Proficiency in Malayalam a must for government jobs

Proficiency in Malayalam a must for  government jobs

Thiruvananthapuram: Cabinet meeting has taken the decision to make proficiency in Malayalam mandatory for getting government jobs. Government has also decided to hike the upper age limit for government jobs in Thursday's meeting. The meeting emphasized to make proficiency in the mother tongue compulsory for gaining jobs in government service. The selected candidates who have no language proficiency need to be learn and pass Malayalam test before their probation period is announced.  Meeting also approved the suggestion from the UDF members to increase the upper age limit for getting jobs through employment exchange and based on this the minimum age limit has been reduced to 41. This age limit for Other Backward Classes will be 44 years. 
The upper age limit for getting government jobs for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will be 48 years.

Sachin Tendulkar to retire after his 200th Test

New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar today announced his decision to retire from Test cricket after playing his landmark 200th match against the West Indies next month, bringing an end to the intense speculation about his future. The 40-year-old Tendulkar, who has not been in the best of form in recent times, has informed the BCCI about his decision to quit Test cricket after a glorious career spanning 24 years. 'All my life, I have had a dream of playing cricket for India. I have been living this dream every day for the last 24 years. It's hard for me to imagine a life without playing cricket because it's all I have ever done since I was 11 years old.

'It's been a huge honour to have represented my country and played all over the world. I look forward to playing my 200th Test Match on home soil, as I call it a day,' Tendulkar, who has already retired from the ODIs, said in the released issued by BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel. Tendulkar thanked the BCCI for its support throughout his career and also for allowing to walk into Test sunset at a time of his choosing. 'I thank the BCCI for everything over the years and for permitting me to move on when my heart feels it's time! I thank my family for their patience and understanding. Most of all, I thank my fans and well-wishers who through their prayers and wishes have given me the strength to go out and perform at my best,' he said.

Quality of Education has improved in Public Sector : CM

Thiruvananthapuram 31-07-2013: CM has said that the quality of education imparted in public sector has reached its height of improvement. He was inaugurating the multi storied building of general education department at the DPI premises here today.

Teachers play a major role in ensuring quality education in Government aided sector. Government ensures that basic facilities are provided. CM pointed out that the difficulty in getting admission in Government schools for those who have secured A+ grade in all subjects shows the quality of education in Government sector.

Ministers PK Abdurabb, VS Sivakumar and others were present.

Malala says extremists are afraid of women, education.

                          Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager shot by the Taliban for promoting education for girls, celebrates her 16th birthday on Friday by addressing the United Nations. The UN has declared July 12 'Malala Day', and to mark the occasion the teen, who returned to school in March after medical treatment in Britain for injuries suffered in the October attack, will address more than 500 young leaders from around the world at a Youth Assembly. 

Here are the Highlights of Malala Yousufzai's address:

• If we want to achieve goals, let us empower ourselves with weapon of knowledge, let us shield ourselves with peace & unity.
• One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.
• Let us wage a global struggle a global struggle for our brothers and sisters who wait for a brighter future.
• Terrorists are misusing the name of Islam for their own benefits. Islam is a religion of peace.
• There was a time when women's activists asked men to stand up for women's rights. This time we will do it ourselves.
• Extremists are afraid of women, education. They are afraid of change.
• We realised the importance of books and pens when we saw violence in Swat.
• There was a time when women's activists asked men to stand up for women's rights. This time we will do it ourselves. We not succeed when half of us are held back.

Unesco and 'Save the Children' released a special reported entitled "Children battling to go to school", ahead of Malala's speech.  

The report found that 95 per cent of the 28.5 million children who aren't getting a primary school education live in low and lower-middle income countries 44 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, 19 per cent in south and west Asia and 14 per cent in the Arab states.  

Girls make up 55 per cent of the total and are often the victims of rape and other sexual violence that accompanies armed conflicts.  

The study found that in 2012 there were more than 3,600 documented attacks on education, including violence, torture and intimidation against children and teachers resulting in death or grave injuries, as well as the shelling and bombing of schools and the recruitment of school-aged children by armed groups.  

According to the report, while the number of primary school age children who are not getting an education has fallen to 57 million in 2011 from 60 million in 2008, during that period the percentage of youth in conflict-affected countries who aren't at primary school rose to 50 per cent from 42 per cent.  

"Across many of the world's poorest countries, armed conflict continues to destroy not just school infrastructure, but also the hopes and ambitions of a whole generation of children," Unesco's director-general Irina Bokova said.

