Records show Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited had informed the State in advance of its plan to divest 49% stake in the port company. Replying to an unstarred question in Assembly, Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan himself revealed this
Court Acquits 21 BJP-RSS Workers in 2014 Kerala Murder Case
KASARAGOD, Oct 17: A court in Kasaragod on Saturday acquitted 21 BJP-RSS workers accused of murdering Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) activist Zainul Abid in 2014, observing that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against them. Additional District and Sessions Court Judge Achindya Raj Unni pronounced the verdict, acquitting all 21 accused [] The post Court Acquits 21 BJP-RSS Workers in 2014 Kerala Murder Case appeared first on Northlines .
Kerala CM V.D. Satheesan reviews Sabarimala pilgrimage preparations
Nilackal (Keralam) [India], October 17 (ANI): Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan chaired a high-level review meeting at the Sabarimala base camp in Nilackal to assess preparations for the upcoming Sabarimala Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, with a focus on crowd management, security and facilities for devotees. Ahead of the meeting, Satheesan, accompanied by Tourism Minister P.C. Vishnunadh, Devaswom Minister K. Muralidharan and Travancore Devaswom Board President K. Jayakumar, visited the Nilackal guest house, KSRTC bus stand and police barracks to inspect the arrangements on the ground. The team subsequently proceeded towards Pamba to review preparations at the pilgrimage site. In a post on X, Satheesan said the meeting brought together elected representatives and senior officials from various departments to ensure coordination and adequate arrangements for pilgrims. Those present included Pathanamthitta MP Anto Antony, State Police Chief Ravada Chandrasekhar, MLAs and other senio...
Sreelekha Accuses UDF Govt of Double Standards Over Case Against Her
Keralam police on Friday filed a case against Sreelekha over her remarks at a BJP eventagainst Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at Punalur
DYFI Leader, Journalist for Defaming Keralam Assembly Deputy Speaker
Alappuzha South police registered the case on Friday night on a complaint lodged by Usman against James Samuel, DYFI Alappuzha district secretary, and the journalist
Keralam govt sanctions 2.46 cr for houses for survivors of 2019 Vaniyampuzha floods
Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes announces allocation in Assembly in response to submission by Nilambur MLA Aryadan Shoukath. Each family to receive 6 lakh for house construction
Lifestyle disease tests, health cards for captive elephants in Keralam
Seventeen elephants brought from different parts of the State undergo first round of screening in a first-of-its-kind initiative that checks sugar, cholesterol, kidney and liver function. Rising instances of elephants collapsing and dying have raised concern in the State
Kerala Excise Extradites MDMA Case Accused Fugitive From UAE
Shaun Sunil Bret (24) of Attipra and the eighth accused in an MDMA seizure case registered in Thiruvananthapuram in 2023, was brought back to the state from Abu Dhabi following efforts to trace him abroad
KIIFB, the Sudha Pillai Committee report and what it means for Keralam | Explained
In its report tabled in Assembly, panel has strongly criticised Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board, saying there is 'no case' for continuing it as a fund-raising and project-financing body. The report, which cited fiscal burden on Keralam and constitutional deviations, has triggered a political flashpoint between ruling UDF and Opposition LDF even the CM says the govt is considering a probe into irregularities flagged
Keralam Govt Reconstitutes Waqf Board, Names Mayin Haji Chairman
The government issued an order on Friday dissolving the previous board headed by K S Hamsa, which was constituted in March this year by the previous LDF government, and appointed a new nine-member committee despite more than four years remaining in its tenure
Kerala government reconstitutes Waqf Board, appoints IUML leader Mayin Haji as chairman
The Kerala government has appointed M C Mayin Haji as the new chairman of the State Waqf Board, dissolving the previous board less than seven months after its formation. The reconstitution comes amid ongoing legal challenges and protests against the Centre's amendments to the Waqf law, while also highlighting a lack of representation for the A P Sunni faction.
