Unidentified persons have vandalised the 100-year-old tomb of Mosa Walasam Sastriar, a 19th century poet, composer and evangelist, in Thiruvananthapuram city.
The son of the missionary’s great grand daughter, Sushil Chandran, said the tomb situated inside the LMS Church cemetery was razed to the ground by miscreants on Friday night.
Memorial
He said several prominent persons in society had recently suggested that a memorial be erected on the spot to honour the social reformer.
This could have caused those inimical to the idea to raze the tomb.
Anniversary
Residents of Thirupuram, where the lyricist and composer of several popular congregational songs were born, had on Sunday gathered to observe his death anniversary.
The police were yet to register a case in connection with the incident.
Sastriar was born in Neyyatinkara and was converted to Christianity by the famed British evangelist John Cox.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Special Correspondent / Thiruvananthapuram – February 29th, 2016
The second P K Rosy Memorial Award will be presented to film and drama actor Sethulakshmi. P K Rosy, who had acted in the first Malayalam film ‘Vigathakumaran’ directed by J C Daniel, is the first heroine of Malayalam Cinema.
Sethulakshmi has been selected by the P K Rosy memorial committee for her memorable performances in the Malayalam films which released recently.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala will present the award to her at the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club at 4 pm on Wednesday.
Minister A P Anil Kumar will preside over the function.
K Muraleedharan MLA, fimmaker Lenin Rajendran and actor Chandini, who played the role of P K Rosy in ‘Celluloid’ will attend the function.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / February 14th, 2016
Historian M.G.S. Narayanan releases the book Malayalavum Herman Gundertum by handing over a copy to literary critic M.M. Basheer at a function at Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University at Tirur on Tuesday.
‘Even serious historians have neglected books like ‘Kerala Pazhama’ by Gundert’
“If Thunchathezhuthachan was the father of Malayalam Language, Herman Gundert was its foster father,” opined historian M.G.S. Narayanan. Releasing the book ‘Malayalavum Herman Gundertum’ (Malayalam and Herman Gundert) at the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University at Tirur on Tuesday, Mr. Narayanan said that even serious historians have neglected books like ‘Kerala Pazhama’ by Gundert, who is mostly known for the first lexicon in Malayalam as well as ‘Rajyasamacharam’, the first newspaper in the language.
Study of Gundert’s works have helped historians much in clearing certain misunderstandings and misconceptions. His works were milestones that marked the history of Kerala. The myths portrayed in his books give us a hint of the culture of those times. He was recovering the culture of Kerala for the later generations through his books. His work as a missionary only showed that the problems and culture of people are the same around the world, Mr. Narayanan said and appreciated the Malayalam University for establishing a ‘Gundert Chair’ in Germany.
Vice-Chancellor K. Jayakumar, in his presidential address said that the university has set aside the traditional methods and has formed its own policy on research activities.
The book, in two volumes, was published by the Gundert Chair established by Malayalam University in Tubingen University in Germany. A seminar on ‘The contemporariness of Gundert’ was held later.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / Staff Reporter / Kozhikode – February 03rd, 2016
The first organ transplant unit in government sector will be inaugurated at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital on Wednesday.
The unit will have liver transplant and cross matching facilities. “This will be the first such unit in the government sector in south India,” said Kerala Network of Organ Sharing (KNOS) nodal officer Dr Noble Gracious.
The biggest boost will be the tissue matching unit. The state is now depended on one or two private hospitals for its tissue matching needs, he added.
The cross matching or tissue matching is the test conducted on the donor and recipient to find whether the organs to be transplanted would match.
The cross matching is a very sensitive and final test done for any type of organ transplant, including kidney. “The cross matching for medical college hospitals where kidney transplants are currently performed are done at the Amrita Hospital in Kochi.
When it comes to the government sector, the cost of the test can be considerably brought down,” said Dr Gracious. All the equipment and other infrastructure are ready at the unit. We will be fully operational from day one, he added. The unit is part of a health department initiative whereby three private hospitals have agreed to help set up the facilities, share expertise and train doctors for performing liver transplantation surgeries.
The hospitals- -Lakeshore hospital, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences will share their expertise with the MCH and also provide all assistance in performing liver transplants.
The experts in liver transplant surgeries from these three hospitals will be performing the surgeries at the MCH initially. This would also be an opportunity for an in-house training for the doctors at the MCH.
Once liver transplant begins in the government sector, the cost involved could be considerably brought down. The surgery costs between Rs 35 lakh and Rs 40 lakh in the private sector. It may be below Rs 20 lakh in the government sector.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / by G Rajiv, TNN / February 02nd, 201y6
Power minister Aryadan Mohammed inaugurated the state’s first floating solar plant at Banasura Sagar reservoir in Wayanad on Thursday.
