Nationwide HPV drive for u-14 girls to prevent cervical cancer KOLLAM l wednesday l fEBRUARY 25, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION The Keralam story gets Cabinet’s nod Decision to change name comes ahead of assembly poll M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi E x p r e s s Re a d Kerala Story: ‘Concerns can’t be ignored’ Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday orally observed that the apprehensions of the people of Kerala cannot be ignored, as the makers of the film ‘Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond’ have used the state’s name in the title and claimed that it is based on a real story. P5 Tunnel road project gets final clearance Kalpetta: The ambitious Wayanad tunnel road project has officially crossed its final regulatory hurdle. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change granted the final clearance, effectively green-lighting the diversion of 17.263 hectares of forest land for construction. P5 THE Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday cleared the Kerala government’s proposal to rename the state as Keralam. The move comes ahead of the Assembly elections in Kerala, expected in April or May . The decision was taken following a resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly in 2024 and forwarded to the Centre. It noted that the state is called ‘Keralam’ in Malayalam, while it has been officially listed as ‘Kerala’ in the First Schedule of the Constitution. Explaining the process, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said it would now be forwarded to the President. The President will then refer it back to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for its views and formal passage. Thereafter, with President’s approval, the proposal will return to the Centre, and Parliament will take up the constitutional amendment to effect the name change. Officials noted that while Article 3 grants Parliament the authority to change a state’s name through legislation, the poll in sight CABINET ROLLS OUT WELFARE BLITZ In the run-up to the assembly polls, the state cabinet has rolled out a slew of measures, expanding welfare benefits, raising entitlements, and introducing new protections. The measures are widely seen as populist initiatives designed to appeal to broad sections of society — from job seekers to vulnerable households Upper age limit for PSC exams raised Justice J B Koshy Commission Report The upper age limit for applying for PSC recruitment has been raised by 4 years The cabinet has given in-principle approval to the Justice J B Koshy Commission Report and decided to publish it officially For the general category, the limit has been increased from 36 to 40 SC-ST category candidates can apply up to the age of 45 years In addition to recommendations already accepted, 32 more were cleared For OBC, the age limit has increased from 39 to 43 The govt ruled that the year 1947 will no longer be considered a criterion for issuing Latin Catholic community certificates Comprehensive group insurance scheme A new scheme will be implemented to provide financial security for houses damaged by natural disasters Certificates issued by bishops will be treated as supporting documents for revenue authorities’ inquiries, with caste/ community certificates granted based on local investigations by village officers The cabinet has given in-principle nod for the scheme to be implemented through state insurance department  Estimated annual cost: L120.75 crore Today’s Match 7pm: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka (Colombo) Historical roots In Malayalam, the state is called ‘Keralam’, a form rooted in Dravidian linguistic tradition, ancient political history, and early historical records including the inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka The name ‘Keralam’ will manifest the state’s heritage with all its authenticity and uphold its pride Home Minister Amit Shah process includes specific safeguards. A Bill for such a change can’t be introduced in either House of Parliament without President’s recommendation. If the proposal affects a state’s name or boundaries, the President must first seek the views of the state legislature within a stipulated time frame. The proposal to rename Kerala was examined by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Following approval from Home Minister Amit Shah, a draft Cabinet note was circulated to the Department of Legal Affairs and the Legislative Department for their expert opinion. Both departments, functioning under the Ministry of Law and Justice, concurred with the proposal, paving the way for the next constitutional steps in the renaming process The resolution adopted by the Kerala Assembly underscored the cultural and linguistic basis for the demand for name change. It also highlighted that since the days of the freedom struggle, there has been a sustained demand for a united Kerala for Malayalam-speaking people. Noel sets terms for Chandra’s reappointment B E N N K O C H U V E E D A N @ New Delhi IN a new twist to the Tata Group’s power struggle, the board of Tata Sons on Tuesday deferred a decision on granting a third term to chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran. According to informed sources, the move follows objections by Noel Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts which owns 66.4% of the holding company of the $120-billion Tata conglomerate spanning software, semiconductors and airlines. Noel Tata was the only board member who did not support Chandrasekaran’s reappointment, while the remaining directors backed a third term. Typically, Tata Sons’ shareholders and board approve the appointment or reappointment of a chairman one year in advance to ensure stability and continuity, or to provide sufficient time for a new leader to settle in and chart strategy Chandrasekaran, 62, who . has led the group since February 2017 and completes his second term in February 2027, is learnt to have requested that the board defer the decision to allow for wider consultation and consensus following the differences. The development is seen as unusual, given that the trusts he works with closely had greenlighted another term for him as far back as October 2025. If the third term is approved, the board would need to amend a clause that sets the retirement age for top executives at 65. Another term would have seen Chandrasekaran complete his tenure in 2032 at the age of 69. 465km in 3 hours & 20 minutes Sreedharan unveils revised high-speed rail plan, project cost cut to `56,500 cr E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i ce @ Malappuram ‘Metroman’ E Sreedharan has unveiled a revised design for the proposed Kerala High-Speed Rail (KHSR) line, stating that the changes would significantly reduce both the construction cost and the project completion. According to the modified plan, the highspeed rail will cover the 465km corridor connecting Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur in 3 hours and 20 minutes. Presenting a fresh report on the project at a press conference held at his newly opened office in Ponnani, Sreedharan said the updated alignment now includes Pathanamthitta. “Design modifications and struc- tural changes will help reduce the financial burden and shorten the overall project timeline,” he said. According to him, the revised estimate pegs the total cost at `56,500 crore, compared to the earlier projection of around `80,000 crore. “The line will be mostly elevated (about 445 km) and only about 20km will be underground. Only passenger trains will run on this. The advantage is that axle loads will be only 16 tonnes, as against 25 tonnes for broad gauge. This will make the elevated structures light and sleek, apart from saving in cost by over 20%,” he said. The proposed service will operate at a speed of 200 km per hour and have 20 stations. “The first station will be Thiruvananthapuram, which will be an underground one. From there, the airport will be connected through a tunnel. The line will then be aligned through Kottarakkara, Pathanamthitta and Tiruvalla. After Thrissur, it will go straight to the Malappuram Karipur Airport station via Pattambi. The earlier proposal to include Kunnamkulam has been dropped,” Sreedharan said. He said the corridor will be a double track on standard gauge. “The stations will be T hiruvananthapuram, Airport, Varkala, Kollam, Kottarakkara, Pathanamthitta, Tiruvalla, Kottayam, Vaikom, Ernakulam, Nedumbassery airport, Thrissur, Pattambi, Malappuram and Karipur airport, Kozhikode, Koyilandy, Vadakara, Thalassery and ● More on P4 Kannur,” he said.  In a major step towards eliminating preventable cancers among women, the govt will soon launch a human papillomavirus vaccination programme The programme directed at girls under 14 years, will use a single-shot Gardasil, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine that provides protection against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause cervical cancer, as well as types 6 and 11. It is in line with WHO proposals, which identify HPV vax as a pillar of Global Strategy to Eliminate Cervical Cancer CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ■ ■