Keralam government hospital doctors perform rare catheter procedure to repair artificial valve leak
Doctors at Government Medical College Hospital used a catheter-based technique to seal a leak near a 55-year-old womans artificial mitral valve, avoiding another open-heart surgery
Keralam government hospital doctors perform rare catheter procedure to repair artificial valve leak
Doctors at Government Medical College Hospital used a catheter-based technique to seal a leak near a 55-year-old womans artificial mitral valve, avoiding another open-heart surgery
Keralam: Leopard trapped in Forest Department installed cage in Palakkad
A leopard was trapped in a cage installed by the Forest Department in the Akathethara area of Palakkad in Keralam around 3:30 AM on Saturday after repeatedly straying into residential areas and preying on pet dogs. The leopard had been entering residential areas, prompting the Forest Department to install the cage. Earlier, in a separate case on October 10, a woman was killed in a leopard attack near Khandah village on the Srinagar-Pauri road in Uttarakhand. According to Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Mahatim Yadav, the incident took place between 5 am and 6 am on Friday. The victim, identified as Bina Devi, was cutting grass in a field near the village along with other women when the leopard attacked her. After receiving information about the incident, forest department officials, including the local forester and forest guard, rushed to the spot. Speaking to ANI, DFO Yadav said, A report was received that a woman named Bina Devi was killed by a leopard between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM. U...
Panel issues notices seeking reports from Greater Cochin Development Authority, Kochi Corporation, Local Self-Government Department, Life Mission and District Collector
Uttar Pradesh and Kerala will observe public holidays on October 19 and 20, 2026, for Mahanavami and Vijaya Dashmi. Banks will remain closed for three days in Uttar Pradesh and four days in Kerala. Customers should complete any important banking tasks before the holidays begin on October 18. Digital banking services will still be available during these holidays for customer convenience.
The report, submitted by CCF D.K. Vinod Kumar to Idukki Collector, notes that these tracts form an active habitat for wild elephants and sightings are frequent; it warns that evicting encroachments, removing illegal fences can trigger further human-wildlife conflict if not handled systematically
Attire is a citizens choice: Kerala HC backs school headmistress over attire row
Court was considering a petition by headmistress of a Kollam school seeking to disqualify school manager for allegedly denying her entry for wearing churidar-kameez instead of a sari
Two Kochi-Riyadh flights cancelled over security concerns
Akasa Air and Saudia flights from Kochi cancelled amid reported disruptions at Riyadh airport
Increasing tiger attacks on cattle spark protest in Keralams Munnar
By our estimate, nearly 25 tigers, including cubs, are roaming the plantation belt in Munnar, posing a direct threat to humans and livestock, says CPI, who is seeking the capture and relocation of these animals away from human settlements
Titans trailer: Jayasurya and Vinayakan reunite after Aadu 3 for another fun fantasy ride
The film, directed by Prince Joy and written by James Sebastian, also stars Baby Jean, Nihal, Sunny Wayne, Indrans and Suresh Krishna
Athletes Manu Francis and Prince Noble return to Kerala after winning silver in sailing at the Asian Games, celebrated by family and friends. Kerala Athletes Manu Francis and Prince Noble Return Home to a Heros Welcome After Asian Games Silver
Geopolitical tensions, erratic weather cloud Keralams foreign tourism outlook
Tourists displaying heightened awareness of and responsiveness to real-time updates on costs, safety, and climatic conditions is adding to the challenges for States such as Keralam
A Division Bench of the anti-corruption body consisting of Lok Ayuktha N. Anilkumar and Upa Lok Ayuktha Ashok Menon sought the details on a petition filed by social activist K. M. Shajahan
Rail coach restaurant to add a new attraction near Mattancherry Halt station
RCR at Mattancherry Halt being developed under renovate, operate, maintain and transfer model; menu to be approved by Railways
Spas in Kochi come under scanner after a series of alleged crimes
Two men reportedly running several spas arrested in alleged gang rape case; at least two others reportedly absconding; officials flag concerns over recruitment practices at wellness centres and alleged abuse of women employees; police to examine whether spas are being run with the required permissions and licences
SHRC seeks permanent solution to the damage on the approach road and side railings of the bridge across the Thevara-Perandoor Canal near the Kochi metro station at Kadavanthra
Panic over lightning strikes Ernakulam as northeast monsoon sets in
Lightning strikes damaged 10 houses at Palayikkunnu in Vengola, left a girl with burn injuries and damaged a mosque minaret at Karumalloor; a portion of land also caved in at Vengola
