"Periyar Kullan" gets national recognition.

Bringing joy to around 200 farmers in Ernakulam and Thrissur who have been working for its conservation, Periyar cow, also known as Periyar Kullan, has been recognised as a cattle breed indigenous to Keralam.

Through the ICAR National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources' registration,  Periyar cow is the second breed to get the tag in the state after Vechur Cow. 

It's mainly seen in Koovappady, Angamaly, Kothamangalam and Chalakudy regions. With minimal human interaction, it thrives under semi-feral and graze in a single managed unit in vegetation comprising trees, shrubs and grass rather than open pastures.

They are small to medium in size and weigh between 150 and 200 kg. It has a dark brown colour which makes it stand out from other native varieties.

Know-cow

* Periyar cow population : Around 1,000 in central Keralam farms.

* Average milk yield : 2.5 to 4 litres.

* Milk is classified as A2 Beta casein, the healthiest variety.

* It contains 4.5% fat and 9.1% SNF (Solids Not Fat).

* First breeding usually occurs at 26 months and first calving at 35 months. Gestation period is 279

   days.          

Courtesy : Excerpted from Gopika Varrier's article in the NIE, 22 Aug.

Brazil emerges.

Brazil emerges as alternative to China as US, Australia race to secure rare earths.

In the global race to secure rare earths that are key for everything from mobile phones to green technologies, Brazil is emerging as an alternative to China's dominance, particularly for the US and Australia.  

Back at The Quarterdeck.

Was up and awake most of the night to monitor a drip that was being administered on Lekha. Sleep was constantly interrupted and in between, I'd recited my prayers. However, what made me comfortable was that Lekha never complained of pain, post-surgery!

Got up at 5, sent the messages, went partially through my chores and was out of the room by a trifle before 6. Walked those 60 metres to the Thiruvambady kshetram, had a great darshan of the good Lord. There was hardly any crowd and my visit this morning was for thanksgiving on Lekha's behalf for easing out things thus far and for the procedure having gone off fine.

Returned, had my cuppa tea and carried Lekha's cuppa to the room, along with the sweet buns. The forenoon was spent in collecting the discharge summary, bills for payment and having a short nap, in between. Manoj was our chauffeur and had arrived at the hospital's parking, on the dot at 2!

We, finally, left the hospital by a half past 2. Did the following things :-

    

    * bought vegetables

    * bought fruits and

    * all the three of us had tea and snacks before reaching home.

Was at home by a half past 4, opened up the house soon after and arranged things that were to be done tomorrow.

A good scrub and bath; lit up the puja room lamp and settled down to watch our favourite television programs. Frequent power cuts made our viewing difficult.

Lekha had made a beautiful dinner and we'd non-vegetarian food after more than a month thanks to the Ramayanam month!

Tailpiece.

Another mission accomplished; shall wait for the biopsy results.

    

 

Lekha’s surgery.

Was up and awake around a half past 1, past midnight. Had, then, got up at 5, sent the messages, the morning chores and was out of the room a trifle before 6. Walked all the way to the Thiruvampaadi temple for my tryst with the good Lord.

Prayed for Lekha’s surgery to go well, with minimal or no pain at all and to steady Dr Sreekumar Pillai’s hands during the surgery! Returned, collected Lekha’s morning tea and buns from the canteen.

Both of us were ready before 8 so that Lekha could be readied for the procedure by the staff who’d come by for the forenoon watch. Rema and Padmakumar had dropped in by then from Thrippunithura. Lekha was wheeled into the pre-operative ward by a half past 10 and the surgery of removing the plaque from her tongue was over by a quarter past 12. She was in the ICU-post surgery till 8 in the evening.

Rema and Padmakumar had returned by 10’ past 5.

A quiet evening after the hectic activities and tense moments of the day!

Karnataka is finishing its SIR

Over 1.08 crore voters will be removed from the electoral rolls of Karnataka at the end of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Another 25 lakh voters could find their names missing if they don’t provide relevant documents to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) in the next phase of the exercise.

Till date, the state has 5,54,32,314 total electors. As of 17 Aug, 1,08,31,945 electors (19.54% of the total electorate) were listed under the Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others (ASDDO)category after the house-to-house enumeration process.

