Page 38 - Kerala

Uttarakhand saw sharpest dip in workforce during Covid, says survey

This was followed by the decline in workforce in the states such as Jharkhand (-8.9 per cent), West Bengal (-8.3 per cent), Kerala (- 8 per cent) and Karnataka (-7.8 per cent)

Kerala Budget: Govt hikes excise duty on liquor, pitches for privatisation

A cash-strapped Kerala government on Monday increased court fees and excise duty on liquor and pitched for public-private funding in key areas to raise funds for the implementation of various developmental projects in the state budget for the fiscal 2024-25. Despite expectations, the government opted not to enhance social welfare pensions and also provided only a nominal increase of Rs 10 in the minimum support price for rubber -- a major cash crop of the state -- enhancing it to Rs 180 from Rs 170 earlier. Finance Minister K N Balagopal tabled the fourth budget of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government without hiding the financial constraints it is facing, while attacking the Centre for the alleged neglect it shows towards the state. Seeking to raise additional revenue, the budget proposed a hike of Rs 10 per litre in excise duty on Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and an increase of 15 paise per unit in electricity duty for consumers who generate and consume energy for their own

Kerala far ahead in ensuring justice to victims: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said the state was far ahead in fighting crime and ensuring justice to victims. The Chief Minister was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the Directorate of Prosecution and Prosecution Academy headquarters here. Vijayan stressed that it was the responsibility of a state government to ensure safety and security of the life and property of the citizens besides maintaining peace in the society. "It's a matter of pride that the prosecution system in Kerala is far better than any other state in the country. We are far ahead in fighting crime and ensuring justice to victims," Vijayan said, adding that in the criminal legal system, the prosecutors should function in a free and an unbiased manner. He noted that there are 15 POCSO courts in the state to deal with the crimes against children and 54 fast track courts functioning as per the directions of the Supreme Court. "The government has appointed special public prosecutors in

BJP to end Kerala's bipolar politics, will win at least 5 seats: Javadekar

BJP leader Prakash Javadekar has claimed that his party will end Kerala's bipolar politics in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls by winning at least five seats as, unlike the 2019 elections, people in the state realise that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cannot become prime minister. "If in 2019 you asked any Keralite; Hindus, Christians, Muslims, he would have told you Rahul Gandhi will become prime minister. They had their own discourse and belief. Now ask anybody in Kerala; Hindus, Muslims, Christians, he will tell you PM Modi is coming back for a third time," the BJP's election in-charge of the state told PTI in an interview. The former Union minister said his party's concerted outreach to Christians will result in a sizeable section of them voting for it in the Lok Sabha polls, expected to be held in April-May. Asked how things are different for the BJP from 2019 when its alliance got around 15 per cent votes and no seat, he said everybody now realises that Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Kerala Budget aims to increase revenue amid Centre's curbs: State FM

Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Saturday said the public will appreciate the upcoming 2024-25 budget which is aimed at increasing the revenue of the southern state that has been grappling with alleged financial restrictions by the Centre. Addressing the media here, Balagopal said the Left government has got its limitations due to financial strangulation by the union government, but the budget will be aimed at carrying forward the achievements and development of Kerala. "The public will appreciate the upcoming budget which is aimed at increasing the revenue of the state. However, the government has got its limitations. But the people have faith in the government that we will do everything for them and the state," he said. The Kerala budget will be presented on February 5. The Left leader continued his attack on the Opposition Congress-led UDF in Kerala, which on Friday boycotted the assembly just before the House passed a unanimous resolution against the union government ..

15 PFI workers sentenced to death for Ranjith Sreenivasan's murder

Ranjith Sreenivasan, BJP OBC Morcha state secretary, was brutally attacked and allegedly killed in his home, in front of his family

Union home ministry extends Z+ security to Kerala guv Arif Mohammed Khan

The Union Home Ministry has extended Z+ security cover to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, the Raj Bhavan said here on Saturday. The Z+ security cover of CRPF personnel has been extended to Khan and Raj Bhavan, his office said in a post on 'X'. "Union Home Ministry has informed Kerala Raj Bhavan that Z+ Security cover of CRPF is being extended to Hon'ble Governor and Kerala Raj Bhavan," the post said. The move comes after high drama played out in the Kollam district of Kerala today when Khan, facing SFI's black flag protest, got off his car, took on the agitating Left student wing members, sat on the roadside and hit out at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. A visibly angry Khan accused CM Vijayan of "promoting lawlessness in the state." The dramatic scenes were witnessed at Nilamel in Kollam, located about 40 km from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. After sitting there for over two hours, Khan left the place only after the police showed him a copy of the FIR registered aga

