KERALA

A study fromKeraladone by researchers ofNational Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences(NIMHANS), Bengaluru, andNational Health Mission(Kerala) has found that 12% of the 8,189 mothers with children aged 13-15 months studied had impaired bonding.

Incidentally, it has been found that those in extended or joint families, experiencing postpartum complications, supplementary breastfeeding in the first six months, depression and temperamental issues in infants had more impaired bonding.

In the most severe end, where the mother-infant bonding (MIB) is significantly impaired with inadequate maternal skills, there can be adverse consequences including higher risk for impaired Learning in young children, child abuse, and psychiatric disorders in children.

The Supreme Court declined Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Trusts Plea in 2020, Seeking to exempt it from the audit of 25 years as ordered by the court.

Highlights

The Temple has been within the news since 2011 after discovering treasure worth over Rs. 1 lakh crore in its secret vaults.

The SC in 2011 said, as per customary law, members of the royalty have shebait rights even after the death of the last ruler.

Shebait rights mean the proper to manage the financial affairs of the deity.

The previous Travancore royalty created the Padmanabhaswamy Temple Trust.

However, the court ordered arranging an executive committee with the Thiruvananthapuram District Judge as its chairperson for transparent administration of the Temple within the future.

The trust argues that the court ordered it to oversee rituals of the Temple, with no role of the administration.

RAM:Khadi boards Sakhavu brand ofshirtsdoes not seem to have struck a chord with even the hard-corecomradesin the state. The board could only sell about 1,300 such shirts since the brand was launched during the 2018Onamseason.

As per the data submitted in the assembly last week by industries minister P Rajeeve,khadihas so far received only Rs 11.31 lakh from the sales of this particular brand. That means, only around 1,300 shirts were sold by khadi under this brand, given that this particular brand of shirts are priced in the range of Rs 700 to Rs 1,000. However, to a question on what was the governments sales expectation for this particular brand, the minister said the board had not set any profit target while launching this brand. He further said the board will give priority to selling this particular brand if there is more demand for the product, as its intention was only to popularise khadi among the general public.

Khadi has apparel products under multiple brand names at present. It includes Khadi Cool, Leader, Milleni, Summer Cool, Sakhavu,Sundari Pattu, Payyanur Pattu, Sreekrishnapuram Pattu and Ananthapuri Silks.

As part of the states ResilientKeralaProgram, the (WB) has sanctioned 125 million USD to the state to support the states preparedness against natural disasters, Climate-change”>Climate Change impacts, disease outbreaks and pandemics.

The Resilient Kerala Program will focus on two key areas. First, it will incorporate disaster risk planning in the master plans of urban and local self-governments to ease financial constraints on the State Government when faced with unexpected shocks. Second, it will help make the Health, Resources“>Water Resources management, Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture and road sectors more resilient to calamities.
The program is part of a programmatic series of the bank-financed operations in the state.

The first Resilient Kerala Development Policy Operation (DPO) approved in June 2019 had undertaken several initiatives. It had helped the state draft a river basin conservation and management act, which will conserve and regulate water resources and ensure their sustainable management, allocation and utilization. It had also introduced climate-resilient agriculture, risk-informed land use and Disaster Management planning. The program laid the foundations for a five-year state PARTNERSHIP framework.

The support to key sectors under the program include sustainable fiscal and Debt Management through establishing a debt management unit in the finance department to support the states efforts to scale down its debt-to-GSDP ratio to a sustainable trajectory, providing timely and adequate assistance to vulnerable households, disaster and climate-resilient urban development, create resilient public health systems, ensure an integrated and sustainable Water Resources Management, ensure sustainable and resilient food systems and create a climate-resilient road Infrastructure.

There is adengue outbreak in Kerala, with Ernakulam district reporting the maximum number of dengue cases in the state. The district now reports 33% of the total confirmeddengue cases in Kerala.

Health experts fear that intermittent rains and untreated garbage added with lack of proper cleaning at homes will lead to extended dengue season (till August instead of July).

State last saw the largest dengue outbreak in 2017, when there was an increase in cases with high mortality. However, Ernakulam reported a few cases and there was no dengue death here. Kerala had reported 21,993 cases and 165 deaths. While in the district there were 494 cases and zero deaths.

However, since 2021, Ernakulam district has been reporting the highest number of confirmed dengue cases and deaths in the state. June this year has seen the highest number of confirmed cases since 2021. However, there is no dengue death in Ernakulam this year.