15 lakhs ‘untraceable/absent’ category; 65,61,607 (11.84%) under permanently shifted; 16,38,839 (2.96%) dead, 7,07,792 (1.28%) duplicate or already enrolled and 3,94,722 (0.71%) as others or not wanting to sign the forms.

Of those removed, 43.53% were from Bangalore’s four districts - Bangalore Urban (17,26,634 or 42.94%), BBMP North (10,58,104 or 45.36%), BBMP South (10,64,044 or 49.61%, the highest in the state) and BBMP Central (8,66,406 or 45.84%).

Lowest deletions are in Udupi (63,364 or 5.96%) followed by Haveri (1,15,068 or 8.62%).

My take

The Election Commission of India is doing a thorough job and I sincerely hope that wrongdoers and frauds are put in their place.

Tailpiece.

Left home by a quarter past 8 to reach the Saroja Hospital by a quarter past 9. Lekha was put through the pre-surgery checks like :-

      * X-ray chest PA view

      * Blood and urine tests

      * ECG

      * Lekha had also met the ENT specialist for the discomfort in her ears.

Our room was 208. Padmakumar and Rema had come to be with us, all the way from Thrippunithura and it was wonderful! They returned by the 1710 Paalaruvi train.

Mission Samudra.

Vizhinjam port is set to script a historic milestone in India's maritime sector as it prepares for the official inauguration of its export-import (EXIM) operations slated tomorrow.

Mission Samudra - state government's flagship port-led industrial and logistics development - is built around the vision of a 'Port City' that positions Vizhinjam as the anchor of a wider Vizhinjam Maritime Economic Region. The scheme is backed by a Rs.400-crore catalytic fund. Officials expect 'Mission Samudra' to draw over ten times the public investment in private capital by 2031.

Located just 10 nautical miles from the major east-west international maritime route. Vizhinjam possesses

a geographical edge that no other port in the country can match, requiring minimal diversion for ultra-large container ships traversing the Indian Ocean.

This strategic-positioning allows European-bound cargo to reach its destination in just 24 days - a full 10 days faster than existing routes - prompting global shipping giant Mediteranean Shipping Company (MSC) to integrate Vizhinjam into its prestigious direct Jade Service connecting Europe and Asia. Exporters who have thus far shipped cargo to western markets via Colombo, Singapore and Dubai will now be able to send consignments directly from Vizhinjam.

Excerpted from : The NIE 17 Aug

My take.

Vizhinjam is gonna take off from here to unimaginable heights and levels!

A quiet Sunday.

Today's the last day of Karkkidakom and it's Atham. Mom's remembrance day comes toward the end of Chingam!

Got up at 5, sent the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Walked within the house, recited my prayers, carried out my exercise regimen followed by bath.

Breakfast of appams and stew.

Worked on my laptop. 

Lekha's beautician had dropped by on her beckoning and got all her jewellery removed as preparation for the surgery.

Lunch followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Lekha finished her Ramayanam recital 2026 this evening! Put the copy of our Ramayanam into its bag and into the wooden vault of the puja room.

Completed a month of vegetarianism and felt nice about it!

A quiet evening.

The 80th Independence Day.

Got up at 5, sent the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre. The chores and hoisted the tricolour at our balcony on the dot, at 8 AM. It always gives me a great sense of satisfaction and pride while hoisting the national flag!

The Independence day function at New Delhi was being played at the background. 

Walked within the house as it was raining outside, recited my prayers, carried out my exercise regimen and had breakfast before bath.

Sporting a red turban with a yellow, green and white Bandhani pattern, PM Narendra Modi outlined the 'saptadhara' vision to achieve holistic national development and self-reliance viz. :-

    * Manufacturing excellence (cost, quality and scale)

    * Farming/food processing

    * Technological innovation

    * Gati Shakti connectivity

    * Self reliance in defence

    * Push toward green and blue economies and

    * Global soft power (yoga, healthcare, tourism and creative arts).

He said youth will play a crucial part in these reforms. Moreover, he exuded confidence that India will have achieved the target of being a 'Vikasit Bharat' when the nation celebrates Independence Day in 1947. 

My take

While for the first time, the national song "Vande Mataram" was played at the Red Fort. Keralam became the only Congress-ruled state to avoid singing of the national song! At the Congress party headquarters at New Delhi, the group sang the entire national song with Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi desperately trying to stop the rendition of the national song but to no avail! Made a spectacle of themselves in the bargain!! Serves them right. Have still not got as to what their anti-national-song-stance is for!!!

