THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major development, Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) and the city corporation have decided to re-tender the long-delayed redevelopment of the century-old Palayam Connemara Market. The decision comes after the existing contractor, RDS Projects, demanded cost escalation, triggered by prolonged delays. The project, awarded in 2021, has been plagued by delays owing to relocation and rehabilitation of the traders from the market. A top SCTL official told TNIE that a de

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is a girlish spright in her steps as she sashays into the thick, verdant spread surrounding her mud house, the insides of which reflect a deeply earthy aesthetic smoking stoves, dim interiors, and a clustered room brimming with mementoes and accolades she has earned over the years. At 81, Lakshmikutty Amma takes pride in all that she has achieved, especially the Padma Shri, which reached her from Delhi to the remote, reclusive stretch of land nestled in Ponmudis Kallar

A home where dogs, cats, a goat, geese, chickens, and a bull can roam freely. A space where their existence is just as important as the humans who live there. Sowbhagya Venkitesh, dancer, social media influencer, vlogger, and daughter of artist Thara Kalyan, who runs the Thara Kalyan Dance Academy in Thiruvananthapuram, lives in such a home. For any pet lover, her house is nothing short of a paradise. A lifelong dog lover, Sowbhagya traces her love for dogs back to her childhood.I used to watch

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the construction work of the Rs 177-crore Muthalapozhi harbour development project, which is expected to enhance safety for fishermen and stimulate economic activity in the region. Speaking via video conference, he described the project as an example of cooperative federalism, expressing the states expectation of continued collaboration with the Central government. He highlighted that, once completed, the project would significantly

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With local body elections around the corner, corruption allegations in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation are taking a new turn with CPM claiming that opposition leaders have been involved in a massive scam. CPM district secretary, V Joy, who pointed out that a total of Rs 1.47 crore has been scammed from the money allocated for women entrepreneurs from the SC, ST, BPL communities, said that the role of UDF and BJP councillors must be investigated in the issue. The new turn in th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Law Minister P Rajeeve inaugurated K-DISCs new resource facilities for electric battery packaging at C-DAC in the Technopark campus on Wednesday. It is aimed to promote indigenous manufacture and utilisation of electric vehicle (EV) components using locally sourced raw materials. The facility is part of a newly formed EV consortium to accelerate the states growth in the field of green mobility. The meeting, which was attended by K-DISC member secretary P V Unnikrishnan, C-DAC

There are no walls here, only questions, textures, and stories waiting to open up. TheMFA degree show, Rooms Without Walls, by the final-year Painting and Sculpture students of the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, is less of an exhibition and more of a dialogue with fragments of the world we live in. Sculptures formed from everyday industrial remnants, paper pulp, cardboard, and even discarded newspapers, challenge the idea of permanence. Paintings move between the meditative quiet of s

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Work on the Muthalapozhi harbour development project, aimed at enhancing fishers safety, will begin on Thursday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the work on the I177-crore project being implemented under the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana. Once completed, it is expected to bring a permanent solution to the frequent accidents and other issues that have plagued the harbour as a result of unscientific construction. The redevelopment is also focused on enabling the Muth

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: What if robots could teach students or walk amid them as their understanding peers? This thought once felt like a distant dream. The students of Saraswathi Vidyalaya in Thiruvananthapuram have developed an AI-powered humanoid, that can navigate students in the school and even teach them. Named after a Disney character, ELSA was launched by music director M Jayachandran at the school on Saturday. The 4.5-ft-tall humanoid was the result of the hardwork of eight scientifically-s

