News Kvartha

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is set to launch a comprehensive rabies prevention and awareness campaign with the aim of eradicating the disease from the state by 2030. Minister for Animal Husbandry J. Chinchu Rani flagged off a special awareness vehicle at the Secretariat to mark the beginning of this campaign. The minister stated that the state government has partnered with Mission Rabies to intensify rabies prevention efforts, especially following the successful implementation of the mass dog vaccination program in 2022. She emphasized that a combination of vaccination, the ABC (Animal Birth Control) program, and comprehensive awareness campaigns is crucial to eliminating rabies from Kerala. Photo Credit: Facebook/ J. Chinchurani The awareness vehicle, equipped with video displays, posters, and interactive sessions, will travel across the state for the next month, conducting awareness programs in schools, colleges, hospitals, and public spaces. The campaign will focus on: Increasi...

Kasargod: The ongoing construction of a flyover as part of the national highway project has caused significant disruptions to businesses and pedestrians in the city. The digging of a three-meter-deep trench near the new bus stand for the construction of a service road has created a major inconvenience. Several commercial establishments, including the Cherur Complex (Old Taj Restaurant), AIWA Silks, IDBI Bank and offices, along with Smart Bazaar and Fathima Arcade, have been severely impacted by the road excavation. These buildings are now practically inaccessible due to the deep trench. While the situation might improve once the service road is completed and the basement floor becomes the ground floor of Fathima Arcade and Smart Bazaar is opened, businesses in the Cherur Complex face a more challenging situation. They may have to resort to using ladders to access their buildings from the national highway. Additionally, the front portion of the Cherur Complex might need to be demolishe...

Pathanamthitta: In a distressing incident, A.T. Satheesh, the former personal assistant to MLA Raju Abraham, lost a staggering Rs 7 lakh after his mobile phone was hacked. The incident took place in Ranni, Kerala. Satheesh's Union Bank of India account was targeted by cybercriminals who managed to siphon off the money in multiple transactions. Despite being alerted to suspicious activity, Satheesh initially dismissed the messages as they arrived while he was driving. Investigations revealed that the hackers had gained access to Satheesh's WhatsApp account a week prior to the financial heist. They created a fraudulent WhatsApp group impersonating the bank and added Satheesh as a member. Believing it to be a genuine communication channel, Satheesh shared his bank details, inadvertently falling into the cybercriminals' trap. Image Credit: Meta AI The hackers then systematically transferred the funds from Satheesh's account. Despite the daily limit for online transactions ...

Alappuzha: A tragic road accident claimed the lives of five young MBBS students near Alappuzha, Kerala. The overcrowded car, carrying 11 passengers, skidded and collided with a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus on Monday night. According to the Regional Transport Officer (RTO), the primary cause of the accident was the overcrowding of the vehicle. The car, designed to accommodate only seven passengers, was carrying four additional passengers, which likely affected the vehicle's handling and braking capabilities. Other factors contributing to the accident include the driver's inexperience (he was 18 years old and had only been driving for five months), poor road conditions due to wet weather, and the vehicle's age and lack of proper maintenance. The absence of an anti-lock braking system (ABS) further exacerbated the situation. The deceased students were first-year MBBS students at TD Medical College in Vandanam. They were returning to their hostel after w...

Thiruvananthapuram: Ernakulam General Hospital is all set to become the first district hospital in India to perform heart transplant surgeries. The Health Department has granted a license to the hospital for conducting heart transplants. Health Minister Veena George handed over the license to Dr. Noble Gracious, Executive Director of K-SOTTO, and Dr. Shahir Shay, Superintendent of Ernakulam General Hospital, in a ceremony. The minister stated that the hospital would initiate the necessary procedures to commence heart transplant surgeries as soon as possible. She highlighted the significance of this achievement, emphasizing that it was a proud moment for the state and the country. Ernakulam General Hospital had previously made history by being the first district hospital in India to perform kidney transplants. Additionally, the hospital has performed the first-ever valve replacement surgery without open-heart surgery in the country. The hospital boasts several specializations, including...

