Page 10 - Kerala

Barring hijab in school denies girls secular education: Kerala govt to HC

The Kerala government on Friday told the High Court here that not permitting a Muslim girl to wear her headscarf (hijab) to school was an "invasion" of her privacy and dignity and a "denial of her right to secular education". The government said the right of the girl to wear a headscarf in her house and outside it, "does not stop at the school gate". The submissions were made in an affidavit filed in response to a plea moved by the church-run St Rita's Public School at Palluruthy here challenging the General Education Department's directive to permit the Muslim girl to attend classes wearing her religious headscarf or 'hijab'. The school had also challenged the department's notice, which stated there was "serious malfunctioning" at the institute. When the matter was taken up on Friday, the lawyer appearing for the girl said that her parents had decided to discontinue her studies at the school and admit her to another institution. In view of the submission on behalf of the student'

World Bank approves $280 mn loan for health system improvement in Kerala

The World Bank on Friday said it has approved a USD 280 million loan for a health system programme in Kerala to improve the life expectancy and quality of life for 11 million elderly and vulnerable people. The programme aims to treat and support over 90 per cent of patients registered for hypertension and diabetes in the state through individual electronic tracking mechanisms. It will also establish a home-based care model for bedbound, homebound, and vulnerable elderly to provide comprehensive health services. "The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors have approved a new programme to improve the life expectancy and quality of life for 11 million elderly and vulnerable people in the state of Kerala through wider access to health coverage and resilient health systems," the World Bank said in a statement. The USD 280 million Kerala Health System Improvement Programme will build a more comprehensive health system resistant to climate shocks. It will also strengthen Kerala's digita

Orange alert in 8 districts of Kerala as heavy rains cause disruptions

Overnight heavy rains and strong winds brought down trees and power lines, damaging houses, vehicles and causing power and traffic disruptions in parts of Kerala. The continuous rains also caused waterlogging in low-lying areas in many parts of the state and rise in water levels of various rivers. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued an orange alert in eight districts of the state for three hours from 7 am. It also predicted the likelihood of thunderstorms with moderate to intense spell of rainfall and maximum surface wind speeds reaching 50 kmph in gusts during the day in isolated places in the state. An 'orange alert' denotes "very heavy" rainfall of 11 to 20 cm.

Kerala signs MoU with Education Ministry to join PM SHRI Schools scheme

Kerala on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Centre to join the PM SHRI Schools scheme, officials said. It was after a prolonged spell of uncertainty that the Kerala government under the Left Democratic Front decided to become a signatory to the Central government's Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, brushing aside objections raised by key coalition partner CPI. The scheme aims to develop infrastructure in two schools from each block with Central assistance. Each selected school receive an annual average assistance of Rs 1 crore for five years. Sivankutty confirmed that the decision to join the scheme has been communicated to the Centre, and the department's secretary has been instructed to sign the agreement. "This was the only way to secure the Centre's share of Rs 1,500 crore, which is pending for various educational programmes in Kerala," the minister said. Although the CPIM and the Department of General Education had agreed to join t

Prez Murmu unveils bust of ex-President KR Narayanan at Kerala Raj Bhavan

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday unveiled the bust of former President, the late K R Narayanan, on the premises of Kerala Raj Bhavan here. The bust, erected to honour the first Indian President from the Dalit community, was unveiled in the presence of former President Ram Nath Kovind, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, an official release said. In a brief speech following the ceremony, the President said that Narayanan's life is a story of courage, perseverance, and self-belief. "Through immense dedication and the power of education, he went on to occupy the highest constitutional office of our nation. His academic excellence was a symbol of what determination and opportunity can accomplish when guided by purpose," Murmu said. She said that before entering politics, Narayanan built a distinguished career in the Indian Foreign Service. He upheld India's values of peace, justice, and cooperation wit

SIT arrests Sabarimala administrative officer in gold missing case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the missing gold from the Sabarimala temple arrested former administrative officer B Murari Babu, sources said on Thursday. Babu, who was suspended by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) following the gold missing row, was taken into custody from his residence in Changanassery on Wednesday night, they said. He was later shifted to the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram for interrogation, officials said. Babu's relatives reached the Crime Branch office on Thursday morning. At around 10 am, SIT recorded Babu's arrest and informed his relative about the procedure, sources said. They were later allowed to meet the Babu. SIT will produce Babu before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Pathanamthitta here in the evening, officials said. SIT is likely to file a petition in court seeking custody of Babu for detailed interrogation. He is an accused in two cases related to the disappearance of gold from the gold-clad plates of

