Page 31 - Kerala

Kerala govt unveils slew of sops to promote AI, focused policy on anvil

Kerala on Friday unveiled a slew of upfront policy initiatives to promote the state as a global hub of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) by creating a highly enabling ecosystem reinforced by incentives, support and partnerships. Minister for Industries and Law P Rajeeve made the state's AI Declaration at the valedictory of the two-day international Gen AI conclave here, laying the road map for the transformative shift. A first-of-its-kind initiative, the July 11-12 conclave was organised by Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) in association with technology giant IBM. Noting that the state has already identified AI as a priority sector in the present industrial policy, Rajeeve said the government will come out with a dedicated AI policy, complying with the ESG (Environmental, social, and governance) goals during this fiscal year itself. Based on the policy, support and incentives will be provided to enhance the existing infrastructure and create a more

Student migration dangerous, says UDF; Left govt terms it global phenomenon

The Congress-led UDF opposition on Thursday said in the state assembly that the increasing student migration from Kerala was a dangerous trend which if not addressed, would result in the southern state becoming the home of elderly people. The Left government, however, brushed it aside, saying it was a global phenomenon that was not confined to Kerala alone. The issue was raised by the UDF while seeking adjournment of the House proceedings to discuss the matter, permission for which was denied by the Speaker after the state government said that student migrations were a normal trend and an outcome of globalisation. Following the denial of permission for the motion to adjourn the House, the opposition staged a walkout, alleging that the government and the state higher education minister were "in denial mode" and not acknowledging the danger posed by student migration. State Higher Education Minister R Bindu claimed that student migration was a "global phenomenon" following globalisat

Centre should have state-specific approach for development: Kerala FM

Seeking more funds to tide over the state's financial woes, Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Sunday said the Centre should have a state-specific rather than a uniform financial approach towards states as each of them has different kinds of developmental activities. Balagopal, part of the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) which is in power for the second consecutive term in the southern state, emphasised that monolithic thinking about overall development is not practical and also called for flexibility in utilisation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) depending on the requirements of the state. Flagging serious concerns about reduced central fund transfers and borrowing restrictions, Kerala has demanded a special package of Rs 24,000 crore in the upcoming Union Budget to tackle the liquidity stress. "A monolithic thinking about the total development and administration of the country is not practical in India because different states should be considered differently, ..

African swine flu in Kerala pigs won't spread to humans, says Centre

Govt also said that there is no vaccine available yet for this variant of swine flu

Govt culls 310 pigs to contain African Swine Fever outbreak in Kerala

The Centre on Sunday said around 310 pigs have been culled in Kerala's Thrissur district after an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF). The outbreak was detected in Madakkatharan Panchayath, prompting swift action from the state's Animal Husbandry Department. Rapid Response Teams were deployed to cull and dispose of pigs within a 1 km radius of the epicentre on July 5, the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said in a statement. This marks the latest incident in the country's ongoing battle with ASF, which first appeared in the northeastern states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in May 2020. Since then, the disease has spread to approximately 24 states and union territories across the country. "Further surveillance as per the action plan is to be carried out within a 10 km radius of the epicentre," the ministry said. Despite the outbreak's severity, the government was quick to reassure the public. "ASF is not zoonotic. It cannot spread to humans," the minis

Fourth case of rare brain-eating amoeba infection reported in North Kerala

Another case of amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare brain infection caused by a free-living amoeba found in contaminated waters, has been reported from Kerala. A 14-year-old boy, a resident of Payyoli in this north Kerala district, is afflicted with the disease, according to sources in the private hospital where he is being treated. This is the fourth case of the rare brain infection reported in the state since May and all the patients are children, three of whom have already died. In the latest case, one of the doctors treating the boy said that he was admitted to the hospital on July 1, and his condition is improving. The doctor said, on Saturday, that the infection was identified quickly at the hospital and treatment, including medicines from abroad, was given immediately. On Wednesday, a 14-year-old boy infected with the free-living amoeba died here. Prior to that, two others -- a five-year-old girl from Malappuram and a 13-year-old girl from Kannur -- died on May 21 and June

