The Kerala government’s recent decision to suggest four locations for the proposed All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the State has not gone down well with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], especially its Kozhikode district leadership.
Devanuru Mahadeva.
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Noted writer Devanur Mahadeva said the Gen-Z should take up the fight against the proposed Bidadi Township project.Responding to a question from reporters at a press conference in Mysuru on Friday (August 14, 2026) on what should be the next course of action if the government did not drop the project, Mr Mahadeva said he preferred the Gen-Z should come forward and take up the mantle.“The new generation should lead the movement and we will follow them”, he said.While referring to the conflicting claims by the Government and the activists about the willingness of the farmers to part with the land, Mr. Mahadeva asked if it was appropriate for the government to acquire agricultural land. “If all the farmers give up their land, who will undertake farming? Will the government provide them jobs? Will you provide them a livelihood and prevent migration? Farmers who migrate from villages to cities are ending up in slums. Shouldn’t this be considered?” he asked.“If the Bidadi Township project was implemented, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka would all be equally responsible” he said. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) leader Badagalapura Nagendra, who was also present at the press conference, said a report prepared by a four-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court Judge V Gopalagowda had said that the project had no legal validity and was detrimental to the environment.“A padayatra will be taken out from Byramangala to Freedom Park in Bengaluru on August 25 urging the state government to drop the project” he said.KRRS General Secretary T. Yashwanth and Samaj Parivarthana Samudaya (SPS) Founder S.R. Hiremath, who were also present at the press conference, opposed the Bidadi township project. Published - August 15, 2026 11:34 am IST
Deputy Chief Minister M. Bhatti Vikramarka distributing Digital Smart Ration Cards to beneficiaries in Khammam on Saturday.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has said the Congress government was working with the objective of providing fine-quality rice to the poor and ensuring that no poor family went hungry.Telangana has around 1.15 crore families, of which 1,06,28,092 families have ration cards. The government is providing six kg of fine-quality rice per person every month to 3,42,57,109 beneficiaries through the ration cards, he said at a programme organised in Khammam on Saturday to distribute Digital Smart Ration Cards on the occasion of Independence Day.He claimed that no other State was implementing such a massive programme. People had faced difficulties in obtaining ration cards during the previous BRS regime, and fine-quality rice was not distributed then, he said.Mr. Vikramarka said the Congress government under the leadership of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had sanctioned new ration cards to every eligible poor family in the State.In Khammam district, 62,158 new ration cards had been sanctioned in addition to the existing 4,73,275 ration cards.He also highlighted various other flagship welfare schemes of the Congress government - including free travel for women on TGSRTC buses, free electricity up to 200 units for poor families and enhancement of Rajiv Aarogyasri scheme coverage from ₹5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. Published - August 15, 2026 08:33 pm IST
Arvind Kejriwal, along with AAP Leaders and supporters during their protest march towards the Prime Minister's residence against E20 petrol. File
| Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday (August 15, 2026) said that after Gen-Z, Gen Alpha has started raising its voice for better facilities in government schools.In a post on X on Independence Day, Mr. Kejriwal said children across the country were protesting for basic facilities, citing examples from Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur, Dehradun and Barmer, where students were demanding better roads and adequate teachers.Also Read | Gen Alpha students storm DM office in Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh, over road constructionThe Aam Aadmi Party leader said it was unfortunate that even after 75-80 years of Independence, government schools continue to have damaged buildings, leaking roofs, a lack of toilets, drinking water and teachers.Mr. Kejriwal said people had accepted poor conditions in government schools as normal, but children are now questioning the system.Also Read | Meta ramps up censorship of protest, political reelsHe claimed his party's government in Punjab improved schools there to such an extent that their students are now appearing for the NEET and JEE and becoming doctors and engineers. Published - August 15, 2026 11:54 am IST
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan says the amendment should therefore be viewed as a direct challenge to States’ fiscal and legislative autonomy.
