Page 56 - Kerala

Kerala CPI(M) upset over CM not invited to Siddaramaiah's swearing-in

The Kerala unit of the CPI(M) is upset over Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan not figuring in the list of special invitees to the swearing-in ceremony of his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah

Higher education sector in doldrums in Kerala: Congress slams Kerala govt

The Congress on Wednesday slammed the Kerala government for 'ruining' the higher education sector in the state, claiming that numerous posts of vice-chancellors and principals are lying vacant

Kerala ordinance brings in punishment for offences against health officials

The LDF government in Kerala on Wednesday approved an ordinance that provides for stringent punishment, including imprisonment of up to seven years and a maximum fine of Rs 5 lakh for those found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to doctors, medical students, and others working in the health services sector in the state. The decision, taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, came in the wake of the brutal killing of Dr Vandana Das by a patient at a taluk hospital in Kollam district of the state last week. Under the Kerala Healthcare Service Workers and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Amendment Ordinance, anyone found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to any healthcare worker or professional would be punished with imprisonment ranging from one year to seven years and a fine of Rs one lakh to Rs 5 lakh, a government statement said. The ordinance also provides that anyone who commits or ...

Cong irked as Vijayan's escort vehicle nearly rams into protesting workers

About five Congress workers were standing on roadside raising slogans and waving black flags when suddenly a speeding escort vehicle with police officials almost ploughed into the protesters: Cong

Will come out with more corruption cases against Vijayan: Congress

We are also going to take the legal route in the AI camera scam where all the documents will be placed before the court," Satheesan said

Slight delay in onset of monsoon over Kerala; arrival likely on June 4: IMD

A slight delay is expected in the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala and it is likely to arrive by June 4, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday. The southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala on June 1, with a standard deviation of about 7 days. "This year, the southwest monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to be slightly delayed. The monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to be on June 4 with a model error of 4 days," the Met office said in a statement. The monsoon arrived in the southern state on May 29 last year, June 3 in 2021 and June 1 in 2020. The advance of the southwest monsoon over the Indian mainland is marked by the onset over Kerala and is an important indicator characterising the transition from the hot and dry season to the rainy season. The IMD had last month said India is expected to get normal rainfall during the southwest monsoon season despite the evolving El Nino conditions. Rainfed agriculture is a critical component of India's .

Kerala launches welfare fund for workers under employment guarantee scheme

In a first in the country, the Kerala government on Monday launched a welfare fund for Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers in the State. Launching the initiative, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the workers who have completed the age of 60 will be entitled for pension under the fund which will also provide financial assistance for medical treatment, education, marriage, among other benefits. He said 27 lakh people in the State depend on the MGNREGS and the Left government intends to make use of the scheme for the social development of Kerala. In a Facebook post, Vijayan said the workers need to pay a nominal monthly amount of Rs 50 as contribution to the fund and the government will also contribute an equal amount. He said for those who have paid the contributions for ten or more years, their families will get the benefits in case of beneficiary's death. The welfare fund has been formed as per the Kerala Employment Guarantee Workers' Welfare Fund

Kerala to distribute 12,000 robotic kits to school students: V Sivankutty

Kerala will distribute 12,000 robotic kits to school students under govt's Little KITEs scheme, which provides intense training in five areas, state Education and Labour Minister V. Sivankutty said

The Kerala Story actress Adah Sharma shares update after road accident

Adah Sharma, an actress in The Kerala Story, and director Sudipto Sen were involved in a car accident. They had met in order to attend an event together but their accident forced them to cancel

SC to hear plea against release of movie 'The Kerala Story' on Tuesday

The Supreme Court said it will hear on Tuesday a plea challenging the Kerala High Court order refusing to stay the release of movie The Kerala Story' which hit theatres on May 5. The appeal filed by journalist Qurban Ali was mentioned by senior advocate Kapil Sibal on Monday The bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala agreed to list it for hearing today but later said it will be taken up on May 16 due to the scheduled hearing of certain matters before a special bench at 3 pm on Monday. The senior lawyer said it needed an urgent hearing as the high court has refused to grant an interim stay on the movie's release on May 5. The high court order was passed after the judges had watched the teaser of the movie. A bunch of petitions had sought a stay on the movie's release and even objected to the certification given by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Ali, in his plea, said that the movie amounted to hate speech as it

If there is 40% commission in Karnataka, its 80% in Kerala: Congress

After its win in Karnataka where it had blamed the outgoing BJP administration there of being a "40 per cent commission" government, the Congress on Monday took a dig at the ruling LDF in Kerala by terming it as an "80 per cent commission" regime. Senior Congress leader and former Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramesh Chennithala contended that a second term in power has boosted the "arrogance" of the ruling Left and the Chief Minister of Kerala. He also accused the LDF government of being "submerged" in corruption. "If it was 40 per cent commission in Karnataka, here (in Kerala) they are taking 80 per cent commission," Chennithala said at a press conference held here in connection with the alleged Artificial Intelligence (AI) camera scam. A similar allegation was made by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan a couple of days ago while reacting to Congress leading during counting of votes polled in the Karnataka elections. Satheesan had said the Congress campaig

