Kerala govt approves pay hike for government lawyers, sanctions aid for health workers
In another decision, the V R Krishna Iyer Memorial Stadium in Thalassery will be leased to the Thalassery Municipality for 10 years under specific conditions. The land may only be used for sports and related welfare activities, with any commercial establishments requiring prior government approval.
A coordination committee, chaired by the municipal chairman and comprising representatives from the Sports and Revenue Departments, will oversee management. The stadium must be made available free of charge for official Sports Department use, while other departments or organisations using it for sports purposes will be charged a reasonable fee, to be decided jointly by the stadium management committee.
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India Today
14 hours ago
- India Today
Asia Cup T20s: Is Hardik Pandya's leadership dream slipping away?
For years, Hardik Pandya was spoken of as the natural successor to Rohit Sharma in India's white-ball set-up. A dynamic all-rounder with the ability to change games with bat or ball, and a captain who had already shown a knack for leading sides to success, Pandya looked certain to take over. But as things stand, his leadership ambitions have been brought to a Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is due to announce the squad for the Asia Cup on 19 or 20 August, depending on when the Sports Science team at the Centre of Excellence submits its medical bulletin. That report will include the fitness update on Suryakumar Yadav, who has already resumed batting in the nets in Bengaluru. Selection will involve some fine calls, but the mood in the camp is to stick with continuity — a policy that has served well since Suryakumar became full-time T20I Suryakumar first took the reins in Sri Lanka last year, Shubman Gill was named vice-captain. In the recent home series against England, the role went to Axar Patel, who had also been deputy in an earlier series. Pandya, despite his track record, was nowhere in the leadership FROM LEADERSHIP ROLES That absence is striking. Pandya has captained India in T20Is with success and left a strong imprint on the IPL. He led the Gujarat Titans to the title in their debut season in 2022 and took them to the final in 2023. For many, he was the obvious choice to be India's next T20I captain after the World Cup in the Caribbean. The selectors, however, went with Suryakumar, pointing to lingering doubts over Pandya's fitness. A captain, they reasoned, must be available for every game, not just when the body allows. Hardik was the vice-captain of Indian team during T20 World Cup 2024 (Courtesy: PTI) Suryakumar has thrived in the role, winning praise for his ability to get the best out of mercurial talents like Sanju Samson. Yet the debate has shifted from the captaincy to the vice-captaincy — and Pandya has again been overlooked. Axar Patel's appointment is no reflection on his own merit; the Delhi Capitals skipper in IPL 2025 has been a steady performer in all formats. But it reinforces the message that Pandya's leadership stock has when asked, said Pandya remained 'firmly in the leadership group'. That was the case during the 2024 T20 World Cup, when Pandya was vice-captain. But the landscape shifted when Gautam Gambhir replaced Rahul Dravid as head coach. Surya was made captain, and Gill was promoted to vice-captain. According to a PTI report, Gambhir's arrival dimmed Pandya's chances further, and the Agarkar-led panel was also unsure of his tactical nous as an international makes the current situation harder for Pandya to digest is that his performances in big matches have been anything but lacking. In the World Cup final, he held his nerve in the closing overs, producing a burst that swung the contest. As captain, he has 10 wins in T20Is. In the IPL, he followed up two remarkable years with Gujarat by taking over at the Mumbai Indians in 2025 and leading them to a third-place finish in his second season after replacing Rohit RISING STOCKSMeanwhile, Gill's leadership stock is rising fast. He recently led India to a 2-2 Test series draw against England, finishing as the highest run-scorer across both sides. He was also vice-captain in both white-ball formats during the Sri Lanka tour last year and guided India to a 4-1 T20I series win in Zimbabwe after the World selector Devang Gandhi has gone so far as to say Gill should be India's all-format captain, citing the precedent set by MS Dhoni, under whom Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma flourished.'Gill has built an aura similar to what Virat had in 2017,' Gandhi told The Times of India. 'He has reacted to captaincy as well as Virat did. Ajit Agarkar has shown great foresight by appointing Gill as Test captain. There's no reason why Gill shouldn't be in a leadership role in T20s. The messaging has to be clear about who takes over after Surya.'Gandhi also argued that India's ICC trophies since 2000 have all come under all-format captains, a sign that split leadership rarely works here.'Unlike other countries, in India, you crave stability in thought process,' he said. 