Law students can now write exams in Malayalam
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The governing body decided to operationalise Internship Kerala 1.0 portal, developed in collaboration with Keltron by Aug as part of the four-year degree programme. The decision to connect various institutions, including public sector and local self-govt institutions, to this portal was also made. It also decided to strengthen the functioning of Centre for Skill Development in universities and colleges.
Bindu said higher education council was planning to organise a national seminar related to the diversity of regional knowledge and knowledge systems spread across the subcontinent.
The seminar aims to shape more in-depth study activities related to the course on Kerala's knowledge systems developed by higher education council as part of the four-year degree programme.
Alumni conclave
Higher education department will organise a state-level alumni conclave on Aug 30. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the event at Tagore Theatre. This conclave is expected to serve as a platform for planning the long-term direction and development strategies of the entire education sector.
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New Indian Express
16 hours ago
- New Indian Express
VS Achuthanandan's fight begins and ends in Alappuzha
ALAPPUZHA: Valiyachudukadu has for long symbolised the revolutionary spirit of Alappuzha. The martyrs' column here has always occupied a position of pride in the revolutionary history of the state, especially as the last resting place of the Punnapra-Vayalar martyrs. For Leftists, this is where their comrades - right from legendary P Krishna Pillai to K R Gouri - have been laid to rest. On Wednesday, Valiya Chudukadu stood witness to the eternal rest of one of the most influential mass leaders of Kerala's Communist movement - Comrade V S Achuthanandan. VS, who was part of the Punnapra-Vayalar revolt, had been a regular here every year till 2019, arriving on the seventh of the Malayalam month of Thulam. The late leader truly embodied the spirit of the Punnapra revolt within. It had its reflection not just in the bayonet-pierced wound on his leg, but was also deeply etched in the Communist ideals he upheld all through his life. One of the few comrades handpicked by Krishna Pillai, VS maintained the same revolutionary fervour till the very end. An ideological hardliner and stickler for party norms for most of his life, VS undoubtedly drew inspiration from the bitter personal struggles he had to undergo at a very young age.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
When VS Achuthanandan's ultimatum prompted Mammootty to backtrack on Rs 2 crore Coca-Cola ad deal: ‘He can't do both'
Celebrities becoming brand ambassadors for soft drink companies is nothing new, especially in India. From Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and Ranbir Kapoor to Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Mahesh Babu and Yash, the list is very long. Hence, when he received an offer from soft drink manufacturer giant Coca-Cola in the early 2000s to become its face in South India, it might not have taken Malayalam megastar Mammootty long to agree to the lucrative deal. However, he soon realised that he had made an impetuous mistake, mainly since the company was embroiled in the Plachimada legal battle. But by then, the controversy had escalated significantly, with even Marxist party strongman VS Achuthanandan, the then Leader of the Opposition (LoP), issuing an ultimatum to the actor. For the unversed, Mammootty has been serving as the chairman of Malayalam Communications Ltd, which runs the television channels Kairali TV, Kairali News, and Kairali We, since the time it was established in 2000. Kairali Channel group is backed by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which was at the forefront of the Plachimada struggle, and CPI-M leader VS Achuthanandan was one of the leading proponents of the anti-Coca-Cola plant movement that spread across Kerala like wildfire. After Mammootty signed a deal, reportedly worth Rs 2 crore (Rs 20 million), with the Coca-Cola company, many stepped forward denouncing the megastar's move. Both Plachimada activists and CPI-M leaders and workers came down heavily on him for accepting the offer while they were all protesting against the plant that severely damaged local water sources in the village of Plachimada, Palakkad district. Soon after his decision courted controversy, Mammootty pointed out that the product was not banned in the country and claimed that 'it is, after all, a good drink'. He reportedly told media persons, 'When I accept the offer, I will seek a guarantee that Coke does not overexploit groundwater as alleged and whatever water it uses is replaced or that it finds alternative sources without dipping into the common person's sources of drinking water. Also, there is no bar on the channel (Kairali) accepting Coke advertisements.' Responding to reporters' queries regarding Mammootty's decision to collaborate with Coca-Cola, VS Achuthanandan