THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Building on the success of the Ernakulam Model, which demonstrated that door-to-door campaigning reduces antibiotic misuse, the health department plans to expand the initiative statewide. While launching the campaign at Vattiyoorkavu UPHC in Thiruvananthapuram, Health Minister Veena George said that the departments intervention led to a 20-30% reduction in antibiotic use over the past year. Awareness is crucial for antibiotic literacy, the minister said, noting that health wo

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Organised to herald an imperial revival, the British Empire Exhibition, which ran over two six-month-long seasons in 1924 and 1925, was designed to showcase produce and manufactured goods, arts and crafts as well as historical artefacts from the jewels of the empire. Century-old textile items from the event, which was held at Wembley Park in London, went on display from Tuesday at the Napier Museum in Thiruvananthapuram. Organised by the British government, the British Empire

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Have you been to Vilinam, Chirayinkal, Malayinkal, or Kattakkal in the capital district? These are among the more than 3,000 place names in Thiruvananthapuram documented erroneously as part of the Survey of Indias toponymy mandate. These entries are now being corrected, thanks to the efforts of the Kerala Bhasha Institute, which has been tasked with proofreading and rectifying errors in SoIs mapping of Thiruvananthapuram and other districts. Most names required corrections, h

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was a quiet day at Delhis airport in March 1995, the kind where every sound a crying toddler, the silence of a bored official, the tap of the rain seems amplified. Amid the chaos, the narrator of The Scent of Fallen Stars finds himself caught in the peculiar energy of the city, an India both bewildering and intoxicating. This unsettling start to the journey foreshadows the complex web of identity and secrets that Aishwarya Jha, debut novelist and winner of this years Ram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: M Mohankumar (62) aka Mundela Mohanan, president of the Mundela Rajiv Gandhi residence welfare cooperative society, was found dead on Wednesday. He was found hanging behind one of his resorts at Thekkupara in Amburi,nearKattakada. Vellarada police have initiated an investigation. Preliminary investigation suggests that it is a case of suicide. There had been ongoing protests for a long time against the cooperative society, managed by Congress, for failing to return money to i

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The draft notification for ward delimitation released on Monday triggered a controversy after it was found that the coastal population in Thiruvananthapuram will have lesser representation in the city corporation. Three coastal wards, Shankhumukham, Beemapally East and Mulloor, disappear after delimitation, while six new wards are created in Kazhakoottam constituency. The wards have been merged with existing ones. Irked by the development, which they allege is a deliberate mo

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major breakthrough in the area of multilingual automatic speech recognition (ASR) -- which help transcribe speech in more than one language -- three researchers from the state have detected a flaw in the evaluation suite of the AI model used by different multinational companies in transcribing texts from Indic scripts. Usually, AI companies claim that these models are precise as they are automated. However, research carried out by a team led by Elizabeth Sherly, head of

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A cybersecurity student outsmarted a group of scammers who attempted to scam his father by posing as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday. The scammers had contacted the father of Ashwaghosh Saindhav, 21, the student, claiming that a SIM card issued in his name was being used for cybercrimes. Claiming urgency, they instructed Ashwaghosh to appear at the Mumbai Cyber Cell office within two hours for recording his statement. When he told th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) has given sanction for the economic triangle linking Vizhinjam, Kollam and Punalur. The initiative is aimed at creating an industrial corridor that would stimulate the states economic growth, said Finance Minister KN Balagopal. The board has made an initial allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the project. The first phase would begin soon and negotiated purchase would be adopted for land pooling. The minister was briefing th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Members of the Congress-affiliated Transport Democratic Federation (TDF) staged a protest in front of the KSRTC headquarters on Monday against the delay in salary disbursal, and prevented senior officers, including the KSRTC chairman & managing director, from entering the office. The police stepped in after members of the TDF and the Kerala State Road Transport Employees Association (CITU) clashed during the protest. The police removed the protesters from the venue. Meanwhile

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An electric vehicle (EV) research and industrial park, the first-of-its-kind initiative in Kerala will come up at Vilappilsala in the state capital. It will focus on research, development, and manufacturing of components such as batteries, motors, controllers and charging systems. The park will be located on a sprawling 23-acre site owned by Trivandrum Engineering Science and Technology Research Park (TrEST) and it is expected to go on stream by December 2025. TrEST has issue

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ambitious plan of the Kerala Maritime Board (KMB) to tap Valiyathuras tourism potential is moving forward steadily. The plan is to bring in private investment to develop a parcel of land close to the Valiyathura Pier and the beach that is in the KMBs possession. Built in 1956, the pier had been a big tourism draw for years. However, after it collapsed partially in March, the pier was closed to the public and the local fishing community. Now, ahead of calling for the Expre