'Gill has ticked all the boxes as a batter, and he has led in the IPL,' said AMBITION CHECKFor Pandya, this is a hard pill to swallow. He is only 30, still in his prime, and has built a career on resilience — from growing up on the fringes of cricket's elite pathways to making himself indispensable in the IPL. But repeated snubs leave a mark. They chip away at the self-belief that fuels comebacks. Hardik continues to be a key player for India in white-ball formats (Courtesy: PTI) advertisementThe irony is that India's T20I side still needs him. A power-hitter who can finish games, a bowler who can take key wickets, and a senior figure in the dressing room who commands respect. Titles and designations aside, his influence is not in doubt. But without the vice-captaincy or a clear leadership pathway, his role is shifting to that of a senior pro rather than a designated now, Pandya must focus on his cricket — building on the form he showed with bat and ball at the T20 World Cup — and trust that performances can reopen doors. He has been written off before and found his way back. Yet each setback makes the climb steeper. How long he keeps absorbing the blows without letting them dull his edge is a question only time will dreams are not easily abandoned, especially for someone who has lived them at the franchise and international level. But in Indian cricket's current vision, Pandya is a player they want in the XI, not necessarily in the captain's chair. Whether that changes in the next cycle will depend as much on his fitness and form as on the selectors' willingness to revisit their plans.- EndsMust Watch
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Kerala Cabinet approves ₹17 lakh for nurse remaining in coma after contracting Nipah
The Kerala Cabinet meeting here on Wednesday decided to provide a financial assistance of ₹17 lakh from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund to Titto Thomas, a health worker who has been in remaining in coma at a private hospital in Kozhikode for about a year and a half after contracting Nipah encephalitis in 2023. Mr. Thomas, a Malayali nurse from Mangaluru in Karnataka, contracted the infection while attending to a patient in the 2023 outbreak of the disease at a private hospital in Kozhikode where he had been working. He hails from Mardala, near Mangaluru, in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. Pay revision The Cabinet meeting also approved the monthly pay hike suggested for district government pleaders and public prosecutors, additional government pleaders and additional public prosecutors, and pleaders assigned to do government works. As per the decision, the monthly pay for district government pleaders and public prosecutors will be increased from ₹87,500 to ₹1,10,000. Additional government pleaders and additional public prosecutors will get a pay rise from ₹75,000 to ₹95,000 a month, while pleaders assigned for government work will now receive ₹25,000, against the current pay of ₹20,000. The revised rates will be effective retrospectively from January 1, 2022. The Cabinet meeting also approved the suggestion to hand over the V. R. Krishna Iyer Memorial Stadium in Thalassery taluk to the Thalassery municipality for 10 years on lease with riders. Commercial establishments will be allowed at the stadium only with government permission, while the land should be used only for sports-related purposes. A coordination committee should be formed with the municipal chairman at the helm and representatives from the Sports department and the Revenue department as members. Land should be made available free of charge for the official needs of the Sports department. In cases where other departments/organisations approach for sports purposes, the decision to provide the stadium at an appropriate rate should be taken jointly by the stadium management committee, the meeting suggested.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Nipah survivor from Mangaluru in coma at Kozhikode hospital to get ₹17 lakh from CMDRF
A sum of ₹17 lakh will be granted to Titto Thomas, a Mangaluru-native healthcare worker who recovered from Nipah infection in 2023, from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). This was decided at the State Cabinet meeting held in the capital on Wednesday (August 13, 2025). Though he tested negative for the virus, Mr. Thomas has been in a coma at a private hospital in Kozhikode for the past one-and-a-half years after being diagnosed with a relapse of Nipah encephalitis. He had initially contracted the infection while attending to a patient during the August–September 2023 outbreak at a private hospital in Kozhikode, where he had been working. He hails from Mardala, near Mangaluru, in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. Mr. Thomas' case was the first reported relapse of the infection in the State, which has experienced several Nipah outbreaks and episodes till now. His brother, Shijo Thomas, told The Hindu that the financial assistance would be of great help to the family. At present, the private hospital where he had been employed is bearing the cost of his medical treatment.
