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Palakkad accident: KSRTC driver took revenge; incident was premeditated, says family

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Palakkad: In an interesting turn of events related to the accident which claimed two lives here, a family member of the deceased came forward with allegations against the KSRTC driver. It is alleged that the KSRTC driver, the accusedtook revenge on the two young men following a road rage. Sarath, brother of Sabith, who died in the accident, alleged that the accident was premeditated. He revealed that there was an argument between the bus driver and the youth before the accident. Based on these revelations, the relatives of the deceased filed a complaint. Passengers and others also reported that there was a dispute between the youth and the KSRTC driver at one point during the journey. After the accident, a case was registered against a lorry driver at first. But as soon as the footage of the accident came out, it became clear that the bus deliberately pulled away to the right without giving a signal, resulting in the bike getting rammed with the lorry. The accident scenes were recorded on the dash camera of a car in the nearby vicinity. Adarsh ​​Mohan, hailing from Palakkad and Sabith, from Kasaragod, died in the accident. CL Ouseph, a native of Thrissur, was arrested on charges of culpable homicide. Earlier, the KSRTC had announced an internal probe after the footage of the incident surfaced on social media. The investigation found that it was the drivers fault. Later, he was suspended from service.

Crime against women in Kerala increases as 2021 sees highest number of cases in 6 years

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Thiruvananthapuram: In a shocking revelation, statistics released by the state police department indicates that 3,549 POCSO cases were registered in the state between January 1 and December 31, 2021. Further, 16,418 cases were registered for crimes against women. This is the highest number of cases reported in the last six years. As many as 3,019 POCSO cases were registered in 2020, which is slightly less than that of the 3,609 cases in 2019. However, the relaxation in Covid-19 norms has further increased the cases reported across the state. Since 2016, the number of cases has alarmingly increased despite stringent measures taken to tackle the issue. The highest number of cases were reported in Malappuram (457), Thiruvananthapuram rural (318), and Palakkad (251). The least number of cases were in Kannur city (93), Kannur rural (97) and Ernakulam city (110). Earlier, the state government had directed the police force to constitute special wings to investigate cybercrimes, economic offences as well as cases registered under the POCSO act. To tackle the issue of crime against children, the state cabinet on Wednesday has also approved 28 fast-track special courts. With this, the number of fast-track courts in the state has become 56. Crime Against Women The crimes against women have increased steadily across the state in recent years. The statistics revealed that there were 2,318 cases of rape, 4,269 cases of molestation, and 5,016 cases of cruelty from husband/ relatives during last year alone. The number of cases has also jumped from 12,659 in 2020 to 16,418 in 2021. Iinfographics source: keralapolice.gov.in/crime-statistics

As Covid numbers fall, CPM decides to hold its state conference as planned

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Thiruvananthapuram:With the daily Covid cases in Kerala coming down, the CPM on Friday decided to go ahead with the State Party Conference as planned earlier, but with strict Covid protocols. State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Friday told the media persons that RTPCR negative certificate will be mandatory for the delegates. The Alappuzha district conference has been cut short to two days. The state conference will be held as originally planned at Kochi from March 1 to 4. Kodiyeri said that the rally, which is a hallmark of all its conferences, will not be held, but the meetings will be conducted with a lesser number of people and all those who arrive for the four-day event will have to undergo a mandatory RT-PCR test. Incidentally, the CPM drew a lot of flak last month after its Thiruvananthapuram district conference held a traditional dance with around 500 women when there were strict Covid protocols enforced across the state, as the third wave of the pandemic had just started in the state. And when a few of those who took part in this conference turned Covid positive, the criticism increased and State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan announced then that they would take a call regarding the Kochi meeting at a later date. Even though the daily Covid cases had touched 50,000 last month, the situation has changed now, and daily cases have fallen below the 20,000-mark. With the health experts predicting that the peak is over and cases will come down, the party decided to go forward as planned earlier. The Secretariat meeting also decided to hold the Alappuzha district conference on February 15-16. With Balakrishnan all set to get a third and final term as state secretary, all eyes are on who all make it to the powerful state committee and the secretariat, the crucial decision-making body of the party. (With inputs from IANS)

Kerala records 16,012 new COVID cases on Friday

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Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala reported 16,012 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, informed the health department in a press release. The test positivity was recorded as 19.99 per cent. The district-wise statistics of positive cases: Ernakulam-2732,Thiruvananthapuram- 1933, Kottayam-1696, Kollam-1502, Thrissur-1357, Kozhikode-1258, Alappuzha-1036, Idukki-831, Pathanamthitta-785, Malappuram-750, Palakkad-686, Kannur-633, Wayanad-557and Kasaragod-256. A total of 80,089 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. 3,57,327 people are currently under observation in the state. Out of this, 3,50,089 people are under home/institutional quarantine and 7238 people are in hospitals. 1141 people were taken to hospitals on Sunday. Among the 2,05,410 active Covid cases reported, only 3.6 per cent of patients are admitted to hospitals/field hospitals. Along with 27 new COVID deaths, the health department also reported 214 deaths that are newly certified as Covid-19 deaths based on the revised rules. Apart from this, 251 more deaths recorded late due to the delay in obtaining the documents were also added to the list of COVID deaths. With this, the death toll climbed to 61,626 in the state. Among the new patients, 57 were returned from outside the state. 14,685 people contracted the virus through contact. The infection source of 1140 patients remains unidentified. 130 health workers also tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, 43,087 recoveries were also reported in the state. The district-wise statistics of recoveries: Thiruvananthapuram-5213, Kollam-6701, Pathanamthitta-2533, Alappuzha-2959, Kottayam-4135, Idukki-1560, Ernakulam-6251, Thrissur-3132, Palakkad-1923, Malappuram-2207, Kozhikode-2447, Wayanad-1479, Kannur-1814, and Kasaragod-733. 61,13,257 people were recovered from the disease so far.

DYFI activist attacked in Alappuzha, drug mafia’s involvement suspected

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Alappuzha: A DYFI activist from Alappuzha's Mavelikara has suffered injuries after being allegedly hacked with a hatchet axe. The person who sustained injuries has been identified as Akash, a native of Palamel. He has been hospitalized in the District Medical College. The person has a 10cm long wound on his neck. Notably, in the locality, another DYFI activist's house and vehicle were set ablaze. According to DYFI representatives, both incidents are connected and they allege the involvement of the drug mafia. The representative's alleged that Noorand native Vishnu stopped Akash's vehicle and attacked him. Reportedly, earlier, Vishnu's brother Binu along with others had attacked DYFI activists for questioning them on drug use in the region. Over the matter, there is a police case and Vishnu is the main accused. DYFI activists also conducted a campaign against the drug mafia in the locality. Now Vishnu is under police custody. Further details are awaited.

'Haritha' issue: Wayanad court orders to reinstate PP Shaijal in MSF

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Kozhikode: Wayanad Munsiff Court ordered to reinstate the ousted Muslim Students Federation (MSF) state vice-president PP Shaijal. He was expelled from the party for supporting girls in the Haritha (the women's wing of MSF) harassment issue. It was alleged that MSF state president PK Navas and others sexually harassed the women activists in Haritha. However, the party investigated the allegations and, instead of ensuring justice for the victims, dismissed the Haritha committee and expelled those who demanded action against the culprits, including PP Shaijal. Shaijal told mathrubhumi.com that he was expelled from the organisation without following due process, which was against the party rules. Following the court order, Shaijal will now be able to attend party functions and events. “All of us raised our voices for the justice of women in the party. But the party expelled 30 of us. Our stand was never anti-party. Muslim League is a party that fights for the education and rights of Muslim students, especially girls. We intervened in the matter by standing firm on that idea.” he said. The problems are due to the anti-democratic mindsets that are working inside the party. Some were targeting all those who supported the victims on the Haritha issue. The same people who appointed the MSF state president without the consent of the party are protecting him. The party had to deal with the issue very carefully because it is a time when Muslim girls are coming to the forefront of society confidently compared to the past. If the girls in Haritha had got justice, it would have been a motivation for the next generation to come to the party, said Shaijal.

KSRTC arranges additional trips to make up train delay, passengers can demand more services

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Thiruvananthapuram: The KSRTC has arranged additional services to manage the rush due to the delay of trains. The train services were disrupted as a goods train derailed near Thrissur. Additional services from Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kozhikode are readied. Besides, the corporation will organise more trips depending upon the demand from passengers. For enquiry (24×7): +91 471-2463799, +91 9447071021, 1800 599 4011

Now, Kodiyeri slams Yogi for Kerala comment

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Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Friday slammed UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath over his comment against Kerala. UP witnesses jungle raj. There is no democracy or secularism. Law and order is a failure. Crime against women and children are on the rise. Kerala is way ahead of UP in all development indices, Kodiyeri said. UP should defeat BJP and become another Kerala, he said. Yogi tried to give a wrong perspective about the state. But it boomeranged. The country is now comparing both states, and realising the facts, Kodiyeri said. Kerala BJP leaders must acknowledge the mistake of Yogi, the CPM leader demanded. Yogi Aditynath, on the polling day of the first phase of elections to the UP assembly, warned the people to vote cautiously to avoid the state becoming a Kerala, Kashmir or West Bengal.

Ambalamukku murder: After stabbing, accused watched death, wrapped body in a tarpaulin

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Thiruvananthapuram: Rajendran, the accused in the Vineetha murder case, came to the town on lockdown day intending to steal money. He came to Ambalamukku, a kilometre away from Peroorkada, to snatch the golden chain of a woman. The accused chased the woman from Ambalamukku to Kuravankonam Road, where the plant shop is located. Somewhere in the middle, he missed the target from his sight. He then saw Vineetha watering the plants in the shop. Pretending to buy pots from the shop, Rajendran approached Vineetha. The weird behaviour of Rajendran frightened Vineetha and she started to cry aloud. With this, the accused repeatedly stabbed Vineetha in the neck with a knife and watched Vineetha succumbing by sitting on a nearby staircase. After confirming her death, he took her golden chain and wrapped her in a tarpaulin sheet. He had returned to Peroorkada the next day of the murder. Police were searching for the culprit at that time in the town. The accused went to the hotel where he had been working and asked for leave showing an injury on his hand that happened during the murder. The crucial evidence obtained by the police against the accused Rajendran was the same hand injury. Rajendran had gone home during the investigation of police in the labour camps. From the statement of the guest workers, the police came to know about Rajendran and found similarities with the suspect seen in the CCTV footage. Rajendran does not use a mobile phone which was a challenge to the police to track him. The police checked the police records in Nagercoil and came to know his whereabouts.