  

Women hold very few top management roles.

Latest data submitted in Parliament shows that women held only 17.2% of senior management positions in corporate India in 2025-'26.

9 Women CEOs in India's 500 listed firms

Of the 2,52,103 senior management roles recorded that financial year, women held 43,331 positions (17.2%), while men accounted for the remaining 2,08,772, government data presented in Parliament showed. There were only nine women chief executive officers (CEOs) leading the country's top 500 listed firms, as per the Ministry of Corporate Affairs data.

Women hold only 29% of Director posts

* On company boards, the disparity was similarly stark. Women held 10, 36, 694 director posts against 

   25, 09, 619 director positions held by men, which is about 29% of the total as of 30 Jun 2026.

* However, women in senior management rose from 34, 879 in 2022-'23 to 43,331 in 2025-'26, a jump of

   24%, outpacing the 12% rise in men.

Last 3 financial years were taken into account to compile the data.

 

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill.

Much against many agencies and the opposition parties, the FCRA Bill, 2026, has been referred to a 31-member joint committee of Parliament. The opposition came up with its standard argument that the bill is against minorities and NGOs.

The committee has been asked to submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session of Parliament in 2026.

My take

A few important bills that should have been legislated in Parliament have to now wait till the Winter Session 2026 of Parliament.  

NASA invites India to be part of its Moon Base Mission.

The ambitious Moon base mission is a program to build humanity's first lunar outpost near the Moon's South Pole.

Invite follows US-India Space Group Meet

According to the US space agency, the project aims to unlock scientific discoveries and prepare for future deep space exploration. India and US explored expanding space co-operation at a meeting of their Civil Space Joint Working Group held in Bangalore last week. The two sides agreed to advance discussions for co-operation on open scientific data sharing.

Step-by-step approach to build base

* The Moon base will be built in phases, says NASA. It will begin with robotic missions to test new

   technology, then build systems and infrastructure needed to establish humanity's first long-term

   presence on the Moon.

* The first phase will focus on gaining reliable access to lunar surface and building a deeper under-

   standing of the environment.

This is the 9th meet of the India-US Space Joint Working Group held last week.    

Muziris project set for a global push.

Revived water-taxi services by Onam

* To feature in upcoming Travel Mart.

   The plan is to revive and relaunch the Muziris project by featuring it as a major global attraction

   in the upcoming edition of the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM). Around 1,200 tour operators are exp-

   ected to participate in KTM, providing a platform to promote Muziris as a heritage tourism dest-

   ination.

* Earlier, the project had a total of 11 vessels, including five water taxis and six open-top boats.

   Three outdated boats had been scrapped, while the remaining boats have been taken up for

   repair and maintenance.

* Plans on

   * Tourism department expects the repaired vessels to resume services during the Onam holiday

      season.

   * Water tourism circuits connecting various heritage locations are also being planned as part of

      the revival. 

Kerala's fishermen rescue system.

The key concerns 

1. Rescue infra exists but operational readiness a concern.

    Rescue vessels face issues due to lack of maintenance. They become ineffective if they can't be

    deployed immediately during emergencies.

2. Lack of trained personnel to operate rescue boats.

    Proposals to appoint dedicated trained personnel for operating rescue boats remain unimplemented.

3. Delayed emergency response during critical hours.

    Rescue mechanism needs to become operational within the golden hour after an accident, as survival

    chances reduce rapidly when fishermen go missing at sea.

4. Fragmented rescue system with multiple agencies.

    Coastal police, Marine enforcement, Coast Guard, Navy and other agencies share responsibilities.

    However, absence of a single, co-ordinated command mechanism often leads to delays in decision-

    making and mobilisation.

5. Delayed access to aircraft and advanced rescue assets.

    Requests for aircraft support through the Joint Operations Centre at Kochi Naval Base reportedly

    pass through multiple administrative levels. Delays in approvals can hamper aerial and search

    operations during crucial initial hours.

6. Fishermen's rescue capacity remains under utilised.

    Fishing communities have repeatedly played a key role in rescue missions, including deploying

    dozens of boats during major operations. However, their roles have not been formally integrated

    into the state's disaster response framework through training, equipment and recognition.

