Global News Post: Kerala

Indian State Plans for Wellness Tourism

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India,   (NNN-Bernama)
-- With the new tourism season round the corner, south Indian state Kerala has
put in plans to provide world-class Ayurveda facilities and services for
visitors factoring in the biodiversity hotspot of Western Ghats. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">One of the eight hottest biodiversity hot
spots in the world, Western Ghats has been identified a key component in Kerala
Tourism's campaign focusing on Ayurveda, latching on to the worldwide interest
in the ancient Indian system of wellness, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Kerala is naturally blessed to be the
flag bearer of Ayurveda because of the state's rich ecosystem available within
the <st1:place w:st="on">Western Ghats</st1:place>," said Kerala Tourism
Minister AP Anil Kumar, prefacing the plan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Kerala is home to over 900 species of
Ayurvedic herbs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Western Ghats, the mountain range that
runs through its eastern sector from the hills of Wayanad in <st1:place w:st="on">Northern
 Kerala</st1:place> to the southern Sahyadri peak, is an abundant reserve for
medicinal herbs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">For instance, 'Agasthyakoodam' peak near the
state capital, believed to be abode of Sage Agasthya of Indian mythology, is
home to some of the rarest medicinal herbs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Under the Tourism Department's quality
assurance policy, visitors looking for therapeutic and rejuvenating programmes
would be guided by the 'Green Leaf' and 'Olive Leaf' grading for Ayurvedic
institutions, which marks 'Kerala Tourism approved Ayurvedic Centres,' a Kerala
Tourism release said on Friday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In Kerala, a majority of foreign visitors
utilising the Ayurveda wellness programmes were from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Germany</st1:country-region>,
the Middle East and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">According to state Tourism Secretary Suman
Billa, "Ayurveda of Kerala is essentially wellness oriented, a treatment
to bring vigour and existence to your system. That is what the tourists are
looking for." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Ayurvedic therapy programmes are
expected to push the length of holidays for tourists further. Under the
Ayurveda-focused tourism campaign, the average length of the holiday for
foreign tourists was expected to go up to 18 days per person from the present average
stay of 16.2 days. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The State is also transforming itself into
an Ayurveda therapy for illness besides the present pillar as a wellness
treatment destination. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">While certain illnesses like back pain are
already treated under Ayurveda, the Ayurvedic centres across the State will be
offering treatment for illnesses like respiratory ailments also. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Another plan of the State to bring about a
convergence between different systems of medicine centring on holistic and
multidisciplinary hospitals offering treatment under traditional as well as
modern systems of medicine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The State tourism had also decided to add
new destinations and new products, the release added. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Indian State Plans for Wellness Tourism

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India, (NNN-Bernama) -- With the new tourism season round the corner, south Indian state Kerala has put in pl...