Autopsy report says Kuthiravattom mental hospital inmate died of suffocation, police suspect murder

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Jiyaram Jilott Kozhikode: The post-mortem report of Jiyaram Jillot, an inmate of the Kuthiravattom mental health centre, pointed out that the death happened due to suffocation. Police suspect that it is a murder. Medical College ACP K Sudarshanan said that the staff and the inmates will be questioned soon. Police suspect a 19-year-old inmate in the case. Jiyaram (30), a native of Maharashtra, was involved in a fistfight with the suspect on Wednesday night. The dispute was based on the bed space. But the superintendent said that both of them were immediately shifted to separate cells. The doctor came and examined the nineteen-year-old girl when she was bleeding from her nose after the fight but Jiyaram Jilott had not been examined, said KC Ramesan, hospitals superintendent. Also, the deceased did not have any health problems when the doctor came. But police will question others in the institution to find out whether this is true or the employees know anything more about the death. Authorities say that she was found dead when the duty doctor arrived for a routine examination on Thursday morning. She was found dead in cell number 10 of the forensic womens ward. A big bump was found on the back of her head, suspected to be due to a blow. Also, she was bleeding from the ears and her nose and face were swollen. Authorities said they found hairs in her hand. Jiyaram was admitted to Kuthiravttom mental health centre on January 28th. She was wandering with a child in Thalassery after being abandoned by her husband. The police took her to Kuthiravattom as they saw her assaulting the child. ACP K Sudarshanan said the accused may be arrested on Saturday.

India beat West Indies by 96 runs in third ODI, win series 3-0

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Ahmedabad: Shreyas Iyers 80 run knock and a joint effort from the entire bowling unit, helped India in defeating West Indies by 96 runs in the third and final ODI here at Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday. With this win, India has got a clean sweep in the series with 3-0 lead, after clinching victory in the first two matches. Chasing 267, the visitors began with a pathetic start as opener Shai Hope had to depart after getting LBW by Mohammed Siraj for just 5 runs, leaving the teams total at 19/1. It was followed by Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks dismissal by Deepak Chahar at 25/3 in the fifth over. Later, Darren Bravo joined skipper Nicholas Pooran and the duo tried to get some runs for their side, but Krishna Prasidh sent the former back to the dug out in the 14th over with only 68 runs on the board. Jason Holder was also dismissed for only six runs by the pacer. Kuldeep Yadav also scalped two wickets and dismissed Pooran and Fabian Allen on 34 and zero, respectively. Then it was Odean Smith, who came to crease and played a knock of 36 runs in just 18 balls and brought some hopes for West Indies. But, their happiness was short-lived as he got caught by Shikhar Dhawan on Sirajs delivery, with the teams total at 122/8. Alzarri Joseph and Hayden Walsh joined hands to stitch a good partnership but their efforts went in vain after Siraj struck again and scalped Walshs wicket. Then, Krishna put the last nail on the coffin and sent Joseph back and dismantled the visitors at 169/10, to register a victory by 96 runs. Earlier, opting to bat first, Iyer and Rishabh Pant played a partnership of 110 runs. Later, Deepak Chahar and Washington Sundar took the hosts to 200-run mark, with 53 runs of the seventh wicket. For West Indies, Holder scalped four wickets while Joseph and Walsh returned with two each. Both the teams will now be facing each other for the T20I series in Kolkata, starting from February 16. Brief scores: India: 265/10 (Shreyas Iyer 80, Rishabh Pant 56; Jason Holder 4/34) vs West Indies 169/10 (Odean Smith 36, Nicholas Pooran; Prasidh Krishna 3/27) (ANI)

Schools to prepare for reopening; no change in model exam dates of SSLC, Plus Two

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Thiruvananthapuram: A high-level meeting of the education department on Friday decided to follow the guidelines released for the reopening in November 2021 for preparing the schools to restart offline academic sessions on Monday. Classes 1-9 will restart on February 14. Schools will be sanitised ahead of that. Officers reported that around 90 per cent of chapters in SSLC and 75 per cent in Plus Two are already completed. Schools that are lagging shall conduct special classes. Actions to bridge the learning gap has to be taken, the meeting decided. Services of BRC, SSK and DIET teachers can be used wherever needed. Temporary teachers can be appointed if the Covid-19 infection among teachers is affecting the learning. Districts are directed to file a weekly report to the minister and the Director of General Education. Model exams of SSLC and Plus Two will start on March 16, as decided early. Women & Child Development Department minister Veena George said that the anganwadis in the state can open from Monday onwards. Schools, kinder gardens will also open on Monday. The closure of anganwadis affects the mental and physical development of children. However, the minister requested the authorities to be cautious.

Kerala Covid relaxations: Upto 1,500 people in religious festivals; anganwadis to open on Monday

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Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Friday decided to allow 1,500 people in major religious festivals and events in the state including Aluva Sivarathri, Maramon Convention and Attukal Pongala. A government order directed people to attend the festivals and religious events strictly adhering to COVID-19 protocol including wearing masks and keeping adequate distance. Only those over 18 years of age who have a RT-PCR negative certificate taken within 72 hours or a document to prove that they were infected with virus in the last three months will be allowed entry in the places where festivals are held. People below 18 years can attend the festivals with their family members. The government also decided not to allow devotees to offer pongala (offering to the deity) in public places or on roads during the famous Attukal Pongala. However, people can make the offering from their homes, the government order said. Attukal Pongala, one of the worlds largest all-women religious congregations, will be held on February 17. Preparing pongala is considered an auspicious ritual of the annual festival of the Attukal Bhagavathy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Last year also the Pongala festival was held without the mass gathering of women devotees in public places and long lines of wayside make-shift hearths. With active COVID-19 cases in Kerala starting to show a decline over the past few days, the Kerala government had earlier decided to ease COVID-19 restrictions and asked schools and colleges in the state to prepare for functioning in a full-fledged manner from the end of February. Daily COVID-19 cases in Kerala continued to drop below 20,000 with the state on Friday recording 16,012 fresh infections which raised the total caseload to 63,81,063. Anganwadis from Monday Women & Child Development Department minister Veena George said that the anganwadis in the state can open from Monday onwards. Schools, kinder gardens will also open on Monday. The closure of anganwadis affects the mental and physical development of children. However, the minister requested the authorities to be cautious. Kerala reported 16,012 new Covid-19 cases on Friday. The test positivity was recorded as 19.99 per cent. (With inputs from PTI)

Ukraine-Russia crisis: What to know about the fears of war

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Brussels:The chill of a ColdWarhung over Eastern Europe again Friday, with Russian military maneuvers and drills close to Ukraine and the U.S. escalating its dire warnings about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying it could take place within days. Diplomats and government leaders, meanwhile, struggled ever more to jumpstart moribund talks to stave off full-outwar. Heres a look at what is happening where and why: STARK WARNINGS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE The White House said it still didn't know if Russian President Vladimir Putin had made a decision to invade, but it said Putin has assembled all the elements to do so quickly and told Americans in Ukraine to leave within the next 48 hours. Many analysts have believed that any invasion was unlikely to start until after the Winter Olympics in China end on February 20. The heightened U.S. rhetoric followed new intelligence that showed another increase in Russian troops near the Ukrainian border. “We can't pinpoint the day at this point, and we can't pinpoint the hour, but that is a very, very distinct possibility,” President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. In a demonstration of American commitment to NATO allies, the Pentagon is sending 3,000 more combat troops to Poland to join 1,700 already assembling there, a senior U.S. defense official said Friday. The official provided the information under ground rules set by the Pentagon. The White House said Biden and Putin will discuss the crisis by phone on Saturday. Several NATO allies, including Britain, Norway and Denmark, are also asking their citizens to leave Ukraine. PREPPING AND POSTURING In Romanias Black Sea port of Constanta, the rumble of U.S. heavy military materiel was breaking the dawn quiet, signs that reinforcements and 1,000 more troops were coming into an airbase there. It was yet another indication that hardware was being beefed up around the strategic Black Sea where Russia, Ukraine and three NATO allies have bases. “From here in the Black Sea region, all the way to the Baltic, allies are stepping up to reinforce NATO's presence at this critical time,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said from Constanta. Romanias neighbor Bulgaria will also welcome Spanish jets to increase the potent presence of the alliance. In Black Sea waters, warships of Russias Baltic and Northern fleets arrived in Sevastopol Bay on the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014. The ships join several similar vessels that are part of Russias Black Sea fleet, augmenting its amphibious landing capability. Moscow has announced sweeping drills in the Black and Azov Seas in the coming days and closed large areas for commercial shipping, drawing a strong protest from Ukraine. Off Ukraines northern border, Russia and its ally Belarus are starting 10 days ofwargames, involving massive drills with live ammunition. “There is a risk for a full-fledged invasion,” warned Stoltenberg, but he added other threats were lurking too, “including attempts to topple the government in Kyiv.” TANKS TRUMP TALKS FOR NOW Despite the flurry of flights crisscrossing Europe to bring leaders together around the tables of diplomacy over the past weeks, the results have been far less spectacular as both sides continue to wait to see who will blink first over the issue. The only slightly positive news Friday seemed to come out of Moscow, where British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said he had had a “constructive, frank” discussion with Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu. “I heard clearly from the Russian government that they had no intention of invading Ukraine,” Wallace told reporters in Moscow. He added: “We will judge that statement on the evidence." Talks in Berlin between Ukraine and Russia, joined by France and Germany, at first held hope for some progress as they lasted into Friday morning, but at the end, nothing palpable emerged. "Unfortunately, almost nine hours of talks have ended without any significant results," Russian deputy chief of staff Dmitry Kozak said. It remained unclear when and how the next attempt at a breakthrough would be made. A 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany in a similar so-called Normandy format helped halt large-scale battles in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed rebels, but regular skirmishes have continued. The Kremlin has accused Kyiv of sabotaging the agreement, and Ukrainian officials argued in recent weeks that implementing it would hurt their country. Across the world in Melbourne, Australia, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was downbeat. “We've made every possible effort to engage Russia, to look at the concerns that it's raised, to share concerns that we have, that European partners and allies have,” he said. But the gap with Moscow remains yawning. “Simply put, we continue to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border. And as we said before, we're in a window when an invasion could begin at any time," Blinken said. Later Friday, Biden spoke to a number of European leaders to underscore the concerns raised by U.S. intelligence about the potential imminence of a Russian invasion. Sullivan said Western leaders were completely united and would respond harshly to a Russian invasion with devastating economic and trade sanctions. AP

