Page 49 - Kerala

Kerala schools to remain closed in Kozhikode till Sept 16 due to Nipah

Meanwhile, the total number of active cases of the infection has gone up to three with the confirmation of one more positive case of Nipah in Kozhikode on Wednesday

Kerala govt rejects UDF's claims of not addressing plight of farmers

The LDF government in Kerala on Thursday rejected the opposition UDF's allegations that it was not addressing the plight of farmers and the agriculture sector in the state was in doldrums. The Left Front contended that the Congress-led UDF's allegations were baseless and politically motivated as the state government has been taking steps to protect the interests of the farmers and the agricultural sector in Kerala as a whole. State Agriculture Minister P Prasad said in the Assembly that the agricultural sector was affected by the adverse policies of the Centre and climate changes, despite which the state government was working to help the farmers. Prasad, responding to a notice moved by UDF MLA Sunny Joseph seeking to adjourn the House to discuss the plight of farmers in Kerala, also said the LDF has followed through on the promises made by it. Moving the notice, Joseph, MLA from Peravoor, alleged the Left government betrayed rubber cultivators by not increasing the minimum support

Nipah virus: As Kerala reports another case, here's all you need to know

The Kerala government has formed 19 committees to monitor the outbreak of the Nipah virus in the state

Nipah situation not as scary as was in 2018: Kerala's ex-Health Minister

Former Health Minister and senior ruling CPI(M) MLA K K Shailaja says Kerala has nothing to worry about the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode as the situation is not as scary as it was in 2018. Shailaja, who had won accolades for containing the Nipah infection effectively in 2018, said the southern state has a protocol and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to effectively fight the infection and prevent its spread. She was the Health minister in the previous LDF government, which fought the first Nipah outbreak in the state. "In 2018, it was a new virus to us, and we did not have any experience battling such an infection. Now, we have everything in place to contain it effectively," Shailaja told reporters here. She said Nipah testing facilities have been established in the state but the declaration of virus infection can only be made by the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. "We have the facility. We tried it out during the first bout in 2018 at Kozhikode. But the declaration c

Two-day holiday for institutes in Kozhikode following Nipah outbreak

In the wake of the Nipah outbreak in this north Kerala district, a holiday has been declared for all educational institutions here on Thursday and Friday. The holiday was declared by Kozhikode District Collector A Geetha who in a Facebook post said educational institutions can arrange online classes on the two days for students. However, there will be no change in university exams schedule, she added. A 24-year old health worker became Kerala's fifth confirmed Nipah case on Wednesday since its recent outbreak. Meanwhile, a 24-hour control room was set up in the neighbouring district of Wayanad following the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode The Wayanad district administration also constituted 15 core committees to lead the prevention and surveillance activities and effectively deal with emergency situations. The virus strain seen in the state was the Bangladesh variant that spreads from human to human and has a high mortality rate, though it is less infectious, the government said. Th

Nipah cast shadow on Kerala's tourism industry during peak season

To contain the outbreak, the government has declared seven village panchayats in Kozhikode district as containment zones

Volvo Car India starts deliveries of luxury electric car C40 Recharge

Volvo Car India has commenced deliveries of its recently-launched electric car C40 Recharge with Kerala and Tamil Nadu to begin with, the company said on Wednesday. The Indian arm of the Swedish luxury car maker Volvo rolled out its first ground-up electric car in the domestic market on September 5 at an introductory price of Rs 61.25 lakh (sans taxes). The premium car company launched its first locally-assembled pure electric SUV XC40 Recharge in July last year. "Deliveries of the first born electric C40 Recharge are important milestone in our journey towards becoming an all-electric company by 2030. The C40 Recharge is the second car which is being delivered under our ambitious Online Direct Sales model, said Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director at Volvo Car India. The C40 Recharge is only sold online directly by the company. Customers can place orders online with a refundable deposit of Rs 1 lakh on Volvo Car India website. This is the second EV model from Volvo in India getting .

1 more infected with Nipah in Kerala; efforts on to save critically ill boy

A 24 year-old health worker has become Kerala's fifth confirmed Nipah case since its recent outbreak, as the government stepped up its efforts to cure a 9 year-old boy suffering from the deadly infection by ordering the only anti-viral treatment available. The government has ordered monoclonal antibody from ICMR to treat the child. It is the only available anti-viral treatment for Nipah virus infection, though it has not been clinically proven yet. The virus strain seen in the state was the Bangladesh variant that spreads from human to human and has a high mortality rate, though it is less infectious, the government said. The health worker employed at a private hospital in Kozhikode has been confirmed with Nipah virus infection after his samples turned positive, a statement from Kerala Health Minister Veena George said. George further said the 9 year-old boy is on ventilator support at a hospital in Kozhikode, and his condition remains critical. "We have ordered the monoclonal ...