7. Livelihood pressures weaken compliance with warnings.

    Fishermen often venture into the sea despite warnings because staying ashore directly affects

    their daily income. Safety advisories need to be linked with timely livelihood compensation.

8. Inadequate preparedness for extreme weather events.

    Despite lessons repeated extreme weather events, fishermen argue that Kerala's marine disaster

    preparedness remains inadequate for increasingly unpredictable sea conditions.

9. Warning systems not sufficiently localised.

    Broad coastal warnings may not reflect variations in sea conditions between different districts

    and fishing zones. Fishermen demand zonal or panchayat-level weather advisories for more

    accurate decision making.

Courtesy. TNIE 10 Aug

My take.

Along with what have been cited above come the personal egos and intense departmental rivalry

that have this typical Indian problem of looking at the other side as being 'not up to the mark!' A

sure recipe for disaster!

Bringing "Green Boots" home!

India plans high-risk mission to bring "green Boots" home

India is seeking a specialist recovery team to retrieve the remains of Dorjee Morup, a 48-year-old lance naik of ITBP, from Mt Everest's summit.

Part of historic Everest expedition

For nearly 30 years, a body known as "Green Boots" has been frozen under a rock near Mount Everest's summit, Morup was part of a historic 1996 ITBP expedition aiming to become the first Indian team to summit Everest from the Chinese side. Three climbers reached the top; but a blizzard claimed all three. Two bodies remain missing. The third was Morup's.

Tricky recovery has September deadline

* Authorities hope to return Morup's remains to his family in Ladakh for DNA confirmation and final

   closure.

* Recovery from the death zone at 8,500 metres is hazardous. Temperatures can fall to -40 degrees                 Celsius and the Chinese side lacks helicopter evacuation. ITBP aims to complete the operation by               September.

300

At least 300 people have died in the region since records began. 

Pakistan-Saudi-Turkiye pact.

It's a NATO-style pact under which an attack against one will be treated as an attack against all three. Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkiye, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan signed the trilateral agreement in the holy city of Mecca yesterday. 

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia already have a bilateral defence pact.

The trilateral defence agreement was signed a day after Iran said it was in the final stages of an agreement with Oman on a framework for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. An Iranian lawmaker had said the trilateral "paper agreement" will not bring security.

India is watching the fall out and further developments.

Indian astronaut Anil Menon conducts spacewalk.

NASA astronauts Anil Menon and Jessica Meir began a spacewalk yesterday to carry out modifications for a future power upgrade at the ISS.

Duo performs ISS power system upgrades

The spacewalkers spent hours in the vacuum of space, carrying out necessary modifications for future installation of Roll-Out Solar Arrays on the International Space Station. The arrays are expected to provide additional power to support critical station operations, NASA said. This was the 281st spacewalk in support of ISS maintenance and upgrades.

Menon's first spacewalk, Meir's sixth

* Menon was born in Minnesota in 1976 to Indian and Ukrainian immigrants. This was Menon's first         and Meir's sixth spacewalk.

* Menon was SpaceX's first flight surgeon, helping it to launch its first humans to space during the             Demo - 2 mission. He joined NASA in 2014 as a space surgeon and began a tw0-year astronaut               training in 2022.

6 PM IST, 06 Jul

When the astronauts stepped outside the ISS to carry out tasks.

 

The 7th anniversary of the repeal of Articles 370 and 35A in J&K.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, seven years ago, ushered in a "decisive new chapter" for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, asserting that the constitutional changes have driven progress in infrastructure, education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and social empowerment across the two Union Territories.

The move had transformed the lives of people in the region by ensuring the full application of the Constitution and extending constitutional rights to communities that had remained deprived for decades.

The region has since witnessed changes in key sectors. Women and marginalised communities, who had long been denied full constitutional rights, have been empowered.

Tailpiece.

As Pakistan had rightfully said, then, "Modi hai toh mumkin ho!"

The aftermath!

After three days of heavy rain, it has subsided here at Guruvayur and hopefully the trend should continue. At least there's no weather warning!

Flood waters are yet to recede in places like Kuttanad, many places in Kottayam and in many other places. Feel bad for the plight of the people whose houses have shipped in muck and water! The cleanship is gonna take time and the stench doesn't go away that easily.