Over 60 social media accounts blocked for anti-India fake news

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New Delhi: The government on Thursday said it has blocked more than 60 social media accounts, including YouTube channels and Facebook and Instagram pages, in the last two months for spreadinganti-Indiafake news. Replying to supplementary questions in the Upper House, Minister for State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan said the government is very much concerned about the freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Asked about action taken against those spreading fake news, and publishers of anti-national material, he said more than 60 accounts have been blocked including those on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. "These YouTube channels are sponsored from Pakistan," he said. On fake news through newspapers, the minister said the Press Council of India is an autonomous statutory body and takes care of the journalists ethics code. "Journalists have to follow ethics code. Wherever they have not followed the ethics code under the Press Council Act Section 14, action has to be initiated. In more than 150 cases, we took action against them," he said. Asked about Techfog app roles in spreading fake news, Murugan said the government has established a fact check unit, which has responded to more than 30,000 queries. This unit is also verifying viral fake news, he added. According to an official statement, the ministry on January 21 had ordered blocking of 35 YouTube based news channels and two websites which were involved in spreadinganti-Indiafake news in a coordinated manner over digital media. Additionally, two Twitter accounts, two Instagram accounts, and one Facebook account were blocked. In December also, 20 YouTube channels and two websites were blocked, the official statement had said. In a written reply to the starred question, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said the government has statutory and institutional mechanisms in place to combat fake news. A "Fact Check Unit" has been setup under the Press Information Bureau of this Ministry in November, 2019 which takes cognisance of fake news both suo motu and by way of queries sent by citizens on its portal or through e-mail and WhatsApp. "The unit responds to relevant queries with correct information when the same pertains to Central Government or forwards them to States/UTs in other cases. The Unit also maintains a Twitter account @PIBFactcheck and posts cases of fake news, being busted, on the same on regular basis. PIB Fact Check Unit has so far responded to 30,533 actionable queries," he said. For print media, the Press Council of India (PCI), a statutory autonomous body set up under the Press Council Act, 1978, has framed “Norms of Journalistic Conduct” for adherence by the media. These norms emphasise the principles of accuracy and fairness as well as pre-publication verification. The PCI has formulated specific norms to refrain print media from publication/ dissemination of fake or false news. For electronic media (Television), all TV channels are required to adhere to the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. As per the code, programmes should not contain anything obscene defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half-truths. For digital news, the government has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 on February 25 2021, under the Information Technology Act, 2000 which inter alia provides for a Code of Ethics for adherence by digital news publishers. "Appropriate action is taken in cases where violation of norms, codes etc., are found. The government also issues advisory from time to time to the media to adhere to the laid down codes," Thakur said. PTI

As Covid cases fall, CPM to hold state conference as planned

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Thiruvananthapuram:With the daily Covid cases in Kerala coming down, the CPM on Friday decided to go ahead with the State Party Conference as planned earlier, but with strict Covid protocols. The conference will be held as originally planned at Kochi from March 1 to 4. A party source revealed that the rally, which is a hallmark of all its conferences, will not be held, but the meetings will be conducted with a lesser number of people and all those who arrive for the four day event will have to undergo a mandatory RT-PCR test. Incidentally, the CPM drew a lot of flak last month after its Thiruvananthapuram district conference held a traditional dance with around 500 women, when there were strict Covid protocols enforced across the state, as the third wave of the pandemic had just started in the state. And when a few of those who took part in this conference turned Covid positive, the criticism increased and State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan announced then that they would take a call regarding the Kochi meeting at a later date. Even though the daily Covid cases had touched 50,000 last month, the situation has changed now, and daily cases have fallen below the 20,000-mark. With the health experts predicting that the peak is over and cases will come down, the party decided to go forward as planned earlier. The Secretariat meeting also decided to hold the Alappuzha district conference on February 15-16. With Balakrishnan all set to get a third and final term, all eyes are on who all make it to the powerful state committee and the secretariat, the crucial decision making body of the party. (IANS)

Names will be removed if Aadhar not linked to ration card

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Alappuzha: The authorities have started to remove the names of those who failed to link Aadhaar card to ration cards. In the first phase, those names in the AAY (yellow) card will be removed followed by those in the pink category. The priority for linking Aadhaar will be given to those cards covered under the Food Security Act. About 99 percent of yellow cardholders, 98 percent of pink cardholders,blue (96%) and white (95%) have linked their card to Aadhar. The names of those who have not linked will be removed after contacting the individuals through phone and verifying the reason. During inspection, it was found that many cardsholders have failed to removethe names of thedeceased. It is also clear that Aadhaar is not linked because some people have more than one ration card. Action will be taken against those who have failed to linkAadhaar despite being given several opportunities. The new rule aims at finding those who possess multiple cards. Further, most of the bedridden do not have Aadhaar. Their name will not be removed from the card. The authorities also stated that names can be added even ifremoved. The person can approach the Public Distribution Department with Aadhaar to include their name in the ration card.

MGNREGS: 287 roads constructed in Kasaragod in FY 2021-22

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Nileshwaram: Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), 38.149 km of roads were constructed in Kasaragod district in 2021-22. This was achieved by constructing 287 roads in six block-panchayats. It is reported that 252 concrete roads were constructed for Rs 11.57 lakh and 35 gravel roads constructed for Rs. 2.30 lakh. Construction of more roads is expected to be completed by the end of the financial year. A total of 96 roads were constructed in Parappa Block Panchayat, 56 in the Karaduka block, 48 in Neeleswaram, 45 in Kanhangad, 23 in Manjeswaram and 20 in Kasaragod. Out of the current target of 49,89,278 working days, 39,85,049 days were achieved so far in 2021-22. Further, 77,808 families got employment in the district, and 5,512 people completed 100 days of work. The target for the 2022-23 financial year is 49,55,380 workdays. RS 291 is given as a daily wage to the workers. 19,4042 employment cards have been issued so far.

A uniform colour code - white- for tourist buses in Kerala before June

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Thiruvananathapuram: In a major move to curb modifications, tourist buses in the state have beendirected to change its colour towhite andfollow a uniformcolour code. The bus owners were asked to comply with the order before June. Earlier, January was decided the deadline to introduce a uniformcolour. However, this was scrapped after the covid pandemic intensified across the state. Meanwhile, cars and taxi cabs (mini vans) are excluded from this new colour code. Vehicles that carry 20 passengers, including the driver, do not need to change the colour. The State Transport Authority, which met on January 9, 2020, had decided to impose a uniform colour following an unhealthy competition between bus owners over modifications. As per the new order, tourist buses appearing for fitness tests must switch to white, after June 1. Violet, metallic and gold coloured ribbons of certain sizes are allowed. Further, certain guidelines are also issuedfor writing names in front of bus. The name is allowed in white in 12 inches. The operators name can be written on the rear of the bus following the specified size. However, no colours or other writings are permitted.

Sabarimala temple to open today, 15,000 devotees allowed per day

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Sabarimala: The doors of the Lord Ayappa temple here will open on Saturday for the monthly poojas in the Malayalam month of Kumbham. Head priest MN Parameswaran Namboothiri will open the sanctum sanctorum and light the lamp in the presence of tantri Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanaru. Devotees will be allowed to enter the temple from Sunday onwards. Only those who havebooked via the virtual queue system will be permitted to visit the temple. The authority has decided to allow 15,000 devotees per day at the temple. Strict COVID protocol will be in place. Those who are visiting the temple must carry ID proof and certificate of two COVID-19 vaccine doses or RT-PCR negative certificate taken within 72 hours prior to reaching Sabarimala. The temple will close on February 17, Thursday. Later, the hill shrine will reopen on March 8 for the monthly poojas in the Malayalam month of Meenam and Uthram festival. 'Kodiyettam' will be held on March 9. The temple doors will close on March 19 after the Panguni Uthram Aarattu.

