Avanthi Engineering College students showing a multi-purpose agricultural robot developed by them at the Gyan-2k24 tech fest held at the Cherukupalli college campus in Vizianagaram district on Saturday.

Former Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, K. Ramji, on Saturday said that engineering students will continue to have bright future in spite of the tough competition for jobs due to slowdown in IT and other sectors. The former V-C was speaking as the chief guest during the Gyan-2k24 tech festival organised at Avanthi Engineering College in Cherukupalli in Vizianagaram district.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that the tech fests provide a great opportunity for students to showcase their talent, while also helping them to get jobs in reputed firms. Avanthi Group chairperson Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao congratulated and handed over certificates to the students who proved their mettle at the tech fest. More than 100 exhibits were displayed at the event.

Dancers from Sri Priyalaya Arts Academy, enacting stories from the Hindu epics as part of the ‘Navavidha Bhakti’ Bharatanayam recital, to showcase the nine forms of devotion to God, as part of the ‘Margazhi Manghala Utsavam’ programme in Tiruvanaikoil, Tiruchi, on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY

Navavidha Bhakti, a Bharatanatyam recital by artists of Sri Priyalaya Arts Academy based in Tiruchi and Delhi explained the nine ways of devotion during Margazhi Manghala Utsavam in Tiruchi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:
M. MOORTHY

Under the mentorship of Supriya Ravikumar, artists did a stellar job in portraying different characters from legends as part of the dance drama ‘Navavidha Bhakti’ during the annual Margazhi Manghala Utsavam, hosted by Manghalam Group, in Tiruchi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:
M. MOORTHY

The rasikas watched with rapt attention as the dance drama, Navavidha Bhakti, unfolded on stage as part of the annual Margazhi Manghala Utsavam hosted by Manghalam Group in Tiruchi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:
M. MOORTHY

Theatre, music, and dance festivals have been entertaining Tiruchi residents for the past few days as the season brings culture aficionados out to different venues in the city.

This week, the sixth edition of ‘Margazhi Manghala Utsavam’, a three-day programme dedicated to showcasing Carnatic music and classical dance performances, began on Friday at Tiruvanaikoil, with a concert by nadaswaram exponents S. Kasim and S. Babu, harikatha by young exponent V. Kathyayani and a recital by the Carnatic band Indradhanush.

On Saturday, audiences were treated to Navavidha Bhakti, a Bharatanatyam recital by Sri Priyalaya Arts Academy based out of Tiruchi and Delhi that explained the nine ways of devotion to God.

Performed under the mentorship of Supriya Ravikumar, the dance drama made skilful use of the stage, with the women cast doing a stellar job in portraying different characters from legends.

Saturday’s line-up included Radhika Shurajit’s Mannavan Vandanadi, a dance tribute to actor Sivaji Ganesan, a solo performance by danseuse Idhaya Herald of Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society, and a presentation by students of Bala Kala Vidhanam.

The festival will conclude on Sunday with a vocal concert by Srikrishna Mohan and Ramkumar Mohan, popularly known as the ‘Trichur Brothers’.

“Margazhi Manghala Utsavam is committed to nurturing young talent. It provides a platform for aspiring artistes to showcase their skills alongside seasoned professionals. Given the enthusiastic response of artistes wanting to participate in our programme, we introduced daytime slots as well, to accommodate everyone. We are happy to see the public turnout for all the events,” Prabhu Venkatramani of Manghalam Group told The Hindu.

Drama festival

The annual Tamil drama festival at Rasika Ranjana Sabha which began last week has been attracting over 150 persons per show, said organisers.

“We have brought in at least a dozen drama troupes from Chennai this year, with contemporary and engaging stories in different genre, which add to the novelty of watching a play. As a result, we are seeing a good response from family audiences,” said sabha secretary N. Sekar.

Saturday’s play Kaatchi Pizhaigalo by the Three troupe, featured the story of a visually challenged person and the mission to restore eyesight. On Sunday, the drama Ambi Mama about mismatched horoscopes, produced by Prasidhdhi Creations, will take centre stage. The festival will end on December 25 with PMG Mayurapriya’s Big Boss. The play has been acclaimed for its focus on the state of higher education.

Admission to all the shows is free.

The number of domestic migrants is estimated to have lowered by around 12% to 40.20 crore between 2011 and 2023, indicating increased economic opportunities across the country, said a report by the Prime Minister’s economic advisory panel EAC-PM.

According to a working paper by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), the number of domestic migrants stood at 40,20,90,396 in 2023, which was 11.78% lower compared to the figure registered as per Census 2011.

The paper titled ‘400 Million Dreams! Examining volume and directions of domestic migration in India using novel high frequency data’, said as per Census 2011, the total number of migrants stood at 45,57,87,621.