Kerala Police spars with state electricity board over non-payment of dues

A tiff has broken out between the state police and the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) over the non-payment of dues

Difference of opinion in Kerala's CPI(M) on Cong role in fight against BJP

In the wake of Congress emerging victorious in Karnataka Assembly polls, there appears to be a difference of opinion in the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala over the role the grand old party should play to defeat the BJP in the 2024 general elections. While Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan expressed the view that the Congress was weak in several parts of the country and cannot take up the fight against BJP on its own, state Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan differed in his stance by pointing that the grand old party should lead from the front. Vijayan, after inaugurating a public meeting at Guruvayoor in Thrissur district organised by the ruling LDF as part of its second anniversary celebrations, said the Congress should realise that it is not as strong as it was in the past and batted for a "state-wise" strategy of uniting anti-BJP forces to take on the saffron party. "We should work according to the changing scenario on the ground and the Congre

Karnataka election results herald positive future for India: Kerala CM

Reacting to the Karnataka election results, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said that the results herald a positive future for the country

Kerala govt distributes land title deeds to 67,069 landless people

The Kerala government on Sunday distributed land title deeds to 67,069 landless people as part of a scheme that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said is aimed at ending landlessness in the state. He urged everyone to stand together for equitable socio-economic development. "Extremely happy to have distributed land titles to 67,069 landless people in Kerala as part of the LDF government's 100-day Action Programme. With 2.99 lakh titles distributed in 7 years, we're making giant strides towards the goal of ending landlessness in Kerala," Vijayan said in a tweet. In a Facebook post, the Left leader said that this government had in its first year handed over 54,535 title deeds.

'The Kerala Story' crosses Rs 100 cr-mark at domestic box office in 9 days

"The Kerala Story" has raised Rs 112.99 crore in nine days since its release at the India box office, the makers said Sunday. In a press note, production house Sunshine Pictures said the film earned Rs 19.5 crore on Saturday, bringing up the total of its domestic earnings to Rs 112.99 crore. "The Kerala Story", a film on conversion that has polarised the political discourse in the country leading to bans in some states and a tax-free status in others, hit the screens on May 5. Directed by Sudipto Sen and fronted by Adah Sharma, the Hindi movie was released in 37 countries on May 12. Produced by Vipul Shah, "The Kerala Story" depicts how women from Kerala were forced to convert and recruited by the terror group Islamic State (IS). The film is banned in West Bengal and multiplexes in Tamil Nadu have stopped its screening citing law and order situation, whereas BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have given it a tax-free status. The Supreme Court on Friday sought

Controversy-ridden 'The Kerala Story' on verge of joining Rs 100 crore club

Released in theatres on May 5, the film continues to get footfall at movie theatres as it saw an occupancy of 25.77% in the Hindi-speaking market

World Bank team expresses interest in Kerala's carbon-neutral initiatives

A World Bank team, led by Vice President for South Asia Region Martin Raiser, held discussions with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and expressed interest in projects that the state plans to implement to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. After the meeting, Raiser said Kerala was urbanising rapidly, and this will create more challenges in the future due to the rising level of carbon emissions, particularly from the transport sector. "So, one of the areas in which Kerala wants to make further progress is to green its transport system," Raiser told PTI. He said the state should tap renewable energy resources to meet its energy needs. "It has a lot of potential for solar," the World Bank official said. Raiser said during his meeting with the chief minister and some of his Cabinet colleagues, he emphasised the need for implementing e-mobility by adopting electric and fuel cell-based electric vehicles for developing a green eco-system in the state. He, however, admitted that it

'The Kerala Story' ban: SC seeks response of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal govts

The Supreme Court on Friday sought replies of the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu governments on a plea of the producers of "The Kerala Story" challenging the ban in the two states. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha questioned the West Bengal government saying the film is being screened in the rest of the country without any problem and there appears to be no reason for the ban. "Movie is running in the rest of the country including in states having similar demographic composition and nothing has happened. This has nothing to do with the artistic value of the film. If people do not like the movie, they will not watch the movie," the bench told senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the West Bengal government. Singhvi said according to intelligence inputs, there may be a situation of law and order problem and peace among different communities may be breached. The bench also asked the Tamil Nadu government to specify measures taken to provide adequa

District crime branch to take over doctor Vandana Das murder case

The district crime branch has taken over the investigation into the killing of a young doctor here recently by a patient she was attending to, police said on Friday. Dr Vandana Das, a house surgeon at Azeezia Medical College Hospital was working at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital as part of her training. She was stabbed to death by a man brought there by the police in the wee hours of Wednesday. "The District Crime Branch will probe the matter now," a senior district police official told PTI. The accused, G Sandeep, a school teacher by profession is currently under judicial custody. He was brought to the hospital by police for treatment of a leg injury. He had been brought there by police after he dialled the emergnecy number 112, claiming his life was in danger. When local police located him, he was standing away from his home, surrounded by local residents and his relatives and had a wound on his leg and a stick in his hand. He was taken to the hospital accompanied by his ...