"I WILL NOT SHOW INJUSTICE TO TRUTH" - Oommen Chandy

                        With the LDF in Kerala baying for his resignation on the solar panel scam, a defiant chief minister Oommen Chandy rejected their demand, saying it was part of a political conspiracy by the CPI-M-led opposition and if he stepped down now, he would be doing an "injustice to truth."  "I am not a person who wants to cling to power at any cost. But, if I resign now, I will be doing injustice to truth," Chandy, in the eye of a storm triggered by the scam, told reporters after a cabinet meeting here today. Expressing confidence of overcoming the present crisis, he said it was now a political issue and "we will fight it out."  "Party high command, state congress party, ministry and ruling UDF is united on this issue," he asserted. Chandy said the charges against him were part of a political conspiracy by the CPI-M led LDF opposition, because all their agitations against the UDF government after it came to power failed to click. 
                       The conspiracy started after the arrest of a personal staff in the chief minister's office, he said. "After that the LDF thought, it was a chance to target me and the UDF government", he said adding "we will not yield to their political designs." On the 12-hour strike called by the opposition today demanding his resignation, Chandy said it was a challenge to people and government would not tolerate violence in the pretext of agitation. Chandy also rejected the statement of the complainant in the solar case, Sreedharan Nair, that he had met the chief minister and discussed solar project.Investigation into the case was progressing in the right direction and "all accused in the case would be brought before law," he said. 
 
                             The scam pertains to alleged cheating of several persons to the tune of crores of Rupees by one Saritha Nair and her accomplice Biju Radhakrishnan by offering solar panel solutions. An actress Shalu Menon has also been arrested in connection with the case. It took a serious political turn with the arrest of one of Chandy's close personal aides, who has alleged links with the accused. Two other employees in his personal staff have also been removed in connection with the scam.

CM receives UN Award

                            Bahrain 27-06-2013: CM today received the UN Public Service Award from UN Under Secretary General Wu Hongbo in a splendid ceremony at the national theatre here. The UN award is considered as Oscar Award for public service.  
                Thousands of malayalees in Bahrain congratulated CM on receiving the prestigious award. The malayalees present at the function welcomed the CM with a huge round of applause.  
             The award was presented at the plenary session of the convention based on the theme 'Transformative e-Government and Innovation: Creating a Better Future for All conducted by UN public forum held from June 24 to 27. Representatives from 80 countries participated in the function. 600 applications were considered for the award. Various successful experiments done in governance in different countries were submitted for UNPSA.  
             UN noted that the Mass Contact Programme of Oommen Chandy was a model for the whole world to emulate. CM pointed out that democracy is strengthened when the distance between people and officials is shortened and added that he always laid stress on decreasing this gap. When a leader gets close to people more transparency is ensured and it stops corruption.  
             The next stage of MCP is totally IT driven . It will help in increasing the reach of e- governance. All petitions are to be submitted online. Bahrain Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad ibn Mubarak Al Khalifah was the chief guest of the function.

congratulations, C M

26 June, World Drug Day

             

             

Be Proud to be an Indian PSLV-C20 launches 7 satellites

Sriharikota (AP), Feb 25 (PTI):  Indo-French oceanographic
study satellite 'SARAL' and six foreign mini and micro
spacecrafts were succesfully launched today by ISRO's PSLV-C20

rocket from this spaceport.  Indian Space Research Organisation's(ISRO) workhorse

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle(PSLV) lifted off from the first

launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre at around 6 pm at the

end of the 59-hour countdown and placed in the orbit the

satellites about 22 minutes later. President Pranab Mukherjee witnessed the launch from the mission control centre here, about 110 km from Chennai. The lift-off was rescheduled to 6.01 pm, a five-minute delay, to avoid probability of collision with space debris, a

normal precautionary step in a launch mission, ISRO sources

said. The 410-kg SARAL with payloads -- Argos and Altika --

from French space agency CNES is meant for study of ocean

parameters towards enhancing the understanding of the ocean

state conditions. Besides SARAL, two micro-satellites UniBRITE and BRITE

from Austria, AAUSAT3 from Denmark and STRaND from United

Kingdom as also one micro-satellite (NEOSSat) and one

mini-satellite (SAPPHIRE) from Canada were launched by PSLV,

which yet again proved its versatality recording its 22nd

succesful flight in a row in its 23 missions of which the

first one had failed. SARAL was injected first into the space about 18 minutes

after the lift-off followed by other satellites in the space

of about four minutes.

Prevention is better than treatment: CM

Prevention is better than treatment: CM

Thiruvananthapuram 25-02-2012: CM has said that measures to prevent diseases are better than treating them.  He said this while inaugurating the state level Weekly Iron- Folic acid supplementation scheme (WIFS) here at St Joseph’s School by handing over WIFS kit to the principle of the school.

CM said that treatment facility to determine birth defects in children will be extended to taluk hospitals . CM has made it clear that Cochlear Implantation scheme would be extended state wide.

Minister M K Muneer unveiled the logo of WIFS.

Socio-economic census from Tuesday

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy  inaugurated the socio-economic and caste census in the State on Tuesday. Minister for Planning and Rural Development K. C. Joseph presided over the function held in Kannur Collectorate.

Principal Secretary (Local Self Government) James Joseph told the media that the census was part of the first caste census being held in independent India. Though guidelines prepared for the census at the national level apply, Kerala had special permission to collect house and ward level data, using a special questionnaire. The Centre was providing funds for holding the census in the States and Union territories.