BJP-Yuva Morcha march to Keralam Assembly turns violent, police use tear gas
The BJP and Yuva Morcha organised the march over alleged irregularities in the Kerala Public Service Commission, including delays in recruitment to government jobs
Gandhi Shilp Bazaar in Vijayawada showcases rich heritage of crafts, handlooms
Around 70 artisans and weavers from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and other States showcase a wide range of traditional crafts and region-specific products
Actor-activist addresses the event Jantar Mantar@ Manaveeyam Veedhi, urges the youth to keep their fight going with a smile
Keralam woman returning from trek killed as lorry rams bike on Bengaluru-Bantwal highway
QR code fraud: police register case against six toll plaza employees in Kozhikode
According to the police, the employees allegedly targeted vehicles without FASTag and displayed QR codes linked to private accounts to collect toll payments instead of routing them through the authorised system
Political intentions behind ED case against Pinarayi Vijayan: M.V. Govindan
CPI(M) leader alleges that the UDF government, led by Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan, is aligning with the ED, which is handling the case with clear political motives
Contractors should be held responsible for decrepit P&T apartments: Kerala High Court
Justice Devan Ramachandran asks why taxpayers money should be spent on rectification of the apartments; District Collector says IIT Madras study found building not unsafe but in need of immediate rectification; amicus curiae flags leakage, septic tank overflow, corrosion and inadequate clearance from a 110 kV power line
N. Sakthan Deputy Leader of Congress in Keralam Assembly, Mathew Kuzhalnadan party Chief Whip
M. Vincent was elected secretary, and T.J. Vinod was elected treasurer
At the Congress parliamentary party meeting, Mathew Kuzhalnadan raises the State governments wait-and-watch approach through a preliminary inquiry. He says the observations of the HC have proved that the State govt.s stance was wrong. Senior leaders say a hasty FIRwould have enabled the LDF to level allegations of a deal with the BJP
AGRICON 2026 highlights new opportunities in agricultural entrepreneurship and technology
Held under the theme Where Agriculture Meets Enterprise, Innovation and Technology, it focused on transforming agriculture into a more profitable, technology-driven and sustainable enterprise through innovation, value addition, mechanisation and investment.
Petitioner K.M. Shajahan alleges irregularities in the appointments during the previous governments term; government is re-examining the Cabinet decision to appoint the two bodybuilders, court told
Petitioner K.M. Shajahan alleges irregularities in the appointments during the previous governments term; government is re-examining the Cabinet decision to appoint the two bodybuilders, court told
A protest rally was organised under the leadership of the Thiruvananthapuram Bar Association at the Vanchiyoor Court complex
Keralam govt. to consider special rehabilitation package for P&T flats residents
Residents have sought title deeds, having been allowed occupancy on the Greater Cochin Development Authority land; technical committee found that the contractor had failed to complete the construction work as per the contract, says Minister
CPI(M) extended Kannur district committee meeting on Oct. 25, 26
A mega rally to be attended by over one lakh people would be held at the Kannur collectorate ground on the evening of October 26
CPI(M) hartal disrupts normal life in Idukki
The hartal was called over several land-related issues, including the Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) demarcation, the governments move to reclassify Cardamom Hill Reserve (CHR) lands as forest areas, and proposed wild elephant corridors in the district
Pinarayi Vijayan terms Sudha Pillai committee report on KIIFB a mere political document
Development projects valued at 40,000 crore have completed through KIIFB, says the Leader of the Opposition of Keralam. He says the State will resist any attempt to scuttle KIIFB
Vice-President calls for concerted efforts to preserve Indias cultural heritage
Highlighting Keralams tradition of interfaith participation in festivals, he said that people celebrated occasions such as Ramadan, Christmas, and Onam irrespective of their religious affiliations.
Supreme Court to examine if court fees without upper limit amount to tax
The Supreme Court will examine whether uncapped ad valorem court fees amount to taxation while hearing a plea challenging Kerala's 2025 court fee hikes and the absence of a ceiling
Vigilance Raids Vaikom CI Over Alleged Bribery Network
Kerala's Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted a surprise inspection at the Vaikom Circle Inspector's office following allegations of bribery. The officer is accused of using a bank account opened in an Assam native's name to receive illicit payments from the soil mafia, lorry operators, and criminal accused, with Rs 2.28 lakh reportedly credited within a month.
