. of books printed & distributed;
Developed music jingles on chenka;
Printing Pictorial Poster & flex banner developed & exhibited in all AWC, GP office, PHC, CHC, ICDS Office, Block Office;
Workshop & awareness campaigns.

In June 2016, the state government of Odisha awarded a cash prize of Rs. 15 Lakhs to Nabarangpur Collector Smt. Rashmita Panda for district’s performance in fighting superstition like branding against children.
The campaign appears to have brought about a perceptible change in attitude, particularly among traditional healers.
Now healers themselves are contacting the local Child Development Project Officer if parents bring their babies for branding, and referring the villagers to hospitals. As a result, they hardly get a patient for branding now.
As a result of Campaign Jyoti, inter alia, death of children in Nabarangpur district has been drastically reduced and the district administration got first prize, cash prize of Rs. 60 lakhs, in Odisha for highest percentage of Infant Mortality Rate reduction in 2017.

4. CONCERNS OVER CAMPAIGN JYOTI:

A few traditional healers are still not convinced about the need for change. They are asking questions like “Will doctors be arrested if children die in hospitals? Will you undertake such an awareness camp for doctors, too, then?”.
Some of those involved in the campaign also expressed the fear that holding awareness camps may not bring lasting solutions. It’s not easy to change the mindset so soon. The administration has to reach out to as many traditional healers as possible and address their issues. Some of them may be happy with getting an old-age pension. Continuous engagement is necessary for permanent success of the campaign.

5. WAY AHEAD:

The government is planning to implement special schemes for traditional healers.

The district administration has decided that whoever gives information about branding cases will be given cash from government funds.

It has also been planned to give the traditional healers houses, land deeds, etc., under government schemes.

One person in the age group of 19-35 in each traditional healer’s family has been identified for training in skills such as industrial sewing machine operation, garment quality checking, masonry, mobile phone repair, etc. Further, special skill development camps and finance them through banks for setting up their own business are under consideration by the district administration.

6. CONCLUSION:

In the tribal dominated society of Nabarangpur, it is difficult to remove traditional healers from the system. They can be the best messengers of changes if we co-opt them in the system. The administration should give the traditional healers certificates and outline their responsibilities. Providing standard health care to people at their doorstep and educating them about the harmful effects of branding practice, further, can reduce such diabolical practice to a greater extent.

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OCS Preliminary Examination 2017 – How to attempt?

All the Best to all those appearing for tomorrow’s (18.02.2018) Odisha Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2017!!! Do your best with a smiling & confident look. Give due importance to each & every question. Read the questions very carefully. Sometimes a question seems to be simple but actually not that easy one, a bit tricky. Understanding the question correctly is half done. Attend all the questions that you are sure, in the first instance. After one round complete, take the 50-50 probability questions in the second round. In the 3rd round, try to solve the questions that you feel difficult. Try to remember the answer of the questions logically. If you are not comfortable with the answer, better not to attempt it. Dark the circles in OMR sheet cautiously, sometimes we do mistakes by darkening the wrong one. Attempting 85+ questions in Paper-I will surely take u to a safe zone. Paper-II, though qualifying in nature, must be given due importance. Most important double check your Roll numbers & other information u are to write/fill up in OMR sheet.

All the best to all the serious aspirants!!!

OAS Departmental Examination – Interview 2017-18: Suggestions of JADUMANI NAIK, OAS

OAS ORS IAS Departmental Examination Interview 2017-18 – What to & how to prepare – REVENUE LAW? (JADUMANI NAIK, OAS)

A Board of 2 members who are cordial & cooperative should be faced with confidence & smile on your face. When they point out your mistakes, accept it with thanks.

After entering the Board room, wait for their instruction to sit on chair. It will give a good impression to them.

Generally, the Chairman starts questions with your name confirming whether you are the same person or not. Then he hands over the syllabus of the paper to you and asks which topics you have read. (My suggestions: If you have read all the topics, say the same but better to say all the topics like OGLS, OPLE & OPP where you are comfortable to answer.

Areas to be given MORE attention:

A. LAND ACQUISITION
Full form?
2. Why new Law?
3. Difference between Old Act & New Act?
4. Definitions?
5. How SIA study is conducted?
6. State SIA study?
7. Section 11?
8. Process of LA?
9. RR Policy?
10. 1st & 2nd Schedules?
OLR
1. Definitions?
2. Sections – 4, 8, 8A, 11, 14, 19, 22, 22A, 23, 23A, 36A, 37A, 38, 39, 51, 57?
3. Rules – 3, 4, 19, 19A?
OGLS
1. Definitions?
2. Sections – All?
3. Rules – All?
4. Schedule – II?
OPLE
1. Definitions?
2. Sections – All? most important 4, 7 & 8.
3. Rules – All? most important 3, 5 & 6.
SURVEY & SETTLEMENT
1. Definitions?
2. Stages of S&S?
3. Sections – 5, 6, 11, 15, 18, 19, 20, 37?
4. Rules – 8, 14, 21, 26, 27, 29, 30, 34, 61?
5. Fees?
6. Parcha, Patta, Khatian, Khewat, RoR, Village?
IRRIGATION
1. Definitions – CBWR, BWR, Water Cess, Culturable Command Area, Ayacut ?

Other topics like Regulation 2 & OPDR may be read as per your interest & availability of time. Since the Board is asking what you have read, better to go in depth of some selected topics; otherwise, choice is yours.

Most of the questions are recurring in nature, same questions to most candidates. Hence, it is always better to ask the candidates who come out from the Board room, and focus on that area.)

ALL THE BEST!!!

OAS ORS IAS Departmental Examination Interview 2017-18 – What to & How to prepare – GENERAL & CIVIL LAW? (JADUMANI NAIK, OAS)

Topics to be focused MORE:
A. CPC
B. EVIDENCE
C. FOREST

CPC:
1. Focus thoroughly on syllabus – total 58 Rules only – Order V, XVI, XVIA
2. Definitions like decree, judgment, order….
3. Explain – Res judicata, Res subjudice?
4. What is Summons?
5. How summons is served? ( asked to many officers, perhaps favorite question….. be thorough on it….they expect in depth knowledge)
6. Order V, Rules – 1, 9, 9A, 15, 17, 20, 21, 24, 30?
7. What is substituted service?
8. How summons is served from one jurisdiction to another? ( may ask a case study)
9. Order XVI, Rules – 1, 10, 12, 18?
10. Order XVIA, Rules – 5?
11. What do you mean by detention?
EVIDENCE:
1. Interpretations – Judge, Magistrate, Court, Fact, Facts in issue, Document, Evidence, Relevant…..
2. Important Sections – 4, 11, 24, 25, 26, 32, 62, 63, 74, 76, 101, 115, 133, 137…..there are many more but for interview per say, I found these sections important…
3. Res gestae?
4. Confession Vs. Admission?
5. Hearsay evidence?
6. Confession before whom?
7. Dying declaration?
8. Estoppel?
9. Accomplice?
FOREST:
1. Important Sections – 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33, 36, 37, 39, 41, 55AA, 56, 59, 61, 66….
2. Differences – Reserve Forest, Protected Forest, Village Forest?
3. FOREST CONSERVATION ACT – 2, 2A, 3B?
4. FCR 2003 – 6,7,9?
OTHERS:
1. Registration: Sec 17, 18
2. PRI, PS, ZP – Qualification, members, functions, structures, who’s who?
3. How ZP President is elected?
4. Who is the CEO of ZP?
5. EO of ZP?
6. Whether PS is a legislative body or Executive body?
7. Role of BDO?
8. Gram Sabha, Palli Sabha?
9. Obligatory functions of GP?
10. Discretionary functions of GP?
11. PESA?

OAS ORS IAS Departmental Examination Interview 2017-18 – What to & How to prepare – CRIMINAL & EXCISE LAW? (JADUMANI NAIK, OAS)

Topics to be focused MORE:
A. Cr. PC
B. IPC
C. Dowry
D. Corruption

Cr. PC:
1. Definitions & explanation of key terms like bail, surety, bond, security, cognizable offence, non-cognizable offence, warrant, summon etc.
2. Chapter VI – Summons, Warrant, Attachment ( Sections 61-90)
3. Chapter IX – rote by heart the heading, also have idea on its contents ( Sections – 125-128)
4. Section 81 most important
5. Though the Board mostly stocked to the syllabus, it is better to have a solid idea on Sections 107, 108, 109, 110, 129, 130, 133, 144, 144A at least which are coming under the purview of Executive Magistrate.
6. How summons is served?
7. How a warrant is served?
8. How summons & warrant are served from one jurisdiction to another.
IPC:
1. Sections 96-106, rote it by heart with understanding so as to explain as demanded.
2. Definitions
DOWRY:
1. Definition
2. Penal provisions
3. Dowry Prevention Officer
CORRUPTION:
1. Penal provisions
2. Basic idea about the causes of Corruption & how to prevent it?
CIVIL RIGHTS:
1. Penal provisions
2. What is Civil Right?
3. Define Untouchability?
ESSENTIAL COMMODITY & BM:
1. Seizure, Confiscation & Penal provisions?
2. List of Commodities under the act?
NDPS:
1. I gave least priority, but u may prepare on Definitions, full form of NDPS, examples NDPS ……

The Board was cooperative, encouraging you to answer the questions comfortably.

All the Best!!!

QUESTIONS ASKED TO ME:

Interview on Revenue Law – BoR dt. 04.01.2018 ( JADUMANI NAIK, OAS)

This is your syllabus for Revenue Law, tell me what you have read?
Choose any 4 topics where u r comfortable to answer?
Why a new Land Acquisition Act?
What is the difference between new LA Act & old LA Act?
Why government acquires land?
Have u read Irrigation Act?
What FWR?
What is CBWR?
After notification for Land Acquisition, can a person sale his land to another person?

Interview on General & Civil Law – BoR dt. 05.01.2018 ( JADUMANI NAIK)

Which district you are allocated for Training?
2. Who is the President of Zilla Parishad of Nabarangpur?
3. How is he elected?
4. Who is the CEO of ZP?
5. Who is the EO of ZP?
6. What is the educational qualification of PRI member?
7. Where have u read it?
8. When did you join the service?
9. How summons is served?
10. When the defendant is not at home, whom to serve the summons?
11. What is substitute summons? How is it served?

Interview on Criminal & Excise Law – BoR dt. 06.01.2018 ( JADUMANI NAIK)

Tell Sections 96-106 of IPC?
2. How Summons is served?
3. A warrant is issued in Cuttack & sent to Nabarangpur where the person is residing. Tell me the detailed process? What action should be taken by an Executive Magistrate?
4. If the person against whom summons is issued refuses to accept it, what is the course of taken?

ALL THE BEST!!!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

OAS TRAINING – VISIT REPORT ON ‘GODIBARI’ TRIBAL HAMLET

Disclaimer: This article is purely for Academic & research purpose to make aware the future OAS officers how to make a visit report. The author is not responsible for any wrong in the information as it is based on survey. No one is allowed to reproduce or quote it anywhere without the author’s permission. I am thankful to all the persons who helped me in the survey, specially the people of Godibari.

VISIT REPORT ON ‘GODIBARI’ TRIBAL HAMLET OF ‘ANDHARUA’ GRAM PANCHAYAT, KHORDHA DISTRICT

By Jadumani Naik, OAS (P), 79^thBatch, GAA, BBSR, (OCSE 2015 Batch)

**************************************************

Plan for visit & journry:

1.1. “The soul of India lies in its villages” says Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Nation. Unless and until the villages are understood properly, an effective administration cannot be possible. Realising this fact very well, the Director General-cum-Additional Chief Secretary and the Course Director of Gopabandhu Academy of Administration (GAA), Bhubaneswar planned a schedule for us, the Probationers of Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) of 79^th Batch, to visit a tribal village as a part of training.

1.2. As scheduled, we the OAS Probationers left the campus of GAA at 9.50 am on 11.09.2017 (Monday) by two buses of Academy and reached the hamlet ‘Godibari’ of Revenue Villages ‘Andharua’ and ‘Daspur’ around 11.00 am.

Warm Welcome & Instructions:

2.1. On the left side of the Khordha-Chandaka Road lies the hamlet ‘Godibari’ surrounded by eye-catching greenery; on the right lies the entry gate to Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary, well known for elephants. Getting down from the bus we walked for 2-3 minutes on the kutcha road and reached the quadrilateral junction of the hamlet where we were warmly welcomed with red roses by a team of officers and public representatives headed by the Sub-Collector of Bhubaneswar Shree Manas Ranjan Samal along with some villagers.

2.2. We sat in the chairs meant for us. Samal sir introduced the team members, namely, 1. Shree Rashmi Ranjan Das, BDO, Bhubaneswar 2. Shree Rajendra Acharya, Assistant Collector, Bhubaneswar 3. Ms. Supriya Swain, Assistant Collector, Khordha 4. Shree Soumya Ranjan Ratha, Panchayat Extension Officer, Andharua Gram Panchayat 5. Shree Dilip Tarai, Sarpanch, Andharua GP 6. Smt. Anita Patnaik, Gram Rozgar Sevak, Andharua GP 7. Shree Aditya Prasad Pradhan, Assistant Revenue Officer, Andharua GP and 8. Shree Bhavagrahi Sahoo, Sarpanch of nearby village. The team members later informed us about the hamlet and the related issues therein. There were some villagers of various age groups sitting nearby and watching eagerly to us. I also noticed some children appearing to be more than 6 years of age roaming half-naked though it was Monday, a school day.

2.3. A hand out on “Transparent & Effective Service delivery with Technology & Teamwork (TESTT)” about various Departments of Government of Odisha with schemes meant for survey was given to us, briefed by Shree Rashmi Ranjan Das.

2.4. We were served with snacks and water, divided into 4 Groups and allowed to visit the hamlet with the instruction to come back to the sitting place by 1.00 pm. It was 11.40 am by then and we had hardly 1 hour & 20 minutes for the visit and survey.

Visit & Survey of the Hamlet:

3.1. I was with my training-mate Shree Sannyasi Kumar Behera and we were the last to visit the hamlet. Later we two were accompanied by our other training-mate Smt. Sonali Chand.

3.2. As informed, there are 223 families with a population of 1378 people. So, it is a medium size hamlet. In spite of this advantage, the hamlet has no concrete road under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). The road is of ‘murum’ and stone and one may be injured if not walked with caution.

3.3. We reached the first house of the hamlet with a thatched roof. The owner of the house was not present but we met Shree Keshaba Singh aged 16, a 9^th class dropped out from Kantabada High School due to family problem. He was from another village and staying with the family of his ‘mami’ (aunty). Meantime, we met Smt. Kupa Soren, a widow of aged above 60, who took us to her home which is around 20 metres from the first house.

3.4. Like the first house, the house of Smt. Kupa soren is also a kutcha one and surrounded with thatched fence covering an area of around 40 decimils with no vegetable plants or creepers probably due to the nature of red infertile soil. Two pretty girls in school uniform greeted us with smile. That is the beauty of Tribal culture with pristine, beautiful, innocent and simple living style. Kumari Kapura Soren and her friend Kumari Duli Murmu were the two girls. Both are reading in class 9^th in Kantabada High School. They were confident and interacted with us nicely. On enquiry, they informed us that they are not getting any scholarship from school except Rs. 2400/- towards bicycle purchasing. But these girls go to school, which is around 4 kms., on foot regularly. The girls are ambitious to become engineers in future. We blessed them and encouraged to study very well.

3.5. Smt. Kupa Soren informed us that there are only three different category of tribes viz. Santhal, Kolha and Munda in the village and barring a few none of them has a good living standard. Most of the villagers including Smt. Kupa Soren make and drink ‘Handia’, a country liquor made of stale rice. They earn around Rs. 200/- per day on selling ‘Handia’ and it is a good source of income for them.

3.6. Though Smt. Kupa Soren is a senior citizen, she is yet to get any pension by the government. She also informed that many eligible villagers are not getting the benefits of various social security schemes due to lack of proper documents and survey.

3.7. Then we headed towards the Anganwadi Centre (AWC) No. 1. We met Smt. Gitarani Mohanty, an Anganwadi Worker. She comes from Andharua village. She informed us that there are 02 Anganwadi Centres in the hamlet. AWC-1 has 28 children of age group 3-5 years and on that day 26 children were present eating the hot cooked food during our visit. The children were with proper uniform. AWC-2 has 32 children but we could not get the time to visit the same. AWC-1 has no own building and has been functioning in Rotary Club since 2001, as informed by Smt. Gitarani Mohanty. The condition of the room was not good and needs maintenance especially against roof water leakage. Further, there was neither electricity connection to the room nor any toilet in the premise. But the walls are decorated with information on immunisation programme, cleanliness, education etc.. Immunisation programme is conducted successfully and children are immunised every third Wednesday. Smt. Mohanty, further, informed that AWC-2 is better than AWC-1 in terms of infrastructure facilities.

3.8. Nearby AWC-1, we met Smt. Anita Patnaik, Gram Rozgar Sewak who briefed us about the various schemes and programmes of the government implemented in the hamlet. She is from Andharua village. Regarding Housing scheme she informed us that under Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana 8 houses and under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Grameen) 5 houses have been allotted for the financial year 2016-17 out of which 1 house from each scheme has been completed.

3.9. Smt. Anita Patnaik also informed that they have undertaken 2 projects under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) for the hamlet for the financial year 2016-17. One is digging of Talasahi Nuapokhari pond with a budget of Rs. 5 lakhs out of which only Rs.42,240/- has been expended so far. The other one is construction of Godibari-Daspur road. Both the projects are not completed due to paucity of fund allotment.

3.10. Regarding job card under MGNREGA, as informed by Smt. Patnaik, 170 eligible persons are holding the same and are provided work. But while interacting with some villagers, they told the other story on work employment.

3.11. Smt. Sonali Chand joined Shree Sannyasi Kumar Behera and me, and we three went to the house of Shree Bishu Tiria & Smt. Musuri Tiria. The housing pattern is same like the earlier two. Buffaloes were tied to stumps and taking rest. Hens and cocks were roaming here and there. Cycle repairing work was going on. Persons of all age groups were present there. We interacted with them cordially making aware them the purpose of our visit.

3.12. The Tiria couple belong to Munda tribe. They are living with their son Shree Sadhu Tiria and a daughter Kumari Tulasi Tiria. Though both the couple are senior citizens, as claimed by them, they are yet to get old age pension. When we requested them with curiosity to show their voter identity cards and other related documents, they immediately showed the same. Perusing the documents, we surprisedly found that their ages have been mentioned wrongly in all these documents. Present ages as per Voter ID of Shree Bishu Tiria & Smt. Musuri Tiria are 52 years & 47 years respectively whereas as per Ration Card they are 29 & 62.

3.13. Regarding their livelihood, the couple informed that they are ‘Bhag-chasi’ and get 2/3^rd of the production of paddy as share after giving 1/3^rd share to the raiyat. They prefer Pakhal & saga as food. They have no own land, even the homestead property is on government land since their forefathers. Their son and daughter are school drop outs and help them in agriculture and household activities.

3.14. Most of the villagers do not have latrines and they do open defecation. Further safe drinking water facility is lacking in the village with the inadequate number of tube wells, wells and ponds. Further, electricity connection is not given to every house, as we were told.

3.15. We were informed that the hamlet has a Project Primary School from classes I-V. Godibari has also a dance club but the new generation are more inclined towards modern dances than folk dances.

Last part and Return Journey:

It was 12.50 pm and due to paucity of time we could not visit the whole hamlet. As instructed we came back to the meeting place near the entrance gate of Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary by 1.00 pm. All the groups met together. Our observations and findings were discussed, and queries were answered by the team satisfactorily. Thereafter, we spent few minutes with the elephants, had lunch in the meeting premise and returned to GAA by 3.20 pm.

Observations, Findings & Suggestions:
- Kutcha road of the hamlet needs to be made concrete one under PMGSY.
- All the eligible persons should be provided with pucca house under PMAY (G) or BPGY.
- Eligible persons should be given required social security benefits after proper survey and documentations.
- AWC-1 needs immediate attention in terms of infrastructure development.
- Safe drinking water facility should be provided to every house holders through more tube wells or other better facilities.
- Open defecation must be stopped by providing latrines under Swachh Bharat Mission.
- Electricity connection should be made available to the left out houses under Biju Gramin Jyoti Yojana or Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana.
- Land settlement should be done in favour of the eligible persons under Odisha Government Land Settlement Act, 1962 or any other suitable acts.
- Awareness on education needs to be boosted to avoid any drop outs. For this the financial condition of the family needs to be improved.
- Pre-metric scholarship and other benefits need to be given to the eligible students with their knowledge after proper verification of records.
- Projects under MGNREGA need to be completed within due time with adequate fund allotment. Further ample employment opportunities should be provided to the job card holders so as to avert migration to urban areas.
- Preparing, selling and drinking of Handia are part of their tradition, as claimed by them. But it has both merits and demerits. They should be persuaded not to involve in it as it has much negative results.
- Administrative officers as well as the people’s representatives need to be more accessible to the people.
- More public awareness is needed in almost all the sectors meant for the villagers.

Concluding words:

Still today the tribals have their own identity and they have never forgotten their own culture, though the new generations are more inclined towards modernity. But most of the tribals are still in the primitive stage of development. Government officials, People’s representatives, and corporate sectors must do their justiciable part for the upliftment of the weaker and vulnerable sections of the society. Civil servants are the ‘Messiahs’ for these people and we must not forget this.

“Sarve bhabantu sukhinah,

Sarve santu niramayah,

Sarve bhadrani pasyantu,

Ma kaschit dukha bhavet,

Om shantih, shantih, shantih.”

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ANNEXURE-I:

BASIC INFORMATION OF GODIBARI HAMLET

1	Name of the hamlet	Godibari
2	Name of the revenue village	Andharua and Daspur
3	Name of the police station	Chandaka
4	Name of the RI Circle	Chandaka
5	Name of the GP	Andharua
6	Name of the Panchayat samiti	Bhubaneswar
7	Name of the district	Khordha
8	Nos. of family living in the hamlet	223
9	Nos. of family obtained RoR	54
10	Total no. of population	1378
11	Nos. of Anganwadi Centers	2
12	No. of Primary school	1
13	No. of Community center	1

DISTRICTS PROFILE OF ODISHA 2017(as on 01.05.2017) – Notes of Jadumani Naik

DISTRICTS PROFILE OF ODISHA 2017(as on 01.05.2017)

Contents [Districts of Odisha (30)]:

Sl.

District Name

Page No.

3-6

7-10

11-13

14-16

17-19

20-22

23-26

27-29

30-32

33-35

Ganjam

36-39

40-42

43-45

46-48

49-52

53-55

56-58

59-61

Khordha

62-66

67-70

71-73

74-77

78-81

82-84

85-88

89-91

92-94

95-98

99-102

103-106

Districts of Odisha (Ctrl+Click to follow link):

Angul	Bargarh	Bhadrak	Balasore	Balangir	Boudh
Cuttack	Deogarh	Dhenkanal	Gajapati	Ganjam	Jagatsinghpur
Jajpur	Jharsuguda	Kalahandi	Kandhamal	Kendrapara	Keonjhar
Khurda	Koraput	Malkangiri	Mayurbhanj	Nuapada	Nabarangpur
Nayagarh	Puri	Rayagada	Sambalpur	Subarnapur	Sundargarh

ANGUL DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Established 1 April 1993
Headquarters Angul
Government
• Type Municipality
• Collector Shri Anil Kumar Samal [IAS]
Area
• Total 6,232 km2 (2,406 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 1,271,703
• Density 199/km2 (520/sq mi)

Sex ratio 0.942 ♂/♀
•Literacy 78.96%
Languages
• Official Odia, English
• Other local language Ho
PIN 759122
Telephone code 06764
Vehicle registration OD-19/OR-19
Website www.angul.nic.in

Subdivisions: 4
Blocks: 8
Municipalities: 2
N.A.C.: 1
Tehsils: 5
Villages: 1,922
Grama panchayat: 180
Towns: 9

GEOGRAPHY:

It is bounded by Dhenkanal and Cuttack district in the east, Deogarh, Kendujhar and Sundargarh district in north, Sambalpur and Sonepur in west and Boudh and Nayagarh in the south side. Angul, The district headquarters is about 150 kilometers from the state capital Bhubaneswar.

It is the hottest district in India where maximum temperature goes up to 55 degree C during summer. Angul is among the top ten most polluted Indian cities.

Angul has one of the largest and most magnificent natural beauties i.e. Satakosia tiger reserve. As the Mahanadi River takes a sharp turn, it has created one of the deepest gorges of India. Satakosi got his name from his gorge as ‘Sata’ means Seven and ‘Kosha’ means Mile in Odia. Inside this reserve there is Tikarapada Wildlife Sanctuary. It is famous for the endangered crocodile species “Gharial” Breeding Center. It is of 795.52 km2 area.

HISTORY:
Legend says that ancient Angul was the land of tribals such as Gonds, Kandhas, Sabaras. Angul was divided into number of small feudals and all chieftains were independent. But the feudals were made to pay a tax to a king. One of the feudal kings named “Anu” started a rebellion against that bigger kingdom but the bigger king with the help of Mathura’s Rajputs suppressed the rebellion. As there was a war between both parties and in local language “war” is “Golmala” so the name derived Anugol=Anu+Gol(mala). Subsequently this Anugol became Angul. The government named the area Angul in 1896.

Somanath Singh Jagadev was the last independent king of Angul and he ruled for 33 years from 1814 to 1847 when he was deposed by the government according to the Doctrine of Lapse. His imperial capital is Krushnadevagara, currently known as Purunagada village 15 km from Angul town. The ruins of his fort remain there inside the lush jungle of Purunagada.

ECONOMY:
Industries like the National Aluminium Company (NALCO), Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), Bhusan Steels Ltd., BRG ltd. etc. are situated in the district.

East Coast Railway’s highest earning railway station is Talcher Railway station.

Two Blocks – Palahara and Athamalik – are left behind in the quest for progress and have significant numbers of poor and tribal people residing in them.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Subdivisions: Angul, Athamalik, Talcher, Pallahada

Blocks: Angul Sadar, Athamalik Sadar, Chhendipada, Talcher Sadar, Pallahada Sadar, Banarpal, Kishorenagar, Kaniha

Tehsils: Angul, Athamalik, Talcher, Pallahada, Chendipada, Banarpal, Kishorenagar, Kaniha

POLITICS:

MLA:

Pallahara – Mahesh Sahoo BJD
Talcher – Braja Kishore Pradhan BJD
Angul – Rajani Kant Singh BJD
Chhendipada – Sushanta Behera
Athmallik – Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo BJD

NALCO is the largest integrated bauxite-alumina-aluminium complex in Asia.

TOURIST PLACES:

Tikarapada – A small village in the bossom of nature Tikarapada is strategically situated by the side of Satakosia Gorge. The meandering Mahanadi flowing closely amidst, beautiful hills form here the mightiest gorge of India, 22 kms long. It is acclaimed as one of world’s most enchanting sports. The place is ideal for boating, angling and adventure.

Deulajhari – Deuajhari is the ancient citadel of Saivism, located at 6 Km away from Athamallik and 90 Km away from Angul. The Temple has been constructed amidst dense indigenous Jasmine forest (locally known as Kaibana) that stands as the high walls around the temple. The uniqueness of the place lies in its hot springs that surround the temple. As per the ancient records there were eighty four such springs, but many of these have been overshadowed in the jasmine forest. Now twenty four springs are alive.
Budhi Thakurani temple – The temple of Budhi Thakurani is situated in one side Sunasagad hill which is in the middle place of the Angul town. The Bigraha of the Goddess is made in Black Granite stone and looks like a pillar. It is the symbol of Budha Budhi worship system of tribal culture.

Bhimkhand – A rock art sleeping image of lord Bishnu is located at Bhimkand, village on the right bank of river Brahmani.

Khuludi – It is in the Malyagiri Mountain range of Pallahara Sub division houses a glittering waterfall near the village Khuludi. The fall making its spectacular jump from the hilltop and paying homage to Lord Shiva is located at a distance of 120 Kms from Angul and 20 Kms from Pallahara. It is ideal site for group picnic and relaxation.

