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CPM Extended State Committee Passes Resolution Against ED to Shield Pinarayi and Riyas Amid Rectification Drive

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CPM Extended State Committee Passes Resolution Against ED to Shield Pinarayi and Riyas Amid Rectification Drive

KOZHIKODE: The extended Kerala CPIM State Committee meeting, convened primarily to discuss internal course correction and rectification measures following the party’s severe setback in the Assembly elections, concluded by unanimously adopting a resolution strongly condemning the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The resolution, moved by CPM State Committee member P.K. Biju, termed the ED’s actions against senior leader and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and MLA P.A. Mohamed Riyas as purely politically motivated. The party declared that it would legally and politically resist central agency probes, which it alleges are structured to tarnish party leadership through selective leaks in financial and hawala-related cases.

However, the political play has raised serious concerns among the public and Critics. They point out that instead of addressing ground-level failures, organizational flaws, and public discontent that led to the election defeat, the leadership opted for a defensive stance by blaming central agencies.

Unanimous Resolution: Proposed by P.K. Biju, the extended committee gave full backing to defend Pinarayi Vijayan and P.A. Mohamed Riyas.
​Allegation: CPM labeled the ongoing ED actions in the CMRL-Exalogic probe as a targeted campaign against top leaders.
​Public Reaction: The shift from genuine intra-party rectification to an anti-ED campaign has sparked strong debate over the party’s willingness to fix its core political errors.

Big Relief for Flood-Hit Families: CM V.D. Satheesan Sanctions ₹25.64 Crore for 25,648 Families in Pathanamthitta

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Big Relief for Flood-Hit Families: CM V.D. Satheesan Sanctions ₹25.64 Crore for 25,648 Families in Pathanamthitta

Pathanamthitta: Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has sanctioned ₹25,64,80,000 as financial assistance for 25,648 families in Pathanamthitta district whose houses were affected by floodwaters and suffered damage.

The assistance is intended to help affected families with the cleaning and restoration of their homes following the flooding. Each eligible family will receive ₹10,000 as assistance.

₹25.64 Crore Allocated from Two Relief Funds
The total amount of ₹25.648 crore has been allocated to the Pathanamthitta District Collector from two sources:
State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF): ₹12,82,40,000
Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF): ₹12,82,40,000
Total assistance: ₹25,64,80,000
Number of families: 25,648
Assistance per family: ₹10,000

The financial support is aimed at helping families undertake immediate cleaning and restoration work in houses that were inundated by floodwaters.

Support for Immediate Restoration
Flooding can leave homes filled with mud, debris and contaminated materials, making extensive cleaning and disinfection necessary before families can safely return to normal life. The ₹10,000 assistance per family is expected to provide immediate financial support for such cleaning activities.

The allocation covers all 25,648 affected families, with the total amount calculated at ₹10,000 per family.
The government assistance is intended to support the affected households as they begin the process of restoring their homes and returning to normal life after the flood.

₹25.64 Crore Relief Package for 25,648 Families
With the latest allocation, ₹25.64 crore has been earmarked for flood-affected households in Pathanamthitta. The assistance from both the SDRF and the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund will provide immediate support to families facing the costs of cleaning and restoring their flood-affected homes.

Gold Rate Prediction: Will Prices Drop Below Rs 1 Lakh per Sovereign?

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Gold Rate Prediction: Will Prices Drop Below Rs 1 Lakh per Sovereign?

Kochi : The recent correction in gold prices has sparked widespread discussions among buyers and investors in Kerala. While minor price dips offer temporary relief, questions remain on whether 22K gold will breach the ₹1,000,000 mark (per sovereign/8 grams) on the downside.

Factors Driving the Recent Price Correction
​Gold rates in Kerala are currently oscillating around ₹1.10 lakh to ₹1.13 lakh per sovereign. Key global factors driving this consolidation include:

Strengthening US Dollar: A rebound in the US dollar index makes bullion relatively expensive in foreign markets, curbing short-term international demand.
​Profit Booking: Institutional investors booking profits at record highs led to minor downward corrections on international exchanges like COMEX.

Will Gold Drop Below Rs 1 Lakh?
​Financial analysts and market experts suggest that a fall below the ₹1 lakh benchmark per sovereign is highly unlikely in the near to medium term. The key underlying factors preserving high base prices include:

Central Bank Reserves: Global central banks continue aggressively building gold reserves to hedge against economic uncertainties.
​Currency Depreciation: Depreciation of the Indian Rupee against the US Dollar keeps domestic import costs high, restricting price drops locally.
​Domestic Festive Demand: Steady wedding and seasonal demand across India keeps a strong floor beneath domestic market rates.