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Busting a racket engaged in inter-state drug trafficking, the city police on Wednesday arrested four people, including a woman. The police recovered 500 g of MDMA and nine grams of hybrid ganja from the car they were travelling in at Kovalam Junction. The arrested have been identified as Syam, 35, of Karamana, Muhammed Noufal, 24, of Aryanadu, Sanjay, 26, of Rajaji Nagar, and Reshmi, 31, of Malayinkeeezhu. Police sources said Syam and Reshmi were partners and were carrying th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: To make things easy for women who love to peddle, the citys cycling enthusiasts, under the aegis of Indus Cycling Embassys She Cycling Project are hosting sessions to train women in cycling. The idea is also to encourage fitness and to help women break mindsets, according to Prakash P Gopinath, managing trustee of Indus Cycling Embassy. In Kerala, women are reluctant to take up cycling partly due to fear of injury, due to societal pressures, and due to lack of proper training

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress leader Ananthapuri Manikandan has been arrested in connection with a high-value property fraud case involving forged documents and the illegal transfer of real estate in the city. Manikandan was arrested by the Museum Police on Tuesday morning from Bengaluru, where he had been hiding for several weeks. The case pertains to the alleged fraudulent acquisition and sale of a 10-room three-storeyed house and 14 cents of land in Jawahar Nagar, valued at approximately Rs 4.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Suspended IAS officer Prasanth N has come up with fresh allegations against Chief Secretary A Jayathilak-accusing him of file tampering and document fabrication in the states e-office system. In a strongly-worded Facebook post, Prasanth alleged that back-end manipulation of official e-office accounts was being carried out to illegally access files and suppress dissenting opinions. He claimed that on March 12, 2024, he first caught Jayathilak in the act of manipulating documen

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The College of Engineering Trivandrum has come under fire for serving unhygienic food to students in its ladies hostel. More than three instances of spotting pieces of worms and centipedes were reported in the last two weeks. Owing to this, the ladies hostel union organised a strike demanding action on Tuesday. They also alleged that the well which supplies water to the hostel lies within a 10-m distance for the past few years, said Aishwarya, an inmate of the hostel. Food po

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government is set to consider a proposal to grant Vizhinjam International Port Limited (VISL) a more prominent role in the infrastructure development surrounding the port. A project implementation committee, chaired by Chief Secretary Dr A Jayathilak, convened on Monday to discuss the next steps. A positive government decision allowing VISL to acquire land for developing port-related infrastructure could prove to be a significant turning point. VISL can begin planning the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The fast track special court in Thiruvananthapuram has sentenced Sujith, 25, from Thiruvallam to 50 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 35,000 for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl after entering her house and staying there for several days. The judgment was delivered by Judge Anju Meera Birla. The court ordered that the fine amount be given to the survivor. If the convict fails to pay the fine, he will have to serve an additional one-and-a-half-years

Parishramam cheyyukil enthineyum vashathil aakkan kazhiyulla vannam dheerghangalaaya kaikale nalkiyittanu manushyare paaril ayachathe Eeshan. K C Kesavapilla This roughly means God sent humans to earth after giving them hands capable of bringing anything under their control through hard work.Rama Kumari, now 70, has lived by this belief her entire life. She calls it her policy, a philosophy that helped her endure even the toughest situations without giving up in her life. We were six children, f

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Confusion and delays continue to plague the long-pending Outer Ring Road (ORR) project as the disbursal of compensation to landowners affected by the project is unlikely to materialise by the previously promised deadline of July 31. Last month, PWD Minister P A Mohammad Riyas, after meeting the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, had announced that the final approval to the DPR will be granted by July end. Official sources say a team from the Nationa

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State ministers have lashed out against university vice chancellors for participating in the Gyan Sabha, which was attended by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Our educational institutions have students from different communities, and it is impossible to let those spaces become preparation yards to build Hindu Rashtra, Higher Education Minister R Bindu stated in a release. Citing that working towards the RSS agenda will saffronise and destroy the reputation of the position of vice ch

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Horticulture Mission has announced special support project for Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) formed to improve agricultural production, value addition, processing, and marketing including exports. The project is being implemented through the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium Kerala (SFAC-K) under the agricultural department. An amount of I3 crore has been set aside for the scheme. Projects involving horticultural crops like fruits, vegetables, spices, pla

