THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM has so far built 1,947 houses for homeless families since 2019, CPM state secretary M V Govindan has said. The houses were built following the declaration that former party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan made at the 2019 Thrissur state conference. So far, the party has constructed 87 houses in Kasaragod, 132 in Palakkad, 165 in Thrissur, 184 in Ernakulam, 48 in Idukki, 157 in Kottayam, 52 in Pathanamthitta, 127 in Alappuzha, 82 in Kollam, and 120 in Thiruvanant

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: All government departments in Kerala now have Internal Committees (IC) in place under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, said Haritha V Kumar, Director, Department of Women and Child Development. She was speaking after inaugurating a two-day international workshop titled Strengthening institutional mechanisms to combat Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) began in the capital on Thursday. Organised by the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) with support f

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a significant move, the cabinet on Thursday approved the complete waiver of interest and penalties amounting to Rs436.49 crore on KSRTCs outstanding short-term and long-term loans from the Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation (KTDFC). This comes as a major relief to the cash-strapped state-run transport corporation. Taking into account the ongoing monsoon and related challenges, the cabinet also sanctioned Rs 43.65 crore for coastal erosion prevention works in

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a significant development in the ongoing legal battle over the conservation of the historic Kanakakunnu Palace and its heritage grounds, the archaeology department has reported that extensive unscientific renovation using modern materials has eroded the palaces historical and archaeological authenticity. A detailed inspection report by the department painted a grim picture of the palaces current condition. Once a stately residence built during the reign of Sree Moolam Thir

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city corporation office on Wednesday witnessed multiple protests by the BJP over the alleged irregularities and corruption in the recruitment of sanitation workers. The situation turned tense when the party dharna in front of the mayors office turned violent. Mayor Arya Rajendran released a statement accusing BJP councillors of attempting to disrupt a crucial meeting to review preparations for Karkidaka vavu bali. Deputy mayor P K Raju, who demanded that the review meetin

TPURAM/KOLLAM: The body of Vipanchika Maniyan, who was found dead along with her 18-month-old daughter Vaibhavi at their apartment in Sharjah, will be brought to Kerala for funeral. The last rites of Vaibhavi, however, will be held in Sharjah, sources said. The Indian Consulate officials held a discussion with Vipanchikas husband Nidheesh Mohan and Vipanchikas mother Shailaja on Wednesday following which the decision was taken. In the meeting, Nidheesh stuck to his stand that the last rites of h

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Having collapsed at his workplace, a 47-year-old man who had no prior history of heart disease survived a life-threatening cardiac condition following a rare medical intervention. The incident happened recently in Thiruvananthapuram, with his colleagues rushing him to a hospital nearby. He was then referred to the KIMSHEALTH for further evaluation and treatment, where he was diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia (VT)a type of arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm that can ca

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) on Tuesday directed public works department and police officials to take urgent measures to ensure smooth movement of pedestrians and vehicles on the Sasthamangalam Sri Ramakrishna Mission Hospital Road. The directive followed a complaint filed by Ravindranath, secretary of the Sasthamangalam Residents Welfare Association, highlighting the difficulties faced by residents due to unauthorised stalls and illegal parking along the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After dragging its feet on a Central Information Commission directive, the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has finally decided to furnish information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act about the decisions taken during its governing body and institute body meetings since July 2020. It was in December 2023 that the SCTIMST first turned down an RTI query seeking a copy of the minutes of its governing body (GB) meetings number 107

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thirty students from Thiruvananthapuram, who won the Mann Ki Baat talent hunt, have received the golden opportunity to attend the 79th Independence Day celebrations in Delhi. A series of six competitions were held as part of the talent hunt and 12 students, each from high school and higher secondary categories as well as six from the college-level were selected. Organised by Mera Yuva Bharat, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and Global Givers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Local Self-Government (LSG) Minister M B Rajesh on Monday said that waste management is not just an environmental concern but also a public health issue. Inaugurating the state-level launch of the e-waste collection drive at Amaravila in Thiruvananthapuram, he said the state must not become unclean and uninhabitable. He highlighted that the Haritha Karma Sena has collected 66,166 tonnes of waste in 2024-25 alone. The minister said a delegation from Bengal had recently visited

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA) marked World Youth Skills Day 2025 with an insightful discussion on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture, held at Bharat Bhavan. Dr C K Peethambaran, Director of the Agriculture Division at CISSA, emphasised the critical need for skill development in the agricultural sector through AI technologies. Dr Ajith Kumar R, Director of the Centre for Digital Innovation at Digital University, delivered a

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 61-year-old woman, who was reported missing from Neyyardam police station limits on July 1, was found murdered near Tirunelveli. She was reportedly raped before being choked to death by a Kanyakumari native, Libin Raj, who has been arrested by the police. The woman had gone reportedly went on a pilgrimage to various churches by June last. As she used to travel alone to the churches and return after some time, relatives initially did not bother to look up for her. As she fai