India faces `very significant challenges' from China, says US in Indo-Pacific Strategic Report

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Washington:India is beset with significant geopolitical challenges, in particular from China and its behaviour on the Line of Actual Control, the White House has said, while releasing itsIndo-PacificStrategicReport. Thestrategicreport, released on Friday, is the President Joe Biden-led administrations first region specificreport. It outlines the presidents vision to firmly anchor the United States position in theIndo-Pacific, strengthen the region and support Indias rise and regional leadership in the process. "We will continue to build astrategicpartnership in which the United States and India work together and through regional groupings to promote stability in South Asia; collaborate in new domains such as health, space, and cyberspace; deepen our economic and technology cooperation; and contribute to a free and openIndo-Pacific," the White House said. "We recognise that India is a like-minded partner and leader in South Asia and the Indian Ocean, active in and connected to Southeast Asia, a driving force of the Quad and other regional fora, and an engine for regional growth and development," the White House statement added. However, a senior US official, on condition of anonymity, pointed out the significant challenges New Delhi is beset with. "But India faces very significant challenges. Chinas behaviour on the Line of Actual Control has had a galvanizing impact on India. From our standpoint, we see tremendous opportunities in working with another democracy - with a country that has a maritime tradition that understands the importance of the global commons - to advance critical issues in the region,” said the White House official. "There is tremendous appreciation of the importance and the challenges of strengthening the engagement with India and a recognition that India is a criticalstrategicpartner, and a desire to continue building on the very good work of previous administrations to significantly broaden and deepen that relationship,” the official said. The official made the candid observations while briefing reporters on the release of the new regional strategy. The senior administrator said the previous US administrations, including the previous one led by President Donald Trump, had done a great job in theIndo-Pacificregion. Thestrategicreportwas released as a Quad Ministerial is underway in Australia; foreign ministers from Australia, India, Japan and the US on Friday expressed concerns over the malign Chinese role in the region. China, thestrategicreportsaid, is combining its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological might as it pursues a sphere of influence in theIndo-Pacificand seeks to become the worlds most influential power. The Chinese coercion and aggression spans the globe, but it is most acute in theIndo-Pacific, it said. From the economic coercion of Australia to the conflict along the Line of Actual Control with India to the growing pressure on Taiwan and bullying of neighbours in the East and South China Seas, our allies and partners in the region bear much of the cost of the Peoples Republic of Chinas (PRC) harmful behaviour. In the process, China is also undermining human rights and international law, including freedom of navigation, as well as other principles that have brought stability and prosperity to theIndo-Pacific, the strategy said. "Our collective efforts over the next decade will determine whether the PRC succeeds in transforming the rules and norms that have benefitted theIndo-Pacificand the world. For our part, the United States is investing in the foundations of our strength at home, aligning our approach with those of our allies and partners abroad, and competing with the PRC to defend the interests and vision for the future that we share with others," it said. "We will strengthen the international system, keep it grounded in shared values, and update it to meet 21st-century challenges. Our objective is not to change China but to shape thestrategicenvironment in which it operates, building a balance of influence in the world that is maximally favourable to the United States, our allies and partners, and the interests and values we share," it added. Responding to a question, the senior official told reporters that the last four administrations have played a significant role in improving relations with India. "With regard to India, we very explicitly highlight the importance of - the importance of what the last four administrations have all played a very important role in advancing, which is the much greater US engagement, much improved US relations with and much closer US partnership with India,” the official said. “Obviously, Indias role in the QUAD I think is a very significant element of that, including the ability to speak frankly, about issues in the region, to work together to deliver essentially public goods that address the challenges in the region, and to enhance ways in which we can coordinate,” the official said. India, the senior official said, is in a very different place, in many ways than Australia and other countries. PTI

Thrissur family takes shelter under banyan tree fearing neighbour’s attack

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Thrissur: Narayanankutty and his family are in a helpless situation after being thrown out of their own house by their neighbour. After wandering in search of a safe place, the four-member family took shelter under a banyan tree near a temple. The shocking incident took place at Kumbalakode in Pazhayannur here. It is reported that Narayanankutty (36) and his family were forced to leave their house after theneighbour Manikandan attacked and issued death threats.The family includes Narayanankutty's ailing mother Vishalu, his wife Sajitha and their 12-year-old daughter Lakshmi Devi. Manikandan's relative encroached on Narayanankutty's property. Following this, Narayanankutty's mother Vishalu filed a complaint with the police. Provoked overthis, Manikandan vandalised the house. The attacker destroyed the television, textbooks of the child, vessels and sewing machine used by Narayanankutty's wife. Blood stains werefound on the floor of the house as the attacker suffered a leg injury while damaging the television. The family lodged a complaint with Pazhayannur police when Manikandan allegedly manhandled them. Following this, police reached the spot and warned Manikandan. Provoked over this, he again unleashed attack. Shocked by this, the family was forced to leave the house. The incident took place last Wednesday. At first, they took shelter onthe verandah of a hospital at Vadakkethara. Later, they began to live under the banyan tree near Thekkethara Vettakkorumakan Kavu temple. Residents in the area are giving food. Police intervened in the issue and arranged a temporary shelter for the family at the panchayat building for their safe stay on Friday night. The officials also asked them to leave on Saturday. Meanwhile, the accused Manikandan is absconding from the place. A non-bailable case has been registered against him, informed Pazhayannur CI Nizamuddin.

Beijing winter olympics: Ukrainian athlete displays sign calling for 'No War in Ukraine'

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Beijing:A Ukrainian skeleton athlete flashed a small sign that read “ No War in Ukraine ” to the cameras as he finished a run at the BeijingOlympicson Friday night. Vladyslav Heraskevychs sign was printed on a blue-and-yellow piece of paper, matching the colors of his countrys flag. He did not display the sign after his second run of the night, which was his fourth and final run of theOlympics. “Its my position. Like any normal people, I dont want war," Heraskevych said after he finished competing. “I want peace in my country, and I want peace in the world. Its my position, so I fight for that. I fight for peace." The gesture comes asRussiahas amassed over 100,000 troops near Ukraine, stoking fears in the West that Moscow is planning an invasion.Russiainsists it has no such plans but doesnt want Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to be allowed to join the western NATO alliance. “In Ukraine, its really nervous now," Heraskevych said. “A lot of news about guns, about weapons, whats to come in Ukraine, about some armies around Ukraine. Its not OK. Not in the 21st century. So I decided, before theOlympics, that I would show my position to the world." It is possible that the International Olympic Committee could consider Heraskevych's act a violation of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter. That rule, in part, states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.” But it also could fall into a gray area since the sign did not explicitly disrespect an opponent or criticize any political target. Heraskevych said he was not concerned about any possible repercussions. “I hope theOlympicswill (support) me in this situation. Nobody wants war," Heraskevych said. The IOC relaxed its rule against protests before theTokyoGames, allowing athletes to express themselves politically before competitions start — but Heraskevych's action would likely not be covered by that because it happened at the finish line. Still, the IOC doesn't always choose to bring a disciplinary case. “I hope it helps ... make peace in our country," said Heraskevych, who was not a medal contender. AP

Now, scan QR code via UPI apps to get railway tickets from ATVMs

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Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian railways introduceda digital payment system using QR code in the stations under the Southern railways. The passengers can avail both platform tickets and travel tickets by scanning the QR codes appearing on the screen of the Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVM) through any UPI payment mobileapplications. It can also be used to renew the season tickets. The smart cards issued by railways were used to take tickets from ATVMs. But the new system will help the passengers to buy tickets using UPI applications, in lieu of taking tickets via cards. The smart cards can be recharged through the new payment system. The customers can use all mobile wallets including Google Pay, Paytm and Phone Pe for making payments for tickets.

POCSO case against 'No 18' hotel owner Roy J Vayalat, others

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Kochi: A POCSO case has been registered against No 18 hotel owner Roy J Vayalat atthe Fort Kochi police station based on complaint by a mother and daughter from Kozhikode. Roys friend Saiju Thankachan and his friend Anjali were also named accused in the case. According to the complaint, Roy had sexually assaulted the girl inhis hotel weeks before the car accident that left two Kerala models dead in Vytilla. Further, the accused allegedly recorded the incident on mobile phone. Anjali had threatened to share the video on social media if she lodged a complaint with the police. The POCSO case was handed over to the Special Investigation Team investigating the models accident case. It is learned that accused will be arrested only after taking the statement of the mother and daughter. Roy and Saiju are also accused in the death of models in Vytilla. In addition, seven cases have been registered against Saiju at various stations for drug use and drug trafficking. On the night of November 1, while returning after attending a party at Hotel No 18, the models were killed after their car crashed into the median on the Palarivattom bypass. Later, police found that the accident occurred andSaiju was following the models from the hotel. Further, CCTV footage of the party was destroyed by Roy and the hotel staff. Following this, Roy was arrested for attempting to destroy evidence.

Rs 1.12 cr paid for 362 personal staff directly appointed by ministers and chief whip

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Kochi: While the state is struggling financially, 362 personal staff were directly appointed by 21 ministers and thechief whip of the state government. The minimum amount required to pay them as salary is about Rs 1.12 crore per month. Further, 14 personal staff wasappointed by the opposition leader directly. Additionally, individuals are appointed on a deputation basis to the personal staff from various government departments. The details of the appointment came out after the public administration department gave a reply to MK Haridas, an RTI activist. Further, the information onappointments he received was up to November 30, 2021. It is unclear how many appointments were made since then. The Private Secretary and the Additional Private Secretary are the highest earners with a pay scale between Rs 1,07,800-1,60,000. It is also worth noting that the staff cook has a salary scale of Rs 23,000-50,200. There are also travel and medical allowances in addition to this salary. Personal staff members are entitled to a pension if they have served for two years and one day. The government had also directed that the number of personal staff members of the Leader of the Opposition should be fixed at last years figure. Personal Staff Members as follows (Direct appointment only) 1 Pinarayi Vijayan-26 2. Roshy Augustine-15 3. Antony Raju-18 4. GR Anil-17 5. P Rajeev-12 6. PA Mohammad Riyas-19 7. V Abdurahiman-16 8. VN Vasavan-15 9. KN Balagopal-13 10. K Rajan-17 11. K Krishnankutty-15 12. J Chinchu Rani-17 13. AK Saseendran-13 14. P Prasad-15 15. MV Govindan-16 16. Saji Cherian-16 17. Veena George-16 18. Ahamed Devarkovil-17 19. V Sivankutty-17 20. K Radhakrishnan-16 21. R Bindu-17 22. M Jayaraj (Chief Whip) -19

India logs 50,407 fresh COVID cases, 804 deaths

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New Delhi:Indiasaw a single day rise of 50,407 coronavirus infections, which took the tally of cases to 4,25,86,544, while the active cases have declined to 6,10,443, according to Union health ministry data updated on Saturday. The death toll has climbed to 5,07,981 with 804 daily fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The daily COVID-19 cases are being recorded at less than one lakh for the last six consecutive days. The active cases comprise 1.43 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further improved to 97.37 per cent, the ministry said. It said a reduction of 87,359 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 3.48 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate has been recorded at 5.07 per cent, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,14,68,120, while the case fatality rate has been recorded at 1.19 per cent. The cumulative doses administered so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 172.29 crore. Indiahad crossed two crore cases on May 4 and three crore cases on June 23. The 804 new fatalities include 492 from Kerala and 63 from Maharashtra. A total of 5,07,981 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 1,43,355 from Maharashtra, 61,626 from Kerala, 39,575 from Karnataka, 37,887 from Tamil Nadu, 26,047 from Delhi, 23,382 from Uttar Pradesh and 20,965 from West Bengal. The health ministry said that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. "Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation. PTI

KSEB proposes to hike power tariff by 92 paise

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Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has moved a request to the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to increase the electricity tariff in the state for the next five years. KSEB has demanded an increase of 92 paise from the beginning of the new financial year. However, the commission will make a decision afteKSEB seeks electricity tariff hike for next five years Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has moved a request to the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to increase the electricity tariff in the state for the next five years. KSEB has demanded an increase of 92 paise from the beginning of the new financial year. However, the commission will make a decision after hearing the views of various sections of consumers. KSEB had earlier decided to demand an increase of Rs 2.30 in five years. However, this was reduced to Rs 1.45. With the new tariff, KSEB has been expecting an additional revenue of Rs 4,145 crore in the next five years. Further, the board expects to receive Rs 2249 crore for the first year alone. The board has submitted a tariff recommendation that could earn half of the total revenue expected for five years in just one year.r hearing the views of various sections of consumers. KSEB had earlier decided to demand an increase of Rs 2.30 in five years. However, this was reduced to Rs 1.45. With the new tariff, KSEB expects an additional revenue of Rs 4,145 crore in the next five years. Further, the board expects to receive Rs 2249 crore for the first year alone. The board has submitted a tariff recommendation that could earn half of the total revenue expected for five years in just one year.

