KERALA

Naval Ship Repair Yard wins Kerala Safety Award 2021

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TheNaval Ship Repair Yard(NSRY),Kochi, which is the largest industrial establishment of theSouthern Naval Command(SNC), was presented theKerala Safety Award 2021. NSRY was adjudged winner under Category I (very large factories) by the department of factories and boilers, government of Kerala.

The award was presented at a ceremony held on Friday at VJT Hall Thiruvananthapuram. The function was presided over by Antony Raju, transport minister and inaugurated by V Sivankutty, Education minister and labour. The award and citation were received by Rear AdmiralSanjay Sharma, Admiral superintendent on behalf of the NSRY.

NSRY, which started its journey as a Base Repair Organisation in 1948, has strengthened its capabilities over time and is equipped to undertake refits of all naval ships.

Kerala govt to screen Anganwadi employees for anaemia

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The Kerala government has decided to screen all of its Anganwadi employees for anaemia as part of its ‘Vilarchayil Ninnu Valarchayilekku’ (from anaemia to Growth) or ‘ViVa’ campaign to deal with the disease.

State Health Minister Veena George said the campaign would commence in the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department.

Hence, the Anganwadi employees, who come under the WCD department, will be screened for anaemia and treatment will be provided to those who need it, the minister said in a release.

There are 66,630 Anganwadi workers and helpers and 4,500 other employees in the state and they all will undergo the test to check their hemoglobin levels, it said.

Kerala likely to get relief materials from abroad

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The state has received inquiries from China, Taiwan, US and the Gulf countries regarding the requirement of aid materials relating to Covid-19 fight. According to informed sources, the state is pitching for more number of Oxygen-related equipment, includingoxygenconcentrators, storage tanks, filling systems and oxygen generators, in response to the inquiries.

According to government sources, inquiry had come from multiple agencies and NGOs in the US and the Gulf countries, while one inquiry each was received from China and Taiwan.

As per the proceedings of the nodal officer, the exemption from IGST andcustomsduty for several products. Sources said that the state is looking for such products that are in shortage and which are not being manufactured in the state, like gloves and masks.

Kerala budget chooses fiscal thrift over profligacy

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TheKerala budget for 2023-24signals that the state is changing its approach from profligate spending to . Whether or not it is forced by the Union Government and the CAGs stand on off budget financing through KIIFB, it is a welcome change as the previous path was taking the state towards a fiscal crisis that would have badly affected future generations.

The new approach to budget making shows respect for fiscal discipline.
The finance minister has focused on raising revenues through a slew of tax hikes and expenditure rationalization. The Fiscal Deficit is projected to come down to 3. 5% of state GDP as per the cap set by the Finance Commission. But it is disappointing to see the revenue defi citcreep up from 1. 96% of state GDP to 2. 1%. It means that, in spite of the revenue gains from tax hikes, the state continues to prioritise short term spending over investments.

While there are funds allocated in a number of important areas, it is of concern that the Education budget has fallen by a massive 30% from Rs 2,546 crore allocated last year to Rs 1,773 crore in this budget. At a time when there are reports of exodus of students from the state, lower funds for education is the last thing we need. Presumably this is because of a cut in the centrally sponsored component of the education budget, but nevertheless the government has to take imaginative action to revitalize the higher Education sector in particular and that too with limited funds.

CM Ashok Gehlot eyes Kerala social security model in Rajasthan to stay in power

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Chief ministerAshok Gehlotis likely to adopt the Kerala model of social security while presenting the budget on February 10. Gehlot, while replying to the Governor’s address in the assembly last week, said the CPM retained power in Kerala due to good Covid management and social security schemes and inRajasthantoo, the government would be repeated for its excellent Covid management.

In Kerala, the Left government had launched a ration kit scheme for all families during Covid that continued till the assembly and was a major hit, especially among Women. The kit supplied through PDS shops every month contained daily consumption items like wheat flour, rice, oil, pulses, and spices which have come as a major relief to people. It is claimed that the scheme played a major role in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) retaining power, beating the trend of changing government in every five years.
With smartphones to all 1.37 crore women registered under the Chiranjeevi scheme on the way, the ration kit could be a game changer to woo women voters.