Blood donation camp held at Govt. Cyberpark
Of the 96 people who registered, 75 donated blood at the camp held at the Cyberpark campus.
DUK retains 4-star Institutions Innovation Council rating
The university secured the 4-star rating for the second consecutive year.
Missing 15-year-old school student found dead in Kasaragod lodge
The deceased was a student of a school at Vemballur in Thrissur district. The Kasaragod Town police registered a case of unnatural death and launched an investigation.
Ex Keralam CM fears arrest in CMRL payoff case; SC may hear in Dussehra holidays
Vijayans petition said grave prejudice and irreparable harm would be caused to him if the FIR was acted upon by law enforcement agencies
Youth arrested on charge of 18-year-old girls murder in Keralams Idukki district
The police recovered the charred remains of the girl from near the Pambla dam in Idukki
Devaswom employees front flags serious lapses in Sabarimala season preps
The union points out that delays raise suspicions of a planned attempt by vested interests to tarnish governments image. They notes that decisions causing massive financial impacts such as shutting down current revenue sources while dramatically increasing unnecessary expenses are currently being executed by the board
Keralam to extend full support to renovation of Parvathy Puthanar
The project has the potential to integrate the waterway with other main lakes and rivers in the State as part of the Mission Samudra project, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan .
Police can break bones but not satyagraha: Rahul Gandhi slams police 'brutalities' against students
We will pursue every legal route against the officers responsible, in Kerala, in Rajasthan and in the courts. Brutality by Amit Shah's Delhi Police will not go unchecked, the LoP said
Keralam proposes 510 more casualty doctor posts in government hospitals
Railways to operate 148 special trains for Sabarimala pilgrimage season
Minister Kodikunnil Suresh the decision aims to ensure seamless travel infrastructure for thousands of Ayyappa devotees converging in Kerala during the peak pilgrimage period.
Railways to operate 148 special trains for Sabarimala pilgrimage season
Minister Kodikunnil Suresh the decision aims to ensure seamless travel infrastructure for thousands of Ayyappa devotees converging in Kerala during the peak pilgrimage period.
Kozhikode Corporation re-adopts Central Market demolition resolution
Kozhikode Corporation Council had approved the resolution at its meeting on July 15, 2025, but failed to communicate the decision to the State government, whose approval is necessary as the building is not considered dilapidated
The Elephant Ownership Exception: A History of Protection and Possession
In 1963, private forest owners in Malabar challenged provisions of the Kerala Forest Act, 1961 (Act IV of 1962). The question before the Court was whether the State could deprive forest owners of their existing right to capture and own elephants found on their land. In Kuppathode Madhavan Nair v State of Kerala (1963), the Kerala High Court sided with the owners. Applying common-law principles inherited from the colonial period, it held that ownership of land conferred a qualified right over wild animals found there ( ratione soli ), including the right to capture them and claim them as private property. Within a decade, the Indian Parliament would enact a national conservation law and the Constitution would soon expressly recognise duties towards forests, wildlife ( Article 48A ) and living creatures ( Article 51A(g) ). Even though the elephants legal status would change profoundly as both a Schedule I animal in law and a National Heritage Animal, a symbol of the country itself, the owners place in her life would prove much harder to dislodge. Elephants, forests and capture The Malabar litigation belonged to a much longer history in which protecting elephants and putting them to work were closely connected. In Elephants and Kings: An Environmental History (2015), Thomas R. Trautmann, a historian and anthropologist, explains how the military value of elephants gave Indian rulers an interest in preserving wild populations and the forests that sustained them, even as they continued to capture individual animals. Academic Natasha Nongbris 2003 study of nineteenth-century Northeast India shows how colonial authorities regulated capture of elephants through licences, leased grounds and royalties. The forest was not simply a place where elephants lived. It was also the source of successive generations taken into captivity. Preserving wild elephant populations and capturing individual animals became part of the same policy which gave birth to the Elephant Preservation Act, 1879, a national law modelled on the regional Madras Wild Elephant Preservation Act, 1873. It was arguably the first national law on Elephants in British India enacted with the ostensive realisation that a live elephant was more valuable than dead. The policy as preservation, not conservation, was instrumentalised to preserve the source the elephant in the forest, to allow for its simultaneous extraction from it to feed the rising demand for captive elephants. Among the important establishments in this system were Dacca, now Dhaka, and Mysore , both associated with khedda operations in which wild elephants were driven into