Kerala News Archive: March 2007

Film class for Kerala school kids
Thursday, March 29, 2007 | AY

Kerala's Education Minister M A Baby informed the state assembly that film appreciation would soon be introduced in school curriculum on Friday. Baby added that film clubs and cine festivals would also become a part of higher secondary schools and high schools in the state. When asked about such an inclusion, Malayalam superstar Mammootty said that cinema should be kept an optional subject.

Health Tourism is the new focus
Wednesday, March 28, 2007 | AA

"Kerala has been branded globally as the 'must see' tourist location. We also have a number of hospitals that offer cost-effective quality care," minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said Saturday. Balakrishnan was speaking at the start of a 3-day conference on health tourism in Kochi, where 800 health tourism executives have gathered. "Foreign tourists number is steadily increasing as the cost of medical treatment is mounting in the Gulf and Europe," said Philip Augustine, managing director of Lakeshore hospital in Kerala.

Arrest warrant against A K Balan
Wednesday, March 28, 2007 | AA

LDF and opposition UDF members nearly came to blows today over the issue of issue of an arrest warrant against A K Balan, the Electricity Minister. Congress decided to stage a sit-in protest over the ruling passed by LDF condemning the way in which a magistrate had issued an arrest warrant against Electricity Minister A K Balan for failing to appear in his court. The Ottapalam first class judicial magistrate passed the arrest warrant over Balan not appearing in court in connection with his taking part in a mass protest and blocking trains at Shornur in Palakkad district in December 18, 2000. Balan explained that he had failed to turn up because he was preoccupied with the assembly and had given an application for leave, but the magistrate had rejected his plea and sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment and issued the arrest warrant.

Kerala Health Tourism 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007 | AA

Around 800 delegates from India and abroad representing various stakeholders in the healthcare sector would attend the second edition of four-day Kerala Health Tourism 2007 summit scheduled to be held here from March 23. "Health Tourism Summit has become a catalyst for placing Kerala as a prominent destination for medical tourism in the country," Navaz Meeran, President, Confederation of Indian Industry, Kerala Chapter, organisers of the summit, told mediapersons here on Monday.

Santosh George Kulangara will be the First Indian Space Tourist
Wednesday, March 21, 2007 | AA

Santosh George Kulangara a business man from Kerala could soon become the country’s first space tourist. He will take a two-hour space flight organized by Global space tour operator Virgin Galactic. “I am really excited not only because I’ll be the first space tourist but the first journalist to go to space. I can show my people in India what Earth looks like, experience of travel, preparation and re-entry to Earth”. He would be traveling to France and would be meeting the other members of the voyage. He would be joined by Two US-based Indian Americans who are also going to space on the maiden flight.

Many Kerala Companies To Tap Capital Market
Wednesday, March 21, 2007 | AA

Major companies in Kerala are planning to enter the capital market for diversification and expansion during the next 24 months. The main ones are V-Guard an appliance company, Vallabhdas Khanji, a spices exporting company, Kitex Group, Nest Group, Eastern Group, Cochin International Airport, Manappuram General Finance, and IBS are planning entries to Capital Market. Federal bank and Dhanalakshmi Bank, Catholic Syrian Bank are also planning to raise their capital.

All Marriages to be registered
Wednesday, March 21, 2007 | AA

Kerala government is planning to issue a ruling to make the registration of marriages compulsory for all religion and caste. Local Administration Minister Paloli Mohammad Kutty said in the state assembly yesterday that the ruling comes in wake of the Supreme Court's order. The draft was notified the Kerala Registration of Marriages (common) Rules.

Mdical tourism rising in Kerala
Monday, March 12, 2007 | AA

With Kerala expecting at least 100,000 medical tourists in the next three years, the therapeutic tourism industry is in the pink of its health. Foreigners are arriving in Kerala's top hospitals for plastic and cosmetic surgery, facial surgery, dental treatments, cosmetology, hip and knee replacement, ophthalmology, voice therapy and obesity treatment. The second Kerala Health Tourism (KTH)-2007 fair, to be held in Kochi from March 23 to 26, is jointly organised by the tourism department along with the Confederation of Indian Industry.

32 PSUs in Kerala earn profit while 56 report loss
Monday, March 12, 2007 | AA

Operation of state public sector units in Kerala continued to cause concern with 56 enterprises reporting a total loss of Rs 431.03 crores while 32 earned profit of Rs 316.85 crore for the year 2005-06. State enterprises paid a total tax of Rs 1470.29 crore to the exchequer, about 13 per cent of state tax revenue and guarantee commission paid during the year was Rs 22.94 crores, a review of state enterprises for the year 2005-06 stated.

Kerala budget
Monday, March 12, 2007 | AA

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac Friday announced the budget for fiscal 2007-08, saying it would help in tapping the remittances worth some Rs 200 billion by non-resident Keralites (NRKs) to build infrastructure in the state. 'In the coming fiscal, we propose to begin a new company to tap the remittances of NRKs to build IT infrastructure in the state. For this I have set aside Rs.1 million,' Isaac told reporters here after presenting the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government's second budget in the assembly.

NRK Guidance centre Started in Kozhikode
Monday, March 5, 2007 | AA

A guidance centre for Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) in Gulf countries has started in Kozhikode. The Vincent Corporate Consultancy on the Link Road will cater to those who want to settle down in Kerala after their stint in Gulf and those who are seeking jobs out there. M Gangadharan, who worked as a contract administrator-cum-personnel manager with Arabian Supply Architecture Company is the person behind this guidence center. “When I was in Gulf, I had the opportunity to meet many Keralites who were betrayed after being promised a job in reputed companies. They all ended up as domestic labourers,” he says.

BJP activist murdered
Monday, March 5, 2007 | AA

A BJP activist was murdered near Panur, police said. The victim, P P Valsaraj kurup (37) was attacked after he was called out of his house. Kurup was a practicing advocate and had contested in the last civic polls as a BJP supported independent candidate from Panur Panchayat. The BJP and RSS have called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district on Monday.

Huge lines for Attukal Pongala
Monday, March 5, 2007 | AA

Over two-and-a-half million women lined up yesterday on the streets leading to the famous Attukal Bhagavathi temple in the capital city of Kerala, cooking an offering of rice around the temple premises. The event takes place on the penultimate day of the 10-day long pongala festival and is a local holiday in the district. Attukal Bhagavathi is believed to be an incarnation of Kannaki and is referred to in the Tamil epic “Silappathikaram”. Also referred to as the Sabarimala for women, the Attukal pongala attracts not just Hindu women but foreign women as well. The unprecedented rush for the pongala festival began a few years back after the “Guinness Book of World Records” listed it as the only event where over a million women get together to take part in the festivities.

News Archive: 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001