Page 2 - Kerala Govt

Centre gave no funds for Kerala's coastal protection: Minister Saji Cherian

Kerala Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian on Saturday claimed that the central government has not given a single rupee for protecting the 600-km long coastal area of the state from getting flooded by sea water during the rainy season. According to Cherian, the Centre was requested to provide funds for coastal region protection, "but not a single rupee was given". Despite the lack of aid from the Centre, the Left government has implemented the most number of welfare projects for the people of the coastal region. He was speaking with reference to the recent protests in Chellanam here over coastal erosion and flooding of homes in the area by sea water. He also said the state government was carrying out work for protection of the coastline at various places, including Chellanam here and Chethy in Alappuzha district, but availability of raw materials, like rocks, is a problem. "So, we shifted to tetrapods from rocks. Now we are exploring the possibility of using geotubes and if it can be

India seeks tighter container safety, cargo disclosure norms in IMO meet

The development comes at the heels of IMO's ongoing session of the Maritime Safety Committee, where India brought up the recent sinking of the Liberian-flagged vessel MSC ELSA 3

Kerala to move court to recover ₹1,500 cr withheld by Centre over PH SHRI

The Kerala government on Tuesday said it would explore both legal and protest avenues to secure over Rs 1,500 crore in funds allegedly withheld by the Centre under various centrally sponsored schemes because Kerala has not signed the PM SHRI scheme memorandum. State General Education Minister V Sivankutty said that Kerala will join forces with Tamil Nadu to press for their rightful share. He accused the central government of discriminatory practices. "I have already spoken to the Tamil Nadu Education Minister twice and will be meeting him next week," Sivankutty told PTI Video, underlining a coordinated effort between the two southern states. The funds in question have allegedly been held back due to Kerala's refusal to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) associated with the PM Sree scheme a central government initiative aimed at upgrading select schools across India. Minister Sivankutty further cited a Supreme Court judgement in a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government,

Centre in SC opposes Kerala's stand to withdraw plea against governor

The Centre in the Supreme Court on Tuesday opposed Kerala government's stand to withdraw its petition against Governor over the delay in approving bills passed by the state assembly. The submission of senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for the Kerala government, before a bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi was opposed by solicitor general Tushar Mehta. These are constitutional issues. It cannot be filed lightly and withdrawn lightywe are working on the issues involved, Mehta said. Calling it strange, Venugopal asked how could his plea be opposed. When a person of your stature withdraws then even withdrawal has to be taken seriously, Mehta added. Venugopal said the petition, which was filed against the delay on the part of Governor in granting assent to bills, had become infructuous as the bills were sent to President later. He said the aspect was challenged in a subsequent plea of the state government. The bench acknowledged that the state had the r

From protest to prosperity: Vizhinjam port offers new hope for local youth

Just a few years ago, the name Vizhinjam was at the heart of fierce protests. Now, it is being spoken of as a symbol of opportunity and progress, especially among the youth in this coastal village. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially commissioned the Vizhinjam International Seaport, a project once met with strong resistance from the local fishermen community. Today, it stands as a source of pride and employment for many of those same residents. "Who wouldn't want a good job in their hometown?" asked Rahul, a young man from the fishermen community, stepping out of the port wearing his safety helmet and uniform. He is among the 35 per cent of port workers who are from Vizhinjam. Many more are hoping to follow his lead. The port has slowly changed public opinion in the area. Years of protests, supported by the local Church, brought life in Vizhinjam to a standstill for over four months. It was only after a meeting with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that the ..

SC to hear Kerala's pleas against Governor over delay in approving bills

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear on May 6 the pleas of the Kerala government against the governor over the delay in approving bills passed by the state assembly. A bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for the state government, that the verdict of another bench on the plea of Tamil Nadu covered the issues raised in the present petition. Venugopal said the judgement delivered by a bench headed by Justice J B Pardiwala framed guidelines and set timelines for governors and the President on granting assent to bills. What is the timeline for making a reference to the President by the governor and this issue is dealt with by that judgement, the senior lawyer said. We will look into that judgement and see whether issues raised here are covered, the bench said and fixed the pleas for further hearing on May 6. Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appeari

KEAM 2025: Admit card to be issued today at official website, details here

The office of the Commissioner for Entrance Exams (CEE), Kerala will issue the Kerala Engineering Agriculture and Medical (KEAM) admit card 2025 today, April 10 at cee.kerala.gov.in

Kerala Ezhava leader sparks row by calling Malappuram a 'separate nation'

Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan has made controversial remarks against Muslim-dominated Malappuram district in the state, describing it as a "separate nation" or an exclusive "state of certain people". SNDP is an organisation that represents the numerically strong Ezhava community in Kerala. While addressing a convention of community members at Chungathara here on Friday, Natesan said that people belonging to the backward community are living under constant fear in Malappuram. He charged that the community members could not even breathe freely here and were treated just as "voting machines". "I think, you (community members) cannot live here speaking your independent opinion. Malappuram is a separate nation...or a separate state of certain people." He further said that was the reason for the continuing backwardness of Ezhava people in Malappuram. He sought to know whether the community members in Malappuram have received any benef

Kerala raises age for class 1 admissions to 6 yrs: State Education Minister

Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty announced on Thursday that the minimum age for admission to Class 1 in the state has been raised to six years. The minister made the announcement during a press conference held here. Sivankutty said that, until now, children could be admitted to Class 1 at the age of five, but scientific studies suggest that they are better prepared for formal education after turning six. "That is why all countries with well-developed education systems set the age of entry for formal education at six years or above," Sivankutty said. In Kerala, parents have traditionally enrolled children in Class 1 at the age of five, he noted. However, more than 50 per cent of students now begin school at age six, and this trend should be encouraged, he added. Sivankutty said the revised age requirement for Class 1 admissions would come into effect from the 202627 academic year. Apart from the age revision, the Minister also discussed the government's efforts to c

Kerala govt to urge Centre to regulate airfares for Haj pilgrims, expats

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday that the state government would continue to pressurise the union government to regulate the exorbitant ticket charges imposed by airline companies on Haj pilgrims and expatriates. Airline companies are charging huge amounts as ticket fare from Haj pilgrims and expatriate Keralites who come to the home state during festival seasons and on vacation, the CM said while replying to a submission in the state Assembly. A letter has already been sent to the Union Minister of Civil Aviation seeking the intervention of the Centre in this regard, he said. The issue was also discussed during the recent meeting of Members of Parliament ahead of the monsoon session of the Parliament, he said. The Centre, however, adopted a stand that airlines are responsible for setting and revising airfares and, that the government does not interfere in their commercial and marketing activities, Vijayan further said. By removing the restrictions on fixing

ASHA workers begin indefinite hunger strike outside Kerala Secretariat

A section of ASHA workers, protesting outside the Secretariat here for 39 days, on Thursday intensified their agitation with three of their members starting an indefinite hunger strike as part of their demands for post retirement benefits and increased honorarium. The indefinite hunger strike was kicked off amidst slogans against the ruling Left government with the protesting Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers accusing it of "corruption" and being "cruel" towards them. Prior to the start of the hunger strike, Congress leader and former state Health Minister V M Sudheeran met the protesting ASHA workers and extended his support to them. Thereafter, speaking to reporters here, he accused the ruling CPI(M) of adopting a "neo-fascist" stand against the protestors. "They appear to be attracted by neo-fascism," he said. When reporters told him that state Health Minister Veena George went to Delhi earlier in the day to raise the issue of the ASHA workers, he termed it as ...

ASHA workers intensify agitation in Kerala laying siege to Secretariat

Hundreds of ASHA workers, who have been staging a protest for over a month pressing various demands, on Monday intensified their agitation by laying a siege to the state's Secretariat here. A section of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers has been protesting here for the last 36 days seeking post-retirement benefits and a hike in their honorarium. As they are yet to get any assurance from the authorities on their demands, the agitators today laid a siege to the Secretariat by blocking its various gates, in the heart of the city. After gathering at the protest venue, they moved towards the state's administrative hub, squatted on the road and raised slogans. Police placed barricades on the premises to block the protesters. Security was intensified in and around the Secretariat and over 800 police personnel were deployed to prevent the protesters from entering Secretariat. Police said the agitation didn't create any hurdle to the normal functioning of the Secretariat.

Kerala CSR scam: 1,343 cases registered, 6 persons nabbed, says CM Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said that scamsters collected Rs 281.43 crore from 48,386 people by promising scooters at half the price using CSR funds, but gave vehicles only to 16,348 people as per 386 cases registered into the CSR fund scam in which investigation began. Responding to a query raised by CPI(M) MLA Murali Perunelly on the status of probe into the CSR scam, Vijayan told Assembly that the police have registered 1,343 cases related to the scam till March 12. Of these, 665 cases have been handed over to the Superintendent of Crime Branch, Ernakulam, leading the special investigation team under the supervision of ADGP (Crimes), CM said. The CM was referring to the case where thousands of people were allegedly cheated by falsely promising two-wheelers and laptops at half price using CSR funds. The Chief Minister added that several crucial documents were seized from the prime accused, whose bank accounts have been frozen. The police have arrested six ..