The 10-kilowatt-capacity plant, spread over 1,200 sq ft has been installed on concrete floaters with hollow insides. The platform can carry 45 tonnes and the power generated will be fed to the KSEB grid through cables drawn through the reservoir bed. KSEB officials said that it is the first floating solar plant to be set up inside a reservoir in the country.
The innovative power generation system, set up at a cost of Rs 20 lakh, is the brainchild of two young entrepreneurs from Wayanad – Ajay Thomas and V M Sudhin. The duo’s startup firm Vatsaa Energy Private Ltd has implemented the project with financial aid from KSEB under its Energy Open Innovations Zone.
Inaugurating the plant, Aryadan Mohammed said that KSEB was making a big push in the area of renewable energy. He added that the government has acquired 500 acres of land in Kasaragod to set up a 200 MW solar park. A further 1500 acres will be acquired for the project.
The KSEB also has plans to convert the largest earthen dam in the country to a hub of solar power generation with the launch of construction works for two other solar projects at the site.
The projects include a proposed 500-kW floating solar plant at the reservoir and a 400kW ‘dam- top’ solar power generation project. The former is a scaled-up version of the 10kW concrete floating plant. The Rs 9.25-crore project will be spread over the water surface of the reservoir across 1.25 acres.
The minister will also inaugurate the works of the 400-kW dam-top solar project by installing solar panel canopy over the walkway atop the dam at a cost of Rs 4.6 crore. Another hydel tourism development project is being envisaged near the dam premises.
Ajay Thomas, who had developed the indigenous technology for the floating plant, said the device has around 20% higher efficiency compared to ground-mounted units as the cooling effect of water helps in keeping the temperature of the solar panels low, thus boosting output.
“The low dust environment in the reservoir also aids in enhanced performance of the photo-voltaic panels. Water bodies in the state, including those in large hydroelectric projects, can be used for large-scale solar power generation through floating plants,” he said.
KSEB chief engineer (renewable energy and energy savings), Suku R, said the floating solar plant was designed for dam reservoirs in the state, also taking into consideration the seasonal water level variations, heavy rain and winds.
M V Shreyams Kumar MLA presided over the function. KSEB chairman and managing director M Sivasankar, academician RVG Menon among other spoke.
www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kozhikode / K.P. Rajeev / TNN / January 21st, 2016
A view of the seed festival being organised by the Fair Trade Alliance Kerala at Karuvanchal in Kannur on Sunday.
An exhibition of indigenous seeds and a collection of carefully preserved agrarian items at Kuruvanchal here is drawing farmers from the region.
The fifth Vithulsavam (seed festival) being held under the auspices of the Fair Trade Alliance Kerala (FTAK), an organisation of small holder farmers drawn from the hill areas of the State, has exhibited a large collection of seeds of agrarian crops.
The organisers of the exhibition said that 20 stalls of the FTAK displays the seeds and agrarian items. Among the seeds on display include those of 600 varieties of rice as also dozens of vegetable types and pepper.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Andy Good, founder of Equal Exchange, United Kingdom, on January 22. The exhibition will conclude on January 26. The organisers said that delegates from France, Italy, Switzerland, U.K., Peru, Mexico and Australia participated in the round table programme held on Sunday. The small farmer logo on FTAK products was also released on the occasion. A career guidance workshop and a farm quiz will be conducted on January 25, they informed.
FTAK representatives said that around 5,000 farming families in Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad and Kozhikode are involved in its indigenous seed preservation effort and various promotional programmes.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kannur – January 15th, 2016
She hails from a family of educationists and is married to one. So, it was only natural that Shima Sendhil, who spent more than a decade in the US, came back to the country to help with the family run educational institution.
The director of Rathinam Educational Institutions tells us, “I hail from a remote village in Ernakulam, Kerala and my father was a headmaster of a school there. We moved to the US, when I was just 15 years old. After completing my studies in the University of Florida, I worked for a private concern as a programmer for five years. I moved to Coimbatore to take over the family business after the stint. When my husband heard the news about the award, he was quite excited. He asked me to consider this achievement as a motivation to take up many more programmes for the benefit of students.”
Shima has been voted as one of the #100Women Achievers of India in the category of education by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. “I wasn’t even aware of the fact that my name was nominated in the list. It was only when the Ministry asked for my profile that I believed the news was true. A lot of credit goes to my husband for being a pillar of support.”
When it comes to education, Shima ensures that she doesn’t leave any stone unturned as far as benefiting her students are concerned. “We have associated with many corporate companies to provide skill-based training to our students, through their CSR activities. The activities include training in electrical work, plumbing, IT and even costume designing. The idea is to make our students more employable.”
