Latest news with #KRajan
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Core changes not necessary in Land Reforms Act, says Minister Rajan
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala does not face a situation that warrants core changes in the Land Reforms Act, including a ceiling on possession by an individual, Revenue Minister K Rajan has said. He was speaking after inaugurating the delegates' session at the Bhoomi national conclave organised by the revenue and survey departments here on Thursday. Land Reforms Act paved way for social change in the state. Timely amendments and changes have already been made to the act. Though several states enacted similar acts after Kerala, they lack the strength and scope of the Kerala legislation. The Land Reforms Act helped in effective land distribution that brought in social change. The act has provision to empower government to implement industrial, commercial and development activities. The minister said the ongoing Digital Resurvey in Kerala is a revolutionary step. It ensures accurate and transparent land documents which prevent border disputes. Unique Thandaper initiative was launched in villages where digital survey is complete. The Ente Bhoomi portal that provides services of revenue, Registration and Survey Departments is a commendable model in e-governance. Central Land Resources Secretary Manoj Joshi presided over. In his address Joshi said Kerala's digital land resurvey project was a model for the country. Kerala has a high population density and digital resurvey is progressing efficiently. The state is using a fool-proof software system for the survey. Though several states have launched digital resurvey, Kerala is noted for the accuracy of the process. Himachal Pradesh Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi addressed the function. He said Himachal Pradesh has launched digital resurvey on the model of Kerala. The state has started panchayat-level committees on the model of Kerala for the effective implementation of the project, he said.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
No changes needed in LR Act: Min
T'puram: Revenue minister K Rajan on Thursday asserted that there is no need for any major amendments to Kerala's landmark Land Reforms Act, reiterating its enduring relevance and strength in ensuring social justice and equitable land distribution. His remarks come in the wake of state industries department proposing to revise the existing land ceiling limits to facilitate large-scale industrial projects, triggering concerns of possible dilution of Land Reforms Act. The minister inaugurated the representative session of the four-day national conclave on digital resurvey titled 'Bhoomi', organized by state revenue and survey-land records departments at Kovalam. During the session, he stated that while minor amendments and context-driven changes were made to the law in the past, there is currently no need for any major reform. "The Kerala Land Reforms Act laid the foundation for the state's transformative social progress. Though several states emulated our land reforms, none matched the strength and breadth of Kerala's law," Rajan said. "The law ended tenancy and helped actual tillers become landowners. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo It also empowers the govt to assign land for industrial, commercial, educational and charitable purposes," he added. Rajan clarified that reports suggesting Kerala was preparing to alter the land ceiling provisions were "misleading" and stemmed from a superficial understanding of the law's objectives. "Any reading of the Act must be rooted in its core intent of social equity," he said. He pointed out that even as sweeping changes occur across the country in land use and demographics, the governance of land hasn't seen corresponding innovation. Kerala, he said, is now moving towards what can be termed a "Second Land Reform" by modernising land administration through digital resurvey and e-governance. "Revolutionary steps in the revenue and survey sectors have been initiated under this govt, the most important being the statewide digital resurvey. It has helped prepare accurate, transparent land records and resolve boundary disputes," Rajan said. He added that for the first time in India, a unique thandaper (land ownership ID) system was implemented in villages where the digital resurvey was completed. The minister also highlighted the creation of a unified land portal — Ente Bhoomi — that integrates the portals of the revenue, survey and registration departments, offering a seamless interface for all land-related transactions and records. "In villages where the resurvey is complete, authenticated land sketches and ownership details will now be accessible even before registration. This will eliminate fraud and misrepresentation in land transfers," he said. Over 120 delegates, including top officials from 23 states, are participating in the conclave.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Nat'l conclave on digital survey begins today
Thiruvananthapuram : The national conclave on digital survey, organized jointly by the revenue and survey-land records departments with the theme of 'smart land governance', will begin on June 25. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the event at Nishagandhi Auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram. Revenue minister K Rajan will preside over. On June 26 and 27, sessions of the conclave will be held with participation from revenue ministers, revenue-settlement commissioners, survey directors and other senior IAS officers from various states. Senior IAS officers and other representatives from the survey and revenue departments of 26 states and union territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Manipur, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Assam, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Ladakh, will attend. Over two days, the conclave will share the latest technologies and experiences in land governance in various sessions, highlighting Kerala's achievements. Experts from international and national levels will participate in the sessions. The conclave will showcase Kerala's revolutionary achievements, including the 'Ente Bhoomi' portal, and discuss the technical and administrative advancements leading the state towards the second land reform. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cuối cùng, chơi miễn phí game chiến thuật hay nhất 2025! Sea of Conquest Phát ngay Undo You Can Also Check: Thiruvananthapuram AQI | Weather in Thiruvananthapuram | Bank Holidays in Thiruvananthapuram | Public Holidays in Thiruvananthapuram Alongside the conclave, the digital survey expo will exhibit the best systems, methods, advancements, and technical initiatives in land governance. On the final day of the conclave, June 28, field visits will be conducted in various districts to provide a real-time view of the digital survey operations that have entered the third phase in the state. This will offer an opportunity to interact with key officials and stakeholders and to witness the public-centric digital re-survey first hand.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Keeladi finds, backed by radiocarbon dating, unveil thriving 6th-century BCE settlement in Tamil Nadu
The archaeological site of Keeladi in Madurai has opened a new chapter in understanding Tamil Nadu's past. Radiocarbon dating by the US laboratory Beta Analytics has confirmed that the settlement dates back to the 6th-century BCE — making it contemporary with the urbanisation of the Gangetic plains — and remained a thriving center until the 2nd-century CE. Of the 29 radiocarbon samples analysed by the Tamil Nadu state department of archaeology since the 2017-18 excavation season, the earliest dates back to 580 BCE and the most recent to 200 CE. Large brick structures from the Sangam Age unearthed at the site reflect the growth of an industrial and urban community, matching descriptions in Sangam literature . 'Most samples above the brick structures date to after the 3rd-century BCE, while those below go as far back as the 6th-century BCE,' said K Rajan, an archaeologist and advisor to the state's department of archaeology. 'This places Keeladi alongside the Gangetic plains in what is called India's second urbanisation.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Como corrigir pele derretida (Faça isso todos os dias) Notícias | Beleza | Mulher Saiba Mais Undo Researchers are also close to reconstructing the face of a person who lived in the settlement, using 3D technology and anthropometric measurements from a human skull unearthed at the nearby Kondagai burial site. 'Based on the skull, we will reconstruct the age, dietary pattern, determine the gender, and actual face of the person,' said Rajan. The state's department is currently working with more than 20 research institutions from India and abroad — including Liverpool University in the UK, University of Pisa in Italy, Field Museum in Chicago, French Institute of Pondicherry, IIT Gandhinagar, and Deccan College — to piece together life in Keeladi in 580 BCE. Scientists from Madurai Kamaraj University are also investigating human and animal DNA to uncover migration patterns of the ancient population. Live Events A range of artefacts — glass, ivory, pearl and terracotta beads; seals; dice; and unidentified copper coins — highlights a sophisticated society with a rich material culture. Gold and ivory finds suggest the people were wealthy, while the discovery of Tamil-Brahmi inscribed potsherds dates the script back to the 6th-century BCE. 'It shows Keeladi was an urban settlement with a literate society and a community of artisans,' said R Sivanandam, joint director of the state archaeology department. 'It was an industrial hub along an ancient trade route linking the east port of Alagankulam to Muziris on the west.' Indologist R Balakrishnan explained: 'Keeladi has proved that Sangam literature was a lived experience of ancient Tamils and not imaginative stories.' Furthermore, dice made of terracotta and ivory — a form of entertainment — were also recovered. 'Kalithogai, the sixth of the eight anthologies of Sangam literature, makes a mention of such dice games.' Other sites — Kodumanal, Porunthal, Sivagalai, Adichanallur and Korkai — have also produced dates from this period. 'Korkai has produced a date as early as 785 BCE, suggesting Sangam-age urbanisation was widespread.' Rajan added. Despite 10 excavation seasons, only 4% of the total 110 acres at the site has been excavated. The state plans to continue its investigations and has set up a museum to showcase the finds — with a first-of-its-kind on-site museum in the works. 'Tamil Nadu has endured archaeological apathy for far too long until Keeladi sparked a wave of interest in the state's past,' said Balakrishnan. 'Keeladi is the first site that transformed the understanding of archaeology in Tamil Nadu.'
News18
13-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
Kerala Revenue Official Suspended For Derogatory Remarks Against Ahmedabad Plane Crash Victim
Last Updated: Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan described the social media posts by A Pavithran as 'mean, spiteful, and cruel'. The Kerala government has suspended a Revenue Department official accused of making defamatory and derogatory remarks against Ranjitha G Nair, a Malayali nurse who died in the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash on 12 June 2025. In a statement on Friday, 13 June 2025, Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan described the social media posts by A Pavithran, a junior superintendent at the Vellarikundu taluk office in Kasaragod district, as 'mean, spiteful, and cruel". Hours after the crash, a post from the profile 'Pavi Anandashramam' appeared containing obscene language insulting womanhood. Pavithran, a junior superintendent/deputy tehsildar of Vellarikundu taluk in Kasaragod District, also alleged that Ranjitha met this fate because she had taken leave from the Kerala government and gone abroad. The post was deleted after it sparked controversy. However, screenshots of the post were widely circulated. Coincidentally, similar action was taken against him in September 2024 for a social media post targeting E Chandrasekharan, former revenue minister and his local MLA. He also deleted that post and issued an apology. Ranjitha, 42, had returned to Kerala earlier that week on leave from her nursing job in the UK. She is survived by her husband, Vineesh, two young children, and her mother. First Published: June 13, 2025, 16:22 IST