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Protests are mounting in Kerala over the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, passed in Parliament, which both the ruling front and the Opposition in the State say completely disregards the federal principles guaranteed by the Constitution.Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has termed the MMDR Amendment Act an assault on the federal structure envisaged by the Constitution and urged the United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala to challenge its provisions in the Supreme Court.On Thursday (August 13, 2026), Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan had stated that the State government would mount a strong political opposition and, if necessary, legal opposition to the Act. He pointed out that the legislation amounted to “a serious encroachment on the State’s constitutional powers over land and poses a grave threat to India’s federal structure.”‘Encroaches upon States’ domain’In a Facebook post on Friday (August 14), Mr. Vijayan said the amendment, by restricting the power of States to impose taxes, cess and other levies on mineral rights and mineral-bearing land, encroaches upon the States’ constitutional domain.Land falls under Entry 18 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule, while taxation of land is also a State subject, he pointed out.One of the provisions in the MMDR amendment Act gives the Union government control over the regulation of mines and development of mines and “mineral-bearing lands” under the Centre’s regulations.State leviesKerala’s concerns assume significance because the amendment empowers the Centre to prescribe conditions and restrictions governing State levies on mineral rights and mineral-bearing land.Mr. Vijayan said the amendment should therefore be viewed as a direct challenge to States’ fiscal and legislative autonomy. He questioned whether the UDF government was prepared to take a stand against the Centre and protect Kerala’s federal rights.He also alleged that the legislation formed part of a broader policy to open India’s precious mineral wealth, including strategically important and rare minerals, to private monopolies.Centre’s argumentThe Centre had argued that the new amendment is intended to promote mineral production, ensure mineral security and create a more uniform regulatory framework. Mr. Vijayan, however, alleged that the larger objective was to weaken the public sector and create opportunities for corporates to reap windfall profits.The Opposition leader also alleged that the UDF government had taken the same approach as the Centre towards the entry of private operators into sandmining. He pointed out that the UDF government’s Revised Budget and the White Paper on the State’s finances had contained proposals to fully privatise beach sandmining.Rare earth corridorsThe Union Budget 2026-27 proposed dedicated rare earth corridors in mineral-rich States including Kerala, with the stated objective of promoting mining, processing, research, and manufacturing. Mr. Vijayan said the State government’s proposed rare earth corridor was a similar attempt to hand over the State’s coastal mineral wealth to private companies. He alleged that the covert moves to “destroy” the State’s public sector undertaking, Kerala Metals and Minerals Ltd., are part of the privatisation agenda of the government.Mr. Vijayan alleged that KMML’s sandmining activities at Chavara are being curtailed to the extent that the public sector enterprise that was running profitably is no longer able to continue its operations. He pointed out that it was curious and strange that KMML is now being forced to procure more than twice its monthly requirement of raw materials from private firms at higher rates.Mr. Vijayan said that any move to weaken and close down KMML and facilitate private sector’s control
The Tamil Nadu government on Friday (August 14, 2026) informed the Madras High Court that it has constituted an expert body to protect from encroachments the sprawling Thamaraikani waterbody, located opposite the Infosys campus at Sholinganallur in Chennai.Appearing before the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan, Additional Advocate General (AAG) P.V. Balasubramaniam said, the government constituted the committee of experts a week ago.The submission was made in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by anti-corruption organisation Arappor Iyakkam, represented by its managing trustee Jayaram Venkatesan, in 2019 against the construction of a building for the Semmenchery police station on the waterbody.After the filing of the case, the petitioner organisation amended its prayer and insisted upon removing all other encroachments as well from the waterbody. It insisted upon issuing a direction to the government to evict all the encroachers and restore the waterbody to its original state.It was brought to the notice of the court that Thamaraikani tank was part of Periya Eri, which was a mosaic of tanks, also consisting of Valaleri and Velalkani tank. Thamaraikani tank was originally spread over 13.47 hectare, as per the Public Works Department’s tank memoir, and it had been irrigating around 250 acres. However, now, there had been large-scale encroachment by private and government institutions.The AAG told the court that apart from the police station building, whose inauguration had been stayed by the High Court in 2019, there was also an electricity sub-station, a large Aavin milk factory, and a government higher secondary school adjacent to each other, and those institutions had to be protected.He said, the government had protected the existing extent of the waterbody by demarcating its boundaries and that a committee of experts had also been constituted to suggest the ways and means to protect it from further encroachments in the future.After recording his submissions and granting four weeks’ time for the government to file a comprehensive status report, the judges ordered that the expert body may also consider the suggestions to be made by the petitioner organisation for the protection of the waterbody. Published - August 14, 2026 04:44 pm IST
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay hands over an appointment order to a family member of a victim of the Karur stampede on July 10, 2026.