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Citizen groups, including Greenpeace India, along with environmental groups, legal experts and fishermen bodies have called for an urgent and enforceable action by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). In a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, the citizen groups released a comprehensive white paper outlining the potential ecological and socio-economic impacts of the MSC ELSA 3 shipwreck. The white paper document that features far-reaching consequences of the

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If the walls of Kanakakunnu Palace could talk, they might ask for a mop, a bottle ban, and perhaps a referee. For the historic palaces premises are slowly turning into an unexpected venue for some late-night sporting action. Its not cricket or yoga. The real games here involve bottle flipping (empty liquor ones, that is), hide-and-seek in CCTV blind spots, and early-morning clean-up races by the sanitation team. Though CCTV cameras cover the palace premises, people continue t

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ever seen Siberian Huskies drinking tender coconut water to beat the scorching sun? Or the one-ft-tall Miniature Pinscher sharing serious glances with the nearly five-ft-tall Great Dane, like exchanging some encoded message. Ferocious-looking dog breeds turned pookies at the Dog Show organised by the Ananthapuri Canine Club at the Police Ground in Thycaud on Sunday. The programme offered a cherishable experience to visitors of all ages. Beagles, Golden Retrievers, Labradors,

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A tiger at the city zoo attacked a staff member on Sunday morning, leaving him injured. Ramachandran, a supervisor at the Thiruvananthapuram zoo, sustained a head injury and required four stitches. The incident occurred while Ramachandran was taking his morning rounds near the tiger enclosure. According to the zoo superintendent, the attack happened when he was at the keepers gallery. The tiger reportedly lunged at him, causing a wound on his head. The injured supervisor was

Bonacaud, a remote forest-fringed settlement in the state capital, is grappling with healthcare challenges due to the absence of medical facilities. Located on the edge of the Western Ghats, deep within the Vithura panchayat in Nedumangad, the area is vulnerable to human-wildlife conflicts, with wild elephants and bears often sighted. The nearest government hospital is over 20km away, leaving the ageing former tea estate workers living here without access to timely medical care. In emergencies,

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bonacaud, a remote forest-fringed settlement in the state capital, is grappling with healthcare challenges due to the absence of medical facilities. Located on the edge of the Western Ghats, deep within the Vithura panchayat in Nedumangad, the area is vulnerable to human-wildlife conflicts, with wild elephants and bears often sighted. The nearest government hospital is over 20km away, leaving the ageing former tea estate workers living here without access to timely medical ca

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The recent electrocution deaths -- though they shook the state -- have not had much effect on the KSEB, it would appear. A drive through the citys roads, major or interior, reveals a troubling sight: tree branches dangling dangerously over live electric lines, even those passing in the front of schools or at busy junctions and key public areas. The entrance of Government LP School in Kanjirampara is one such spot where the branches are looming directly over the wires.Safety a

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thousands of people offered bali tharpanam for ancestors at various places in the state capital, as part of the annual Karkkidaka Vavu on Thursday. The rituals started as early as 2 am at some places. In spite of coastal erosion posing threat, many went to Papanasam and Shankhumukham to offer bali for the departed souls. Over 1 lakh people offered bali tharpanam on the Papanasam beach in Varkala, municipal deputy chairperson Kumari Sudersini A told TNIE. Despite light rain an

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vizhinjam police have arrested Rajam, a 54-year-old woman for allegedly abetting suicide of an 18-year-old woman, who is also her neighbour, at Nellivila near Venniyoor. Anusha died by hanging at her house on Tuesday after a verbal altercation with Rajam. Anushas father in his complaint to the police had alleged that the verbal abuse by Rajam mentally distressed his daughter, resulting in her suicide. The police sources said Rajams son, who was previously married, recentl

