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The South First faithfully & fearlessly reports news on varied issues that matter to you.

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Reclaiming civility in the digital public square

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Why Kerala’s special K-TET has sparked a battle over experience and eligibility

https://t.co/kDctP2LIhi

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Did Minister Nirmalkumar misrepresent AAI’s findings on Parandur? Report raises questions

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Tamil Nadu leads depression, Kerala anxiety, Telangana third: Smaller states carry the worst burden per patient

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Reclaiming civility in the digital public square

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Boat carrying Indian tourists capsizes near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam; rescue efforts underway

https://t.co/eTfliiVciI

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Six including POCSO complainant killed in brutal incident in Ranga Reddy district; police intensify manhunt

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Savariya case: Crime Branch to investigate; re-post-mortem report due Tuesday

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US court seeks clarification from Gautam Adani on quid pro quo allegations in bribery case

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#Kerala : #NASA's #AnilMenon set to become first astronaut of Malayali origin in space

#NASA astronaut Dr. #AnilMenon is all set to script history as the first #astronaut of #Malayali origin to travel to space, with his launch to the International Space Station (ISS) scheduled for July 14 aboard Russia's Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft.

The 49-year-old physician, engineer and military officer will lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in #Kazakhstan along with two Roscosmos cosmonauts for an expedition expected to last around eight months.

NASA announced that Menon is scheduled to begin his maiden spaceflight to the orbiting laboratory on 14 July.

Though born and brought up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Anil Menon traces his roots to Kerala through his family.

He is a descendant of #ChetoorSankaranNair, the eminent freedom fighter and the first Malayali to serve as president of the Indian National Congress.

His family connections extend to #Palakkad and Ottapalam, making the mission a moment of pride for Kerala.

Before being selected as a NASA astronaut, Menon built an extensive career in aerospace medicine.

He joined NASA as a flight surgeon in 2014 and played a key role in supporting multiple long-duration International Space Station expeditions.

He served as deputy crew surgeon for Soyuz 39 and Soyuz 43 missions and later became the prime crew surgeon for Soyuz 52.

As part of NASA's Human Health and Performance Directorate, he also led work related to astronaut health systems and the development of direct-return spacecraft.

During this period, he spent more than six months living and working in Star City, Russia, the country's renowned cosmonaut training centre.

An emergency medicine physician by profession, Menon also served NASA in several medical leadership roles before being chosen for the agency's 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class.

He officially reported for astronaut training in January 2022 and completed two years of intensive preparation before being assigned his first space mission.

Menon was born to an Indian father and a Ukrainian mother and was raised in the United States.

At the same time, another Keralite could soon follow Anil.

Group Captain #PrasanthNair, one of the astronauts selected for India's #Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, is expected to become the next person from Kerala to undertake a journey into space.

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#Kerala : Expert team to study #Kalladi tunnel debris collapse

The state government has constituted a five-member expert committee to investigate the debris collapse at the tunnel face of the #Kalladi Phase-3 project in #Wayanad, while also announcing compensation for the victims and directing that construction work resume only after the panel submits its report.

As per the decision, the committee will examine the reasons behind the accident, whether the contractor violated any contractual conditions during the execution of the project, and scrutinise the environmental clearances granted by both the state and the Centre, as well as the forest clearance issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).

The committee comprises geologist Dr. C.P. Rajendran, ecologist Dr. Vishnudas, Chief Wildlife Warden Dr. P. Pugazhendi (IFoS), the Secretary of the Public Works Department, and the Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, who will serve as the convenor.

The convenor has also been authorised to co-opt additional experts if required.

The panel has been asked to identify the causes of the debris collapse, examine compliance with the contract conditions, review the environmental and forest clearances linked to the project, and submit its findings to the government within one month.

The government has also ordered that construction activities at the Kalladi Phase-3 tunnel should continue only after the expert committee submits its report.

Meanwhile, financial assistance has been sanctioned from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) for those affected by the mishap.

The dependents of each person who died in the accident will receive ₹5 lakh, while the injured will be provided medical assistance of up to ₹2 lakh, depending on the nature and severity of their injuries.

As of now, seven lives were lost in the mishap with one person still missing.

A total of 18 persons were present at the site when the debris collapse happened.

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#Kerala : a teacher at a government-aided school in #Malappuram has been booked under provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act after a Class 5 student allegedly sustained a fractured arm when he hit her with a cane inside the classroom.

The #Kalpakanchery police registered the case against K. Balraj, a UP section teacher at Kallingalparamba MSM Higher Secondary School, based on a complaint filed by the girl and her family.

The incident reportedly took place on Thursday.

According to the complaint, the student had been absent from school for a few days due to illness and was copying notes she had missed.

While she was writing, the teacher allegedly struck her on her right hand with a cane, accusing her of not paying attention in class.

The family alleged that the blow caused a fracture in her right arm.

The child later told reporters that she was writing the notes given by the teacher when he came up behind her and hit her with the cane.

Her family also alleged that school authorities took the injured girl home instead of immediately shifting her to a hospital.

Apart from approaching the police, the family has lodged complaints with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), seeking action against the teacher.

Meanwhile, the District Educational Officer has sought a report from the school on the incident.

Education officials said a preliminary inquiry found lapses on the part of the teacher, and disciplinary proceedings, including suspension, would be initiated by the school management.

A Parent-Teacher Association meeting has also been convened on Monday to discuss the incident.

Officials said the teacher had earlier faced complaints from parents, while the police have begun a detailed investigation.

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#Telangana: Student union leaders in a press release on Friday announced that the statewide shutdown of educational institutions, organized to protest the #Congress government's stance— which has pushed the state's education sector into a severe crisis— was successful.