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Krishnakumar, a well-respected zookeeper at the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo died on Sunday after battling cancer. The 47-year old Vattiyoorkavu Manikanteswaram native, who had been working in the city zoo since the last 16 years as a daily wage labourer, had been battling cancer for the last several years. But that did not deter him from discharging his duties. When his health started deteriorating, the authorities urged him to work as a crowkeeper, relaxing the workload. Krishnak

KOLLAM: The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Police Museum in Kollam, one of Indias earliest police museums, is in a state of disrepair due to lack of maintenance. Inaugurated in 1999 by then Director General of Police B S Shastri, the museum has succumbed to neglect, with nature reclaiming parts of its premises. With heavy dust accumulation, visitors find it difficult to spend time inside. Many rooms are poorly lit and completely vacant. Moreover, the traffic models designed to educate children are now

PATHANAMTHITTA: A moving KSRTC bus that was on its way to pick up Sabarimala devotees caught fire at Attathodu between Nilakkal and Pampa in the early hours of Sunday. Only the driver and the conductor, both hailing from Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram, were in the bus when the incident took place around 5.30am. They both escaped unhurt. We caught whiff of an odour. Then there was a spark and smoke started coming out of the bonnet. Immediately, the driver stopped the bus and doused the flames wit

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Class 10 student died by suicide at his house at Nemom after his grandmother reprimanded him for using mobile phone during studies. The deceased is Ananthu Krishnan, 15, a student of Victory VHSS, Nemom. Nemom police said the incident occurred on Sunday morning. Ananthus parents are separated, and he was living with his aunt and grandmother at Nemom. A police source said that on Sunday morning, after returning from kalaripayattu class, Ananthu went to his room to study. His

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The inordinate protest launched by a section of sanitation workers in front of the city corporation office turned violent on Saturday when four of the protestors climbed the arch entrances of main office threatening to suicide in Thiruvananthapuram. This is the third time the protestors have threatened to end life in the past 44 days since the strike was launched demanding right to work. On Saturday, the sanitation workers intensified their protest after the meeting called by

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KSRTCs commercial complexes are turning lucrative for the cash-strapped fleet operator with a new approach being adopted to utilise the properties located in key locations. KSRTC is making the turnaround with a dedicated team which is addressing the technical challenges to ensure compliance with regulations, boosting participation in the bidding process, and streamlining lease agreements by eliminating middlemen. Early results have been promising, with KSRTC successfully leas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thiruvananthapuram Division of Southern Railway conducted a cleanliness drive to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission, from September 17 to October 15. The campaign covered 103 stations, 74 trains, and 428 offices. A total of 40,505 participants, including 15,505 volunteers of NSS, NCC, Student Police Cadets(SPC), other volunteers from schools and colleges, railway staff, and the general public, joined hands to clean 724,749 sq metres of area, includi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) has intervened and directed the city corporation to relocate the nursery students in Beemapally and resume classes by utilising the first floor of the Akshaya Centre located within the compound of the Beemapally Urban Primary Health Centre. The action comes close on the heels of a TNIE report highlighting the plight of children in Beemapally who have been denied their right to education. For over a month, aro

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ABVP activists took out a march to the corporation office on Friday, demanding the Mayors resignation over allegations that the main gate of SMV Government Model HSS was relocated to facilitate a bar licence. The protest, which began at 12.30pm from Martyrs Square in Palayam, turned chaotic when protestors tried to jump the boundary wall. Police used water cannons twice to disperse them, followed by lathi charges when protestors breached the barricades. Arrested protestors we

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The election battle in Palakkad is between LDF and UDF, CPM state secretary M V Govindan has said. The LDF is in a stage to capture the constituency, he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. The BJP has already been pushed to the third place in Palakkad. After the election date was declared, nine leaders in Palakkad left the Congress alleging a Congress- BJP nexus. K Surendran had alleged that Shafi Parambil received Rs 4 crore. This proves that there is also a deal

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Municipal corporations in Kerala budgeted the highest aggregate revenue deficit for 2023-24, according to the Reserve Bank of Indias Report on Municipal Finances released on Wednesday. Civic bodies in Maharashtra budgeted the highest revenue surplus of Rs 11,104 crore in the same fiscal year. Other states with combined surplus of above Rs 1,000 crore were Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Telangana. Besides Kerala, only seven other states posted a revenue defic

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Paddy production in the capital district rose by 47% in 2023 though the area under cultivation saw a 7% drop from the previous year. Total production in 2022-23 was 6,530.81 tonnes. Productivity rose by 57%, according to the handbook brought out by the district office of the Economics and Statistics Department. Agriculture plays an important role in the economy of the district. More than 50% of the total population depends on agriculture for its livelihood, the report said. T