stockades and subdued with the help of trained elephants. The Dacca establishment drew upon the Garo Hills and other northeastern forests, while the Mysore operations captured elephants from the forests of southern India. These regional systems of capture existed alongside wider networks of trade. The Sonpur fair in Bihar , already an important elephant market in the nineteenth century, connected elephants captured in the Northeast with buyers from elsewhere in India. Against this background of an extensive elephant trade, the forest-owning timber merchants in Kuppathode Madhavan Nair asserted their right to capture elephants and put them to work within a legal order that still accepted their removal into human service. The shift in constitutional law The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 introduced a national framework for conservation, prohibiting the hunting of the most protected species. Yet the elephants initial classification revealed how much of the older world remained. She appeared in Schedule II, Part I as special game, whose hunting which included capture could be licensed, while Section 2(6) included domestic elephants, curiously for a wildlife law, in its definition of cattle. The changes of the next five years gave the law a different direction. The Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976 , passed during the Emergency, is remembered for weakening fundamental rights and curbing the powers of the courts. Yet it left a curious and enduring legacy in the protection of the environment and animals. Even during the darkest period of Indira Gandhis leadership, her concern for the natural world found expression in the Constitution. The amendment inserted Article 48A, directing the State to protect the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife, and Article 51A(g), making it the duty of every citizen to protect the natural environment and to have compassion for living creatures. These duties gave constitutional weight to the responsibilities we owe to the non-human world. In October 1977, months after these provisions took effect, the elephant was elevated to Schedule I , bringing her capture within the highest level of statutory protection. In 1986, amid growing concern over the killing of elephants for their tusks, Parliament prohibited domestic trade in Indian elephant ivory. In 1991, following stronger international restrictions under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna, it extended the prohibition to imported ivory, which traders had been using as a cover for selling ivory from poached Indian elephants . That year, Parliament also removed the Acts definition of cattle, which had included domestic elephants. It introduced livestock in its place, expressly excluding protected wild animals. Yet these changes did not bring private ownership of elephants to an end. Under Sections 4042, people in lawful possession of elephants could declare them to the authorities and obtain certificates recognising their ownership after an inquiry. Even as the law strengthened protection for elephants and restricted the trade in their ivory, it continued to recognise that a living elephant could remain someones property. The 2002 amendment: live elephant ownership exception and the prohibition on sale A 2002 amendment to the Act (which became effective from 2003) tightened restrictions on private ownership of protected captive animals. However, it expressly exempted live elephants. Although the newly introduced Section 43 prohibited transfers for any commercial consideration, a person could still acquire an elephant and pass her to another owner with the necessary permissions. This left an opening for sales disguised as gifts. In the years that followed, animal protection organisations documented how this distinction enabled trade to continue. At the Sonpur Mela in Bihar, where elephants had long been bought and sold, transactions were now presented as gifts. Researchers even recorded owners carrying blank gift deeds to transfer possession. These practices formed part of the challenge brought to the Supreme Court in 2014 by the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WRRC) and others in W.P.(C) No. 743 of 2014. Still pending twelve years later, the WRRC case has become a central proceeding through which the Court supervises the treatment and regulation of captive elephants. Although the Court imposed no blanket prohibition, the continuing proceedings, notices to forest departments in every State with captive elephants, and numerous interim orders largely halted the trade. These included a nationwide census and checks on ownership certificates , welfare inspections at tourist resorts in Goa , and an order blocking Keralas attempt to regularise 289 elephants held without ownership certificates and restraining their transfer. The Courts scrutiny of ownership papers and transfers had made the trade harder to carry on. A 2021 case in Guwahati High Court confirmed the concerns raised by WRRC before the Supreme Court in 2014. In April 2021, forest officials at Doomdooma in Assams Tinsukia district intercepted two elephants travelling from Arunachal Pradesh to Odisha, ostensibly for religious purposes. Their investigation went beyond the ownership certificates and transport permissions. In a recorded statement, the claimed owner described