“Overall domestic migration in India is slowing. We estimate the overall number of migrants in the country, as of 2023, to be 40,20,90,396. This is about 11.78% lower as compared to the number of migrants enumerated as per Census 2011 (45,57,87,621),” it said.

Consequently, the paper said, the migration rate which stood at 37.64% of total population as per Census 2011, is estimated to have reduced to 28.88%.

“We hypothesise that this is on account of availability of improved services such as education, health, infrastructure and connectivity as well as improved economic opportunities in or near in major sources of migration and is an indicator of overall economic growth,” noted the paper authored by former EAC-PM chairman Bibek Debroy.

The paper used three high-frequency and granular data sets – Indian Railway Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) data on passenger volumes; mobile telephone subscribers roaming data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), and district level banking data to understand the likely impact of migration at the places of origin.

Looking at the spatial dimensions of travel, the paper said, the top origin districts are coalesced around major urban agglomerations viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata etc.

Not only is this in line with gravity models of migration but perhaps also is a tentative confirmation of priors i.e. short distance migration accounts for the largest share of migrants and that distance has a negative effect on labour flows, it added.

The report also noted that the composition of the top five States that attract maximum number of migrants (including intra-State migrants) has changed.

“West Bengal and Rajasthan are the new entrants and while Andhra Pradesh and Bihar are now ranked a notch lower,” it said.

While pointing out that West Bengal, Rajasthan and Karnataka are the States showing the maximum growth in percentage share of the arriving passengers, the report said Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are the States where the percentage share of total migrants has reduced.

“Mumbai, Bengaluru Urban, Howrah, Central Delhi, Hyderabad are the districts attracting most migrant arrivals, while Valsad, Chittoor, Paschim Bardhaman, Agra, Guntur, Villupuram and Saharsa are the top origin districts,” it said.

As per the paper, at the State level, Uttar Pradesh-Delhi; Gujarat-Maharashtra; Telangana-Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar-Delhi emerge as the primary dyads of movement.

“At the district level, Murshidabad-Kolkata; Paschim Bardhaman-Howrah; Valsad -Mumbai; Chittoor-Bengaluru Urban, and Surat-Mumbai are the most popular routes for migration between districts,” the paper said, adding that this has implications for urban planning as well as for planning of transportation networks.

Using TRAI’s mobile phone roaming data, the report finds that April-June is the high months for movement with November-December witnessing secondary highs.

A secondary high in winter time is perhaps indicative of travel around the festival/marriage season. January, on the other hand, appears to be the month of lowest travel, it said.

As per Census 2011, just five States – Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal – together account for about 48% of the total outbound migrants, which includes within-State migrants as well.

Similarly, just five States – Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu – together account for about 48% of all incoming migrants. This includes within-State migrants as well.

In the period from 1991 to 2001, the compounded annual growth rate of the number of migrants was 2.7%. This increased to 3.7% during 2001 to 2011.

Interestingly, in the period from 1991 to 2001, India’s workforce grew from 3.17 crore to 4.02 crore (an annual average growth of 2.6%), whereas from 2001 to 2011, the workforce grew from 4.02 crore to 4.82 crore (an annual average growth of 1.99%).

Minister for Public Works P.A. Mohamed Riyas listening to a complainant at the Karuthalum Kaithangum taluk level adalat held at Perinthalmanna on December 21.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The State government’s ‘Karuthalum Kaithangum’ taluk-level adalat was held at Perinthalmanna on Saturday (December 21). The adalat received 470 complaints from the people of Perinthalmanna taluk. Of these, 307 were filed online, while 163 were filed directly at the adalat.

Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman and Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas led the adalat. A total of 152 complaints were settled at the adalat, while the remaining will be addressed within two weeks, the Ministers said.

As part of the adalat, 29 families had their APL (Above Poverty Line) ration cards converted to BPL (Below Poverty Line) cards. The event saw the participation of MLAs Najeeb Kanthapuram and Manjalamkuzhi Ali, District Collector V.R. Vinod, Sub Collector Apurva Tripathi, Perinthalmanna municipal chairperson P. Shaji, and local panchayat presidents.

Chakki Poovathumparambil, 65, from Keezhattur village, was among the 152 beneficiaries. Minister Riyas sanctioned funds for the reconstruction of her house, which was destroyed by heavy rain. Chakki had sought assistance from the State Disaster Response Fund. Minister Riyas directed officials to hand over the funds before January 5, 2025.

Minister Abdurahiman assured several complainants that measures would be taken to improve accessibility to their homes, including the construction of roads and pathways.

Minister for Health C. Damodar Rajanarasimha along with Health Secretary Christina Z. Chongthu and Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare R.V. Karnan during a conference with Union Health Ministry on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Health Department, in collaboration with the Union Health Ministry, has launched the ‘TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan’ to eradicate tuberculosis in nine districts in Telangana.