was quoted as saying by Madhyamam, 'He can't do both. Either Mammootty can continue as the chairman of Kairali, or he can become the ambassador of Coca-Cola.' Talking to Rediff, VS said back then, 'I think Mammootty should not take up the advertising deal because everyone knows how companies like Coca Cola have left the people of a village dry.' According to the protestors, the plant had been depleting groundwater, leading to drying up of water resources in the area and eventually resulting in a drought. However, with VS — known for his strong stances on anti-corruption, environmentalism and land rights — making both his and the party's position unequivocally clear, Mammootty soon withdrew his decision. Given that the party strongman, who passed away on July 21, consistently took unwavering positions on matters concerning public welfare, the megastar knew more than well that reversing his decision was the only plausible solution here. The Plachimada Coca-Cola plant was eventually closed forever.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
Slow and steady on final journey, VS Achuthanandan's 150-km funeral procession sees massive crowds lining streets in Kerala
Kerala has a history of momentous funeral processions for former chief ministers, and V S Achuthanandan's carried forward that tradition. The fiery Communist leader died in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday at the age of 101. On Tuesday, his funeral procession from the state capital to his home district of Alappuzha saw an outpouring of emotion by people who thronged the streets to witness it. With crowds lining up on both sides of the road, the low-floor bus carrying his body, decorated with flowers, moved slowly along. The procession began from the state Secretariat at around 2.30 am, and was scheduled to arrive in Alappuzha by 9 pm. However, by that time, it had only reached Mangalapuram — about 22 km from the starting point. It took over six hours for the procession to cross the city limits of Thiruvananthapuram. The destination was more than 150 km to the north. At Kayamkulam, the land of Kerala People's Arts Club (KPAC) — a theatrical movement that helped popularise the Communist ideology in the state — people eagerly waited for the cortege from late evening. Viswanathan, an 80-year-old member of the CPI, said, 'VS always stood for the people. That is why we are seeing this outpouring of emotion. He was arrested during the Emergency. He had strong connections to Kayamkulam. If I remember correctly, for a brief time, he went underground and took shelter in Kayamkulam.' 'VS was a crowd puller. I attended several election rallies where he would come and people would turn up from faraway places to just hear him talk,' Viswanathan recalled. Johnson, 50, a Gospel preacher, came from Adoor, 30 km away. He said he has no political affiliation, but he respected Achuthanandan for his 'compassion and humanity'. 'He never took the side of the wealthy and powerful, but always argued for the causes of the marginalised. Such politicians are rare these days. We may never see another VS amongst us,' said Johnson. For Kalesh, a CPI leader and KPAC office-bearer in his 30s, Achuthanadan was the inspiration to enter politics. 'He was a fighter for the causes of farmers and the downtrodden. He was a leader of the masses, and he was also an able administrator. The first agitation I participated in was when I was in Class 9, during a strike for the rights of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) employees. The principles that VS espoused invoked the sense of justice in a generation like us and prompted us to fight for the people around us,' he said. Sashi Kumar from Vaikom, who suffers from physical disabilities, arrived at the KPAC junction in Kayamkulam on a scooter fitted with a photo of Achuthanandan. 'There were three people I admired the most: Kalabhavan Mani (the Malayalam actor), Oommen Chandy and VS. Now, all three have gone,' he said. It took the persuasion from local party workers for him to abandon plans to go all the way to Thiruvananthapuram. Instead, he waited at the makeshift venue where people were slowly beginning to gather ahead of the procession's arrival. Among them was Arunima, a class 6 student who had come with her father. She did not know who Achuthanadan was until Monday afternoon. The relentless coverage of his death on TV channels made the girl an admirer of the man, and she was now chanting the slogan: 'kanne karale VS (VS, you are our eye, our heart).' She said she would return home only after paying tribute to him. That sentiment was shared by everyone present, as they checked the YouTube feeds of news channels for updates on the progress of the procession from Thiruvananthapuram. Once Achuthanandan's body reaches Alappuzha, it will be taken to his house in Punnapra. On Wednesday afternoon, the body will be taken to the Valiyachudukadu burial ground, the resting place of hundreds of martyrs of the 1946 Punnapra-Vayalar uprising against landlords and the colonial regime, and he will be cremated with state honours.
