THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The health department is set to host meetups for cancer survivors as part of its ongoing campaign to encourage people to participate in cancer screening. The first event will be held in the Malabar region at the Gender Park in Kozhikode on February 22 at 4 pm. Cancer survivors from Malabar Cancer Centre, Kozhikode Medical College, and private cancer treatment centres will attend the event. Health Minister Veena George will be present, interacting with the survivors to spread

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) has directed the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India to provide promised benefit to a Jeevan Saral policyholder. The commission rejected LICs argument to pardon a bona fide error in leaving the column on maturity amount blank in the policy document. The order came on an appeal petition filed by the LIC against the Pathanamthitta District Consumer Redressal Commissions order to pay the promised amount with compensa

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ASHA workers launched an indefinite strike from Friday, intensifying their protest for better wages and benefits. The strike was announced at the Maha Sangamam held on Thursday, where workers declared they would continue their strike until their demands are met. The protesting ASHA workers are seeking an increase in their monthly honorarium from the current Rs 7,000 to Rs 21,000, along with retirement benefits and the clearance of pending payments. ASHA workers alleged that t

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Exposing the challenges to waste management in the state, a study of the Brahmapuram disaster and municipal solid waste management system has identified lack of reliable data concerning quantity, composition and characteristics of waste generated, collected, treated and disposed of as a major issue. Choking on Toxic Smoke recommends immediate action to create a comprehensive inventory of municipal solid waste for each local self-government institution and conduct comprehensiv

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Women Journalists conclave called for the government to resolve cyber attack complaints quickly. The panel discussion on Women in Social Media noted that women who raise their voices face backlash on social media that is far more intense than the resistance they encounter from their families or the society. The two-day conclave, organised by the Information and Public Relations Department, concluded on Wednesday. The conclave was a platform for discussions on con

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti V Somanna inspected the facilities and development work at Thiruvananthapuram Central and South railway stations as part of his visit to the state capital on Tuesday. Reviewing the work at the Central station, he told the officials to complete the redevelopment work within two years and advised that time overruns should be avoided and modern methods used for speedier construction. He inspected the Vande Bharat Express at the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Inaugurating the delegates meet of the SFI State Conference at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged student members to remain steadfast in upholding the organisations long-standing principles. While encouraging them to continue its positive work, he also cautioned them against exaggerating minor issues, and stressing the importance of staying on course. Continue the good work. Lets avoid mistakes. Stand firm and fight a

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ambitious plan of Kerala Tourism to launch caravan tourism at Ponmudi Hill Station has been dropped with the Tourism Department failing to find suitable land for setting up the park. The tourism department announced its plan to open caravan parks under PPP (Public Private Partnership) mode in three prime destinations -- Bolgatty, Bekal and Ponmudi -- to promote caravan tourism in the state. The plan was to develop the park with private investment at revenue land in Ponmud

In a major victory for environmentalists in the capital, the citizen group Tree Walk has succeeded in its campaign against the harmful practice of burning waste under trees. The Thiruvananthapuram Corporationhas issued a circular prohibiting the burning of dry leaves and waste beneath roadside trees, following persistent efforts by the group. For the past two years, Tree Walk has been raising concerns about the damage caused to trees, particularly a large ficus tree at PMG Junction. This tree, p

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Excise sleuths on Monday night arrested a 27-year-old data engineer working in a leading IT firm while he was smuggling a commercial quantity of MDMA. Midhun Murali, a native of Murukkumpuzha and residing on rent near Kulathoor, was arrested at Manvila with 32g of MDMA, an excise source said. A minor quantity of ganja and `75,000 he had reportedly gained from drug peddling were also seized. The excise sleuths said Midhun has been under their radar for sometime after they mana

THIRUVANTHAPURAM: Kazhakootam police have booked seven third-year students of Kariavattom Government College for ragging a first-year student and subjecting him to inhumane torture. Based on a complaint of first-year Biotechnology student Binse Jose, police charged case against Velu, Prince, Ananthan, Parthan, Sravan and Salman under relevant sections against ragging. Binse in his complaint had alleged that the group tortured him after taking him to the SFI unit room. He was forced to be on his

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a transformative move for the fishing community in southern Kerala, the fisheries department has embarked on the construction of a Rs 343-crore harbour at Poovar. Located on the sea-facing side of the estuary between Vizhinjam and the Tamil Nadu border, the new harbour is set to revolutionise fishing activities for over 25,000 fishermen living between Kollamcode and Adimalathura. Construction of a breakwater has already begun, with tetrapod casting under way at the site. T

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a remarkable act of generosity, the family of 52-year-old R Rajesh, a teacher at Amrita HSS Paripally, donated his organs after he passed away due to a brain haemorrhage. The selfless act gave a new lease of life to four individuals. His family made the decision to donate his organs to critically ill patients undergoing treatment in various hospitals. Two kidneys and two corneas were donated. One kidney was allocated to the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College hos

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Friday inaugurated Saksham 2025 - the annual flagship initiative of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG). The campaign aims to create widespread awareness on fuel conservation, energy efficiency, and the adoption of clean and green energy sources. Addressing the event, the Governor emphasised the urgent need for energy conservation and environmental responsibility. He stated that India is at a crucial juncture where sustai

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Plus-I student of Government Vocational Higher Secondary School, Paruthippally was found dead in his school on Friday morning in what is being suspected as a case of suicide. Benson Abraham, a resident of Erumakuzhy, was found dead when the school was opened on Friday morning. Bensons father Benny alleged that he was verbally abused by the office clerk of the school when he went to get his record book signed and that prompted his son to take the drastic step. The last date

