Bhubaneswar: As 2025 came to an end, Odisha witnessed a year of hope and distress, from security and industrial gains to tragedies such as the self-immolation of a college student, a stampede during the Puri Rath Yatra, and controversy over the hike in salaries and allowances of MLAs.
One of the major positives for Odisha was its progress towards becoming a Naxal-free State, with security forces neutralising six red rebels, including CPI(Maoist) central committee member Ganesh Uike, who carried a bounty of Rs 1.1 crore on his head. The year also saw around 22 Maoists surrender before police under the revised Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy, which offers incentives of up to Rs 1.20 crore depending on rank.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi lauded achievements in the industrial sector, including the sanction of two semiconductor units and projects worth Rs 4.38 lakh crore for the State.
The State hogged the national spotlight over a series of distressing incidents, including the death of a college student in Balasore district following self-immolation while seeking justice in a sexual harassment case. The July incident drew widespread attention after a video of the burning woman running in the college corridor surfaced on social media. A week later, a minor girl of Delang in Puri district suffered burn injuries and later died at AIIMS, Delhi. Similar incidents involving women were reported from Kendrapara and Baragarh districts.
The State also witnessed cases of sexual assault, including the gang-rape of college students at Gopalpur beach in Ganjam district and at Baliharchandi tourist spot in Puri district, as well as the rape and murder of a teenager in Keonjhar district.
The State also witnessed incidents of mob violence during the year. In one case, a migrant worker from West Bengal was killed after a mob suspected him of being a foreign national for failing to produce an Aadhaar card.
In September, a 35-year-old Dalit man was attacked by a mob on suspicion of killing a cow in Kundeijuri village of Deogarh district, leaving his aide injured. In Ganjam district, two Dalit men were subjected to assault after being falsely accused of cattle smuggling, prompting condemnation from civil society groups.
The government faced criticism over the management of the annual Rath Yatra in Puri, after a stampede claimed three lives.