Derjang – The Derjang irrigation project, a reservoir scheme and the first medium irrigation project after Indias independence was started in the year 1960 and completed during the year 1977-78. This project was constructed across river Ningara and Matalia near village Majhikia in Angul block.

Rengali Dam – A dam has been constructed across the river Brahmani at Rengali. One Hydro electrical power project of 120 MW capacity has been installed here.

Talcher – Talcher on the right bank of Brahmani, the capital of the east while, Talcher State is one of the fastest growing industrial and mining complexes of the country.

References:

Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 23.03.2017

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BALANGIR DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
• Collector – Shri Ashish Thakare, IAS
• Superintendent of police – Ashish Kumar,IPS
• Members of Parliament – Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, BJD
• Members of Bidhansabha – Narasingha Mishra, INC
Area
• Total 6,575 km2 (2,539 sq mi)
Elevation 115 m (377 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total 1,648,574
• Density 251/km2 (650/sq mi)

Sex ratio 0.983 ♂/♀
•Literacy 65.50%
Languages
• Official Odia, English, Kosli
PIN 767001
Telephone code 06652
Vehicle registration OR-03/ OD-03
Avg. summer temperature 48.7 °C

HISTORY:
The territory comprising the present district of Balangir was in ancient times a part of the South Kosala. During the time of Grammarian Panini (5th Century B.C), a territory named Taitila Janapada flourished to the west of Kalinga and that territory has been associated by historians with the modern town of Titlagarh in Balangir district. The ancestors of famous King of Kalinga Kharavela were from the Balangir district. Balangir region continued to be under the rule of Chedis during the 1st Century AD but in the 2nd century it came under the possession of the Satavahanas, whose king was Gautamiputra Satakarni. He is said to have built a magnificent vihara for his philosopher friend Nagarjuna on the Po Lo Mo Lo Ki Li or Parimalagir identified with the modern Gandharmardan hills. The Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang visited Po Lo Mo Lo Ki Li monastery at modern Paikmal in the 7th Century AD. It was then having cloisters and lofty halls and those halls were arranged in five tiers each with four courts with temples containing life-size gold images of Buddha.

Ramai Deo founded the kingdom of Patna in 1360 AD, and within a short span of its aggressive career become the head of the cluster of eighteen Garhs. The Patna kingdom stretched from Raigarh in Chhattisgarh to Bamra in Sundergarh District. Balangir town was also the headquarters of the feudatory state of Patna since the 1880s. It is the land of Tantrik culture. It is also notable for having experimented in the republican form of Government that was overthrown by Ramai Deo.

Balaram Deo, the 19th Raja of Patna (princely state), founded a town called Balramgarh and shifted the capital of Patna state from Patnagarh to Balramgarh in the early 16th century. Subsequently, the town was renamed as Balangir from Balramgarh. After around 8 years of rule in Patna state, he was awarded the land from river Ang till the boundary of Bamra kingdom by his mother. Subsequently he founded a kingdom named Sambalpur, which went on to become a strong kingdom.

Merger with Odisha state:
The Chauhan rule ended with the merger of Patna and Sonepur into Orissa on the January 1, 1948. They together formed the district of Balangir on 1st November 1949. Sonepur was carved out as a separate district on April 1, 1993. The last ruler of Patna, Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo successfully made the transition to democratic politics. He became the Chief Minister of Odisha from 1967 until 1971.

GEOGRAPHY:
The district of Balangir is flanked in the north-west by the Gandhamardan hills, and in the north-east by Mahanadi. Neighbouring districts are Nuapada, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Boudh, Sonepur and Bargarh.

The predominant soil groups found in the Balangir District are red, mixed red, black and alluvial soils.

ECONOMY:

Over 70 percent of the population depends on agriculture. The present cultivable area in the District is 3,45,650 hect. In the District paddy is the principal crop, which accounts for 61 percent of gross cropped area. The other important crops grown in the District are pulses grown in 14 percent of the cropped area followed by oil seeds, which is grown in 3 percent, fibre in 4 percent, vegetable in 2 percent and other food crops like spices and condiments etc.
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Balangir one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:
Balangir District has been divided into 3 Sub-Divisions and 14 Blocks. There are 285 Gram Panchayat with 1,794 Villages (Inhabited 1764, Uninhabited 30) in the District.

Sub Divisions (3): Balangir, Patnagarh and Titilagarh
Blocks (14): Agalpur, Balangir, Belpara, Bongamunda, Deogaon, Gudvella, Khaparakhol, Loisinga, Muribahal, Patnagarh, Puintala, Saintala, Titilagarh and Tureikela
Tahasils (14): Agalpur, Balangir, Bangamunda, Belpara, Deogaon, Kantabanji, Khaprakhol, Loisinga, Moribahal, Patnagarh, Puintala, Saintala, Titilagarh and Tusura
Urban Bodies: (4):
Municipality (1): Balangir
NAC (3): Kantabanjhi, Patnagarh and Titlagarh

POLITICS:

MLAs:
• 066-Loisingha – Jogendra Behera, BJD
• 097-Patnagarh – Kanaka Bardhan singhdeo, BJP
• 068-Balangir – Narasingha Mishra, INC
• 069-Titlagarh – Ms. Tukuni Sahu, BJD
• 070-Kantabanji – Ayub Khan, BJD

TOURIST PLACES:
• Patmeshwari temple, Patnagarh – Chalukyan style
• 12th C. Someshwar shiva temple, Patnagarh
• Ranipur Jharial – “Soma Tirtha”, Indralat temple – tallest brick temple of Odisha, 64 Jogini Mandir – Hypaethral temples ( temples with out roofs)
• Chandi temple & Dasabatar images – Saintala
• Jogeshwar Shiva temple – Jogisarda
• Gaikhai – A place of great scenic beauty, Gaikhai is surrounded by green capped hills on three sides.
• Gandhamardan hill –
• Harishankar – 15th C. Vishnu, shiva & Bhairavi temple, natural sliding rock (Serla pathar), perennial stream.

Kushangei temple, Kushang – 11th C.
• Turekela – wild life observations like birds, tigers, dear, bears..
• Dharpagarh – “Dasamati sagar” tank & shrines of multiple sects of Hinduism
• Rajendra Park, Balangir
• Kumuda pahad Shiva temple, Titilagarh
• Lower Suktel Project picnic spot
• Durga temple, Balangir
• Surda Shiva temple

References:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balangir_district

http://www.ordistricts.nic.in/district_home.php

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 25.03.2017

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BALASORE DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Headquarters Balasore

Collector – Sri Pramod Kumar Das OAS SAG
Area
• Total 3,634 km2 (1,403 sq mi)
Elevation 90.08 m (295.54 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total 2,317,419
• Density 609/km2 (1,580/sq mi)

Sex ratio 957 ♂/♀
•Literacy 80.66%
Languages
• Official Odia, English
• Other local language Ho, Santali
PIN 756 xxx
Telephone code 06782
Vehicle registration OD-01
Website baleswar.nic.in

Subdivisions: 2
Blocks: 12
Towns: 4
Municipalities: 1
N.A.C.: 3
Tehsils: 7
Grama panchayat: 289
Villages: 2971
Coast line: 81 km

Balasore has a launch station for missiles and sounding rockets since 1989, but unlike Sriharikota, it is not used for launching satellites. The rocket launching site at Balasore is situated in a place called Chandipur located on the Bay of Bengal. The Integrated Test Range in Chandipur is responsible for carrying out tests for various missiles such as Agni, Prithvi, Trishul etc.

Birthplace of linguist and novelist Vyasakabi Fakir Mohan Senapati, & poet Kabibar Radhanath Ray.

HISTORY:
Balasore district was a part of the ancient Kalinga and later became a territory of Toshala or Utkal, till the death of Mukunda Dev. It was annexed by Mughals in 1568 and remained as a part of their suzerainty up to 1750-51. Subsequently, the Marathas of Nagpur occupied this part of Odisha and it came under the dominion of the Maratha Rajas. In 1803, this part was ceded to The British East India Company through the Treaty of Deogaon and it became a part of Bengal Presidency until 1912. But the first English Settlement came into existence in Balasore region in 1634. The region was an early trading port for British, French & Dutch. Balasore as a separate district was created in October 1828. Inchudi Salt Revolution (Lavana Satyagrah) and Srijang Satyagrah for non-payment of Revenue Tax are famous as part of the struggle for freedom movement. Praja Andolan was initiated against the ruler of Nilagiri State. In January 1948, the state of Nilagiri was merged with the state of Orissa and became a part of Balasore district. On 3 April 1993, Bhadrak Sub-division became a separate district.

GEOGRAPHY:
Balasore district is bounded by Midnapore district of West Bengal in its North, the Bay of Bengal in the east, Bhadrak district in the South and Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts on its western side. Balasore is also known “The city of Land on Sea Shore” or “City of Sand”. Broadly the district can be divided into three geographical regions, namely, the Coastal belt, the inner alluvial plain and the North-Western hills. Two important rivers – Budhabalanga and Subarnarekha pass through this district.

ECONOMY:
Balasore District is one of the economically strong districts in Odisha, which is privileged in both agriculture and industry. In spite of being an agrarian economy, agriculture is the main stay of the people of Balasore. The District lies in the coastal part of Odisha and is blessed with hot and humid climate with alluvium soil and intersected by the perennial rivers, which collectively provides conducive infrastructure for the growth of agriculture in this region. In the recent years, the utilization of the wasteland for ensuring the economic development of Balasore District has been taken into consideration and it is being used for the production of coconut and betel. The local economy of Balasore District largely depends on the cultivation of paddy and wheat.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:
Balasore is divided into 2 subdivisions, 12 blocks, 12 tehsils and 289 (257 old + 32 new) Gram Panchayats . Besides there are 4 towns consisting of 1 municipality and 3 NACs(Notified Area Councils). Also, there are 2971 villages, out of which 2602 are inhabited.

Tehsils 7:
Balasore, Bhograi, Baliapal, Basta, Jaleswar, Nilagiri, Simulia, Soro, bahanaga,Remuna, Khaira and Oupada.

POLITICS:
MLA:

Jaleswar – Aswini Patra (BJD)
2. Bhogarai – Ananta Das BJD
3. Basta – Nityanad Das BJD
4. Balasore – Jiban Pradip Dash BJD
5. Remuna – Govinda Das BJP
6. Nilagiri – Sukanta Kumar Nayak BJD
7. Soro – Parshuram Dhada BJD
8. Simulia – Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi BJD

TOURIST PLACES:
1. Beaches – Chandipur, Talasari, Chaumukha and Dagara, Kashapal and Kharasahapur.

Raibania fort in Laxmannath – is an ancient fort complex built by the Ganga Dynasty ruler Langula Narasinha Deba to protect intrusion of Mughal into Odisha through the border.
Ancient temples like Khirachora Gopinatha Temple in Remuna, Chandaneswar, Panchalingeshwar, Bhudhara Chandi temple, Sajanagarh, Marichi temple, Ayodha, Brahmani Temple in Abhana, Jagannath temple at Nilagiri, Maninageswar Temple at Bardhanpur. The Simlipal National Park and Kuldiha reserves, & Deshuan pokhari are other tourist places.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 26.03.2017

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BARGARH DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Headquarters Bargarh
• Collector Anjan Kumar Manik OAS(SAG) (27 Jan 2014 – 27.04.2017)

Shri Khagendra Kumar Padhi OAS (SAG) (28.04.2017 to present)

Lok Sabha constituency Bargarh
• MP – Dr. Prabhas Singh
Area
• Total 5,837 km2 (2,254 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 1,478,833
• Density 253/km2 (660/sq mi)
Sex ratio 976 ♂/♀
•Literacy 75.16%
Languages
• Official Odia, Sambalpuri
PIN 768 xxx
Telephone code 6683, 6684, 6685
Vehicle registration OD-17
Website www.bargarh.nic.in

The district was carved out of the erstwhile district of Sambalpur in 1993.

GEOGRAPHY:
The district of Sambalpur is in the north east, Bolangir & Subarnapur districts are in the south, Nuapada district is in the south west and the state of Chhattisgarh is to its west.

HISTORY:

The original name of place was “Baghar Kota” as known from an inscription of the 11th Century A.D. The place was called “Bargarh” probably from the time of Balaram Dev, the Chauhan Raja of Sambalpur, who made it for first time his headquarters and constructed a big part for its protection.

History of Bargarh District suggests that Buddhism played a role in defining the lifestyle of the people for a short period of time. Some ancient buddhist monasteries and sculptures can be seen along a belt starting from Bijepur block (Ganiapali) to the Paikmal block (Nrusinghanath), which has a clear mention in Huen–Tsang’s literature as Po–Li–Mo–Lo–Ki–Li(Parimalagiri).

Bargarh is also known for the Legendary Veer Surendra Sai who led his war against the British from Debrigarh, which is a peak on the Barapahad Range. Debrigarh today is a tiger sanctuary. Barabakhra (12 caves) used to be a secret meeting place during this period. Bargarh District is also famous for many historical personalities who have taken birth here.

ECONOMY:

Agriculture acts as the backbone of the economy of the Bargarh District. Most of the indigenous inhabitants in Bargarh District mainly practice crop cultivation. Because of the presence of natural drainage facilities, the District plain supports the growth of large agricultural products and is free from insects and pests.

All-season irrigation from Hirakud dam on the Mahanadi River makes the northern half of Bargarh District rich in agriculture, mostly paddy.This district is famous for centuries old handloom industry manufacturing a trade-mark textile form called Sambalpuri Saree.

Bargarh is also known as ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ଭାତ ହାଣ୍ଡି (Rice Bowl of Odisha).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:
Bargarh district consists of two sub-divisions, namely Bargarh & Padampur.

Blocks & Tehsils 12:
Jharbandh, Paikmal, Padampur, Gaisilat, Bijepur, Sohela, Bhatli, Ambabhona, Barpali, Attabira, Bheden and Bargarh.

POLITICS:
To reduce increased number of road accidents, Bargarh police administration is one of the first-movers to implement “No Helmet, No Petrol” campaign effective from 01 Sep 2015.

MLAs:
1. Padampur – Pradeep Purohit BJP
2. Bijepur – Subal Sahu INC
3. Bargarh – Debesh Acharya BJD
4. Attabira – Snehangini Churiya BJD
5. Bhatli – Susanta Singh BJD

NOTABLE PERSONS:

Gangadhar Meher also known as Swabhab kavi, was a literary Midas.
Parbati Giri is among the freedom fighters who participated in the freedom struggle for Independence. She was just 16 when she was in the forefront of agitation following Mahatma Gandhi’s “Quit India” call.
Padmashree Krutartha Acharya pioneered in making the Sambalpuri design and fabric based on “Tie and Dye” method inside and outside the country.
Padmashree Kunjabihari Meher is another famous personality who has endeavored to enrich and glorify the splendid style of Sambalpuri fabrics at home and abroad.
Surendra Meher
Manabodh Rana

TOURIST PLACES:

Nrusinghnath temple – There exists a 13th-century temple at Nrusinghanath on the foot hills of Gandhamardan. Lord Vishnu is worshiped here in a feline form, which is the only instance of its kind in the world. The King of Patna Garg, BAIJAL SINGH DEV, laid the foundation of this historic temple in 1313 A.D. It is 45 feet in height, divided into two parts: the first being the seat of the Lord Nrusinghnath, the second alloted to Jagamohan.
Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary – A peak in the Barapahar hills in Bargarh sub-division having a height of 2267 feet. It was a noted rebel stronghold during the revolt of Balabhadra Deo, the Gond Zamindar of Lakhanpur, who was killed here. Veer Surendra Sai the freedom fighter was captured here in 1864 by British solders. There is a wild life sanctuary here. Except for elephants, wild buffaloes and blank Bucks most of the other important animals in the State of Orissa are more or less represented here.
Asta Sambhu temple – is a large of Siva Temple built during the Chauhan rule of undivided Sambalpur. The most important among them were those of the Asta-Sambhu or 8 Siva Temples.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 27.03.2017

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BHADRAK DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Headquarters Bhadrak
Government
• Collector Sri Laxminarayana Mishra (07.04.2013-31.03.2017), Sri Prabhat Kumar Bhoi (01.04.2017-07.04.2017), Sri Gyana Ranjan Das , IAS (08.04.2017 till date)
• Member of Parliament Arjun Charan Sethi, BJD
Area
• Total 2,505 km2 (967 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 1,506,522
• Density 601/km2 (1,560/sq mi)

Sex ratio 981 ♂/♀
male 760,591
female 745,931
Literacy 83.25%
Telephone code 06784
Vehicle registration OD-22

Origin of name:
The district is named after goddess Bhadrakali.

HISTORY:
The legendary history of Bhadrak District dates back to the age of the Puranas when Odisha achieved thriving maritime and agrarian prosperity. As far as the history is concerned, king Mukunda Dev was the last sovereign indigenous ruler of Bhadrak. The Muslim population began to settle in the District around the year 1575 following the discomfiture of the Afghans under Usman at the hand of Raja Man Singh. During the Mughal period Bhadrak District survived as a Subha under the Nawabs of Bengal. When the majestic Mughals diminished from the political scenario of Bhadrak District. In course of time Bhadrak District has passed on to different hands and colonized by different dynasties till the British occupied the entire region of Odisha.
On 1 April 1993, this district was carved out from the Balasore District and became a separate entity.

GEOGRAPHY:
Bhadrak District is sharing border with Baleshwar District to the North , Jajapur District to the South, Kendrapara District to the South , Kendujhar District to the west . Bhadrak town is situated at a distance of 125 km from the state capital, Bhubaneswar. Salandi River passes by this district.

ECONOMY:

Agriculture is the main source of income of the District. Paddy is grown as the main crop in Kharif, covering approximately 94 Percent of the total cultivable area. But people in the sea coast area (Dhamara, Chudamani of Basudevpur and Chandabali area of Chandabali Block) also depend upon fishing for their livelihood.

Bhadrak is home to FACOR, which is one of the largest manufacturers of quality ferro chrome in the country. Bhadrak has a large number of small industries like AB Electricals, Abhigoura Rice Mill and Aloknath Ice Factory etc.

Many new factories including a shipbuilding factory will be coming up soon.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub division 1: Bhadrak

Blocks 7:
1.Bhadrak, 2.Bonth, 3.Basudevpur, 4.Tihidi, 5.Chandabali, 6.Dhamnagar and 7.Bhandari Pokhari.

POLITICS:

MLA:
43 . Bhandaripokhari – Prafulla Samal BJD
44. Bhadrak – Jugal Kishore Pattnaik BJD
45. Basudevpur – Bijayshree Routray BJD
46. Dhamnagar – Muktikanta Mandal BJD
47. Chandabali – Byomkesh Ray BJD

NOTABLE PERSONS:

Harekrushna Mahatab
Nilamani Routray
Moulabi Mohammad Hannif
Kanta Kabi Laxmikanta Mohapatra
Jatiya Kabi Banchanidhi Mohanty

TOURIST PLACES:

Eram – Bhadrak has a special identity for ERAM VILLAGE which is known as “2ND JALIANAWALABAGH“. It is 07 km from Basudevpur. A memorial was built for the martyrs of Eram massacre.
Akhandalmani Temple is on the bank of river Baitarani, the Akhandalamani Temple is the abode of Lord Shiva. The Patana Mangala in Chatrapada village is famous for Mangala temple with the biggest pond of Odisha.
Dhamra Port is an ancient port on the banks of the river Baitarani, around 5 km from Kanika Palace. The highlights are the direction tower and some ancient structures.
Bhadrakali Temple
Aradi, Chandabali, Dhamanagar, and Guamala Nuasasan are some other places of tourist interest.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 30.03.2017

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BOUDH DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Established 2 January 1994
Headquarters Boudh
Government
• Collector Mr. Madhusudan Mishra, IAS
• Member of Parliament Pratyusha Rajeswar Singh, BJD

Lok Sabha constituency Kandhamal
Area
• Total 3,098 km2 (1,196 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 439,917
• Density 142/km2 (370/sq mi)

Sex ratio 991 ♂/♀
Literacy 72.51%
PIN 762 0xx
Vehicle registration OD-27

Boudh District, also called Bauda District (Odia: ବୌଦ୍ଧ ଜିଲ୍ଲା).

HISTORY:
Boudh was an important Buddhist centre of Orissa. From the epigraphic records it is known that in the middle of the 8th century AD, Boudh region was under the occupation of the Bhanja rulers and was a part of Khinjali Mandala. The earliest known ruler of this Bhanja family was Nettabhanja who was ruling over the Dhenkanal region as independent ruler, but his successor migrated towards Boudh-Sonepur region and established Khinjali Mandala and ruled there as the feudatory of the Bhauma Karas of Tosali.

Raja Pitambar Dev remained loyal to the British Government and cooperated with the British Agency in suppressing human sacrifice and Khondh rebellion in Ghumsur and Khondhmal. Chakra Bisoi, who remained in Boudh State since 1855 and organized the Khondhas, was ultimately driven out of the state and peace and order was restored.

On 1 January 1948, the state merged with the Orissa province.

Since then Boudh was a sub-division of the newly created District of Boudh-Kondhamals. But it is raised to the status of a district headquarters of Orissa since 2 January 1994. The people of Boudh consider themselves as part of Kosal (West-Orissa).

GEOGRAPHY:
The district lies in central Orissa, to the south of the Mahanadi River, which forms the western and northern boundary of the district. Across the Mahanadi lay the districts of Bolangir to the west, Subarnapur to the northwest, and Angul to the northeast. Nayagarh District lies to the southeast, Phulbani District to the south, and Kalahandi district to the southwest.

ECONOMY:
Economy of Boudh district is primarily agrarian in nature. Fisheries and animal husbandry also contribute greatly to the economy. Small scales industries are also a booming sector in the economic scenario of Boudh district especially the textiles and mining industries. Paddy is the principle crop and is grown in about 75% of the total cultivated land area. The different irrigation projects include Salki Medium Irrigation project, Minor Irrigation project, Lift Irrigation project, Diversion weir, Dugwell and others.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Boudh one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).[1] It is one of the 19 districts in Orissa currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub division 1: Boudh

Blocks 3:
1.Boudh 2.Harabhanga, 3.Kantamal.

POLITICS:

MLA:
85 Kantamal – Mahidhar Rana BJD
86. Boudh – Pradip Kumar Amat BJD

TOURIST PLACES:

Three remarkable Buddhist statues are found in Boudh are indicative of the fact that it was once a center of Buddhist culture. One of the statue is present in Boudh town.
A group of three temples of Siva at Boudh town called the Rameswar or Ramanath temples , dating back to the 9th century A.D. are reputed for their special feature.
Rajabati was constructed during the reign of Raja Jogindra Dev ,who was benevolent and generous ruler.
4. The Chandra Chuda & Matengeswar temples are situated on the bank of river Mahanadi in Boudh town.
The Raghunath temple at Debagarh is situated at a distance of 14 Km. from Boudh town. The surrounding of the temple is full with natural beauty.
Jagati is situated at a distance of 16 Km. from Boudh . Near the village at Gandhradi, is situated the famous twin temples of Nilamadhava and Sidheswar.
Purunakatak is a trading center of some importance. Goddess Bhairabi is the presiding deity of the place .
Padmatola Sanctuary in the district can be approached from Charichhak.
Dambarugada mountain is situated at a distance of 21 Km. from Boudh town toward Boudh to Balangir road.
Nayakpada Cave is located at a distance of 12 Km. from Boudh town.
Marjakud is a wonderful island of Boudh. Maa Pitabali is the presiding deity.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 31.03.2017

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CUTTACK DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Headquarters Cuttack
Collector – Sri Nirmal Chandra Mishra (I.A.S )
Area
• Total 3,932 km2 (1,518 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 2,618,708
• Rank 2nd
• Density 666/km2 (1,720/sq mi)

Sex ratio 955 ♂/♀
•Literacy 84.20%
PIN 754 xxx
Telephone code 0671
Vehicle registration OD-05
Lok Sabha constituency Cuttack

Cuttack district (Odia: କଟକ ଜିଲ୍ଲା) is the second most populous district of Odisha, after Ganjam. Cuttack is known as the business capital of Odisha.

GEOGRAPHY:
Cuttack is surrounded by Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khordha, Nayagad and Boudh districts. Cuttack city is flanked by Mahanadi river on the north and Kathajodi river on the south. The District experiences tropical climate, with the summer being hot and the winter cold.

HISTORY:

The oldest city in Orissa and the former capital of the state, Cuttack was founded in the 10th century by Nripati Keshari. The History of Cuttack is a checkered and eventful one. The city has been under various rulers since its foundation and thus boasts of a rich history.

The word “Katak” etymologically means army cantonment and also the capital city. The history of Cuttack amply justifies its name. Inscriptions of Anangabhimadeva lll refer the orginal city as Abhinab-Baranasi–Katak. Like the city of Baranasi, situated in between Baruna and Asi, Cuttack is situated between the rivers Mahanadi and Kathajodi and was therefore named as Abhinab Baranasi (a new type of Baranasi). Cuttack developed into a city out of five villages viz. Choudwar Katak, Saranasi Katak, Sarangagarh Katak, Viraja Katak and Amaravati Katak. Chodagangadeva of Ganga dynasty transferred his capital in 1135 A.D. from Kalinganagar to Katak. The famous Barabati Fort was constructed in 1229 A.D. by Anangabhimadeva lll.

Cuttack is famous as one of the ‘Millennium Cities’ of India.

ECONOMY:
Cuttack is widely known as the commercial capital of Odisha.

The people of this District depend upon agriculture as their main source of livelihood, with about 76 percentage of the population being dependent on it. Agriculture in this District is sustained by the numerous rivers and canals flowing through it. Rice, pulses, oil seeds, jute, sugarcane, coconut and turmeric are the major crops grown here. This District is a major exporter of cash crops, which in turn contributes immensely towards its economic growth.

There are 11 large-scale industries in and around Cuttack mostly in Choudwar and Athagarh and many more in the pipeline. These industries include steel, power, automobile, alloys, fireclay, etc.

Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys (IMFA), the country’s largest producer of ferrous alloys is in Choudwar, Cuttack.

The city is second largest hub for textiles in eastern India after Raipur.

Cuttack is famous for its glory of craftsmanship of handicraft work in silver filigree. Horn works, Patta Chitra, Dokra Casting, Terra Cota, Wood Carving, Art Leather and Brass/Bell Metal works are also quite evolved here.

Cuttack has the largest wholesale commodities market of the state at Malgodown and Chatrabazaar.

The presence of Odisha High Court and the SCB Medical & College, the largest medical institution in the state, further nourishes the service sector. The Oriya film industry, Ollywood, is based in Cuttack and adds to its economy.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub-Divisions 3:
Athagarh, Banki & Cuttack Sadar.

Blocks 14:
Athagarh,Banki,Banki Dampara, Baramba, Barang, Cuttack Sadar, Kantapara, Mahanga, Narsinghpur,Niali,Nischintkoili,Salipur,Tangi-Choudwar, Tigiria.

Tehsils 15:
Banki, Cuttack, Niali, Salepur, Choudwar, Mahanga, Kishannagar, Athagad, Baramba, Narasinghpur, Tigiria, Baranga, Kantapada , Nischintakoili and Damapada.

POLITICS:
MLAs:
87. Baramba – Debiprasad Mishra BJD
88. Banki – Pravata Kumar Tripathy BJD
89 . Athgarh – Ranendra Pratap Swain BJD
90. Barabati-Cuttack – Debashish Samantaray BJD
91. Choudwar-Cuttack – Pravat Ranjan Biswal BJD
92. Niali – Pramod Kumar Mallick BJD
93. Cuttack Sadar – Chandra sarathi Behera BJD
87. Salepur – Prakash Ch. Behera INC
95. Mahanga – Pratap Jena BJD

NOTABLE PERSONS:

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das, Karma Veera Gouri Shankar Ray, Dr. Radhanath Rath, Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab, Biju patnaik, Pyarimohan Acharya etc.