bank payments of 9 lakh and 17 lakh from an intermediary who had also arranged the documents. He could not identify the receiving religious institution. In State of Assam v. Sri Chow Sonjit Pomong (2021), the Gauhati High Court found prima facie evidence of a commercial sale and set aside the order releasing the elephants to the claimed owner while the investigation continued. The elephants were reported to be in the Forest Departments custody at Kaziranga National Park. The 2022 amendment: religious and other purposes In December 2021, the Central Government introduced the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 , which went considerably further than the amendment eventually enacted. It proposed exempting transfers of live elephants by ownership certificate holders from Section 43 altogether, subject to government permission and prescribed conditions. This would have removed the prohibition on commercial transfers for those elephants, allowing them to be openly bought and sold again. The pressure for change came particularly from Kerala, where temple authorities and private elephant owners associations were seeking easier acquisition and interstate transfer of elephants. In my view, the elephant provision in the 2022 amendment must be understood as an attempt to loosen the practical restraints that the Supreme Courts scrutiny in the WRRC case had helped impose. Following objections from conservation and animal protection organisations, the Parliamentary Standing Committee chaired by Jairam Ramesh recommended deleting this proposal. In April 2022, it suggested a narrower provision allowing transfers of existing captive elephants for religious institutions, with additional safeguards. The version Parliament ultimately enacted extended this to transfers for a religious or any other purpose , subject to conditions prescribed by the Central Government. The prohibition on commercial consideration remained. Non-commercial transfers were already possible under the elephant exception introduced in 2002. An amendment was therefore unnecessary merely to allow an elephant to pass from one private owner to another as a gift. In this respect, the new provision largely reaffirmed the existing position, while creating a specific framework for central rules governing transfers . Its practical significance lay in giving renewed statutory backing to transfers at a time when litigation and enforcement had made them increasingly difficult. The words any other purpose were particularly troubling because they offered no meaningful limit of their own. For those of us who had worked to curb the use of elephants for begging, entertainment, circuses and timber logging, the concern was that this broad wording could encourage attempts to revive practices we had spent years challenging. The safeguards governing these transfers consequently became crucial. On March 14, 2024, fifteen months after the amendment, the government notified the Captive Elephant (Transfer or Transport) Rules (2024 Rules). These attempted to place meaningful safeguards around a difficult accommodation. By limiting transfers to elephants whose ownership certificates predated the Rules and to their offspring, and by requiring registration of genetic profiles, they offered a means of confining transfers to an identifiable population already lawfully in captivity. Read together, these provisions seek to break the logic of the khedda , in which the forest continually supplied elephants for human use. Putting this into practice is a demanding exercise. The State must build a reliable genetic record of the captive population, then verify each claimed captive birth through a DNA match with the mother and records establishing that she was lawfully held. Each new addition must be traceable to this legally recognised population, closing off the forest as a continuing source of captive elephants. Yet the government was still struggling to identify the population it sought to regulate. In August 2026, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change placed the proceedings of the Captive Elephant Healthcare and Welfare Committee (formed under Project Elephant) for the month of February before the Supreme Court in the WRRC case . These recorded that the profiling exercise remained incomplete and that, among 2,075 samples analysed, 40.5 per cent of elephants had unknown origins and 25.4 per cent were documented as wild-caught. Nearly two-thirds therefore fell into these two categories. The continuing exception These concerns have become urgent with the September 2026 movement of five young elephants from Assam to Tamil Nadu temples: Durga, Rupsing, Shiva, Hiralal and Bijuli. More than fifty organisations have sought an independent investigation into their origins, ownership documents and the possibility of sales disguised as gifts. The pace of the transfers shows how readily decisions that will shape decades of an elephants life can be made while fundamental questions remain publicly unanswered. In my account of Durgas transfer , the sequence from the request for a health certificate to her departure from Manas took three days. Her ownership certificate was issued in October 2025, after the 2024 Rules came into effect, so her transfer depended on a claimed captive birth to a mother covered by them, yet her mothers identity and lawful captive status