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Calling on the public to fulfill their responsibility to raise children as compassionate, knowledgeable, and civic-minded citizens, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that a secure future for the nation depends on the welfare and development of its youth. He was speaking at the state-level Childrens Day event organised by the State Child Welfare Committee on Thursday. The day began with a rally at 8 am, with thousands of children from lower primary to higher sec

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As many as 75,000 students took part in the Kuttikalude Haritha Sabha (childrens green assembly) organised by Local Self-Government Department to ensure the involvement of children in waste management on the occasion of Childrens Day on Thursday. Haritha Sabhas were held as part of the campaign - Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam - that aim to transform Kerala into a zero-garbage state by March 30, 2025. Students raised a slew of waste management-related issues in their localities

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Trains have always been fascinating. For most children, owning a miniature piece of a train set was a cherished dream. Beyond childhood, trains symbolise fun, adventure, romance, and hope. To a philosopher, trains mirror life itself transient and fleeting, with each person travelling toward their own destination. But to Yesudas G K, a resident of Puthiyathura, a train he took from Ernakulam to his hometown in Thiruvananthapuram four years ago became a journey to friendship a

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an effort to replenish natural fish stock, 20,000 seeds of pompano fish were released into the sea off the Vizhinjam coast on Wednesday as part of the Sea Ranching at Artificial Reefs initiative of the central (Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sambada Yojana) and state governments to improve fish availability and promote the welfare of traditional fishermen. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the marine fish seed deposition at Vizhinjam North Harbour, Union Minister of State for F

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Thiruvananthapuram zoo has received a few animals as exhibits following an animal exchange programme from Shivamogga Zoological Park, Karnataka. Three hyenas, two jackals, marsh crocodiles and civet cats each were brought to the city zoo on Wednesday morning. In return, the city zoo will give them Rhea birds, six sun conoure parrots, two crocodiles, a hyena and four porcupines. Dr K R Nikesh Kiran, the zoo veterinarian, has since put the animals at the quarantine centre a

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The land acquisition procedures for the ambitious Outer Ring Road (ORR) project one of the major upcoming infrastructure projects in the state capital has been put on hold. Even after a month of submission of the proposal on the BhoomiRashi web portal by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Union government is yet to clear the 3A notification for the project. An official source saidit has been one month since the entire documents were uploaded on the portal.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala University syndicates decision to appoint faculty members on contract basis for its four-year UG programme (FYUGP) has been caught in legal tangles over alleged non-adherence to UGC regulations. The decision was taken despite Vice Chancellor Dr Mohanan Kunnummal warning the Left-dominated syndicate against going ahead with the contractual appointments when the matter is sub judice. As per the UGC regulations, appointment of teaching faculty on contractual basis sho

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam has called on rationalists and spiritualists to stand unitedly to resolve the Munambam issue. He was addressing a protest meeting, organised by different Christian denominations at the Martyrs Square here on Tuesday. The CPI state chief assured that the Munambam land will remain with the people there. He said the people of Kerala would stand with the Munambam people until their issue is resolved. But this is not the time to flare up emotions.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vattiyoorkavu stands as a prominent gateway, linking the capital city with its outer regions. This locality has held considerable significance in history since the reign of Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the architect of the Travancore kingdom. It has witnessed centuries of growth, trade, and cultural evolution over the years. Historians still debate the origin of the name Vattiyoorkavu. Many believe the name is derived from three Malayalam words: Vatti, which translates t

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A major fire broke out on Monday evening at a shop selling sanitaryware, paint, electrical goods and other supplies in Nanthancode, causing extensive damage. No casualties were reported. Viswanathan Nair, owner of Anizham Traders, said less than 5% of the stock could be salvaged before the fire engulfed the two-storey building. Viswanathan and two of his employees were at the store when the fire broke out around 3.15pm. They noticed flames emerging from the back of the shop,

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Cotton Hill Government Girls Higher Secondary School became the overall champion in the Thiruvananthapuram South Sub-District arts festival. The school secured the first place in both the UP and HS categories. It also achieved the second place in the HSS category and the second place in the Sanskrit arts festival for the UP and HS divisions. It also secured the overall second place in the sub-district as well. For the past four months, under the guidance of festival convener

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid reports of an imminent disciplinary action against him for his social media outbursts against Additional Chief Secretary A Jayathilak, IAS officer Prasanth N continued with his Facebook post on Monday, but with cryptic and indirect references. Prasanth, who is Agriculture special secretary posted a photo on his Facebook page of an agricultural weeder machine developed by state PSU KAMCO. In the post, the IAS officer alluded to a dialogue from a Malayalam movie in which t