TOURIST PLACES:

Amageikuda – Scenic beauty, a small island in the river Mahanadi, presiding deity Goddess Amangei,
Anshupa – beautiful lake, offers asylum to migratory birds in winter,
Banki – religious place, Goddess Charchika,
Bhattarika – religious place, scenic spot with a shrine of Goddess Bhattarika,
Cuttack – silver filigree work, 1th century embankment of Kathajodi, the ruins of Barabati Fort, the shrine of Katak Chandi, the Quadami Rasool, Netaji Subhas Bose Memorial birth place of Subhas Bose the Maritime Museum and some old churches,
Deojhar – Scenic beauty, waterfall in Deojhar, a cave Badedidhar at the top of the waterfall,
Dhabaleswar – religious place, a picturesque island in Mahandi, presiding deity Lord Shree Dhabaleswar (Shiva), a hanging bridge connecting the island from its northern side to Mancheswar,
Nilamadhaba – religious place,
Saatakosia – Scenic beauty.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 01.04.2017
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DEOGARH DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Established 1 January 1994
Headquarters Debagarh
Government
• Collector PURNA CHANDRA PATHY OAS(SAG)
Area
• Total 2,781.66 km2 (1,074.00 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 312,164
• Rank 30
• Density 106/km2 (270/sq mi)

Sex ratio 976 ♂/♀
•Literacy 73.07%
PIN 768 xxx
Vehicle registration OD-28

Debagarh District, also known as Deogarh District (Odia: ଦେବଗଡ଼ ଜିଲ୍ଲା).

GEOGRAPHY:
Deogarh District is surrounded by Angul District on its east and south, Sambalpur District on its west and Sundargarh District on its north.

HISTORY:
Bamanda, the citadel of creative artists, dates back to 5th century A.D. when Mathara Royal Family was at the helm of the Administration. After this dynasty, Ganga Rulers came into power and established their capital at Deogarh.

Deogarh attained all-round prosperity during the reign of Raja Basudev Sudhal Dev, the most enlightened rulers of this clan. A new horizon was innovated in the field of communication by the foundation of Jagannath Ballav press in 1886 and publication of a weekly magazine the “Sambalpur Hitaishini” in 1889. It was during his rule that the jail, police station, postoffices, Dispensaries were established and irrigation system was introduced. He had a telephone line of 78 Miles connecting Bamara and Barkote in 1900 was the longest in India during that period. Bamanda’s own postal system was very developed. It got affiliated to the British Postal system in 1895. Sir Sudhal Dev, the then King of Bamanda had coined and issued postage stamps in his own Kingdom. He had promulgated paper currency also in his state. After him, his illustrious son Raja Sachidananda Tribhuban Dev introduced the hydro-electric system in Kodarkot water fall by which the Palace, cloth loom, Sugar factory established in 1908 at Rambhei got power supply. During the reign of Bhanuganga Tribhuban Dev, the estate of Bamra was merged with Odisha i,e. on 1st January, 1948 and it became a part of the District of Sambalpur.

The district was created on 1 January 1994 by bifurcating the erstwhile Sambalpur district. It is currently a part of the Red Corridor.

ECONOMY:
The economy of the District is agragrian in nature. More than 90 percent of the population live in villages and they depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Main crops grown in the District are paddy, millets, pulses, oil seeds, fibre, and sugarcane. Many coal mines are there in the District. The District is fast becoming an industrial District having steel plant, charge chrome and thermal project.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Debagarh one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

POLITICS:
Only 1 Vidhan sabha constituency

MLA:
19. Deogarh – Nitesh Gangadeb BJP

TOURIST PLACES:
1. Pradhanpat waterfall – This is a step waterfall. This waterfall is also a famous picnic area.
2. Kurudkut waterfall – This waterfall is unknown to lot of people. This is deep inside dense forest. This is a small waterfall but with amidst natural beauty of jungle and waterfall. Government has plan of a Hydro Electric Power Project on this waterfall. There is no perfect road to see the waterfall; you have to go 1kms on footstep roads to see this waterfall. Due to isolation, a lot of people do not come to this place. But this has the potential for a good tourism.This is also a step waterfall.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 01.04.2017
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DHENKANAL DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Headquarters Dhenkanal
Collector – Smt. Roopa Roshan Sahoo (IAS) (19.07.2013-28.04.2017)

Shri Bhupendra Singh Poonia (IAS) (29.04.2017 till date)
Area
• Total 4,452 km2 (1,719 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 1,192,948
• Rank 18
• Density 268/km2 (690/sq mi)

Sex ratio 947 ♂/♀
•Literacy 79.41%
Languages
• Official Odia, English
• other local language Ho
PIN 759 xxx
Telephone code 6762
Vehicle registration OR-06 / OD-06
Lok Sabha constituency Dhenkanal

The District is the centre of a religious movement called “Mahima Dharma” that has spread throughout India and far east countries since the nineteenth century. The Jagar Jatra (Maha Shivaratri) is a famous festival celebrated here in the winter season.

HISTORY:

It is commonly believed that Dhenkanal District owes its name to a Savara chief named “Dhenka”, who ruled the land.

A former princely state, Dhenkanal has a long history. Hari Singh Vidyadhar, who was the Southern Forces commander of Gajapati Maharaja of Utkal Sri Sri Prataprudra Deva, defeated the local chief and occupied Dhenkanal and Karamul in the year 1529 AD. The Gajapati Maharaja crowned him as the Raja of Dhenkanal. Subsequently, 18 generations of Rajas ruled over Dhenkanal and brought about many administrative, political, socio-economic and cultural evolutions to the State. Hari Singh Vidyadhar started the construction of Sidha Balarama temple at Dhenkanal, which was subsequently completed by Nrusingha Bhamarbar. In 1947, after the independence of India, the Princely State of Dhenkanal merged into the Indian Union, and subsequently with Odisha in 1948.

GEOGRAPHY:
Dhenkanal District is bordered by Kendujhar to the north, Jajpur to the east, Cuttack to the south and Anugul to the west. The majority of this district is covered with dense forest and a long range of hills, which are home to elephants and tigers. Primarily agricultural, the principal forest products of the district are timber, bamboo, firewood and kendu leaf, and medicinal herbs and plants.

ECONOMY:
Some large and medium scale industries have established their base in the district. Some of them are –

Navabharat Ferro Alloys Ltd.
Nilachal Refractories
Utkal Asbestos Ltd.
Orissa Polyfibres Ltd
Reliance Industries Limited
B.Samal & Company Ltd. (Manufacturers of handmade Bidis and Gudakhu; a traditional toothpaste)
Shakti Sugars Private Ltd
Bhusan Steel & Strip Ltd.
IPI STEEL LTD
Utkal Spinning Mill, Govindpur
BRG Steel Pvt. Ltd
GMR Energy LTD, Kamalanga Thermal Power Plant
Lanco Babandh Power Ltd

In 2006, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Dhenkanal one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:
Sub divisions 3:
1. Dhenkanal, 2. Hindol and 3. Kamakhyanagar.

Blocks 8:
1. Bhuban, 2. Dhenkanal, 3. Gondia, 4. Hindol, 5. Kamakhyanagar, 6. Kankadahad, 7. Odapada and 8. Parjang

POLITICS:
MP:
Tathagat Sathpathy

MLA 4:
55 . Dhenkanal – Nabin Nanda BJD*
56. Hindol – Smt. Anjali Behera BJD
57. Kamakhyanagar – Prafulla Kumar Mallik BJD
58. Parjanga – Nrushingha Sahu BJD

TOURIST PLACES:

Joranda is the religious headquarters of Mahima Dharma,
Kapilas is known as Kailash of Odisha.
Kualo is famous for housing a plethora of temples dedicated to Lord Kanakeswar, Baidyanath, Paschimeswar, Balunkeswar and Kapileswar.
Saptasajya is a place of Scenic beauty.
Anantasyi image of Lord Vishnu is on the rocky bed of the river Brahmani at Saranga.
The history of Laxmi Puja at Dhenkanal is more than 50 years old.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 02.04.2017

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GAJAPATI DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Established October 1992
Headquarters Paralakhemundi
• Collector – Shri Sudhansu Mohan Samal IAS
• Member of Parliament – Siddhanta Mahapatra, BJD
Area
• Total 3,850 km2 (1,490 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 575,880
• Rank 28th
• Density 133/km2 (340/sq mi)

Sex ratio 1042 ♂/♀
•Literacy 54.29%
PIN 761 xxx
Vehicle registration OD-20
Nearest city Berhampur
Lok Sabha constituency Berhampur

GEOGRAPHY:
Gajapati District is sharing border with Srikakulam District to the South , Ganjam District to the East, Rayagada District to the west . It is sharing Border with Andhra Pradesh State to the west.

As of 2011 it is the third least populous district of Odisha (out of 30), after Debagarh and Boudh.

Paralakhemundi is the District Headquarters and also the largest town of the Gajapati district. Kashinagara is the second largest town of Gajapati district.

HISTORY:
Gajapati district was named after Maharaja Sri Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Dev, the Raja Sahib of the Paralakhemundi estate (the first Chief Minister of the state), who is remembered for his contribution in the formation of a separate state, and inclusion of the Paralakhemundi estate in Odisha.

The District is a part of the Red Corridor.

ECONOMY:
Economy of Gajapati District is agrarian in character. The geography and the climate are favourable for production of crops like paddy, sugarcane, sunflower, oilseeds, etc. This town behaves as a nodal point for accumulation and marketing of such products. Except a few agro B.N Palace processing units, there is no major industry in this District. However, some activities of cottage industries like Horn work, Jaikhadi bag, Cane and Bamboo work, Ganjappa Card and Pattachitra Mukha, Broom work and Siali leaf plate making and Tibetan Woolen Carpet contribute to the economy of the District.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Gajapati one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 19 districts in odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:
Sub division 1: Parlakhemundi.

Blocks 7:
1. Paralakhemundi(Gosani), 2. R. Udayagiri, 3. Mohana, 4. Rayagada, 5. Gumma, 6. Kasinagar, 7. Nuagada.

Tahsils 7:
1. Paralakhemundi, 2. R. Udayagiri, 3. Mohana, 4. Rayagada, 5. Gumma, 6. Kasinagar, 7. Nuagada.

The Police Administration of the District is controlled by 10 Police Stations. There are 129 Gram Panchayats, 1 NACs namely Kasinagar and 1 Municipality namely 1. Paralakhemundi

POLITICS:

MLA 2:
136 . Mohana – Basanti Mallick Biju Janata Dal
137 . Parlakhemundi – Suriya Rao Indian National Congress

TOURIST PLACES:
Gandahati – Waterfall & scenic beauty,
Harabhangi – Scenic beauty,
Mahendragiri – Religious place,
Jirongo – Religious place & waterfall,
Khasada – Religious place & waterfall.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) 03.04.2017

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GANJAM DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Headquarters Chatrapur
Government
• Collector Shri Prem Chand Chaudhary, IAS
• Member of Parliament – Siddhanta Mahapatra, BJD

Member of Parliament Ladu Kishore Swain, BJD
Area
• Total 8,070.6 km2 (3,116.1 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 3,520,151
• Rank 1st
• Density 429/km2 (1,110/sq mi)
Sex ratio 981 ♂/♀
•Literacy 71.88%
PIN 761 xxx / 760 xxx
Vehicle registration OR-07/ OD-07 / OD-32
Lok Sabha constituency – Berhampur, Aska

As of 2011 it is the most populous district of Odisha (out of 30).

GEOGRAPHY:
Ganjam district is surrounded by Khurda, Kandhamal, Gajapati and Nayagarh.

HISTORY:
Ganjam District derived its name from the word “Ganj–i–am” which means the “Granary of world”. From other sources it also revels that Ganjam District is named after the Old Township and European fort of Ganjam situated on the northern bank of river Rushikulya, which was the headquarter of the District.

Jaugada Fort – The rock edicts of King Ashoka and the inscriptions clearly indicates that the present tract of Ganjam was a part of the Kalinga Empire, which was under the jurisdiction of King Ashoka. However after the disappearances of the Mauryan Empire and the downfall of their absolute supremacy, the Ganjam region was also disappeared from the political scenario of Odisha and was in a dark oblivion till in 1761, it was recognised as The French Bussy.

The District of Ganjam was far away from the Madras Presidency and the British didn’t find it easy to control the administrative activities far from Madras. Hence they merged it with Province of Odisha in 1936.

ECONOMY:
The economy of the Ganjam District is supported by both industry and agriculture. The District is well known for its food grain production and its export. The agricultural sector supplies about 75 percent of the total workforce of the Ganjam District. The animal husbandry also adds economical support to the District. There are a considerable section of people who are living on animal rearing. The share of industries in the economic development of Ganjam District is also important. Ganjam District has store a variety of economically important minerals like limestone, soapstone, chinaclay, fireclay, graphite, granite and quartz.

Abrasives and grinding materials, lime stone (kankar), manganese, monazite, sand and talc are some of the chief economic minerals found in the District. Black granite stones are abundantly available in the District, sustaining the stone crushing and stone polishing units. Matikhala mines, operated by Indian Rare Earths Limited (IRE) is one mine in the District that exploits sand deposits containing monazite, zircon and rutile illuminate.

Most of the educated youths of poor households are migrating to various cities of Gujarat for breadwinning. It covers a major migrated population of Ganjam District and affects the district economy significantly.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Ganjam one of the country’s 250 most impoverished districts (out of 640 districts in total). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub divisions 3:
1.Berhampur, 2.Chhatrapur and 3.Bhanjanagar.

Blocks 22:
1.Rangeilunda, 2.Kukudakhandi , 3.Digapahandi, 4.Sankhemundi, 5.Chikiti, 6.Patrapur, 7.Chhatrapur, 8. Ganjam, 9.Khalikote , 10. Kodala, 11. Purusottampur, 12.Hinjilicut , 13. Polsara, 14. K.S.Nagar, 15. Bhanjanagar, 16. Belguntha, 17.Jagannathprasad , 18. Buguda, 19. Aska, 20.Seragad , 21.Dharakote and 22.Surada

POLITICS:

MLA:
123. Bhanjanagar – Bikram Keshari Arukha BJD
124. Polasara – Polasara Srikant Sahu BJD
125. Kabisuryanagar – Smt. V. Sugnana Kumari Deo BJD
126. Khalikote – Purna Chandra Sethy BJD
127. Chhatrapur – Priyanshu Pradhan BJD
128. Asika – Debaraj Mohanty BJD
129. Surada – Purna Chandra Swain BJD
130. Sanakhemundi – Nandini Devi BJD
131. Hinjili – Naveen Patnaik BJD
132. Gopalpur – Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy BJD
133. Berhampur – Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik BJD
134. Digapahandi – Surjya Narayana Patro BJD
135. Chikiti – Smt. Usha Devi BJD

NOTABLE PERSONS:

Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja, Poet.
Kavisurya Baladev Rath, Poet.
Biju Patnaik, Politician.
V. Giri, Former President of India.
Biswanath Das, Politician.
Siddhanta Mahapatra, Film Actor, Politician.

TOURIST PLACES:

Bhetanai near Aska for the famous Black Bucks.
Gopalpur on Sea.
Budhakhol near Buguda – a scenic spot frequently visited by tourists and picnickers. Amidst natural surroundings there is a cluster of five temples on the top of a hill, dedicated to Lord Siva, popularly known as Panchu Mahadeva.
Kalingaghati.
Malati Mountain at Keshari palli.
Jaugada (Historical place of Ashok raja), at Pandia – is of great historical importance as one of the famous rock edicts of Ashok is located here. Jaugada or Jatudurga (Lac fort) as it was known in classical times, is said to be associated with Mahabharta episode. Tradition ascribes that the fort of Jaugada was built by Duryodhana of Mahabharata fame. Its name jau or Lac is from a tradition that it was made of Lac and was therefore impregnable as no enemy could scale the walls as they were smooth and slippery. Jaugada stands as the symbol of the entire historical heritage connected with the Rushikulya Valley civilisation.
Maa Narayani Temple – The scenic splendor of Narayani on the lap of the celebrated Vallery Mountain is a famous place in the Eastern Ghats. Its romantic setting with a perennial spring and green mango groves attracts a good number of visitors every day. The holy shrine of Goddess Narayani (Durga) with six hands is a great attraction for the devotees and picnickers.
Panchama Ganesh Temple.
Dhabaleswar Temple.
Taptapani (hot spring).
Maa Tara Tarini Temple, Purushottampur – twin sister Goddess i.e. Tara & Tarini adorn the sanctum situated on the top of a hillock girdled by the waddling holy river Rushikulya.
Dam near Bhanjanagar
Nirmaljhara – he place named after Nirmaljhar (Pure Water)e. Sanctified by a perennial stream, let channelised to different ponds, Hallooed Shrine of Lord Vishnu. The place is embellished with sculptures, arbors, idols and other carryings of highest workmanship
Kulada – is famous for Goddess Bagh Devi which is the presiding deity, Kulad is said to be birth place of great Oriya Poet Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja.
Chilika (Rambha) – Chilika is India’s biggest inland lake. Spread over 1,100 square kilometers stretching across the length of the three districts of Puri, Khurdha and Ganjam and finally joins the Bay of Bengal through narrow mouth, forming an enormous lagoon of brackish water. Dotted with many emerald green islands with colourful names such as Honeymoon Island and Breakfast Island,

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 12.04.2017
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JAGATSINGHPUR DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Headquarters Jagatsinghpur
Government
• Collector – Smt. Yamini Sarangi, I.A.S.
• Member of Parliament – Dr. Kulamani Samal, BJD
Area
• Total 1,759 km2 (679 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 1136971
• Density 681/km2

Sex ratio 968 ♂/♀
•Literacy 87.13%
PIN 754103
Vehicle registration OD-21
Lok Sabha constituency Jagatsinghpur

It is the smallest district in the state and covers a landmass of 1759 km2.

HISTORY:
History of Jagatsinghpur comprises the conglomeration of Hindu, Muslim, Maratha and British realms. The Maratha administration kept the place under their jurisdiction and appointed Jagat Singh in 1748 to collect revenue. He collected the peshkush and Nazrana and remained an unchallenged and uninterrupted administrator for a pretty long period. The place was converted from Hariharpur to Jagatsinghpur after the name of Jagat Singh since 1786. Consequent to the bifurcation of old Cuttack District into four new districts, the Jagatsinghpur District was created on 1 April 1993. The foundation stone to the District Collectorate was laid in November 1995 by the then Deputy Chief Minister Basant Kumar Biswal and it was inaugurated in November 1997.

GEOGRAPHY:
It is bounded by Kendrapara district in North, Puri district in the South, Bay of Bengal in the East and Cuttack district in the West. It enjoys a temperate climate. Winter is cold, while summer is hot and humid. Four major rivers of Odisha irrigate the mainland of Jagatsinghpur. These are the Mahanadi, Kathajodi, Devi and Biluakhai. The district is prone to cyclonic rainfalls during the monsoons. The Super Cyclone of 1999 caused maximum damage in this district.

ECONOMY:
The economy of the Jagatsinghpur district is dependent on agriculture. Agriculture is the main occupation of bulk of the population. The key crops of the district are paddy, sugarcane, turmeric, cotton and jute. Processing, manufacturing, reparing and fisheries industries also contribute towards the economic development. Jagatsinghpur is a leading district of the state in terms of industrialization. Paradip, a modern deep water port, was built here in the 1960s and has now become a hot business destination due to the large foreign direct investment. The port town of the district has already emerged as the one of the country’s major investment hot spot by attracting investment in excess of the tune of 3.5 lakh crores (US $68.84 billion) including the Rs 2, 74,134 crore Petroleum Chemicals and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) which has spread over 284 square kilometres (110 sq mi) in the area. IOC has already installed a 15 MMTPA refinery cum petrochemical complex at Paradip. Indian Railways has also taken up the Paradeep-Haridaspur 82 km broad gauge line to boost the infrastructure in the region. Up-gradation of NH-5(A) is also going on in a very fast rate. A new all green field road will also be built from Bhubaneswar to Paradip.

The following Large and Medium sector industries exist in the district.

Paradeep Phosphates Limited, a fertilizer company
Paradeep Plastic Park Limited
IFFCO- Fertilizer Plant
Essar Steel’s Pellet plant
Indian Oil marketing terminal
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) Refinery
Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. marketing terminal
Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd. marketing terminal.
Cargill’s edible oil plant
Skol Breweries Ltd. ( Unit-East Coast Brewery)

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub divison 1: Jagatsinghpur

Blocks/Tehsils 8:
1.Jagatsinghpur, 2.Raghunathpur, 3.Biridi, 4.Balikuda, 5.Nuagaon, 6.Tirtol, 7.Kujag and 8.Ersama.

POLITICS:

MLA:
101 Paradeep – Damodara Rout BJD
102 . Tirtol – Rajashri Mallick BJD
103. Balikuda – Prasanta Kumar Muduli BJD104 . Jagatsinghpur – Chiranjibi Biswal Cong

NOTABLE PERSONS:

Academicians and Scientists: Prana Krushna Parija, Sriram Chandra Dash, Manoranjan Mohanty, Abani Kumar Baral, Amitav Acharya
Writers and poets: Sarala Das, Birakisore Das, Gopal Chhotray, Pratibha Ray, Bibhuti Patnaik, Hrudananda Ray, Chittaranjan Das, Devdas Chhotray
Freedom fighters, Politicians and Leaders: Nabakrushna Choudhury, Malati Choudhury, Nityanand Kanungo, Sarala Devi

TOURIST PLACES:

Jhankad – is the sanctum sanctorum of Goddess Sarala.
Paradeep – It is a major sea port of India for trade activities.
Garh Kujanga – Famous for its presiding deity Kunja Behari, Garh Kujanga is also known as Subhadra Kshetra.
Sandhakuda – is an attractive tourist spot comprising vast green shades of casuarinas vegetation, shimmering golden beaches, natural creeks and island.
Jagatsinghpur – Traditionally known as Hariharpur, it was one of the buzzing centres of maritime trade for centuries. Socio economic importance of Jagatsinghpur touched its zenith during freedom struggle. Alaka Ashram, better known as the Shabarmati of Odisha, remained the citadel of freedom moment in the State. And again during Bhoodan Moment, activities at Alaka Ashram caught the attention of the whole neation. Temples, beaches and sculptures of historic importance are the major drivers behind tourist influx to Jagatsinghpur.
Temple complex of Lord Raghunath Jew and Lord Chandrasekhar – Mahilo village

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 13.04.2017
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JAJPUR DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Headquarters Jajpur
Government
• Collector Ranjan Kumar Das IAS
• Member of Lok Sabha Smt. Rita Tarai
Area
• Total 2899 km2
Population (2011)
• Total 1826275
• Density 630/km2

Literacy 80.44%
•Sex Ratio 972
Languages
• Official Odia, English
• Other local language Ho
PIN 755 xxx
Vehicle registration OD-4,OD-34
Lok Sabha constituency Jajpur

Jajpur is known as Biraja Kshetra.

GEOGRAPHY:
Jajpur district is surrounded by Keonjhar & Bhadrak districts and river Baitarini in the north side. The districts of Cuttack, Dhenkanal and Kendrapara are in south, east and west directions respectively.

Rivers : Baitarani, Kani, Kharasrota, Budha, Badagenguti, Brahmani, Kelua and Birupa.

HISTORY:
The history of Jajpur dates back to the prehistoric times. The name Jajpur itself is a testimony to this. Some scholars attribute it to the word Yajnapura , while others opine that the name originated from Jajatipura Sasanas in Jajpur area.

Earlier Jajpur was a breeding ground for both Buddhism and Jainsim. Accounts from Hieun Tsang in 639 A.D. go on to prove the existence of Puspagiri Vihar in the precincts of Jajpur. Tantrayan sprang upon the decadence of Buddhism towards the 8th century. The Kubija Tantra describes Viraja as the Maheswari of Uddiyan.

Jajpur District was founded by ‘Jajati Keshari’, the Somavanshi King in early 10th century. It was the ancient capital of Utkal at one point of time. King Jajati, it is said, had organized a great yajna called Dasaswamedha at this place. For this, he brought 10,000 Brahmins from North India and got them settled in various localities later on.

Few people of Jajpur in Orissa know that the writer of the national song, Bankim Chandra Chaterjee was working as the Deputy Magistrate from1882 to 1884 in Jajpur. The noted writer savoured the tranquility of the riverside in his official residence at Jajpur and penned ‘Devi Chaudharani’ based on a real story. It was published in 1884.

ECONOMY:
Agriculture and mining play dominant role in the economy of the District . In recent years, Jajpur District has taken major strides in industrial development. The most industrially developed area of the district, Kalinga Nagar, is situated in Danagadi Block, where currently 4 small steel plants are operating and 9 more are on their way to start production. Big plants like Mesco, Neelachal Ispat, Maithan, Tata Steels, Brahmani Rever Pellets Limited and Jindal Stainless Limited have set up their operations here. Daitari mines are famous for the mining extracts, which the state exports to the outside world, thereby gaining substantial revenue.
Jajpur District is having the third best conditions for sustainable development in agriculture followed by Bargarh and Jagatsinghpur Districts.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub divison 1: Jajpur

Blocks 10:
1.Jajpur, 2.Binjharpur, 3.Korei, 4.Bari, 5.Rasulpur, 6.Dasarathpur, 7.Sukinda, 8.Dangadi, 9.Dharmasala and 10.Badachana.

Tehsils 10: Jajpur, Sukinda, Bari, Rasulpur, Dangadi, Dharmasala, Darpan, Binjharpur, Vyasanagar,
Dasarathapur.

POLITICS:
MLA:
48. Binjharpur – Smt. Pramila Mallik BJD
49. Bari – Debasis Nayak BJD
50. Barchana – Amar Prasad Satpathy BJD*
51. Dharmasala – Pranaba Balabantray BJD
52. Jajpur – Pranab Prakash Das BJD
53. Korei – Akash Das Nayak BJD
54. Sukinda – Pritiranjan Ghadai BJD

TOURIST PLACES:

Biraja Temple or Viraja Kshetra , is one of the ancient Hindu temples.
Chandikhole is a town in Jajapur district, Odisha, India. The place has been named after Goddess Chandi.
Duburi is at a distance of 38 km from Chandikhol towards Daitari mines on Express Highway.
Ratnagiri – Archaeological museum, Buddhist shrines.
Udayagiri is a famous Buddhist place of the district, which is visited by the visitors and Buddhists throughout the year.
Chhatia is famous for Lord Jagannath Temple.
Atharanala is one of the oldest visiting places for tourist in Jajpur District.
Dasaswamedha Ghat is situated on the bank of river Baitarani. This famous holy spot was built during the rule of Jajati Kesari. Baruni Snana is a significant occasion when many pilgrims visit the place. The temple of seven goddessess which is known as Saptamatruka is on the Dasaswamedha Ghat.
Gokarneswar temple is located 1km. away from Jaraka. The temple has mythological importance since the days of Mahabharat.
Langudi hill is one of the Budhist monuments of Jajpur. The hill is located on the bank of river Kelua.
Galagali Sankha well known as Satarnala Bridge.
Ashokjhar – Scenic beauty.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 15.04.2017
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JHARSUGUDA DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Collector – Bibhuti Bhusan Pattnaik
• Member of Lok Sabha – Dr.Pravas Kumar Singh

Lok Sabha constituency Bargarh
Area
• Total 2,081 km2 (803 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 579499
• Density 274/km2

Sex ratio 951♂/♀
•Literacy 78. 36%
Languages
• Official Odia, English
• Other local language Ho
PIN 768 xxx
Vehicle registration OD-23
Website www.jharsuguda.nic.in

Jharsuguda once had an airport during World War II.

GEOGRAPHY:
Jharsuguda is surrounded by Bargarh, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, and Chattisgarh.
Jharsuguda district has three urban agglomerations, municipalities of Jharsuguda town and Brajrajnagar and municipality of Belpahar.

