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Kerala Current Affairs 2019

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Contents
Kerala Current Affairs - January 2019............................................................................................................... 2
Kerala Current Affairs - February 2019............................................................................................................. 4
Kerala Current Affairs - March 2019................................................................................................................. 6
Kerala Current Affairs - April 2019................................................................................................................... 6
Kerala Current Affairs - May 2019 .................................................................................................................... 7
Kerala Current Affairs - June 2019 .................................................................................................................. 11
Kerala Current Affairs - July 2019 .................................................................................................................. 12
Kerala Current Affairs - August 2019 ............................................................................................................. 14
Kerala Current Affairs - September 2019 ........................................................................................................ 16

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Kerala Current Affairs - January 2019

Central government approved formation of Centre for Classical Language in Tirur, Kerala
On January 5, 2019, the Union Government issued its nod for setting up the Centre for Classical Language at
the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University in Tirur, Kerala.
i. As per the notification, the state government will enter into an MOU with the Union Ministry of Human
Resources Development.
ii. Furthermore, in this regard, the HRD ministry had issued a communication in this regard to the Central
Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru.
iii. The centre is aimed at study and research and other aspects of Malayalam language and its development.
Background:
In August 2013 Malayalam was declared a classical language. In 2016, the state approached the Union
Government for setting up the centre

India’s largest startup ecosystem, measuring 1.8 lakh sq ft, inaugurated in Kerala by CM Pinarayi
Vijayan
On January 13, 2019, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched country’s largest startup ecosystem,
integrated startup complex under the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), at the Technology Innovation Zone
(TIZ), in Kochi, Kerala.
About the ecosystem:
i. It is a 1.8 lakh sq ft. facility housing incubation infrastructure across a series of sectors in technology.
ii. It will have the following under it:
• facilities of Maker Village that promotes hardware startups,
• the Bionest that promotes medical technologies,
• BRINC, the country’s first international accelerator for hardware startups;
• BRIC which aids developing solutions for cancer diagnosis and care, and
• a centre of excellence set up by industry majors such as UNITY.
iii. The facility also has firms working in fields such as biotechnology, computer-aided design,
augmented/virtual reality and advanced communication.
Other News:
i. Also, the Kerala Government is working to have a total area of 2.3 crore sq ft of IT space (up from 1.3 crore sq
ft last year).
ii. Furthermore, after the completion of three more projects, Kerala will have startup and incubation space of 5
lakh sq ft, which will be largest of these type in the world.
iii. The government is also planning to give direct jobs to 2.5 lakh in IT.

PM inaugurated spiritual circuit development project in Kerala

On 15th January 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the project “Development of Spiritual
Circuit: Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple – Aranmula-Sabarimala” at the cost of Rs. 92.22
crores under Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Tourism Ministry in Kerala. He also dedicated the 13-km Kollam
bypass on NH 66 in Kerala to the nation
Key Points
i. The Sree Padmanaaswamy Temple is one of the 108 Divyadesams of Lord Vishnu and majority of the work
under this project has been carried out at this temple.
ii. Under the Project, the ministry of tourism has developed and rejuvenated the temple along with its
surroundings keeping in mind the factors of heritage and socio-cultural aspects.
iii. Ministry of tourism has sanctioned 7 projects in Kerala under the Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD
schemes for an approximate amount of Rs 550 crores.

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Swadesh Darshan Scheme

♦ Swadesh Darshan Scheme was launched in 2014-15 and it is one of the flagship schemes of Ministry of
tourism for development of thematic circuits in the country. Till now, 77 projects worth Rs. 6131.88
Crores has been sanctioned under this scheme in 30 States and UTs.

Kerala women form 620-km long ‘wall’ to uphold gender equality against Sabarimala protests
On January 1, 2019, lakhs of women across Kerala formed a 620-km long Women’s Wall,that stretched
from Kasargod in northern Kerala to the southernmost district of Thiruvananthapuram,to uphold gender
equality and renaissance values.
i. This was a state sponsored move done in the backdrop of protests in Sabarimala due to Supreme Court’s
decision to allow women to pray at the Ayyappa shrine.
ii. Health minister K K Shylaja was the lead of the human chain at Kasargod whereas leader Brinda Karat was
the last person at the end of the chain in Thiruvananthapuram.
iii. The event was organised by the ruling CPI(M), along with over 176 other socio-political organisations,
including the CPI, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) and Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha (KPMS).

Kerala’s oldest student made commonwealth Learning Ambassador

On 23rd January 2019, Karthiyani Amma from Kerala became Commonwealth Learning Goodwill Ambassador.
She was the oldest ever candidate to appear for Kerala Literacy Mission’s Akshara Laksham (Million Letters)
literacy exam.
Key Points
i. Karthiyani Amma is from Alappuzha district in Kerala. She secured top position with 98% marks in Kerala
Literacy Mission’s Akshara Laksham (million letters) literacy exam for Grade 4. She was 96 year old.
ii. Her story will now inspire other commonwealth countries and it also aims at promoting distant education in
the member countries.
iii. Literacy exam includes reading, writing and Mathematics skills. Her next aim is to clear Class 10 equivalent.
She started learning computer in a laptop which was gifted by Kerala Education.
iv. Commonwealth of learning is works for furthering education in the commonwealth nations and Akshara
Laksham programme was launched by the government of Kerala on 26th January 2018 to achieve 100 percent
literacy in the slate about Kerala.

Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award 2017:Novel Nireeshwaran by Malayalam Novelist VJ James won the best
Novel award
On 23rd January 2019,Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award 2017 was announced, Malayalam Novelist VJ
James’s, Novel Nireeshwaran won the best novel award.
KeyPoints:
i. V J James was born in Vazhapally, Changanassery in Kottayam district of Kerala.
ii. His debut novel was Purappadinte Pusthakam.
iii. Other Accolades he received:DC Silver Jubilee Award, Malayattor Prize in 1999, Rotary Literary Award
for Purappadinte Pusthakam, Thoppil Ravi Award, Kerala Bhasha Institute Basheer Award (2015) for
Nireeshwaran.
Other Winners:
i. Mindaprani, written by Veerankutty won Best poetry award.
ii. Ethara Characharangalude Charitra Pusthakam written by Aymanam John won the best short story award.
iii. Drama – Swadeshabhimani written by S.V. Venugopalan Nair, Translation – Parvathangalum Mattoli
Kollunnu written by Rama Memon, Literary criticism – Kavithayude Jeeva Charithram written by Kalpatta
Narayanan, Scholarly literature – Nadhee Vignaneeyam written by N.J.K. Nair, Biography – Ente Jail Jeevitham
written by Jayachandran Mokeri.
iv. Travelogue – Ethetho Saranikalil written by C.V. Balakrishnan, Children’s literature – Kurukkan Mashinte

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School written by V.R. Sudheesh, Humour – Ezhuthanukaranam Anuranangalum written by Chovvallur

Krishnan Kutty.

