All posts tagged: V Sivankutty

Kerala Minister Withdraws Remarks On Actress’ Rs 5 Lakh Fee For Youth Fest

Kerala Minister Withdraws Remarks On Actress’ Rs 5 Lakh Fee For Youth Fest

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The state youth festival is scheduled to take place in January next year. (File) Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Minister V Sivankutty who criticised a popular Malayalam film actress for demanding Rs five lakh as remuneration for choreographing the welcome dance and song for the upcoming state school youth festival, withdrew his remarks on Monday. Without naming the actress, the Minister for General Education and Labour, speaking during a programme on Sunday, said that she had demanded a hefty sum for teaching children a 10-minute-long performance. As the remarks gained widespread media attention on Monday and TV channels aired his voice clip, V Sivankutty withdrew his statement, stating that he “did not want to create any unwanted controversy”. “It has come to my notice that some statements I made during a cultural programme yesterday garnered wide media attention. The remarks were not intended to insult or hurt anyone. Therefore, I withdraw those statements,” he said during a press conference on Monday. The minister explained that celebrities are generally invited to youth festivals to give the event more publicity …

Kerala Condemns Malayalam To English Medium Shift In Lakshadweep Schools

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Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Thursday expressed “great concern” over the recent directive from the Lakshadweep administration to convert all schools under their Department of Education from Malayalam to CBSE English medium. Strongly condemning the Lakshadweep administration’s move, Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty wrote to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan seeking his intervention to review and reconsider the decision. In the letter, he pointed out that the move would jeopardize the diverse educational choices available to students. The directive that the children in Lakshadweep should exclusively study the CBSE syllabus is a “direct infringement on their fundamental right to education,” he wrote. Currently, there are 34 schools on the island with a total student population of 12,140, the minister said in the letter. These students have been benefiting from a mix of educational options, including the Kerala Syllabus in Malayalam and English Medium, as well as the CBSE Syllabus in select schools, he said. Most children on the island are enrolled in schools following the Kerala syllabus, he added. “It is disheartening to note …