Major portion of the land area covering hilly region has a radish stony soil. The plain region having brownish black soil is suitable for growing paddy and vegetables. The soil of the riverbanks and delta area is sandy loom suitable for paddy, sugarcane and groundnut cultivation. Some part of the Lakhanpur block is specially known for ginger cultivation which it exports in tones to other countries.

HISTORY:

It is revealed from history of Sambalpur that Jharsuguda was known as “Jharguda” on the distant past. In the 16th Century Balram Dev of Chauhan dynasty established the Kingdom of Sambalpur. During the reign of Chhattrasai Dev the 7th King of this dynasty (1656–1688), Jharguda was a small settlement surrounded by dense forest infested with a man–eating tiger, ravaging the people of this area. Siva Singh, the grandson of Chhattrasai Dev, using his might Sword killed the tiger and brought relief to the people. In recognition Chhattrasai Dev awarded the area to Siva Singh as ‘Bhrutti’ or ‘Jageri’.The descendants of Siva Singh ruled the region un–interruptedly from 16th Century till the end of the 18th Century.

After this period the decline of Sambalpur state started due to aggression and occupation of Sambalpur by the Marahattas Bhonsle. In 1818 the British occupied Sambalpur State and Maharaja Sai was made the nominal king whereas the actual administration was done by British. Maharaja Sai died in 1826 and the British declared his widow Mohankumari as the ruler of the Sambalpur. The then Jamindar of Jharsuguda, Govind Singh challenged the decision of the British and claiming himself to be the rightful heir to the throne of Sambalpur but subsequently imprisoned by the British government. Another claimant to the throne of Sambalpur Surendra Sai, Jamindar of Khinda had also launched an armed rebellion to press his claims to the throne. In 1837 he was arrested on the charge of dacoity and manslaughter because of his armed attack on the Jamindar of Rampur. After Judicial trial Surendra Sai and his brothers were awarded sentence to life in 1840 and were imprisoned in Hazaribagh Jail. After his second phase of revolution (1857–1863), by 1884 Surendra Sai and his associates had either been executed or had been imprisoned and the armed rebellion in Sambalpur gradually subsided and the Britishers heaved a sigh of relief.

During 1884, the Bengal Nagpur Railway (BNR) was commissioned between Calcutta and Nagpur and a Railway Station was established at Jharsuguda. A post office and a police station were established at Jharsuguda in 1895. In 1905 Jharsuguda was brought from the central province and was included in Odisha.

ECONOMY:

The District is rich in minerals like coals, quartzite and fire clay. Besides deposit of limestone, granite, white sand stone and laterite stone are also found in several places of Jharsuguda District that add to economy of the District. There are also some major forest products like Kendu leaves, wood, rice and leather that also contribute significantly to the economy of Jharsuguda District.
There are lot of Coal mines situated in this area. Brajrajnagar is an industrial town, being of the prime location for Open Cast Coal Mine of Ib Valley Coalfield of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited. Rampur colliery is famous for oldest coal mines in India. Brajrajnagar also boasts of a large scale paper mill, i.e., Orient Paper Mills of the Birla Group of Industries. However, this mill has been defunct for more than a decade now. Bhushan Power & Steel Limited, SMC Power Generation Ltd., Action Ispat Ltd., Eastern Steel & Power Ltd., SPS Steel & Power Ltd., Reliance Energy Ltd., Utkal Alumina International Ltd., Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL), Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, and Ib Thermal Power Station are some of the important industries.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Jharsuguda one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Subdivision 1: Jharsuguda

Blocks & Tehsils 5: Lakhanpur, Kolabira, Laikera, Kirmira and Jharsuguda.

POLITICS:
MLAs:
1. Brajarajnagar – Radharani Panda BJP
2. Jharsuguda – Naba Kishore Das INC

TOURIST PLACES:
1. Bikramkhol Cave is a favorite tourist destination situated on the Jharsuguda-Lakhanpur Road at about 25 km from Jharsuguda. It is a famous cave which contains pictographic inscription dating back to 1500BC.

Jhadeswar temple is located at a distance of about 1 km. from the Jharsuguda Railway station beyond the old town Purunabasti inside a small forest. There is a self appearing Sivalingam.
3. Chandi Mandir is located about 30 km from Jharsuguda Railway Station at Brajarajnagar. Goddess Chandi is worshipped here and the Chandipitha is located inside a natural rock cave on the banks of river IB.
Pahadi Mandir is located at a distance of 3km from Jharsuguda Railway Station & 3.5 km from bus stand on a small hilltop.Lord Shiva is worshipped at the temple.
Koilighughar water fall is situated 55 km away from Jharsuguda in the Lakhanpur block near the village Kushmelbahal. It is a picturesque beauty spot with Sylvan backdrop.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 28.03.2017

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KALAHANDI DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Headquarters Bhawanipatna
Government
• Collector D Brundha, IAS (14.05.2015-24.04.2017), Shri Anjan Kumar Manik, IAS (25.04.2017 till date)
• Member of Lok Sabha Arka Keshari Deo, BJD
Area
• Total 7,920 km2 (3,060 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 1,573,054
• Density 199/km2

Sex ratio 1003 ♂/♀
•Literacy 60. 22%
PIN 766 001,766 002
Vehicle registration OD-08
Lok Sabha constituency Kalahandi

Literally ‘Kalahandi’ means ‘pot of arts’. This name has been possibly derived from “Gudahandi Caves” containing pre-historic paintings in red and black colours.

GEOGRAPHY:
Kalahandi is bordered to the north by the Balangir district and Nuapada district, to the south by the Nabarangpur district, Koraput district and Rayagada district, and to the east by the Rayagada district, Kandhamal district and Boudh district.

Tel is the main river of Kalahandi. Other notably rivers are Indravati, Udanti, Hati, Utei, Sagada, Rahul, Nagabali, Mudra, etc. The topography of Kalahandi consists of plain land, hills & mountains. Kalahandi is surrounded by hills.

HISTORY:
Kalahandi District had a glorious past and great civilization in ancient time. The discovered archaeological wealth of Tel Valley suggest a well civilized, urbanized, cultured people inhabited on this land mass around 2000 years ago and Asurgarh was its capital. Kalahandi District along with Koraput and Bastar was part of Kantara referred in Ramayana and Mahabharata.
In 4th century B.C. Kalahandi District was known as Indravana from where precious gem-stones and diamond were collected for the imperial Maurya treasury. During this period Vyaghraraja was ruling over Mahakantara comprising Kalahandi, undivided Koraput and Bastar region. After Vyaghraraja, the Nala kings like Bhavadatta Varman, Arthapati and Skanda Varman ruled over south part of Kalahandi District up to about 500 A.D. Rest of Mahakantara, lower part of Tel river valley was ruled by king Tustikara and his scions.
In the 6th century A.D. a new kingdom came into existence in the Kalahandi District under King Tustikara. Maraguda valley was identified as capital of Sarabapuriyas. During Sarabapuriyas in 6th century A.D. Kalahandi District lost its political entities and merged with eastern part of South Kosal or Kosal. But this was also for a short period as in succeeding phase it assumed a distinct name Trikalinga. By 9th and 10th century A.D. the Kalahandi District including Western Odisha, Koraput District and Bastar region was known as Trikalinga. Nagas started ruling Kalahandi District since 1006 AD.

After 14th century Nagas owed allegiance from Eastern Gangas to the Suryavamsi Gajapatis. This territory assumed independence after the downfall of the Gajapatis of Odisha in 1568 AD. According to tradition the Kalahandi kingdom commanded sovereign power over eighteen garhs. It was occupied by the Bhonslas of Nagpur in the middle of the 18th century AD but still it was a Gadajat under Nagas rule. In 1853 AD the Nagpur state lapsed to the British Crown as Raghujee III died without an heir.

Then Kalahandi District became a princely state under British and was known as Karonda Mandal.
After Indian independence, Kalahandi District joined with the Union of India on January 1, 1948.

ECONOMY:
The economy of Kalahandi District represents the very foundation of the industries. The economically important minerals in the District including Bauxite, Graphites, Manganese, Iron and Quartz largely facilitate the growth of industrial sectors in its core, which has supported the economy of Kalahandi. The minerals, economically exploited serve as the raw materials for the domestic industries and also are exported. Thus the huge storage of minerals supports the economy of Kalahandi dually.

Besides the contribution of the mining sectors there are three functional large–scale industrial units that support the industrial economy of Kalahandi namely Western Sugar and Chemical Industries Ltd, Bhawanipatna at Mathura in Dharamgarh Sub–Division, Konark Growers Cooperative Spinning Mills Ltd, Kesinga and Odisha Regional Cooperative Oil Seed Growers Union Ltd. at Bhawanipatna.
Vedanta Alumina Limited (VAL), a subsidiary of Sterlite Industries, a major aluminium processor has made major investments by establishing an 1 MTPA Alumina Refinery and 75 MW Captive Power Plant at Lanjigarh. Though this project has received criticism from environmentalists, especially from tribals of Niyamgiri; supporters of VAL claims it has brought significant changes in Socio-Economic scenario of Lanjigarh and Kalahandi. The Union Environment Ministry in August 2010, rejected earlier clearances granted to a joint venture led by the Vedanta Group company Sterlite Industries for mining bauxite from Niyamgiri hills making the company to depend on bauxite from outside Odisha. The company’s proposal for Expansion of the Refinery to 6 MTPA, which would have made it one of the largest refineries in the world, was halted by India’s environment ministry.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:
Sub divisions 2: 1. Bhawanipatna 2. Dharmgarh.

Blocks 13:
1. Bhawanipatna, 2. Karlamunda, 3. Kesinga, 4. Lanjigarh, 5. Madanpur-rampur, 6. Narla, 7. Thuamul-rampur, 8. Dharamgarh, 9. Golamunda, 10. Jaipatna, 11. Junagarh, 12. Kalampur and 13. Koksara.

POLITICS:

MLA:
77. Lanjigarh – Balabhadra Majhi BJD
78 . Junagarh – Dibyashankar Mishra BJD
79. Dharmagarh – Puspendra Singh Deo BJD
80. Bhawanipatna – Anama Naik BJD
81. Narla – Dhaneswar Majhi BJD

TOURIST PLACES:

Dharmagarh – a historical site, Paradeswar temple, Bhim Khoj.
Talguda fort – Historical site.
Mardiguda, Thuamul-Rampur, Jakam – scenic spots.
Phurlijharan waterfall – scenic beauty is 15 km from Bhawanipatna.
Bhawanipatna – Centuries old Manikeswari Temple, Royal Palace, Chhatar Jatra, Kalahandi Utsav.
Junagarh – Lankeshwari temple, Khanda Basa festival.
Ampani hills – 77 K.Ms from Bhawanipatna the picturesque Ampani hills present a panoramic view of nature. A frolicking vally called “Haladigundi” in thishill range exhibits some peculiar features due to the reflected rays on the sun. In the morning and evening the objects of vision appear yellow.
Mukhiguda-Japiatana – Indravati Dam.
Dokrochanchra – is a picnic or tourist place located in the village Kokasara, on the border of Kalahandi and Nabarangpur district.
Asurgarh – An ancient fort about 2000 years old is 30 km from Bhawanipatna.
Kusurla & Sapagaranda – religious centres.
Karlapat – Wildlife sanctuary, natural beauty.
Thuamul Rampur – Waterfall, hill & mountains, hiking area and tea plantation.
Rabandhara – ater fall is 12 km from Bhawanipatna.
Belkhandi – Historical site.
Budhigarh – Historical site.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) 16.04.2017
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KANDHAMAL DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Headquarters Phulbani
Government
• Collector Raghu G (07.06.2016-25.04.2017), Dr. Brundha D, IAS (26.04.2017 till date)
• Member of Lok Sabha Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh, BJD
Area
• Total 8,021 km2 (3,097 sq mi)
Elevation 700 m (2,300 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total 731,952
• Density 91/km2 (240/sq mi)

Sex ratio 1037
•Literacy 65.12%
PIN 762 0xx
Vehicle registration OD-12
Lok Sabha constituency Kandhamal

GEOGRAPHY:
Kandhamal is bounded by Boudh district in the North, by Rayagada district in the South, by Ganjam and Nayagarh districts in the East and Kalahandi District in the west.

Physiographically, the entire district lies in high altitude zone with inter spreading inaccessible terrain of hilly ranges and narrow valley tracts, which guides the socio–economic conditions of people and development of the district. Majority of the land area of the district (71%) is forest, and 12% of the land is cultivable. The connectivity with other districts is poor. Kandhamal is one of the poorest districts in Orissa, ranking 29th out of 30 districts by the Human Development Index.

Most inhabitants belong to the Kandha (Khonds) tribes, who are said to be “proud and aggressive” in the words of a district official. They hold 77% of the cultivable land. About 17% of the population are Panas who are designated as Scheduled Castes. They hold 9% of the cultivable land. The majority of the Panas (90%) are Christian. Frequest clashes occur between the Kandhas and the Panas and, since 2000, the clashes took on a religious aspect, leading to massive riots in August-September 2008.

Language Odia and Kui (tribal language of Khonds) are spoken.

The soil in the District is mostly Red– laterite group, having organic matters contents. As such, the water holding capacity is very low. The big chunk of land consists of red–laterite sandy loam soils being exposed to constant soil erosion and run off devoid of humus contents render in fertile and turn into barren wastelands.

HISTORY:
The Kandhmal district was created on 1st January 1994 from the former Boudh-Kandhmal district as a result of district reorganization in the state of Odisha. Before that the district was known as Phulbani.

ECONOMY:

The important crops grown in the District during Kharif season is Paddy, Maize and Niger. In irrigated areas, crops like Potato, Vegetable and Mustard are grown. Kandhamal is endowed with vast minor forest and agricultural produces which incidentally form the basis of its industry.The District has many cottage and agro based industry that process forest and agricultural produce. It also possesses abundant graphite reserves in Tumdibandha Block.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub Divisions 2: Baliguda, Kandhamal

Blocks12:
1.Balliguda, 2.G.Udayagiri, 3.Daringibadi, 4.Chakapada, 5.Kotagarh, 6.Kanjamendi Nuagaon, 7.Tikabali, 8.Tumudibandha, 9.Raikia, 10.Phulbani, 11.Khajuripada and 12.Phiringia.

Tehsils 12:
1.Balliguda, 2.G.Udayagiri, 3.Daringibadi, 4.Chakapada, 5.Kotagarh, 6.Kanjamendi Nuagaon, 7.Tikabali, 8.Tumudibandha, 9.Raikia, 10.Kandhamal, 11.Khajuriapada and 12.Phiringia

POLITICS:
82. Baliguda – Rajeeb Patra BJD
83. G. Udayagiri – Jacob Pradhan INC
84. Phulbani – Dugni Kanhar BJD

TOURIST PLACES:

Kandhamal is bestowed with the beauty of nature. It has wild life, scenic beauty, healthy climate, and serpentine ghat roads for the tourists. It has attractions, like panoramic coffee gardens, pine jungles, Ghat roads, hills and water falls, virgin forest and typical tribal village life.

Putudi – is a place of natural beauty where river Salunki falls from the height of 60ft. forming an enchanting ambience.
Balaskumpa – The beautiful place in the lap of nature is famous for the Goddess Barala Devi who is believed to be the saviour of the world.
Chakapad – The abode of Lord Birupakshya, on the bank of river Burtunga, commands a panoramic view of nature. This place is famous as an important centre of Saivism.
Daringbadi – a vast area at the height of about 3000 ft above sea level is an ideal summer resort which is popularly named as Kashmir of Odisha.
Belghar – Gifted with ample scenic beauty, Belghar presents a panoramic view of lush and rolling hills. It is inhabited by Kutia Kondha tribe, who follow the age old tradition of food gathering and hut dwelling.
Kalinga valley– is located 48 km away from Phulbani. The valley is near to Dashpalla. The valley is famous for silviculture garden and medicinal plant cultivation. The silviculture garden has rubber trees and human thick bamboo plants.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) 17.04.2017
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KENDRAPARA DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Headquarters Kendrapara
Government
• Collector Muralidhar Mallik, IAS (27.11.2016-26.04.2017), Shri Reghu G, IAS (27.04.2017 till date)
• Member of Parliament Baijayant Panda, BJD
Area
• Total 2,644 km2 (1,021 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 14,40, 361
• Density 545/km2

Sex ratio 1006
•Literacy 85.93%
PIN 754 xxx
Vehicle registration OD-29
Lok Sabha constituency Kendrapara

GEOGRAPHY:
Kendrapara is bounded on the north by Bhadrak District, on the east by the Bay of Bengal, on the south by Jagatsinghpur District, on the west by Cuttack District and on the northwest by Jajpur District. The Bay of Bengal lies in the eastern part of the district. The coastline covers 48 km stretching from Dhamra Muhan to Batighar.

Kendrapara District lies in the river delta formed by the Brahmani and Baitarani & branch rivers of Mahanadi. The Bhitarkanika Mangroves, Bhitarkanika National Park, Gahirmatha Beach & Baladevjew Temple lie in the district. The district has also other beautiful places like Suka-Parikshita Ashram, Kudanagari, Landibata Mahapurusha Matha Chanpur, Pentha sea beach, Harihar Kshetra Mahala, Gadadhara Gosain Pitha, Korua etc.

HISTORY:
Kendrapara is well known as the Tulasi Khetra. Epics unveil the fact that Lord Balram killed Kandrasura here. Then he married his daughter Tulasi and settled here. Since then the place is known as Kendrapara.

History says that once upon a time Kendrapara was the trade hub of the ancient Kalinga. It is the first municipality of Odisha during the British Raj.

There are many historical places and monuments that show the heritage of this District. Monuments like Kanika Palace which is the silent proof of the glorious history of Kendrapara.

ECONOMY:
Agriculture is the main occupation of the people. A little more than 70 percent people dependent on agriculture. Rice, groundnut, green gram, black gram and jute are the main crops grown in the District. However, frequent occurrence of natural calamities viz cyclone, flood and drought has broken the backbone of the people. In order to survive under these conditions, people go for cultivation of their stapple food crop rice during Rabi in the assured irrigated areas. Jute is the main cash crop of the District, grown since long. Groundnut is an important oil seed crop of the District. Coconut is the important horticulture crop in Kendrapara District.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub Division 1: Kendrapara

Tahasils /Blocks 9:

1.Kendrapara, 2.Aul, 3.Marsaghai, 4.Rajkanika, 5.Pattamundai, 6.Mahakalpada, 7.Rajnagar, 8.Garadpur and 9.Derabish
POLITICS:

Patkura – Bed Prakash Agarawalla BJD
97. Kendrapara – Shri Kishore Tarai BJD
98. Aul – Shri Debendranath Sharma INC
99. Rajanagar – Anshuman Mohanty INC
100. Mahakalapada – Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak BJD

TOURIST PLACES:

Baladevjew Temple, Kendrapara Town.
Lachhamanjew Temple, in Balipatna, 4 km distance from town.
Lakhmi Varaha Temple, Near Aul, a 40 km distance from Kendrapara Town.
Bhitarkanika Mangroves – It is covered with deep mangrove forests and saline rivers and was declared a sanctuary on 21.04.1975. It is a world famous place for natural crocodile breeding. The sanctuary is full of heavenly natural beauty and has innumerous animals like deers, wild boars, monkeys, monitors, pythons and king cobras.
Bhitarkanika National Park – Core area of 145 square kilometre of the Bhitarkanika Wild Sanctuary, spread over 672 km2, has been designated as a National Park since 16th Sep 1998. Also a Ramsar Convention 19th Aug 2002. The national park is surrounded by the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary.
Gahirmatha Beach – The beach separates the Bhitarkanika mangroves from the Bay of Bengal and is the world’s most important nesting beach for Olive Ridley Sea Turtles. The beach is part of Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary.
Luna Bridge, Kalapada khasadi -Popular for Boita Bandana Utsav and Kartikeswar Puja.
Kudanagari Suka Parikshita Ashrama
Harihar Kshetra, Mahala
Landibata Mahapurusha Matha, Chanpur
Maa Dakshina Kali Temple in Kudanagari
Mallikeswar Shiv Temple in Adhangamallikeswar pur, Chandol, 15 km distance from Kendrapara Town.
Gopinath Temple in mathasai, Chandol, 15 km distance from Kendrapara Town.
Maa Echhapati Temple in Deogan, Olaver, 60 km from kendrapara town.
Kapileswar Temple in Pradhan Patikira, Kusunpur; 12 km distance from [Kendrapara] Town
Batighar – is the first lighthouse installed in eastern coast of India.
Kanika palace
Aul palace
Derabish palace
Chandramauli Temple in Chandangar
Panchamukhi Hanuman Temple in Sansarfal, Pattamundai.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 18.04.2017
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KEONJHAR DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Headquarters Kendujhar
Government
• Collector Dr.N.Thirumala Naik, IAS
• Member of Parliament Sakuntala Laguri, BJD
Area
• Total 8,303 km2
Elevation 480 m (1,570 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total 1,802,777
• Rank 8
• Density 217/km2 (560/sq mi)

Sex ratio 987
•Literacy 69%
Languages
• Official Odia, English
• Other local language Ho
PIN 758 xxx
Vehicle registration OD-09
Lok Sabha constituency Keonjhar (ST)

GEOGRAPHY:
Keonjhar is surrounded by Singhbhum district of Jharkhand in the North, Jajpur in the South, Dhenkanal and Sundargarh in the West and Mayurbhanj and Bhadrak in the East.

The National Highway-215 passing through Kendujhargarh approximately bi-sects the district into two similar natural regions. To the East of this Highway are the planes of Anandapur and a portion of Sadar Sub-division. To the West is a range of lofty hills which contains some of the highest peaks of Orissa namely Gandhamardan (3477 ft), Mankadnacha (3639 ft), Gonasika (3219 ft) and Thakurani (3003 ft). About half of the area of this district spreading about 4043 km2. is covered by forests of Northern tropical moist deciduous type and contains Sal, Asan, Piasal etc. The river Baitarani comes out of Gonasika Hills and flows to the north touching the border of Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. It again flows East entering Anandapur Sub-division and the district of Bhadrak. The soil is mostly red throughout the district and in the South there is a small patch of black cotton soil.

HISTORY:
Keonjhar has the distinction of containing one of the oldest rocks of the world, approximately 38,000 million years old covering an area of 100 km2 at Asanpat. The district bears the oldest stone inscription found in Orissa, paleogeologically belonging to the Gupta period. In Sitabinj, one finds the fresco paintings in the cave shelter of Ravana Chhaya dating back to the 5th century A.D.

Anthropologically, its two main tribes, namely the Juangs and the Bhuyans carry a distinct and primitive past. The Juang claims themselves to be the most ancient tribe of the world. In spite of their modern ways of living, many aboriginal practices are still prevalent among them.

After the integration of the feudatory states with Orissa on 1 January 1948 the state of Keonjhar emerged as one of its districts of Orissa, with its headquarters at Keonjhar. Since then the name has been changed to Kendujhar District.

The whole district of Keonjhar was a princely state before its merger with Orissa. The early history of the State is not adequately known. It was most probably a part of the old Khijjinga territory with headquarters at Khijjinga Kota, identified with modern Khiching.

ECONOMY:

The major crops grown in the Keonjhar District are Paddy, Maize, Til, Niger, Arhar etc.

Keonjhar is one of the major mineral producing Districts of Odisha. Iron ore, Manganese ore, Chromate, Quartzite, Bauxite, Gold, Pyrophillite and Lime Stone are the major minerals found in this District. The Kalinga Iron Works (Barbil), Ferro Manganese Plant (Joda), Ipitata (Beleipada), Charge Crome (Brahmanipal) are the major names in the industrial scene of Keonjhar.

The district of Keonjhar is highly rich in mineral resources and has vast deposits of iron, manganese and chromium ores. About 30 percent of its total area is covered with tracts of dense forests. But the district, in spite of its immense mineral and forest wealth, still remaining economically backward.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:
Sub divisions 03: 1. Anandapur, 2. Champua, 3. Kendujhar

Blocks 13:
Anandapur, Banspal, Champua, Ghasipura, Ghatgaon, Harichandanpur, Hatadihi, Jhumpura, Joda, Keonjhar, Patna, Saharpada, Telkoi

POLITICS:
MLA:
20. Telkoi – Vedavyasa Nayak BJD
21. Ghasipura – Badrinarayan Patra BJD
22. Anandapur – Mayadhara Jena BJD
23. Patna – Hrusikesh Naik BJD
24. Keonjhar – Abhiram Nayak BJD
25. Champua – Sanatan Mahakud Independent

TOURIST PLACES:

Ghatagaon – Religious place (Ma Tarini)
Badaghagara – Waterfall
Sanghagara – Waterfall
Khandadhar – waterfall
Sitabinj – ancient wall & roof painting
Gonasika – Hill and Religious place
Gundichaghai – Scenic beauty
Bhimkund – a beautiful natural water reservoir on the River Baitarani.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 19.04.2017
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KHORDHA DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Headquarters Khordha
Government
• Collector Niranjan Sahoo (OAS)
Area
• Total 2,813 km2
Population (2011)
• Total 2,246,341
• Density 799/km2

Sex ratio 925
• Literacy 87.51%
PIN 751 xxx
Telephone code 674
Vehicle registration OD-02/OD-33

Nickname(s): Paika District of Odisha

Khordha (also written Khurda is formed on April 1, 1993, by the division of former Puri District into Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh districts. In the year 2000 the district name was changed to Khordha. The district headquarters is Khordha Town, formerly known as Jajarsingh, or Kurada. The capital city of Bhubaneswar is located in this district. Khurda is the most urbanized of all the districts of Odisha. Khurda Road, the railway station that serves the town is also the divisional headquarters of the East Coast Railway of the Indian Railways. Khurda is known for its brass utensils, cottage industries, railway coach manufacturing, and cable manufacture.

GEOGRAPHY:
Khordha District is sharing border with Cuttack District to the North , Ganjam District to the South , Nayagarh District to the west , Puri District to the South. The Daya and Kuakhai Rivers flow through Khurda. Forest area: 618.67 km². Khordha is situated in the East & Southeastern costal plain and the agro-climatic zone blessed with sandy-loam, Lome, clay-lome and clayey soil in varied agro-eco system.

HISTORY:
It was the capital of Odisha from 1568 to 1803. It is also known for its fort, often described as the “last independent fort“. The commander who kept it free from British East India Company was, Bakshi Jagabandhu, popularly called ‘Paika Bakshi’.

The Savaras tribal group, who are still to be found in the district in some pockets, once heavily populated the area. Khurda came into prominence when the first Rajas of the Khordha dynasty, Ramachandra Deva, made it the capital of his kingdom during the last part of the 16th century. Khurda suffered repeated onslaughts from Muslim and Maratha cavalry but its royal house retained independence till 1804, when the British East India Company dispossessed Raja of his territory following the Second Anglo-Maratha War.

British government took Odisha under its rule in 1803. But it could not include Khurda in its territory till 1817. The strong protest from Paikas of Khurda shook the backbone of British rule in Odisha. Khurdagada is known as the “Last Independent Fort” of India. Now the remains of this historic fort lies as an evidence of India’s glorious past. Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha belongs to this district.

ECONOMY:

The District’s large human and natural resources, along with its huge knowledge base contributes to its economic growth and will also do so in the future. All the economic development of this District is prominently displayed by the developments going on in Bhubaneswar, be it in infrastructure, industry, education, health, IT or any other field. Major infrastructures like Fortune Towers, IDCO Towers and the innumerable other apartments that have been built here houses the ever growing population and industries, the most important elements influencing a region’s economy.There are also many industrial estates functioning in this District, like Mancheswar Industrial Estate and Khurda Industrial Estate. Many world class educational institutions have started in this District, admitting students from play schools to doctorate scholars, the majority of whom contribute to the District’s economy later on in their lives by utilizing their professional skills. Utkal University, IIT and KIIT, XIMB, IIIT etc are some examples of these educational institutions. Many national & international IT firms have set up their offices here, making this place the IT hub of the state which gives a scope to the large number of students graduating from the District to gain fruitful employment. Information Technology is a source from which the District gains substantial revenue.