Thiruvananthapuram: (news.kvartha.com 23.07.2021) Kerala Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today announced the further tightening of restrictions in the State with an increase in the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) in the last few days. The average test positivity rate for the last three days is 12.1%. TPR is above 10% in 11 districts and Malappuram district has the highest TPR of 17%. Briefing the media, the Chief Minister said, “In the context of the Covid spread, Central and State Government Offices, Public Offices, Public Sector Undertakings, Companies, Commissions, and Corporation offices in Category A and B local bodies can function with up to 50% of staff and up to 25% in Category C areas. Only essential services will operate in Category D. The remaining 50% staff A & B places and 75% in C, and officers from all sectors should be involved in Covid prevention activities. District collectors should take the initiative to give them the responsibility for the work. Since only es...

Thiruvananthapuram: (news.kvartha.com 31.05.2021) The unique way of life of the people of Lakshadweep is being tampered with attempts being made to impose a saffron agenda and corporate interests. It started with painting saffron colour on the coconut trees and it has now grown to an extent that would destroy their habitat, life and natural relationships. Banners put up on the island against the Citizenship Amendment Bill were removed and those who wrote it were arrested in Lakshadweep. The people of Lakshadweep have adopted the practice of living peacefully in general and they usually shower their love on the guests. Steps have also been taken to bring in the Goonda act in Lakshadweep, where crime is rare. Such measures have been taken in anticipation of any protests and to silence any voice of dissent. A dictatorial system of governance is being developed through these measures. The aim is to destroy fishing which is the foundation of people's livelihood there. The sheds where t...

Thiruvananthapuram: (www.kvartha.com 14.05.2021)  Kerala Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today informed the preparedness of the state in facing any calamity arising out of the cyclonic storm. According to the Central Meteorological Department, the low-pressure area in the south-eastern Arabian Sea has intensified into a severe depression. Even though, Kerala is not in the predicted path of the cyclone, heavy rains, strong winds and strong sea gusts are expected in the State till May 16. The Chief Minister said, 'We should exercise utmost caution in districts and adjoining districts where the Meteorological Department has issued a Red and Orange Alert. The cyclone is developing and moving faster than expected. It is likely to move north from the Kerala coast by tomorrow. The northern districts of Kannur and Kasaragod are most likely to be affected by the winds. Winds are also expected in nearby districts. Therefore, it is important to be prepared for the dangers of strong wind...

Thiruvananthapuram: (news.kvartha.com 29.04.2021)  38,607 new Covid-19 cases were detected in Kerala today from 1,57,548 sample tests (Test Positivity Rate of 24.5%). 48 Covid deaths were also confirmed. The number of patients under treatment for the disease in the state has gone up to 2,84,086 even as 21,116 patients have recovered from the infection today. Briefing the media, Chief Minister,  Pinarayi Vijayan said, “The review meeting held today decided to impose further restrictions in the State from May 4th to 9th (from Tuesday to Sunday) in addition to the weekend lockdown already in place. Existing restrictions will be strengthened. At the same time, instead of imposing a full lockdown as the last resort, people should practice self-lockdown. Priority for second dose vaccine The Chief Minister today informed that the state will give priority to those who are eligible for the second dose of the vaccine. “There is no need to rush to Covid vaccination centres for this. The ...

Kochi: (news.kvartha.com 19.02.2021) The coronavirus pandemic, originated from Wuhan, China has created negative impact in all walks of life, including the entertainment sector that faced a drastic setback due to the closure of theaters. Amid this pandemic situation, a team of young film aspirants has made use of the lockdown period and begun their own production company 'The Next Film Productions'. This Mollywood production company is the brainchild of actor Ijaaz Ebrahim, and his friends Suhail Shaji and Sangeeth Krishna. How young brains are reshaping Mollywood Ijaaz Ebrahim is an actor who has played crucial roles in several Mollywood movies including 'An International Local Story', directed by Harishree Ashokan. He was also involved in the online promotion works of superhit movies including Fahadh Faasil's Varathan, and Joju George's 'Joseph'. However, due to the coronavirus lockdown, the online movie promotion business faced a setback, and several ...

Thiruvananthapuram: (news.kvartha.com 05.01.2021) Kerala Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today said that the commissioning of the GAIL liquid natural gas (LNG) pipeline was a fulfilment of the promise given by the state government to the people. He was speaking during the virtual inauguration ceremony of the Rs 3,000 crores Kochi-Mangalore LNG pipeline project by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. In his address, the CM said, “The government overcame all obstacles of the project by addressing the legitimate concerns of the people. He recalled that in 2014, GAIL had suspended all work on the pipeline due to several issues that cropped up. Of the 450 km long Kochi-Mangalore pipeline, 414 km is in Kerala. It is natural for people to face difficulties when implementing big development projects but despite these problems, they cooperated with the project. This happened because the government was able to convince them that this project is crucial for the all-round development of Kera...