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The three-day international diabetes conference, Jothydevs Professional Education Forum Diabetes Update 2025 (JPEF 2025), came to a close in Kovalam on Sunday with a strong message: more people with diabetes in India need access to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to manage the disease better. Senior diabetologist Dr Rajeev Chawla said many people in the low and middle-income countries still dont have access to the latest diabetes treatments. He pointed out that only about

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dramatic scenes unfolded at the city corporation council meeting on Monday as BJP councillors staged a protest over alleged corruption and political favouritism in the appointment of sanitation workers. The protest, which turned chaotic, delayed the council proceedings by over 30 minutes leading to police intervention and a scuffle. Several women councillors from both the BJP and LDF were injured in the scuffle. The BJP councillors questioned the recruitment of Kazhakoottam c

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three female inmates of Sree Chitra Home have been hospitalised after they allegedly took an overdose of sleeping pills in a bid to commit suicide. The three were of ages 16, 15 and 12 years, respectively. The three were admitted to the facility two weeks ago and were reportedly mistreated by senior inmates. The alleged suicide bid took place on Sunday night. Two of them were admitted to the Medical College Hospital, while the remaining one child was admitted to the SAT Hospi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Congress Panchayat member and his mother were found dead in their residence at Nilakkamukku near Varkala on Monday morning in what appears to be a case of suicide. The deceased has been identified as Arun V, 42, of Nilakkamukku ward in Vakkom panchayat, and his mother Valsala, 71. They were found hanging in a shed behind their house. The suicide note written by Arun on his letter pad and shared to his friends via WhatsApp stated that four of his neighbours gave fake police

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kallambalam police have sought the details of properties held by Shaiju aka Sanju, the prime accused in seizure of 1.26 kg MDMA that was brought from Oman, his family members and friends from the registration department in a bid to identify whether the proceeds of the crime had gone into real estate. The police sources said they have identified 10 cents of land near Njekkad, where a palatial house in being constructed by Shaiju. The land is registered in the name of his w

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sasikumar Vs day begins before the world wakes up. At 3 am, he reads the newspaper, takes a stroll to the beach near his home in Thrikkunnapuzha, chats with local fishermen and sips his regular tea by the shore. But he makes sure to return before sunrise. For him, the real morning begins when the first rays of light fall on the rippling water of his backyard fish farm, My3 Farms -- an effort of 11 years. This year, Sasikumar has been named the Best Backyard Farmer by the stat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On Sunday, General Education Minister V Sivankutty hosted some international guests for breakfast. Fondly addressing him as uncle, the Afghan students of Government HSS Sreekaryam gave the minister a heartwarming morning at his official residence, Rose House. They also pleasantly surprised Sivankutty and his wife R Parvathy Devi with their near-fluent Malayalam skills. Marwa Rahimi, 12, and Ahmed Mozamel, 11, of Class 6, and their brother Ahmed Mansoor, 8, of Class 3 were joi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the annual Vavu Bali ritual just days away, pollution at the Papanasam beach in Varkala has sparked serious concern among devotees and the Janardhana Swamy Temple authorities. Nurdles (tiny plastic pellets) from the MSC Elsa 3 shipwreck and unchecked sewage discharge from nearby hotels and resorts continue to pollute the beach, posing a health hazard and creating severe inconvenience for tourists and pilgrims. The temple authorities, who oversee the ritual arrangements,

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A massive fire broke out at MT Complex, located along the Nagaroor-Kallambalam road at around 5pm on Saturday. According to fire officials, the blaze is suspected to have started on the second floor and rapidly spread through the building. Goods stored on the ground and first floors were completely destroyed. A gymnasium operating within the complex was also gutted in the fire. While attempting to douse the flames, the complexs owner, Naseem, 58, a native of Nagaroor, sustain

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For those seeking adventure off the beaten path, a guided trek to Kathirmudi, one of Thiruvananthapurams lesser-known forest destinations, is scheduled for July 26. Organised by Adventure Movement and Sports (AMAS), the 15-kilometre trek offers participants an engaging experience through raw forest trails, slippery rock paths, and pristine terrain. Kathirmudi, known for its untouched natural beauty, lies deep within the forests near Neyyar and Peppara Dam reservoirs. Rated as

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major move to tackle climate change, the city corporation has unveiled a first-of-its-kind blueprint Net Zero Carbon and Resilient Buildings (NZCRB) to make the citys environment energy-efficient, climate-resilient and with a low-carbon footprint. The action plan, the officials say, is designed to drastically reduce carbon emissions across a buildings lifecycle, right from design and construction to its demolition, all the while helping it withstand the impacts of extr