remained publicly unverified. A five-year-old elephant is not a remnant of pre-conservation law; she is another generation entering a system that can determine almost her entire future. These journeys follow years of large transfers from the Northeast to Vantara in Jamnagar, where reporting in 2024 documented convoys coming in from Arunachal Pradesh and the private wildlife facility hosting more than 200 elephants. Vantara describes its work as rescue and rehabilitation, and in September 2025 the Supreme Court accepted an investigation reporting no legal violations. Its transfers and those to temples have different stated purposes, but their scale raises a very important question: how should a constitutional commitment to wildlife, and to compassion for living creatures, govern the continuing movement and concentration of elephants in human institutions? Elephants leaving the Northeast in convoys is not very dissimilar from the old geography of the khedda , when the forests of the Garo Hills supplied elephants to distant establishments and markets. Trautmann and Nongbri show that the forest sustained a system in which wild populations were protected in part because they supplied animals for capture. The question is whether the modern ownership regime has truly broken that relationship. In his Study on Illegal Sale and Transfer of Live Elephants from Assam , Chaturbhuja Behera, then a regional official of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, described illegal sales and transfers, accounts of wild calves being captured, and weaknesses in records used to establish captive birth. Findings such as this make it difficult to treat an ownership certificate, by itself, as an answer to where a young elephant came from. The 2024 Rules thus return us to the contradiction the law has carried since 1972. Once again, the government is trying to make its core commitment to protection coexist with private ownership, a relationship that subordinates an elephants life to the purposes of her owner. The safeguards are necessary, but they cannot resolve that contradiction while the exception is effectively allowing institutions to replenish their captive populations for generations to come. The demand for young elephants must be supplied from somewhere. The historical answer is in front of us: it is the forest. The forest is the breeding ground from which elephants have long been taken to replenish captivity. The exception leaves open the route by which demand for elephants in captivity can be met through illegal capture in the wild, disguised as captive-born. More than sixty years after the Malabar owners defended their right to capture elephants for timber in Kerala High Court, the law is yet to confront the continuity between that older system and the present one.
Keralam To Revise Anganwadi Curriculum From January
Women and Child Development Minister Bindu Krishna said children's growth patterns and physical circumstances have changed over time, necessitating changes in their learning methods
Heavy Rain Forces Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijays Kerala Visit to be Canceled
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijays much-anticipated visit to Kerala was canceled due to heavy rainfall, disappointing thousands of fans. Heavy Rain Forces Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijays Kerala Visit to be Canceled
Misuse prompts Keralam Revenue dept. to cancel 2017 circular permitting correction of survey numbers
Circular had permitted corrections in title deed forms where survey numbers were erroneously entered. Survey numbers were amended in over 600 cases by misusing the circular, according to the Land Revenue Commissioners communication to the government sent in August 2026
The Plan, which will cover the 2027-2032 period, will target a higher growth trajectory for the State and will aim to address critical issues facing the State such as the unemployment rate, he says
The Plan, which will cover the 2027-2032 period, will target a higher growth trajectory for the State and will aim to address critical issues facing the State such as the unemployment rate, he says
Keralam Private Bus Operators Demand Fare Hike, Signal Strike From Nov 3
The All Kerala Bus Operators Association (AKBOA), following a state coordination committee meeting here, announced the proposed strike
Kerala Plus One Improvement Exam 2026: Revised Schedule Announced, Exams On October 17
Kerala Plus One Improvement Exam 2026 schedule revised after postponement. Check the updated October 17 exam timings and important instructions issued by the board.
Criticism Hits Differently After Taking Charge: Keralam Health Min Muraleedharan
Muraleedharan said that after criticising the health department for 10 years, he now understood the pain of facing criticism, having taken charge of it
Kerala PG Dental Admission 2026 Vacancy List Released - 49 MDS Seats, Download PDF
Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE), Kerala, has published the PG Dental Admission 2026 vacancy list as on 15 October 2026, showing 49 vacant MDS seats across government and self-financing dental colleges. Candidates can download the official two-page PDF to check course-wise, college-wise and category-wise vacancies. The reopened application window for newly qualified candidates closes on 16 October 2026 at 5 PM.