Thiruvananthapuram: (news.kvartha.com 06.12.2020)  4,777 new Covid cases were confirmed in Kerala while 5,217 patients have recovered from the disease. 4,120 persons including 39 healthcare workers were infected through contact and the source of infection for 534 was unknown. In the meantime, 28 recent deaths were confirmed today as due to Covid and the related death toll is now 2,418. 51,893 samples were tested during the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate is 9.21%. A total of 66,08,606 samples have so far been sent for testing. The district-wise figures for those who tested positive today for Coronavirus are Malappuram 664, Kozhikode 561, Thrissur 476, Ernakulam 474, Kottayam 387, Kollam 380, Thiruvananthapuram 345, Palakkad 341, Alappuzha 272, Kannur 223, Wayanad 213, Pathanamthitta 197, Idukki 169 and Kasaragod 75. Today, 84 of those diagnosed with the disease are from outside the state. The count of the locally transmitted cases in the districts are Malappuram 623, Koz...

Thiruvananthapuram: (news.kvartha.com 02.12.2020) 6,316 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed in Kerala today. 5,539 persons including 45 healthcare personnel were infected through contact and the source of infection was unknown for 634. At the same time, 5,924 patients have recovered from the disease. Meanwhile, 28 deaths were confirmed as being caused by Covid and the related death toll in the state is now 2,298. 56,993 samples were tested during the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate is 11.08%. Till now, a total of 63,78,278 samples have been sent for testing. The district-wise figures for the new positive cases are Malappuram 822, Kozhikode 734, Ernakulam 732, Thrissur 655, Kottayam 537, Thiruvananthapuram 523, Alappuzha 437, Palakkad 427, Kollam 366, Pathanamthitta 299, Wayanad 275, Kannur 201, Idukki 200 and Kasargod 108. Of those diagnosed today, 98 have arrived in the state from outside. The numbers from the districts for the locally transmitted cases are Malappuram 764, Ko...

Thiruvananthapuram: (news.kvartha.com 01.12.2020)  5,375 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Kerala today while 6,151 patients have recovered from the same. 4,596 were cases of local transmission and the source of infection was not traceable for 617. There were 48 medics or paramedics among those infected. Meanwhile, 26 deaths were confirmed today as due to Covid and the related death toll in the state is now 2,270. During the last 24 hours, 58,809 samples were tested and the test positivity rate is 9.14%. A total of 63,21,285 samples have so far been sent for testing. The figures for those who tested positive today in the districts are Malappuram 886, Thrissur 630, Kottayam 585, Kozhikode 516, Ernakulam 504, Thiruvananthapuram 404, Kollam 349, Palakkad 323, Pathanamthitta 283, Alappuzha 279, Kannur 222, Idukki 161, Wayanad 150 and Kasargod 83. 114 of those diagnosed with the disease have travelled to the state from outside. The district-wise numbers for the people infected thr...

Thiruvananthapuram: (news.kvartha.com 12.11.2020)   5,537 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Kerala today even as 6,119 patient recoveries were confirmed. 4,683 people were infected through contact and the contact source for 653 was unknown. There were 61 medical personnel among those infected. Meanwhile, 25 deaths were confirmed as caused by Covid taking the related death toll in the state to 1,796. 57,202 samples were tested in the last 24 hours with a test positivity rate of 9.68%. Till now, a total of 53,07,067 samples have been sent for testing. The district-wise numbers for the new positive cases are Thrissur 727, Kozhikode 696, Malappuram 617, Alappuzha 568, Ernakulam 489, Palakkad 434, Kollam 399, Thiruvananthapuram 386, Kannur 346, Kottayam 344, Idukki 185, Pathanamthitta 138, Kasaragod 108 and Wayanad 100. Of those diagnosed today, 140 have come to the state from outside. The figures for the locally transmitted cases from the districts are Thrissur 706, Kozhikode 646,...

