People, Positions and Obituaries · 17 February 2026

Geeta Patnaik Passes Away at 73 as Iconic Odia Singer

Exam-focused facts from the 17 February 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • Renowned Odia vocalist Geeta Patnaik passed away at the age of 73 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Cuttack, Odisha.
  • The singer had been hospitalised after suffering a brain stroke and was declared brain dead on Sunday.
  • Her musical career spanned over five decades, during which she became one of the most influential voices in the Odia music industry.
  • She was widely recognised for her frequent collaborations with the legendary Odia singer Akshaya Mohanty.
  • One of her most notable contributions to Odia cinema was lending her voice to the popular song Phur Kina Udigala Bani from the film Jajabar.
  • Condolences were expressed by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik.

View this story in the full daily briefing

Earlier coverage selected by topic similarity to help connect developments over time.

Abhijit Majumdar dies at 54

Abhijit Majumdar, Odia composer-singer, died at the age of 54 while undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. He was admitted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar on September 4 last year with hypertension, hypothyroidism and chronic…

SP Venkatesh Passes Away as Veteran Music Director

Veteran music director SP Venkatesh passed away at the age of 70 at his residence in Chennai following a cardiac arrest. He began his film career in 1971 as a guitarist and later served as an assistant music director in…

Ranjana Sharma Bordoloi passed away at 80.

Ranjana Sharma Bordoloi was a veteran Assamese actress. She starred in popular Assamese films such as ‘Dr Bezbarua’ (1969), ‘Kokadeuta Nati aru Hati’ (1983), ‘Maniram Dewan’ (1964), ‘Morom Trishna’ (1968), ‘Loti-Ghoti’…