Private bus operators to strike in Keralam from November 3
They demand that free travel scheme for women be extended to private buses as well, and that the government reimburse bus operators for their ticket fares.
ED Calls Former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan For Questioning On 23 October In CMRL-Exalogic Case
Local bodies not obliged to fund KSRTC depots: Transport Minister
C.P. John allays concerns raised by the Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, says Corporations and municipalities with robust revenue bases than grama panchayats can contribute voluntarily to improve local KSRTC depots if they considered it necessary.
The Kerala High Court rejected pleas by Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter and son-in-law to appeal against an order directing an FIR in the alleged CMRL-Exalogic payoff case.
A mere 0.18% of KIIFBs approved outlay and 0.21% of the amount released were allocated to projects exclusively for SC/ST development, says panel.
Pinarayi Vijayan summoned by ED on October 23 in CMRL-linked money laundering case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to appear for questioning on October 23 in connection with the CMRL-linked money laundering case investigation. The summons comes after the Kerala High...
The court says Rugby should be included in State-level sports events as it is part of the National School Games
NAM Kerala Medical Officer Recruitment 2026
National AYUSH Mission, Kerala (NAM Kerala) has invited offline applications for the post of Medical Officer - School Health Programme (Ayurvidya). Applications can be submitted till 27 October 2026. For complete details, candidates can visit namkerala.gov.in.
Kajol attends 80th North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja in red and orange silk saree; see pics
Kajol attended the unveiling of the Maa Durga protima at the 80th edition of the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja celebrations in Mumbai on October 15, 2026. Known for her regular participation in Durga Puja festivities, the actor marked the occasion in a traditional silk saree featuring shades of red, orange and gold. The annual celebration, which is among Mumbai's oldest and most prominent Durga Puja events, marked a milestone this year with its 80th edition. The pandal and Maa Durga protima drew inspiration from Kerala's Guruvayur Temple, bringing a distinct architectural theme to the festivities. Kajol attended the event alongside several members of her family and other industry personalities. Those present included her sister, Tanishaa Mukerji, cousin Ayan Mukerji and television actress Rupali Ganguly, along with other relatives and guests. The unveiling brought together members of the film and television fraternity as devotees gathered to mark the occasion. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kajol Devgan (@kajol) Kajol's traditional silk saree look For the festive event, Kajol opted for a silk saree that combined warm shades of orange and gold. The gold-toned sections added contrast to the outfit, while the fluid drape maintained a traditional silhouette suited to the religious celebration. She paired the saree with a bright red blouse featuring a deep neckline. The blouse also had subtle striped detailing on the sleeves, complementing the saree without adding excessive embellishment to the overall look. The actor completed her outfit with statement gold-toned earrings that matched the warm colour palette. Keeping the styling centred on traditional elements, Kajol's ensemble reflected the festive spirit of the occasion. A look at the 80-year-old Durga Puja celebration The North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja is widely recognised as one of Mumbai's oldest, largest and most prominent community Durga Puja celebrations. It is also popularly known as 'Mukherjee Bari Pujo' because of its longstanding association with the Mukherjee-Samrat family, which has connections to the Hindi film industry. The celebration was established in 1948 by Padma Shri Sashadhar Mukerji and his wife, Smt. Satirani Mukerji, along with 25 other founding members. Over the decades, the puja has become a gathering point for devotees, families and members of the entertainment industry during the Durga Puja season. With the 80th edition, the celebration continued its longstanding tradition of bringing together religious observance, community participation and familiar faces from the entertainment industry. Kajol's presence at the unveiling added to the family's association with the annual festivities, which remain an important part of Mumbai's Durga Puja celebrations. Also Read : Ajay Devgn-Kajols Juhu bungalow faces BMC stop-work notice over proposed salon and spa: Reports
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National AYUSH Mission Keralam (NAM Kerala) has released the notification for 7 vacancies across various posts. The recruitment drive includes DEO, Full Time Sweeper, State Quality Consultant, Procurement Officer, and other positions. Eligible candidates can submit their offline applications till 27 October 2026. Further details are available at namkerala.gov.in.
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