INDIA: God’s Own Land, Kerala State Woos Investors

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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">By Saraswathi Muniappan <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">COCHIN, Kerala state, India, (NNN-Bernama) – India’s southern state, Kerala is wooing environment friendly foreign investment in an array of areas to emerge as a strong and vibrant economy and create more job opportunities for its people. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The state on the Malabar Coast in southwest India is well connected via air-link, sea routes and houses India’s first International Container Transshipment Terminal and excellent data and telecommunications connectivity throughout the state. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“But, we recognise that such facilities alone will not bring investment and investors. We recognise our weaknesses and limitations in areas where we are yet to realise our full potential,” its chief minister, Oommen Chandy said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Hence, Emerging Kerala, which attracted some 2,000 delegates from 50 countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and other countries, including Malaysia, is part of a process for creating a climate for investment, he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“Our objective is to present to the world about the quality and quantity of business opportunities available in Kerala for investment and the mechanisms and processes that are in place to convert these opportunities into reality.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Emerging Kerala, a three-day event that ended on Friday, is all about deepening and intensifying the already deep global and national connect of Kerala. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“This is an expression of the collective will of our people to scale greater heights beyond the successes in achieving social goals,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Harvard University’s Economic Professor, Gita Gopinath quashed the perception that a social welfare oriented state cannot be successful on the economic front. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“Scandinavian countries, such Sweden and Norway are great example of how a social welfare focused nations can still rank high as favoured investment destination,” she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Kerala with 93.91 per cent literacy rate has huge educated population and the state should take advantage of that, she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“Kerala needs jobs for its educated and skilled workforce. There is a large group of highly educated people in Kerala who can’t find job in the state,” she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Currently, more than two million Keralites work outside the state, mainly in the Gulf region and contributing 22 per cent to Kerala's Gross Domestic Product via remittance. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Gita, who is a Keralite herself, said the state should look forward to investments in core sectors such as information technology, tourism, healthcare as well as banking and investment. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The tourism potential of Kerala is immense and its beach front of 700km provides a unique enclave for international tourist with annual growth of 15 per cent and seven per cent in domestic arrivals, Malaysia’s Special Envoy to India and South Asia for Infrastructure, S. Samy Vellu said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“By 2021, three million foreign tourists and 18 million domestic tourists would have patronised Kerala. To propel this growth, eco-friendly investment through Public-Private Partnership must be encouraged,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The state, also known for its abundant scenic beauty, earned itself the widely acclaimed name, “God’s Own Land.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Medical and Ayurveda city is another area Kerala should work on, he suggested. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“Develop an Ayurveda City with state of the art infrastructure with modern hospitals, affordable, “green apartment” and cutting edge research and development centres,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The Indian Ayurvedic market size is estimated at Rs80 billion (US$1.45 billion) and it is growing substantially between 10 per cent and 15 per cent with the same growth rate targeted for the next 10 years, said Samy Vellu. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">A slew of financially viable projects in the infrastructure sector were presented namely tplan to make five canals in Kochi navigational and connect it with the road network and the metro rail system. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Gita also pointed out that the state government should channel its incentives to young entrepreneurs, as they would create job. Older companies, including micro, small and medium enterprises do not create new jobs. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“The plans and ideas are very good but the most important thing is implementation, and more than that, the acceptance of foreign investors by the locals,” Malaysian-owned SI Property (Kerala) Pvt Ltd managing director, SN Raghuchandran Nair, said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Firstly, Keralites should be educated that foreign investment is good for their state. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“The Kerala state government is committed in development with care and sustainability, but the locals feel that the foreigners will loot their state,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">It was reported that as the event was set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last Wednesday, numerous organisations gathered in strength to express their disapproval of a move that many fear could “submerge” Kerala. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">People gathered with placards against the programme on the main streets of Kochi. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Raghuchandran also opined that generally in India there is lack of long-term planning, which needs to be address in order to have sustainable development. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“Kerala used to have energy surplus but not anymore, we have good rainfall but with the lack of proper rain harvesting planning and infrastructure, we also have water deficit,” he pointed out. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Chief executive officer of Bangalore-based Krystile Consultancy, Latha Mohandas was also a little skeptical, saying, “Emerging Kerala is very interesting but it depends on the seriousness of the state in going all out for it.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Having attended several such events in other states, she said while they often talk about single window clearance, when, “we take business seriously and go to invest in the respective state, no single window clearance is available,” she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The difficulties in land acquisition are really a hindrance for infrastructure investors in India, said another participant. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“The difficulties derail projects and developers incur additional cost. It will be good if the government, state or central, comes forward to give some sort of guarantee in land acquisition,” said the participant who requested anonymity. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">He also said Kerala does have its own set of industrial-related and political unrest and “it is a huge problem in this state.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The chief minister in his speech had said that words or ideology alone would not get Kerala either investors or investment and it is no longer time for vain words but for a bold constructive action. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“We hope the Kerala state government would walk their talk on this,” he stressed.--NNN-BERNAMA <o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

INDIA: God’s Own Land, Kerala State Woos Investors

By Saraswathi Muniappan COCHIN, Kerala state, India, (NNN-Bernama) – India’s southern state, Kerala is wooing environment friendly forei...