Gen AI conclave will help Kerala become leading hub of AI: CM Vijayan

The country's first international Gen AI conclave will be held in Kerala next week and it will give an impetus to the state's efforts to become India's leading hub in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday. In a Facebook post, Vijayan said over a thousand delegates will take part in the two-day conclave being organised at Kochi by global technology company IBM in collaboration with the state government on July 11 and 12. In conjunction with the conclave, IBM is also organising the WatsonX Challenge, he said. The WatsonX challenge is the connecting of academic knowledge and real-life use cases using generative AI. The CM said that the team that wins the challenge, in which over 50 startups working in the field of artificial intelligence will take part, will not only get an award, it will also get an opportunity to present their ideas in front of investors from the global level. Vijayan, in his post, also said that besides IBM, vari

Highly contagious African Swine Fever reported in Kerala's Thrissur

An outbreak of African Swine Fever, a highly contagious and deadly swine disease that can affect both farm-raised and feral (wild) pigs, has been reported from a farm in a village in Kerala's Thrissur district, officials said on Friday. Due to the outbreak of swine fever, which can be readily transmitted from one pig to another through direct contact with bodily fluids from an infected pig, the Thrissur district collector has ordered the culling of 310 pigs at a private farm in Thrissur district's Madakkathara panchayat, they said. "The disease was confirmed in the pigs owned by Kuttalapuzha Babu of Veliyanthara in the 14th ward. The district Collector has directed the district animal husbandry officer to cull the pigs and bury them," according to an official release here. A team consisting of doctors, livestock inspectors and attendants will conduct the culling process, and further primary disinfection measures will also be taken, it said. The area within a one-kilometre radius of

What is the brain-eating amoeba behind the recent deaths in Kerala?

The brain-eating amoeba enters the body through the nose during swimming, travels to the brain, and destroys brain tissue causing swelling

Uproar in Kerala Assembly after UDF accuses SFI of violence; CM defends it

The Kerala assembly witnessed an uproar on Thursday as the opposition Congress accused the SFI of indulging in criminal activities in state campuses, prompting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to defend the Left student outfit and counter-allege atrocities by the Congress-backed KSU. The Congress-led UDF alleged that the CM and CPI(M) were providing political patronage to its student outfit -- Students Federation of India (SFI) -- which they claimed was responsible for violent and criminal activities in university campuses and beyond, across the state. The allegation was made by the opposition in the notice moved by several UDF MLAs, including M Vincent, seeking adjournment of the House proceedings to discuss the alleged beating up of a leader of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the Congress, by the SFI on the University of Kerala campus here. The opposition's motion was rejected by Vijayan who said that the police have registered cases in connection with the ...

Kerala gets 14 new Zika Virus cases: Know symptoms, prevention and cure

The Kerala health department issued an alert as 14 new cases of Zika virus were identified in the state, including a 24-year-old pregnant woman

Adani Ports given extension for dredging activities in Kerala harbour

Kerala Port Minister V N Vasavan on Tuesday said Adani Ports has been given an extension to complete the dredging activities in the navigation channel of nearby Muthalappozhi harbour, which has been witnessing frequent boat accidents and deaths for some years. While giving a reply during the question hour, the minister said the government had entered into an agreement with the Adani Ports in this regard in 2018, and the contract expired on June 11 this year. However, the company was given an extension to complete the work as it was delayed, he said. When legislator Saneesh Kumar Joseph (Congress) asked whether the government would be ready to take action against the port authorities for failing to fulfill its assurance, the minister, who spoke on behalf of Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan in his absence, didn't give a clear reply. "It is true that the contract period with Adani Ports was over. So, the port representatives and respective ministers held discussions and gave extension

KEAM 2024: View results of Engineering and pharmacy at cee.kerala.gov.in

The Kerala Engineering, Agriculture, and Medical, or KEAM 2024 entrance exam results have been posted on the official website at cee.kerala.gov.in by the Commissioner for Entrance Examination (CEE)

Kerala Assembly passes resolution to change state's name to 'Keralam'

The Kerala Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Centre to officially change the state's name to Keralam'. The Assembly passed the resolution for the second time because the Union Home Ministry, which reviewed the first resolution, suggested some technical changes. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who moved the resolution, wanted the union government to change the southern state's name from "Kerala" to "Keralam" in all languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of the country. Moving the resolution, the CM said the state was called Keralam' in Malayalam and that the demand to form a united Kerala for the Malayalam-speaking communities had strongly emerged since the time of the national freedom struggle. But the name of our state is written as Kerala in the First Schedule of the Constitution. This Assembly requests the Centre to take immediate steps to amend it as Keralam' under Article 3 of the Constitution and have it renamed as Keralam'