The vast number of temples in this District gives a tremendous boost to the tourism industry of the state, thereby contributing immensely to its economic development. Bhubaneswar is fast replacing Cuttack as the industrial hub of the state. Khurda District is also an important centre of handloom industry. The lungis, napkins and saris produced here have a market all over Odisha as well as throughout the country. By harnessing land, labor and capital, long term investments in different sectors have been planned in this District by the government, which will very soon start moving it at par with the other regional vibrant economies of the country. Many private investments are also in the offering, giving unfaltering promises of development.
It is renowned for its brass utensils cottage industries, cable factory, spinning mills, watch repairing factory, railway coach repairing factory, oil industries, Coca-Cola bottling plant and small metal industries.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Subdivisions 2: Bhubaneswar, Khordha

Tahasils/Blocks 10:
Bhubaneswar: consists of 4 blocks, viz. Balianta, Balipatana, Jatani, Bhubaneswar.
Khurda: consists of 6 blocks, viz. Banapur, Begunia, Bolgarh, Chilika, Khurda Sadar and Tangi.

POLITICS:

MP:
Prasanna Kumar Pattasani BJD

MLA:
111. Jayadev – Sashi Bhusan Behera BJD
112. Bhubaneswar Central (Madhya) – Bijaya Kumar Mohanty BJD
113. Bhubaneswar North (Uttar) – Priyadarshi Mishra BJD
114. Ekamra-Bhubaneswar – Ashok Chandra Panda BJD
115. Jatani – Bhagirathi Badajena BJD
116. Begunia – Prasant Jagadev BJD
117. Khurda – Rajendra Kumar Sahoo BJD
118 . Chilika – Bibhuti Bhusan Harichandan BJP

TOURIST PLACES:

Arikama: Village Arikama under Bolagarh block is famous for Maa Koshalsuni mandir in the forest.
Banapur: Banapur is famous for Maa Bhagabati (one of the incarnation of Hindu Goddess Maa Durga) temple.
Barunei: Maa Barunei Temple, Khurda. This temple is situated on the famous Barunei hills. It is at a distance of 28 km from Bhubaneswar. Goddess Barunei is the famous deity of Khurda. A beautiful stream flows from the hills which is known as Swarna Ganga.
Bhubaneswar: It is the Capital city of Odisha, which was also known in the ancient times as the Kingdom of Kalinga. Bhubaneswar, is popularly known as the “Temple City of India” due to its large number of ancient temples (most notable among them being Lingaraj Temple, Mukteswar, Kedar Gouri, Ram Mandir, etc.). This city also features attractions like: Odisha State Museum, Bindusagar Tank, Rabindra Mandap, Raj Bhavan, Legislative Assembly, Nandankanan, City Parks and Gardens, etc. This is one of the major shopping centers in Odisha.
Buddhanath Temple: An 11th century temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
Chilika: Situated at a distance of 100 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar, Chilika (or Chilka) lake is the largest lake of India. Queen of natural beauty, Chilika, is the largest brackish water lake in Asia. The lake is surrounded with natural scenic beauty. The Indian Naval Training center is also situated nearby. Several types of migratory birds visit Chilika with advent of different seasons (mostly during winter). The lake has been declared as a Bird Sanctuary by the Odisha State government. There are numerous islands within the lake, and one such picturesque island is called Kalijai, which hosts Kalijai Temple, an important place of worship for the nearby people.
Deras Dam and Jhumka: These are two beautiful picnic spots situated at a distance of 15 km from Bhubaneswar. They are two dams surrounded by a dense forest on three sides.
Dhauligiri: It is situated at a distance of 15 km from Bhubaneswar. The Peace Pagoda built by the Kalinga Nippon Budha Sangha in 1973 and known as Shanti Stupa commemorates the change of heart of Emperor Ashok and the journey of budhism to the nation. There are two temples at Dhauli. One of Vairangeswar Mahadev and Dhabaleswar Mahadev. The proclamations of Emperor Achok are recorded in Prakrit language in bhramin script on the rock of Dhauli on the Southeast end.
Garamanitri: Garamanitri is famous for Ramchandi temple and is a picnic spot.
Golabai: Golabai Sasan is known mostly from its medieval temple architecture. This settlement site is located on the left bank of the Mandakini (locally Mallaguni) river, near the Chilka lake.
Kaipadar: Kaipadar is situated at a distance of 15 km from Khurda. A beautiful mosque is present here. This place is the meeting place of Hindus and Muslims.
Khandagiri and Udayagiri: These twin hills are situated in Bhubaneswar. There are 117 caves in these twin hills. The Rani Gumpha is the largest cave in the Udaygiri hill. Another famous cave called the Hati Gumpha is also there where the rock is engraved with Hathigumpha inscription by King Kharavela. These caves contain a Barabhuja temple and a Jain temple.
Lingaraj Temple: Lingaraj temple is the largest and most famous Lord Shiva temple in Odisha. A couple of other temples exist there around it.
Maa Ugra Tara: This temple is located in between Rameswar chowk and chandpur (Tangi block) in NH-5 and 55 km from Bhubaneswar towards Balugaon and 35 km from Balugaon towards BBSR. It is beautiful natured location for picnic & also movie shooting. Maa ugratara is the deity of entire Tangi block. Nearby, there is a village named Bhusandpur. This place is famous for fishermen’s ground, because Chilika lake is nearby to this village.
Nandankanan Zoo: This is a famous Zoo of Odisha situated at a distance of 20 km from Bhubaneswar. It is famous for the Botanical garden, zoo and the natural lake. The recently opened Natural lion safari is the largest of its kind in India. The white tigers present here makes it unique across the world.
Shishupalgarh: Situated at a distance of 13 km from Bhubaneswar. The ruined fort Shishupalgarh and ancient capital of Kalinga named Toshali are being discovered by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Shikhar Chandi: It is situated at a distance of 15 km from Bhubaneswar towards Nandankanan. A temple dedicated to Goddess Chandi on the hill top and the scenic beauty is the main attraction of this place.
Atri: is famous for its perennial Hot Spring. The hot spring is reputed to have medical properties which are used both intensively and extensively for the cure of skin diseases. The water of the Hot Spring (57 degrees centigrade) contains small doses of sulphur flavour when heated to 100 degree centigrade. There is a Bathing Complex of Govt. of Orissa at Atri.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 20.04.2017

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KORAPUT DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Headquarters – Koraput

Collector – Shri Anupam Saha IAS

Member of Lok Sabha – Jhina Hikaka, BJD

Area – 8,807 km²

Population (2011)

Total – 1,379,647

Density – 157/km²

Sex Ratio – 1032

Literacy – 49.87%

PIN – 764 020

Vehicle registration – OD-10

HISTORY:

According to Mr. R.C.S. Bell, the name of the town is ‘Kora-Putti’ or “the hamlet of the Nux-vomica” and it is derived presumably from “Kora” that must at one time have been prominent near the site.

Some opine that the word is derived from KHORA a sect of people who still inhabit nearby villages. According to the second theory, Koraput is a corrupted form of ‘Karaka-Pentho’. Karaka literally means ‘hail-stone’.

Another opinion is often found that the term Kora that means the Sun God who was worshipped by the local tribals in ancient times. Hence the town was so named.

It is also believed that one ‘Khora Naiko’ laid foundation of the village during the time of Nandapur kings. He hailed probably from Ranpur and served under the Nandapur kings in the Militia, and for his faithful and meritorious services he was permitted to establish this village which was named after him as Khora Putu, and later on the name has been abbreviated to ‘Koraput’.

As far as the history of the District is concerned, the region of Koraput existed far back in the 3rd century BC when it belonged to the valiant and dreaded Atavika people. The region was ruled by several dynasties, like Satavahans, Ikshvakus, Nalas, Ganga kings and kings of Suryavanshi, who nominated the Koraput region before the arrival of British. Finally the Koraput became a District in the year 1936.

It was a part of the erstwhile Madras Presidency and became a district of Odisha state on 1 April 1936. In October, 1992, erstwhile Koraput district was divided, resulting in the creation of Malkangiri, Rayagada and Nabarangpur district along with present Koraput district.

It is currently a part of the Red Corridor.

GEOGRAPHY:

On the extreme North it is bounded by Nabarangpur district, on the West by Bastar district of Chhattisgarh State, on the South by the district of Malkangiri and on the East by the districts of Vizianagaram and Srikakulam of Andhra Pradesh State. Its area is 8,807 km².

Koraput comes under Eastern Ghat Highland Agro climatic Zone. Most part of the Koraput district is undulated and many parts of Jeypore Sub-Division are plain lands. Climatic condition of the district is warm and humid. Average annual rainfall of the district is 1567 mm. Mean Maximum summer temperature is 34.1 C and Mean Minimum Winter temperature is 10.4 C.

1672 m high Deomali, the tallest mountain in Odisha, is located in Koraput district.

ECONOMY:

The Economy of Koraput District is primarily based upon forestry and agriculture (including shifting cultivation), the bulk of commodities used domestically for everyday use are agricultural and forest products. The District with semi evergreen to deciduous vegetation endowed with various wild plants as a natural resource. The perennial streams and rivulets, the availability of huge underutilized ground water, the potentials to promote eco tourism, the women self help groups who have taken responsibilities of implementing mid day meal, Public Distribution System and other economic activities and the village and cottage industries in different parts of the District are the strengths of the District’s Economy.

Agriculture:

The district economy mainly depends on agriculture and which mainly depends on rainfall. Generally crops grown during Rabi like Paddy, Wheat, Maize, Ragi, Mung, Biri, Groundnut, Mustard, Field Pea, Sunflower etc. needs assured irrigation. Jeypore tract of the Koraput district is known as one of the centres of origin of rice. The people of Koraput district, notably the adivasis have generated and conserved many indigenous varities of rice that are suitable for both dryland and wetland cultivation. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in 2012 recognised the service of the communities of Koraput in ensuring food security by declaring the Koraput district as a Global Agricultural Heritage Site.

Industries:

There are only five Large Scale industries located in the district manufacturing & Processing Alumina, Paper, Cement, Aeronautical Engine & hydro electricity. The general pattern of non-agricultural employment, however, leans heavily towards small-scale and household industries

Minerals:

Major – Limestone & Bauxite.

Minor – China clay, Nepheline Synite, Gold, Black & Multi colored rocks named as Decorative Stone. are also found in this district.

The principal mines in the district are –

Panchpatmali Bauxite Mines of M/s. National Aluminum & Co. Ltd.
Maliparbat Bauxite Mines of M/s. Hindalco Industries Ltd.,
Ampavally Limestone Mines of M/s. Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd. and M/s. Industrial Development Corporation of Odisha Ltd.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Koraput one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub-divisions 2: Koraput and Jeypore

Blocks 14:

Blocks in Koraput sub-division 1. Koraput 2. Semiliguda 3. Nandapur 4. Pottangi 5. Dasmanthpur 6. Lamtaput 7. Laxmipur 8. Narayanapatna 9. Bandugaon.

Blocks in Jeypore sub-division 1. Jeypore 2. Boipariguda 3. Kotpad 4. Kundra 5. Boriguma

POLITICS:

MLAs:

Lakshmipur – Mr. Kailash Chandra Kulesika INC
Kotpad – INC*
Jeypore – Mr. Tara Prasad Bahinipati INC
Koraput – Mr. Krushna Chandra Sagaria INC
Pottangi – Mr. Prafulla Kumar Pangi BJD

Naxalism:

The inaccessible hilly terrains, dense forests, lack of development, grievances of the tribals and poor, and the absence of administration have been conducive to the spread of left-wing extremism in Odisha. The seriousness of the problem was underlined by a co-ordinated Naxalite attack on the District Headquarters and armoury at Koraput on February 6, 2004.

Naxal group, namely People’s War Group (PWG), has carried out numerous operations (attacks on rich farmers, police, bureaucrats and politicians, loots from godowns) within last few years in Koraput as well as in its neighboring districts.

TOURIST PLACES:

Gupteswar Cave – Important cave shrine of Lord Shiva situated on a lime stone hill on the bank of river Kolab, surrounded by natural Scenery. The sacred Lingam called Gupteswar, literally meaning, Hidden God, is also popularly known as Gupta Kedar in Chattisgarh.
Duduma Waterfall, Machhkund – The majestic waterfall, also known as Matsya Tirtha falls from a height of 175 meters. A hydro electric project with its winch developed amidst deep greenery is a place for pleasure.
Dumuriput – A village stands between Koraput and Sunabeda by the side of NH 43. The famous Sri Ram Temple situated in the locality is widely known for the highest kneeling Hanuman Statue in Odisha.
Nandapur – The ancient capital of Jeypore estate, attracts a number of visitors to witness the Batrisa Sinhasan, an object of interest. The 1.8 meters image of Ganapati speaks of ancient heritage of the place.
Maliguda Tunnel –
Padua Town –
Pattang –

Parab is the most important festival being celebrated every year in the district which includes dance, music and celebration.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 24.04.2017

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MALKANGIRI DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Headquarters – Malkangiri
Collector – Sudarshan Chakravarthy, IAS
Member of Lok Sabha – Balabhadra Majhi, BJD
Lok Sabhaconstituency – Nabarangpur
Area – 5,791 km2(2,236 sq mi)
Population (2011): Total – 612,727, Density – 106/km², Sex Ratio – 1020, Literacy – 49.49%
PIN – 764 xxx

HISTORY:

This district was carved out as district from the undivided Koraput district on 2nd Oct, 1992. The administrative headquarters of this district is Malkangiri town.

Malkangiri is the new home of the Bangladeshi refugees, who were rehabilitated since 1965 under the Dandakaranya Project. Also some Sri Lankan Tamil refugees were rehabilitated in Malkangiri town, following the armed struggle of LTTE in the early 90’s (most of them have returned, baring a couple of households). Currently it is one of the most naxalite-affected areas of the state.

GEOGRAPHY:

This District is sparsely populated. Almost the whole of the district is a vast dense jungle, with a very small percentage of the population residing in the urban areas. The district is divided into two distinct physical divisions. The eastern part is covered with steep ghats, platues and valleys, sparsely inhabited by primitive tribes, notable among who are Bondas, Koyas, Porajas and Didayis.

The climate in the district is generally cold during winter and hot in summer with temperature ranging from 13 degree C to 47 degree C. The average annual rainfall is about 1700 mm. Relative humidity is generally high, especially in the monsoon and post–monsoon months. During the rainy season, most areas of the District become impassably swampy and heavy floods isolate it from the outer world. This district lies within the malaria prone belt.

Some of the most beautiful locations are, the back waters of Balimela Dam, Satiguda Dam, Bonda Ghati (abode of the Bonda people, a prolific tribe listed amongst the Particularly Vulnerable tribal Groups of India).

ECONOMY:

This district has a Power Station at Balimela and the proposed Vijaywada–Ranchi corridor road will pass through it.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Malkangiri one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

Transport:

Malkangiri district is a very remote part of Odisha. It is connected through Jeypore-Motu Highway and Govindpalli-Sileru Road. By rail Network, Malkangiri is not connected at all. Nearest Major Railway Stations are Koraput, Jeypore, and Jagdalpur. Nearest airport is at Vishakhapatnam– 322 km.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub Division 1: Malkangiri

Blocks 7: 1. Malkangiri, 2. Mathili, 3. Motu, 4. Chitrakonda, 5. Kalimela, 6. Khairaput and 7. Kudumulguma .

Tahasils 7: 1. Malkangiri, 2. Korkunda, 3. Podia, 4. Khairaput, 5. Kudumuluguma, 6. Kalimela and 7. Mathili.

The Police Administration of the District is controlled by 11 Police stations.

POLITICS:

MLA:

Malkangiri – Manas Madkami BJD
Chitrakonda – Dambaru Sisa BJD

TOURIST PLACES:

Ammakunda – This cool place embraces a natural water fall and subsequent flow of water forming a narrow gorge. The fishes found in that gorge are quite friendly to the human being and are believed to be the form of Lord Vishnu in “Matsya Avatar“.
Balimela Dam – A Hydro-electric Project has been established near about the Town jointly by the Government of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. A dam is being constructed at Chitrakonda, 25 kms. from Balimela across the river Sileru. The total inflow into the reservoir is shared equally by the two Governments.
Bhairavi Temple – is situated at a distance of 3 Kms. from the Malkangiri Town.The hill deity of Malkangiri is worshiped by the people coming from Jeypore and People leaving Malkangiri for their safe journey.
Satiguda Dam – is situated at a distance of 8 Kms. from Malkangiri Town. The Reservoir provides irrigation facility to the nearby cultivable land throughout the year. Boating facility is also available inside the Reservoir, which attracts visitors as well as the local people. Lord Shiva is being worshiped inside a cave near the Dam.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 25.04.2017

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MAYURBHANJ DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Headquarters – Baripada
• Collector – Shri Surendra Kumar Meena IAS
• Member of Lok Sabha – Shri Ramachandra Hansdah
Area
• Total 10,418 km2(4,022 sq mi)
Languages
• Official Odia, English
• Other local language Santali, Ho
PIN 757 xxx
Vehicle registration OR-11/OD-11
Population (2011) 2519738
Population Density 213/km2
Sex ratio 1006
Literacy 63.17℅
Lok Sabha constituency Mayurbhanj

GEOGRAPHY:

As of 2011, it is the third-most-populous district of Odisha (out of 30), after Ganjam and Cuttack.

Mayurbhanj is bounded in the northeast by Jhargram district of West Bengal, Singhbhum district of Jharkhand in the northwest, Baleshwar district in the southeast and by Kendujhar in the southwest.

Iron-ore (hematite), vanadiferous and titaniferous magnetic, chaina clay, galena (lead ore), Kyanite, asbestos, steatite (soap stone) and quartzite constitute the principal mineral resources of Mayurbhanj district, of these the iron-ore deposits of Gorumahisani, Badampahar and Suleipat, which have been exploited for a period of about half a century, deserve special mention.

Bhumij tribal community speak Bhumij language and the language is written in ‘Ol Onol’ script.

HISTORY:

Mayurbhanj had been dwelled by ancient Palaeolithic people since the prehistoric times.

The rulers of the Bhanja dynasty continued to rule over this State in unbroken succession since about the 9th century A.D. The name of the State under the early Bhanja rulers was Khijjinga Mandala named after the Capital Khijjinga Kotta.

The district had been the centre of activity of the Bhanja Kings who incidentally had very good relations with the Mayur Kings of Kendujhar. The name of the district has in fact been derived by joining both these clans; the Mayurs and the Bhanjas. The Bhanjas are known to be the longest reining clan of Kings of the district. With their capital in Khiching of today, the Bhanjas ruled Mayurbhanj for more than 1000 years in royal succession until the freedom of the country. It is founded by Sila Bhanja Angaddi.

The Bhanja kings (Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo) established the first Medical college of the state in Cuttack. They donated huge sum of money and land for establishment of higher educational institutions like Ravenshaw College. They were also responsible for making endeavors and finally persuading the Britishers for a railway route to Odisha. The Mayurbhanj state got merged in the state of Odisha on 1st January 1949.

Chhau dance is very popular here.

ECONOMY:

The economy of Mayurbhanj District is mostly dependent on agriculture. Paddy is the major cultivated crop, followed by pulses and oilseeds.

Quite a good number of small scale industries including Mineral grinding, Stone Crushing, China–Clay Washing, Ceramic industries, Fertilizer, Safety Matches, Paper Mill, Paints and Chemicals, Washing, Soap, Electrical Items, High–Voltage, cable manufacturing, Aluminum Utensils, Cold Storage, Mechanised Hatchery, General Fabrication, Sheet–Metals, Poly–leaf Cups and plates making, cement products, Sabai products, rice–Huller, flour mill and allied repairing and servicing etc. serve the industrial economy of Mayurbhanj District.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Mayurbhanj one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub divisions 4:

Baripada, Bamanghati, Kaptipada, Panchapid.

Blocks 26:

Baripada(HQ) 2.Bangiriposi 3. Betnoti 4. Chandua 5. Muruda 6. Rasagovindpur 7. Saraskana 8. Samakhunta 9. Shuliapada 10. Rairangpur(HQ) 11. Kusumi 12. Bahalda 13. Badampahad 14. Bisoi 15. Bijatala 16. Jamada 17. Tiring 18. Udala(HQ) 19. Khunta 20. Gopabandhu Nagar 21. Kaptipada 22. Karanjia(HQ) 23. Jashipur 24. Raruan 25. Sukruli 26.Thakurmunda.

POLITICS:

MLA:

Jashipur – Kamala Kanta Nayak BJD
Saraskana – Bhadav Chandra Hansdah BJD
Rairangpur – Shyam Charan Hansdah INC
Bangriposi – Sudam Marndi BJD
Karanjia – Bijay Kumar Nayak BJD
Udala – Golak Bihari Nayak BJD
Badasahi – Ganeswar Patra BJD
Baripada – Sananda Marndi BJD
Morada -Praveen Chandra Bhanj Deo BJD

TOURIST PLACES:

Similipal – Covering a vast area of 2750 sq. km out of which 303 sq. km from the core area, thick biosphere reserve is a sanctuary and one of the Tiger Projects and National parks of India.

Khiching – The ancient capital of the Bhanja rules, Khiching lies about 150 km from Baripada. The predominant deity of Khiching is Kichakeswari, the most scared Goddess of the Mayurbhanj chiefs. The temple dedicated to her is built entirely of chlorite slabs and unique of it kind in India. The sculptures are beautiful. A small museum here boasts of highly important historical specimens of sculpture and art.

Bhimkund – About 40 Kms.from Karanjia, near Booring village is the sacred pool “Bhimkund” in the river Vaitarani. The legend reveals that Bhima, the second Pandava used to take his bath in this pool when the Pandavas were passing their incognito life in Birat Nagar, said to be the present Kaptipada.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 26.04.2017

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NABARANGPUR DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Headquarters Nabarangpur
Government
• Collector Rasmita Panda, IAS
Area
• Total 5,294 km2 (2,044 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 1,220,946
• Density 230/km2
Sex Ratio 1019
Literacy 48.20℅
PIN 764 xxx
Vehicle registration OD-24
Lok Sabha constituency Nabarangpur

GEOGRAPHY:

Its boundary stretches in the north to Kalahandi District, west to Jagdalpur District in Chhattisgarh, east to Kalahandi and Rayagada District and south to Koraput District. The river Indravati forms the border between Nabarangpur and Koraput districts. The highest peak Podagarh, which has historical significance, reaches 3,050 ft (930 m). There are patches of thick forest mostly containing sal seeds and those provide sustenance to dependent villages.

Climate – Unlike the rest of the state, where the monsoon arrives from the Bay of Bengal, Nabarangpur district receives the monsoon from the southwest, off the Arabian Sea. Nabarangpur District enjoys generous rainfall and droughts are extremely rare. The plateaus in particular remain cool throughout the year.

Rivers – The Telen River which rises in the north of Nabarangpur District forms its geographical boundary with Kalahandi District and finally unites with a bigger Mahanadi River in Sonepur town. The important river Indravati flows through Nabarangpur District and beyond until it mergers with the mighty Godavari in Telangana.

HISTORY:

Nabarangpur district was created on 2 October 1992.

Koraput belonged to the Atavikas, a feudatory of the powerful Kalinga Empire (Ancient Odisha) who valiantly fought the Kalinga War in the 3rd century BCE. Kalinga regained its former glory during the Mahameghabahan Dynasty in the first century BCE.

The days of the independence struggle saw the new emergence of leaders: R.K. Biswasray, R.K. Sahu and Sadashiva Tripathy. Tripathy, from Nabarangpur town, went on to become the Chief Minister of Odisha.

The district is currently a part of the Red Corridor.

ECONOMY:

The District is predominantly an agricultural District with almost no industrial base of its own. Barring ‘Mangalam Timbers’ no large scale industrial unit is existed in the District. The District has low capacity to absorb the growing labour force in the industrial sector. Similarly the growth in the service sector is slow and tardy which accounts for no absorption for growing labour force.

Nabarangpur District contains many ores including iron, chlorite, mica, quartz and so on. The Heeraput village near Umerkote contains a fair deposit of haematite and limonite, each of which is composed of about 60% iron. Similarly the Tentulikhunti area has a fairly large deposit of granites. The north of the district up to the border with Kalahandi District has rock beds covering layers of coarse white quartz.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Nabarangpur one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub Division 1: Nabarangpur

Blocks 10:

1.Nabarangpur, 2.Umerkote, 3.Tentulikhunti, 4.Chandahandi, 5.Kosagumuda, 6.Papadahandi, 7.Jharigam, 8.Dabugam, 9.Raighar and 10.Nandahandi.

Tahasils 10:

1.Nabarangpur, 2.Umerkote, 3.Raighar, 4.Kodinga, 5.Dabugam, 6.Jharigam, 7.Chandahandi-N, 8.Nandahandi-N, 9.Papadahandi-N and 10.Tentulikhunti-N.

POLITICS:

MLA:

Umarkote – Subash Gond (Bye) BJD
Jharigam – Ramesh Chandra Majhi BJD
Nabarangpur – Manohar Randhari BJD
Dabugam – Bhujabal Majhi INC

TOURIST PLACES:

Chandan Dhara is a natural water fall situated in Jhorigam Block 90 KM away from Nabarangpur.The place is also remarkable for a natural Shiva Lingam.
The Deer Park of Nabarangpur District also attracts a large crowd.
Hirli Danger is situated at Gandhinagar of Nabarangpur town, where an ancient statue of lord Tirupati found and being worshiped. Near to Hirli Dangar Kusumjhar reserve is situated.
Papadahandi 12 Kms away from Nabarangpur is famous for Shaiva shrine and historic antiquity Sahid Stamba.
Podagada 52 Kms away from Nabarangpur is a famous historical place where Brahmin inscriptions are found.
The Sahid Smruti Stamba is situated at the bank of the river Tuni near Papadahandi. During Quit India Movement on August 24, 1942, 19 freedom fighters died while fighting with British soldiers during the march towards Dabugam under the leadership of Madhab Pradhani.
Umerkote 70 Kms away from Nabarangpur is famous for the temple of Goddess Pendrani.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 27.04.2017

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NAYAGARH DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Nayagarh District – created on 1st April 1993

Headquarters Nayagarh
Government
• Collector & District Magistrate Sri Arindam Dakua IAS
• Member of Lok Sabha Pinaki Misra
Area
• Total 3,890 km2 (1,500 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 9,62,215
• Density 247/km2

Sex ratio 916

Literacy 79.17%
PIN 752 xxx
Vehicle registration OD-25
Lok Sabha constituency Puri

GEOGRAPHY:

The District is bounded by Cuttack District on the North, Kandhamal District on the West, Ganjam District on the South and Khordha District on its East. The District experiences tropical climate, with the summers being hot and the winters cold. The maximum temperature that this district experiences is well above 40 deg C (during summers) and the minimum can be as low as 10 degree celsius (during winters).

HISTORY:

Birth history of Nayagarh District in around the thirteenth century and is considered as an important part in the political history of Odisha. King Suryamani of Baghela dynasty came to Puri on a pilgrimage from Madhya Pradesh and established his kingdom at Nayagarh. Nayagarh District consists of the four Garjat states of ex-states Ranpur, Nayagarh, Khandapara and Daspalla. The aboriginal Savaras and Kandhas are the indigenous people of Nayagarh District.

Nayagarh District is the land of eminent personalities. Baishnab Kabi Sadananda Kabisurya Brahma, Bhaktakabi Bhaktacharan, Utkal Ghanta Jadumani are some of the important personalities of the District.

Maoist attacks:

The district is currently a part of the Red Corridor. On 15 February 2008, a number of police facilities across the district came under attack from maoist rebels resulting in the death of 13 police officers and 1 civilian. During the raid, the rebels stole a number of weapons. Targets of the attack were the police training school, the police armoury and a police station.

ECONOMY:

N.A.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub division 1: Nayagarh

Blocks 8: 1.Nayagarh, 2.Ranpur, 3.Odagaom, 4.Nuagaon, 5.Khandapada, 6.Bhapur, 7.Daspalla and 8.Gania.

