Latest news with #Chandrasekhar
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Adoni MLA draws flak over casteist remarks, tenders apology
Tirupati: Adoni BJP MLA Dr P Venkata Parthasarathi has tendered an apology after his casteist-remarks' video drew criticism from the Dalit and SC-ST communities and from various quarters as well. The Adoni MLA, who went to attend an official programme at Dhanapuram village on June 16, was addressing the villagers from a makeshift stage erected close to the local temple premises. In the video which is going viral, the MLA calls for local sarpanch Chandrasekhar to come onto the stage. But when he can't find the sarpanch, Parthasarathi asks the leaders on the stage if Chandrasekhar was a Christian. Then a local leader identified as Gudise Krishnamma tells the MLA that Chandrasekhar belongs to the SC community, and Chandrasekhar stops himself from going up onto the stage. Various pro-Dalit organisations and human rights forums strongly condemned the incident and demanded an apology from the ruling party legislator after the video of the incident went viral on various social media platforms since Wednesday. Meanwhile, Adoni MLA Parthasarathi clarified that he himself was from the BC community and had taken part in many Dalit movements in the past. "I had no intention to hurt anyone's sentiments on the caste or religious lines. The local sarpanch Chandrasekhar had recently joined the BJP from the YSRCP and when I called up his name to come onto the stage and he wasn't seen anywhere, I doubted if he belonged to Christianity and was reluctant to come onto the stage which was close to the temple premises," he said. Recalling his association with numerous groups fighting for Dalit rights, Parthasarathi stated that he was tendering an open apology if the incident had hurt the sentiments of the Dalit groups and others.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Yoga crucial to student wellness: NTRUHS V-C
VIJAYAWADA: Emphasising the significance of integrating yoga into students' daily routines, Dr P Chandrasekhar, Vice Chancellor of Dr NTR University of Health Sciences, highlighted yoga's 5,000-year-old heritage and its relevance in modern life. Addressing a yoga demonstration organized by the university in collaboration with medical students and staff on Wednesday, Dr Chandrasekhar said yoga enhances both physical and mental health. 'Students should adopt yoga as a daily practice to maintain a healthy mind-body balance,' he stated. He lauded Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for launching a month-long yoga awareness campaign from May 21 to June 21, aimed at encouraging widespread public participation and promoting yoga's health benefits. Dr Chandrasekhar announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Naidu will participate in a landmark yoga event on June 21 at Visakhapatnam Beach, targeting a Guinness World Record with five lakh participants. He noted that wellness-focused infrastructure is being developed on the university campus, including walking tracks and yoga spaces, to promote a healthy lifestyle. Chairman of the Medical Council Dr Srihari Rao and other dignitaries participated in the event. The university reiterated its commitment to holistic health and wellness.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Seema's rose farmer blooms big on the global market
Chilamattur (Sri Sathya Sai district): 'There's no better way to say 'I love you' than with a red rose,' reads a popular Valentine's Day poem. For Hazimullah, a pioneering rose farmer from Kodikonda village in Chilamattur mandal of Sri Sathya Sai district, this sentiment fuels a thriving global business. Recognised by the Andhra Pradesh horticulture department as the state's top rose farmer, Hazimullah exports high-quality roses from his 5-acre farm to markets worldwide. His signature 'Tajmahal' red roses are highly sought after in Dubai, Kuwait, New Zealand, Europe, and several Asian countries, especially during Valentine's Day. Operating from a state-of-the-art farm with polyhouses, cold storage, packhouses, and a farm pond, Hazimullah exports over 2,00,000 red roses annually for the romantic holiday alone. His roses, including red, pink, and yellow varieties, are also auctioned at the International Flower Auction Centre in Bengaluru, reaching global markets through other exporters. 'Rose farming demands hard work, persistence, and resilience,' Hazimullah told The Hans India. While many have left the industry, his disciplined, family-driven approach has led to success. He stands out as the only largest rose producer and exporter in the Rayalaseema region, according to horticulture assistant director Chandrasekhar. Unlike Araku Valley, once known for rose farms, or Kadiyam for nurseries, Hazimullah's farm is a unique export-oriented and training hub. His success is a family effort. Hazimullah credits his brother, Ziullah, an Agriculture graduate, for providing expert guidance. Launched in 2018 with 50 per cent subsidies from Central and state horticulture departments for polyhouses, the farm yields seven harvests annually, producing 8 lakh flowers per acre—totaling over 3 crore roses across 5 acres. Roses sell for Rs 5–6 in Bengaluru and fetch Rs 15–20 in international markets. The venture generates approximately Rs 15 crore annually, with half covering operational costs and the rest as profit for the joint family business, which employs around 40 workers, primarily from Uttar Pradesh. Sri Sathya Sai district collector T S Chethan has been a key supporter, providing administrative encouragement and highlighting Hazimullah's inspiring journey.