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The Supreme Court on Friday gave relief to Tamil Nadu government by staying a Madras High Court decision to strike down the grant of governmentThe Madurai Bench of the High Court had quashed the government orders granting jobs to the victims’ family members on compassionate grounds on July 27.Justice J.B. Pardiwala asked what was wrong with the government reaching out to give “some succour to the families who have suffered such a tragedy”.“Don’t bring politics into this, such stampede took place several people died. If the government has decided to give jobs, then who are the respondents to oppose it... If sole member has died in the stampede, then there is nobody else in the family who is earning, should the government not give some employment to son or daughter or wife according to their educational qualifications?” Justice Pardiwala observed orally.The Judge said in many families the only bread winner may have perished in the stampede. A total of 41 people died and around 100 others were injured in the crowd crush and stampede on September 27, 2025 during a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) roadshow addressed by current Chief Miniter Joseph Vijay, who is also the party president.The State had argued in the court that the appointments were meant as a humane gesture. But the court concluded that specific guidelines covered the field of compassionate appointments, and they cannot be cast aside by the State government. The High Court had warned that the government’s action, if condoned, may run the risk of opening the floodgates.The High Court had pointed out that there were wait-lists in every government department for appointments on compassionate grounds. Employment has to be granted only in accordance with seniority and not with reference to the immediate nature of relief to be granted, the Division Bench of the High Court had noted.The High Court had reasoned that it would be in violation of the fundamental rights of equality and due of process of law, enshrined in Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution, respectively, to overlook those in the waiting list in a bid to bring relief to the family members of the Karur stampede victims.The State had contended that these jobs were given in exercise of its executive powers under Article 162 of the Constitution. But the High Court had responded that any exercise of executive authority of power had to be within the confines of the Constitution. Published - August 14, 2026 11:47 am IST
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The Kerala government has implemented a major reorganisation of the Station House Officer (SHO) system in police stations in the State.Under the revised system, the government has restored the Sub-Inspector-led SHO system in regular police stations, while retaining Inspector-level SHOs only in strategically important stations. Of the 484 law-and-order police stations in Kerala, 63 important stations will continue to have Circle Inspectors as SHOs.The previous system was introduced in 2017, with Inspectors appointed as SHOs in 196 police stations in 2017, before extending the system to another 268 stations in 2018.Move after panel reviewThe present decision is based on a review of the existing Inspector SHO system by a committee headed by the Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) who examined the deployment pattern, supervisory structure, operational requirements and administrative challenges associated with the system. After studying police stations across the State, the committee concluded that reintroducing the Sub-Inspector SHO system would provide a more effective organisational structure.According to official sources, the panel identified several advantages in restoring Sub-Inspectors as SHOs, including improved supervisory mechanisms, better professional grooming of direct recruit Sub-Inspectors, quicker redressal of public grievances, more effective utilisation of Inspectors, greater focus on investigating grave crimes, improved career progression and administrative flexibility, and a reduction in organisational stress within the police force.As part of the arrangement, while 63 Inspectors will continue as SHOs, as many as 203 surplus Inspector posts will be redeployed to specialised policing units.The redeployment plan allocates Inspectors to wings, including Cyber Police stations in Kochi and Kozhikode, District Headquarters, District Crime Records Bureaus, District Crime Branches, District Special Branches, District Narcotic Cells, the Anti-Terrorism Squad, State Crime Branch, Anti-Narcotic Task Force, Economic Offences Wing, Social Policing Directorate, Traffic, senior police offices, State Special Branch, and the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau.To ensure smooth implementation, the State Police Chief has proposed a transition period of at least two months to complete training and infrastructure-related modifications. Sub-Inspectors designated as SHOs will undergo a two-week refresher training programme, while SHOs will also be issued appropriate identification badges.Additional Sub-Inspectors or Assistant Sub-Inspectors will be designated to head the law and order, crime and prosecution wings in police stations. The District Police Chiefs have been directed to make suitable arrangements for accommodating Circle Inspectors within existing police infrastructure.The government has also clarified the arrangement for Vanitha Police Stations in Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Palakkad and Kasaragod. If a Woman Inspector is posted in these stations, she will function as the SHO. In the absence of a Woman Inspector, the Woman Sub-Inspector will serve as SHO.