POLITICS:

MLA:

Ranpur – Rabinarayan Mohapatra BJD
Khandapada – Anubhav Patnaik BJD
Daspalla – Purna Chandra Nayak BJD
Nayagarh – Arun Kumar Sahu BJD

TOURIST PLACES:

Baisipali Wildlife Sanctuary – Rich in flora and fauna, this place borders the Mahanadi River along the Satkosia gorge, which also includes the Gharial Chrocodile Sanctuary of Tikarpara.
Baramul – This small village is prominent due to the mangnificent Mahandi gorge on the banks of which it is situated. From Sunakania hills up to Barmul, the course of the river is known as the Satakosia Ganda (Gorge), having a water spread of about 22 km.
Satokosia Gorge Sanctuary – the nature in its primitive wild disposition houses all the phenomena including flora and fauna, is a rare place.
Nilamadhab Temple, Kantilo – Standing elegantly on the banks of the river Mahanadi, Kantilo is famous for the temple of Lord Nilamadhaba, on top of the twin hills with surrounding green forests. Lord Nilamadhaba occupies a prominent position in the cult of Lord Jagannath.
Jagannath Temple, Nayagarh
Maa Dakshina Kali Temple, Nayagarh
Ladoo Baba Temple, Sarankul
Raghunath Temple, Odagaon
Maa Maninaga Temple, Ranapur
Dutikeshwar Temple, Bahadajhola, Odagaon
Mahaveer kshetra,Daspalla
Maa Kaunri & Somanath Dev, Govindapur
Maa Mahamaya Temple, Jemadeipur Sasan
Budhabudhiani Dam,Odagaon
Kuanria Dam, Daspalla

References:

Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 27.04.2017

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NUAPADA DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Established 27 March 1993

Collector – Md. Sadique Alam (IAS)

Member of Lok Sabha – Arka Keshari Deo

Lok Sabha constituency – Kalahandi

Area – 3,408 km²(1,316 sq mi)

Population (2011) – 6,06,490

Density – 157/km² (410/sq mi)

Sex Ratio – 1020

Literacy – 58.20%

PIN – 766105

Vehicle registration – OD-26

GEOGRAPHY:

Its boundaries extend in the north, west and south to Mahasamund district in Chhattisgarh and in the east to Bargarh, Balangir and Kalahandi districts.

They contain such mineral deposits of laterite, graphite and bauxite.

The hillsides are covered with dense sal forests, teak forests, miscellaneous forests where sal, teak and other species occur in mixture and bamboo forest. The forests are situated in the dry deciduous forest zone. Other important species are bija, asan, bandhan and teak. Among the minor forest produces of this region are kendu leaf, bamboo, broom-grass, mohua flower and seed, antia bark and sabai-grass. Timber, bamboo and kendu leaf are the main exports outside the state.

HISTORY:

It is believed that the District of Kalahandi formed in ancient time a part of Mahakantara territory. During 4th century A.D. when Samudra Gupta led his campaign through this region a king named Vyaghraraja was ruling over Mahakantara. After Vyaghraraja, the Nala kings like Bhavadatta Varman, Arthapati and Skanda Varman ruled over this region up to about 500 A.D.

ECONOMY:

Due to the conspicuous absence of any industry, the economy revolves around agricultural activities. Three major irrigation projects — the Upper Jonk, the Sunder dam, and the upcoming Lower Indira Irrigation Project — provide support to 45,000 acres of land. Rice is the main crop in the entire district. Other crops like corn (maize), cotton, and onion make up a major share of crops under cultivation. More than 10,000 households migrate to other states in search of better employment opportunities every year after the harvesting season is over. Though the district is tops in MGNREGS implementation, the advance provided by labor contractors before Nuakhai festival lure ignorant laborers into the plot.Due to unregistered and uninformed migration protection of migrant laborers has become a challenge to the government. In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Nuapada one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

Drought and starvation –

Nuapada district was perennially in the news during the 1980s due to acute drought conditions and allegations of deaths by starvation. When Nuapada district was carved out of Kalahandi district, all the drought-prone blocks came under the jurisdiction of Nuapada district, whereas the fertile land came under Kalahandi district. Hence the proverbial “starvation deaths” of Kalahandi were actually a feature of Nuapada and not of Kalahandi district.

The situation has changed tremendously at the outset of 21st century. Nuapada produces surplus paddy which is used by other deficit district. Due to well-monitored public distribution system starvation is no more a concern. However, underdevelopment particularly in Naxal affected Sunabeda plateau riddled with Naxal violence taking the place of starvation death in recent times.

International media attention –

Nuapada (then under Kalahandi) had made news headlines when a tribal woman named Phanas Punji of Amlapalli village in the district sold off her teen-aged sister-in-law Banita to an unemployed blind man for forty rupees and a saree. Following the incident, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made a visit to the village. The incident has since become part of Odisha folklore.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub Division 1: Nuapada

Tahasils/ Blocks 5: Nuapada, Komna, Khariar, Boden and Sinapali

POLITICS:

MLA:

Nuapada – Basanta Kumar Panda BJP
Khariar – Duryadhan Majhi BJP

TOURIST PLACES:

Patora – On the bank of river Jonk is place of uncommon scenic charms. Engirdled on all sides by green clad hills. It holds in its bosom and irrigation project and culture dating back to pre-Christian era at Manikgarh.This is the Dam site of the Upper Jonk Irrigation Project situated at a distance of 20Km from the Dist Hqr. This place is also famous for Yogeswar Temple.
Patalganga – It is a nice spot in the bosom of nature with a perennial spring, the water of which is considered as sacred as that of the holy Ganges. Local people perform their obsequies in the downstream. Legend would have it that Rama, Laxman and Sita visited the spot during their exile where Sita felt thirsty. Laxman pierced the ground with his arrow occasioning the birth of the spring. On the day of solar eclipse and lunar eclipse. People here gather in large number to take their bath in the holy water.
Pataleswar temple Budhikomna – houses the famous temple of Pataleswar made of bricks in pancharatha style unique in the state.
Sunabeda – Close to Patra is Sunabeda Wildlife sanctuary. A waterfall called Godhosh about 63 meters amidst dense forest enhances the scenic view of the place.
Maraguda – About 17 km. from Dist Headquarter, the valley situated on the upper reaches of the Jonk river. The site of the ancient metropolis of Koshala Nagari with flourished from the 3rd to 13th century AD. Has been graphically detailed in the accounts of Chinese travelers Hiuen Tsang. The village is famous for 10th to 12th century archeological finds of Kalachuri dynasty. The excavations are underway.
Rajiv Udyan – On the left of the dam down the slopes of hill sprawls a replica of the Brundaban Garden.

References:

Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 27.04.2017

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PURI DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Collector – Aravind Agarwal IAS.

Member of Lok Sabha – Pinaki Misra, BJD

Lok Sabha constituency – 2; Puri, Jagatsinghpur

Area – 3051 km2

Population (2011) – 16.98 Lakhs

Density – 488/km2

Sex Ratio – 963

Literacy – 85.37 %

PIN – 752 xxx

Vehicle registration – OD-13

Coast line – 150.4 kilometres

Puri is the cultural capital of Odisha.

GEOGRAPHY:

Puri district is surrounded by Ganjam, Khordha, Cuttack & Jagatsinghpur.

The number of rivers flowing through the District helps in sustaining the agriculture. Being in close proximity to the Bay of Bengal, this District has tropical climate. The minimum temperature of the District is approximately 16. 45 degrees Celsius and the maximum 33. 9 degrees Celsius. No Island is found in the coastal waters of Puri, but the Chilika lake is separated from the Bay of Bengal by a group of Islands.

Rives passes through in Puri are – Kushabhadra, Daya, Bhargavi, Kadua, Prachi, and Devi.

HISTORY:

According to Cunningham the ancient name of this town was Charitra mentioned by the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang as Che-li-ta-lo. But the restoration of the word Che-li-ta-lo as Charitra and its identification with the town of Puri are open to doubt. The importance of the town as a seat of Vaisnavism increased when Chodaganga Deva constructed the temple of Purusottama Jagannath and installed the images of the deities. Thereafter, it became famous as the abode of Purusottama and was popularly called Purusottama Kshetra.

After the Gajapati dynasty, the district was under the rule of Mughal, Maratha and British in succession.

ECONOMY:

Handicraft and cottage industries of this District is famous the world over, its original source being the temple craft of Lord Jagannath and the Sun Temple at Konark. The rich traditional culture and heritage of the District gives a boost to this industry. The important products of this industry are in applique, stone carving, patta chitra, wood carving, modern patch work, terracotta, bell metal, and sea shell items etc.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub division 1: Puri Sadar

Blocks 11:

Krushna- prasad, 2.Brahmagiri, 3.Sadar, 4.Gop, 5.Kakatpur, 6.Astarang, 7.Nimapara, 8.Pipili , 9.Delang, 10.Kanas and 11.Satyabadi.

POLITICS:

Kakatpur – Rabi Mallick BJD
Nimapara – Samir Ranjan Dash BJD
Puri – Maheswar Mohanty BJD
Bramhagiri – Sanjay Kumar Das Burma BJD
Satyabadi – Uma Samantray IND
Pipili – Pradeep MaharathyBBJD

Notable people:

Gopabandhu Das, Nilakantha Das, Kelucharan Mohapatra, Manasi Pradhan, Raghunath Mohapatra,

Sudarshan Patnaik

TOURIST PLACES:

Puri – is famous for the world famous Jagannath Temple & Longest Golden Beach. It is one of the Dhamas (Holiest of the holy place) out of four Dhamas i.e. Puri, Dwarika, Badrinath & Rameswar, in India.
Sun Temple, Konark – It is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple, also known as the Black Pagoda, built in black grinite during the reign of Narasimhadeva-1 a distinguished ruller of Ganga Dynasty. The temple is a World Heritage Site.
Chandrabhaga beach – At about 3 kms from the Sun Temple at Konark is the Chandrabhaga beach. The strong currents do not make it either safe or easy for swimming. But the picturesque view of the sunrise and sunset at this place is enchanting.
Chilika – is largest brackish water estuarine Lake of Asia. It sprawls over an area of 1100 sqkms. Covering parts of three districts of Odisha i.e Puri on the East, Khurda on the North and Ganjam on the South. It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the World. Satapada is one of the most popular tourist place of Odisha. Irrawady Dolphins are major attraction of Satapada. It has the second largest congregation of migratory Birds in the world after Lake Victoria in Africa. It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent.
Pipili – is famous for Applique works.
Sakhigopal or Satyabadi – is famous for the shrine of Sakhigopal. It is one of the pilgrimage centre in the district and believe that ones pilgrimage to Puri is incomplete without visiting Sakhigopal.
Raghurajpur village – It has a community of artisans who produce different varieties of handicraft items like patta paintings, palm leaf engravings, stone carvings, paper mache toys & masks, wood carvings, wooden toys, cow dung toys, tusser paintings etc.
Mangala Temple, Kakatpur
Baliharachandi sea beach

References:

Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 27.04.2017

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RAYAGADA DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Established 2 October 1992

Collector – Mrs. Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar, IAS

Member of Lok Sabha – Jhinna Hikaka

Lok Sabha constituency – Koraput

Area – 7,073 km2

Population (2011) – 967,911

Density – 136/km2

Sex Ratio – 1048

Literacy – 50.88%

PIN – 765 xxx

Vehicle registration – OD-18

GEOGRAPHY:

Rayagada district is surrounded by Koraput, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Gajapati and Andhra Pradesh. The population of this district consists mainly of tribals. The Kondhas or Kondhs form the majority of population followed by Souras. Apart from Odia , several adivasi languages like Kui, Kondha, and Soura are spoken by the indigenous population of the district. There are several hills including Baphlimali, Azimali, Tikrimali known for rare medicinal plants and wildlife.

HISTORY:

In the third century B.C, during the reign of Ashoka the Great, it was under Kalinga empire. The hilly track between Bansadhara and Nagavali was famous for spices. The Rastriks were defeated by Kharvela, the only Aryan Emperor of Kalinga, during the Chawpagada battle.

During the rule of Gangavansi and Suryavanshi Kings in Odisha, it was under feudatory chief of Kalinga–Utkala empire Dadarnab Dev of Gudari Kataka. This region went to the Bahamanis when the last Hindu Gajapati emperor of Odisha, Mukund Dev was defeated at Gohera Tikiri in 1519. It came under the Nandapur Kingdom for 47 years. Biswambar Dev was defeated and killed by Hasin Khan of Mughal Chicacole Sarkar rulers of Odisha,was perhaps the third king installed at Rayagada.

The Sati Kunda Goddess Majhi Ghairani and the mudfort around it speak much about its evidence. In subsequent years it was under Bobbili Tahasil of Vijayanagaram. During the English regime, Rayagada came under Jeypore administration and later was part of Koraput District. On 2 October 1992 Rayagda District was carved out of the erstwhile Koraput district.

The district is currently a part of the Red Corridor.

ECONOMY:

Rayagada has a great mineral source, with full of bauxite, silicon. According to a survey India has 56% of total bauxite storage of the world out of which Odisha has 62%. Out of that Rayagada has an 84% share. Rayagada has industries like IMFA, JK PAPER mills, Konark Alum Industries, Satyam Packers and Processors Pvt. Ltd.. Other industries like Jeypore Sugars Ltd., ferro manganese were supplementing economy of Rayagada, but due to shortage in supply these were closed. The Jeypore sugars was established by the British which attracted loads of people from nearby states to Rayagada. The industrial atmosphere, great location and availability of resources around made Rayagada a prominent town in Odisha.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Rayagada one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub division 2: Gunupur, Rayagada

Tehsils/Blocks 11: 1.Kashipur, 2.Rayagada, 3.Kalyansinghpur, 4.Kolnara, 5.Bisam Cuttack, 6.Gunupur, 7.Gudari, 8.Chandrapur, 9.Muniguda, 10.Padmapur and 11.Ramanaguda

POLITICS:

Gunupur – Trinath Gomango BJD
Bissam Cuttack – Jagannath Saraka BJD
Rayagada – Lal Bihari Himirika BJD

Rayagada is part of Koraput (Lok Sabha constituency). Shri Jhinna Hikaka (Biju Jant Dal) won the general election 2014 defeating Dr. Giridhar Gomango (INC) who represented this constituency 9 times.

TOURIST PLACES:

Maa Majhighariani Templeis famous in Southern Division of Odishaand Andhra Pradesh. Only the face of the “MajhiGhariani” is worshiped. The temple is famous for Chaitra-Parva.
Hatipatharis only 3 km from the district headquarters. It is a place of great scenic beauty with two waterfalls on the course of river Nagavali.
Paikapadais famous for so many Siva Lingams.
Chatikonais located about 48 km from Rayagada surrounded by a series of valleys and wooded hills of varying colours and the place is a center of pilgrimage for the temple of Mahadev. It offers picnickers gorgeous view of the waterfall.
Minajholais only 134 km from Rayagada. It is a beauty spot of nature, has a siva temple at the confluence of three rivers.
Kumudabali Balunkeswar Temple on the river banks of the Vamsadhara River is worth visiting for its rocky river scenery.
Padmapurhouses the shrine of Manikeswari Siva. It is identified to be the seat of Dharmakirti, the Buddhist-Logician-philosopher. It is a 7th-century temple.
Guma Ghati: it is about 20 km from rayagada it is souranding by dence forest n very good place to see.
Raygada Koraput Railway Line: the distance from rayagada to koraput is about 176 km. this route is full of adventure since there are 36 tunnels and about 250 bridges fall in this route. this route is like konkan railway route and one can see animals while this journey. the koraput distinct is situated at the height of 870 meters above the sea level.
Hanging Bridge at Chekaguda connects the two sides of river Nagavali.
Gudari Hanging Bridge – Construction of suspension of foot bridge across Bansadhara river on Sanogorotha road at Gudari in Rayagada dsitrict.

References:

Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 28.04.2017

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SAMBALPUR DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Collector: Samarth Verma
SP: Akhileshvar Singh
• Member of Lok Sabha Nagendra Kumar Pradhan (BJD)
Area
• Total 6,702 km2 (2,588 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total 1041099
• Density 157/km2

Sex ratio 976♂/♀
•Literacy 76.22%
Languages
• Official Odia
• Other English, Sambalpuri, Ho
PIN 768 xxx
Telephone code 663
Vehicle registration OD-15,OR-15(till 2012)

GEOGRAPHY:
The district is located in the Mahanadi River basin. The district is bounded by Deogarh District to the east, Bargarh and Jharsuguda districts to the west, Sundergarh District to the north, and Subarnapur and Angul districts in the south.

Sambalpur City is the connecting city between Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

HISTORY:

Sambalpur region is popularly known as Hirakhanda from ancient times. Ptolemy has described the place as Sambalak. Acording to Tavernir, the French traveller, and Edward Gibbon, the English historian, diamonds were exported to Rome from Sambalpur.

Sambalpur State was a former princely state of British India. When its ruler died without a direct male heir in 1849, the British seized the state under the doctrine of lapse. It was attached to the British Bengal Presidency, but was transferred to the Central Provinces in 1862. The district was transferred back to Bengal in 1905, but the subdivisions of Phuljhar and Chandarpur-Padampur remained with the Central Provinces. Bengal’s Odisha division became part of the new province of Bihar and Orissa in 1912, and in 1936 became the separate province of Odisha.

Earlier Sambalpur District included four districts i.e. modern day Sambalpur District, Bargarh District Jharsuguda District and Deogarh District which was subsequently divided into four separate districts. Bargarh was separated in 1993, and Jharsuguda and Deogarh districts were separated in 1994.

It is currently a part of the Red Corridor.

ECONOMY:
The economy of Sambalpur District is basically dependent on agriculture and secondly on forests. In the past Sambalpur has been a great centre of diamond trade. Kendu leaf is also produced in Sambalpur. Kendu leaf is called green gold of Odisha. Lately industrialisation has started in the district and the prime industries of power, alumina and steel have been established. The place is famous for its globally renowned textile bounded patterns and fabrics locally known as Baandha. Sambalpur is famous for its Hand loom textile works popularly known as Sambalpuri Textile. It has earned international fame for its unique pattern, design and texture. Apart from textiles, Samabalpur has a rich tribal heritage and fabulous forestlands.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Sambalpur one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub divisions 3: 1.Sambalpur, 2.Rairakhol and 3.Kuchinda.

Blocks 9:
1.Sambalpur, 2.Rengali, 3.Maneswar, 4.Jujumura, 5.Bamra, 6.Jamankira, 7.Kuchinda, 8.Naktideul & 9.Rairakhol

NAC 4:
Kuchinda, Hirakud, Rairakhol, Burla

POLITICS:

MLA:
15. Kuchinda – Rabi Narayan Nayak BJP
16. Rengali – Ramesh Patua BJD
17. Sambalpur – Dr. Raseswari Panigrahi BJD
18. Rairakhol – Er.Rohit Pujari BJD

TOURIST PLACES:
1. Gudguda, one of the most beautiful Picnic Spot.

Maa Ghanteswari Temple is one of the most holiest and beautiful place in Sambalpur. As the name indicates, there are bells (Ghanti) everywhere. People offer bell to Maa after their fulfillment of their wishes.
Leaning temple of Huma dedicated to Lord Siva. It was built during the reign of Baliar Singh, the fifth Raja of Sambalpur.
Cattle island exists in one of the extreme point of Hirakud Reservoir, a Natural wonder. It is near to Kumarbandh village of Belpahar-Banharpali range which is about 90 kms from Sambalpur town. But if someone travels through a motor lunch from Hirakud dam it is quite nearer about 10 kms in the river. The island is nothing but a sub-merged hill and prior to Hirakud Dam construction, it was a developed village. The specialty about the island is the inhabitants, only comprises of cattle group of animals.
Hirakud dam 15 kms. north of Sambalpur is the longest earthen dam of the world. The dam is across the great river Mahanadi, and drains an area of 1,33,090 Sq.Kms., more than twice the area of Shrilanka. The bulk of Hirakud dam contains earth, concrete and masonry materials sufficient to make a road 8 metres wide and pave it from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and Amritsar to Dibrugarh in Assam. From horizon to horizon the resorvoir forms the largest artificial lake in Asia with an area of 746 Sq.Kms. and a shore line over 640 Kms. A twenty-one Kilometres drive on the dyke offers a unique experience of calm serenity and majesty of nature. One can enjoy the sight of mighty Hirakud dam and the fantastic expanse of water from the top of the revolving minarate called Gandhi Minar.
Old township of Sambalpur is a land of temples – the temples of Liakhai, Madanmohan, Satyabadi, Bariha, Brahampura, Dadhibamana, Timini and Gopalji.
Samaleswari temple – Ma Samalei is the presiding deity of Sambalpur, is a strong religious force in western part of Orissa and Chhattisgarh state of India.

References:

– Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 29.03.2017

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SUBARNAPUR DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Established 01.04.1993

Collector – Shri Dasarathi Satapathy

Member of Lok Sabha – Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, BJD

Lok Sabha constituency – Balangir

Area -2,284.89 km2

Population (2011) – 6.52 Lakhs

Density – 279/km2

Sex Ratio – 959

Literacy – 74.42%

PIN – 767 xxx

Vehicle registration – OD-31

Subarnapur District is also called Sonepur District or Sonapur District.

GEOGRAPHY:

It is bounded on the north by Sambalpur district, on the south and the South–East by Boudh District, on the East by Rairakhol sub–division of Sambalpur District and on the West by Balangir district.

HISTORY:

According to historians the Subarnapur district was known as Paschima Lanka or Western Lanka around the 10th-11th centuries. The evidence comes from a copper plate charter issued in the late 10th century by a Somavansi prince named Kumara Someswaradeva of Subarnapur district. The Prince had identified himself as the king of Paschima Lanka. It was further found that the Mahada copper plate grant of Kumara Someswaradeva was registered on the bank of river Chitrotpala (Mahanadi) and near to the province of Lanka. The presiding deity of Paschima Lanka was goddess Lankeswari.

Subarnapur district has figured on the political and cultural map of Odisha since the pre–historic period. The discovery of a large number of stone tools and weapons from different places in and around Subarnapur and the Rock Art of Puja Dunguri near Rampur Tahasil of Subarnapur district support this presumption. The chronological history of subarnapur starts from 8th century AD. Suvarnapur or modern Subarnapur occupies a place of prime importance at different period under the rule of different royal families like the Bhanjas, the Somovamsis, the Telgu–chodas, the kalachuais, the Gangas and the chouhans who ruled over this territory.

Subarnapur kingdom was merged with the Odisha province on 1st January 1948 and became a Sub–Division under Balangir District. However from 1st April 1993 Subarnapur was given the status of a District Headquarter.

This district earned the name “Subarnapur” during the time of Somavamsi ruler.

ECONOMY:

Handicraft Activities(Craft-Wise)

The Artisan of the Subarnapur district is practicing the following craft i.e. Terracotta, Tie&Dye, Dhokra Casting Metal Craft, Brass & Bell Metal, Bamboo Craft, White Metal Jewellery Craft, Gangopaa,Wooden Toys, PattaChitra, Tie & Dye & Paddy Craft etc.are practicing by nearly 20000 artisans of the district & depend directly on these sector for their likelihood.

TIE & DYE

The delicate designs of the “IKAT” fabrics with its bewitching beauty & intricate pattern keep the artistic potentiality & cultural heritage of Odisha.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Subarnapur one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub-divisions 2:Sonepur and Birmaharajpur
Tehsils 6:Sonepur, Binika, Rampur, Birmaharajpur, Tarbha, and Ullunda
Blocks 6: Sonepur, Binika, Tarbha, Dunguripali, Birmaharajpur and Ullunda
Municipality 1: Sonepur
A.C. 2: Tarbha and Binika

POLITICS:

MLA:

Birmaharajpur – Padmanabh Behera BJD
Sonepur – Niranjan Pujari BJD

EMINENT PERSONS:

Kailash Chandra Meher, Eminent Painter awardedPadma Shri.
Nila Madhab Panda, film maker and director ofI Am Kalam, awarded Padma Shri.
Sabyasachi Mohapatra,Odia film director and producer.
Jitamitra Prasad Singh Deo
Kapileswar Prasad Mohapatra, Eminent writer ofSala Budha
Chaturbhuj Meher, awarded Padmasri for Sambalpuri Handloom weaving or Sambalpuri Baandha.

TOURIST PLACES:

Mahima pitha, Khaliapali – is situated 30 km away from sonepur with Samadhi mandir or Sunya mandir. It was a 110 years old temple.
The temple of Sureswari is the oldest Shakti shrine of Subarnapur. Legend associates Lord Parsuram with the installation of Goddess Sureswari after the assassination of the Kshatriyas by him. Her icon is found facing towards north in the temple. This monument is known be built by king Achal Singh of Chauhan dynasty.
Metakani Temple, Ullunda –
Patali Srikhetra, Kotsamlai –
Rushyashrunga hill, at Goudgad jungle (border of subarnapur and sambalpur) –
Papakshya Ghat, Binka –
Kapileswar temple, Charda –
Nabagrahakunda –
Rameswar Shiva Temple – at the Sangam of river Mahanadi and Tel.
Lord Sri Sri Swapneshwar Temple, Goudgad of BirmaharajPur Block.
Thengo Irrigation Project of Birmaharajpur Block. (A VISITORS PARADISE) – It is a small dam constructed over the river “HARIHARAJORE” 30 Km away from subarnapur. It has beautiful picnic spots with its sylvan atmosphere.
Maa Umadevi Temple and Siddheswar Temple [Kadodar]
Maa Ramachandi & Baba Raneswar Temple,Telanda .*godhaneswar shiv temple*sunaribeni shiv temple
Sashisena Temple was constructed to commemorate the love of sashisena, the princess of Amaravati with Ahimanikya, the son of the minister of that kingdom. Also famous as the temple of Gyanadei Maluani, having no opening at all this monument speaks the tantric practices that once flourished in that land. Popularly called Nimuhin Deul by the locals Sashisena temple was constructed by king Biramitra Singh Deo, the illustrious ruler of the Chauhan dynasty of Subarnapur.
Kosaleswar temple at Baidyanath on the bank of river Tel, situated about 14km. to the south-east of Subarnapur is now in a very bad state of preservation. The structure even in its ruins is a remarkable monument. The temple provides striking features of an earlier Buddhist shrines refurnished by the Hindus.

References:

Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 01.05.2017

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SUNDARGARH DISTRICT PROFILE:

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Established 1st January, 1948

Collector – Vineet Bhardwaj IAS

Member of Lok Sabha – Juel Oram

Lok Sabha constituency – Sundergarh

Area -9712 km2

Population (2011) – 20,80,664

Density – 214 /km2

Sex Ratio – 971

Literacy – 74.13%

PIN – 769 xxx, 770 xxx

Vehicle registration – OD-16, OD-14

Website – http://www.sundergarh.nic.in/

Sundergarh district is the Second largest district in the state accounting for 6.23% of the total area.

GEOGRAPHY:

Sundergarh district is bounded by Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh in the west, Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh in the North-West, Simdega district of Jharkhand in the North, West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand and Keonjhar district of Odisha in the east and Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh and Angul districts of Odisha in the South.

True to its name, this beautiful District of Sundargarh with about 43 percent of its total area under forest cover and numerous colourful tribes dotting its landscape and with abundant mining potential. Geographically, the district is not a compact unit and consists of widely dissimilar tracts of expansive and fairly open, dotted with tree, clad isolated peaks, vast inaccessible forests, extensive river valleys and mountainous terrain. Broadly speaking, it is an undulating tableland of different elevations broken up by rugged hill ranges and cut up by torrential hill streams and the rivers IB and Brahmani. The general slope of the District is from north to south. Because of this undulating, hilly and sloping nature of landscape, the area is subjected to rapid runoff leading not only to soil erosion but also to scarcity of water for both agriculture and drinking purposes. Brahmani, Sankh, Koel and IB are the major rivers flowing though this District. Inspite of numerous industries, more than 50 percent of the people earn their livelihoods from agriculture and allied sectors. Sundargarh District is coming under the North Western Plateau Zone as per the agro climatic zone of Odisha. Soil group of the Sundargarh district is mixture of red and yellow soil.