The Alappuzha-Changanacherry road looks pathetic with flood waters! Remember the times that we'd driven past and enjoyed the rides!

One needs to see as to what all post-rain illnesses are waiting to befall on the people!

Hope things get back to normal soon.

Ernakulam drives state's UPI economy.

From roadside tea stalls and fish markets, hospitals and educational institutions, QR codes have become as common as cash counters across Kerala. And true to its billing as Kerala's commercial capital, Ernakulam district is leading the state's shift to digital payments.

Kerala recorded 454.91 million Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions - 2% of the country's total volume - valued at Rs.63,489.63 crores, or 2.2% of the national total in June. Ernakulam logged 91.4 million transactions worth Rs.11,938.18 crores during the period.

Thiruvananthapuram ranked second with 54.74 million transactions worth Rs.7,460.96 crores. Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur closely follow.

Banking experts say the numbers reflect more than just population. Ernakulam's emergence as the leading as the leading district for UPI transactions reflects its strong digital ecosystem, high smartphone penetration and vibrant economic activity.

As Kerala's commercial hub, it has a diverse mix of retail consumers, businesses, professionals, educational institutions and merchants who have made digital payments part of daily life.

Elappully to get 1st 'groundnut village' tag.

As the country looks to reduce its dependence on imported edible oils, a village in Palakkad is betting on a one small oilseed that can make a big difference. Elappully panchayat has launched an ambitious effort to revive groundnut cultivation, hoping to transform itself into Kerala's first organised 'groundnut village' while creating a new source of income for local farmers.

Barely a decade ago, groundnut fields had become a familiar sight across parts of Elappully. Though the crop was cultivated only for a brief period, it attracted scores of farmers, with traders and small processing units emerging to procure the harvest but as cultivation dwindled, the crop once again vanished from the village.

The panchayat authorities, with the help of the department of agriculture and the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds (NMEO-OS), are hoping to script a second comeback story with groundnut cultivation planned across 112 acres in the first phase. More than 65 farmers have already enrolled, raising hopes that the crop could once again become a viable source of income.

Unlike the previous revival, this one is backed by scientific planning. Farmers will receive high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties such as Kadiri, Lepakshi, VR-10, TMV-14 and TGS-1694. Soil samples from every participating field will be analysed, soil health crisis cards issued and extensive training programs conducted to promote scientific cultivation practices.

The project has identified areas such as Menonpara, Kottilpara and Eduppukulam as being particularly suited for cultivation. Groundnut with shell fetches around Rs.80/- per kg while cultivation costs are low. The crop offers farmers a profitable alternative and also supports crop diversification in the region.

Groundnut also has a deeper history in Elappully. Before sugarcane became the dominant crop following the establishment of the Menonpara Sugar factory, groundnut was widely cultivated in the area. As farmers shifted to sugarcane, groundnut cultivation declined. The current initiative seeks not only to restore groundnut cultivation but to establish a complete value chain - from production and procurement to oil extraction and marketing.

The first sowing of the new varieties is scheduled at Kottilpara on the 10th.

Border trade via Nathu La pass resumes.

Border trade via Nathu La Pass, which had remained suspended for six years amid the Covid-19 pandemic and Sino-India border tensions resumed yesterday.

The reopening is expected to inject fresh economy by generating business for registered traders, transport operators and other stake holders dependent on border trade. Border trade through Nathu La will operate from Monday to Thursday and continue till November. Under the Nathu La border trade arrangement, the approved categories of goods, including handicrafts, handloom products, traditional religious items and ready-made garments, can now be imported and exported. 

This year, 38 traders have been issued passes to participate in the cross-border trade. Currently, there are around 35 tradable items.

Tailpiece.

Heavy rains since evening. 

Taslima Nasrin returns to Calcutta.

Bangladesh-born writer Taslima Nasrin returned to Calcutta yesterday, after she was accorded a civic reception at Rabindra Sadan, sharing the dais with the West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari during a literary program against fundamentalism.

She'd left in 2007 during the tenure of the CPM-led Left Front government led by Buddhadeb Bhattacharya in Bengal after violent protests over her novel "Dwikhandito" led to a deterioration of the law and order situation in Calcutta. 

She is now a Swedish national.

Tailpiece.

It rained heavily in the whole of Kerala, today.