Operation Olympics Commences in Kerala

On 25th January 2019, An expert programme ‘Operation Olympics’ managed by Kerala’s Sports Department
and State Sports Council was commenced to train 123 athletes in 11 disciplines for 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Key Points
i. The programme has the objective to provide international standard training to the athletes with the help of
eminent trainers from both India and abroad.
ii. Under the Programme, Expert training will be provided in athletics, boxing, cycling, swimming, shooting,
wrestling, badminton, fencing, rowing and archery.
iii.Training in wrestling, cycling, swimming and boxing has been started at various stadium in
Thiruvananthapuram district whereas training for other streams will be at Kollam, Ernakulam, Alappuzha and
Kannur districts.
iv. Miraitowa is the mascot of 2020 Tokyo Olympics while Someity is the mascot of Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Malayalam Director Lenin Rajendran passed away at 67

On January 14, 2019, Malayalam director and screenwriter Lenin Rajendran passed away at 67.
i. He was a five-time recipient of the Kerala State Film Awards and also received the International Federation
of Film Critics Award for the best Malayalam film for his ‘Makaramanju’ screened at the 2010 IFFK.
ii. In the 23rd International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) six of his films were screened under the category
‘Chronicler of Our Times’.
iii. He was also chairman of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation.
iv. Overall, he had directed 16 films in his 35-year career.
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Kerala Current Affairs - February 2019
Institute of Advanced Virology (IAV) inaugurated in Thiruvananthapuram by Kerala CM
On February 10,2019,Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Institute of Advanced Virology
(IAV), in Bio 360 Life Sciences Park at Thonnakkal in the capital city ,Thiruvananthapuram .
About the Institute
i. This institute is affiliated to the Global Virus Network, which has 45 centres of excellence in over 29
countries.
ii. Equipped with bio-safety level-3 facilities, the institute will plan preventive measures by validating the
viruses causing infectious diseases and by detecting the new ones.
iii.The institute can confirm the viruses causing infectious diseases and detect new ones without delay in order
to plan preventive measures.

‘Eco Circuit: Pathanamthitta – Gavi – Vagamon – Thekkady’ project launched by K. J. Alphons in Kerala
Union Tourism Minister, Shri K. J. Alphons, inaugurated the ‘Eco Circuit: Pathanamthitta – Gavi – Vagamon
– Thekkady’ project under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of the Ministry of Tourism,at Vagamon, Kerala.
i. The project was sanctioned for Rs 76.55 crores in December 2015 and major works carried out under it
include Eco Adventure Tourism Park at Vagamon, Cultural Centre at Kadamanitta, Eco Log
Huts at Peerumedu, Approach Roads, Walking trails, Rain Shelters at Pine Valley
Forest, Thekkady, Kumily, Moozhiyar Dam, Penstock and Kakki Dam.

Thiruvananthapuram to host Attukal Pongala festival, world’s largest religious congregation of women
Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala shall host the AttaukalPonkala festival-one of the largest religious
gathering of women on a single day.

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i. The festival involves preparation of ‘Pongala’- a mixture of rice, jaggery and scraped coconut cooked in fresh
earthen or metal pots,by lakhs of women, in order to worship the presiding deity of Attukal
Bhagavathy temple.
ii. All the offices and institutions across the city observe a holiday on this day.Attukal temple is also called
‘women’s Sabarimala’ as only women perform the ritual.

Kerala became the first State set up a price monitoring and research unit (PMRU)
On February 3,2019,Kerala became the first state to set up Price Monitoring And Research Unit (PMRU) to
track violation of prices of essential drugs and medical devices.
i. The new watchdog will offer technical help to the State Drug Controllers to monitor notified prices of
medicines, detect violation of the provisions of the Drugs Price Control Order (DPCO).
ii. This move is taken by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) .

KSIDC Conducted First Investor Conference ASCEND 2019 in Kochi

On 10th February 2019, Kochi hosted the first investor conference ASCEND 2019 to showcase industry
friendly initiatives. The conference displayed landmark administrative and policy reforms that improved ease
of doing business in Kerala.
Key Points
i. The objective of the conference was to bring into sharp focus a governance that is transparent, efficient
and simplified. It facilitates business and investments by reducing bureaucratic procedures.
ii. National Council of Applied Economic Research conducted “NCAER -State Investment Potential Index
2018 (N – SIPI)” in which Kerala comes as an Achiever.
iii. The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) has conducted the conference in
Kochi. It is the industrial and investment promotion agency of Kerala government.
iv. Industries department introduced an online platform KSWIFT(Kerala Single Window Interface for Fast,
Transparent Clearances) which enable entrepreneurs to submit all applications online and obtain licences
and approvals in a time-bound manner.
v. In the Investment Climate Index, Kerala ranked second which made the state to aim building sustainable
industrial infrastructure with an eco-friendly and sustainable mode.

44th Global Summit of International Advertising Association held in Kochi

The 44th IAA World Congress was organised in Kochi International Advertising Association
(IAA),Kerala from 20th– 22nd February 2019.
i. The conference lasted for 3 days. It involved sessions from a wide variety of speakers-ranging from a spiritual
guru, industrial leaders to technology experts and so on. The highlight of the event was a robot trying to answer
theme-based question-“Brand Dharma, What’s coming next?”
ii. Brand Dharma incorporates concepts like environmental impacts of products, their source of raw materials,
how many people are involved in the process etc.

INS Dronacharya wins Kochi Area Boat Pulling Regatta 2019

On january 31,2019, INS Dronacharya team won the Regetta trophy in the Kochi Area Pulling Regatta
2019 of the Southern Naval Command (SNC) held in Kochi. is one of the most prestigious and traditional
naval sporting activities conducted by the Southern Naval Command.
The Boat Pulling Regatta Six teams, formed from all major units of South Naval Command participated in the
regatta,in which boats had to cover a distance of 1.6 km in the Ernakulam Channel, from the Venduruthy-
Vikrant Bridge and end at the North Jetty of the navy.

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Kerala Current Affairs - March 2019

Kerala’s Marayoor jaggery gets GI tag
On 8th March 2019,Marayoor jaggery from Idukki, Kerala gets Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the
central government.This jaggery is made from sugarcane and no chemicals are added during the
manufacturing process which makes it a world class delicacy.
Key Points
i. Marayoor jaggery is made using only traditional methods. It is dark brown in colour with high sweetness
and iron, less sodium content and insoluble impurities.
ii. The GI tag will help the traditional sugarcane farmers in Marayoor and provide them with more windows of
opportunities.

Malayalam writer and poet Ashita passed away aged 63

On 27th March 2019, veteran Malayalam writer and poet Ashita passed away at the age of 63 at a private
hospital in Thrissur , Kerala after fighting a prolonged battle with cancer.
Key Points:
i. She was born on 5th April, 1956, in Thrissur, Kerala.
ii. She was awarded with the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for her story collection Ashitayude Kathakal
in 2015, the prestigious Padmarajan Award – Thathagatha (2000), Lalithambika Antharjanam
Award (1994) and Edaserri Award (1986).

Kerala Current Affairs - April 2019

Senior Dubbing Artist C R Anandavally passed away at the age of 65
C R Anandavally, an eminent Dubbing artist of Malayalam films who let her voice to several heroines passed
away due to her prolonged illness at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on 5th April, 2019.
Key points
i. Anandavally was born in Kollam, Kerala and made a remarkable presence in the film industry by dubbing
for actress Rajasri in the film ‘Devi Kanyakumari’, Poornima Jayaram for the film ‘Manjil Virinja Pookkal’.
ii. She was also conferred with the Kerala state award for best dubbing artist for Aadharam in 1992.

Writer, Orator and Former Kerala Additional Chief Secretary D Babu Paul Passes Away
On 13th April 2019, Former additional chief secretary and writer Dr.Daniel Babu Paul,77, has passed away at a
hospital in Thiruvananthapuram due to a heart ailment. He was the author of the first Malayalam Bible
Dictionary ‘Veda SabdaRathnakaran’. In 2001,he published the autobiography ‘Katha Ithuvare’.
i. Paul was a member Ombudsman for local self-government institutions of Kerala during 2000-2001 and he is
a member of Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
ii. He had also worked as the Vice Chancellor of Kerala University, Chairman, Transport Commissioner, Finance
Secretary and Cochin Port Trust.