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) has enhanced the compensation payout to a six-year-old girl who lost vision due to an ophthalmologists misdiagnosis. The doctor misdiagnosed her eye ailment as squint whereas the actual cause was brain tumour. The first standard student who showed signs of squint on her left eye, was taken to the Kollam-based hospital on March 20, 2003. The ophthalmologist there, after conducting a fundoscopy and refraction test on the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A high-level meeting convened by the principal secretary to the chief minister with officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), district administration, and revenue department ended without a clear decision on the timeline for disbursing compensation to landowners who gave up their land for the Outer Ring Road (ORR) project. Official sources told TNIE that the state government will submit the project for environmental clearance from the Union government th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Participation of some Vice-Chancellors in programmes organised by Sangh Parivar organisations is a new trend, one the state has never witnessed before, CPM state secretary M V Govindan said on Friday. Govindan also accused the VCs of taking unconstitutional positions as part of saffronisation programme and destroying the autonomy of the universities. The issues we are witnessing at the University of Kerala is the result of such actions. The Union government is intervening by

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cabinet meeting has decided to exempt stamp duty and registration fees for land pooled for the LIFE Mission free housing project of the government. This is applicable to land parcels received as donation, sale or any other mode. The beneficiary will have to submit a certificate from the district collector or a tahsildar assigned by him stating that the land is for house construction under the Mission. The exemption is for two years from the date of order. The meeting appr

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KSRTC has collaborated with the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) to set up a medical laboratory at Transport Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram. The lab will offer blood sample collection and provide test results for both KSRTC employees and the general public. A wide range of tests, including special ones, will be available at discounted rates in accordance with the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). Additionally, several health packages such as Executive Checkup

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Frequent but short trips to Oman. Luxurious lifestyle despite not having a regular source of income. Possession of several premium vehicles and a palatial 4000 sq ft house under-construction, whose source of money was unclear. And two previous drug cases. These anomalies made Thiruvananthapuram rural police interested in Shaiju aka Sanju, a 41-year-old man from Kallambalam. Their suspicion proved true on Wednesday night when the cops nabbed Shaiju and his three accomplices fr

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CBI team that probed the suspicious death of a 13-year-old girl, who was found lying in the bathroom of her residence located in the police quarters here in March 2023, has filed a report before the Pocso Special Court ruling out the doubt that she couldve been raped. The CBI report also suggested that the Class 8 student might have died of natural causes. The girl was found lying in an unconscious state in the bathroom on March 30. She died on April 1 in a hospital while

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The capital city came to a near standstill due to a statewide strike called by trade unions, affecting bus services and forcing many shops, including restaurants, to shut down. Despite this, railway operations continued smoothly in the capital under strict police surveillance. While autorickshaws and some taxis operated around the railway stations, the absence of public buses left many commuters stranded. However, the city police emerged as a crucial support system for those

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two hotel employees have been arrested in connection with the murder of a hotel owner in the city. The arrests were made on Tuesday night from Adimalathura. Police identified the accused as David, a native of Vizhinjam and Suresh, a Nepal native. Both were employed at the Kerala Cafe hotel near Cotton Hill School. According to police, the accused attacked officers during the arrest, injuring four. The duo had been absconding since the incident. The body of Justin Raj, the hot

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state BJP leadership found itself on the back foot on Tuesday after a video surfaced on social media in which Jyoti Malhotra, the social media influencer who was arrested for espionage, was seen travelling with former Union minister V Muralidharan in the inaugural journey of Vande Bharat train. In the video Jyoti was seen interviewing Muralidharan. The video surfaced at a time when the BJP has accused the state government and Tourism Minister Mohamed Riyas of inviting Jyo

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kuruvilla Joseph has been appointed as the first Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram. IIST, an autonomous institution under the Department of Space, Government of India, holds the unique distinction of being Asias first institute dedicated exclusively to education and research in space science and technology. A distinguished scientist and academician, Joseph has served IIST in several pivotal administrative ro

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The move of the city corporation to establish waste treatment plants to ride over the mounting organic waste crisis ahead of the local body elections in the state capital has faced major setbacks owing to local protests and political interventions. Protests have broken out in Thonnakkal and Kudappanakunnu, two sites identified by the corporation to set up solid waste management facilities, including a Black Soldier Fly composting unit and a Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant two

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The land owners who handed over their property to facilitate the long-pending Outer Ring Road (ORR) project are on a warpath and are gearing up to launch an indefinite hunger strike in front of the office of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at Enchakkal. On Monday, the representatives of the action council formed by the land owners met the regional officer, NHAI, to discuss the delay in the disbursal of compensation for the land acquired for the Outer Ring Road. Ar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State Minorities Commission chairman advocate A A Rasheed has directed authorities to expedite and complete the remaining work of the Mother and Child Block at the Sree Avittam Thirunal Hospital (SAT) in Thiruvananthapuram by December 2025. The directive came during a special sitting held at the Commission headquarters on Monday, following a newspaper report highlighting that the building, inaugurated years ago, is still not fully operational. A report submitted to the Commis