ED summons harassment, will not appear: CPI(M) leader Thomas Isaac

Senior CPI(M) leader Thomas Isaac on Tuesday said he would not be appearing before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a FEMA case, terming the summons issued to him as "pure harassment". The Foreign Exchange Management Act case is linked to a probe into the alleged violations in the financial dealings of KIIFB during his tenure as the finance minister in the previous LDF government. Isaac told reporters that he had asked the ED to withdraw the summons issued to him last week. The ED had issued a summons for the 71-year-old politician to depose at the agency office in Kochi on January 22, but he did not appear before it. He was earlier asked to appear before it on January 12 but he had not turned up then also. Isaac today said that he was willing to appear before the agency and give an explanation if the ED can point out what law has been violated. "But, I am not going to appear before them so that they can question me and find out if any laws were violated. That amoun

Kerala has 575,000 new voters in list ahead of LS elections, says state CEO

Kerala has enrolled 5,74,175 new voters into the final voter list for the upcoming general elections and removed 3.75 lakh voters to clean up the final list, State Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Kaul said on Tuesday. Kaul said that those who could not add their names to the voter list yet could do so before the elections and requested people who have not enrolled themselves to come forward and make use of this opportunity. Talking to the media here, the CEO said that the commission had done commendable work to clean up the voters' list with officials at the booth level visiting each house and collecting details regarding deaths. Based on the information collected, 3,75,867 names were removed from the voters' list, he said. A draft list was published on October 27, 2023 and the Commission received complaints from the voters before finalising the list, Kaul said. With the addition of 5,74,175 new voters, the total number of voters in Kerala has now become 2,70,99,326, with 1,39,96,7

Javadekar accuses LDF and UDF of hypocrisy, says 'Bharat has changed'

The ruling LDF and opposition UDF in Kerala came under sharp criticism from senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday for their criticism of the State's involvement in the Ayodhya Ram Temple consecration ceremony, as he accused them of hypocrisy. He also asserted "Bharat has changed." Both the CPI-M-led LDF and opposition UDF, headed by the Congress had slammed the saffron party on Monday for allegedly turning the consecration ceremony into a state-sponsored event. Javadekar argued that the ceremony was organised by the trust responsible for building the Shri Ram temple with public donations, rather than being a state-sponsored event. "Bharat has changed. But, You are not. Both LDF and Congress are hypocrites. People will not forgive you but forget you!," Javadekar said in a post on 'X'. Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the rituals related to the consecration of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on Monday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said India's firs

AI, ML-based systems show new-age face of Kerala's plantation sector

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning-based irrigation systems, drones for targeted spraying of pesticides and automation were the technological advances showcased at the Kerala Plantation Expo here on Sunday. The expo was inaugurated by State Industries Minister P Rajeev. Industries and Commerce Director S Harikishore, who is Special Officer, Plantation, said that the sector was thoroughly mechanised today with the influx of startups in the modern times. "As technological equipment leads to decreased cost of production, more planters are going for mechanisation," he is quoted as having said in a release issued by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC). Automation is employed in a big way in irrigation as well as spraying of pesticides across plantations, besides diagnosis of pests infesting crops, the release said As many as 166 stalls by 120 entrepreneurs were open for the public from 9 am at the expo organised by the Plantation Directorate of th

Two bogies of Kannur-Alappuzha Executive Express derail, train delayed

Two bogies of the Kannur-Alappuzha Executive Express derailed near Kannur railway station during the shunting process on Saturday morning, causing a one-hour delay in the train's departure, railway sources said here. The incident took place at 4.40 am as the train was being brought to the platform, with no passengers on board. The derailment occurred in the rearmost two bogies, damaging the signal box in the process. Fortunately, since the incident happened on a track parallel to the main track, other train services were unaffected, they said. The train journey proceeded after the derailed bogies were separated. Railway officials are currently conducting an inquiry to determine the cause of the derailment.