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar slams Congress over Jamaat-e-Islami support in Nilambur bypoll
Malappuram (Kerala) [India], June 16 (ANI): BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday criticised the Congress party over its alleged association with Jamaat-e-Islami in the upcoming Nilambur Assembly bypoll and accused the party of playing 'opportunistic' politics. Speaking to ANI, Chandrasekhar said, 'The people of India must follow the politics of Rahul's Congress that is being played out here in Nilambur. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra came to Nilambur yesterday to campaign, and she had no words to talk about the obvious contradictions of the Congress party that waves a constitution on one hand and enters into a political alliance with separatists, terror-supporting organisation Jamaat-e-Islami... She comes here but doesn't say a word about the future of the people of this place, but speaks about problems in Gaza and Iran for her petty politics...' After Jamaat-e-Islami announced its support to UDF candidate, the BJP leader further said that going into a 'political alliance' with a 'radical' organisation like Jamaat-e-Islami exposes Congress' 'double standards, lies and opportunist politics.' Chandrasekhar stated, 'Why is Rahul's Congress getting into alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami... Jamaat-e-Islami is an organisation that invited Hamas to speak to the youth of Kerala. It is the organisation that supported terrorist Ajmal Kasaab. It is an organisation that did not speak one word against Pakistani terrorists in the recent killings in Pahalgam. This is the desperate politics of Rahul's Congress. Going into a political alliance with a known radical organisation like Jamaat-e-Islami is a fact that people of India should know and expose the double standards and the lies and opportunist politics of Congress.' Highlighting BJP's position in the by-election, he said that the party has put a vision of 'Viksit Nilambur' which is part of broader 'Viksit Keralam'. Chandrashekhar added, 'As far as BJP is concerned for the Nilambur, we have put forward a vision of 'Viksit Nilambur' which is big part of 'Viksit Keralam', a vision we have built for Kerala. We believe all the people of Nilambur deserve development, job and opportunities...' In the Nilambur by election, Jamaat-e-Islami announced their support for UDF candidate. On June 15, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held a roadshow in Nilambur to campaign for the Congress candidate in the upcoming Nilambur Assembly bypoll. The visit is seen as a major boost for the Congress, which is working to secure a win for its candidate Aryadan Shoukath (UDF candidate). Nilambur bye-polls are set to happen on June 19, with counting on June 29. The elections were necessitated after the resignation of PV Anvar, an LDF-backed MLA, who stepped down in January after making several allegations against the Left government in the state. However, Anvar is going to contest the elections under the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) banner. Anvar will be going up against National Democratic Alliance candidate Michael George. The byelection has political significance as it is a precursor to next year's state assembly election and will test the popularity of the current government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan (ANI)
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
'Taiwan of India': Why high-skill jobs, not low-wage factories are defining Kerala's future
The headlines around Kitex Garments' plans to expand operations to Andhra Pradesh with a proposed Rs 4,000-crore investment have again stirred public debate. But the deeper story is not about one company's choice of destination — it's about Kerala's evolving industrial landscape and why labour-intensive industries like garments, cashew and coir are naturally moving out, while high-value sectors are moving in. Take it from Balagopal Chandrasekhar, Chairman of KSIDC and one of Kerala's pioneering entrepreneurs. Chandrasekhar, a former IAS officer, quit civil service in 1983 to launch Penpol, which would later become Terumo Penpol — India's largest manufacturer of blood bags. In a widely circulated LinkedIn post, he draws attention to a clear industrial shift: "Garment manufacturing, like cashew and coir, is a low value-added business. It is highly sensitive to wage rates and will naturally move to states with lower labour costs. Kerala, meanwhile, is transitioning to high-tech, high-value manufacturing." The Kitex Mirage: A Case in Context