While short-term volatility and range-bound movements will continue, expert forecasts indicate consolidation between ₹1.05 lakh and ₹1.15 lakh per sovereign rather than a steep crash.

Oracle Triggers Fresh Layoffs: Staff Shocked by 6 AM ‘Job Cuts’ Email from Leadership Again

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Oracle Triggers Fresh Layoffs: Staff Shocked by 6 AM ‘Job Cuts’ Email from Leadership Again

SAN FRANCISCO / BENGALURU: Tech giant Oracle has initiated another wave of employee layoffs, executing a termination sequence strikingly similar to its major downsizing round earlier this year in March.

Affected employees woke up on Monday to system lockouts and automated notifications informing them that their roles had been eliminated as part of broader organizational restructuring.

Sequence of System Lockouts
​According to reports and employee accounts on professional forums like Reddit, the severance process began during the early hours of the morning:
​4:00 AM EST: Federated system logins and internal access credentials stopped working.
​5:00 AM – 5:30 AM EST: Workers experienced rolling disconnects from Slack workspace channels.
​6:00 AM Local Time: Impacted staff received an official email from “Oracle Leadership” confirming their immediate termination.
​Excerpt from the Termination Email:
“We are sharing some difficult news regarding your position. After careful consideration of Oracle’s current business needs, we have made the decision to eliminate your role as part of a broader organizational change. As a result, today is your last working day.”

Performance Ratings Provided No Shield
​Internal discussions across employee platforms reveal that top-performing staff members were not spared. Impacted workers include high-level engineers (IC4), quality assurance personnel with over two decades of tenure, and newly hired employees who joined the company only months ago.
​Affected teams span critical business units, including:
​Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Security & Observability
​Oracle Health & Enterprise Engineering
​NetSuite Sales & Customer Success Services
​HR Technology & Data Centre Compliance
​Fusion and EPM Teams

​Impact on India Development Centre (IDC) Expected
​While the initial impact was heavily concentrated across US teams, industry analysts and internal discussions indicate that the layoffs are expected to reach Oracle’s India Development Centre (IDC) next.
​In previous restructuring cycles, Indian workforce adjustments followed the US timeline within days, particularly affecting customer support and development functions.

Soaring AI Expenditures and Financial Backdrop
​The downsizing follows recent financial disclosures showing Oracle’s restructuring budget rising by roughly $700 million, reaching an estimated total of $2.8 billion for its fiscal 2026 plan.
​The company has significantly scaled up capital expenditure to $28.5 billion, primarily driven by massive investments in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and cloud data centers. Despite growing revenue backlogs, the rapid acceleration in infrastructure spending has put pressure on immediate cash flows, prompting cost-cutting measures across global headcount.

Today’s Moon: Waxing Crescent Lights Up the September Sky

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Today’s Moon: Waxing Crescent Lights Up the September Sky

Thiruvananthapuram: The Moon is putting on a subtle but beautiful display today, September 14, 2026, as it moves through the Waxing Crescent phase. Following the New Moon on September 11, the illuminated portion of the lunar surface is gradually increasing, with around 12% of the Moon illuminated today.

For observers in Thiruvananthapuram, the Moon rises at around 8:37–8:42 a.m. and sets at around 8:38–8:43 p.m. today. This means the young crescent can be followed through the afternoon and into the evening before it disappears below the western horizon.

A young Moon after the New Moon
The current lunar cycle began with the New Moon on September 11 at approximately 8:57 a.m. local time in Thiruvananthapuram. Since then, the Moon has moved into its Waxing Crescent phase, with its illuminated portion increasing each day.

The next major phase will be the First Quarter, which occurs around September 19 in the Thiruvananthapuram region. After that, the Moon will continue to grow brighter and larger in the evening sky before reaching the Full Moon phase on September 26.

Moon and Venus make a special sky event
September 14 also features a notable astronomical event involving the Moon and Venus. Astronomy calendars identify today as the date of a lunar occultation of Venus, when the Moon passes in front of the bright planet from the viewpoint of observers in parts of the world. The event is potentially visible across parts of South and Southeast Asia, although visibility depends on the exact location and local sky conditions.