India: Kerala Leads List on Obscene Postings on Internet

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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NEW DELHI  (NNN-PTI): Kerala is the most literate state in the country but when it comes to posting obscene articles or photos on the Internet, people from God's own country seem to be also on top, if one goes by government data.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">About 27 per cent (136) of the 496 cases of obscene publication registered in the country last year were from the southern state, topping the list in this regard<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Around 55 per cent of the 245 cyber crime cases reported last year were from Kerala.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to the 'Crime in India 2011' report released recently by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Kerala is way ahead of Andhra Pradesh which came second with 52 cases followed by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh with 40 cases each.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a list of 53 cities having a population of over one lakh, Kerala's commercial capital Kochi ranked fourth with 12 cases of obscene publication and was behind Bengaluru (19), Jodhpur (15) and Ludhiana (13). There were seven cases from Malappuram, five from Kozhikode and four each from Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram and Trissur among others.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Keralites also used the cyber world to indulge in eve- teasing or harassing women with a motive in 85 cases registered, second only to Andhra Pradesh (98) in this connection. While 13 cases in Kerala related to settling scores, in 32 it was for money.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the all-India level, the report said cyber crimes went up by a whopping 67 per cent last year in the country while the number of those arrested for such incidents rose by 140 per cent.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to the report, the number of such cases touched 2,213 (registered under IT Act and IPC sections) in 2011 from 1,322 the previous year.-NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Kerala Leads List on Obscene Postings on Internet

NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI): Kerala is the most literate state in the country but when it comes to posting obscene articles or photos on the Inte...

India: Kerala State to Go Ahead with Seaplane Project

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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (NNN-Bernama) -- South Indian state of Kerala government has decided in principle to launch the seaplane services to boost tourism in the State, reported Press Trust of India. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The public sector Pavan Hans would be entrusted with the work to carry out technical feasibility study of the project, State Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar said here on Friday after a meeting convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to discuss the details of the proposal, made in the budget for 1012-13. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Five companies have approached the state government expressing interest in the project, he said adding the government aims to have an open sky policy instead of having monopoly for any particular company. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A final decision would be taken on the project planned under Tourism Development programmes only after conducting environment impact and financial feasibility of the project, he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A total of 20 spots have been identified for the project now, he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Government plans to showcase the project in the coming 'Emerging Kerala' meet to be held in September in Kochi. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Seaplanes are small aircraft designed to take off from land and float in the water. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Kerala State to Go Ahead with Seaplane Project

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (NNN-Bernama) -- South Indian state of Kerala government has decided in principle to launch the seaplane servic...

Illegal Felling: Microchips to be Fitted in Sandalwood Trees in S. Indian State

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (NNN-PTI) -- In a bid to check illegal felling of sandalwood, trees will be fitted with microchips soon in south Indian state Kerala. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The state Forest Department is considering a plan to implant microchips in sandalwood trees to prevent its widespread theft in the state. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In the initial phase, the project will be implemented at the sandalwood forest in Marayur, state Minister for Forests K B Ganesh Kumar said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Located 42 kms north of Munnar, the Marayur reserve forest is a paradise of naturally grown sandalwood trees. Many recent surveys have found that around 20,000 of nearly 60,000 sandalwood trees there have been plundered in the last eight years. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Ganesh Kumar said his department was holding discussions with Keltron for getting technical support for installing chips to guard against thieves. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">“At present, the government has to deploy 68 forest guards every night to protect the precious sandalwood at Marayur," he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">R Rajaraja Varma, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, said it is for the first time that the department is considering plan to insert chips in trees to protect them. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">"It is not new to insert chips in animals to track its movements. With the implantation of chips, forest personnels would get alerts if anybody try to steal sandalwoods," he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">According to market sources, the base price of Marayur sandalwood is Rs 1,100 (USD 19.7) per kilogram. -- NNN-PTI <o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Illegal Felling: Microchips to be Fitted in Sandalwood Trees in S. Indian State

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (NNN-PTI) -- In a bid to check illegal felling of sandalwood, trees will be fitted with microchips soon in south...

Chinese Cucumber Penetrates India's Kerala Vegetable Market

Chinese Cucumber Penetrates India's Kerala Vegetable Market

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (NNN-Bernama) -- After toys and plastic utensils, it is now the turn of cucumbers from China to hit the local ...

India: Kerala Firms Develop E-Tutor Tablet

India: Kerala Firms Develop E-Tutor Tablet

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Kerala state, India (NNN-Bernama) -- In a joint venture, two Kerala-based IT firms here have developed an e-tutor tea...