"Students across the state participated in the shutdown in large numbers following a call by organizations including SFI, AISF, PDSU, AIDSO, AIFDS, AISB, and AIPSU."

During the event, student union leaders and activists laid siege to the state ministers' residential complex in Hyderabad. A scuffle ensued when the police obstructed the students who were protesting peacefully. Leaders alleged that the police assaulted several students with punches and arrested them forcibly.

They criticized the use of coercive measures against students who were seeking a democratic resolution to their issues, stating that such actions reflect the government's attitude towards democracy.

They pointed out that although the Congress government has been in power for nearly two years, the failure to appoint a full-time Education Minister reveals the government's negligence towards the education sector. They noted that the lack of leadership in the Education Department has left government schools and colleges struggling with numerous problems.

They criticized the government for indirectly paving the way for the merger and closure of government schools under the guise of 'Young India Schools' and 'International Schools.' They expressed concern that the government—which ought to be strengthening public education—is instead adopting policies that jeopardize the very existence of government schools.

They further alleged that the Congress government is hindering the higher education of thousands of poor students by failing to release scholarship funds and fee reimbursement arrears amounting to approximately ₹10,814 crore, which have been pending for six years. They stated that the Congress government, which speaks of social justice, has jeopardized the education of poor students.

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#TamilNadu amends rules to regulate inter-State transport of rough stones, M-Sand

The Tamil Nadu government has amended the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage of Minerals and Mineral Dealers Rules, 2011, empowering the Director of Geology and Mining to regulate the transport of rough stones and related materials to other States.

The amendment was notified through an Extraordinary Gazette (G.O. Ms. No. 15, Natural Resources Department) issued on July 9, 2026. A new Rule 3-A has been inserted under the rules, authorising the Director of Geology and Mining to regulate the movement of rough stones, including khandas, boulders, size-reduced (broken or crushed) materials, M-Sand, metal jelly, ballast, mill stones, hand chakais, and building and road construction stones across State borders.

The notification states that the regulation may include the imposition of a temporary ban on the transport of these materials to other States, wherever necessary, to ensure adequate availability and supply within Tamil Nadu.

The amendment has been issued under Section 23-C of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and was signed by Shunchonngam Jatak Chiru, Principal Secretary to Government (FAC), Natural Resources Department.

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Out on bail, POCSO accused goes on killing spree in Shabad; violent crimes rise in Ranga Reddy district

https://t.co/7g4I9j7wbL

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Should #teachers with decades of classroom experience be forced to clear an eligibility test to keep their jobs? #Kerala's special #KTET has reignited a debate after #SupremeCourt rulings made #TET mandatory for in-service teachers.

@dvk_dileep writes,

https://t.co/kDctP2LarK

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#Kerala : Savariya case: Crime Branch to investigate; re-postmortem report due Tuesday

The State Crime Branch will investigate the death of #Malayali medical student #SavariyaBasanth in #Uzbekistan, even as the initial findings of the re-postmortem conducted in Kerala have reinforced suspicions that she died from a severe head injury sustained during a brutal assault.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, who visited Savariya's residence in Haripad on Friday evening, announced that the investigation has been handed over to the Crime Branch.

He said the State Crime Branch ADGP H. Venkatesh has ordered an immediate probe and entrusted the investigation to a senior officer.

The move follows a State Police Chief circular mandating that cases involving crimes committed against Indian citizens abroad be investigated by the State Crime Branch.

"The girl was brutally murdered. We will ensure that the accused receives the maximum punishment possible," the minister said, adding that while the crime occurred outside India and limits the jurisdiction of the local police, the state would pursue every available legal avenue.

Meanwhile, the re-postmortem conducted at Alappuzha Medical College Hospital has, in its preliminary assessment, confirmed the findings of the initial autopsy in #Uzbekistan that Savariya died due to a serious head injury accompanied by bleeding and clotting in the brain.

A team of forensic experts carried out the examination after her body was brought back to Kerala on Thursday.

Around 150 photographs were taken during the procedure, which was fully videographed.

The detailed report is expected to be handed over to the police on Tuesday.

Doctors found two injuries on the head along with bruises spread across almost the entire body.

There were black and blue marks from the face to the feet, injuries on the legs, and bruising on the chest, which is suspected to have been caused by kicks.

The findings have strengthened suspicions that the assault was far more brutal than initially believed.

Doctors in Uzbekistan had earlier noted multiple injuries across her body, including visible bite marks. While these injuries were not considered the direct cause of death, they are regarded as significant evidence of the physical abuse she allegedly endured before her death.

Medical experts, however, are yet to determine exactly how the skull injuries were inflicted or what weapon was used.

Although reports had suggested that Savariya was struck on the head with a laptop, her relatives said no official confirmation regarding the weapon had been communicated to them.

The final forensic report from Uzbekistan is expected to be shared with the Indian Embassy within about 20 days.

At the same time, the accused, her classmate, Sadarul Anam, a native of Perinthalmanna in Kerala, has been arrested by Uzbek authorities and remains in police custody there.

Officials said the accused reportedly took the injured student to a hospital, where she underwent emergency neurosurgery but could not be saved.

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#Kerala: Chief Minister #VDSatheesan visited the #Kollur #Mookambika Temple early on Saturday and offered special prayers.

Arriving under Z+ security, the chief minister took part in the temple's morning rituals.

The temple authorities later honoured him during the visit.

This was Satheesan's first visit to the shrine after assuming office as chief minister. A long-time devotee of Goddess Mookambika, he has visited the temple on several occasions in the past.