Malayalam film “Bhayanakam” won the best cinematography award at Beijing International Film
Festival
On 20th April 2019, Malayalam film Bhayanakam (Fear) which was directed by Jayaraj won the best
cinematography award at the Beijing International Film Festival and had also won the best cinematography
award at the 65th National Film Awards.
Key Points:
i. Nikhil S Praveen did the cinematography. The film portrayed the visits of the First World War veteran to a
small village in the backwaters of Kerala’s Kuttanad as a postman during the World War-II.

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ii. The festival also screened five Indian films which included Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali, Apur Sansar,
Aparajito, Love per Square Foot, and Ittefaq.

Periyar river in Kerala turns black

Kerala’s Periyar River has turned black near the Pathalam Regulator cum Bridge. This discolouration of
Periyar and fish kills have been a serious issue for last couple of years.
Key points
i. About hundred Indian anchovies (Kozhuva) fishes were found dead along the banks of the Muttar river, a
tributary of the Periyar.
ii. According to PCB (Pollution Control Board), the discolouration was due to the poor quality of water as a
result of eutrophication.

ICGS C-441 Commissioned at Vizhinjam

On 24th April 2018, The newly built Coast Guard Vessel ICGS C-441 was commissioned into the service by Tom
Jose, Chief Secretary of Kerala at Vizhinjam Harbour, Thiruvananthapuram. It is the seventh Interceptor vessel
amongst the series which is built by M/s. L&T Ltd (Larsen & Toubro Limited), Surat. Inspector General Vijay D
Chafekar, PTM, TM, Commander coast guard Region (West) Mumbai have attended the commissioning
ceremony.
About ICGS C-441:
i. It is 27.4 metres long and has106 tonnes displacement capacity and can achieve a maximum speed of 45
knots(83 km/hr).
ii. The vessel is powered by twin diesel engines and twin water-jet propulsion systems and has an endurance of
500 NM at 25 knots of speed.
iii. It is designed to perform close coast surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue, rendering assistance to
boats and crafts in distress at sea.
iv. The ship is fitted with state-of-the-art communication, navigational equipment and with light, medium and
heavy automatic machine gun onboard armament.
v. The vessel is furnished with infrared surveillance capability and can operate in shallow waters as well as in
deep seas.
vi. Assistant Commandant Amit K. Choudhary and 13 enrolled personnel specialised in various fields will
operate the vessel.

A group of jumping spiders spotted for the first time in Ernakulam’s Illithodu forests, Kerala
On 5th April 2019, a new species of jumping spiders named “Habrocestum longispinum” has been spotted
in Ernakulam’s Illithodu forests, Kerala by the arachnologists from Kochi’s Sacred Heart College, Thevara.
Key Points:
i. This new species belong to the genus Habrocestum, is being found in Eurasia and Africa.
ii. The survey was funded by the Department of Science and Technology – Science and Engineering
Research Board. The study has been published in the Journal of Natural History.

Kerala Current Affairs - May 2019

Kerala became first state to list Masala Bond in overseas market

Recently, Kerala became the first state to tap into masala bond market by listing the Kerala Infrastructure
Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)’s masala bond worth of USD 312 million (Rs 2,150 crore) in London Stock
Exchange (LSE)’s International Securities Market (ISM). The masala bond has a tenor of 5-year and a
9.723% coupon.

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i. This was the brainchild of Kerala’s state finance minister Thomas Issac. The objective of this initiative was to
tap masala bond market and to rebuild the infrastructure in Kerala from the proceeds of the masala bond.

The voice of Kerala’s Mappila songs, Eranholi Moosa passes away

Veteran singer, Eranholi Moosa died at the age of 75 at his residence at Gopalpet in Thalassery in Kerala’s
Kannur district. He was undergoing treatment for pulmonary diseases for quite some time.
i. He has served as the vice-chairman of the Folklore Academy.
ii. He was noted for many famous numbers like “Manikya Malar”, ‘Manassinteyullil ninnu’ and ‘Arimulla
punchiri’ and many others. He has performed on stages in India and Gulf countries.

Thrissur Pooram festival was celebrated in Kerala and was attended by around 10,000 people
The opening of the popular Thrissur Pooram festival in Kerala was attended by around 10,000 peoplealong
with 54-year-old tusker, Kerala’s tallest elephant ‘Thechikottukavu Ramachandran’ after it has cleared the
fitness test. Earlier, a ban had been imposed on the elephant after it killed two people during an event in
Guruvayur, Kerala.
Key points:
i. In high security, ‘Thechikottukavu Ramachandran’ was paraded at the Vadakkumnathan Temple and this
ceremony is also known as ‘Pooram Vilambaram’.
ii. The ‘pooram’ festival is annually celebrated and is considered as the mother of all temple festivals in Kerela.
iii. The festival was started in the late 18th century in 1798 through a royal edict of the erstwhile Raja Rama
Varma, popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of the then Kochi state.
iv. The edict entrusted two local temples: Paramekkavu and Thiruvambady as the 2 major sponsors of the
festivities.
v. This year, the most pompously celebrated event of the festival was the parading of more than 50
elephants and display of crackers.

Kerala Assembly to digitize all its records under the project E-Vidhan
Kerala Assembly will go paperless by undertaking an initiative to digitize all its records under the project E-
Vidhan. The project is assigned to the Cyber Park of Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society.
Key Points:
i. Within 14 months the first phase of the digitalization process is expected to be completed. By the launch of
this project, Kerala Government expects to save around Rs. 35 crores to Rs.49 crores annually.
ii. e-Vidhan, a Mission Mode Project (MMP) has been initiated as a part of Digital India program for State
Legislatures and e-Sansad for Parliament. The aim is to digitize both Parliament and state legislature
documents, including speeches, committee reports, questions and debates available on the internet. Ministry of
Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) is the Nodal Ministry for its implementation in all the 31 States/UTs. Himachal
Pradesh is the first Digital Legislature of the country.

Kadavoor Sivadasan, veteran Congress leader passed away at the age of 87 in Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala
Kadavoor Sivadasan, senior Congress leader passed away at the age of 87 in Thiruvananthapuram. He
hailed from Kollam, Kerala.
i. He served four-time as a legislator, under the Cabinets of K.Karunakaran and A.K.Antony.
ii. He was first elected as MLA in Revolutionary Socialist Party in early 1980 and 1982. Later he joined Congress
and won 1991 and 2001 assembly polls.
iii. He represented Kundara and Kollam constituencies in the Assembly.
iv. During his tenure, he worked as the minister for forest and rural development, health and family
welfare and labour minister.

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IBSA Sherpas meet concluded in Cochin

India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) Sherpas meeting was held in Cochin, Kerala from May 3 to May 5, 2019.
Before IBSA Sherpas meeting, the 9th IBSA trilateral Ministerial Meeting was also concluded at the same
venue. Indian delegation was led by T.S. Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Relations) in Ministry of External
Affairs and Amb. Norberto Moretti, Sherpa of Brazil and Prof. Anil Sooklal, Sherpa of South Africa led their
respective delegation at the meeting.
Key Highlights
i. The Sherpas of all three countries conveyed their happiness that the first Gandhi Mandela Memorial Freedom
Lecture was delivered by Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa on 25th January, 2019 in New Delhi.
ii. The Sherpas welcomed 6th India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime (IBSAMAR) exercise conducted off the
Coast of South Africa in September, 2018.
iii. The Sherpas also appreciated the work done by the IBSA Fund on Poverty and Hunger Alleviation which
funded 31 projects spread over in 20 countries.
iv. IBSA Academic Forum met in Cochin and presented their recommendation to the Sherpas. They also
appreciated the ongoing IBSA Fellowship Programme at the Research and Information System for
Developing Countries (RIS) which was launched at India’s initiative in 2017.