Police uncover banned tobacco products manufacturing unit in Malappuram

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Malappuram: The police have busted a factory manufacturing banned tobacco products inKuttipuram here on Friday. In the search conducted during the night hours, the police found banned tobacco products and machinery used to manufacture it. It is learnt that the factory situated at Kunnumpuram near Edachalem has been involved in the distribution of these banned products to nearby districts. Following the raid, police sealed off the factory. The preliminary investigation found that the building in which the factory was functioning has been taken for lease by a person fromPattambi in Palakkad. The person has been identified as Muhammad. The police have a clear cut idea about those who run the factory and they informed that they will be arrested soon. The factory was first identified by the locals themselves and when they restricted the operation three from the factory fled the scene. According to thelocals, machines for grinding the tobacco and packaging equipment are found in the factory.

KT Jaleel takes a dig at Lok Ayukta over Justice Cyriac Joseph’s statement

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Kozhikode: Tavanur MLA and former minister KT Jaleel has raised a sharp criticism against Lok Ayukta a day after justice Cyriac Joseph issued a statement. On Saturday, Jaleel took to his Facebook page and penned a sarcastic post as reacting to the Lok Ayukta justices statement. The post is titled 'Puli Eliyaya Katha: Athava Oru Panni Puranam' as mocking Lok Ayukta. He harshly criticised Lok Ayukta by comparing it to a pig. “Pigs are not interested to eat bones as they prefer human waste,” wrote Jaleel. “ When we approach a dog which bites a bone, it will think that we are going to snatch the bone. Let the dog fight with the bone. Lok Ayukta has made a similar statement the other day”, Jaleel wrote on his Facebook page. He also highlighted the Lok Ayukta justices statement by sharing the news published on Mathrubhumi daily. On the other day, Lok Ayukta Justice stated that section 14 in the Lok Ayukta act was found unconstitutional after 21 years. He also added that he is not interested to respond to the allegations raised by media and politicians. Read Jaleels Facebook post:

'Withdraw recovery notices against anti-CAA protesters', SC to UP govt

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to withdraw the recovery notices issued to the alleged anti-CAA protesters in December 2019 while observing that the proceedings were contrary to the law laid down by it. A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant gave the final opportunity to the State to withdraw the recovery notices saying otherwise it will quash the proceedings for being in violation of the law. "Withdraw the proceedings or we will quash it for being in violation of the law laid down by this court," the bench told the counsel appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government. During the hearing, the bench observed that the Uttar Pradesh government has acted like a "complainant, adjudicator and prosecutor" by itself in conducting the proceedings to attach the properties of the accused. The apex court was hearing a plea seeking quashing of the recovery notices issued by the Uttar Pradesh administration to recover the damage caused to public properties in connection with protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the state. The petition was filed by advocate Parvez Arif Titu who sought direction for setting up an independent judicial enquiry to probe into the incidents that occurred during the protests against the CAA-NRC in Uttar Pradesh. Appearing for Uttar Pradesh, Additional Advocate General Garima Prashad apprised the top court that 106 FIRs were registered against 833 rioters in the State and 274 recovery notices were issued against them. She added that out of the 274 notices, recovery orders were passed in 236 while 38 cases were closed. Prashad had also revealed that these orders were passed by Additional District Magistrates. She also said that under the new law notified in 2020, claim tribunals have been constituted which is being headed by retired district judges, and earlier it was headed by Additional District Magistrates (ADMs). To this, the bench said that the Supreme Court has passed two judgements in 2009 and 2018, which said that judicial officers should be appointed in claim tribunals but instead State appointed ADMs. Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government had told the apex court that property damage claims tribunals have been set up to adjudicate the claims of private individuals and government authorities for compensation for the destruction of property during anti-CAA protests and riots in the state. The tribunals were constituted under the Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damage to Public and Private Property Law, 2020. Last year, the apex court had asked the State government not to take action on earlier notices sent to the alleged protestors by the district administration for recovering losses caused by damage to public property during the anti-CAA agitations in the state. The plea stated that the Uttar Pradesh government has appointed an additional district magistrate to deal with the process of notices for recovering damages for loss of public property during protests against the CAA whereas the guidelines laid down by the top court stipulated that retired judges should deal with the matter. The petition further submitted that notices have been sent in Uttar Pradesh in an "arbitrary manner" against a person, who had died six years ago at the age of 94. The notices were issued to two others who are aged above 90, the plea claimed. Seeking a stay on notices, the petition stated that notices have been sent to persons who have not been booked under any penal provisions and no details of FIR or any criminal offences have been made out against them. It was contended that recovery notices were based on an Allahabad High Court judgement passed in 2010 which is in "violation of the guidelines" passed by the Supreme Court in a 2009 judgment which was later re-affirmed in a 2018 verdict. The plea, filed through advocate Nilofar Khan, stated, "The contradiction is that while the Supreme Court in 2009 put the onus of assessment of damages and recovery from the accused on High Courts of every state, whereas the Allahabad High Court had issued guidelines in 2010 judgement that let the state government to undertake these processes to recover damages, which has serious implications". The petition also sought direction from the Uttar Pradesh government to follow the procedure as per the 2009 and 2018 guidelines of the top court while claiming damages to recover the losses caused to public property during such protests. 925 persons, who have been arrested so far in connection with the violent protests, may not get bail easily in Uttar Pradesh till they pay up for the losses as they have to be given conditional bail only after they deposit the amount, the petitioner had added. (ANI)