Around five years ago, Kitex's decision to pull back on an investment plan in Kerala and set up shop in Telangana sparked a fiery war of words with the state government. Yet, as Professor Jayan Jose Thomas of IIT Delhi observed in a seminal piece then, Kitex had already grown into the largest exporter of children's garments in India, employing nearly 10,000 people in Kizhakkambalam. Since the Telangana announcement, Kitex continues to operate unhindered in Kerala, clocking Rs 1,000 crore in business last year alone—hardly the profile of a company "hounded out". Now, Kitex is reportedly in talks with Andhra Pradesh, where a new textiles policy is being marketed aggressively. The appeal is obvious—low-cost labour, large land tracts, and minimal regulatory hurdles. This is no surprise. The same industrial migration happened with cashew processing, which shifted to Tamil Nadu, and marine exports, whose low-end units are now based in Andhra. But here's the critical point: Kerala is not being left behind—it is evolving. High Skill, High Pay, High Value Today, Kerala is seeing the rise of an entirely different kind of industrial economy. One that is built on skill, talent, clean infrastructure and sustainability. A far cry from the sweatshop economics that defines garment factories. Tech giants like IBM, EY, HCL Tech, and Fujifilm are setting up large campuses in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram—not out of charity, but because they recognise Kerala's core advantages: a skilled, English-speaking workforce, superior education institutions, clean and green cities, and an abundance of water and power. Just last week, HCL Tech inaugurated its new delivery centre at Technopark Phase III, Thiruvananthapuram. In just three years, it has gone from one unit in Kochi to two full-fledged delivery centres across Kerala employing over 1,500 people in engineering and R&D services. In November 2024, IBM launched its biggest Gen-AI Innovation Centre in India at Infopark, Kochi. With 1,500 employees already onboard and expectations to reach 5,000, the centre is built around cutting-edge AI research and development on IBM's WatsonX platform. IBM now calls Kochi its fastest-growing campus in the world. EY Global Delivery Services, another heavyweight, employs 10,000+ people in Kerala, with plans to double this number and house 20% of its India workforce in the state. That's not a statistic you associate with a state hostile to business. From Back Office to Brain Trust Kerala's industrial arc resembles the BPO boom of the late 1990s, when US firms chased labour arbitrage in India. Cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad flourished. Kerala, despite starting early with Technopark in 1990, missed that first wave. But this new tech-led, AI-powered wave is different, and Kerala is riding it smartly. Minister P Rajeeve, the driving force behind Kerala's proactive industrial policy, frames it clearly: "Work from Kerala is the new policy. Our cities are clean, connected, and the talent is world-class." Under his watch, Kerala topped India's Ease of Doing Business Reforms index and attracted investments from Allianz, Strada, Zoho, and even an Italian tech firm named Dynimated, which opened a futuristic "phygital" studio on Kochi's outskirts. Rural Revival, the Zoho Way A prime example of Kerala's inclusive, innovation-driven future is Zoho Corporation's rural model. The company has set up a tech hub in Kottarakara, offering AI and robotics training, turning sleepy towns into talent accelerators. As Sridhar Vembu, Zoho CEO, famously remarked: "Kerala has the potential to become the Taiwan of India." The environment—clean air, clean water, livable cities—is becoming a crucial competitive advantage in the AI age. Capital is now seeking intelligence over infrastructure, innovation over cheap labour. Garments Go, Innovation Grows The emotional reaction to Kitex's expansion outside Kerala misses this structural shift. The state has no reason to cling to industries that no longer match its economic DNA. Low-wage, low-skill garment manufacturing will go where it's viable — just like coir, cashew, and seafood did. And that's OK. In their place, Kerala is attracting high-end players, creating jobs that pay more, demand more, and do more for its people and economy. As Balagopal Chandrasekhar summed up: "Let low-end industry go. What's coming in its place is better." Kerala is not being bypassed—it's being upgraded. The migration of garments is not an indictment, but an indication that the state is moving up the value chain. And that is exactly where the future lies.