Prez Murmu's helicopter wheels sink into Kerala's newly concreted helipad

The wheels of the helicopter which carried President Droupadi Murmu for her Sabarimala visit got stuck in a depression in the newly concreted helipad at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium at Pramadam here when it landed on Wednesday morning. After the President left for Pamba by road, visuals on TV channels showed several policemen and fire force personnel pushing the helicopter's wheels out of the small depressions created when it landed on the concrete. A senior police officer of the district said that the stadium was fixed as the location for landing the helicopter at the last moment and therefore, the helipad was created there late on Tuesday. The landing was originally planned at Nilackal near Pamba, but it was changed to Pramadam due to inclement weather. "The concrete had not set completely and therefore, it could not handle the helicopter's weight when it landed and depressions were formed where the wheels touched the ground," the officer said. The President, who arrived in .

Kerala farmer's suicide: Congress, BJP stage protest demanding action

Congress and BJP workers on Tuesday staged protests in front of the mini civil station at Agali here over the death of a farmer, who died by suicide, on his agricultural land in this north Kerala. The protesters alleged that procedural lapses and delay by revenue officials in providing 'thandaper' (land record number) for his farmland despite repeated visits to the village office forced Krishnaswamy, the farmer, to take the extreme step. The 53-year-old farmer, a native of Kavundikkal in Attappadi, was found hanging from a tree in his farmland on Monday. His family had also alleged that Krishnaswamy took his life after being exhausted by officials not providing thandaper "for his three acres of land". They said that he had been visiting the office for the past six months and he was upset over the delay. Congress workers, who gathered in large numbers in front of the civil station, squatted on the road holding party flags and raised slogans against the government and officials. Th

Govt firmly committed to safeguard rights of pravasi community: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that his government was firmly committed to safeguarding the welfare and rights of the Kerala community working or living abroad. Vijayan, in a post on 'X', also said that he was grateful for the warm and spirited welcome he got from the expatriate community in Bahrain on his arrival there after eight years. The CM also inaugurated the 'Pravasi Malayali Sangamam' in Bahrain, jointly organised by the Loka Kerala Sabha and the Malayalam Mission. "Deeply grateful to our expatriate community for the warm and spirited welcome during my visit to the country after eight years. It was a pleasure to share the stage with Indian Ambassador Vinod K Jacob and Padma Shri M A Yusuff Ali. "The government remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the welfare and rights of our Pravasi community," he said on 'X'. Yusuff Ali is an eminent Kerala-based businessman who is the chairman and managing director of LuLu Group ...

Kerala BJP accuses CPI(M) of using hijab row to divert from Sabarimala case

Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday accused the ruling CPI(M) of "manufacturing" the hijab controversy to divert attention from the Sabarimala gold missing case. Speaking to reporters, Chandrasekhar said the row over hijab use at St Rita's Public School in Palluruthy, Kochi, was being used to shift focus away from the alleged theft of 4.5 kilograms of gold from the Sabarimala temple. "This is a political tactic to draw attention away from the Sabarimala gold case. It will not succeed," he said, alleging the role of General Education Minister V Sivankutty in "manufacturing" a row over the matter. "The BJP will stand firmly to protect the rights of the school and its students," he told reporters at Tripunithura near here. He criticised State Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan and the Travancore Devaswom Board Chairman, demanding that both resign immediately. "If they have any sense of decency, they should step down. Otherwise, we will seek a central agency investigation,"

Kerala SIT arrests prime accused in Sabarimala temple missing gold case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing cases related to gold missing from Kerala's Sabarimala temple arrested prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty on Friday, officials said. Police sources said Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman who was taken into custody from his residence at Pulimath near here on Thursday, was interrogated at the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram. After the interrogation, the SIT recorded his arrest on Friday, the sources said. Later, Potty was taken to the government hospital for a medical examination. The SIT would be shifting him to Pathanamthitta by afternoon. He would be produced before a court in Ranni, Pathanamthitta, later. The SIT will also seek Potty's custody for detailed interrogation. The SIT constituted on the Kerala High Court's direction is currently investigating two cases -- one concerning the missing gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and another related to the loss of gold from the Sreekovil door frames. SIT officials are also loo

A-I Express scaling up international ops from state capital: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that Air India Express was going to scale up its international operations from the state capital from October onwards. Vijayan, in a post on 'X', said that the Kerala government's "constructive talks" with Air India have yielded results. He said that this was a major step towards strengthening Kerala's air connectivity. "Pleased to see the GoK's constructive talks with @airindia yielding results. @AirIndiaX has confirmed that international operations from Thiruvananthapuram are being scaled up. Services to Dubai will resume four days a week starting 28th October, and flights to Abu Dhabi will operate thrice weekly from 3rd December. "In addition, @airindia will introduce aircraft with business class configuration on the Thiruvananthapuram route thrice daily, a major step towards strengthening Kerala's air connectivity," the CM said on 'X'. The CM, on October 6, had said in an 'X' post that Air India has assured that the ...

