Current Affairs - State

The Bhimmandali Eco Heritage Site was inaugurated in Sambalpur, Odisha, by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on May 10, 2026. Located within the Naktideul Forest Range, the site is historically significant for its ancient rock paintings and stone inscriptions dating back more than 20,000 years. It served as a human shelter from the Old Stone Age to the Neolithic period. The site also has mythological importance linked to Bhima from the Mahabharata and features a cave dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati as Gupteswar. Odisha, formed on April 1, 1936, celebrates its foundation day annually as Utkal Divas.

The Annapurna Bhandaar scheme was announced in West Bengal on May 11, 2026, by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The scheme aims to provide direct financial support of ₹3,000 per month to eligible women through bank transfers. It replaces the earlier Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, which offered lower financial assistance to women from the general and SC/ST categories. Along with financial aid, the state government also introduced free travel for women on state-run buses. The initiative reflects the government’s focus on women’s welfare, social security, and economic empowerment while integrating several central government schemes within the state.

The Tamil Nadu government established the Singappen Special Task Force as a dedicated police wing focused on improving women’s safety and protection across the state. The initiative aims to strengthen preventive measures, security systems, and rapid response mechanisms for crimes against women. The task force functions under the direct supervision of the Chief Minister and includes several high-ranking police officers, such as an Inspector General of Police, Superintendent of Police, Deputy Superintendents, Inspectors, and Sub-Inspectors. Alongside this initiative, the state also carried out key administrative restructuring under the IAS (Pay) Rules, 2016, reflecting the government’s emphasis on governance reforms and public safety.

Jharkhand achieved a remarkable milestone by recording a zero per cent primary school dropout rate in 2024-25. The state also showed major progress in reducing upper primary and secondary school dropout rates. In addition, transition rates from primary to upper primary and secondary education improved significantly. Girls’ enrolment in higher secondary education also increased notably. Despite these achievements, the state still faces challenges such as declining academic performance in mathematics and language scores, a high pupil-teacher ratio, and thousands of teaching vacancies. These developments highlight both the progress and ongoing educational concerns in Jharkhand.

Odisha secured the top position in India for achieving the highest number of housing completions under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U 2.0). The state consistently maintained the number one rank from March 2025 to March 2026 for urban housing completion performance. Under the scheme’s second phase, more than 24,000 houses were sanctioned in Odisha, with a large number successfully geo-tagged and several thousand units under active construction. The initiative is managed by the Housing and Urban Development Department in coordination with Urban Local Bodies. PMAY-U aims to provide durable and affordable housing to eligible urban households across the country.