Christians and Sikhs have shown a sharp increase in dowry leading to higher Average dowries than Hindus and Muslims while average net dowry in Muslim marriages is only slightly lower than among Hindus and has remained stable, a study of about 40,000 marriages that took place in rural India between 1960 and 2008 has shown.

The analysis is based on data from 2006 REDSthe most recent source of dowry data for Indiacovering 17 states that contain about 96% of Indias Population, according to a blog on the site.

The blog focuses on rural India, where it says dowry remains a widespread phenomenon despite being illegal since 1961. According to the 2006 Rural Economic and Demographic Survey (REDS), dowry was paid in 95% of marriages during 1960-2008, it said.

Keraladisplayed stark and persistent dowry Inflation since the 1970s and has the highest average dowry in recent years. Other states with inflationary trends are Haryana, Punjab, and Gujarat.

Given Keralas religious composition26% Muslims, 18% Christians, and 55% Hindusthis trend is compatible with the differential trends by religion described earlier. Similarly, the inflationary trend in Punjaba majority Sikh stateis also consistent with the rise in Sikh dowries. On the other hand, average dowry decreased in Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, according to the blog.

It said that average net dowry has been stable over time with some inflation before 1975 and after 2000.

Kerala Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture Minister P Prasad on Wednesday said efforts are on to propagate -based Irrigation facilities which can phase out existing energy-intensive Farming practices.

The southern State has already initiated a transformational and holistic shift to sustainable methods of cultivation, livelihood diversification, decentralised renewables and Energy Efficiency to help farmers survive the Climate crisis, he said.

The State is preparing an action plan to help decrease energy-intensive methodologies in land preparation, adding inputs, irrigation and harvesting, the Minister said after inaugurating a two-day consultation on ‘Energy Transition in Agriculture Sector of Kerala,’ organised jointly by Asar Social Impact Advisors and Energy Management Centre (EMC) under KSEB

Kerala would explore RENEWABLE ENERGY alternatives to fossil fuel sources to ensure that food systems are built on secure, environmentally sustainable, resilient foundations.

With two moreurban family Health centresreceiving national quality assurance standards (NQAS) recognition,Thrissurhas become the first district in the country with all the centres achieving this recognition.

According to the district health officials, the twourbanfamily health centres which have won NAQS recognition now are located at Porkkalangad and Gausayikunnu. Altogether, there are seven urban family health centres, and the remaining five of them located at Anappuzha, Kacheri, V R Puram, Paravattani andGuruvayur, had won the NQAS recognition earlier. The urbanfamily health centresprimarily cater to the healthcare requirements of the slum areas in their vicinity.

Another eight hospitals, including a taluk hospital, have won NQAS recognition in the district. Altogether, 119 healthcare institutions, including three district hospitals and four taluk hospitals, have received NQAS recognition in the state.

The NQAS recognition is granted after evaluating a host of parameters, including the quality of Services provided by the health centres as well as the quality of . The accreditation is given after inspecting eight parameters like service provision, patients rights , support services, clinical care, infection control, quality management and outcome.

The state cabinet has given approval to the Rs 93 croreKovalamtourism development project. Tourism ministerMohamed Riyassaid that the project will facilitate a grand make-over of the iconic global tourist destination.

Apart from elevatingKeralas status as a major tourist hub further, the comprehensive project will lead to extensive development of Kovalam as a world-class beach destination.

The government has given approval to the scheme by including it in Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) projects. It envisages renovation of Kovalam along with its adjacent beaches, besides ensuring coastal conservation. It fulfils the demand for a comprehensive development of Kovalam which has borne the brunt of frequent rough sea conditions.

The project will be implemented in two phases. The first phase of works includes Infrastructure Development of Hawa Beach and Light House Beach, renovation of Silent Valley Sunbath Park, development of corporation land, commuting facilities to IB beach, marking boundaries of IB beach and Adimalathura beach and takeover of the coconut grove land.

will launch a special drive Mission 2024 to ensure that all institutions of the higher Education-sector”>Education sector haveNational Assessment and Accreditation Council(NAAC) accreditation by 2024, said higher education ministerR Bindu.

She was speaking at Excellentia 23, organised by the government to felicitate higher education institutions that achieved A++ or A+ ranking in the NAAC accreditation at Rajagiri Valley in Kakkanad on Friday. She also said besides supporting institutions to secure NAAC accreditation, the government has set up State Assessment and Accreditation Centre. Assessments by these councils will help institutions improve international rankings.