India: Kerala Varsity to Host World Seminar on Hadith Literature

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</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Kerala state, India (NNN-Bernama) -- Kerala University will be hosting a five-day international seminar on Hadith literature, focusing on the language, philosophy and teachings of Hadith, which records the biography, history and the life of the Prophet Muhammad. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The seminar, which will kick-off on Feb 14, will be attended by leading Islamic scholars and academicians from various countries. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Organised by the Arabic Department of the university, the seminar will also focus on the language, syntax, philosophy and teachings of Hadith, Press Trust of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> (PTI) reported. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In the university's website, it said that: "Hadith literature is the most important source which records the biography, history and the life of the Prophet". <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">As the Quran has been revealed in highly literary Arabic language, of the Hadith too is highly literary Arabic, the website on the seminar said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">More than 100 scholars from countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, UAE, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia are expected to turn up for the event. --NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Kerala Varsity to Host World Seminar on Hadith Literature

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Kerala state, India (NNN-Bernama) -- Kerala University will be hosting a five-day international seminar on Hadith lite...

India: World's First Greeting Card Re-Made in Glass Surface in KERALA

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (NNN-Bernama) -- The world's first greeting card, which was published 171 years ago in London, has been re-made in a glass surface in south Indian state Kerala. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Fr G S Francis, a priest, has painted the picture of the century-old card and scribbled down the wordings in it on the surface of a piece of glass slab. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The sole copy of the card is now kept at the <st1:state w:st="on">Victoria</st1:state> and <st1:placename w:st="on">Albert</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Museum</st1:placename> in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">London</st1:place></st1:city>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The priest of a parish church in Thalassery, had collected a picture of the card with the help of his friends abroad and copied it to the glass piece, aiming to revive the tradition of greeting cards, according to Press Trust of India (PTI). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The picture of a family celebrating Christmas can be seen at the centre of the card. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Two sub-pictures of people giving solace to destitute could be seen in both sides of the main picture. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">As in the original card, the greetings message--"A merry Christmas and Happy New Year"--is given at the bottom of the glass painting also, Francis said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The idea of creating a greeting card and send it to near and dear ones was first drawn up by Henry Colin, a London-based government employee. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">He had created the first card with his artist-friend Horsely which is now kept in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city></st1:place> museum.  -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: World's First Greeting Card Re-Made in Glass Surface in KERALA

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (NNN-Bernama) -- The world's first greeting card, which was published 171 years ago in London, has been re-m...

India: E-Chip Soap Creates 'Soap' Opera of Sorts in Kerala

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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>By P. Vijian </b></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;">CHENNAI (NNN-Bernama) -- Residents of the Beemapalli district in the south Indian state of Kerala recently found themselves embroiled in a different kind of 'soap' opera. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;">The petrified residents in the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram sounded the alarm bell when they discovered their bath soaps embedded with electronic chips. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;">Whether they have been watching too many tele-serials was another matter, but they feared the chip could be a bomb or a device to film them in the nude! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;">The  residents sought police help to get to the bottom (pardon the pun) of the matter. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;">According to the local media, a police probe revealed it was nothing more than a motion sensor-based soap distributed by a foreign pharmaceutical firm, via a local non-governmental organisation, to survey sanitation habits among consumers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;">"There is nothing alarming or mysterious (about the chip in the soap). It is just like any other marketing strategy of MNCs (multinational companies). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;">"The police special branch decided to collect and verify the details from the research agency," city Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham told a local daily today. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;">The pharmaceutical firm had apparently distributed soap bars implanted with a special chip and residents were promised Rs400 (RM27) if they returned the used soap after a few days. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;">According to the police, the researchers would download data from the chip, using a card reader, to study the sanitation pattern. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white;">Nevertheless, following the bad press which the soap had received, the British firm yesterday called off the survey. ---NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div>

India: E-Chip Soap Creates 'Soap' Opera of Sorts in Kerala

By P. Vijian CHENNAI (NNN-Bernama) -- Residents of the Beemapalli district in the south Indian state of Kerala recently found themselves ...