Thiruvananthapuram: (news.kvartha.com 01.11.2020)  Covid-19 was confirmed in 7,025 persons in Kerala today while 8,511 patients have recovered from the disease. 6,163 were cases of local transmission and the source of infection was not known for 712 cases. There were 65 medical staff members among those infected. Meanwhile, 28 deaths were confirmed today as being caused by Covid taking the death toll in the state to 1,512. The district-wise figures for those who tested positive today for Coronavirus are Ernakulam 1,042, Thrissur 943, Kozhikode 888, Kollam 711, Alappuzha 616, Thiruvananthapuram 591, Malappuram 522, Palakkad 435, Kottayam 434, Kannur 306, Pathanamthitta 160, Idukki 148, Kasargod 143 and Wayanad 86. Of those diagnosed, 85 persons have come to Kerala from outside. The count of those infected through contact from the districts are Ernakulam 841, Thrissur 920, Kozhikode 870, Kollam 702, Alappuzha 591, Thiruvananthapuram 453, Malappuram 483, Palakkad 222, Kottayam 431, Ka...

Thiruvananthapuram: (news.kvartha.com 31.10.2020)  7,983 new active cases of Covid-19 were reported in Kerala today while 7,330 patients have recovered from the disease. 7,049 people were infected through contact and the source of infection was not traceable for 786. There were 62 healthcare workers among those infected. Meanwhile, 27 deaths were confirmed today as caused by Covid taking the related death toll to 1,484. The deceased are Somasekharan Pillai (68) from Kollam district, Thomas Joseph (43) from Pathanamthitta district, Soman (56) & Vilasini (75) from Alappuzha district, Kuttappan (55) & M G Soman (63) from Kottayam district; T T Varghese (84), P K Jose (75), Abdul Rahman (82), C V Babu (61), K R Purushothaman (74), Ouseph (80) & Thomas (67) from Ernakulam district; Mohan (57), Chacko (73), Roy P David (72), Chandran (73), Govindan (74) & Pauly Joseph (57) from Thrissur district, Krishnan (49) & V Vijayan (59) from Palakkad district, Aishumma (85) ...

Thiruvananthapuram: (news.kvartha.com 29.10.2020) Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan has informed that 7,020 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Kerala today. 6,037 persons were infected through contact and the source of infection for 734 was unknown. 81 healthcare workers were among those infected. At the same time, 8,474 patients have recovered from the disease today. 26 deaths were reported today taking the Covid related death toll in the State to 1,429. The deceased are Padmavathi Amma (89), Radhakrishnan Pillai (64), Geetha (60), Mireen Elizabeth (54), Jayachandran (67), Babu (63) Ratheesh (40), Yashoda (73) & Rashid (82) from Thiruvananthapuram district; Shobhana (60), Baby (72) & Raghukumar (60) from Alappuzha district, Sanjeev (45) from Idukki district, Sulekha Aboobacker (58) from Ernakulam district, Kunju Aboobacker (75) & Praseed (42) from Thrissur district; Hamsa (53), Yahu (68), Zubaida (58), Nafisa (66) & Ahmed Kutty (69) from Malappuram district; I...

Government fixes floor price for 16 vegetables, to be effective from Nov 1st Thiruvananthapuram: (news.kvartha.com 27.10.2020)  Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today informed that Kerala has become the first state in the country to fix the floor price for vegetables. He said this while launching the scheme announcing the floor price for 16 varieties of vegetables. The scheme would come into effect from November 01, 2020. In his address through video-conferencing, the Chief Minister said, This is the first time the floor price is being fixed for vegetables produced in the state and this is the first for a state in the country also. This is going to provide relief as well as support for the farmers. Farmers across the country are not satisfied but for the last four and half years, we have supported the farmers and the government has taken up several initiatives primarily targeted at the development of agriculture in the state. The floor price will be 20% above the production co...

CM inaugurates 47 buildings at higher education institutions Thiruvananthapuram: (news.kvartha.com 27.10.2020)  Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today emphasised on the need for the Universities and government-aided colleges to obtain a higher NAAC grading as only such institutions were eligible for funds from the Central Government under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA). He said this while inaugurating 47 different building projects that were completed at various institutions of higher learning in the State. These include one project each at CUSAT, Kannur, MG and Calicut Universities, nine institutions under IHRD, three Community Skill Parks under ASAP, 15 Government Arts & Science Colleges under the Education Department; two Engineering Colleges, three Polytechnic Colleges and five Technical high schools under the Technical Education Department. In his inaugural address through video conferencing, the Chief Minister said, These projects were commissioned as...