The district is currently a part of the Red Corridor.

HISTORY:

On 1 January 1948, the princely states of Gangpur and Bonaigarh merged into the present district of Sundergarh. It is understood that, in ancient times, this district was under the rulers of different dynasties. However, divergent views are available regarding the origin of the ruling family. Bonaigarh was known as Bonai Mandala and was ruled by Mayura dynasty as a feudetory of Bhoumakara dynasty of Toshali. The present royal family of Gangpur belongs to the Parmar dynasty and Bonaigarh belongs to Kadamba dynasty. These ex-states were under the suzerainty of Sambalpur which formed part of the dominion of the Maratha Rajas of Nagpur. They were ceded to the British Government in 1803 by the Maratha Chief Raghuji Bhonsla of Nagpur under the treaty of Deogaon (near Rourkela). But they were restored to him by special engagement in 1806. They were finally ceded in 1826. In 1905, these two Odia princely states were transferred from the control of the Commissioner of Chhotanagpur to that of Odisha Division and a separate Political Agent was appointed.

ECONOMY:

Sundargarh is recognized as an industrial district in the map of Odisha. Steel Plant, Fertilizer Plant, Cement factory, Ferro Vanadium Plant, Machine building factory, Glass and china clay factory and Spinning mills are some of the major industries of this District. Sundargarh occupies a prominent position in the mineral map of Odisha and is rich in iron ore, limestone, manganese, dolomite, and fire clay. Major industries are the Odisha Cements ltd, Hart Fertilizers Ltd, and Odisha Industries Ltd.

Sundargarh district has big industries at Rourkela, Rajgangpur and Kansbahal.

Rourkela – TheRourkela Steel Plant at Rourkela in this district is the first government sector Steel plant built with foreign (German) collaboration and was the first in India to use LD oxygen technology.
Rajgangpur – Rajgangpur is an important town situated between Rourkela and Sundergarh. It has a cement plant (OCL India Limited) and many small industries and Taran Textiles.
Kansbahal – A fabrication plant (L&T) exists at Kansbahal.

Sundargarh is going to have 2 umpp, one at Darlipali a 1600 MW planned thermal power plant to be built by NTPC another one at Bhedabahal. Along with that there is another place known as Bonai.

Sundargarh has more than 26 mines. (Coal Mines, Iron ore Mines, Manganese Mines, Lime stone mines)

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Sundergarh one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 19 districts in Odisha currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Sub divisions 3:

Panposh, 2.Sundargarh and 3.Bonai.

Blocks 17:

Kuanramunda, 2. Nuagaon, 3. Bisra, 4. Lathikata, 5. Hemgiri, 6. Rajgangpur, 7. Lephripara, 8. Kutra, 9. Sundargarh, 10. Bargaon, 11. Subdega, 12. Balisankara, 13. Tangarpalli, 14. Lahunipada, 15. Koida, 16. Bonaigarh, 17. Gurundia.

POLITICS:

Talsara – Prafulla Majhi INC
Sundargarh – Jogesh Kumar Singh INC
Biramitrapur – George Tirkey SKD
Raghunathpali – Subrat Tarai BJD
Rourkela – Dilip Ray BJP
Rajgangpur – Mangala Kisan BJD
Bonai – Laxman Munda CPI(M)

TOURIST PLACES:

Mandira Dam – is located near Kansbahal in Sundergarh district, Odisha, India. It is built across Sankh river, located 16 km upstream from Mandira. The water from the dam is used for Rourkela Steel Plant. Construction of the dam began after 1957.
Khandadhar Waterfall – Amidst thick jungles, Khandadhar is a glittering waterfall created by a perennial rivulet called Korapani Nala within a few kms. of its origin. 244 meters in height it is the 2^nd highest waterfall (1st Barehipani Fall 399 mtr., Mayurbhanj) in Odisha.
Vedavyas – Situated on the confluence of the river Sankha and Koel, which thereafter from the river Brahmani, Vedavyas is not only a place of natural beauty but also is considered a Tritha a place of religious sanctity. A dip in the confluence is belied to wash away all sins. Tradition has it that Vyasadeva, the reputed sage, lived here and composed the great epic Mahabharat. There are three temples here, two dedicated to Lord Siva and one to Rama. A Vedic Ashram and a school on the lines of Gurukula Ashram are the added attractions of the place.
Hanuman Vatika, Rourkela – is situated in Rourkela. It is the second tallest statue of Hanuman in Orissa. Hanuman Vatika was renovated and inaugurated by the chief minister, the late Biju Patnaik of Orissa. The height of the statue is 75 feet. The Hanuman statue was built by Sri Lakshman Swami of Hyderabad.
Ghogar Dham –
Mirigikhoj Waterfall –
Darjing
Pitamahal Dam, Kalunga
Kansbahal Dam,Kansbahal
Deodhar
Sukha Mahadev Mandir, Balishankara
Rani Sati Mandir,Biramitrapur
Maa Vaishno Devi Temple, Rourkela
Ushakothi,Lephripada Block

References:

Notes of Jadumani Naik (Rank 21, OCS 2015) on 01.05.2017

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

TRIBES OF MALKANGIRI

http://malkangiri.nic.in/

In tribal district of Malkangiri mainly there live 10 kinds of tribes such as Koyas, Paraja, Dharua or Durua, Matia, Bhumia, Bonda, Kandh, Gadaba, Halwa and Didayee. Even though the presense of the tribes like Rana, Mali and Gouda, they have not been recognised as tribes by the Government. According to 1991 Cencus the population of tribal people was 2,46,214 and the Harijans were 84,208. The main tribal communities of Malkangiri district are as follows.

The Bondas:

The Bondas known themselves as Remo(men) are a small tribe of the type now often called Austro-Asiatic country is the wild and mountainnous region north-west of Machakunda river, and here they have preserved themselves comparatively unaffected by the march of civilisation. Indeed, by plainsmen and officials, the Bondas are regarded as entirely savage, almost as the classic savage type. The strange dress and appearance of their unfamilier tounge they speak a different Astro-Asiatic language. The inaccessibility of their abode seperate them from other tribes of the district The origin and affiliations of the Bondas are obscure, but one may accept the possiblility that they are members of a group of Austro-Asiatic tribes which at some remote date took shelter in the wild Jeypore hills. There is every reason to suppose that the Bondas have changed very little during their long history and in them one can have a change of studying a type of character and it’s material expression that may be millennia old. The bondas have been enlisted as a Scheduled Tribes. Bondas are the oldest tribal people of Malkangiri District.They live on the mountains at the height of 3000 feet. In 1971 census their number was 5,245 and in 1981 census they were 5,895 in numbers but in 1991 census they were decreased to a number of 5,129 in which male number was 2,414 and female number was 2,715. These people live in Bonda Hill under Khairput Block.They are mainly two types like Ontal and Kilo. Bondas are found of Podu Cultivation and Bonda ladies help them in this job. In Bonda community the bride is older than the groom Ladies of the Bonda community are half nacked. In the month of Magha “Patkhanda Yatra” at Mudulipada is the main festivals of Bondas.By nature Bondas are short temper and they get angry at the simplest thing and forget the relationship and commit murder. Murder is a simple thing for Bondas, because of this a lot of person has been life impressioned at the Koraput Jail due to this Bonda population has been reduced a lot during the last decade. Here it is important that this community should be taken care from it’s extint.

The Koyas:

The Koya are a tribe inhabiting the hills in the north of the Godaviri district and are also found in Malkangiri district. They are said to belong to the great Gond family. The Koyas have a tradition that about two hundred years ago they were driven from the plateau in the Baster countary by famine and disputes. The Koyas are a Scheduled Tribes. Koyas are found in Kalimela, Podia, Malkangiri and Korukonda area of Malkangiri District. Koyas are the largest in population. In 1971 Koyas population was 58,730. In 1991 census their population was 1,40,000. By this time it has increased a lot. At Mathili and Manyamkonda area ancient Koyas tribes are generally found. Their village consists of 30 to 40 families. They don’t settle at any place pernmanently because it’s a belief that they may be some natural calimaty or the local God will be displeased. They rear Pigs, Goats, Cows and Hens. The main festival of Koyas is “Bijapandu” festival celebrated in the month of Chaitra. They live in low thatched houses . They cultivate Tabaco leaf, Mandia, Maize, Bhatta Paddy. Mahula and Salapa is their ideal drink. They believe in puja and local medicine for their illness and desease and moreover they use very little quantity of milk. The head of the Koya village is called “Peda” and it’s heridiatery. Few villages consittutes a “Mutha” or “Panchayat” and the head of the Mutha was called “Muthadar”. A “Katual” was there to help Muthadar in the village. Koyas are found of unity and patriatic. In 1880 there was revolt against British rule by the great Koya leader Tama Dora, which was famous as “Koya Revoulation” in the Indian history.

The Bhumiya:

Bhumias of Malkangiri District are also generally found in un-divided Koraput, Phulbani, Gangam and Sundergarh districts of Orissa. After Koyas,this tribes occupies the second position in population. The head of the village is called “Mukhia”. One “Bhattanaik” is for 20 number of villages. Mostly Bhumias took part in the freedom struggle of this district and their contribution to the freedom struggle was a unforgetable event. There is marriage system and the groom elopes the bride. Balijatra is their main festival Laxman Naik was the proud freedom fighter of Bhumia.

The Paraja:

The Porajas or Parajas are the hill cultivators found in the district of Ganjam and undivided Koraput. There are seven classes of these Parajas, which differ from each other in points of language, customs and traditions.The Parajas seem to have been inhabiting this country from about the second century of the Christian era. The servitude in to which the Parajas has been reduced and the cruel treatment given to him. Master made him faithless and dishonest.The Parajas are divided into 12 tribes and each tribe is called after the region in which it lives. They have been enlisted as Scheduled Tribe. Other than Malkangiri Parajas are found in un-divided Koraput, Kalahandi, Sundergarh, Dhenkanal, Phulbani, Puri, Cuttack and Maurbhanj districts of Orissa. In 1971 their number was 11,361. They occupy the third position in population in this district. They have been divided into Jhadia, Barenga, Penga and Konda.

The Kandha:

Kandhas are to be found throughout Orissa and mostly in the districts of Ganjam, Baudh, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and parts of Bolangir and Sambalpur districts.In Malkangiri these people are called “Deshia Kandha”. These Deshia Kandha like group life. There are 58 subdivisions of Kandhas. The list includes many names of other castes, a fact, which must must be in part ascribed to the impossiblilty of distingushing the true Kandhas from persons returned as Khondavandhu, Kondalu, Kotuvandlu and are applicable to all the hill tribes. Their height is about the average standard of the persons of the Peninsula. Their forms are characterised by strenght and symmetry. The musculus of the limbs and body are clear and glossy, it’s colour ranging from light bamboo to a deep copper shade, the heel in a line with back of the leg. As regards their character, the Kandhas possess a great love for liberty. They are faithfull to their friends. Their worst voice is drunkennes. They can be divided into three major econimic classess which are as follows:

(1) Owner-cultivators or non-owning cultivators of the plains.
(2) Dependent upon shifting cultivation.
(3) Having occupation other than cultivation.
The Kandhas are the biggest Scheduled Tribe of Orissa.Even though family member increases they like to stay all together. Family is ruled by the head member and there is a joint family life amoung them. The post of the head of the village is heriditary. The main cultivation of Deshia Kandha is Maize and they are found of Podu Cultivation. In Malkangiri these people are called Deshia Khanda.

The Gadaba:

The Gadava are a primitive tribe classified as mundari or Kolarian on linguistic grounds. The word Gadava, Mitchell states, signifies a person who carries loads on his shoulders. The tribe call themselves Guthan. They speak a mundari dialect, called Gadava after tribal name and are one of the two-mundari tribes found so far south as Visakhapatnam. The Gadavas are a tribe of Agriculturists, coolies and huntres. The Gadavas are also employed as bearers in the hills and carry palanquins. There is a tradition that the tribes owes its name to the fact that its ancestors emigrated from the bank of Godavery river and settled in Nandapur, the former capital of Rajas of Jeypore. The Gadavas are also employed as bearers in the hills and carry palanquins. The Gadavas have a language of their own, of which a vocabulary is given in the Vuzagapatam Manual. The Gadavas living in such villages in the vicinity of the more civilized people forget their native tongue, dress and custom and took up those of the civilized man. It is now very hard to identify the tribe of such men unless they themselves tell us what their tribe is.They are enlisted as Scheduled Tribe. Besides Malkangiri this tribe is found in Koraput, Kalahandi, Sundergarh, Gangam, Sampalpur and Boudh Phulbani districts of Orissa. They like to marry within their relations. Cultivation and cattle rearing is the means of their livilihood.

The Matia:

Including Malkangiri Matias live in Dhenkanal, Bolangir and Kalahandi districts of Orissa. Matias were cloth and live a simple life. They cultivate Maize, tabbaco leaf and vegetables. In Malkangiri Matias are treated as low amoung the tribes.

The Dharua:

Dharua are found in the block of Korukonda of this district. Also these people are seen in the boarding district of Madhaya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. Dharua are also called as Durua. This tribe has got their own language, culture and traditions.

The Holuva:

The pentiyas call themselves Holuva. Numbers of them migrated thither from Bastar. Their language is holuva, which is easily understood by those who speak Oriya. They have enlisted as S.T. Holuva are found in the block of Korukonda of this district. Also these people are seen in the boarding district of Madhaya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. Like Dharua this tribal people have their own language, culture and traditions. They are quite disipleaned and maintains peace and harmoney in their life.

The Didayi:

Didayees are the important tribal race. These people have rich heritage. They said to be the progency of Bondas. Thurston holds the view that the Didayis are part of the Paraja tribe. Dr. Elwin quoting a Bonda myth says “The eldest brother was a Bhoi Gadava, the next an Asur Gadava and the remaining ten Kondo, Bondo, Didayi etc.”. The relationship of the Didayis of the Bonda, Paraja and the Gadava is very intimate and matrimonial relationships between the Didayi and others, though clandestine in nature, are not found wanting. In spite of all these they maintain their distinctive identity and cannot be regarded as a part of any tribe. They have been enlisted as a scheduled tribe. Didayees are setteled in Malkangiri on the both sides of the river Machhakunda in the centre of Kandakamberu Hills. Didayees live in five panchayat of Kudumulugumma Panchayat Samiti. Didayees have their own langauge. They live in houses made of wood and bambo. They color the walls of the houses. Thier houses are very neat anc clean, hunting, fishing and cultivation are the main occupation of Didayees. They are very religious in faith. The cultural life, hospitality and method of treatment of deases are most praise worthy. For the development of Didayees there is a Didayee Development Organisation formed by the Government is working here.

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Naxalism is pure and simple TERRORISM, which disguises itself with terms like “class struggle” and “social justice”

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OAS Materials – INTERVIEW – Basics on HISTORY – Notes of Jadumani Naik

HISTORY? BASIC QUESTIONS?

What is History? – Itihas = ‘so it was’; The quest about knowing the past; Definitions of history have been changing over time; We no longer understand history to be simply a chronicle of kings; Instead historians are interested in explore & attempt to reconstruct histories of the environment, of gender relations, of social categories & classes that were regarded as marginal, subordinate, or even insignificant; History is not only about Great men, it is also about the lives & activities of ordinary men , women, & children; History is not only about political events, it is about everything that happens in society;

Epics & History? (Similarities/ History repeats itself) – Often overlapped; 1. Jarasandh imprisoned many kings, after his death, the kings were freed & ruled independently == After WW II, Braitain & colonial powers were ruined & colonies were freed; 2. Ramachandra + Banarasena + Sethubandh to fight against Ravana == Gandhi + Dandi March + Followers against British; 3. Vamana Avatar == Gandhiji in 2^nd RTC with a dhoti above knee & a stick;

Puranas, Epics & History ( Differences)? – 1. Alegend is presumed to have some basis in historical fact and tends to mention real people or events. Historical fact morphs into a legend when the truth has been exaggerated to the point that real people or events have taken on a romanticized, “larger than life” quality. In contrast, a myth is a type of symbolic storytelling that was never based on fact; 2. The word myth in particular is invariably applied to stories of great antiquity, usually belonging to an era from which no tangible record has survived. Legends on the other hand can belong to any era, and a substantial corpus of modern “urban legends” exist.; 3. An epic is a very long poem that tells the life history of clearly identifiable protagonist(s). Epics are typically divided into cantos (the poetic equivalent of chapters). Epics as an art form were invented in very ancient times as a form of public record as well as entertainment before writing was invented. Because poetry has rhythm and rhyme, it is naturally easier to remember than prose. Also, epics were also often set to music. 4. The Ramayana and Mahabharata are epics, and are hence called Mahakavyas.; 5. Chronologically, Puranas are a class of texts that range in post-Vedic to Medieval period. They are written in Classical Sanskrit, Prakrit, Tamil and various Regional Languages. Some Puranas are exclusively affiliated to the Jain religion.; 6. Every big Purana will contain many stories – long as well as short. Each story will emphasise a particular aspect of Dharma. Itihasa, on the other hand, is one continuous story from beginning to the end. Although there may appear some interludes or other thematic presentations in the epic, they will revolve around the central theme. If the Puraanas deal with each Dharma through the medium of a separate story, the itihasa illustrates all the Dharmas through one main story. For example, adherence to Truth as a Dharma is illustrated in the Harischandhra Puraana as a separate story. The story of Nalaayini highlights greatness of chastity in women. The story of Ranti Deva teaches the ennobling aspect of extreme sacrifice and compassion. The Itihaasas revolving around the lives of Rama and the five Paandavas, however, show us how they followed all the various traits of Dharma under trying conditions and upheld Dharma and the rule of Dharma.

Why should we study History? – The study of history makes us learn lessons from the past for the present & future; The study of history is the entire human past; History gives people their identity; Studying history can help us understand more than the past, it enables us to develop important skills & qualities;

Historiography? =The writing of history;

Branches of Historiography? Local History, Oral History, Micro History?

Famous Historians? Herodotus, Megasthenese, Xuan Xang, I-tsing, Alberunu, Ibn-ba–tuta, Barni, Badauni, Abul Fazl, Faizi, Modern @ below

Famous Historical researchers? – V.A.Smith; William Jones; Cunningham; A.L. Basham; Romila Thaper; Ramachandra Guha; D.D. Kosambi; R.S Sharma; Bipin Chandra; Satish Chandra; Nilakantha Shastri; Irfan Habib; M.N. Das;

Types of History?

Nature of History?

Generalisation in History? – A generalisation is a linkage of disperate or unrelated facts, in time or space, with each other; G are means through which historians understand their materials & try to provide their understanding of facts to others; analysis & interpretation of events; Classify facts/data/phenomena, & Compare & contrst; “Better quality of understanding of life makes for better history & better history makes for better quality of life”;

Causation in History? Relationship between historians & causation? – Causation is the process of one event causing or producing another event; Causality is the relation b/w something that happens & the reason for its happening;

Interpretation of History?

Objectives of History? –

Objectivity in History? = The state of being objective, just, unbiased & not influenced by emotions & personal p[rejudices; O is the founding principles of historical traditions in the West; Criticism – Historians’ account of the past does not refer to the real past, but to the world imagined by the historians; History therefore is the story told by the historians; ‘All history is contemporary history’; ‘All history is the history of thought’;

Cause & effect in History? –

Ideology in History? = science of ideas; It is a set of ideas, views & beliefs which sustains an individual or a social order; Ideology is also interpreted as false consciousness as opposed to the real, scientific knowledge of the world;

Schools of History? – Imperialist School; Nationalist School; Marxist School; Annales School; The Cambridge School;

Approaches to History? Positivist tradition, Classical Marxist tradition, The Annales School, Recent Marxist approaches, Postmodernist intervention, Gender in History, Race in History, Colonial approach, Nationalist approach, Communalist approach, The Cambridge School, History from Below, Subaltern studies, Economic History, Peasantry & Working Class, Caste Tribe & Gender, Religion & Culture, Environment, Science & Technology;

Changing approaches to the study of History? – Political=> Social, economic, cultural, environmental; King=>Common people; Wealthy & affluent=> The poor & downtrodden; Male=>Female & children;

Historiographical traditions in Early India? – Itihas, Puranas; Vedic Danastutis; Ramayana, Mahabharata; Puranic genealogies; Court tradiotions: Prasasti; Court traditions: Charitas; Kalhan & Rajatarangini; Buddhist traditions; Jain traditions; Brahamanical traditions; Dating system;

Historiographical traditions in Medieval India? – Arabic, Persian, Indo-Persian; Arabic – Albiruni, Al-Utbi, Ibn Khaldun; Persian – Abu Ali al-Balami, Abu said Gardezi; Indo-Persian – Muhammad bin Mansur, Hasan Nizami, Minhaj Siraz, Ziauddin Barani, Isami, Babur, Humayun, Abul Fazl, Faizi, Nizamuddin Ahmed, Abdul Qadir Badauni, Mutamad Khan, Abdul Hamid, Mohammad Waris, Muhammad Kazim, Inyatullah Khan Kashmiri, Kafi Khan, Francois Bernier, Travernier,

Historiographical traditions in Modern India? – Colonial; Nationalist; Marxist;

Era? – Vikram era (57/58BCE); Saka era (78 CE); Gupta era (319 CE); Harsha era (606 CE);

Ages/Periods? – 1.Palaeolithic; Mesolithic; Neolithic; Chalcolithic/Bronze; Iron; 2. Ancient; Medieval; Modern 3. Pre-history; Proto-history 4. IVC; Vedic; Mahajanapadas; Mauryan; Post-Mauryan; Sangam; Satavahanas; Gupta; Post-Gupta; Post-Harsha; Early Medieva; Chola; Rajputs; Sultanate; Mughal; Colonial;

Various phases of Human civilisation? – 1. Main 2 phases – Stone Age, Metal Age; 2. 3 divisions of stone age – Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic; 3. 3 divisions of Palaeolithic age – Lower, Middle, Upper; 4. 3 divisions of metal age – Copper, Bronze, Iron;

Stages of Evolution of Human? – Primates (Gorillas, Chimpanzees)=> Hominidae=> Homo habilis (1^st tool makers)=> Homo erectus=>Homo sapiens=> Homo sapiens sapiens

Stages of Human society? – Hunter-gatherer=> Settled life=> Jana/Villages/Rural life=> Urban life

Stages of Urbanisation? – 1^st – IVC; 2^nd – 6^th BCE; 3^rd – Delhi Sultanate; 4^th – Colonial period; 5^th – Post-independence; 6^th – Smart cities;

Pottery culture? – BRW; RSW; PGW; NBPW

Is History a dead subject? – No; History is perhaps the most living subject; The solutions to almost all the problems the human society is facing today is in history; History is not only about fixed names & dates but about cause & effect; Everyday new researches & excavations are going on & new theories are coming out, e.g. Upto 1921 Indians were proud as Aryans but the discovery of IVC suddenly made them villian; Similarly partition of India in 1947, Why partition? Could we have stopped it? Present day separate state demand?;

Excavations vs. Explorations?

Sources of History? – Archaeological Excavations; Inscriptions/Epigraphy; Coins/Numismatics; Architectures & monuments; Literatures;

Sources for the study of Pre-history? – Archaeology; Anthropology; Genetics; Physical & biological sciences; Fine arts; social sciences; medical sciences; linguistics studies;

What is a Time Line?

Methods/Tools for calculating historical age? – Relating Dating; Absolute dating; On the basis of stratifications; Geomorphological method; Cross dating; Dendro-chronology; Varve analysis; Palynology; Paleomagnetism; Radio Carbon (C14 isotope) dating – based on the principle of radio active decay, Carbon 14C is unstable, Willard Libby 1^st person, Half life of 14C=5730 years, Radio carbon is passed on uniformely to all living beings through Carbon dioxide, After death radio active decay starts; Potassium-argon dating (K40) – used to determine period of millions of years, K40=>Ar40 in about 1.3 billion years, Half-life of K40=1.3 billion years;

Pre-historic tools & weapons? – Chooper & chooping tools, hand axe, clever, scrapper, paint, borer, burin

Ancient Civilisations of the World? IVC; Mesopotamian; Chinese; Greek; Roman;

Should historical text books be rewritten? – Must be; Our Indian history was corrupted a lot by the Imperial writers like Hunter & the same is still followed & our history books mention Shaheed Bhagat Singh as a terrorist rather than a patriot; More researches need to be done to make the historiography most authentic; It is highly needed to wake up the slugglish India & throw away the colonial mindset in us;

Strength of History? – our identity, pride, culture, tradition, motivation, nationalism, patriotism, solutions to almost all the problems the world is facing today,

Potential of History? – tremendous, solutions to almost all the problems the world is facing today,

Challenges before History? – Reserches, excavations & explorations, interpretations, objectivity, Generalisation, interfering the ancient language,

Suggestions? – History rewriting is a must; Historical Department & Institutions; More resources for research; Encouragements & awards; Approach – religious harmony, common people, down trodden, culture, economy, society, environment; Renaming of roads, places, buildings in the name of Freedom fighters & ancient Great persons; School syllabus to inculcate historical pride among children;

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OAS Materials – INTERVIEW – Basics on POLITICAL SCIENCE – Notes of Jadumani Naik

POLITICAL SCIENCE (PS)? BASIC CONCEPTS?

What is science?