India: Kerala to Become Global Pilgrim Tourism Centre

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">KOCHI</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> (NNN-Bernama): South Indian state Kerala, with its large number of temples, churches, mosques and several other places of worship, will soon become global pilgrim tourism centre, according Press Trust of India (PTI).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Kerala Government has decided to launch a pilgrim tour called "Darshan Yatra" across the state to promote pilgrim tourism and thus to woo more tourists to the state.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The State Tourism Department has drawn up a special package for the 'Darshan Yatra' as per which tourists can choose the pilgrim destinations of their choice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Under the plan, Kerala has been divided into three zones according to the presence of major pilgrim centres. The 'yatra' will be arranged in three packages lasting two days, tourism officials said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The first tour, beginning from capital city Thiruvananthapuram, will cover places like Kovalam, Tiruvallam, Attukal, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Padmanabha</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Swamy</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Temple</st1:placetype></st1:place>, Veli and Neyyar dam.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Another group will begin from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kochi</st1:place></st1:city> and cover the Ernakulathappan temple, Kaladi, Thripunithura, Athirampuzha, Guruvayur and Kadampuzha. The third group will start from Angamali and cover the places like Kanniyur, Bharananganam, Malayattur, Pala and Valiyapalli, sources said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The department also has plans to set up a global village in its commercial capital <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kochi</st1:place></st1:city> to woo foreign tourists, they added. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">According to their latest figures, around 8.5 million domestic tourists visited the state in 2010 and the number of foreign tourists was 700,000.-NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Kerala to Become Global Pilgrim Tourism Centre

KOCHI (NNN-Bernama): South Indian state Kerala, with its large number of temples, churches, mosques and several other places of worship, w...

India: Malaysian-Made Sex Stimulants Rock Kerala State

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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By P. Vijian <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CHENNAI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- Malaysian-made sex-enhancing stimulants appear to be sexing up nocturnal activities in Kerala, but the influx of illegal imports of the libido-boosters into the state is worrying drug control officials. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sex stimulants -- from gel, aphrodisiac brew, herbal pill and anti-impotence drugs -- mostly produced by Malaysian firms are household names in the southern Indian state. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Many products like cream or gel for genital use are found to be manufactured in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Malaysia</st1:place></st1:country-region>, like places in Selangor. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Marketing is usually done through MLM (multilevel-marketing) and it is hard for us to monitor," Ravi S. Menon, Assistant Drugs Controller of Kerala's central zone told Bernama in a telephone interview. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some cash-rich Keralites, he said, were willing to splurge hefty sums to purchase pleasure-boosting items, often sold at exorbitant prices. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For instance, eight grammes of sex stimulant gel for men are being sold for about 3,000 Indian rupees (RM200) in some parts of Kerala. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"There is a strong demand in Kerala for these items...they are usually imported, together with cosmetics," said Menon. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In July, last year, his department seized a large consignment of herbal aphrodisiac sent from a Malaysian port and illegally imported into Kerala, aimed at giving the state's very own age-old ayurvedic love-potions, a run for the money. -- NNN-BERNAMA <o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Malaysian-Made Sex Stimulants Rock Kerala State

By P. Vijian CHENNAI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- Malaysian-made sex-enhancing stimulants appear to be sexing up nocturnal activities in Keral...

India: Kerala State Prisoners Using High-Tech Phones to Mastermind Global Terror Operations

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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">By P. Vijian <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">CHENNAI (NNN-Bernama) -- Prisoners in Kerala state are suspected to be using high-tech mobile phones to 'call the shots' to mastermind international terror networks. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Suspecting such a link, the police in the south Indian state have launched a major probe after seizing 120 mobile phones, including satellite phones, in several raids last month. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The seizure has revealed that prison inmates made about 3,000 outgoing calls locally and overseas. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As a result, police investigators fear the prisoners could have possibly been in touch with terror operators in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> or abroad. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Anti-terror experts have revealed the seized modern satellite phones could be used to detonate bombs. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">"There were several computer-generated numbers and we don't know who was on the receiving end. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">"Calls could have been made to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Sri Lanka</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region> or <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region> because at that time, these nationals were also in Kerala prisons. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">"We don't have the facility to trace these calls and our central agency will carry out the investigations," Alexander Jacob, Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) told Bernama today. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Officials are clueless as to whether the alleged calls were linked to 'hawala' transactions (illegal money transfer), terrorist groups or criminal activities. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">"The fresh revelations lead to the suspicion that terrorist outfits have even spread their tentacles to the jails," said a recent report prepared by Jacob's department. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Based on the findings, Kerala state police have now sought the help of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe if prisoners lodged in the states' jails were linked to global terror outfits. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Over 35,000 inmates in nearly 50 jails across Kerala state are now under the scanner, following the report. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Anti-terror experts revealed the seized modern satellite phones could be used to detonate bombs and calls were hard to track, reported local media. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Prison officials were alerted after a jailed local politician was recently caught using a mobile phone. --NNN-BERNAMA</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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India: Kerala State Prisoners Using High-Tech Phones to Mastermind Global Terror Operations

By P. Vijian CHENNAI (NNN-Bernama) -- Prisoners in Kerala state are suspected to be using high-tech mobile phones to 'call the shots...