Occurrence of crimes against women in Kerala is concerning: CM Vijayan

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said while crimes against women have come down in the state due to government interventions, their occurrence even now in a progressive society like that of Kerala was a matter of serious concern. Vijayan, after inaugurating the International Women's Day celebrations organised here by the Kerala Women's Commission (KWC), said that everyone needs to work together to ensure there are no crimes against women in the state. He further said that despite the southern state's history of empowering women, many of them were still not confident to come out in public spaces. "As a result, they are unable to make use of the various opportunities that are available to them nowadays. This needs to change," the CM said. He said that the KWC has been able to bring about notable changes in relation to women empowerment in society in the last three decades and expressed hope that its activities will continue to do so in future. The CM also said that Kerala

Kerala exploring ways to generate revenues without burdening people: CM

Kerala is always exploring ways to improve its finances by generating revenues without burdening the people, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said and asserted that the state's journey is quite exciting. Against the backdrop of persisting differences with the BJP-led Centre on various issues, including lower devolution of central funds and inadequate relief measures for Wayanad rehabilitation works, Vijayan took a swipe at the central government saying "Kerala is being left in the lurch even during disasters". In an interview to PTI, the strongman of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) also said the state wants to attract more investments. The two-day Investor Kerala Global Summit (IKGS), which concluded on February 22, attracted expressions of interest for investments worth Rs 1.53 lakh crore, with the government emphasising that all steps are taken to ensure that there are no cobwebs of procedural delays and red tapism. "We are always exploring ways to improve our finances,

Major changes underway to make Kerala a investment hub: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Highlighting the growth potential in the state, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said changes happening in the state are substantial and efforts are on to ensure an investor-friendly architecture. Inaugurating the Invest Kerala Global Summit (IKGS) here, he said every nerve will be strained and no stone will be left unturned to make the state an investment destination. "We take criticisms in our stride and try to understand what remains to be done in our march forward in making Kerala an investment destination," he emphasised. Vijayan is heading the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government for the second straight term. "Major strides have been made in simplifying the procedures," the chief minister said and stressed that the changes are not incremental but are substantial. The government considers itself as a facilitator and catalyst for investments, the chief minister said and added that serious steps are also being taken to transform the higher education sector. A

Private university bill necessary in accordance with times: Kerala edu min

Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu on Tuesday defended the cabinet decision approving a draft bill for the establishment and management of private universities in the state, saying that it was a necessary move in accordance with the changing times. Bindu, speaking to reporters here, said that it was a decision which the state could no longer avoid and that it was necessary for the progress and improvement of higher education in Kerala. She said that the cabinet also approved a bill for bringing changes to the functioning of state-run universities. The minister said that the new bills will bring changes which would benefit students from the state and help them keep up with the increasing competitiveness in higher education. She also said that there was nothing to be concerned about the coming of private universities as only 20 per cent of the higher education institutions in the state were government-run and the rest were all aided or unaided. Bindu also said that there would

Bullying isn't harmless; it destroys lives: Rahul on Kerala student suicide

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the tragic loss of a student to suicide due to bullying in a Kerala school is heartbreaking and said those responsible -- both bullies and those who failed to act -- must be held accountable. "The tragic loss of Mihir Ahammed to suicide due to bullying in a Kerala school is heartbreaking. My deepest condolences to his family," Gandhi said in a post on X. "No child should endure what Mihir faced. Schools must be safe havens for children yet he suffered relentless torment. Those responsible -- both bullies and those who failed to act -- must be held accountable," the former Congress chief said. "Bullying isn't harmless; it destroys lives. Parents must teach kindness, love, empathy, and the courage to speak up. Believe your child if they say they're being bullied, and intervene if they are the bully," Gandhi said. Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Friday directed the Director of General Education (DG

Additional expense of Rs 10.2 cr by Kerala to buy PPE kit during Covid: CAG

Despite having prescribed unit rates for PPE kits at Rs 545 to control prices, the government procured kits at much higher rates, up to 300 per cent above the unit rate, in March and April 2020

Kerala police arrest 57 for sexually abusing a dalit girl over five years

The victim accused 62 people of blackmailing and sexually abusing her over five years. The case came to light after her teachers noticed behavioural changes and alerted child welfare authorities