Shima says that her five-year-stint in the US has helped her pick many tricks of the trade and implement them back home in Coimbatore. “For instance, we have upgraded many technical aspects in the college and have also begun providing smart classes for students.” This apart, Shima has also taken steps to provide scholarships to underprivileged students. “We have also been undertaking tree plantation drives, helmet awareness campaigns and providing support to the needy in the times of crises, like the Nepal earthquake and Chennai deluge. We are now envisioning a waste-free campus in 2016 by which we intend to reuse plastics and covert food waste into gas & thus, use negligible resources from outside. This apart, we have a plethora of new activities in the pipeline, focusing on women.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Coimbatore / P . Sangeetha, TNN / January 17th, 2016
The state animal husbandry department will launch its first laboratory complex which boasts of biosafety level 2 security systems at its chief disease investigation office campus at Palode on January 20. The lab will have the standards prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The inauguration of the referral diagnostic laboratory will be followed by a science conference led by scientists from central government institutions including National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal and Southern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (SRDDL), Bangalore.
The high-tech security systems at the new laboratory will prevent pathogens in the test samples from getting transmitted outside the lab and protect staff from animal-borne diseases like rabbis, bird-flue, kyasanur forest disease or monkey fever and anthrax. The entire expenditure in establishing the laboratory has been borne by the state government.
The new laboratory complex will house a sericulture lab which will help in confirming viral diseases that occur more frequently in the recent times and in further research and studies on them, and a molecular biology lab with most-modern diagnostic equipment. Besides there will be a residue analytical lab which can diagnose the levels of chemicals in anti-biotics and pesticides, and a biomedical incinerator, which can treat laboratory waste. There will also be a VIP guesthouse to accommodate visiting scientists and doctors.
Chief minister Oommen Chandy will inaugurate the laboratory complex at the function to be attended by agriculture minister K P Mohanan and deputy speaker Palode Ravi.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / TNN / January 18th, 2016
Thomas Vijayan bagged the ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year – People’s Choice Award,’ constituted on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition conducted by the Natural History Museum, London.
Thomas Vijayan is the first Malayali and the fourth Indian to win the award.
The award, which is regarded as the world’s most prestigious award in wildlife photography, is referred to the Oscar in Wildlife Photography.
The award winning photograph is that of a common langur hanging on the tails of two others and swinging naturally as humans do. It was short-listed by nine expert juries from over 42,000 entries from across 96 countries. “This image, captured at Kabini in Karnataka, is special in its own way as it was selected by the juries for the people to select,” said Vijayan.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / January 13th, 2016
Activists take part in a march in New Delhi. (Raj k Raj/HT File Photo)
Kerala will set up a justice board for transgenders aimed at ensuring justice and equality for members of the community.
The first-of-its-kind board in the country, which is part of the state transgender policy announced two months ago, will hear the transgenders exclusively and take steps to bring them into the mainstream.
Also, it will provide free legal aid to check growing discrimination and violence against them.
After the Supreme Court recognised transgenders as a third gender in 2014, many people from this community came out openly to claim their rights. But violent incidents against them also increased subsequently.
The board will set up a 24×7 helpline, issue ID cards and ensure hassle-free arrangements to mark their status in all records.
It will help arrange home stay facilities for those ostracised by their families. Besides, necessary steps will be taken to make educational institutions transgender-friendly.
Some prisons in the state have already introduced separate blocks for third sex inmates.
According to a recent survey conducted by the state social welfare board, transgenders undergo maximum exploitation in jails and police stations.
“We have brought aboard departments such as health, education, home and revenue to set up an effective board which will help the invisible community to be visible. The board will help end their exclusion,” state social justice department director VN Jithendran said.
The department recently conducted a survey with the help of community members and the findings were disturbing.
According to the survey, at least 60% of transgenders tried to commit suicide and 58% dropped out of school because of harassment and similar reasons. Only 10% of the community members revealed their true identity to their family and 80% are forced to marry ignoring their sexual inclination.
In Kerala, their numbers are about 30,000 but only 4,000 are visible. Ironically, Kerala is the first state to bring a state policy for transgenders.
“The situation is alarming. Most of the members are forced to migrate to other states for a living. We hope the transgender policy would bring some acceptability and respectability to the community,” said a member of the survey team.
Though the literacy rate of transgenders is 93%, only 12% have regular jobs, the survey shows. Social activists said an exclusive justice board for transgenders would help reduce their sufferings.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home / by Ramesh Babu, Hindustan Times, Thiruvananthapuram / January 11th, 2016