Poisoning Children

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The school is our first door to the outside world and other people. Stepping out from the closed and familiar environs of home, family or community, one's first brush with the world begins with school life. We come to know that we live in a world to be shared with others who are different from us in every respect: class, caste, creed, colour, character, language, looks,ways of talking, dressing, eating or praying. We understand and respect that others too have equal rights in this world. School is the first nursery of citizenship, tolerance, diversity and democracy. In short, it is where one begins to learn how to live and let live in society. Until a few years ago, it was taboo at schools to ask fellow students their religion or caste. Particularly so, in societies like Kerala, which have evolved into modernity through historic anti-caste social movements. Thanks to the proud legacy of these movements which saw its many leaders cut off their “caste tails,” two generations born after Kerala came into being believed it was anathema to flaunt caste in their names. But things have changed even in Kerala, where too the clock appears to have moved backward. Religious and caste identities are now badges to flaunt. Hindu parents are keen to burden their toddlers with Sanskrit/Vedic names and caste tails. Christian elites who once found it fashionable to give their children non-Christian first names have returned to conservative religious nomenclatures. Muslims have given up their traditional Malayali Muslim names and resorted to esoteric Arabi monikers. Ditto with other external religion-caste markers like attire etc. The Gramscian hegemony, consensus and common sense created by the Kerala renaissance was clearly on the way out. Some secularists squirm at seeing hijab-wearing Bibi Muskan shouting Allahu Akbar This “return to roots” is the first step in identity politics. To oppose others - particularly if they are less in numbers- carrying the markers of their identity is the next. This begins indirectly, but assumes more direct and even violent forms soon. Hijab is a small piece of cloth but has often been a fierce bone of political and social contestations in various countries. In the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, the fundamentalist Muslim enforces other Muslims to wear the hijab and abaya. In Hindutva-dominated India, the fundamentalist Hindu tries to force Muslims to abandon hijab. A symbol of repression in one context could be a sign of resistance in another. It is the failure to see the shifting meanings and historicity of symbols that makes some secularists squirm at seeing the hijab-wearing Bibi Muskan Khan shouting Allahu Akbar. But in todays Karnataka, it is the cry of the hunted. Remember how Swastika, the sign of goodness of Vedic times turned a symbol of extermination in Hitler's hands. Even, “Jai Sriram” which is predatory in the land of Hindutva could be a chant of revolt under Taliban. Bhakti poets and Sufi singers defied authoritarian kings through devotion to god. Inquilab Zindabad and Allah o Akbar rose simultaneously at Lahore in 1986 when Iqbal Bano sang publicly the banned Pakistani Left-wing poet Faiz Ahmed Faizs nazm, "sab but uṭhvāe jāenge…. bas nām rahegā allāh kā" (when all idols crumble, only Allahs name remains) which terrified the oppressive Zia-ul-Haq regime. This sinister identity politics is even more dangerous when it makes its way into the children and schools where we learn the first lessons to live together irrespective of differences. Hence the hijab controversy rocking Karnataka and the moves in other states to bring in curbs on wearing it will be dangerous to India's unity. Strangely, Hindu markers like a bindi on the forehead or the colourful threads around wrists appear just “normal” with any school uniform but not a hijab. It is also interesting that those who had cried hoarse and hit the streets about “aacharam” being trampled upon by a court verdict in Sabarimala are now advising others the need to give up the aacharam of wearing hijab, swearing by what was always the worst word in their lexicon- secularism! The Uniform Civil Code is already on the anvil. The Emmanuel family (back row left to right) Binu, Bijoe, and Bindu; (front row) V.J. Emmanuel, his wife Lillykutty Courtesy: www.jw.org Though the hijab controversy now remains within the confines of Karnataka and some other states, it will not be a surprise if it makes its way to even Kerala, notwithstanding its more inclusive social and political structures. It should not be forgotten that Kerala is where thelandmark cases related to the topic have taken place and that are being constantly referred to during the ongoing controversy. Since the issue is once again before the judiciary following the Karnataka government's February 5th order proscribing hijab in educational institutions, it is likely to reach the Supreme court soon. On a plea by senior counsel Kapil Sibal seeking the Supreme court's intervention, Chief Justice N V Ramana said he was awaiting the Karnataka High Court's examination of the issue. This would eventually bring up again the controversial 'essentiality test', i.e, to decide whether wearing hijab constitutes an “essential religious practice” or not. Even the Sabarimala case pending before the nine-member Bench also may lead to a debate whether proscribing the entry of women of menstrual age is an essential practice or not. One of the most significant verdicts by the Supreme court restraining the state from enforcing a practice considered anathema by a religious sect too had its origin in Kerala. The petition filed by a Kerala-based family following an international religious sect called “Jehovah's Witnesses against singing the national anthem was upheld by the Supreme Court. It was long ago, in 1986, when ultra-nationalism had not gripped the nation's institutions. The petitioner, V. J. Emmanuel of Kadaplamattom near Pala, was an English professor at the KE College, Mannanam of Kottayam district. He had filed the case on behalf of his three children -son Bijoe, daughters Binu and Bindu- against their suspension from NSS High School at Kidangoor near Kottayam. They were suspended for refusing to join the singing of the national anthem at the school's morning assembly. They refused to sing because it was against their religious tenets. Chinnappa Reddy fought to protect individual freedom even during Emergency | File Photo Emmanuel decided to fight and filed a petition against suspension in the Kerala High court. But both the single and division benches dismissed the petition. Emmanuel did not relent and went to the Supreme Court, where Justice O. Chinnappa Reddy upheld him on 11 August 1986 in a historic judgement. (Bijoe Emmanuel Vs State of Kerala). The apex court said that making the students sing forcibly was a violation of their fundamental right to expression. Justice Reddy pointed out that since the students stood up respectfully while the anthem was sung, there was no question of dishonouring the national anthem as was alleged. The verdict has been hailed universally as upholding the citizen's fundamental rights. There was an interesting political angle to the controversy. Students belonging to the Jehovah's Witnesses refusing to sing was first reported in a local newspaper. Though the school management did not bother much, it was taken up in the assembly by V C Kabeer, a Congress(S) MLA with the opposition Left Democratic Front. T M Jacob, Education Minister in the then United Democratic Front ministry headed by K Karunakaran, ordered an official inquiry. Though the inquiry found no disrespect from the students, the District Education Officer insisted that the students should sing. On July 25, 1985, the government suspended all the 9 children from the sect from the school. After the Supreme Court ordered in his favour, Emmanuel sent his students for only one day to the school only to prove his point. Following this, all the children stopped going to school and completed their education through home schooling. Emmanuel passed away in 2020 at the age of 78. Called a “rarest of rare” judgeby Justice K T Thomas, Chinnappa Reddy who had fought to protect individual freedom even during the Emergency, expired in 2013.

Motivated comments on India's internal issues not welcome: MEA on Hijab row

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New Delhi: India on Saturday rejected criticism by some countries over the simmering dress code row in certain educational institutions in Karnataka and said that "motivated comments" on the countrys internal issues are not welcome. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that those who know India well would have a proper appreciation of the realities. "A matter regarding dress code in some educational institutions in the State of Karnataka is under judicial examination by the High Court of Karnataka," he said. "Our constitutional framework and mechanisms, as well as our democratic ethos and polity, are the context in which issues are considered and resolved. Those who know India well would have a proper appreciation of these realities. Motivated comments on our internal issues are not welcome," he said. Bagchis response came when asked by the media about comments by some countries on dress code in some educational institutions in Karnataka. PTI

Education minister releases audio books for Class 10, 12 students

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Thiruvananthapuram: In continuation to the First Bell digital classes being aired through KITE VICTERS channel, theKeralaEducation department on Saturday released audio books for Classes 10 and 12. The audio books for the revision portions for both Classes 10 and 12, whose public examinations are just weeks away, was released by General Education Minister V Sivankutty in a function here. The audio books, developed and made available in the First Bell portal -- www.firstbell.kite.kerala.gov.in -- byKeralaInfrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE), are designed in such a way that revision of all subjects of Class 10 can be completed within 10 hours, K Anvar Sadath, CEO, KITE said. The audio books for Class 12, with an average duration of 1.5 hours per subject, will be available from February 21 onwards. All revision classes in audio books, made available in the First Bell portal, shall be heard in an enjoyable way like listening to a radio programme and are easily downloadable and shareable in mp3 format, he explained. The audio books can also be downloaded through QR Codes. KITE has issued directions to extend the broadband internet facility provided to schools as part of Hi-Tech school project for downloading the audio books for the needy students. Earlier, Free Software-based screen reading software 'ORCA has been deployed in all laptops supplied by KITE to schools and in addition to that, all visually challenged teachers were given specialised ICT training by KITE. Visually challenged children are making use of the audio classes to an extent. However, the audio books, which are completely in voice format, would be highly beneficial for visually challenged students, he said. Last year also,Keralahad taken a huge leap in ensuring digital inclusion by incorporating audio books for comfortable listening to all students with special emphasis to visually challenged kids along with sign adapted classes for hearing-impaired kids. First Bell has completed the telecast of over 10,000 classes till date, including the Kannada and Tamil medium classes along with the general medium and English classes, official sources added. PTI

Uttarakhand CM promises Uniform Civil Code in state if BJP retains power

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Khatima: Chief MinisterPushkarSinghDhamion Saturday said that if Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retains power after the Assembly elections, it will implement the Uniform Civil Code in the state. Dhamisaid in a press conference in Khatima, where he was campaigning, that soon after the swearing-in ceremony, the BJP government will form a panel that will prepare a draft of the Uniform Civil Code for the state. "Soon after its swearing-in, new BJP govt will form a committee including stakeholders, jurists, social workers, knowledgeable persons who will prepare a draft of Uniform Civil Code in the state," saidDhami. "This UCC will provide for the same laws regarding marriages, divorce, land-property, and inheritance for all people, irrespective of their faith," he added. "Implementing Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand at the earliest will boost equal rights for everyone in the state. It will enhance social harmony, boost gender justice, strengthen women empowerment and help protect the extraordinary cultural-spiritual identity and environment of the state," he further said. "The announcement I am going to make is a resolution of my party and will be fulfilled as soon as the new BJP government is formed. To keep the culture and heritage of Devbhoomi intact is our prime duty, we are committed to this," he stated. The polling for the Uttarakhand Assembly elections will take place in a single phase on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)

Kochi man to sell his tourist buses at Rs 40/kg

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Kochi: Exasperated over the burden of loans and police excess amid the pandemic, the owner of Royal Travels tourist buses in Kerala's Kochi has decided to sell off his tourist buses at Rs 40 per kilo. According to Roy, the owner of the buses, he has taken the decision as a protest and only solution to mitigate the ordeal he is going through. Notably, Covid-19 related restrictions have badly affected the tourist bus operators. Citing the same, Roy said that all his buses were purchased on loans. He started to sold the buses as financiers started to visit him regularly demanding repayment of the loans. Though most of the buses are not so old, he sold 10 buses after the lockdown. Now he has 10 more buses which cost from Rs 36 lakh to Rs 40 lakh. Roy pointed out multiple issues that let him down to survive in the field. “After lockdown, the buses resumed operations from last January 1. Tax and insurance of the vehicles were paid. However, on every nook and corner, police started to torment us in the name of checking. The cops levied a fine of Rs 2000 by citing that we operated the bus on Sunday. As the driver doesnt have the money, he arranged it from a passenger,” he explained an instance. All documents related to the bus was perfect, but the cops wanted us to pay the fine, he added. According to him, apart from the taxes, the buses are plying by paying an insurance amount of Rs 80,000. "I am selling the buses at least to cut down the huge amount of debt," said Roy with grief,

Forest dept rescues 8-feet-long Cobra found while digging well

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Kurichy: With a surge in temperature, sightings of snakes, especially cobras, have increased in Kurichy. An eight-feet long cobra has been spotted while digging for a well near Malakunnath Kizhakkekuttu Sasi Kumar's house. The workers who were alarmed by seeing the cobra called the panchayat member who later passed the information to Vishal, a rescue team member of the forest department. Soon he arrived and rescued the snake from the well. The snake was handed over to the forest department. The rescue team informed that the snakes may come out of the burrows frequently with the increase in temperature. The officers said that the public should call the forest department they find any snakes. People who are not trained in snake rescuing must not attempt to catch snakes.

Kochi Corporation incurs loss of Rs 6 cr from not collecting tax, reveals audit report

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Kochi: In a startling revelation, an audit report revealed that the Kochi Municipal Corporation lost crores through mismanagement. The corporation incurred a loss of over Rs 6 crore innot collecting property tax from large building owners. According to the audit report, the e-governance project turned out to be a complete failure. Further, huge losses have been incurred for the Ro-Ro service in Fort Kochi and by laying underground cables. The audit report was prepared for FY 2019-20 during the UDF tenure in Kochi Corporation. The report also pointsout that the corporation has failed to collect revenueand incurred loss through bureaucratic mismanagement and corruption. The e-governance project too has become a complete failure. About Rs 5.5 crore was provided to TCS for the implementation of the e-governance project. However, the report points out that all the 20 modules provided by TCS are not operational. The audit report also finds that the website for the Kochi Corporation was designed by a private company. While other local bodies are making good use of their online system designed by the government body, the system used in the Kochi Corporation has major flaws. A loss of Rs 5.5 crore has been identified in this regard. Further, the corporation has incurred losses due to inaccuracies in the collection of building taxes inWillingdon Island. According to the report, a loss of Rs 57 lakh by the Ro-Ro servicesand Rs 31 lakh during the installation of the underground cable has been reported.