CBIC Organised Meeting Of Regional Heads Of Customs Administration Of Asia Pacific Region Of The
World Customs Organisation (WCO) In Kochi For 3 Days
• Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) had organised a meeting of the Regional Heads of
Customs Administration of Asia Pacific Region of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) from 8th May
to 10th May, 2019 in Kochi. India hosted this meeting as the Vice Head of the Asia Pacific region, duties it
assumed on 1st July, 2018 for a 2-year period.
• This meeting was headed by Mr. Pranab Kumar Das, Chairman, CBIC
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) had organised a meeting of the Regional Heads of
Customs Administration of Asia Pacific Region of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) from 8th May to
10th May, 2019 in Kochi. India hosted this meeting as the Vice Head of the Asia Pacific region, duties it
assumed on 1st July, 2018 for a 2-year period.
Key Points:
i. In the meeting, was discussed India’s progress in carrying forward the programmes, initiatives of WCO
to improve and provide security in the cross-border trade, the capacity building and technical assistance
needed to achieve this goal, work programs of the Vice-Chair and facilitation of bilateral meetings to be held
between the Member States.
ii. This meeting was headed by Mr. Pranab Kumar Das, Chairman, CBIC. The participants of the meeting
included customs delegates from more than 20 countries of the Asia Pacific region and the senior
dignitaries of the WCO and its regional bodies, namely, Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB) and
Regional Intelligence Liaoning Office (RILO).
iii. Mr. Pranab Kumar Das, Chairman focussed on the strategic principles guiding India. The principles are as
follows:
• Greater communication and connectivity within the region
• Making use of the technological advancements
• Developing an inclusive approach
• Agreement on major issues
iv. The major areas for focus in the meeting as discussed in the meeting are as follows:
• implementation of trade enhancement measures
• cross-border e-commerce (electronic commerce or digital trade) transactions
• constructing capacity of small island economies
• the on-going review of the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC)

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v. A Trade Day was organised on 7th May, 2019 before the meeting of the Regional Heads of Customs so as to
symbolise the importance of the collaborative approach between Customs and trade. In this 1-day long
deliberation, representatives from trade & industry and think-tanks shared their experiences for the adoption
of scheme, policies and steps to improve

Saudi Arabia lifted export ban on Kerala fruits and vegetables

Saudi Arabia has lifted export ban on fruits and vegetables from Kerala. In June 2018, the ban was imposed
due to the outbreak of Nipah virus.
Key Points:
i. Saudi Arabian authorities had communicated this information to the state in the second week of May and it
has led to the commencement of direct exports from the 3 airports.
ii. Kozhikode airport exports 20 tonnes of fruits and vegetables per day worth $50,000 to various destinations
in Saudi. Other 2 airports of Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram export the items to Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah
airports.
iii. The major items of export at present are mangoes such as Alphonso, Banganapalle, followed by banana and
pineapple.
iv. Kerala exports around 150 tonnes of perishable commodities to Gulf countries. It alone exports 30-40
tonnes to Saudi Arabia.

Indian Navy has enhanced its anti-air warfare capability by successfully test-firing MRSAM missile
The Indian Navy has achieved a significant milestone in enhancing its anti-air warfare capability by
successfully test-firing a Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) on the western seaboard.
Key Points:
i. The test-firing was carried out by Indian naval ships Kochi and Chennai.
ii. The MRSAM has been manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
iii. The test-firing of the missile was collaboratively undertaken by the Indian Navy, Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
iv. The DRDO had partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries and developed the missile.
v. The missile has the ability to destroy the hostile aircraft, missiles and drones at a range of 70 km.

CPM leader and former finance minister, V Viswanatha Menon passed away at 92 in Kochi
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and former finance minister, V Viswanatha Menon Passed away
at the age of 92 in Kochi, Kerala. He was popularly known as “Ambadi Viswam”. He was born in Ernakulam,
Kerala.
i. He served as the Finance Minister in 1987 during the Left Democratic Front government led by E.K. Nayanar.
ii. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1967 and was also a member of Rajya Sabha from 1974 to 1980. He was
elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1987 from Thrippunithura constituency.
iii. He has presented five state budgets and also holds the record for delivering the longest budget speech of
two hours and 35 minutes.

Justice Subhashan Reddy Dies At The Age of 76

On 1 May 2019, Former Chief Justice of Madras and Kerala High Courts, Justice Subhashan Reddy died at the
age of 76 in Gachibowli due to age-related ailments.
He was born at Amberpet in Hyderabad, Telangana in 1943.
Key Points:
i. He studied law at the University of University College of Law, Osmania University.
ii. He enrolled as an advocate in January 1966 and practiced Constitutional, Civil, Criminal, Revenue and
Taxation laws. He was retired in March 2005.
iii. In 1991, he was appointed as the judge of High Court of Andhra Pradesh and later served as Chief Justices of
High Courts of Madras in 2001 and Kerala in 2004.

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iv. After his retirement, he served as the chairperson on the AP State Human Rights Commission and acted as
the Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta in 2012.

NR Madhava Menon, father of modern legal education in India, passes away

On 7th May 2019, Renowned academician and father of modern Indian Legal Education, Dr. Neelakanta
Ramakrishna Madhava Menon (NR Madhava Menon) died at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram at
the age of 84. He was born on 4th May 1935 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
i. Madhava Menon founded the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru, National
Judicial Academy (NJA) in Bhopal and the National University of Judicial Sciences (NUJS) in Kolkata.
ii. The first national law school in India, National Law School of India, Bengaluru, was founded in 1986. The
school was headed by him for 12 years.
iii. The National University of Judicial Sciences in Kolkata was founded in 1998, and the National Judicial
Academy in Bhopal was founded in 2003.
iv. In 1953, he graduated in Zoology from SD College Alappuzha. He obtained his B.Sc. and B.L. degrees from
Kerala University. He completed his LL.M. and Ph.D. from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
v. He served on deputation as Principal of Government Law College, Pondicherry and Secretary of the Bar
Council of India Trust.
vi. Dr. Menon was bestowed with Padma Shri in 2003 for outstanding public services.

Kerala Current Affairs - June 2019

Dr Harsh Vardhan reviewed the status of Nipah virus disease in Kerala
Dr Harsh Vardhan,Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare(MoHWF), reviewed the status of Nipah Virus
Disease(NVD) in Kerala along withMs. Preeti Sudan, Secretary (HFW) and the Ministry officials.As of now, 15
people are under observation in the state.
Key Points
i. Since June 4, 2019, Strategic Health Operation Centre (SHOC) at National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)
has been activated and it is coordinating activities for Nipah containment.
ii. District Control Room was set up in the Collector Office. The Helpline No. is 04842425200.
iii. On June 7, 2019, the Health Minister of Kerala, Smt. K KShailaja met the Union Minister of Health & Family
Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan to discuss the status and preparedness of the State for containment and
management of Nipah Virus Disease.
iv. The Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) has permitted the Kerala Government to establish a regional
Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) laboratory in Kozhikode district. The estimated cost for the project is Rs. 8 crores.
v. Nipah virus is transmitted from animals to humans and then spreads through people to people contact,
causing respiratory illness.Its symptoms include fever, muscle pain, headache, fever, dizziness and nausea.

