Thiruvananthapuram: In a move that blends ecology with tradition, Kerala is likely to declare the non-venomous rat snake, locally known as Chera, as its official State Reptile. The Forest Department has put forward the proposal, which will be taken up in today’s State Wildlife Board meeting chaired by the Chief Minister. Often hailed as a Read More…
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s schools have witnessed a sharp fall in new admissions to Class 1 this academic year, with 16,510 fewer students enrolled compared to last year. Public Education Minister V. Sivankutty revealed that only 2,34,476 students joined Class 1 this year, down from 2,50,986 the previous year. The minister pointed to a declining birth rate Read More…
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s school lunch program is getting a vibrant and nutritious makeover! In a move blending taste with health, the state’s Education Department is set to introduce an upgraded midday meal menu featuring popular dishes like veg biryani, lemon rice, vegetable fried rice, and millet-based sweets, all based on expert recommendations. Education Minister V. Sivankutty Read More…
The Kerala High Court has announced a comprehensive ban on plastic bottles and single-use plastic items in the state’s popular highland tourist regions. The new rules will come into force on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, marking a major shift toward sustainable tourism. Under the ban, soft drink bottles under 2 liters and water bottles under Read More…
Thrissur: In a determined effort to resolve the chronic urban flooding in Thrissur city, an expert-led high-level meeting was held following a directive from Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi. The initiative is spearheaded by Dr. K.G. Padmakumar, noted agricultural scientist and former member of the M.S. Swaminathan Committee. The meeting, hosted at the Gandhinagar Read More…
Kerala braces for intense monsoon showers as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for Kannur and Kasaragod, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall (12–20 cm) today. Additionally, a Yellow Alert is in place for Alappuzha (Kuttanad), Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, and Palakkad, with expected rainfall between 7–11 cm. These Read More…
The Kerala High Court has ordered that the Liberian-flagged cargo vessel MSC Manasa F—sister ship of the ill-fated MSC Elsa 3—can only be released from Vizhinjam Port after its owners deposit a ₹6 crore security for potential compensation claims. This action follows admiralty suits filed by six Kerala-based cashew importers who lost cargo worth ₹4.75 Read More…
The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) has proposed a sweeping revision to its water tariff system, introducing building size as a new factor in determining water bills—alongside actual consumption. If approved by the state government, this could result in significantly higher water bills, especially for larger homes and commercial establishments. Under the new proposal, a minimum Read More…
Thiruvananthapuram: Real estate developers in Kerala have urged the Central Government to revise the outdated price cap of ₹45 lakh for affordable housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme. The builders argue that the current cap, which has remained unchanged for nearly a decade, no longer reflects the ground realities of construction costs Read More…
Thousands of Reliance Jio users across Kerala faced a major service disruption on Monday afternoon, as mobile networks, JioFiber broadband, and voice calls went offline for nearly two hours. The outage began around 1 PM and affected over 11,000 users, causing widespread inconvenience. According to Downdetector, 56% of complaints were related to mobile internet, 32% Read More…