Aryan Khan makes first appearance after drug scandal, spotted with Suhana Khan at IPL 2022 auction

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New Delhi: As superstar Shah Rukh Khan has remained low-key for some time now, his kids Aryan Khan and Suhana Khan have stepped in for him to take charge of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The pictures of SRKs kids Aryan and Suhana have gone viral on the internet where they can be seen attending the IPL 2022 mega auction in Bengaluru. The official account of KKR has also shared a glimpse of the two preparing for the IPL Auction strategies with Venky Mysore, the CEO of the purple jersey IPL team that is co-owned by SRKs close friend Juhi Chawla. While Aryan had taken up the auction responsibility last year as well along with Juhis daughter Jhanvi Mehta, this will be a debut for Suhana at the mega auction event. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kolkata Knight Riders (@kkriders) For the unversed, this is the first time Aryan and Suhana have been spotted together publically since the formers arrest in a drugs-on-cruise case last year. Aryan was arrested on October 2 last year following the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) raids in Mumbai. He was granted bail 25 days after his arrest by the Bombay High Court. On the other hand, Suhana recently moved back to Mumbai after pursuing her studies in New York. (ANI)

Fort Kochi: Two arrested for 'attempting to extort money alleging sexual harassment'

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Kochi: Two persons have been arrested on Saturday for allegedly trying to extort money from a lodge owner after levelling charges for sexual harassment. Rinseena, a native of Mattancherry, and Shahjahan, an auto driver, were arrested by the police in connection with the incident. Accotding to police, the accused assaulted the owner alleging that they faced health problems while staying in the hotel. The footage of this incident has also come out. Rinseena lived in the lodge situated in Fort Kochi. The owner of the lodge was called to a hospital and was assaulted by the accused. They stated that the lodge owner has given her soft drinks while staying at the hotel causing serious health issues. Later she alleged that the lodge owner gave her a drink mixed with drugs to sexually assault her, police said. Further, the accused also recorded the visuals of the lodge owner and his friend. Following this, the lodge owner had complained with the Mattancherry police. The investigation team nabbed the accused and seized the recordings from them.

Illegal 'Hans' packaging centre busted in Kerala

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Malappuram: Kerala police on Saturday unearthed an illegal godown-cum-packaging centre of banned tobacco products near Perachanthur in Malappuram district. About 750 packets of chewable tobacco products, some other drugs, a weighing machine and packing materials were seized during the raid, police said. The workers, who were present at the packing centre, fled the spot before police officials reached the house where the illegal activities were taking place. Police registered a case and investigation is going on, official sources said, adding that no one has been arrested so far in this regard. The manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine were banned in Kerala about a decade ago. However, the southern state is reportedly a big market for chewable tobacco products as they are popular among the guest labourers from other parts of the country. (PTI)

Gold price jumps to 2-year high; Rs 800 up for a sovereign

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Kozhikode: Gold recorded its highest daily increase during the last two years. The price of a sovereign of gold increased by Rs 800 to Rs 37,440. Further, a gram of gold now costs Rs 4,680,an increase of Rs 100. Meanwhile, investors have shifted their focus to gold with signs of Russia looking to invade Ukraine in the coming days. The change in the international market has paved way for the gold price to increase by 35 dollars. However, gold priceremained unchanged on Friday. In the last two days, it increased by only Rs 10 per gram. At the same time, experts predict that gold prices will continue to rise in the coming days.

Opposition parties slam Uttarakhand CM Dhami's promise to implement Uniform Civil Code

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New Delhi: Hours after Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday promised to introduce Uniform Civil Code in the state if BJP comes to power again, opposition parties gave mixed reactions to the statement. All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) slammed the chief minister over the announcement of implementing UCC stating the decision is being taken ahead of Uttarakhand Assembly elections while Bharatiya Janata Party and BJP Yuva Morcha lauded Dhami for this initiative. Speaking to ANI, Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM chief said, "CM should understand the fact the uniform does not mean common dress. Babasaheb ji also used to say that it should be voluntary, not mandatory. We believe in Unity in diversity." Owaisi also clarified that there is One Nation but there are many cultures and people have the right to preserve their culture according to article 29. "Dhami has taken the decision because he knows BJP will lose the assembly polls in Uttarakhand this time. I would like to ask him what he has done for the development of state," the AIMIM chief added. RJD leader Manoj Jha also launched a scathing attack at Dhami over his announcement on UCC and said that this idea has come to him just ahead of elections in Uttarakhand. "This idea is coming to him at the time of the election. But he never talks about job opportunities and other issues of the state. BJP find it difficult to speak about these issues," RJD leader said. Congress leader Jaiveer Singh Gill took a jibe at Uttarakhand CM and called his promise to introduce UCC another "political jumla" ahead of state assembly polls. "Uttarakhand CM Dhami is launching one political jumla after another. He should be worried about how will he pass the time after the BJP will lose the polls and Congress will come to power in Uttarakhand. They take decisions on their own, common people do not trust them," Gill told ANI. Meanwhile, BJP and BJP Yuva Morcha appreciated the Uttarakhand Chief Minister for ensuring implementation of UCC in the state if the party retains power in assembly polls. "Uttarakhand has a unique culture and it possesses a civilisation history, so introducing Uniform Civil Code will help in strengthening the culture of the state. It is even our constitutional duty," said Tejasvi Surya, BJP Yuva Morcha National President. Lauding Dhami on the decision, BJP leader Prem Shukla also affirmed that implementing UCC was one of the promises the party had made earlier. "BJP had made many promises including building Ram Mandir, abolishing article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and introducing UCC was amongst the one. So we are just fulfilling our promise," Shukla added. Earlier today, Dhami said in a press conference in Khatima, where he was campaigning, that soon after the swearing-in ceremony, the BJP government will form a panel that will prepare a draft of the Uniform Civil Code for the state. "Implementing Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand at the earliest will boost equal rights for everyone in the state. It will enhance social harmony, boost gender justice, strengthen women empowerment and help protect the extraordinary cultural-spiritual identity and environment of the state," the chief minister said. (ANI)

IPL 2022: Nicholas Pooran acquired by SRH for Rs 10.75 cr

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Bengaluru: West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran was picked up by SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) for Rs 10.75 crore in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. For Pooran, interest was shown by SRH and Kolkata Knight Riders, and in the end, the left-handed batter went to SunRisers. Earlier, Wriddhiman Saha and Sam Billings went unsold in the auction while Ishan Kishan was picked up by Mumbai Indians for Rs 15.25 crore. Dinesh Karthik went to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Jonny Bairstow was acquired by Punjab Kings. Earlier, Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for Rs 10.75 crore while India all-rounder Washington Sundar was picked up by SunRisers Hyderabad for Rs 8.75 crore. Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh garnered interest from quite a few franchises and in the end, he was picked by Delhi Capitals for Rs 6.5 crore. Earlier in the auction, India opening batter Shikhar Dhawan was acquired by Punjab Kings for Rs 8.25 crore. Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 5 crore. Australia Test captain Pat Cummins was taken by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for Rs 7.25 crore. Proteas pacer Kagiso Rabada was acquired by Punjab Kings for Rs 9.25 crore. Kiwi pacer Trent Boult was sold to Rajasthan Royals for Rs 8 crore. Shreyas Iyer was picked up by KKR for Rs 12.25 crore. India pacer Mohammed Shami was picked up by Gujarat Titans for Rs 6.25 crore. South Africa batter Faf du Plessis was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for Rs 7 crore. Lucknow Super Giants picked up Quinton de Kock for Rs 6.75 crore. Australia opening batter David Warner was picked up by Delhi Capitals for Rs 6.25 crore. (ANI)

Traffic restored in Thrissur following goods train accident; know cancelled trains

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Thrissur: The efforts to restore the train services disrupted due to the derailed goods train in Puthukkad has been succeeded by Saturday afternoon. The trains are now running at a reduced speed through the accident location. The authorities continued the track restoration works on Saturday morning after the goods train was cleared. Meanwhile, nine trains were cancelled and many more services were delayed on Saturday following the incident. Trains cancelled Thiruvananthapuram- Shoranur Express, Shoranur- Ernakulam Memu Express, Ernakulam- Kannur Intercity, Ernakulam- Alappuzha Express, Kottayam- Nilambur Express, Ernakulam- Alappuzha Express, Kottayam- Nilambur Express, Ernakulam- Alappuzha Express, Ernakulam- Thiruvananthapuram Vanchinad Express, Thiruvananthapuram- Ernakulam Vanchinad Express and Guruvayur- Ernakulam Express Special. Guruvayur- Thiruvananthapuram Express will carry out service only up to Ernakulam, while Kannur- Alappuzha Executive Express and Tirunelveli- Palakkad Palaruvi Express will halt services at Shoranur and Kollam respectively. The Ernakulam-Palakkad MEMU Express would commence service from Aluva instead of Ernakulam Junction on Saturday. The train was partially cancelled between Ernakulam Junction and Aluva. Kochuveli- Nilambur Road Express and Thiruvananthapuram- Mangalore Central Maveli Express are also delayed by an hour. Ernakulam Jn- Karaikal Express and Thiruvananthapuram- Nizamuddin Express are running late for 2 hours. Railways expect to reinstate the traffic by noon today. The five derailed wagons have been placed back to the tracks and the repair works of the track will be completed soon. Train services were partially affected in Ernakulam-Thrissur route since Friday after the goods train derailed near Pudukkad station. The loco engine and four empty petrol tanker wagons of a goods train on its way to Irumpanam in Ernakulam from Mangaluru had been derailed between Puthukkad and Irinjalakuda on Friday at 1.58 pm. (With inputs from PTI)

Live wire falls on running train in Kottayam

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Kottayam: A live electric wire was fell onto a running train here on Saturday. The accident happened near Kothanellur. No casualties were reported. Thiruvananthapuram-New Delhi Kerala Express was halted for some time following the incident. Passengers were deboarded. On Friday, a goods train was derailed near Thrissur. The traffic due to this accident was restored only by Saturday noon.