Published - August 14, 2026 10:51 am IST
BRS ex-MLAs after lodging a complaint in Lok Ayukta office on misdeeds in land acquisition for Kondangal LIS in Hyderabad on Thursday.
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HYDERABADThe former MLAs of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) - S. Rajender Reddy (Narayanpet), P. Narender Reddy (Kodangal) and Ch. Rammohan Reddy (Makthal) - on Thursday lodged a complaint in the institution of Lok Ayukta, alleging large scale irregularities in the land acquisition for Makthal-Narayanpet-Kodangal Lift Irrigation Scheme.Speaking after lodging the complaint, they alleged that the government is planning to benefit others rather than genuine families displaced with the land acquisition for the project by creating fake pattadar passbooks, title deeds and other documents to siphon off crores of rupees. They said the Congress leaders in connivance with the revenue officials had unveiled the scam.Stating that the BRS would wage a battle until justice was done to the genuine farmers/families being displaced by the project, the BRS leaders said changing the list of displaced families/farmers three times already was a clear indication of the government plans of irregularities. Even a District Collector who was associated with the task was transferred within two months, they pointed out.They also expressed doubts over the success of the project since the government was planning to divert 7 tmc ft of water from a reservoir with one tmc ft capacity, which would be impounded not with an open canal but through a 90 km pipeline. Impounding one tmc ft water in the reservoir would take one month but the government was planning to divert 7 tmc ft from it, they alleged.The BRS leaders said the government had also not secured environmental clearance and Central Water Commission approvals for the project so far. Further, they alleged large-scale irregularities in land acquisition for the Lagcherla Industrial Corridor. Published - August 13, 2026 11:24 pm IST
Counselling process for admission to MBBS and BDS courses in the State began on Thursday at the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super-Speciality Hospital, Omandurar Government Estate.
| Photo Credit: M. SRINATH
The counselling process for admission to MBBS and BDS courses in the State began on Thursday with in-person counselling for special category candidates and those belonging to the horizontal reservation category (7.5% reservation for students from government schools). For general category candidates, choice filling option has been enabled and the counselling process would be carried out online.Students and parents assembled at the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super-Speciality Hospital, Omandurar Government Estate, early in the morning. As many as 614 seats were up for grabs under the 7.5% reservation category, 224 seats for students with physical disabilities, 15 seats under sports quota, and 11 for children of ex-servicemen.K.G. Arunraj, Health Minister, distributed allotment orders to a select group of students from each category in the evening. He said only 614 seats were being filled during this round of counselling under the 7.5% category, although a total of 641 seats were available. Five colleges had applied for additional seats and approval from authorities was awaited.Asked about undue charges collected by certain private colleges, Dr. Arunraj said that the government has been receiving complaints but most are anonymous and they are not able to produce evidence or bank statements when the authorities went for enquiry. “That is why we are not able to proceed in those cases. In few cases, we have been able to get evidence. We will surely act on them,” he added.At the counselling centre, M. Lavanya of Chennai Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Perambur, had a big smile on her face. She spent a year at home after her higher secondary examination preparing for NEET all by herself. In the disabled category, she ranked 2955 nationally and 92 in the State, securing a seat at the Cuddalore Medical College. “I was confident while facing the first NEET exam in May, but the re-NEET paper was tough,” she notes. Lavanya’s father works as a tailor and her mother is a contractual worker with the Chennai Petrochemicals Limited.B.S. Dharanish, who secured second rank in the 7.5% category, studied at the Sadasivapuram Higher Secondary