The 100-day campaign aims to identify through comprehensive screening individuals at risk of contracting TB, said Minister for Health C. Damodar Rajanarasimha. Speaking during a videoconference on Saturday (December 21) with Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, the Minister highlighted the State’s commitment towards the TB-Free India initiative.

The nine districts are Adilabad, Khammam, Karimnagar, Mahabubnagar, Medak, Nagarkurnool, Peddapalli, Suryapet and Wanaparthy. To support the initiative, 26 mobile TB testing units equipped with digital X-ray machines and Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) machines have been deployed. The government has ensured the supply of necessary testing cartridges, chips, X-ray tools and drugs for the campaign, the Minister added.

So far, 7,219 individuals have been screened in these districts, with 181 testing positive for TB, Mr. Rajanarasimha informed the Union Health Ministry. He highlighted the role of public awareness and early detection in achieving TB elimination.

Reflecting this approach, the Minister said the State has increased presumptive TB testing. In 2023, 5.74 lakh people were tested, which rose to 7.82 lakh in 2024. Telangana’s treatment success rate for TB stands at 90%, surpassing the national average of 87%.

N. Prasanth, an IAS officer currently under suspension, has created a flurry in bureaucratic circles by sending a legal notice through his counsel to Industries director K. Gopalakrishnan (who is currently under suspension), Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) A. Jayathilak, Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan and a leading Malayalam daily.

Mr. Prasanth, who was posted as Special Secretary (Agriculture department), has levelled charges pertaining to “fabrication of documents, criminal conspiracy, abetment and violation of criminal laws” against his three IAS colleagues and the daily. The entire issue is related to an inquiry report allegedly prepared by Mr. Jayathilak blaming Mr. Prasanth for the disappearance of files related to the Unnathi project, when he was its CEO, and anomalies in his attendance record.

The legal notice accuses Mr. Gopalakrishnan and Mr. Jayathilak of fabricating letters and uploading them on the e-office portal for implicating him. He has also accused the two officers of sharing the letters and “misleading information” with the press. Mr. Gopalakrishnan, Mr. Jayathilak and the daily have been accused of misusing government machinery “to manufacture a unilateral and defamatory document for publication against our client (Mr. Prasanth) and incite serious adverse consequences.”

The legal notice accused the Chief Secretary of “inaction”, noting that Mr. Prasanth had reported the matter to her “with specific evidence” on November 14. It demanded the Chief Secretary to take appropriate legal action against Mr. Gopalakrishnan and Mr. Jayathilak “for the criminal actions and misconduct.” The notice also demanded a public apology from two officers.

Kerala’s urban policy, an interim report on which was submitted by the Urban Policy Commission to the government last week, has proposed several steps to mitigate climate change. It also recommends professionalisation of urban local body governance and the setting up of metropolitan planning committees and business development councils for major cities.

Last year, the State government constituted the commission, headed by M. Satish Kumar, a Senior Associate Professor at Queen’s University, Belfast to formulate a comprehensive urban policy to guide Kerala’s development activities for the next 25 years. The policy in its final form is expected to be submitted next year.

The major climate change-related proposals include strengthening of the early warning mechanism with multi–hazard early warning system, installation of temporary flood barriers to protect high risk areas, initiation of cross-border collaboration between states to protect the Western Ghats, implementation of a decarbonisation approach to reduce carbon footprint as a larger section of the population moves from two wheelers to four wheelers, mandatory carbon audits for corporations followed by municipalities, annual green fee and purchase fee on motorised vehicles and promotion of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to reduce waste generation.

Another major suggestion of the commission is to create a local economic fund through a blended financing model, opening up the possibilities of collaboration among local bodies and private, cooperative and community entities like Kudumbashree in a larger scale. It also proposes to establish a Local Economic Development Authority under the chairmanship of Minister for Local Self Governments to facilitate local economic development and financial self-sufficiency. In addition, local economic special zones are proposed in all districts based on their resource potential.

An Integrated Labour Market Information System is proposed in all the urban local self-government institutions. Kerala Municipal Bonds are proposed to be launched for the leading municipalities. The revenue from own sources of urban local bodies are proposed to be increased from 25-35% to 70% and property tax collection from 50% to 90%. A policy is proposed to ensure universal accessibility of public amenities and public transport.

City and ward level committees are proposed to develop old age-friendly city and neighbourhood plans. A periodic well-being index is also proposed for all urban local bodies.

Capt. Raja Rao says the CWDT has restricted sugarcane cultivation in the KRS command area to 40,000 acres and provided only 13.04 tmcft for it. But the area of sugarcane cultivated is more than the limit prescribed by the tribunal.
| Photo Credit: File photo

Irrigation expert Capt. S. Raja Rao has said that the government should take up Mekedatu project on a priority basis — a major demand of farmers in the south Karnataka region.

