Promises overloadAt Utkal University’s hostel-7, students say assurances flow more easily than clean water. As jaundice-like cases resurface, authorities have again promised a permanent fix. Residents, however, remain sceptical, joking that while clean water comes and goes, promises never run dry. “Promises are perhaps the hostel’s most consistent supply,” quipped a student.Odia soulIPS officer Arun Bothra is proof that learning never stops. Growing up near Punjab, Punjabi came naturally to him. But after three decades in Odisha, Odia has quietly occupied mind space. Now, whenever he gets a chance to speak Punjabi, an Odia word suddenly jumps into the conversation. Imagine asking for lassi and accidentally throwing in a ‘bhala achhi’. The result? A few puzzled looks, a few smiles, and proof that after 30 years in Odisha, even Punjabi sentences need an Odia transit permit.Nobel intentionCuttack collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde may have just launched the strongest campaign yet for Dahibara Aloodum. Posting a photo of the beloved snack, he joked that its inventor deserved a Nobel Prize, perhaps even for world peace, given how many tea-stall debates end over a plate of dahibara and a cup of chai. The internet lapped it up, with some proposing him as the dish’s brand ambassador.Changing rules?The termination of Odisha revenue service officer Manisha Mishra over allegations of accepting a Rs 7,000 bribe has sparked a social media debate, with many drawing comparisons to the case of 2021-batch IAS officer Dhiman Chakma. Arrested in 2025 in an alleged Rs 10 lakh bribery case, Chakma was suspended, then reinstated. Online, many are now asking whether the anti-corruption rulebook comes in different editions.Challenging taskUnion agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan discovered that dehusking a coconut is easier said than done when he tried a pedal-operated coconut dehusker during his Odisha visit. While a woman effortlessly worked the CIWA-developed machine at full speed, Chouhan struggled to keep up. Amid cheers and good-natured laughter, he admitted he was still a rookie but praised the innovation for making coconut dehusking faster and less strenuous for women.(Contributed by Team TOI)