1. Prof (Dr) Niranjan Mohanty, has been awarded Homoeo Ratna Award by the Indian Institute of Homoeopathic Physicians (IIHP).

2. Dr Girendra Pal from Jaipur and Italian doctor Reznzo Galassia bagged Lifetime Achievement Award by the Indian Institute of Homoeopathic Physicians (IIHP).

3. A 72-hour campaign silence period will be in place in the remaining rounds of voting in Bengal, the Election Commission said today, 

4. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa tested positive for Covid 19 for the second time today. Earlier he tested for positive for the virus in August 2020 

5. Union minister Prakash Javadekar Friday said he has tested positive for coronavirus

6.Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala and Digvijaya Singh tested positive for Covid on Friday.

7. The Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam accused and Diamond Merchant, Nirav Modi’s extradition was approved by UK home secretary Priti Patel, giving nod to bring back the fugitive billionaire to India.

8. The ICSE board exams for Classes 10 and 12 have been deferred amid the surge in COVID-19 cases across the country. The new dates will be announced in the first week of June.

9.  The Election Commission on Friday extended the silence period from 48 hours to 72 hours in each of the remaining three of the eight phases of the West Bengal polls to be held on April 22, 26 and 29.

10. The University Grants Commission has issued an advisory to the vice-chancellors of all universities to include NCC training as General Elective Credit Course.The students opting for the course can earn academic credit. This is being done after a study was conducted by the NCC.

11. West Bengal will vote today in the fifth phase of the assembly elections held amid an alarming surge of coronavirus cases across the country.

12. A minor fire broke out Friday in a transformer at the Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital in central Delhi, but no casualty was reported, officials said.

13. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has directed Defence Research and Development Organisation or DRDO to reopen the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Covid care hospital in Delhi. He has also asked the defence body to set up a new facility in Lucknow.

14. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh each for their next of the kins who died Cuttack manhole .He also granted Rs 2 lakh for the labourer who is undergoing treatment at SCB hospital.

15. Odisha government has constituted a state level committee headed by ADG, Crime Branch to check and prevent hoarding and black marketing of essential supplies for treatment of Covid patients.

16. Former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Ranjit Sinha died here on Friday morning. He was 68.

17. All technical institutions including ITIs/Polytechnics/Engineering and Professional Colleges/Technical Universities in Odisha will be closed from April 19 until further orders.

18. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today took his second dose of COVID-19  vaccine. Patnaik was administered COVAXIN at the State Assembly Dispensary here. He had received the first dose of the vaccine on March 1.

19. On 16.04.21Odisha capital reported as many as 311 fresh COVID-19 cases as the number of active cases in the city surged to 1981. Out of the 311 cases, 66 were detected in quarantine while 245 are local contact cases.

20. Despite the economic slowdown due to Covid-19 pandemic, Odisha recorded a growth of nearly 20% in overall revenue collection in 2020-21 financial year over the previous year.