General U.S. NewsJul 4, 2026·2 min read

Odisha doctors call of strike after government assurances

The Hindu – National

3h ago

Odisha doctors call of strike after government assurances

Summary

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription Published - July 05, 2026 03:19 am IST - BHUBANESWAR Image used for representational purposes. File | Photo Credit: PTI The Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA), Odisha’s largest association of government doctors, called off strike which was launched demanding better service conditions and workplace safety following assurance from the Mohan Majhi Government on Saturday (July 4, 2026). “We met Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling and had a very constructive discussion. The government assured us to form a committee within three days to deliberate on all our 10 demands, said OMSA general secretary Sanjib Kumar Pradhan. Dr. Pradhan said, “the OMSA will make detail representations on each demand before the committee and explain why is it necessary.” The government said remunerations of dental doctors would be hiked immediately and other demands will be taken up in a time-bound manner, he said The OMSA has demanded Dynamic Assured Career Progression, as per the central pay structure, from the date of eligibility, with rectification of the cadre’s pay structure and abolition of Level 15, in line with other Class I officers under the Odisha government, without any pre-conditions. Implementation of a three-year exit policy in backward and tribal regions, construction of Capital Hospital II, Odisha Medical and Health Services (OMHS) cadres only for the benefit of people, as per the requirement of expanding Bhubaneswar, were among the foremost demands. The other demands include proportionate cadre restructuring of all grades, incremental incentive for super specialists and specialists, diploma, administrators and post-mortem allowance, regular yearly Odisha Public Service Commission, strict implementation with revision of the Odisha Medicare Act with non-bailable warrant against offenders, deployment of armed security personnel and police outpost inside all health institutions and regularisation of ad-hoc doctors.

From the source

Due to the doctors’ strike, the health service has been crippled across the State

Read the full article

Published by The Hindu – National on thehindu.com

Open on thehindu.com ↗

US celebrates 250th birthday as heatwave and political tensions loom

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 250th anniversary of American independence is colliding with a country gripped by political polarization and a heat wave bearing down on millions of people across multiple states as celebrations got underway Saturday throughout the United States. The signing of the Declaration of Independence, one of history's most celebrated articulations of democratic ambitions, is being marked in myriad ways. President Donald Trump plans to speak on the National Mall before what is being billed as a historically enormous fireworks show that will rain down over the nation's capital. He was in South Dakota at Mount Rushmore on Friday, where he delivered a dark speech about the threat of communism in the U.S. The 250th anniversary of American independence is marked by various celebrations, including fireworks shows, parades, and events reflecting on the nation's history, despite challenges due to extreme heat and political tensions. Many Independence Day celebrations are facing cancellations due to an extreme heat wave affecting large portions of the U.S., with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees in many areas. The extreme heat poses significant health risks, including heat-related illnesses, exhaustion, and potentially fatal conditions, prompting officials to cancel or modify outdoor events. In Philadelphia, fireworks began to crack as early as midday in the birthplace of the nation near the site where the Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress. The celebrations are unfolding against the backdrop of a deep divide this election year that has been expanding for years, visible in everything from political expression to cultural norms to age-old questions over race, class and immigration. "They will tell you that America is just another country, where the weak struggle against the strong,” Vance said speaking aboard the USS Kearsarge in New York Harbor. (Associated Press writers Luis Andres Henao in Philadelphia, Kristie Rieken in Houston, Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Va., Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, S.C., Safiyah Riddle in Los Angeles and Jesse Bedayn, Will Weissert and Michael Kunzelman contributed to this report.) Stay updated with the latest Trending , India , World and US news.

In Mount Rushmore speech, Trump veers from U.S. exceptionalism to warnings about communism

President Trump gestures after speaking at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, near Keystone, S.D. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ushered in the 250th anniversary of American independence on Friday with soaring rhetoric about American exceptionalism before veering into a darkly political speech with warnings about a sinister threat of communism that evoked one of the country's ugliest chapters. "Communism is a mortal threat to American liberty," he said from Mount Rushmore. "It is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor or even 9/11." While the language was similar to several other speeches Trump has given in recent days, it was notable for being delivered in a national park that commemorates some of America's most prominent presidents. And it swerved from the typically apolitical, unifying speeches past presidents like Gerald Ford or Ronald Reagan have delivered during earlier high-profile Independence Day celebrations. Indeed, Trump's language evoked the Red Scare of the 1950s, when alleged communists were persecuted and blacklisted from jobs across America, from Washington to Hollywood. In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, delivered his own address that cast America as a nation of contradictions "working each day towards the perfection in which it was conceived." The president's speech capped an Independence Day eve that was otherwise most notable for a brutal heat wave the gripped much of the eastern portion of the country. Officials have warned those celebrating the holiday to stay hydrated and take air-conditioned breaks as needed. Philadelphia canceled its Salute to Independence parade Friday. "Those ideals upon which our nation was built — they are strong enough to endure any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them." Freedom 250, an organization aligned with the White House, has come to rival America250, a bipartisan group founded by Congress a decade ago.

Odisha doctors call of strike after government assurances

From the source

More in General U.S. News

US celebrates 250th birthday as heatwave and political tensions loom

In Mount Rushmore speech, Trump veers from U.S. exceptionalism to warnings about communism

A politically charged holiday: The US celebrates its 250th anniversary