The enumeration would be conducted in four stages covering all house-holds in the State, and would be completed by May 25. The Union Ministry of Rural Development, Department of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Registrar General of India, Bharat Electronics Limited and National Informatics Centre were jointly conducting the census operations.

The Principal Secretary said that the data from the census would be used for identifying beneficiaries for the schemes under the 12 Five Year Plan, and for drawing Central schemes and improving ongoing Central schemes.

He said that the collectors would be in charge of the census at the district level. Commissioner for Rural Development M. Nandakumar would be the State-level nodal officer. The State had 68393 enumeration blocks which were the same as defined for the 2011 population census. Officials from government departments, local self governments, public sector units and teachers of Standard IX and higher classes were being deputed for the enumeration.

About 20000 tablet personal computers had already been distributed to the enumerators for collection of data. This would enable compilation of the results of the census in 14 days. A record of data collected from the households on the tablets would be immediately supplied to the households for verification. Corrections could be made then itself. There would be an opportunity to correct errors after publications of the draft list.

Mr. Joseph said the final document would become the base for determining norms for BPL categorisation and other programmes of the government. Any complaints on the draft would have to be filed within 21 days of publication and the final list would be published ten days later.

Sri. K.M. MANI , Finance Minister Presents KERALA BUDGET-2012

Sri. K.M. MANI , Finance Minister Presents

 KERALA BUDGET-2012 

Kerala Budget Speech 2012

Approval for Teacher’s Package

Thiruvananthapuram 28-09-2011: The Teacher’s Package has been approved by the Government, said CM while briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting. Teacher’s Bank involving 8076 teachers will be formed in the district level. Posting will be given to 3389 teachers working without salary from June.
All the teachers who were posted this year in the vacancies that arose due to death, resignation, promotion and retirement will be given recognition. The y will get salary from the day they joined th service.
The Teacher’s Bank of 8076 teachers are formed out of the 2987 protected teachers who became permanent after the expiry of their protected period, 1700 teachers who lost their job due to the division fall and 3389 teachers working without salary.
The Teacher’s Bank will be formed in the revenue district level. The vacancies that arise while implementing the new teacher-student ratio will be filled from the Teacher’s Bank in each school.
From now on those who have passed the Teacher’s Eligibility Test will only be posted as teachers. All the specialist teachers in schools will be pooled into the Teacher’s Bank and their service will be extended to all schools. In the future these vacancies will be reported to PSC.
ADHAR cards will be made mandatory form next year to fix the extra post that arises due to the new teacher – student ratio. Strict action will be initiated against the school authorities who blow up the number of students. The teachers working in that school will be considered for the vacancies that arise as per the new ratio. The next priority will be given to a teacher from the Teacher’s Bank. The rest of the vacancies should be filled according to seniority. The postings in aided school can be made only with the consent of the Government. From now on the salary can be drawn only by the Head Master of the school.
The 1641 teachers working in Government schools in the protected category will be send to the Teacher’s Bank and will be posted in aided schools.
When the Teacher’s Package is implemented there will not be a single teacher in the state working without salary, said CM

Kerala CM opens 24x7 Call Centre

Thiruvananthapuram 01-09-2011: Now people from anywhere from the world can lodge their complaints directly to the Chief Minister of Kerala.
The 24 hour Public Grievance Redressal Cell call centre was inaugurated by the CM at his office today in the presence of his ministerial colleagues, Members of Legislative Assembly and senior officials as part of the 100 day programme.
CM said that the grievance of the people won’t be left unattended and added that every possible effort will be made to resolve the sufferings of the people. The call centre is a step towards this goal.
Government doesn’t claim that all the problems of people will be resolved. If in any case a complaint remains unresolved, then the petitioner will be informed as why his complaint cannot be resolved. The Government has ensured full support from all the officials for the successful functioning of the call centre, said CM.
The first petition that came up was of the son of C.S Suresh Kumar a KSRTC driver who died while on duty of cardiac arrest. Though he died driving, his act of courage saved the life of people in the bus as he applied the brakes in time. The file regarding the recommendation for Jeevan Raksha Pathak for Suresh Kumar was pending. This complaint was taken up and the CM has directed the GAD secretary to complete the formalities and forward the recommendation to the Central Government today itself.
The second petition was regarding A.C Smitha who went missing in 2006 in Dubai in just two days after reaching there with her husband. Till now no progress has taken place regarding the complaint lodged with police. CM has directed DGP to hand over the case to Crime Branch.
Call Centre
The 24x7 call centre would facilitate people to register their grievances and complaints directly to the Chief Minister’s Office by telephone. The call centre would function 24x7 and can be accessed on 1076- toll free number, for BSNL customers. Those using other services will have to dial 1800 425 1076 for accessing the service. People calling from abroad have to fix the code 0471 before the too free number.
The call centre is in addition to the existing provisions to lodge complaints with the CM’s Office.