SC issues notice to govt, states on PIL for new dam to replace Mullaperiyar

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre, the Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments as well as the NDMA on a PIL seeking construction of a new dam to replace the 130-year-old Mullaperiyar dam following concerns over its safety and structural stability. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R. Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing the Save Kerala Brigade's petition alleging that over 10 million people live in close vicinity of the British-era dam. Some directions may be needed for strengthening the existing dam, the CJI said and suggested that the matter be examined by an expert body to assess safety aspects and feasibility of constructing a new structure. The Mullaperiyar dam, built in 1895 across the Periyar River in Kerala's Idukki district, is operated by Tamil Nadu under a lease agreement. It has long been a point of contention with Kerala citing safety concerns due to its age and seismic vulnerability and Tamil Nadu emphasising its importance for irrigation and

Kerala declares snakebite envenomation disease of public health importance

The Kerala government has designated snakebite envenomation a disease of "utmost public health importance", a move aimed at enhancing data collection and documentation in response to concerns over fatalities from related incidents. The significant decision was made under Section 28 of the Kerala Public Health Act, 2023, as per the gazette notification issued on Friday. Snakebite envenomation is a life-threatening disease caused by the migration of venomous snakes, it said. "Snakebite envenomation is hereby declared a disease of public health importance throughout the state," said the notification signed by Dr Rajan Khobragade, Additional Chief Secretary (Health). Any disease, whether communicable or non-communicable, can be declared as a disease of public health importance if the government needs to collect more information about it or if any treatment standards are to be followed in its connection, it said. If appropriate treatment is not provided in a timely manner, the bite of

Kerala CM Vijayan meets PM Modi, discusses development projects for state

CM Pinarayi Vijayan requested PM Modi to release the NDRF grant for Wayanad landslide reconstruction

Kerala HC orders registration of criminal case over Sabarimala gold issue

The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the state police to register a criminal case in connection with the "misappropriation of gold" from the "side frame or lintels" of the shrine and launch an investigation. A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar issued the direction after noting that from the investigation conducted till now, "it appears that insofar as the side frames or lintels are concerned, misappropriation of gold has been carried out". The bench further said that it was also revealed from the vigilance report placed before it that "substantial quantity of gold -- amounting to about 474.9 grams -- was handed over to Unnikrishnan Potty (the sponsor who offered to carry out the gold-plating)". "However, the records do not reveal that this quantity of gold was entrusted with the TDB (by him)," the court added. The bench directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by it to probe the side frame/lintels issue also along with all the other aspe

Sabarimala gold-plating row heats up Kerala politics: What we know so far

The Sabarimala gold-plating controversy has shaken Kerala politics, with the high court ordering a Special Investigation Team to probe missing gold and temple management lapses

Luxury car smuggling case: ED raids Dulquer Salman, Prithviraj in Kerala; what's going on?

The Enforcement Directorate today carried out multiple raids across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, targeting top Malayalam film stars and businessmen over an alleged luxury car smuggling racket.

'Centre has failed people of Kerala': HC on Wayanad disaster loan refusal

The Kerala High Court slammed the Centre for refusing to waive loans for Wayanad landslide victims and ordered banks to stop recovery until further notice

Kerala CM accuses Oppn of creating 'smokescreen' in Sabarimala gold row

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday accused the UDF-led opposition of creating a "smokescreen" over the Sabarimala gold-plating issue and said the government is not scared of any such attempts. He alleged that the Congress-led front were afraid of facts, and that is why they were continuously disrupting Assembly proceedings and reluctant to give a notice to discuss the matter in the House. The CM made the remarks in the Assembly when the session resumed after a brief break following a scuffle that broke in the Well of the House between UDF MLAs and watch-and-ward personnel during the question hour. The opposition legislators exchanged heated words with ruling party members during the question hour. The UDF members have been disrupting the House proceedings since Monday, seeking the resignation of Devaswom minister V N Vasavan over alleged irregularities linked to the reduced weight of gold-plated coverings on 'Dwarapalaka' idols at the Sabarimala temple. Vijayan sa