1.Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a green signal to India's first Vande Bharat sleeper train, which will connect Howrah, near Kolkata, to Kamakhya Junction in Guwahati. While the train is built to reach a top speed of 180 kmph, it is expected to operate at a maximum of 120-130 kmph.

2.The Odisha government will convene an all-party meeting on January 23 as part of its efforts to resolve the Mahanadi water dispute with neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

3.Ensuring speedy justice and early resolution of women’s grievances, the Odisha Government on Saturday launched Nari Adalat (courts for women) in 10 aspirational districts of the state.

4.The Odisha government has asked the authorities of state-run universities and colleges to identify non-performing teachers for compulsory premature retirement and submit compliance reports by January 31.

5.Venezuelan Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gave her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump during a White House meeting, in a bid to influence his efforts to shape her country’s political future.

6.There are no suspected Nipah virus cases in state, said Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) Minister Mukesh Mahaling Friday.

7.The state government will introduce 55 NCERT textbooks across all schools from 2026–27 academic year, reflecting the Odisha’s culture, heritage, and educational needs.

8.National Informatics Centre (NIC) of Odisha has been honoured with Digital Initiative for Ensuring Rural Connectivity and Digital Services Award for Directorate of Export Promotion and Marketing Online Services (DEPMOS) project.

9.The Supreme Court Friday dismissed a plea by Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma challenging the Lok Sabha Speaker’s decision to admit a motion seeking his removal and legality of the parliamentary panel probing corruption charges against him.

10.In a major crackdown on organised cattle smuggling, Odisha Police detained nine alleged cattle mafia members and seized cash over Rs 1.4 crore, gold, silver and vehicles during coordinated raids across four districts.

11.India's fintech sector raised a total of $2.4 billion in 2025, marking a 2 per cent increase from $2.3 billion in 2024, and ranked third globally behind the US and the UK, a report said Friday.

12.Maruti Suzuki India Friday said it has started shipments of its mid-size sports utility vehicle Victoris to overseas markets. Over 450 vehicles have set sail from Mundra and Pipavav ports for global markets.

13.Odisha gears up for ten days of world-class hockey and electrifying action as the final leg of the Men’s Hero Hockey India League 2026 is set to kick off at Kalinga Stadium Saturday here.

14.FC Goa players, including India captain Sandesh Jhingan, and support staff have accepted pay cut for the truncated Indian Super League (ISL) season beginning February 14, the club said, terming their decision as a "selfl ess" act

15.The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday recovered cash worth Rs 2.5 crore during search operations conducted at multiple locations in Ganjam in connection with the illegal excavation and sale of minor minerals, like sand and black stone, officials said.