Explained: Kerala Assembly passes resolution to rename state as 'Keralam'

On June 24, the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to rename the state as ‘Keralam’ in the Constitution. This is the second time in the past year that such a resolution has been pas

Kozhikode officially declared India's first Unesco 'City of Literature'

Kozhikode in north Kerala, known for its rich cultural heritage, was on Sunday officially declared as India's first UNESCO 'City of Literature'. In October 2023, Kozhikode had earned a place in the 'Literature' category of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). State Local Self Government Department (LSGD) Minister, M B Rajesh, on Sunday in an official event here announced the achievement of Kozhikode which earned the place in the 'Literature' category of the UCCN. Rajesh described Kozhikode as a city with a soul, characterised by humanity, harmony, a strong sense of justice and freedom of expression. "These core values have given birth to the vibrant art of Kozhikode," Rajesh said. The minister said the efficient functioning of the Kozhikode city corporation played a major role in bagging the 'City of Literature' tag from UNESCO after beating cities with rich cultural history like Kolkata. The state government also announced that from coming year, June 23 will be celebrated

GST Council meeting: States should get 60% share of GST, says Kerala

Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal has called for a review of the central-state tax sharing ratio of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and said that 60 per cent should go to the states, whereas it is shared equally now. Currently, the ratio is 50:50 and it should be changed to 40:60 in favour of the states, the minister said in the GST Council meeting held in New Delhi on Saturday, according to a statement issued by his office here on Sunday. Speaking about the significant issues addressed during the meeting, the state FM said a favourable decision taken with regard to the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) is expected to be greatly beneficial for Kerala. Generally, a GSTR-8 return is also required to be filed detailing the GST charges by e-commerce operators while doing business through e-commerce platforms, he said. It was decided in the meeting to include in the GSTR-8 return the details about the state to which the tax should go, along with the amount of tax, Balagopal

Two organ trafficking complaints received, 3 arrests made: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday informed the state assembly that the state police was investigating complaints alleging that organ trafficking was taking place in the state and several arrests have been made in this connection. Replying to a question on organ trafficking, Vijayan said three people were arrested so far in connection with a case registered at Nedumbassery in Ernakulam district. "One complaint was lodged by a Malappuram resident alleging that two private hospitals in Ernakulam have links to international organ trading mafia. The second complaint is regarding illegal organ transplantation from Thiruvananthapuram," he said. In the Nedumbassery case, he said three people were arrested and the process has been initiated to issue a Blue Corner notice through Interpol for prime accused Madhu Jayakumar, who is absconding. A 13-member police team is probing the matter. Meanwhile, the police is probing into the illegal organ transplantation from ...

Kerala CM admits to repeated instances of bomb blasts in some Kannur areas

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday admitted in the state assembly that there have been repeated incidents of bomb blasts in some areas of the northern district of Kannur and said the police will conduct more vigorous investigations there. The submission by Vijayan came while rejecting the Congress-led UDF opposition's demand to adjourn the House proceedings and discuss the issue of repeated instances of bomb blasts in Kannur district. Claiming that a peaceful environment prevailed in Kannur, the CM said that the police were taking strict measures, including inspections, to prevent the manufacture of explosives. "The government is viewing the recent incident and similar instances very seriously and police have been directed to take stringent actions. Do not try to give it a political colour," he said. He said that a case of unnatural death has been registered under the Explosive Substances Act in connection with the demise of an 86-year-old man in a bomb blast at ..

Dhanlaxmi Bank appoints Ajith Kumar KK as MD & CEO for 3-year tenure

Private sector Dhanlaxmi Bank on Tuesday said it has appointed Ajith Kumar KK as Managing Director (MD) of the bank. He will take charge on June 20, Kerala-based Dhanlaxmi Bank said in a regulatory filing. The board at its meeting held on Tuesday approved the appointment of Ajith Kumar KK as Managing Director & CEO of the bank for a period of three years with effect from June 20, 2024, and on such remuneration as approved by RBI vide letter dated April 18, it said. The bank will seek approval of the shareholders for the said appointment within the prescribed time period in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 and SEBI regulations, it said. He is a seasoned banker with over 36 years of experience with the Federal Bank in various facets of banking including Credit, Human Resources, Business, Branch Banking etc. He is presently the Chief Human Resources Officer at Federal Bank in the cadre of president, it said.