India: Kerala To Host Global Meet On Ayurveda Festival

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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span>  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (NNN-BERNAMA) -- South Indian state,Kerala, is gearing up to host an international festival on Ayurveda, the ancient art of medicine. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The six-day Global Ayurveda Festival, scheduled to begin on February 9 next year, is envisaged to showcase the potential of the traditional medicinal system to the world, Press Trust of India (PTI) cited its organisers. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The event organised by Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA), in partnership with the state Ayurveda Department, aims to would work out strategies for tapping the global market for Indian medicinal products. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Kerala Health Minister Adoor Prakash said the world recognizes the power of Ayurveda, but its potential remains untapped. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Professional and industry bodies like Ayurveda Medical Officers Association and Ayurveda Medicine Manufacturers Association including global players are expected to participate in this event. -- NNN-BERNAMA <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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India: Kerala To Host Global Meet On Ayurveda Festival

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (NNN-BERNAMA) -- South Indian state,Kerala, is gearing up to host an international festival on Ayurveda, the ancient ...

India: Killer “Rat Fever” Worries Kerala

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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 8pt;">By P. Vijian <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">CHENNAI (NNN-Bernama) -- At least 600 suspected cases of "rat fever" were reported in Kerala with close to 100 deaths this year as post-monsoon diseases threaten the state. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Health authorities are on high alert, mainly in northern Kerala, to tackle the outbreak of rat fever (leptospirosis), normally transmitted by rat urine or infected animals. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"It is a zoonotic disease, usually spread by animals like rats and people become victims. Suspected cases of rat fever have increased because of the long, two-to-three month monsoon, we had here. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"So far we have confirmed five deaths due to rat fever in Kozhikode," Dr P.K. Mohanan, <st1:place w:st="on">Kozhikode</st1:place> district medical officer told Bernama. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">According to Mohanan, patients suffer from multiple symptoms such as high fever, internal bleeding, liver damage and muscle pain, similar to dengue or cholera, which makes it difficult to isolate the disease. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Officials said most of the patients, aged above 40 years, were sanitation and waste disposal services workers, who were easily exposed to the bacteria. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The state is also grappling with the cases of cholera and typhoid -- all prevalent as a result of the rainy season. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Killer “Rat Fever” Worries Kerala

By P. Vijian CHENNAI (NNN-Bernama) -- At least 600 suspected cases of "rat fever" were reported in Kerala with close to 100 dea...

KERALA BECOMES FIRST INDIAN STATE WITH TOTAL BANKING

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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (NNN-Bernama): Kerala has become the first state in India to achieve total financial inclusion with each household in the state having at least one bank account and the facility for need-based credit. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At a meeting of bankers here on Friday, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy distributed certificates to the banks that had participated in a drive to take banking services to every corner of the State. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Chandy said banks had a lot more to do for the state and its people, according to Press Trust of India (PTI). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lending to the agriculture sector should go up from the present 22 per cent of the total lending to priority sector, even more than RBI's norm of 18 per cent, he said.-NNN-BERNAMA</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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KERALA BECOMES FIRST INDIAN STATE WITH TOTAL BANKING

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (NNN-Bernama): Kerala has become the first state in India to achieve total financial inclusion with each household in t...

INDIA: MALAYALEES CELEBRATE ONAM

INDIA: MALAYALEES CELEBRATE ONAM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (NNN-Bernama) -- Keralites celebrated Onam, their most important and colourful festival, with traditional gaiety and ...

Tourism in Kollam District of Kerala

Tourism in Kollam District of Kerala

The Minister of State of Tourism, Shri Sultan Ahmed informed Rajya Sabha today that, development and promotion of various tourism destinat...