Bhubaneswar (PTI): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced a cash award of Rs 1.5 crore for javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena from the state who has bagged a silver at the ongoing Asian Games in China's Hangzhou.

With a personal best of 87.54 m, Kishore has also qualified for Paris Olympics, 2024.

"The award is in recognition of his stellar performance, his perseverance and determination. I congratulate him on his win at the Asian Games and also qualifying for the Paris Olympics. Kishore's triumph not only reflects personal excellence but also serves as an inspiration for budding athletes across the country," Patnaik said in a statement.

He assured all support for Kishore for his preparation for the Olympics next year.

Last month, Patnaik had felicitated Jena with a cash award of Rs 50 lakh for his outstanding performance at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary.

Meanwhile, celebrations began at Kishore's native village Kothasahi near Bramhagiri in Puri district. His family members distributed sweets to the villagers to celebrate the moment.

"He was practicing hard for the Asian Games. I have not seen him for the last two years as he was busy in his practice," Kishore's mother said.

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Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered a probe by the special task force (STF) into alleged irregularities in the rejoining of a teacher at City Intermediate College in Barabanki, observing that the reinstatement appeared to be prima facie illegal.

The court also directed the recovery of the salary paid to the teacher during the disputed period.

A bench of Justice Rajeev Singh passed the order on a petition filed by the college management committee. The court expressed doubts over the roles of the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Barabanki, the college principal and the teacher concerned and hence, directed a detailed inquiry into the matter.

Taking note of alleged manipulation of records and misleading submissions, the court ordered the immediate transfer of the Barabanki DIOS to ensure a fair probe. It also directed the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the then joint director of education of the Ayodhya division.

In its order, the court found that the teacher, Abhay Kumar, was initially appointed as an assistant teacher in 2018 but joined an Eklavya Model Residential School in Chhattisgarh as a lecturer in June 2024 without obtaining permission from the management. His subsequent request to retain the lien was rejected.

Despite this, he was allowed to rejoin the Barabanki College in September 2025 on the directions of the joint director of education and the DIOS, and was even paid the salary for October 2025. The court termed the rejoining "wholly illegal" and lacking any legal basis.

The bench also expressed concern over lapses in communication within the education department and directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to ensure that official orders are communicated through email and WhatsApp as well, to prevent disputes.

The matter is next listed for hearing on May 28 when a compliance report is sought.