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ever been to a museum to see a different view of life, but came back disappointed because you couldnt quench your curiosity? You saw the skeleton of a huge animal on display, but you received no information of how it is important to your land or ecosystem. No worries about that if you are heading to the Natural History Museum in Thiruvananthapuram as you will be provided a multilingual digital tour guide on a tablet phone. The countrys first audio-visual digital guide for a m

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The long-pending Outer Ring Road (ORR) project in Thiruvananthapuram connecting Vizhinjam to Navaikulam via Thekkada is facing major financial and administrative impasse as the cost of land acquisition has doubled from Rs 1,800 crore to Rs 3,800 crore. According to official sources, this estimate is valid till August and if the government fails to initiate the procedures to disburse the funds to the land owners by then, the cost will further escalate. As per the Right to Fair

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ER & DCI Institute of Technology, the academic wing of C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram, has invited applications for its postgraduate engineering programmes for the academic year 2025. The institute offers two industry-oriented MTech programmes -- Cyber Forensics & Information Security and VLSI & Embedded Systems. Meritorious students from both streams will have the opportunity to undertake their academic projects as live projects at C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram or in collaboration

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A persistent sewage overflow near the Lakshya Coaching Centre on SS Kovil Road one of the citys busiest stretches is causing severe hardship to residents, students and pedestrians. For several days, dirty water has been gushing through a narrow bylane beside the centre, flooding the road and spreading a foul smell. Local residents said that walking through the stretch has become nearly impossible without covering their noses. The stench has made the entire stretch unpleasan

KOLLAM: Members of the Youth Congress Eravipuram staged a protest at Pallimukkil in Kollam on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Health Minister Veena George. As part of the demonstration, protestors burned an effigy of the minister and blocked the national highway, disrupting traffic. The police later arrested the demonstrators and cleared the protest site. The protest was inaugurated by DCC general secretary Faisal Kulappadam, who alleged that the recent death of a patient at Kottayam Medi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a significant ruling to strengthen the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the State Information Commission has clarified that government departments will be held accountable for compensating applicants who suffer due to lapses or negligence by officials in handling RTI requests. Issuing the order, State Information Commissioner Dr. A Abdul Hakkim emphasised that if an officer fails in discharging duties under the RTI Act, the responsibility for compensat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At a time when questions are being raised against the efficiency of the health sector, the states first skin bank is all set to open its door of relief for numerous burn victims. The skin bank is being set up in Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College. The bank will be inaugurated on July 15 coinciding with the World Plastic Surgery Day. The centre has also secured the approval of the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (K- SOTTO) for receiving skin th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It has been 60 years since the publication of Mathilukal, the celebrated novel by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. To mark the occasion and to observe Basheers death anniversary, which falls on Saturday, the students of Karamana Government Boys HSS created a symbolic Snehamathil (Wall of Love) on their campus on Friday. Besides the students and staff of the school, parents, alumni, autorickshaw drivers, local residents, elected representatives, and BRC officials came together to buil

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government will strengthen all precautionary measures to prevent tragedies like the one at Kottayam Medical College , said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday. He expressed deep sorrow over the incident and assured that the family of the deceased, Bindu, will receive all necessary support. The chief minister said the government would continue to move forward with a stronger focus on healthcare. Meanwhile, the health department has decided to conduct a survey o

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chasing the tale of an outlaw of yore, an agile, elusive and generous mountain thief who scaled cliffs and leapt ravines to feed the poor a hero of sorts is an inevitable part of caving at Kalladanthy caves in Munnar. People arrive from different places to crawl through the cave, which was once the abode of Malayil Kallan (thief of the mountains), says Siju Varghese, who runs cave tourism at Kalladanthy. Though not everyones cup of tea, caving is rising in popularity in the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over 1.57 lakh persons, including 7,849 minors, have sought treatment at Vimukthi de-addiction centres run by the excise department between November 2018 and May 2025. Data accessed by TNIE shows that the number of individuals opting for de-addiction treatment has been rising. Official statistics reveal that 1,46,287 lakh people received outpatient care, while around 11,669 people were admitted over the period under review. Excise sources said that men and women having been s

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Forest Minister A K Saseendran said on Wednesday that the government will take into serious consideration the increasing number of adivasi deaths in human-animal conflicts. The minister was inaugurating the Gothrabheri state workshop at the forest headquarters here on Wednesday. Though all deaths are devastating, the numbers have reduced over the years, with 67 people being killed in 2024-25, against 113 in 2021-22, the minister said. Among the 67 deaths last year, 34 died fr