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Germany values its partnership with India highly as the two democracies, that place human dignity at the centre, have a critical role in shaping a better future based on shared values, said Achim Burkart, Consul General of Federal Republic of Germany. He was speaking at an event organised by Goethe-Zentrum at Hotel Hyatt Regency in Thiruvananthapuram to mark the German Day of Unity and the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Sunday. German Honorary Consul Syed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Attingal police have arrested a 44-year-old history-sheeter hailing from Vanchiyoor for allegedly stealing 25 sovereign gold and Rs 1.5 lakh from the residence of a retired KSRTC official at Palace Road on Thursday. of Chirakkulam colony. The police said Anil has about 50 theft cases against his name, and has been convicted in 15 cases. He was released from prison in September. The police said some of Anils crimes include stealing 130 sovereigns of gold from a house in Th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former India hockey team captain P R Sreejesh has pledged his commitment to the growth of sports across all disciplines in the state. The Olympic medallist was speaking after a reception accorded to him on the sidelines of the Kerala Olympic Associations Sports Conclave held here on Sunday. The conclave concluded with a focus on creating self-sufficiency in the states sports sector. Kerala Olympic Association (KOA) president V Sunil Kumar and Secretary General S Rajeev presen

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The abrupt relocation of the main gate of SMV Government Model HSS has sparked allegations that the move is aimed at facilitating the issuance of a bar licence. The gate is being moved back from its earlier location as an extension of the perimeter wall in front of the campus, Yet, the wall remains untouched. With construction progressing across the street on a new bar hotel, replacing a beer parlour, the shifting of the gate has drawn criticism. Concerned over the implicatio

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Owing to the construction of Karakulam flyover, traffic restrictions will come into effect on Monday in both directions along the Thiruvananthapuram-Thenmala (SH 2) road, between Karakulam Bridge Junction and Keltron Junction. To minimise congestion during the work, the district information office has issued an advisory detailing alternate routes and timing restrictions for the smooth traffic flow. For vehicles travelling from Nedumangad to Thiruvananthapuram, drivers should

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following a stabbing incident reported in the vicinity of Manaveeyam Veedhi, an active nightlife centre, on Thursday night, the city police have enhanced vigil in the locality. A 25-year-old youth, identified as Sujith, was stabbed in his chest by a gang near Altharamoodu. The injured has been identified as a native of Vembayam and personal enmity is said to be the reason behind the attack, the Museum police said. Police sources said Sujith, who has criminal antecedents, was

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As many as 25 students of Beemapally Nursery School have been denied their right to education for nearly one month leaving the parents and children in deep trouble. Shutting down of the school in the middle of the academic year has landed the children and parents in a lurch with the city corporation failing to relocate the school to another building. This is happening in a state like Kerala which boasts off 100 per cent literacy and advanced education infrastructure. I am una

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Malayalam film veteran G Aravindan once famously remarked that he may not believe in God, but he did feel the mystical was as real as reality itself. Among his works, the film that most deeply bears this mysticism is Thampu, made in 1977. Shot in black-and-white by another veteran, Shaji N Karun, the film captures, with poignant silence, how a village by the banks of the Bharathapuzha responds to a roving circus troupe setting up base there. It reflects the rawness of village

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Actor Sheela on Friday said that the appointment of the Justice Hema Committee is a historical event in Malayalam Cinema. Addressing the opening ceremony of the 9th edition of the Film Preservation & Restoration Workshop India 2024 in Thiruvananthapuram, she appreciated Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for talking the bold decision to appoint a committee to study the problems faced by women in Mollywood. Speaking on the occasion she also highlighted the need to honour living l

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A tense situation erupted in front of the city corporation office on Wednesday when a section of sanitation workers belonging to two unions gathered in protest raising a slew of issues. Two workers belonging to the District Sanitation Workers Union (CITU) climbed a tree in the corporation office premises threatening to jump and they blocked the way to the entrance with bins filled with garbage disrupting the movements other vehicles, citizens and employees. Everybody who arri

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Calling for unity and action against the exploitation of natural resources, the India Fisherwomen Assembly, a two-day conference conducted for the first time in the country to address the issues of the fisherwomen all over the nation, concluded on Wednesday at Thomas Kocherry Centre, Valiyathura. Drawing a parallel between farmers struggles and the threats faced by coastal communities, chief guest of the valedictory function, wrestler and newly elected MLA from Haryana Vinesh

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Corporation's main office on Wednesday saw a tense situation when a section of sanitation workers gathered in protest raising a slew of issues including unscientific redeployment, lack of adequate facilities. The protest began at around 5.30 am when two of the workers climbed the tree in front of the Corporation's main office and threatened to jump from it. A group of sanitation workers gathered under the tree staging a dharna. The protestors blocked the main entrances of