Ernakulam to get six more Buds schools

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After almost two years of being forced to close down due to the Covid pandemic, districtKudumbashree Missionhas given permission for revival of six moreBudsschools.
These will come up inKochicorporation, Kalamassery , Edavanakkad, Varappuzha, Okkal andThiruvaniyoorgrama panchayats. The decision to grant permission was taken by the Buds district-level advisory committee under the districtKudumbashreemission.

As of August 2020, Ernakulam district had a total of 36 such institutions with 800 enrolled. This included 600 students above 18 years of age and 200 under the age of 18. Buds schools have been providing an opportunity to the mentally challenged children to have a school going experience in an inclusive Atmosphere. These schools work as day-care centres as well as training centres for mentally challenged adult persons in the local areas.

Meanwhile, in an interesting concept of using Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture and Horticulture as a therapeutic relief for the differently challenged, the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) andKottuvalli Krishibhavanstarted farming in the Koonammavu Chavara Special School.

Kochi sees rise in number of foreign tourists

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December 2022 turned out to be a happy month for hotels and resorts in Kochi as they saw an increase in number of foreign tourists, a first since the outbreak of Covid-19. Tourists from France, UK, Germany and US are now visiting the city.

The central government on Monday made it mandatory even for passengers, who take transit flights to India from high-risk countries, to have a RT-PCR negative certificate, but hoteliers here are confident that it is unlikely to have an adverse impact on the local tourism immediately.

According to hoteliers, bookings by foreigners has risen 20-30% since Covid. Foreigners prefer to visit Kerala during October-March while domestic tourists visit all round the year. Before Covid, of the total number of tourists coming to the state, 10% constituted foreign and 90% domestic. Now it is 6% foreign and 94% domestic tourists. The number of foreign tourists increased only in December last year.

Govt to lift 64,000 families out of poverty: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

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As part of government’s declared initiative of alleviating extreme POVERTY, 64,006 such families will hereafter come under the government’s care, said chief ministerPinarayi Vijayanin his Facebook post.

Vijayan said the government aims to totally eradicate extreme poverty in the next five years and those found to be living in extreme poverty will be located and brought to mainstream Society. Of the total number of families living in extreme poverty, 11.4% are in Thiruvananthapuram while 13.4% are in Malappuram. At the same time, Kottayam is the district with the least number of families living in extreme poverty. No families living in such conditions have been identified in the Kumarapuram panchayat in Alappuzha and Kallar panchayat in Kasaragod.

Govt plans law to rein in private deemed varsities

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is planning to bring in a piece oflegislationas part of exploring limited Options to maintain control over thedeemed to be universitiesthat are about to come up in the state inprivate sectorsooner than later.

As part of the move, the state higher Education department has issued an order early this month engaging theKerala state higher education council(KSHEC) to prepare and submit to the government a detailed report on the broad outline within which the deemed to beuniversities can be allowed to function. The order clearly mentions what triggered the department to order an immediate study by the council.

The UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations 2019 leaves little elbow to the state government to exercise discretionary powers to resist or deny eligible institutions from seeking and obtaining deemed to be university status from the UGC. According to the regulations, an institution applying for the deemed to be university status should satisfy a set of eligibility conditions such as it should have been in existence for not less than 20 years, should have NAAC accreditation with at least 3.26 CGPA for three consecutive cycles. In case of technical institutions, two-third of the eligible programmes should be accredited by NBA.

Kerala CM’s village to get education complex

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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Home village in northern Kannur district will soon get an advanced Education complex. Administrative nod has been given for work, worth Rs 245 crore, in connection with the complex which is constructed using the fund of Kerala Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) in Pinarayi village, a CMO statement said

Among other things, the cabinet also gave permission to extend the tenure of 56 fast-track courts in the state.

They would be operational till 31-03-2023, it added.

The tribal family of Vishwanathan Kani, who died in Podiyakala settlement of Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary recently, was granted a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.

Financial aid was also given to the kin of three persons who had died after a boat in which they were travelling capsized in Malappuram district recently.