As the second wave of COVID-19 wanes and the country begins to unlock, it is important to not let complacency set in. It is imperative that the lessons learnt are put to use in preparing for a possible third wave that could be even more lethal than the one we are battling now. A status-check for Odisha is in order.…

From broad-basing and accelerating economic growth to creating jobs and incomes, small businesses can play a big role in Odisha post Corona. The potential is enormous, so are the hurdles. How do we harness the opportunity, and overcome the challenges? Watch this insightful dialogue to know more.

When we have the solutions, why are we still vulnerable? A 480-kilometre coastline makes Odisha one India’s most vulnerable states to extreme climate events, the occurrence of which has become more frequent in recent times. Every five years, the state faces a severe cyclone, while cyclonic storms of moderate intensity have almost become an annual feature associated with changing patterns…

As the government and education boards battled the dilemma of whether to cancel or not to cancel the board exams, Odisha Dialogues reached out to students, parents and educationists to debate the issue in a larger perspective. In focus was a question that has been long ignored, but there couldn't be better time to seek the answer to how and…

If the worst has yet to come, how do we brace for it? For answers, Odisha Dialogues looks at the experiences of a Covid survivor, a Sarpanch in charge of a quarantine centre and a livelihood programme manager who has been tracking victims of the pandemic. They are joined by a panel of public health experts who weigh in on…

Can India's Judiciary Rescue Her Democracy? Free and fair elections, fundamental freedoms and an independent judiciary, which form the "basic structure" of India’s constitution, are being attacked at an unprecedented and alarming rate, according to Justice Madan Lokur who sees India’s democracy to be under severe duress today. Delivering the inaugural Madhu Babu Memorial Lecture organised by Odisha Dialogues, the…

Growing urbanisation, unsustainable extraction of mineral resources and a gradual erosion of the right of river are causing Odisha's rivers to dry up. The crisis has reached an alarming level, especially with the "illegal" construction of a large number of dams by the state of Chhattisgarh in the upper reaches of River Mahanadi -- the mainstay of Odisha's river system.…

Among the many books on the pandemic, Covid-19: Separating Fact From Fiction is a stand-out publication -- for the information and insights it offers, for the way it blends science, history and sociology, and, above all, for the clarity and ease with which Author Dr Anirban Mahapatra talks to the reader. In a highly engaging session, Odisha Dialogues' founding member…

A year has passed since India imposed one of world's harshest lockdowns in response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly afterwards, the nation as well as the global community witnessed one of the most unprecedented phenomena that caused misery of unimaginable scale to millions of poor migrant workers. Odisha Dialogues in collaboration with Harsha Trust holds a special webinar…

Post Pandemic Recovery: Is there a case for growth through equity? Former chief economist at the World Bank and Professor of Economics at Cornell University Dr Kaushik Basu speaks to Odisha Dialogues on the state of the Indian Economy and what lies ahead. In a free-wheeling conversation with the forum's founder director Rajesh Mahapatra, he talks about a wide-range of…