Kerala Sahithya Akademi awardee, Poet and lyricist Pazhavila Ramesan passed away at the age of 83 in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Pazhavila Ramesan, Poet and lyricist passed away at the age of 83 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He hailed
from Perinadu in Kollam district of Kerala.
i. He worked as the co-editor in K. Balakrishnan’s Kaumudi Weekly.
ii. He worked as the Director at the Kerala Bhasha Institute (State Institute of Languages).
iii. He penned Pazhavila Rameshante Kavithakal, Mazhayude Jalakom and Njan Ente Kadukalilekk (poetry
collections); Ormayude Varthamanam, Mayatha Varakal and Nervara (essays). He wrote lyrics for a few
Malayalam film songs including those from the films Njattadi (1979), Aashamsakalode (1984), Uncle Bun
(1991), Malootty (1992) and Vasudha (1992).
iv. He won Kerala Sahithya Akademi award in 2017.

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Indian Navy successfully conducted ‘live mating’ of submarine rescue system DSRV
On June 2, 2019, The Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) based at Visakhapatnam, successfully
conducted the live mating exercise. It involved the transfer of personnel from the bottomed submarine, INS
Sindhudhvaj. It was inducted into the Navy by the former Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba in
December.
Key Points:
i. The live mating exercise is a historic achievement towards DSRV integration into the Indian Navy. It paved
way for the Indian Navy to emerge as a Submarine Rescue Provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
ii. The DSRV is equipped with sophisticated radar and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
iii. It is operated by a crew of three and can rescue 14 personnel from a disabled submarine at one time.

Kerala Current Affairs - July 2019

India’s first elephant rehabilitation centre will be set up at Kerala’s Kottoor
India’s first elephant rehabilitation centre will be set up by the Kerala State Government in its
ecotourism village of Kottoor. Rs.105 crore has been allotted to this project which was launched by
Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan.
Key points:
i. At present, the center has only 15 elephants and it will be increased once work has been completed.
ii. The centre will have an elephant museum, mahout training centre, super-specialty hospital, a
retirement home and crematorium for the animals, will house orphaned, injured and older elephants.
iii. Now the state has 507 captive elephants & forest department plans to admit more captive
elephants.
iv. The centre has set up with 65 hectares of natural forests area will have elephant safari and other
activities to attract tourists.

Parliament passed Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019

On July 12, 2019, The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved
the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019. It will replace the Indian Medical Council
(Amendment) Second Ordinance, 2019. The bill will safeguard transparency, accountability, and
quality in the governance of medical education in the country.
Key Points:
i. Powers: The Bill supersedes the Medical Council of India (MCI) for a period of 2 years with effect
from September 26, 2018 and vests its powers in a government-appointed Board of Governors (BoG),
which would have 12 members instead of 7.
ii. Background: The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was introduced in the Lok Sabha
on December 14, 2018, and was passed by the House on December 31, 2019. But it could not be taken
up for consideration in the Rajya Sabha. So it was decided to promulgate a fresh Ordinance namely the
Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, to allow the board of governors appointed in
view of supersession of MCI to continue to exercise powers of MCI. The BoG was constituted under the
Chairmanship of Dr. V.K. Paul, Member NITI Aayog including six other members.

India’s first space tech park to come up in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

The Kerala government will set up India’s first space tech park at Thiruvananthapuram’s
Knowledge Citywith the entire investment made by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)
which is a major space research centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It will make
the city a manufacturing hub for space-related technology which will have a startup incubator,
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accelerators including Airbus Bizlab, skill training systems and production units.
Key Points:
i. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Knowledge Centre and Space Museum will be a part of the infrastructure.
ii. Kerala government will lease 20.01 acres of land to the Kerala State Information Technology
Infrastructure Ltd (KSITIL) to develop the space park. Of this, 16.07 acres which has Special Economic
Zone (SEZ) status will be denotified. KSITIL will hand over required land to ISRO to set up Dr APJ
Abdul Kalam Knowledge Centre and Space Museum through a lease agreement.
iii. Santhosh Kurup, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kerala government owned Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) Academy, was appointed as the special officer of the space park
project and Electronics and Information Technology (IT) Department of Kerala government will
be the implementing agency.

Kerala Tourism organized 5-day annual Nishagandhi Monsoon Ragas Music Fest 2019 in
Kanakakkunnu, Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala Tourism organized a 5-day annual Nishagandhi Monsoon Ragas Music Fest 2019
in Kanakakkunnu, Thiruvananthapuram. It was held from July 20-24, 2019. It was inaugurated by
the Governor of Kerala, P Sathasivam at Nishagandhi Auditorium in Kanakakkunnu.
i. Eminent classical musicians Parassala B Ponnammal, aged 95, and TV Gopalakrishnan, aged 87,
were awarded Nishagandhi Sangeetha Puraskaram, instituted by Kerala Tourism for their
outstanding contributions to music. The award carried a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh, a citation and a
memento.

International shark meet held in Kochi, Kerala at CMFRI

Representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) as well as researchers on shark
trade, are attending the 4-day International Shark Meet at the Central Marine Fisheries Research
Institute (CFRMI).
i. The meet is jointly organised by FAO and CFRMI.
Key points
The aim of this meeting is to bring the scientific community to describe various methods being used
and adopted in research work on sharks and rays.

Non-Resident Keralites Investment Company to be set up by the Kerala Government

On July 10, 2019, At a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan, the state
Government decided to form a Non-Resident Keralites (NRK) Investment and Holding Company
Ltd in order to bring investments from overseas Keralites for major infrastructure development in the
state. It was one of the major recommendations submitted by the standing committees of the Loka
Kerala Sabha (World Kerala Assembly),
i. The 74% stake of the company will be held by expats and 26% will be held by the Kerala
Government.
ii. A Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) Chief Executive Officer will be appointed as special
officer of the company.

KSUM to host Women Startup Summit 2019 on August 1 in Kochi

The nodal agency of the Kerala state government for entrepreneurship development and incubation
activities, Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in association with the Indian Women Network floated
by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will host a one day event ‘Women Startup Summit
2019’ at the Integrated Startup Complex, Kochi, Kerala on August 1, 2019 with the
theme “Developing an Inclusive Entrepreneurship Ecosystem”.Key Points:
i. The summit aims to encourage aspiring women professionals to take up their entrepreneurial

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journey and develop an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem.

ii. Nearly 20 women startups are shortlisted for the summit from the “She Loves Tech 2019 Global
Startup Competition” which is a global platform for women entrepreneurs as well as startups
dedicated to improve the lives of women.

INS Sagardhwani starts on mission Sagar Maitri

The Marine Acoustic Research Ship (MARS), INS Sagardhwan started its two-month long second
mission Sagar Maitri from Southern Naval Command in Kochi, Kerala. It was flagged off by Southern
Naval commander Vice Admiral A.K. Chawla and Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) chairman G. Satheesh Reddy. It will be visiting Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia
and would be initiating collaborative research programmes with selected institutes in these countries.
Key Points:
i. The aim of the mission is to collect data from the entire North Indian ocean with the focus on the
Andaman Sea and adjoining seas and establish long term collaboration with Indian Ocean Ring
countries in the field of ‘Ocean Research and Development’.
ii. The mission aligns with the broad objective of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy declaration
‘Safety And Growth for All in the Region’ (SAGAR).
iii. The first Sagar Maitri mission was held in April 2019 when INS Sagardhwani visited Myanmar.
INS Sagardhwani
It is an indigenously built Marine Acoustic Research Ship (MARS) which was commissioned in 1994.
Owned by Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory and operated by the Indian Navy, the ship has
carried out intensive oceanographic observational programmes and research over the years. It will
celebrate its silver jubilee on July 30, 2019.