September’s Full Moon is coming
The biggest lunar highlight of the month will arrive on September 26, when September’s Full Moon — commonly called the Harvest Moon — reaches its full phase. In Thiruvananthapuram, the Full Moon occurs at approximately 10:19 p.m. local time.
From today’s slender crescent to the bright Full Moon later this month, the September sky offers several opportunities for skywatchers to observe the Moon’s changing appearance. The coming days will be particularly interesting as the illuminated portion grows night after night.

Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations Begin Across India With Devotion and Festive Spirit

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Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations Begin Across India With Devotion and Festive Spirit

New Delhi: Ganesh Chaturthi is being celebrated across India with great devotion and enthusiasm, marking the birth of Lord Ganesha, the revered Hindu deity associated with wisdom, prosperity, good fortune and the removal of obstacles.

Also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi and Ganesh Utsav, the festival marks the beginning of a ten-day period of religious and cultural celebrations. Devotees install clay idols of Lord Ganesha in their homes as well as in elaborately decorated public pandals, where special prayers and rituals are conducted.

The festival brings together devotion, music, cultural programmes and community celebrations. In several parts of the country, particularly in Maharashtra, large public pandals attract thousands of devotees. People offer prayers, flowers and traditional offerings to Lord Ganesha, seeking blessings for wisdom, prosperity and success.

Grand processions to mark Ganesh Visarjan

The ten-day festivities traditionally culminate in Ganesh Visarjan, the ceremonial immersion of Ganesha idols in water bodies. Devotees carry the idols from their homes and public pandals in colourful and energetic processions.

The processions are accompanied by chants of “Ganapati Bappa Morya,” devotional songs, bhajans, music and dancing. Large crowds gather along procession routes as devotees bid an emotional farewell to Lord Ganesha.

The immersion symbolises the cycle of creation and dissolution. The clay idol, which is installed with devotion at the beginning of the festival, eventually returns to the elements through immersion in water.

For devotees, the farewell is also a prayer for the removal of obstacles and the arrival of peace, prosperity and good fortune. With homes and public spaces filled with prayers and celebrations, Ganesh Chaturthi once again brings communities together in a spirit of faith, devotion and cultural tradition.

Wayanad Gets ₹50.06 Lakh Relief Boost; 233 Disaster-Affected Applicants to Receive Assistance

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Wayanad Gets ₹50.06 Lakh Relief Boost; 233 Disaster-Affected Applicants to Receive Assistance

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has sanctioned ₹50,06,500 from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund for 233 applicants whose houses suffered damage in natural disasters in Wayanad during 2024 and 2025.

The decision was issued through Government Order S.R.O. No. 1756/2026/RD, issued by the Revenue Department on September 8, 2026. The order deals with financial assistance for houses damaged in natural calamities in Wayanad during the two years.

Under the assistance framework approved earlier, financial support is provided by combining the eligible share from the State Disaster Management Fund with the share from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund, based on the extent of damage caused to houses during natural calamities.

Based on the approved guidelines, applications relating to house damage caused by natural disasters in Wayanad during 2024 and 2025 were received through the Relief Portal. Of the applications processed so far, 233 applicants have now been sanctioned assistance from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.

The Wayanad District Collector had requested the government to sanction ₹50,06,500 as the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund component for the 233 processed applications.

After examining the request in detail, the government approved the release of the amount. The sanctioned sum will be transferred to the Wayanad District Collector for distribution to the eligible beneficiaries.

The order specifies that the amount required for distribution will be released from T.P.80, the account maintained in the name of the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, who serves as the Treasurer of the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. The District Collector has also been directed to take the necessary steps for distribution and report the action taken to the government.

The latest sanction is part of the government’s relief mechanism for families whose houses were damaged by natural calamities. The current order specifically covers the 233 processed applications relating to house damage in Wayanad during 2024 and 2025.

Relief for Kannur Disaster Victims: CM V D Satheesan Sanctions ₹69.27 Lakh for 482 Beneficiaries

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Relief for Kannur Disaster Victims: CM V D Satheesan Sanctions ₹69.27 Lakh for 482 Beneficiaries

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has sanctioned ₹69.27 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) for 482 beneficiaries whose houses were damaged in a natural disaster in Kannur district.

The decision was issued through the Revenue Department under Government Order No. G.O.(Rt) No.1755/2026/RD, dated September 8, 2026. The assistance is being provided based on the extent of damage caused to houses in the natural disaster.

According to the government order, the assistance is based on revised norms under which the contribution from the State Disaster Response Fund and the contribution from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund are combined, depending on the extent of damage to the affected houses.