Speaking at a panel discussion on water and land at the 87th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana here, he said all statutory clearances should be obtained from the Centre for its implementation.

What tribunal provides

Capt. Raja Rao said clause XIII of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal order provided for Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to build hydel projects in the common reach of the river subject to the release of water downstream, as stipulated by the tribunal. Besides, the CWDT has assessed the yield of Cauvery basin at 50% dependability as 740 thousand million cubic ft (tmcft) and has not assessed the surplus availability, he added.

He said the Supreme Court had allocated an additional 10 tmcft for irrigation and 4.75 tmcft for drinking purposes — in addition to 270 tmcft provided in the final order — for Bengaluru city for which storage was planned and proposed at Mekedatu. “By opposing Mekedatu, Tamil Nadu was trying to prevent Karnataka from using surplus flow in the Cauvery,” he added.

Sugarcane cultivation

Delving on agriculture in the region, Capt. Raja Rao said the CWDT had restricted sugarcane cultivation in the Krishnaraja Sagar command area to only 40,000 acres and provided only 13.04 tmcft for it. But the area of sugarcane cultivated was more than the limit prescribed by the CWDT. To sustain the present extent of sugarcane cultivation an additional 40 to 50 tmcft of water was required and this reality had to be understood by political leaders and farmers, said Capt. Raja Rao.

In a paper submitted on the subject, he called for diverting Kongana Hole and Kokkattu Hole to Lakshman Tirtha valley, harnessing replenishable groundwater from the water spread area of all reservoirs and from the command area of major irrigation projects in the basin.

Amid growing outrage over the proposed Kerala Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which threatens to escalate into a major protest spearheaded by the Catholic Church, the Madhya Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India (CSI) has taken a contrasting stance.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday, Bishop Malayil Sabu Koshy Cherian and CSI environmental advisor Mathew Koshy Punnackad called the Bill a significant step forward in safeguarding the State’s critical ecosystems. They emphasised that the legislation addresses pressing issues related to forest conservation and provides a robust framework to mitigate challenges faced by Kerala’s forests. The statement urged the government to pass the Bill without dilution and ensure its rigorous implementation.

“By enacting and enforcing this legislation, Kerala can set a precedent for sustainable forest management and inspire other States and nations to follow suit. Let us act decisively to protect our forests for the sake of future generations and the sustainability of our planet. The time to act is now,’‘ according to the statement.

Responding to criticisms that the Bill grants unchecked powers to forest officials, Bishop Cherian stressed the importance of closing any loopholes that might allow exploitation under the guise of addressing other concerns. “Only a strong legal framework, possibly with hefty fines, will help curb the unbridled attack on the fragile ecology and ensure its protection,’‘ he said.

The stance of the Kottayam-based CSI diocese marks a sharp departure from that of the Catholic Church and various political parties in central Travancore. Just days earlier, the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) had voiced strong opposition to the Bill, arguing that it would harm farmers living along forest fringes.

One of the most contentious provisions of the proposed Bill allows any forest officer, not below the rank of a beat forest officer, or any police officer to arrest and detain individuals suspected of forest offences without a magistrate’s prior order or a warrant. This has drawn sharp criticism, with the Catholic Church and two factions of the Kerala Congress demanding an investigation into how the provision passed scrutiny by the Law Secretary, given its apparent conflict with the Supreme Court guidelines on arrests and citizens’ rights.

Image used for representative purpose only.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday (December 21, 2024) announced its plans to enlist social media influencers and college students as “digital warriors” to combat the circulation of fake news and strengthen the fight against cybercrimes. Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar, highlighting details about the initiative, said that the digital warriors will raise awareness about misleading news, train ordinary citizens against cybercrimes and publicise the campaigns of police.

The DGP cited a successful pilot project run ahead of Maha Kumbh Mela against fake news involving influencers and college students.

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“U.P. police launched ‘Digital Warriors’ initiative in 2018, which became active on WhatsApp. People from different sections of society were added as digital volunteers. In 2023, WhatsApp Groups were created enabling the state police to refute fake news and highlight the commendable work of the police. But there is a need to indulge young college students and social media influencers with the U.P. Police by making them digital warriors,” the DGP added in a statement.

The initiative will focus on training college and university students through workshops on the need to verify information, analyse them and report misleading news to law enforcement agencies. “By training college/university students, we can develop critical thinking skills, enabling them to analyze and verify information. These students will become digital warriors for U.P. Police and help report cybercrime and fake news. They will raise awareness about fake news and cybercrime within their families and social circles,” said the DGP.

Watch | How to protect yourself from cyber crimes

The Uttar Pradesh Police said it plans to establish ‘cyber clubs’ in schools and universities, with a teacher from each institution serving as the nodal officer. “Workshops and creative sessions such as poster-making, slogan/short-story writing, and social media content creation will be conducted through the cyber clubs,” Mr. Kumar added.