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The long-pending demand to conserve and protect the Vellayani lake -- the second largest freshwater lake in the state -- is finally set to become a reality with the High Court directing the State Wetland Authority of Kerala (SWAK) to complete the demarcation of the boundaries of the lakes wetland within three months. Besides, after years of impasse, the state government has launched a Rs 96-crore project to revive the lake which is the only source of drinking water for Kalliy

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A plus-one student of Kuttichal GVHSS was found dead in his school on Friday morning in what's being suspected as a case of suicide. Benson Abraham, a resident of Erumakuzhy, was found hanging when the school was opened on Friday morning. According to sources, Benson attempted to put the school office seal on his project without permission. The project was due for submission on Friday, and he reportedly wanted to ensure it was accepted for valuation. However, the office clerk

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The seventh Finance Commission chairperson K N Harilal has said that Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) should find ways to generate revenue including toll collection, considering the present scenario. According to him, the new model should continue till KIIFB gets a favourable court order. He was speaking at the press meet announcing the Kerala Economic Conference 2025 to be held at Government Womens College, Thiruvananthapuram, from February 14 to 16. Recen

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A gas leak caused a fire at a house near Vattiyoorkavu on Tuesday, resulting in severe injuries to one person. The incident occurred at the residence of Bhaskaran Pillai at Chembukonam. After a loud explosion around 11.45 am prompted locals to rush to the scene, they found Bhaskaran Pillai suffering from severe burns. He was quickly transported to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital before personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services arrived. By the time emergency

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The three-day international conference exploring the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare concluded on Sunday. The Emerging Technologies for Intelligent Systems (ETIS 2025) conference, held at Mar Baselios Engineering College under the auspices of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU), featured discussions on the impact of AI in healthcare. Speaking at the event, IISc Bengaluru senior professor K Gopakumar emphasised that quality research benefits

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Additional District and Sessions Court will conduct the final hearing in the sensational Vineetha murder case on Monday. The murder happened at Ambalamukku on February 6, 2022. Vineetha, who was working in a plant nursery, was stabbed to death allegedly by Tamil Nadu native Rajendran in order to steal her 36-gram gold chain. The murder came as a shocker as it occurred in the heart of the city during the Covid-19 lockdown. The police began the investigation by relying tota

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A group of differently-abled students from the Different Art Centre exposed the secrets behind the so-called divine miracles at the All India Science Conference organised by the Breakthrough Science Society at Tagore Theatre on Sunday. The performers demonstrated and debunked several tricks disguised as miracles, including setting coconut husk on fire with bare hands, sleeping on a bed of nails, and turning coloured solutions colourless. They explained the scientific principl

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Divisional Railway Hospital in Pettah has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first railway hospital to receive the entry-level NABH certification. Established in 1979, the hospital serves 65,000 employees, pensioners, and their families, while also providing services to the general public under the Union governments health schemes. The hospital offers a wide range of specialist services, including general surgery, general medicine, orthopedics, ophthalmology, EN

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Neyyattinkara police have arrested a man for an attempt to murder his friend with a knife. The arrested person is Sachu, a native of Kodangavila. In the attack, Surya Gayathri, 28, a native of Venpakal, sustained injuries on her hands and other parts of her body. Hearing her screams, neighbours rushed to the spot, but the accused had fled from the scene. Surya Gayathri was immediately taken to Neyyattinkara General Hospital and later shifted to Medical College hospital. H

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Giving fresh hopes to the state capitals aspirations in urban mobility, Finance Minister K N Balagopal announced on Friday that the long-awaited metro rail project will take off this year. While presenting the state budget for 2025-26, the finance minister also announced the formation of a metropolitan planning committee for Thiruvananthapuram. The indecision over the alignment proposed by the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL), and whether the network should be underground or eleva

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: This Valentines Day, why not celebrate love with a creative twist? At the Embroidery Date event, couples can join hands to create something meaningful together an embroidered keepsake to cherish forever. You and your partner stitch each others first initials into a hoop, crafting a unique piece of art that symbolises your bond. Its a heartfelt way to commemorate your togetherness and create a memory youll both treasure. The event will take place at Caf Sarwaa (or a customiza

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The theft of vegetables from the school garden at Thycaud Government Model HSS LP School on Monday left its young gardeners disheartened. But their disappointment soon turned into hope as support poured in. After Anagha, a Class II student, wrote a letter to Minister for General Education V Sivankutty about the incident, he responded through Facebook, promising that the authorities would look into the matter and prevent such thefts in the future. He also mentioned the possibi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The second phase of the Aardram Health Lifestyle Disease Screening has reached a milestone by covering over one crore individuals. The screening revealed that 44.85% (4,500,077) of those screened were at risk of lifestyle diseases. Health data was recorded for 13,39,455 (13.35%) individuals with only hypertension, 8,85,051 (8.82%) with only diabetes, and 6,01,958 (6%) with both conditions. Additionally, 2,03,506 people (2.03%) were identified as having cancer and referred for

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 28-year-old youth, who had dropped MBBS studies midway, fatally hacked his father near Vellarada on Wednesday night. The son harboured animosity towards his father that the latter was keeping him under tight leash and not letting him live a free life. Prejin Jose murdered his father Jose using a machette, which was used in kitchen, by 9.30 pm. Prejin did not complete his MBBS studies as he had to return from China when Covid-19 broke out. Thereafter, he did not bother resum

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 23-year-old Pozhiyoor native, who was brought back from Russia in March 2024 after being trafficked to the Ukraine war front by a fake job racket, was found dead in a lodge at Neyyattinkara on Thursday. The deceased has been identified as David Muthappan. His family had reported him missing since Wednesday evening, the police said. David reached Neyyattinkara on Wednesday evening for receiving the money from the agent, who had facilitated his Russian sojourn. The youth was