Nor'westers affect normal life in Odisha
Bhubaneswar, May 23: Normal life in several parts of Odisha was affected due to Nor'westers accompanied by rain and thunderstorms on Wednesday.
Bhubaneswar Met Director Sarat Chandra Sahu said: "A cloud mass that had formed near Odisha-West Bengal border is moving towards the south triggering heavy rains in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. It is likely to move towards Puri first and then to the Bay of Bengal."
Many people were seen stranded at railway stations and different bus stops due to waterlogging.
The East Coast Railway (ECoR) cancelled four trains, partially cancelled three and controlled more than 10 trains at several places due to the inclement weather.
Overhead wires of the railways were damaged at several places, including near Retang in Bhubaneswar, while signalling system has also been affected due to the squalls, said an official.
Services of Angul-Puri Passenger, Tata-Kacheguda Special, Talcher-Puri Passenger, Bhadrak-Bhubaneswar Passenger, Puri-Cuttack Passenger, Palasa-Cuttack Passenger, Secunderabad-Howrah Falaknuma Express, Bangalore Cant-Bhubaneswar Express, Puri-Santragachhi Passenger, Puri-New Delhi Nandankanan Express were in waiting at different stations.
The Cuttack-Paradeep-Cuttack Passenger and Cuttack-Bhadrak-Cuttack Passenger were cancelled.
The Cuttack-Puri Passenger will originate from Mancheswar instead of Cuttack while Bhubaneswar-Brahmapur Passenger will run up to Balugaon and will return to Bhubaneswar as Brahmapur-Bhubaneswar Passenger from Balugaon to Bhubaneswar, said the official.
Services of Bhubaneswar-Brahmapur-Bhubaneswar Passenger will remain cancelled between Balugaon and Brahmapur from both the directions.
Palasa-Cuttack Passenger and Cuttack-Puri Passenger will remain cancelled between Mancheswar and Cuttack.
Meanwhile, a Bhubaneswar-bound flight from New Delhi was diverted to Kolkata on Wednesday due to bad weather in the city.
The Vistara UK 785 Delhi-Bhubaneswar flight, which left Delhi at 7 a.m. and was scheduled to reach Bhubaneswar at 9.05 am, was diverted to Kolkata due to bad weather here, the airline sources said.
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Justice Nagarathna dissents on SC collegium’s recommendation of Justice Pancholi
Dissent cites seniority concerns, Gujarat High Court’s over-representation
New Delhi: Supreme Court judge B.V. Nagarathna has recorded a dissent note against the collegium’s recommendation to elevate Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi to the apex court, The Indian Express reported.
The five-member collegium, comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, J.K. Maheshwari, and Nagarathna, reached the decision with a 4–1 split. Justice Nagarathna, the lone woman on the bench, opposed Pancholi’s elevation, citing concerns over seniority and regional representation.
Justice Pancholi ranks 57th on the all-India seniority list of high court judges. Justice Nagarathna reportedly objected to the move, noting that it came less than three months after another judge from the Gujarat High Court, Justice N.V. Anjaria, was elevated to the Supreme Court. She argued that advancing Pancholi would bypass several senior judges and further increase Gujarat’s representation at the top court, while other high courts remain underrepresented.
Her dissenting note, according to reports, emphasized that such decisions could undermine the credibility of the collegium system and have long-term consequences for the administration of justice.
Justice Pancholi, who served nearly two decades in the Gujarat High Court, was transferred to Patna High Court in July 2023 and appointed its Chief Justice in July 2025. His elevation, along with that of Justice Anjaria, was intended to maintain Gujarat’s representation in the Supreme Court following the retirements of Justices M.R. Shah and Bela Trivedi earlier this year.
With a sanctioned strength of 34 judges, the Supreme Court follows criteria of seniority, merit, integrity, and regional balance in appointments. Justice Nagarathna’s dissent highlights ongoing debates about diversity and fairness in judicial elevations.