The Kannur District Collector had requested the sanction of ₹69,27,500 as the CMDRF component for distribution among 482 beneficiaries. The beneficiaries are included in 10 procedures prepared through the Relief Portal.

After examining the matter, the government approved the request and ordered the release of ₹69,27,500 to the Kannur District Collector for distribution among the affected beneficiaries.

The amount will be released from the T.P.80 account held in the name of the Additional Chief Secretary of the Finance Department, who serves as the Treasurer of the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. The District Collector has been directed to take necessary steps for distributing the assistance and report the action taken to the government.

The order was issued by the Revenue (DRF-C) Department and has been communicated to the Kannur District Collector, Finance Department and other concerned authorities for further action.

Key Details
Beneficiaries: 482
District: Kannur
Amount sanctioned: ₹69.27 lakh
Fund: Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund
Government Order: G.O.(Rt) No.1755/2026/RD
Date: September 8, 2026
Implementing authority: Kannur District Collector

BREAKING POWER CRISIS: CM VD SATHEESAN STRIKES BACK! KERALA SECURES 100 MW ODISHA POWER TO AVERT BLACKOUTS

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BREAKING POWER CRISIS: CM VD SATHEESAN STRIKES BACK! KERALA SECURES 100 MW ODISHA POWER TO AVERT BLACKOUTS

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a swift and aggressive administrative move, Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan has directly intervened to pull Kerala out of a looming energy emergency. Under his decisive leadership, the state successfully secured 100 MW of power from Odisha, coupled with additional allocations pulled from the national power exchange, effectively shielding the state from power cuts on Sunday.

The intervention comes as a major relief for millions of consumers across the state. With power demand peaking to unprecedented levels, the threat of load shedding was mounting fast. However, CM Satheesan took direct control of negotiations, coordinating top-level talks to ensure steady power inflow.

Masterstroke to End Power Restrictions Entirely
​The Chief Minister’s office confirmed that high-level efforts are currently underway to eliminate all forms of electricity restrictions across Kerala by the end of this week.
​”We will not allow the state to plunge into darkness. Emergency power procurement mechanisms are working round-the-clock, and normal supply will be fully guaranteed without interruption,” stated officials close to the Chief Minister.

By securing immediate relief from Odisha and leveraging real-time power exchanges, the administration has sent a clear message: crisis management under CM VD Satheesan moves fast, aggressive, and straight to execution.

Pinarayi’s Debt Burden Haunts Satheesan Government: ₹11,766.77 Crore Paid in Interest Till August

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Pinarayi’s Debt Burden Haunts Satheesan Government: ₹11,766.77 Crore Paid in Interest Till August

Thiruvananthapuram: The financial burden left behind by the previous Pinarayi Vijayan government has emerged as a major political issue, with figures cited from Accountant General records indicating that the present V.D. Satheesan government has paid ₹11,766.77 crore in interest between April and August of the current financial year.

The figures have triggered fresh criticism over the borrowing policies of the Pinarayi government, which was in power from 2016 to 2026. Critics allege that the previous administration relied heavily on borrowing to finance government expenditure creating a substantial debt burden for the state.

Borrowing Beyond Regular Limits
The criticism is not limited to Kerala’s conventional market borrowings. The previous government also relied on institutions and mechanisms such as KIIFB and the pension company to mobilise funds.
Critics argue that such borrowing added to Kerala’s overall financial liabilities. The inclusion of certain off-budget borrowings while assessing the state’s debt position has also been a contentious issue in discussions involving the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and Kerala’s borrowing limits.

According to the political argument being raised now, restrictions on further borrowing have made it increasingly difficult for the government to find additional fiscal space for new projects and welfare commitments.

₹11,766.77 Crore Interest Bill
The interest expenditure cited for the first five months of the current financial year is:
April: ₹2,193.21 crore
May: ₹2,064.32 crore
June: ₹2,335.82 crore
July: ₹2,244.07 crore
August: ₹2,929.35 crore
The total comes to ₹11,766.77 crore for the April-August period.
The figures are being cited as evidence of the continuing impact of past borrowing decisions on the state’s present finances.

A Major Challenge for the Satheesan Government
For the V.D. Satheesan government, managing the state’s accumulated liabilities while maintaining spending on salaries, pensions, welfare programmes and development remains a major challenge.

A growing interest burden means that a significant portion of government revenue has to be committed to servicing existing liabilities rather than being available for new spending.

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