Former minister B A Mohideen chosen for Devaraj Urs Award'

Kochi, Jul 15: Alisha P Shaji, a commerce student from Kerala's Kochi scored 499 out of 500 in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) class 12 results declared on Monday, wants to pursue a career in economics.

While talking to news agency on Tuesday, she said that she never joined coaching classes.

"I was surprised after knowing the unexpected result. I never expected this, I expected close to 98 per cent. I had five subjects to write but I could attempt only three as two were postponed. I am sad that I could not attempt them, but I am happy that I scored 100 in those subjects. In future, I want to pursue a degree in economics," she said.

"My friends, family and teachers are very supportive and I am thankful to them. I never went to tuitions. I used to study four to five hours a day," she added.

Alisha further said that she wants to give the message that it is okay to start late, but continuity is key to achieve good results.
CBSE on Monday had declared the results for Class 12 examinations 2020.

As per CBSE, with 88.78 per cent pass percentage this year for Class 12, the pass percentage has increased by 5.38 per cent. Last year, the pass percentage was 83.40 per cent. 

Kochi, Feb 29: The Kerala Non-Resident Indians' Commission on Friday passed a resolution to request the Centre and Election Commission (EC) to make appropriate amendments in the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, to ensure voting rights to the non-resident Indians working abroad. According to People’s Representation Act, 1951, None-Resident Indians (NRIs) can vote by proxy.

The Commission is a statutory body constituted for the welfare of Non-Resident Keralites working outside India.

The Centre had introduced a bill for this purpose which was passed by the Lok Sabha in 2018, but the same has since lapsed.

Therefore, the Kerala NRI Commission decided to request the Centre to consider introducing the bill in the next session of Parliament considering the interest of the NRI community at large.

The resolution was moved by commission member and NRI entrepreneur Shamsheer Vayalil, who is also a petitioner in the writ petition, filed regarding this in the Supreme Court.

"The central government may consider introducing the bill in the next session of the Parliament session considering the interest of the NRI community at large," read the resolution which will now be sent to the Ministry of Law and the Election Commission (EC).

Commission chairman Justice PD Rajan said the right to vote for NRIs is a genuine demand.

"This is the time that we step up pressure on the agencies concerned to implement this. Voting from the workplace would be a different experience for them. It would be a decisive step," he said.

This fresh development comes at a time when a petition filed in the Supreme Court on the same topic last week came before a bench headed by Justice Deepak Gupta, which considered the case and said it will be heard in April.

"We are expecting a favourable decision from the Supreme Court. We would also approach the NRI commission in other states and request them to raise the same demand," said Vayalil.

If implemented, millions of NRIs around the world would be able to exercise their franchise in the electoral processes of the nation. According to the estimate of the Ministry of External Affairs, there are about 3.10 crore NRIs.

Bengaluru, Feb 23: The sleuths of Custom Department have seized ephedrine worth Rs 5 Crore in courier terminal of Air Cargo complex in Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), the department said on Sunday.

Customs Joint Commissioner M J Chethan, in a statement, said that Central Intelligence Unit, Air Cargo Complex, scanned the package while verifying export consignments and found concealment of some powder. 5.04 kg of Ephedrine worth Rs 5 crore was packed in polythene pouches and concealed between cardboard layers of wedding invitation cards.

Detailed examination of the Wedding cards revealed banned drugs hidden between 43 wedding invitation cards in the package that also contained a few clothes.