School, Thalaivasal, Salem before shifting to the Salem District Model School in Class X. However, He could not crack the exam in his first attempt, prompting him to enrol into a private coaching academy at Salem. “I wish to pursue research after my MBBS. I would like to discover new drugs,” he says.S. Kayalvizhi, who secured the 45th rank in the 7.5% category, bagged a seat at the city’s Kilpaluk Medical College. After completing MBBS, she wants to pursue orthopaedics as a speciality. Daughter of a daily wage worker in Kandachipuram, Villupuram District, Kayalvizhi dropped two years after her higher secondary exam and enrolled herself into a private coaching centre in Salem to prepare for NEET.In the crowd of young school-leavers, 51-year-old A. Sureshkumar stood out. The marketing professional said he appeared for NEET to prusue his passion for science. Even after completing PhD in pharmaceutical management and diagnostics, he couldn’t find his calling and hence this change of track. He secured a seat at the Nagapattinam Medical College under the physically disabled category. Published - August 13, 2026 10:57 pm IST
Cyber Dialogue was held to help start-ups and cybersecurity experts to explore opportunities for deeper collaboration in cybersecurity innovation, talent development, research, technology and digital resilience.
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Cybersecurity has become an economic imperative and governance priority as digital technologies become deeply embedded in everyday life, said N. Manjula, Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT and BT, Government of Karnataka, here on Wednesday.“Cybersecurity is no longer exclusively a technology issue. It is an economic imperative, a governance priority and a fundamental requirement for building trust in the digital future,’’ she said, while speaking at a Cyber Dialogue, jointly organised by the State government and Consulate General of Israel in the city.Cyber Dialogue was held to help start-ups and cybersecurity experts to explore opportunities for deeper collaboration in cybersecurity innovation, talent development, research, technology and digital resilience. Held under the theme “Stronger Together. Secure Tomorrow,” the dialogue was organised as part of Karnataka’s ongoing international technology partnerships under its Global Innovation Alliance (GIA), in collaboration with the Consulate General and Trade Mission of Israel in South India and the Centre for Cybersecurity Karnataka (CySecK).The dialogue brought together senior officials from the Government of Karnataka and the Israeli delegation, along with representatives from the cybersecurity, technology and start-up ecosystems. A delegation of 10 Israeli cybersecurity companies participated in the programme, with the engagement extending beyond the roundtable to technology demonstrations and B2B meetings aimed at identifying opportunities for practical partnerships.The discussions focused on four key areas: Innovation and Start-ups, Industry Partnership, Talent & Skills, and Policy & Trust, with an emphasis on translating knowledge exchange into practical collaboration and strengthening the resilience of critical digital infrastructure, businesses and public institutions.Dr. Manjula highlighted Karnataka’s Global Innovation Alliance, through which the Government engages with countries on areas of shared interest and builds partnerships across technology and innovation sectors. She further said the Karnataka-Israel cybersecurity engagement represented an opportunity to build on these international partnerships and explore collaboration across cybersecurity innovation, start-up partnerships, talent development, research, technology validation and critical infrastructure protection.Orli Weitzman, Consul General of Israel to South India, said the Karnataka-Israel engagement reflected the growing India-Israel partnership and the natural alignment between the two ecosystems.“India and Israel share a culture of problem-solving, with a strong emphasis on education, entrepreneurship and innovation. Cybersecurity is one of the clearest areas where our two ecosystems can work together,’’ she said, adding that when Israeli technology and experience meet India’s extraordinary talent, scale and technological capabilities, the potential impact goes far beyond our two countries. Published - August 13, 2026 12:56 am IST
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