Kerala Current Affairs - August 2019

Court infrastructure facilities topped by Delhi and Kerala, based on the report by independent
legal think tank Vidhi Centre
According to a recent survey conducted by Vidhi centre for for Legal Policy in its report titled
“Building Better Courts (Surveying the Infrastructure of India’s District Courts)”, Delhi (90%)
and Kerala (84%) became the top-performing states in court infrastructure facility
whereas Bihar (26%) and Manipur (29%) have the poorest infrastructure in lower judiciary.
i. Based on 9 parameters formulated by Vidhi Centre for legal policy, 665 district courts across 29
states and 9 union territories were surveyed on the physical and digital aspects of the court
infrastructure
• The nine parameters are getting there, navigation, waiting areas, hygiene, barrier-free access,
case display, security, amenities and website.
Other top performing and poor performing states
i. Nagaland, West Bengal, and Jharkhand were the lower ranking states in infrastructure but better
than Bihar and Manipur.
ii. The higher-ranking states other than Delhi and Kerala are Meghalaya, Haryana and Himachal
Pradesh.
Survey results
i. If a court complex had three-phase like ramps, tactile pavements and designated washrooms, they
are considered to be a full-service court complex. Only 39% of states in India had the full-service court
complexes.
ii. 81% (539 out of 665) of court complexes are accessible where public transport and 80% (532)
complexes have parking.

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iii. The largest number of court complexes inaccessible by public transport where Gujarat Sikkim and
Tripura.
iv. According to the National Court Management Systems (NCMS) committee which was set up
in 2012, a guide map or reception Centre along with the facilitation centre and document filing
Centre should be set up at the entrance of the complex but there are only 20% district courts having
guide maps and 45% having help desk.
v. Goa, Jharkhand, UP and Mizoram had least number of functional washrooms in their court
complexes
Security survey
Only 11% Court complexes had baggage scanning facility, 71% had fire extinguishers and only 48%
had emergency exit signs

Kerala, TN, Himachal & Py tops the 2019 India child well-being index
On August 27, 2019 “Child well-being index” was launched to assess and track children’s well-being.
Prepared by NGOs(Non-Governmental Organisation) World Vision India andInstitute for Financial
Management and Research-Leveraging Evidence for Access and Development (IFMR LEAD), the index
was topped by Kerala (0.76), followed by Tamil Nadu (0.67) and Himachal Pradesh (0.67) bagging the
top three slots in the index. Among Union Territories(UT), Puducherry topped the spot.
Key points
i. Meghalaya (0.53), Jharkhand (0.50) and Madhya Pradesh (0.44) were the poor performers and were
ranked at the bottom. Among UTs Dadra and Nagar Haveli was ranked at the bottom.
ii. The report was based on 3 key dimensional factors derived from 24 indicators. The 3 factors are
healthy individual development, positive relationships and protective contexts.
iii. The report states that 40% of the country’s population is made of children between the ages of 1
and 18.
i. Kerala: Kerala topped the spot due to its high level of performance in health, nutrition and
education facilities. Also, it performed better in terms of clean drinking water and sanitation facilities
in addressing malnutrition.
ii. Jharkhand: Due to poor performance in terms of child survival, nutrition, water and sanitation,
basic education Jharkhand ranked at the bottom resulting in school dropouts and is in need to focus
on improvement.
iii. Madhya pradesh(MP): There are more crimes against children and also juvenile crimes in the
state. More children live in poor families. MP also ranked low in child survival rate and nutrition.
About World Vision India:
Founded- 1962.
Founder- Robert Pierce.
India Director and CEO(Chief Executive Officer)- Cherian Thomas.

3 new products from two states receive Geographical Indication (GI) tag
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade(DIPP), Government of India(GoI)
has granted Geographical Indication (GI) tag for 3 new products from two states. Tawlhlohpuan (a
woven fabric) and Mizo Puanchei (a colourful Mizo shawl) from the State of Mizoram and Tirur betel
vine from Kerala are the latest addition in the GI list.
Key points:
i. Tawlhlohpuan: It is a fine quality, a medium to heavyweight, fabric woven produced throughout
the Mizoram. The towns of Aizawl & Thenzawl hold the main production of this fabric.
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It is best known for warp yarns, warping, weaving & handmade complicated designs. In Mizo
language, Tawlhloh means ‘to stand firm or not to move backward’.
ii. Mizo Puanchei: It is a colourful shawl/textile from the state Mizoram. It is an essential possession
for every Mizo women and an important marriage outfit in the state. It also the most commonly used
costume in the state festive dances and official ceremonies.
To create this beautiful and alluring textile, the weavers in the state insert the designs and motifs by
using supplementary yarns while weaving.
iii. Tirur betel vine: It is mainly cultivated in Malappuram District of Kerala (Tirur, Tanur,
Tirurangadi, Kuttippuram, Malappuram and Vengara blocks), is mostly valued for its medicinal,
industrial & cultural usages.
iv. Recently GI tag was also given to the famous Panchamritham, an offering of the Palani
Dandayuthaswamy temple, in Tamil Nadu.
v. Benefits: The GI tagging will help rural artisans, who possess unique skills and knowledge of
traditional practices and methods. They can make & market their products domestically and
internationally.
About Geographical Indication
It is used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation
that are due to that origin.

Kerala Current Affairs - September 2019

Kerala to set up India’s first iWTC in Kozhikode
In consonance with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), Kerala will set up India’s
first International Women’s Trade Centre (iWTC) in Kozhikode to boost women entrepreneurship and
secure gender parity. It is an important Gender Park under the Department of Social Justice of Kerala
Government.
Key Points:
i. It will have women’s start-up and incubation centre, retail fashion and technology outlets, health and
wellness centres, business centres and offices, conference-convention-exhibition spaces, performing arts
centre, residential suites and day-care for seniors and children.
ii. The first phase of iWTC will be completed by 2021. It is executed under the Gender Park’s “Vision 2020”.
iii. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Gender Park is P T Mohammed Sunish.
About Kerala:
♦ Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
♦ Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
♦ Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan
♦ Festivals: Onam, Vishu, Thrissur Pooram, Nehru Trophy Boat Race
♦ National Parks: Anamudi Shola National Park, Eravikulam National Park, Mathikettan Shola National Park,
Pambadum Shola National Park, Periyar National Park,Silent Valley National Park
♦ Wildlife Sanctuaries: Aralam WLS, Chimmony WLS, Idukki WLS, Periyar WLS, Wayanad WLS, Peppara WLS,
Neyyar WLS, Kurinjimala WLS, Malabar WLS et

Renowned writer of Kerala Sivaraman Cheriyanad passed away at the age of 78 years
On September 12, 2019 famous Writer and author SivaramanCheriyanad passed away at the age of 78. Born
in Chengannur, Kerala,in December 13, 1941, Sivaraman initially worked as a school teacher and then started
to write many novels, stories, especially children’s literature. Some of his famous works include Adhyeham,
Koda, Tholu, BhagavathitheruvileKattu, Puthiya Padangal, Oru Pavam Kazhutha, Engane Oro Vidditham,

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Asidhara, Valiyavarude Maranam Valiya Maranam, Neethipeedathile Kurudan, Vietnam Kathakal, Kattinte
Niram.
Key points
i. Awards: He was honoured with Abu Dhabi Sakthi Award in 1988, A.P.Kalakkad Award(2009), Kerala Sahitya
Akademi scholarship in 1990-91 for study on the writings of writer Parappuram and also received National
Teachers Award in 1989.
ii. Positions held: He was the State office-bearer of the Purogamana Kala SahithyaSangam and also served as
the president of the SahithyaPravarthaka Cooperative Society and vice president of the A.R. Rajaraja Varma
Memorial Committee. He was an executive member of the Kerala SahityaAkademi’s Publication wing

Noted Malayalam actor Sathar passed away in Kochi, Kerala

Sathar, veteran Malayalam actor, has passed away in Kochi, Kerala after suffering from liver ailments. He was
67.
i. Born on 25 May 1952, Kadungalloor near Aluva in Ernakulam district of Kerala, has over 300 movies to his
credit, including Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films.
ii. He made his acting debut in 1975 with Malayalam movie Bharyaye Aavashyamundu directed by M. Krishnan
Nair & in 1976 with Vincent Master’s directorial Anavaranam.
iii. Some of his famous films include God For Sale, Kaanchi, No. 66 Madura Bus, 22 Female Kottayam, Roudram,
Pakal, Arayannangalude Veedu, Kalapam, Lelam, Boxer, Mafia. He has acted in popular Tamil films, including
Mayil and Soundaryame Varuga Varuga.