MeitY Secretary launches India's First Graphene Centre, IoT CoE in Kerala

Digital University Kerala (DUK) (formerly IIITMK) and Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET), Thrissur are the technical partners for setting up these centres

Focus on voters at booth-level for electoral success, PM Modi to Kerala BJP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided guidance to party workers on Wednesday on winning over voters in Kerala, where the BJP has not made any major gains in elections till now. Addressing a gathering of around 6,000 in-charges of 'Shakti Kendras,' each comprising two to three booth-level areas, at Marine Drive, the prime minister said that Kerala has the potential to influence who will be in power in Delhi. He urged the BJP workers to ensure victory in their respective booths. "If we win our booths, we will win Kerala. For that you (party workers) have to focus your attention on every voter in every booth-level area and work hard. "You should have a list of every beneficiary in your booth, meet them, get to know their names, meet their families; that should be the first priority," Modi said. He further advised his party workers to include in the ongoing Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in Kerala those who have not yet benefited from the central government's development and welfare ...

Gujarat, Kerala, K'taka best states in nurturing startup ecosystem: DPIIT

Gujarat and Karnataka are ranked as the 'best performers' in developing startup ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs, according to the ranking of states and Union territories by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh are also categorised as the best performers. The ranking is a yearly exercise under DPIIT that evaluates all states and Union Territories on their efforts to build an ecosystem conducive to startup growth. A total of 33 states and Union territories (UTs) participated in the exercise. They are ranked under five categories -- best performers, top performers, leaders, aspiring leaders and emerging startup ecosystems. The states and Union Territories were broadly divided into two sections based on their population size --those having more than 1 crore and the ones with less than 1 crore. Gujarat has been ranked as the best performer for the fourth time in a row. Karnataka has been ranked in this segment

ED attaches assets worth over Rs 30 cr of Kerala realty group promoter

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it has attached assets worth more than Rs 30 crore of the promoter of a Kerala-based realty group and concerns linked to him as part of a money-laundering investigation connected to an alleged bank loan fraud case. A total of 62 immovable properties belonging to Heera Construction Company Private Limited, its managing director Abdul Rasheed, his trust Heera Educational and Charitable Trust and sister company Heera Summer Holiday Homes Private Limited have been attached under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the central agency said in a statement. The total value of these properties is Rs 30.28 crore, it added. Heera Constructions Company Private Limited, Rasheed and the other accused cheated the State Bank of India's Kowdiar branch in Thiruvananthapuram by "fraudulently" selling the primary and collateral securities mortgaged with the bank and also "defrauded" in the repayment of loans, the ED ...

PM Modi to arrive in Kerala for 2 day on Jan 16, after Lakshadweep Visit

Two weeks after his visit to Lakshadweep and Kerala, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be returning to the southern state for two days on January 16. Modi is scheduled to arrive at Kochi on January 16 and will hold a roadshow in the port city on that day, according to the BJP's state unit. On the next day, January 17, he will travel to Guruvayur in Thrissur district to attend the wedding of actor-cum-politician Suresh Gopi's daughter, it said. The PM would then return to Kochi where he will attend a party meeting of around 6,000 in-charges of 'shakti kendras', which comprise two-three booth-level areas. Modi would also be taking part in programmes related to Central government projects and then would return to Delhi by evening, the BJP's state unit said. Earlier this month, the PM inaugurated and laid the foundation for various projects worth Rs 1,150 crore in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Thereafter, he had attended a women's convention organised by the BJP in Thrissur.

The Kerala Story OTT release date: Here's when and where to watch

As per reports, The Kerala Story finally locked a deal with an OTT platform. The movie might be released on January 12 at Zee5. Here's all you need to know

SFI puts up unwelcoming banners against Kerala Guv ahead of his visit

The CPI(M)'s student wing, SFI, erected unwelcoming banners against Governor Arif Mohammed Khan at Ponnani in this north Kerala district where he is scheduled to a commemoration programme organised by the Congress party on Wednesday. The Students Federation of India (SFI) placed banners stating -- 'Mister Chancellor you are not welcome here' and 'Mister chancellor this is a place where there are a lot of people whom you called bloody criminals, be careful' -- at various places in Ponnani hours ahead of Khan's arrival to participate in a programme to commemorate late Congress leader P T Mohana Krishnan. Khan had on Tuesday faced a massive protest from various youth outfits affiliated to the ruling Left Democratic Front during his visit to Thodupuzha in Idukki district to participate in a function organised by the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti, a traders' body. The hartal in Idukki district was called by the LDF in protest against his non-assent to the Kerala Government Lan

Kerala woman creates Guinness World Record, sings in over 100 languages

A Kerala woman has created a world record by singing in 140 languages in a Dubai concert on 24 November 2023. She shared the video on her Instagram handle