Page 32 - Kerala

Will implement projects worth Rs 13,013 crore in 100 days, says Kerala CM

The Left Democratic Front government in Kerala will implement development projects worth Rs 13,013.40 crore in 100 days as part of its third anniversary, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced on Tuesday. The projects, which are part of the fourth edition of the 100-day programmes, are expected to be completed by October 22, he said. A total of 1,070 projects under 47 departments have been included in the latest 100-day initiative, Vijayan said in a statement. The fourth edition of the 100-day programme, which began after this government took power, will further boost various government activities that ensure the well-being of common people, social progress, and comprehensive and sustainable development, the Chief Minister said. The 100-day initiative has been designed to focus on areas that require special attention, in addition to implementing promises made in the election manifesto, he said. "The initiative aims to implement projects worth Rs 13,013.40 crore across 47 ...

Kerala govt allocates Rs 100 cr for subsidised essential commodities

Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Monday said that the state government has allocated Rs 100 crore to the State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) for market intervention activities. This fund will be used to distribute essential commodities at a 35 per cent reduced price through Supplyco stores, benefiting the people of the state. The allocation is part of the total budget of Rs 205 crore for market intervention in the current financial year, the minister said in a release here. This move is expected to provide relief to consumers ahead of the Onam festival season. Last year, the government had allocated Rs 205 crore for the same purpose but ended up spending Rs 391 crore. Supplyco, established in 1974, plays a vital role in regulating retail markets and stabilising prices of essential goods in Kerala.

IMD issues 'red' alert for heavy rains in Maharashtra, Goa, and Kerala

IMD weather update: The IMD issued a red alert for several districts in Kerala, including Malappuram, Kannur, and Kasaragod indicating severe weather conditions

Heavy rains lash parts of Kerala, IMD issues orange alert in 4 districts

As heavy rains lashed several parts of Kerala, the India Meteorological Department on Saturday issued an orange alert in three northern districts of the state for the day. The IMD issued an orange alert in Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod and a yellow alert in nine other districts of the state for the day. The weather department also predicted thunderstorms with moderate rainfall and gusty winds at one or two places in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam districts for the day. It further issued an orange alert in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts of the state from June 14 to June 16. An orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm. The IMD said that Kerala will receive fairly widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds during the next five days due to the influence of the cyclonic circulation over north Gujarat and another over west centr

Kerala retains top ranking in NITI's SDG index; Bihar worst performer

Uttarakhand and Kerala have emerged as the top performer states in NITI Aayog's SDG India Index 2023-24, which evaluates progress of states and union territories on social, economic and environmental parameters, while Bihar has been adjudged as the worst performer. According to the NITI Aayog's SDG India Index 2023-24, India's overall Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) score increased to 71 in 2023-24, compared to 66 in 2020-21, supported by significant progress on eliminating poverty, providing decent work, economic growth, climate action and life on land. Among states, Uttarakhand and Kerala have emerged as joint top performing states with a score of 79, followed by Tamil Nadu (78) and Goa (77). On the contrary, Bihar (57), Jharkhand (62) and Nagaland (63) were the worst performing states in this year's index. Among the union territories, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Delhi were the top five performers. "Targetted intervention by the ..

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