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Nipah patients' contact list grows to 350, 50% high-risk category: Official

Earlier, on Tuesday, the state Health department issued an alert for Kannur, Wayanad and Malappuram districts after the confirmatin of Nipah infection in Kozhikode

Senior BJP-Sangh Parivar Kerala leader PP Mukundan passes away at 77

Senior BJP-Sangh Parivar leader P P Mukundan died at a private hospital here on Wednesday, party sources said. He was 77. His end came while he was undergoing treatment for lung-related ailments at the hospital, they said. Joining the RSS during his school days, Mukundan led the Sangh Parivar and the BJP from the front for decades in the state, particularly after the formation of the saffron party in 1980. He was a pracharak of the RSS for 41 years from 1966 to 2007. Born in Kottiyoor in Kannur district, Mukundan was arrested and put behind bars during the emergency. He was working as the pracharak of the RSS in Thrissur district at the time. After being drafted into the BJP, Mukundan rose to become the party's state organisational general secretary in 1990. He had been keeping away from active politics for quite some time. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, ministers, and leaders of various political parties condoled his demise.

Nipah virus: Kerala announces number of measures to prevent contagion

Nipah virus: Two people have died in Kerala due to the virus and two others are undergoing treatment in a private hospital after testing positive

Champions Boat League to boost tourist footfall in Kerala: Tourism Secy

Kerala is banking on the innovative Champions Boat League to be held in the southern state later in September to further boost its tourism sector as a major all-season experiential destination, an official said here on Tuesday. Modelled after the cricket IPL, the snake boat race competition is being touted by the state as a major event that it is confident of attracting a large number of tourists. "After posting an impressive surge in domestic tourist footfall, Kerala has gained further traction as a major all-season experiential destination with its innovative products like the IPL-model Champions Boat League (CBL) races helping the southern state to scale up its standing as a highly-preferred tourist hub," Kerala Tourism secretary K Biju told reporters here. He said that the third edition of the annual CBL, starting later in September, is expected to boost domestic footfalls in all regions of the state. "Panned out in the backwaters across Kerala, CBL offers a rare visual treat .

Kerala minister to hold high-level meeting today amid Nipah virus alert

The state department has also issued an alert in the district in the wake of two deaths after a review meeting chaired by State Health Minister Veena George

LDF, Cong-led UDF trade charges over installation of AI cameras in Kerala

The ruling LDF in Kerala on Tuesday slammed the Congress-led opposition UDF for questioning in the Assembly as to why Keltron, which allegedly makes no components, was given the contract for installing artificial intelligence (AI) cameras in the state. State Transport Minister Antony Raju and Industries Minister P Rajeev said it was a highly unfair and irresponsible statement by senior Congress MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan that public sector undertaking (PSU) Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (Keltron) makes no components. The Ministers contended that it was Radhakrishnan himself, when he was Home Minister in the previous UDF government, who used the PSU's services to set up cameras across Kerala at a much higher cost than the AI cameras project. They also sought to remind that components made by Keltron were used in Chandrayaan-3 and Adithya L1 missions of ISRO. "So kindly do not say that Keltron is just a mute spectator. You should be ready to withdraw your

Nipah alert sounded in Kerala's Kozhikode after 2 'unnatural' deaths

The Kerala Health Department sounded a health alert in Kozhikode district on Monday following two "unnatural" deaths suspected to be due to the Nipah virus infection. State Health Minister Veena George held a high-level meeting and reviewed the situation, the health department said in a statement on Monday night. It said two "unnatural" deaths following fever were reported from a private hospital, and it is suspected that these were due to the Nipah virus. Relatives of one of the deceased are also admitted to the intensive care unit, it said. Deaths due to Nipah virus infection were reported in Kozhikode district in 2018 and 2021. The first Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak in south India was reported from Kozhikode on May 19, 2018. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted to people from animals and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person-to-person. Among infected people, it cause

Bypoll results 2023: BJP wins in Tripura, Uttarakhand, Congress in Kerala

The bypolls are seen as a significant test for the Opposition alliance INDIA against the ruling BJP-led NDA, with implications for upcoming state elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls

UDF's Chandy Oommen wins margin of over 36,000 votes Puthuppally bypoll

Opposition Congress-UDF on Friday retained the Puthuppally Assembly constituency in Kerala as its candidate Chandy Ommen won by a margin of over 36,000 votes in the bypoll, Election Commission sources said. While Oommen, son of late Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy, gained a clear edge since the initial round, his nearest rival and ruling LDF candidate Jaick C Thomas could never gain a lead in any rounds. The CPI(M)-led LDF lost ground even in its stronghold areas, and BJP candidate Lijin Lal was nowhere in the picture when the counting was over. Chandy Oommen (37), currently chairman of the Youth Congress's national outreach cell, could well surpass his father's record of margin of 33,255 votes in the constituency, which the late Congress leader represented Puthuppally in the state assembly for over five decades. The bypoll result, which came a few months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, is seen as a huge setback for the ruling CPI(M), which has been facing allegations of corrupt

Kerala-based startup launches AI-based learning platform for all ages

A city-based start-up, Hello AI, registered with the KSUM has launched an artificial intelligence (AI)-based self-learning platform that offers a comprehensive and personalised learning experience for people of all age groups. The platform, HelloAI-HAILabs.ai, aims to empower students with essential AI and data literacy skills, besides equipping them with the essentials of self-learning through adaptive learning, personalised tutoring using AI tutor, and context-aware content generation, the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) said in a statement. "This will empower children for an AI-driven future with personalised AI literacy and fostering critical thinking," it said. HAILabs.ai will provide free access to Level 1 through a freemium model, with premium options enhancing the learning journey, the statement said. The platform also offers personalized learning experiences focusing on each student's needs by ensuring effective knowledge acquisition and skill development, KSUM said. Prasad

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