Senior HC judge, Justice C.K. Abdul Rehim, appointed as Acting CJ of the Kerala High Court
On September 21, 2019 according to law and justice ministry’s notification the President of India, Shri Ram
Nath Kovind has appointed senior High Court (HC) judge Justice C.K. Abdul Rehim as the acting Chief
Justice(CJ) of the Kerala High Court after incumbent Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy was elevated as the Supreme
Court (SC) Judge.
Key points
Abdul served as a lawyer and worked as Government Pleader and Senior government pleader during 1991-96
and 2001-2006 respectively. He was appointed as the permanent High Court judge of Kerala in 2010.

Indian writer, V J James’s novel ‘Nireeswaran’ wins Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Literature Award
2019
An Indian writer who primarily writes in Malayalam language, V. J. James’s novel ‘Nireeswaran’ (Atheist,a
person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God) has been selected for the Vayalar Ramavarma
Memorial Literature Award 2019.
The author would be presented with this award at a function held in Thiruvananthapuram on October 27,2019,
the death anniversary of the late Ramavarma.
Key points:
i. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1-lakh, a sculpture designed by Kanayi Kunhiraman and felicitation
letter.
ii. Hailing from Vazhappally in Changanassery (Kerala), V. J. James is an engineer in Vikram Sarabhai Space
Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. His novel ‘Nireeswaran’ poses the principles of God and faith. It
has been published by D.C. Books.
iii. James’s major works include ‘Purappadinte Pusthakam’, ‘Dathapaharam’ and ‘Chorashatram’
About Vayalar Award:
It is given for the best literary work in Malayalam. The award was instituted in 1977 by the Vayalar Ramavarma
Memorial Trust in memory of the poet and lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma (1928-1975).

Kerala govt and RCC jointly signs MoU with Maldives on cancer care
On September 16, 2019 the govt. of Kerala and the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) jointly signed Memorandum

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of Understanding(MoU) with Maldives to strengthen cancer care in the island nation by giving training to
doctors. Maldivian minister Abdulla Ameen and Kerala’s health minister KK Shylaja signed the MoU in
presence of Kerala Chief Minister(CM) Pinarayi Vijayan.
About Kerala:
♦ Capital- Thiruvananthapuram.
♦ Governor- Arif Mohammad Khan.
♦ Important rivers-Bharathapuzha River, ChalakkudyRiver,Neyyar River, Periyar River, Kurumali River.

Kochi to host 22nd India International Seafood Show after 12 years

The 22nd edition of the India International Seafood Show (IISS) which is one of the largest seafood fairs in Asia,
is to be hosted by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) in association with Seafood
Exporters Association of India (SEAI) in Kochi (known as queen of Arabian sea) at Hotel Grand Hyatt from
February 7-9, in 2020. This biennial show would be Kochi’s first hosting after 12 years.
Key points
i. First and last show: The first Seafood Show was held in Mumbai in 1973 and the 21st/previous edition of the
IISS was held in Margao, Goa in 2018.
ii. This 22nd edition includes delegates such as seafood processors, buyers, and stakeholders from other
related sectors.

NITI Aayog releases School Education Quality Index (SEQI) 2019

A policy think tank of the Government of India (GoI) , NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming
India) has released its first edition of School Education Quality Index (SEQI) 2019 with the aim to evaluate
the performance of States and Union Territories (UTs) in the school education sector with the reference year
2016-17. West Bengal did not participate in the Niti Aayog exercise.
i. Overall performance for large and Small states & UT
• Large states category: As per the Index , Kerala has emerged at the top with 76.6 percent points in
overall performance in large states category in 2016-17. Uttar Pradesh ranked at the bottom with 36.4
% points.
• Small states category: Among Small States , Manipur has claimed the top spot with 68.8% &
Arunachal Pradesh ranked at the bottom with 24.6 percent points.
• UT (Union Territory) category : In UTs list, Chandigarh got 1st place in the overall performance with
82.9 percent & Lakshadweep is at the bottom position with 31.9 %
• A policy think tank of the Government of India (GoI) , NITI Aayog (National nstitution for
Transforming India) has released its first edition of School Education Quality Index (SEQI)
2019 with the aim to evaluate the performance of States and Union Territories (UTs) in the school
education sector with the reference year 2016-17. West Bengal did not participate in the Niti Aayog
exercise.
• Key points:
i.The Index was released by Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog, in the presence of NITI Aayog
Member Dr Vinod Paul, CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Mr Amitabh Kant and Ms Rina Ray, Secretary,
Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource and Development and
representatives from the World Bank( WB) in New Delhi.
Ranking : In this index, the quality of school education of 20 larger states, 8 smaller states & 7
UT’s (Union Territory) has been ranked by a number between base year ( 2015-16) and Reference Year
(2016-17).
• Index Categories:
SEQI is based on 4 index categories, which includes
1. Overall performance for large and Small states & UT (Union Territory)
2.Incremental performance ranking for large and Small states & UT (Union Territory)

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3.Learning Outcomes category

4.Governance Processes Aiding Outcomes category
• 1. Overall performance for large and Small states & UT
Large states category: As per the Index , Kerala has emerged at the top with 76.6 percent points in
overall performance in large states category in 2016-17. Uttar Pradesh ranked at the bottom with 36.4
% points.
Small states category: Among Small States , Manipur has claimed the top spot with 68.8% &
Arunachal Pradesh ranked at the bottom with 24.6 percent points.
UT (Union Territory) category : In UTs list, Chandigarh got 1st place in the overall performance with
82.9 percent & Lakshadweep is at the bottom position with 31.9 %.
• The top three & bottom three states/UTs in the list are,
States/UTs Overall Performance Ranking (2016-17)
Large States 1. Kerala 18. Punjab
2. Rajasthan 19. Jammu & Kashmir
3. Karnataka 20. Uttar Pradesh
Small States 1. Manipur 6. Sikkim
2. Tripura 7. Meghalaya
3. Goa 8. Arunachal Pradesh
Union Territories 1. Chandigarh 4. Daman & Diu
2. Dadra and Nagar Haveli 5. Andaman & Nicobar Islands
3. Delhi 6. Lakshadweep
• 2. Incremental performance ranking for large and Small states & UT
Large States Category: Haryana showed high rates of improvement with increases of 18.5% points
between 2015-16 and 2016-17 followed by Assam(16.8 %), Uttar Pradesh(13.7%), Odisha(12.4%),
Gujarat (10.6 %).
Small states category: Meghalaya got first place in incremental performance ranking with gains of
14.1%, followed by Nagaland (13.5 %) and Goa (8.2 %).
UT (Union Territory) category: All seven UTs showed an improvement in their overall performance
score between 2015-16 and 2016-17. Daman & Diu stood 1st for the size of the increase, with gains of
16.5 %, followed by Dadra & Nagar Haveli (15 %) ,Puducherry (14.3 %) .
States/UTs Annual Incremental Performance (Between Base Year: 2015-16 and Reference Year: 2016-
17)
Large States 1. Haryana 18. Jharkhand
2. Assam 19. Uttarakhand
3. Uttar Pradesh 20. Karnataka
Small States 1. Meghalaya 6. Sikkim
2. Nagaland 7. Mizoram
3. Goa 8. Arunachal Pradesh
Union 1. Daman & Diu 4. Lakshadweep
Territories 2. Dadra and Nagar Haveli 5. Chandigarh
3. Puducherry 6. Andaman & Nicobar Islands

