Maruti Suzuki India Limited has commenced commercial production at its fourth plant in Hansalpur, Gujarat. This new facility has an annual capacity of 250,000 units, bringing the total capacity of the Hansalpur site to 1 million units and the company's overall national capacity to 2.9 million units. The plant will initially focus on producing the e-Vitara electric vehicle. Separately, due to flood situations in Odisha, schools in Bhadrak district are closed, and devotee entry is restricted at Dhabaleswar shrine. https://sambad.in/india-and-beyond/maruti-suzuki-begins-production-at-fourth-unit-in-hansalpur-12213606

Due to the possibility of heavy rain caused by a low-pressure system, the District Collector of Jagatsinghpur has declared a holiday for all schools and Anganwadis tomorrow. This order applies to all government, private, higher secondary schools, OAVs, and Kendriya Vidyalayas. The decision was taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students. https://otvkhabar.in/odisha/jagatsinghpur-declares-school-holiday-tomorrow-due-to-heavy-rainfall-and-low-pressure-weather-conditions-12199366

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is launching a pilot project to introduce plastic (polymer) notes in India. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary announced in Lok Sabha that 100 crore notes of Rs 10 and Rs 20 denominations, valued at Rs 3,000 crore, will be printed. Five cities—Bhubaneswar, Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur, and Shimla—have been selected for field trials to test durability across different climates. Polymer notes are water-resistant and more durable than paper ones. The government clarified there is no plan to replace existing paper currency entirely. https://argusnews.in/national/rbi-to-print-3000-crore-plastic-notes-bhubaneswar-trial

A recent government report presented in Parliament reveals a significant shift in India's education landscape over the last five years. Muslim female students are now outpacing male students in higher education enrollment. Factors such as improved access to institutions, government scholarship schemes, and career aspirations are driving this growth. While overall minority enrollment has increased, the data also shows that religion-specific dropout rates are not separately tracked at the school level. Despite progress, the overall participation of the Muslim community in higher education remains below their population proportion. https://odishasambad.in/muslim-girls-outnumber-boys-in-higher-education-government-data-parliament/

Leading jewelry brand Tanishq has launched Diamond Expertise Centres (DXC) at three stores in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack to provide a transparent diamond buying experience. Customers can benefit from expert guidance and modern evaluation tools for natural diamonds. The brand also introduced various collections like 'Srotika', inspired by Odisha's heritage. Under the 'Festival of Diamonds', Tanishq is offering a 20% discount on diamond value and zero deduction on old gold exchange until September 3rd. https://sambad.in/business/tanishq-diamond-expertise-centers-launch-bhubaneswar-cuttack-odisha-12215221

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has stayed a show-cause notice issued by AIIMS Bhubaneswar to Professor Debasish Hota, HOD of Pharmacology. Dr. Hota alleged harassment by the management because he had filed a case in the High Court regarding the appointment of a permanent director. The notice was issued regarding a one-day leave taken by him. The CAT has granted the respondents three weeks to file a response and scheduled the next hearing for August 31. https://sambad.in/metro/aiims-bhubaneswar-professor-debashish-hota-cat-stay-show-cause-notice-12214111

A tragic double death has occurred in Sagarpali village, Jharsuguda district. A 26-year-old youth named Sunil Patania died after being bitten by a poisonous snake while sleeping. In a shocking turn of events, while the family was performing Sunil's last rites at the cremation ground, his 75-year-old uncle, Indrajit Patania, collapsed and died. Indrajit was reportedly a kidney patient. The twin tragedies in a single day have left the entire village in a state of mourning. https://sambad.in/state/youth-dies-of-snakebite-uncle-collapses-during-last-rites-in-jharsuguda-family-mourns-two-deaths-in-a-day-12209963

Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen returned to Kolkata after 19 years on Friday. She was forced to leave the city in 2007 following protests against her controversial book 'Dwikhandito'. Currently residing in Delhi, the 63-year-old author expressed her happiness upon landing at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. She is scheduled to attend an anti-fundamentalism event at Rabindra Sadan. Her visit has sparked political debate, with TMC and BJP leaders expressing conflicting views. https://sambad.in/india-and-beyond/taslima-nasreen-returns-to-kolkata-19-years-after-she-was-forced-to-leave-12216156

Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurveda is set to enter the insurance market after receiving approval from IRDAI to acquire Magma General Insurance. The deal is valued at ₹4,500 crore, where Patanjali will hold a 73.6% stake and the DS Group will hold 24.5%. The acquisition from Adar Poonawalla's Sanoti Properties was delayed for 16 months due to regulatory processes. This move marks Patanjali's expansion from consumer goods and medicines into the financial services sector. https://sambad.in/india-and-beyond/patanjali-insurance-policy-magma-general-insurance-acquisition-approved-12211989

President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to visit Odisha for three days from August 3 to 5. During her visit, she will travel from Bhubaneswar to Berhampur by train on August 4. DGP Yogesh Bahadur Khurania chaired a high-level security review meeting to ensure tight security coordination between the police, railway, and administration. Special focus has been placed on railway track patrolling, level crossing security, and anti-sabotage checks along the VVIP route. https://sambad.in/state/president-droupadi-murmus-three-day-odisha-visit-from-august-3-high-level-security-review-conducted-12216139