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thousands of people offered bali for their ancestors at key sites in the Thiruvananthapuram district, as part of the annual Karkidaka Vavu on Thursday. The crowd is heavier than last year. Extensive arrangements have been made with the collaborative efforts of multiple departments, including fire and rescue, police and KSRTC. The bali offerings, which started at 2.30 am, will continue till 2 pm, said Thiruvallam ward councillor Sathyavathi V. Close to 40,000 people have alrea

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With drowning death tolls hitting over 350 between 2021 and 2025, the Thiruvananthapuram district administration has decided to launch a drowning prevention campaign. Being organised in connection with the World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25, the Jeevanam- Jeevanodu Jagrathayode Yudham campaign will be launched by Education Minister V Sivankutty at Government Model Girls Higher Secondary School, Pattom, on Friday. The number of drowning deaths in the district is very con

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After remaining shut for nearly a decade, the long-awaited reopening of the Kunnukuzhy slaughterhouse is finally on the horizon, with the city corporation in the final stages of signing an operation and maintenance (O&M) contract with MR Farms the agency that secured the bid. The move comes after multiple delays, including an unsuccessful first tender that failed to attract bidders, stalling the plan to begin operations on World Environment Day. The revamped facility, which

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The capital is gearing up to host the annual Karkidaka Vavu Bali rituals to be held on Thursday with elaborate preparations under way at prime locations, including Thiruvalllam, Shankumugham and Papanasam. Extensive arrangements are in place at the Thiruvallam Parasurama Temple a prime venue for the rituals. Every year over 50,000 people offer the ritual at Thiruvallam temple. Anticipating the influx of devotees, the temple authorities have made elaborate arrangements to ens

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A44-year-old tribal man died after the ambulance transporting him to Thiruvanathapuram Medical College Hospital was allegedly blocked by the Congress and Youth Congress workers. Binu, a native of Vithura, had consumed acid and was in a critical condition. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when Binu was being shifted to the MCH from Vithura Taluk Hospital. He was brought to the taluk hospital around 2.30pm and after receiving preliminary treatment, Binu, was advised

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite receiving prior alerts through its emergency helpline, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) continues to delay action in critical situations. This was seen in Vattiyoorkavu, where a complaint by a local resident about a dangerously hanging tree branch on a live electricity line was acted upon only about 20 hours later. The back-to-back electrocution deaths and recurring delays point out to what many see as a systemic failure in KSEBs emergency response mechanism.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state-level Onam celebrations will be held from September 3 to 9, concluding with a grand procession in Thiruvananthapuram. The decision was made at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. There will be coordinated efforts from all departments to ensure vibrant and eco-friendly festivities. District Tourism Promotion Councils will lead the district-level events. The stretch from Kowdiar to Manacaud in the state capital will be declared the main fe

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was a homecoming, rich with memories and inspiration. Four decades after they stepped out of Sainik School in Kazhakoottam, four close friends, who now hold key positions in the Indian armed forces, returned to their alma mater on Saturday for an alumni meet. Lieutenant General Vijay B Nair, Major General Vinod T Mathew, Major General Hari B Pillai, and Air Vice Marshal K V Surendran Nair batchmates from the class of 1985 were the guests of honour at the gathering. Anoth

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Keralas love for elephants is legendary. But Cherapally village in Thiruvananthapuram takes it a notch up. Here, elephants are a way of life. For generations, hundreds of families here have earned their livelihood by crafting elephant sculptures from Indian rosewood (eetti in local parlance). Over time, though many moved on to other occupations, the tradition has sustained. It all started when our forefathers crafted sculptures out of leftover stumps of rosewood trees that we

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rampant illegal parking in front of the Museum police station and the Sooryakanthi Road stretch and encroachment by vendors are posing a major headache for residents and commuters alike. Repeated complaints to remove the encroachments have failed to elicit any action from either the city corporation or the police. Making matters worse, vehicles impounded by the Museum police are also parked around the station premises, adding to peoples inconvenience. Even recently, the resid

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