Technically Science means “the systematic study of the structure & behaviour of the physical & natural world”
- What is Political Science?
PS is a subject that deals with an individual in relation to a state & a government. It also means a systematised body of knowledge of the state & government in all its aspect.
PS studies the functions performed by governments – e.g. legislation & administration of laws
“Polis” = City states
PS is that part of social science which treats the foundations of the State & the principles of Government.
- Why Political Science is a science?
Aristotle called Politics the master Science.
Technically Science means “the systematic study of the structure & behaviour of the physical & natural world”. PS attempts to claim the rubric of “science” because of its systematic study of politics.
Conclusions are drawn after study, observations, & experiments.
PS is more a science than theory; Political Theory is more a theory than science.
PS adopts scientific methods for its study; it is empirical, positivistic, observational, & clinical
- Father of Political science?
Aristotle – studied constitution of >150 states;
- No politics no science, no science no politics?
Because science is developing, it could make technology better for governance; on the contrary w/o politics the development in science cannot be improved.
- Origin/History of Political Science?
Free school of PS was founded in Paris in 1871; Herbert Baxter Adams coined the phrase “Political Science”;
Western tradition – Ancient Greece; Ancient Rome; Plato, aristotle
Ancient India – Rig Veda, Samhitas, Brahmans, Buddhist Pali Canons, Arthashastra
- Political thought?
PT referes to the systematic reflections of the practices & institutions of political life.
- Political Theory?
Political Theory is more a theory than science. PT is both ideological & value-laden.
PS is direction-free, if not direction-less, while PT is with a direction, with a definite aim
PT stands for an abstract model of the political order, a guide to the systematic collection & analysis of political data.
Theory – A thinker’s entire teachings on a subject.
A Political Theorist has to be a part historian, a part philosopher, and a part scientist.
It is through History that PT explains what is what.
Types of PT – Classical PT, Modern PT, Contemporary PT
Uses of PT – a serious & difficult intellectual activity; study of values , norms & goals; socially conditioned ideology
Significance of PT – a social reality; an ideology; an ethic; actions; theories of man, society & history
PT explains, examines, & investigates problems where it exists & suggests the solutions to them.
PT serves as a teacher, a guide, & a philosopher of human beings.
- Political Theory: approaches?
Traditional Approach – Comparative, Historical, Philosophocal, Normative
Modern Approach – Empiricism, Behaviouralism, Others – Marxists…
- Political philosophy?
- Political phenomena?
- Relation with other subjects?
With History – “History w/o PS has no fruit; PS w/o History has no roots”
With Psychology – Politics has its roots in Psychology, the study of mental habits & vocational activities of mankind.
With Economics – Political institutions govern our economic life by making rules & regulations about banking, monetary policy, trade & so on; Since the Industrial Revolution, relation of politics to economy has been very close.
With Sociology – Sociology is a general social science with the social aggregates & attempts to discover the facts & laws of social life as a whole.
With Philosophy – Philosophy refers to thoughts about thoughts
- Politics?
The study of Politics is the study of people & societies struggling with great & enduring issues – war & peace, order & freedom, & justice & equality. Understanding why & how these issues are resolved, or fail to be resolved, is at the heart of what we study.
Politics is about “Who getsWhat, when & How”
- Sovereignty?
Soverignty of State has 2 aspects – Internal Sovereignty & External Sovereignty. IS is the State’s monopoly of authority inside its boundries. Each state is independent of other states.
- Government?
Government is an essential element of State. People live together but cannot be recognised unless they are properly organised & accept certain rules of conduct. The agency created to enforce such rules of conduct & to ensure obedience is called Government.
- State?
The state is politically organised people of a definite territory
State must possess 4 elements – Population. Territory, Government, Sovereignty
Theories of State: Constituents – Idealist, Functional, Instrumentalist, Organisational, Leviathan
Theories of State: Origins – Divine, Force, Social Contract, Evolutionary/ Historical, Marxist, Patriarchal, Matriarchal
Theories of State: Role – Minimal State (Liberals, Libertarians, Neo-Liberals), Pluralist S, Developmental S, Totalitarian S (Idealist, fascist, Conservative), Social-democratic S, Marxian s, Post Colonial S, Feminist perspective of S, Gandhian perspective of S, The hollow S, Civil society, Globalisation
- Organs of Politics?
- Organs of Government?
- Types of Politics?
- Types of Government?
- Tools of Government?
- Justice?
= Rule of Reason
Dimensions – Legal, Political, social, Economical, Socio-economical
Types – Distributive, Procedural, Restorative, Retributive, Legal, social
Libertarian justice – Hayek, Rawls, Nozick
Distributive Justice Theory – Egalitarian, Meritocratic, Equality, Need, fairness, Entitlement, Utilitarian
- Rights?
“Rights are Claims of social life w/o which no man can be his best self.”
“Rights are what we may expect from others & other from us, and all genuine rights are conditions of social welfare.”
Kinds of Rights – Moral, Legal & Contractual; Negative & Positive; active & passive; Individual, Collective & welfare; Social, economical, Political; Status based & Instrumental
- Human Rights?
Rights to which people are entitled by virtue of being humans.
- Liberty?
=the absence of restraints on the activities of individuals, and at the same time, providing opportunities for the development of individual personalities.
- Equality?
=Absence of special privileges
Types of Equality – Formal, substantive, Foundational; Equality of conditions, Opportunities, Outcomes; Numerical, proportaional; Directional
Forms of equality – Social, Economic, Political
Affirmative Actions Vs. Reservations
- Fraternity?
=a sense of brotherhood
- Power?
Power is the ability to do or act, control & influence others
Political power, Power of state, Power of Laws, Power to influence others
- Hegemony?
=The ascendency or dominanation of one element of a system over the others
- Legitimacy?
=State or quality of being legimate (to declare lawful)
Legitimacy is the capacity of the system to engender & maintain thae belief that the existing political institutions are the most appropriate ones for the society.
- Ideology?
=Science of ideas
=an organised collection of ideas

1.Liberal/ Moderate	Reforms through constitutional / Legal means
2.Conservative	Status quo
3.Progressive	Slowly reform the system (Nehru)
4.Radical	Immediately reform the system (Marx – confiscate property)
5.Reactionary	One step behind Conservatives; Go back to previous systems; Taliban/ISIS; Religious Organisations involved in politics
6.Extremist	Extremely unhappy with current system; Justify violence; Naxalites
7.Pacifist	Unhappy with current system but reject violence (Gandhiji)

Authority?

Authority = Power + Legitimacy
=Right to obtain compliance
Weber
- Democracy?
Lincoln – “Democracy is the government of the people, by the people & for the people.”
Theories of democracy (2) – Classical; Contemporary – Representative, elitist, Pluralist, Concept of people’s Democracy, Liberal, Participatory, radical, Deliberative
2 types – Direct, & Indirect
4 devices of Direct Democracy – Referendum; Initiative; Recall; Plebiscite
Indirect Democracy/Representative D – Parliamentary, & Presidential
- Republic?
In a Republic, the head of the state is always elected directly/indirectly for a fixed period.
Vesting of political sovereignty in the people & not in a single individual
Absence of any prieveleged class & hence all public offices being opened to every citizen w/o any discrimination.
- Constitution?
Constitution is a compact document that comprises a number of articles about the state, specifying how the state is to be constituted & what norm it should follow.
1^st function – to provide a set of basic rules that allow for minimal coordination amongst members of a society
2^nd function – to specify who has the power to make decision in a society; it decides how the government will be constituted
3^rd function – to set some limits on what a government can impose on its citizens. These limits are fundamental in the sense that government may never trespass them.
4^th function – to enable the government to fulfil the aspirations of a society and create conditions for a just society
- Written Constitution Vs. Un-written Constitution?

Written Constitution	Un-written C.
Enacted constitution	Evolved Constitution; most of the principles of govt. have never been enacted in the form of laws; Generally the result of historical development
Codified in a logical manner	Not logically codified
Comprising within a single document bearing a single date, or in a series of documents like France	Most of the provisions are never been reduced to writing; Conventions & usages; Certain written documents like Magna Carta, Bill of Rights
Rigid/Flexible	Flexible
Constitution is supreme	Parliament is supreme
Unitary/Federal	Unitary
India, US, Myanmar	UK

What do you mean by “Living Constitution”?

The constitution is a sacred document; it is an instrument that may require changes from time to time ; it is not a static document, it is not the final word about everything
Articles added/deleted, amendmends….

Famous Political philosophers & their ideologies?

Socrates – Not a political philosopher but a philosopher; Wisdom; Questions to know the truth;

Plato – Political philosopher; Father of philosophy; Idealist; The philosopher Ruler; Deductive – Philosophy begins with conclusion; ‘Republic’; Socratic base; Justice – ethical; Community of wives & property;

Aristotle – Father of Political Science; Political Realism; Inductive method; Reformist; Justice – judicial/legal; ‘Politics’; Rule of Law; Begins from where Plato ends up; Theory of Revolution; Theory of State; “Man by nature is a political animal”;

Machiavelli – Italy; Renaissance; ‘The Prince’; End justifies the means; “No question of just or unjust when the safety of a country is at stake”;

Thomas Hobbes – England; ‘Leviathan’; Man as selfish; Individualism disappeared; Philosophy begins with individual & ends with state;

John Locke – England; ‘A Letter to Toleration’; Individualism; A harbinger of liberal theory; Individual>State; Emphasis upon natural rights of life, liberty, & property; Atomic view of society;

S. Mill – England; John Stuart Mill; Utilitarianism; ‘On Liberty’; Individualist; No role for state; Mill as a reluctant democrat; Principle of Political economy; Respect for private property; Aimed at improvement of human kind; Equal rights for women;

Karl Marx (1818-83) – Germany; Classical Marxism; A young Hegelian with leftist leaning; Condemned Hegel’s ideas on stste; Theory of alienation; Marx+Fredrick Engles – ‘The Communist Manifesto’, ‘The Holy Family’; Social relations of production; Struggle of working class; Man is the product of his own labour; Man is essentially social by nature; Dialectical materialism; Historical materialism; Theory of Surplus Value; Critique of Capitalism; Theory of Class struggle; Dictatorship of Proletariat; Vision of a Communist Society;

Rousseau – France; Jean Jacques Rousseau; French Enlightenment; Liberty, equality & fraternity; Concept of popular Sovereignty; Theory of General Will; ‘Social Contract’ – “Man is born free and he is everywhere in Chains”; ‘Discourse on the Sciences & Arts’; Feeling > Rationality; String of heart > Knowledge of Brain; against Reason; Critique of Civil Society; Nature-based education; “No citizen shall be ever wealthy enough to buy another, & none poor enough to forced to shall himself;

Hegel (1770- 1830) – Germany; George Wilhelm Friedick Hegel; A product of German idealism; Inspiration from Rousseau & Kant; Spiritual ancestry; Idealism; Dialectical method; Philosophy of History; Pragmatic thinker – Idealist+ Rationalist; A precursor of 20^th Fascism; Classical tradition ended with Hegel;

Lenin (1870-1924) – Russia; Kazan University; ‘Development of Capitalism in Russia’; ‘What is to be done’; Party as Vanguard of the proletariat; Democratic Centralism; Imperialism; Bourgeois democratic revolution; Spontaneity elements give way to Selectivity of time & space; 1^st Marxist Revolution;

Mao Zedong (1893-1976) – aka Mao-Tse-Tung; China; 2^nd Marxist Revolution; Communist Party of China; Mao’s Long March; Mao’s Mass line – strategy of mass mobilisation of peasants; 1949 – Head of China; “Let Hundred flowers Bloom” – 1950s; Great Leap Forward; Cultural Revolution – 1966; Peasant Revolution; United Front & New Democracy;

Manu – Manu Smriti / Manu Dharmashastra (200 BC – 200 AD); 1^st man; 1^st Teacher; Man-Cosmic Relationship; Linked politics to ecology; Happiness to others => Dharma; Path of Virtue => Moksha; Main duty of King – Protect good people & punish bad ones; Caste-based punishment; Varnashrama Dharma; King’s power originates from God;

Chanakya – aka Kautilya & Bishnugupt; Arthashastra – a book on statecraft – functions & methods of running the state; Discovered in 1904 in Tanjore by Dr. Shrama Shastri; Saptanga theory – Swamy + Amatya + Janapada + Durga + Kosa + danda + Mitra; Praja Hite Rajyam; Secularisation of Political life; Religion – instrument in service of state; Mandal Theory/ Foreign Policy – 6 fold FP – Peace, War, Marching, Neutrality, Alliance & Double policy, Territorial Relations; Indian Machiavelli; Pragmatic;

Gandhi (1869-1948) – himself denied Gandhism; Swadeshi + Non-violent Satyagraha; Truth; Non-Cooperation; Liberal among Marxists, Marxist among Liberals, Democrat among Individualists, Individualist among Socialists, Idealist among Realists, Realist among Utopians, Nationalist among internationalists, Pacifist among Internationalists; ‘An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiment with Truth’; Influenced by his Mother, Gokhle, Tilak, Tolstoy, Ruskin – ‘Unto This Last’, Thoreau – ‘Essay on Civil Disobedience’, Swami Vivekananda; Relationship between Religion & Politics; Swaraj, Gram swaraj; Satya + Satyagraha + Ahimsa; Unity between Ends & Means; Gandhi’s Economics; Trusteeship; Sarvodaya; Evils of Industrialism; Concept of Swadeshi; On Parliamentarian Democracy; Gandhi’s Dream of India; 7 Social sins; Criticism – did not rise above his ruralised views, never accepted Capitalism, against modernised economy, provided gospels w/o providing infrastructure/strategy, Ramarajya – Utopian;

Ambedkar (14.04.1891-6.12.1956) – Graduated in Political science & economics; Bombay university; Columbia University; Phd – “The evolution of Provincial Finance in British India”; D.Sc – “The Problem of Rupee”; Mahad march; Temple entry movement – Nasik; Communal award; RTCs, Independent Labour party; Bombay Legislative Assembly; Prophet of Social justice; Perputation of Untouchability; Women’s Rights 7 human rights; Hindu Code Bill; “…Mahatmas have come & Mahatmas have gone….”; Justice for All; Champion of Democracy;

M. N. Roy (1887-1954) – Manavendra Nath Roy; Revolutionary; Yugantar Group; Howrah Conspiracy Case; +Vanguard party; criticised Gandhian medievalism & Conservatism; 4 Phases – Young Revolutionary (1905-1919) + A Marxist (1920-29) + Humanist critic of Marxism (1930- ) + A Radical Humanist / New Humanism; Gave a moral restatement of Marxism;

Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) – 2 periods – 1^st Revolutionary + 2^nd Pondichery saintly life from 1910; ‘Songs to Mystill’, ‘Essays on Gita’, ‘Life Divine’, ‘The foundation of Indian Culture’; 1950 – nominated for noble prize; Yoga => Supermind; Critic of British rule; never supported INC; Spiritualism Nationalism; passive resistance; No love for westernised thoughts or on its way of life;

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817-1898) – Mohammedan anglo-Oriental school => College in 1877 =>Aligarh Muslim University in 1920; Urdu of gentry, Hindi of vulgar; Muslim ideology & western education; A great educationist; A Muslim Reformer; not a communalist but a conservative; a muslim of upper caste with Mughal nobility; in f/o British;

Western philosophers vs. Indian philosophers?

Indian philosophy	Western philosophy
Spiritual & mystical in nature	Scientific, logical, rational, materialistic, & individualistic
Darshan=Looking at the world, comes from ancient scriptures like Vedas; integrated with religion	Separate & independent of religion
Truth & inner happiness above everything; inner dependent	Outer dependent; think about this life only & not about afterlife
4 Purusharthas of Artha, Kama, Dharma, & Moksha => Social responsibility	Focused upon individualism=> Individual rights

- Secularism?
=the principle of the separation of government institutions & persons mandated to represent the state from religious institutions & religious dignitaries
- Socialism?
=a political & economic theory of social organisation which advocates that the means of production, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole
- Liberalism?
Liberalism is a political & economic doctrine that emphasises on the rights & freedoms of individual & on limited powers of the state.
John Locke, J.S.Mill
- Libertarianism?
=an extreme laissez-faire political philosophy advocating only minimal state intervention in the lives of citizens
Liberty & non-aggression principles
- Neo-Liberalism?
An approach to economics & social studies in which control of economic factors is shifted from the public sector to private sector
Holds that personal liberty is maximised by limiting government interference in the operation of free market
- Communism?
=a social, political, & economic ideology and movement whose ultimate goal is the establishment of socio-economic order structured upon the common ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes, money & the state
- Fascism Vs. Nazism?

Fascism	Nazism
Italy – Mussolini;	Germany – Hitler
Period – 1919-1945	1933-1945
Rejects liberalism, democracy, & Marxism	Same
Believes in ‘Corporatism’ of all elements in society to form an ‘Organic State’	National Socialism
Not racial; anti-Zionism, State most important; Individual is for state; Discipline	Anti-semitism; Aryan race – pure race; Racial hatred
Emphasis on nationalism, corporatism, totalitarianism, militarism	Hegel’s extreme nationalism, bellicosity, & opposition of international peace
Preserve class system	Class based society as enemy

Maoism?

Maoism is the communist doctrine of Mao Zedong as formerly practised in China, having as a central idea permanent revolution and stressing the importance of pesantry, small scale industry, and agricultural collectivisation.
- Marxism?
The political, economic, and social; principles & policies advocated by Marx & Engles.
A theory & practice of of socialism including the labour theory of value, dialectic materialism, the class struggle, & dictatorship of proletariat until the establishment of a classless society.
- Idealism?
=Pursuit of perfection
The attitude of a person who believes that it is possible to live according to very high standards of behaviour & honesty
- Conservatism?
A general preference for the exixting orderof society, and an opposition to efforts to bring about sharp change.
- Utilitarianism?
=Maximum benefit of maximum people
- Anarchism?
=’without state’
Does not accept any authority; against all forms of government oppressives
- Gandhism?
=about the practices adopted by Gandhiji; Non-violence/ Ahimsa; Satyagraha; Swaraj;
- International organisations?
- International relations?
- Foreign Policy?
Acountry‘s foreign policy, also called foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve goals within its international relations
- Diplomacy?
Diplomacy( Greek = “official document conferring a privilege”) is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of states. It usually refers to international diplomacy, the conduct of international relations through the intercession of professional diplomats with regard to issues of peace-making, trade, war, economics, culture, environment, and human rights.
- Decentralisation?
Why necessary – to strengthen participatory democracy, facilitate responsive governance, ensure greater accountability and enable public service delivery according to diversified preferences of the people; to strengthen the democratic fabric through participatory governance and responsive public service delivery;
Issues associated – left to state to decide; constitution no standard model; no separate list of tax bases;
What should be done to realise the true benefits of decentralisation – functions of the local governments should be clearly stated; clear and independent sources of finance; clear mechanisms to ensure that States comply with the constitutional provisions;
- Rules, laws, & Regulations
Laws – are legislation enacted by a sovereign body to address a particular subject; Lawsare legally enforceable in the judicial courts; violation of law is punishable;
Regulations – used to monitor & enforce laws; usually made by the executive for smooth fuinctioning of the laws; provide a skeletal framework for addressing a subject;
Rules – are guidelines that are provided to maintain smooth functioning of an organisation & to maintain peace & harmony among its people; informal set of guidelines what a person must do & do not; Changed & altered depending on place, organisation & people; violation of rules can not be challenged in court of law;
- How is Political Science helping the people?
- How will Political Science help an administrator?
- Politicisation?
- Is politics bad?
- Politics in India is seen in a bad perspective, why?
- Famous Political quotations?
- Political reforms?
- Potentials of Political Science?
- Challenges before Political Science?

Challenges before Indian Politics?

LWE; Religious extremism; Communal violence; Corrupt government; Decline of institutional mechanism; Red-tappism; Bureautic attitude; Growing gap between Rich & Poor; Environmental degradation; Political fragmentation of electoral system; Porous borders; Unstable neighbourhoods; Apathy of media;

- Suggestions?

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OAS Materials – ODISHA CENSUS 2011 – Notes of Jadumani Naik

ODISHA CENSUS 2011?

Population? – 3.68 crore=>4.19 crore, decadal change 14%, 3.47 % of India, Male – 2.12 crore, Female – 2.07 crore
Sex Ratio? – 972=>979
Sex Ratio (0-6 age group)? – 953=>941
Child Population (0-6) – 14.6%=>12.6%
Density? – 236=>270, Highest – Khordha, Lowest – Kandhamal,
Decadal growth? – 14%
Literacy? M & F? – 63.1%=>72.9%, Male – 81.59%, Female – 64.01%, Highest – Khordha, Lowest – Malkangiri
District with highest/lowest Population? 1. Ganjam (35.20 lakhs), 30. Debgarh (3.12 lakhs), 10. Balangir (16.48 lakhs)
Urban Population percentage? – 16.7%
SC & ST Population? – SC – 71.88 lakhs (17.1%), ST – 22.8%
Specific Observations?
Demographics?

Census 2011 data;
BPL in 1999–2000 was 47.15% which is nearly double the Indian average of 26.10%;
Linguistic minorities – Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Telugu, Santali;

District	Headquarters	Population 2011 in Lakhs	Males	Females	Percentage decadal growth	Sex ratio	Density	Child population	Child Sex Ratio (0-6)	Literacy rate
Angul	Angul	12.72	6.55	6.17	11.55	942	199	1.46	884	78.96
Balangir	Balangir	16.49	8.31	8.17	23.29	983	251	2.07	951	65.5
Balasore	Baleswar	23.17	11.84	11.33	14.47	957	609	2.74	941	80.66
Bargarh	Bargarh	14.79	7.48	7.31	9.84	976	253	1.56	946	75.16
Bhadrak	Bhadrak	15.07	7.61	7.46	12.95	981	601	1.77	931	83.25
Boudh	Boudh	4.40	2.21	2.19	17.82	991	142	0.59	975	72.51
Cuttack	Cuttack	26.19	13.39	12.80	11.87	955	666	2.51	913	84.2
Debagarh	Debagarh	3.12	1.58	1.54	13.88	976	106	0.39	917	73.07
Dhenkanal	Dhenkanal	11.93	6.13	5.80	11.82	947	268	1.33	870	79.41
Gajapati	Paralakhemundi	5.76	2.82	2.94	10.99	1,042	133	0.83	964	54.29
Ganjam	Chhatrapur	35.20	17.77	17.43	11.37	981	429	3.98	899	71.88
Jagatsinghpur	Jagatsinghpur	11.37	5.78	5.59	7.44	967	681	1.04	929	87.13
Jajpur	Jajpur	18.26	9.26	9.00	12.43	972	630	2.07	921	80.44
Jharsuguda	Jharsuguda	5.79	2.97	2.82	12.56	951	274	0.62	938	78.36
Kalahandi	Bhawanipatna	15.73	7.85	7.88	17.79	1,003	199	2.14	947	60.22
Kandhamal	Phulbani	7.32	3.59	3.73	12.92	1,037	91	1.06	960	65.12
Kendrapara	Kendrapara	14.40	7.18	7.22	10.59	1,006	545	1.53	921	85.93
Kendujhar	Kendujhar	18.03	9.07	8.96	15.42	987	217	2.53	957	69
Khordha	Khordha	22.46	11.67	10.79	19.65	925	799	2.22	910	87.51
Koraput	Koraput	13.77	6.78	6.99	16.63	1,031	156	2.16	970	49.87
Malkangiri	Malkangiri	6.13	3.04	3.09	21.53	1,016	106	1.06	979	49.49
Mayurbhanj	Baripada	25.14	12.54	12.60	13.06	1,005	241	3.38	952	63.98
Nabarangapur	Nabarangpur	12.19	6.04	6.15	18.81	1,018	230	2.02	988	48.2
Nayagarh	Nayagarh	9.62	5.02	4.60	11.3	916	247	1.01	851	79.17
Nuapada	Nuapada	6.06	3.00	3.06	14.28	1,020	157	0.85	971	58.2
Puri	Puri	16.98	8.65	8.33	13	963	488	1.64	924	85.37
Rayagada	Rayagada	9.62	4.70	4.92	15.74	1,048	136	1.41	955	50.88
Sambalpur	Sambalpur	10.44	5.29	5.15	12.24	973	158	1.13	931	76.91
Subarnapur	Sonepur	6.52	3.33	3.19	20.35	959	279	0.77	947	74.42
Sundergarh	Sundergarh	20.81	10.56	10.25	13.66	971	214	2.49	937	74.13

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TAHASIL OFFICE AND TAHASILDAR – Notes of Jadumani Naik

Tahasil office and Tahasildar?

Tahasil office –

Aims and Objective of Organization –

i) Effective management of scarce resources like land it’s rational and equitable management to bring social reform and to boost agricultural production.
ii)To keep up-to-date the R.O.Rs and map of all tenants coming under Tahasil (village wise).
iii)To safe guard the Govt. land from the Encroachers.
iv) To settle the Government Land to landless persons, homestead less persons, private institutions and Public sectors under O.G.L.S. Rules.
v) Dispose of revenue cases expeditiously and judiciously.

As per Rules and regulations of Government of Odisha the Tahasil administration looks after the land both Rayati and Govt. coming within the jurisdiction with a view to collect Government revenue smoothly and dispose of all categories of revenue cases as and when it arises.

Mission/Vision –

Protection of Govt. Land.
ii. Updation of Records of Rights.
iii.Disposal of different types of Revenue cases.
iv.Identification of Encroachments and their removal.
v. Distribution of surplus unobjectionable Govt. land to the eligible homestead less beneficiaries.
vi. Computerization of land records.
vii. Issuance of miscellaneous certificates.
viii. Redressal of public grievances.
ix. Executive Magisterial assignments.
x. Performing important duties during natural calamities.
xi. Detection of cases U/S 23 of OLR Act.
xii. Issue of certified copy of documents.
xiii. Preservation of land records
xiv. Lease of Govt. land to other Depts., Societies.
xv. Conversion of Agril. Land to Non-agricultural purposer U/S 8(A).
xvi. Duties of miscellaneous nature etc.

Allocation of Business –

a. Collection of Revenue by R.Is and its deposits in Nizarat section.
b. Receiving revenue from R.Is and its deposits.
Establishment.
d.Collection of information from field functionaries.
e. Submission of report and return to higher quarters.
f. Audit and Inspection.
g. Disposal of Revenue cases.
h. Criminal section dealing with cases U/S 107, 109, 110, 144 and 145 of Cr. P. C
I. Keeping land records.
j. Computerization of land records.
k. Maintenance of process.
l. Stock and Store.
m. Emergency and Relief.
n. Issuance of Miscellaneous certificates.
o. Public grievances and redres
Miscellaneous

Brief History – After the abolition of the intermediary interest, laws are framed to safeguard the interest of Rayats. In the process Tahasil has become the unit of administration. It casts a responsibility on the organization to protect the interest of the tillers of the land. Besides to collect the revenue from the farmers and to contribute to State Ex-Chequer becomes paramount interest of the organization. Tahasil comprises of revenue villages with R.I Circles, G.Ps and Police Station.

Designation	Tahasildar
Powers	Administrative	Control over establishment
		Deal with transfer and posting
		Allocation of duties
		Sanctioning of leave
		Maintenance of service Book
		Recording of confidential character
		Dealing with disciplinary matter
		Supervision of Tahasil Office & R.I. Office
	Financial	Preparation of Bill & Budget
		Drawal of salary
		Sanction of G.P.F, Arrear claim
		Sanction of contingencies amount
		Checking of revenue receipts and cash book
	Statutory	Disposal of cases, under various Rules and Acts
		Performance of magistrate duty
		Conduct enquiry during natural calamities & sanctioning of appropriate relief measures
	Others	Performance of Magistrate duties
		Sending of Report & return
		Preparation of answer to Assembly & parliamentary question
		Census & Election work
Duties	Revenue collection
	Disposal of Cases of various nature
	Keeping of R.O.R. up to date
	Providing Land to Homestead less and land less Persons
	Assessment of the water Rate
	Management of Government land
	Computerization of Land records
	Perform of duty of Executive Magistrate

Decision making process –

Decision making process for the Revenue Collection is made by Tahasildar/ Addl. Tahasildar/ Revenue Supervisor and Revenue Inspectors jointly. For Revenue Collection, during harvesting period, both current and arrear collection is given importance whereas in lean session the collection on arrear collection is given importance. Prior to collection date, a 7 days notice is sent to villages, and by beat of drum (where available) the public are usually being informed.

The Procedure adopted in a lease case record –

Applications submitted by the applicant are initially sent to issue & receipt clerk on the same day. After making the diary it is sent to the D.A. on the very same day for registering the case. The D.A. on the next day by preparing the initial order send the same to Record Keeper for verification. The record is returned within 3 days, and then the applications are sent to the Revenue Inspector to enquire upon and submit his views within 15 days. After receiving the report, case is posted for hearing/ spot visit in the next 20 days. After over of proclamation period of one month final order is prepared in the next seven days. After over of Appeal period of 30 days, it is sent the case record to Sub-Collector for necessary action. Records return after 15 days and is sent to the Record Room for correction. Record corrected in the next 7 days and intimation slip sent to R.Is concerned in the next 15 days. R.I. returns intimation slip in next 15 days. The demarcation of land, delivery of possession and distribution of Patta made in the next one month. The concerned record sent back to B.Cs by the R.K. The B.Cs after 3 years consigns the record to the record Room.

Category of Documents/Records –

Sl.	Nature of Record	Details of Information available
1	Mutation	Mouza, Name of R.T. with addressed Caste, Status, Area, Plot Number, Chouhadi and Kisam, Rent, cess
2	Encroachment	Name of the Encroacher with addressed encroach land particular, Assessed back rent penalty, Priord of encroachment, nature of encroachment, annual income land held by encroacher, “KA” & “KHA” notice issued to encroacher
3	Lease (Individual)	Mouza, Name and address of lease, Caste, Status, Area, Plot Number, Kisam, Filed enquiry report of R.I. Proclamation. Lease application
4	Lease (Institution and Private Sector)	-do-
5	Certificate OPDAR	Name of C.D.R. and address, Payment of dues Notice in form No. 3, W.A. body Warrant
6	Demarcation	Name of address of applicant, land particulars which is demarcated by the R.I/ Amin in presence of land holder and witness and particulars on payment of M.F.
7	Misc. Certificate	Name and address of applicant R.I filed enquiry report, document file be the applicant, O.C. of Certificate issued in favour of applicant
8	Ceiling	Mouza, Name of R.T. with addressed Caste, Surplus land particulars which is transferred in favour of S.C./ S.T/ Land less persons after hearing and vesting from land holder
9	Record of Rights	Plot No. Khata No. Kisam Area Name of the land holders, Extent of raiyati land Government land Rent

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