No more warnings for speeding, traffic defaulters will directly go to MVD’s blacklist

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Thiruvananthapuram: The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) will 'blacklist' the vehicles that err the speed limit. The software of MVDs Automated Enforcement Camera system has been changed. This was done as a part of linking the cameras on National Highways to the Vahan site. At present, the officers in Ernakulam and Kozhikode Enforcement control station are doing this. They will add the details of the traffic defaulter's vehicle to the blacklist on the Vahan site while filling in the challan for levying a fine. Once blacklisted,servicesincludingregistration renewal, ownership transfer, address change, and pollution certificate will be denied. When the linking is completed, this system will run completely automatic. Once the traffic defaulter pays the fine, the name will be removed from the list. Earlier, names were not included in the blacklist directly. The defaulters were usually made to pay fines when they arrived for services in the RTO office or insurance renewal. But with the new arrangement, the site will show the amount of fine the defaulter has to pay. Most of the time, people travelling between borders come to know about the fine while trying to take the permit to cross the border. The notice for fine is being issued through postal at present. The automatic messaging system is not currently available as Vahan software and camera are not linked so far. Passengers without helmets will be detected using AI cameras. The camera installation is progressing in the state. Testing of the cameras was done in Thiruvananthapuram. AI cameras will capture clearer and sharper images. MVD had earlier finalised the locations where the AI cameras would be installed. Keltron is handling the technical side of the AI camera installation. Thiruvananthapuram Central Server controls the system. The details collected will be transferred to the respective districts. Enforcement Department said that the cameras will be installed at 51 locations in Kannur and 44 locations in Kasaragod.

Two-thirds of Kerala immigrants returned during Covid; Call to hold survey to assess social impact

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Kochi: Abdul Jabbar (47) of Karattu House at Kalathara in Kozhikode is the sole breadwinner of a large family, including his wife, four children, mother, brother, who is paralyzed on one side of the body after a stroke four years ago, and brother's wife and two children. It was as a last resort, he had moved to the Gulf (Dubai) a few years back but the Covid-19 pandemic shattered all his hopes as in April 2020 he was forced to come back. "The mobile shop, in which I was working, had been closed down as the business was very dull due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Coming back to Kerala was not possible as I did not have money for the tickets. Finally, I was helped by others to come back in the KMCC chartered flight. Now I am doing catering work to take care of my family," said Abdul Jabbar. He finds it very difficult to make both ends meet as the meagre income from the catering works is not sufficient to meet the expenses for the treatment of his brother and other routine things of the family. The applications for availing bank loans through the numerous schemes declared by the state government have also not yielded any result as the concerned officials demanded to submit property documents as guarantee. “We live in a rented house and there is nothing in our hand to produce as a guarantee. All we have is an assurance of paying the amount back after starting some businesses with the loan,” said Abdul Jabbar. He even thought of ending life many times but by seeing the faces of his children and family members, he couldnt take the extreme step. This is not an isolated incident of one Abdul Jabbar, but there are lakhs of such emigrants across the statewho lead a shabby life owing to the government apathy in supporting them coupled with unfortunate circumstances. Kerala has been one of the most important migration hubs in India for many decades and the economy of the state depends largely on foreign remittance. According to a report of the International Institute of Migration and Development (IIMAD), there are about 2.1 million Keralites settled in various countries around the world in 2018. The large majority, about 89 percent, of those migrants are settled in the oil- dependent Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as temporary workers, with others migrating as high skilled workers to other developed economies of the world. However, emigration from Kerala to the Gulf countries has a diminishing tendency over the years. Two decades of Kerala migration surveys evidenced that the decreasing trend is due to the cumulative effect of demographic change, decline in wage in the gulf economies, increase in wage in domestic economy, decline in oil price, nationalization policies in the GCC countries and skilled migration to new destinations. Adding to the woes, COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on our immigrant population. As per the budget headlines of the Government of Kerala, 14.3 lakhs migrants returned to Kerala during 2020-2021. This means that 1.4 million out of 2.1 million non-resident Kerala (NRK) migrants returned during the pandemic, which means, two-thirds of the entire NRK population has returned. "This, inevitably, has tremendous consequences for not only the domestic labour market as they return, but also for their families as the remittances they send are the main sources of income for the entire family. This affects society at every level, and eventually has implications for the Kerala economy as a whole. This number of 1.4 million is based on the repatriation flight data accessed by the state government and conveys only one-way flow of return migrants. However, it is to be emphasized that many of these returning migrants have further re-migrated to new destinations or gone back to their original destination countries," said Irudaya Rajan, Founder-Chairman of IIMAD. However, the state government is not in possession of any data on how many of them have gone back.The family members of immigrants and people on visit visas are also included in the list of those returned during the pandemic. The repeated calls to hold a survey to identify the status of emigration in Kerala and the impact of Covid-19 among immigrants have fallen on deaf ears. According to Irudaya Rajan, 85,000 crore rupees was the foreign remittance to Kerala in 2018 and it rose to one lakh crores in 2020. "However, in the current situation, foreign remittance must have come down at least 10 percent," said Irudaya Rajan. He also urged the government to examine the prevailing migration trends and patterns through a proper survey. "What is truly unprecedented is the extent to which it has affected the main destination countries for migrants from Kerala, particularly the Gulf and Europe. This has the potential to alter the trend of migration from Kerala as well. On the other hand, Kerala is also the source for nations to get healthcare workers, especially nurses, who have migrated to places like the Gulf and Europe and who are currently at the frontlines in the fight against Covid-19 in these countries. Moreover, with the drastic restructuring of the global economy during the pandemic, it is imperative to assess Kerala's prospective migrant stock, identify skills and professions, and provide the necessary inputs to improve international migration in the post-pandemic world," said Irudaya Rajan.

Industrialist Rahul Bajaj passes away

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Mumbai: Industrialist and Padma Bhushan-awardee Rahul Bajaj, the former chairman of Bajaj group passed away at the age of 83 on Saturday, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari informed. He breathed his last at Ruby Hall Hospital in Pune. "Rahul Bajaj died today at 2.30 pm. He died due to heart and lungs problems. He was admitted for past one month in Ruby hall hospital in Pune," Dr Parvej Grant, chairman of Ruby Hall hospital told ANI. Born on June 10, 1938, Rahul Bajaj held a Bachelors degree in economics, a law degree from Mumbai University and an MBA from Harvard. Bajaj was a former member of the Rajya Sabha. Besides, he had been the chairman of the International Business Council, World Economic Forum. Taking to Twitter, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "My heartfelt tributes to Rahul Bajaj ji, a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and former chairman of Bajaj. I had a personal relationship with Padma Bhushan awardee Rahul ji for many years. Rahul ji, who has led the Bajaj Group for the last five decades, has been instrumental in the industry. May God rest the departed soul and give strength to the family members. Om Shanti." Madya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also condoled the demise of Bajaj. "The demise of Rahul Bajaj the Chairman emeritus of the Bajaj Group is a loss to Indias business community. My condolences to the bereaved family and the group," tweeted Chouhan. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar also expressed his condolences over Rahul Bajajs death. "I am deeply shocked to learn about the sad demise of Padma Bhushan Shri Rahul Bajaj! The grandson of eminent freedom fighter Jamnalal Bajaj brought transformation in society especially in poor and middle-class people with his two-wheel technology - a Bajaj Bike!" Pawar tweeted. "The affordable vehicle increased mobility, eased struggle for getting means of livelihood and became the tool of socio-economic change! We Indian are deeply indebted for his immense contribution to the industry," he said in another tweet. "I am grieved with a passing away of my very close friend. India has lost an industrialist, a philanthropist and a lighthouse for young entrepreneurs! Hamara Bajaj," he said. Former union minister Praful Patel said that Rahul Bajaj is credited with making the brand Bajaj a household name. "Saddened by the passing away of renowned industrialist and one of the longest-serving chairman in corporate India, Padma Bhushan Rahul Bajaj ji. He is credited with making the brand Bajaj a household name. My heartfelt condolences to his family members," Patel tweeted. "Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Padma Bhushan Rahul Bajaj. He was among the foremost Business Leaders our nation has seen, and an inspiration to all. We will miss him dearly and his wise counsel," tweeted Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule. (ANI)

Kerala Covid cases falling; 15,184 test positive on Saturday

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Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala reported 15,184 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, informed the health department in a press release. The test positivity was recorded as 20.52 per cent. The district-wise statistics of positive cases: Ernakulam- 2973,Thiruvananthapuram- 1916, Kozhikode- 1446, Kollam-1383, Kottayam-1367, Thrissur-1061, Alappuzha-1006, Malappuram-838, Pathanamthitta-739, Idukki-620, Palakkad-606, Kannur-597, Wayanad-427 and Kasaragod-205. A total of 73,965 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. 3,31,518 people are currently under observation in the state. Out of this, 3,25,011 people are under home/institutional quarantine and 6507 people are in hospitals. 1134 people were taken to hospitals on Sunday. Among the 1,81,347 active Covid cases reported, only 3.9 per cent of patients are admitted to hospitals/field hospitals. Along with 23 new COVID deaths, the health department also reported 122 deaths that are newly certified as Covid-19 deaths based on the revised rules. Apart from this, 282 more deaths recorded late due to the delay in obtaining the documents were also added to the list of COVID deaths. With this, the death toll climbed to 62,053 in the state. Among the new patients, 70 were returned from outside the state. 13,838 people contracted the virus through contact. The infection source of 1152 patients remains unidentified. 124 health workers also tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, 38,819 recoveries were also reported in the state. The district-wise statistics of recoveries: Thiruvananthapuram-7104, Kollam-2146, Pathanamthitta-1981, Alappuzha-2672, Kottayam-3342, Idukki-1884, Ernakulam-6015, Thrissur-3699, Palakkad-1762, Malappuram-2489, Kozhikode-2368, Wayanad-1160, Kannur-1807, and Kasaragod-390. 61,52,076 people were recovered from the disease so far.





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