• 3. Learning Outcomes category

Large states Category: Karnataka leads the Large States on the Outcomes category with a score of
81.9 % & Uttar Pradesh scores the lowest at 34.1 percent.
Top three larger states in this list are,
Rank State Name
1 Karnataka
2 Rajasthan

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3 Andhra Pradesh
• Small states Category: Manipur received first score among the Small States on the Outcomes category,
with 82.1 percent. Arunachal Pradesh has the lowest score at 27.2 %.
Union Territory category: Chandigarh secured the best performing UT on the Outcomes category,
with a score of 88.4 %, while Lakshadweep ranks the lowest position with 28.9 % points.
• 4. Governance Processes Aiding Outcomes category
Large States category: Kerala (79%) leads the Large States in Governance Processes Aiding Outcomes
category , which accounts for about 30 percent of the overall score. It includes indicators related to
student and teacher attendance systems, availability of in-service teacher professional development,
school leadership, accountability, transparency in teacher recruitment and financial discipline.
Jharkhand has the lowest score of 21.0 % in this category.
Small states Category: Mizoram ranks first among Small States with a score of 47.5 % points, while
Arunachal Pradesh ranks last with a score of 18.3 % points.
Union Territory category: Chandigarh is the best-performing UT with a score of 69.5 percent, while
Dadra & Nagar Haveli received the lowest score of 33.5 percent.
• About SEQI : It is a platform through which NITI Aayog evaluates the performance of schools in a
particular state or UT and benchmarks them against other states.
Benefits: The index helps government understand the challenges that school education sector faces in
different states and UTs while also evaluating their strengths that can help solve problems in other
states with similar problems.
Data shared by states and UTs and was prepared with the help of World Bank (WB) and other technical
experts by Niti Aayog.
• About NITI Aayog:
Formed: 1 January 2015
Headquarters : Delhi
Chairperson : Narendra Modi,
Vice Chairperson : Rajiv Kumar,
CEO: Amitabh Kant

Kerala tourism wins 3 awards in 2019 PATA gold awards in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
On September 18, 2019, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) awards for the year 2019 was held in Nur-
Sultan (Astana), the capital of Kazakhstan. The Kerala tourism has won 3 PATA gold awards at the event and
the awards are given for an ethnic food restaurant run by women at Kumarakom(Kerala) under its Responsible
Tourism(RT) mission, for Kerala tourism campaign advertisement ‘Come Out and Play’ and the third one was
for its website www.keralatourism.org
Key points
i. The award was received by state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and Tourism Director P Bala
Kiran from Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of Macau Govt. tourism office and Dr Mario Hardy, Chief
Executive Officer(CEO) of PATA, during the PATA Travel Mart(PTM) 2019.
ii. The ad campaign was designed by Invis Multimedia and run by Stark Communication.
iii. This year(2019), Kerala Tourism won the highest number of PATA awards in South Asia region.
iv. Recently in July 2019, “Find the Incredible You” campaign under Incredible India campaign was declared the
winner of PATA gold award 2019 for “Marketing – Primary Government Destination” category.

CIAL ranked as the best airport in terms of customer satisfaction for the year 2018: ACI Survey
In a survey conducted by Airport Council International (ACI), Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) at
Kochi, Kerala was named as the best airport in terms of services it offered to passengers for the year 2018. It
stood at the top spot in 5-15 million passenger category among the airports in the Asia-Pacific region.
Key Points:
i. The award was conferred at the 2nd annual ACI Customer Experience Global Summit held at Bali, Indonesia.
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ii. The annual Airport Service Quality (ASQ) awards by ACI ranks and awards the best airports in the world
based on ASQ departure survey.
iii. ASQ is the only global airport survey based on measuring passengers’ satisfaction taken while they are at
the airport.

President appoints 5 new Governors

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind on August 31st, 2019 has appointed 5 new governors namely
Dr.Tamilisai Soundararajan, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Kalraj Mishra, Arif Mohammed Khan and Bandaru
Dattatreya for Telangana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Kerala, and Himachal Pradesh respectively.
Key points
i. Tamilisai Soundararajan: She is appointed as the governor of Telangana. She is the former Tamilnadu chief
of the BJP(Bharatiya Janata Party) and its National secretary. The governor post was preceded by ESL
Narasimhan who was the Governor of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh (AP) after its Bifurcation since
2014. He is also recently replaced by Biswabhusan Harichandan as AP governor.
ii. Bhagat Singh Koshyari: He was the former Chief Minister(CM) of Uttarakhand (2nd CM), who also served as
National Vice President of BJP and party’s 1st State president in the state. He is now appointed as the governor
of Maharashtra succeeding VidyaSagar Rao whose 5-year term comes to an end.
iii. Kalraj Mishra: He is appointed as the Governor of Rajasthan replacing Kalyan Singh. He served as former
union minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) under Prime Minister Modi’s first government.
Prior to his appointment he served as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh.
iv. Arif Mohammed Khan: He is appointed as the Governor of Kerala replacing P Sadhasivam (former chief
justice of india) whose 5-year term comes to an end. He served as Former civil aviation minister.
v. Bandaru Dattatreya: He is appointed as the governor of Himachal Pradesh replacing Kalraj Mishra. He
previously served as the national vice-president of the BJP, labour&employment minister, and also as a
Member of Parliament
State New governor Preceded by
Telangana Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan E S L Narasimhan
Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari Vidya Sagar Rao
Rajasthan Kalraj Mishra Kalyan Singh
Kerala Arif Mohammed Khan P Sathasivam
Himachal Pradesh Bandaru Dattatreya Kalraj Mishra

Snake boat Nadubhagam Chundan clinched the 67th Nehru Trophy for the year 2019 at Punnamada
Lake in Alappuzha, Kerala
Snake boat Nadubhagam Chundan which was rowed by Pallathuruthy Boat Club clinched the 67th Edition of
the Nehru Trophy 2019 in the boat race held at the Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha, Kerala. 79 boats,
including 23 snakeboats participated in the event.
Key Points:
i. Champakulam chundan rowed by United Boat Club- Kainakary, Karichal chundan (Police Boat Club) & Devas
chundan (NCDC Boat Club, Kumarakom) finished second, third and fourth respectively.
ii. Saradhy of Police Boat Club won the final of Thekkanodi Women Tharavallam.
iii. Nehru Trophy 2019, the first race of the inaugural edition of the Champions Boat League (CBL), was
inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan in the presence of former Indian cricketer, Sachin
tendulkar who was the chief guest.
iv. CBL, India’s first boat race on the lines of IPL (Indian Premier League), is hosted by Kerala Tourism.

Former foreign secretary K.P.S. Menon (junior) passes away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Former Foreign Secretary & a 1951 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Kumara Padma
Sivasankara Menon Jr.(junior) has passed away at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala due to
age-related ailments. He was 90.
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i. He had served as the Foreign Secretary of India from 1987 to 1989. He had also served as Ambassador to
Bangladesh, Egypt, Japan, Hungary, and China.
ii. His father Kumara Padma Sivasankara Menon or K.P.S. Menon (Senior) was the first Foreign Secretary of
independent India. Sivasankara Menon, nephew of KPS Menon Jr, is the foreign secretary and national
security adviser.
iii. He worked as an ambassador to various countries, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Japan, and China.

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