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  By Sreedevi Chitharanjan As Kerala celebrates its formation day on November 1, 2025, the state marks another proud milestone — becoming the first in India to eliminate extreme poverty . The announcement is more than a policy success; it reflects decades of social reform, grassroots governance, and people-centered development that have shaped Kerala’s identity. In Kerala’s model, “extreme poverty” isn’t measured by income alone. It is seen through the lens of dignity — whether families have secure housing, access to food, healthcare, education, and the means to earn a living. For the government, freedom from poverty means freedom from helplessness. Over the past two years, officials, local self-governments, and community networks have worked together to trace every family living under harsh deprivation. Around 64,000 families were initially identified. Each was studied, visited, and offered a customized plan to rebuild their lives. Unlike traditional welfare drives that depend ...

  By Sreedevi Chitharanjan As dawn breaks over the red earth and the first golden light touches the sacred groves, the rhythmic thud of the chenda cuts through the still air. It is Thulam 10th in the Malayalam calendar — the day that opens the doors to North Kerala’s Theyyam season, a time when the divine and the human meet in dance, colour, and devotion. For the people of Malabar , this day is more than just a calendar mark. It signals the start of months filled with sound, fire, and faith — when the quiet temples and ancestral shrines ( kaavus ) come alive with the vibrant pulse of Theyyam, Kerala’s most ancient ritual performance. The First Beat In the early hours, before sunrise, the courtyards of small village shrines echo with the deep notes of the chenda and elathalam . Performers begin their sacred preparations, painting their faces in bright reds and yellows, fixing ornate headgear, and reciting the thottam paattu , songs that summon the spirit of the deity. The mom...

representaive purpose     By Sreedevi Chitharanjan  The state of Kerala has drawn national attention with the introduction of the Right to Disconnect Bill 2025 , a proposal aimed at restoring a sense of balance in the lives of private-sector employees. The Bill seeks to ensure that workers are not compelled—formally or informally—to respond to phone calls, messages, or emails from their employers once their workday officially ends. This move comes amid growing concerns about burnout and digital fatigue, especially in industries like IT and services, where technology has blurred the lines between professional and personal life. The Bill’s message is simple but powerful: employees deserve the right to switch off. The Context Behind the Law Over the last few years, remote and hybrid working models have made it harder for employees to truly disconnect. A day’s work often stretches into late-night emails or weekend video meetings. While the modern workplace depends heavily on ...

  By Sreedevi Chitharanjan There are some people who don’t just make advertisements—they make memories. Piyush Pandey was one of them. For over four decades, he didn’t sell products; he told stories that felt like home. Stories that smelled of monsoon rain, sounded like laughter from next door, and tasted of everyday life in India. Born in Jaipur in 1955, Piyush grew up in a large, lively family that believed in words, wit, and warmth. Long before he wrote his first slogan, he chased cricket balls across dusty fields, explored tea gardens, and learned to observe people with quiet curiosity. That curiosity became his greatest strength. He could find inspiration in the way a shopkeeper called out to a customer, in the rhythm of a rickshaw ride, or in the aroma of chai on a crowded platform. His world was real, textured, and unapologetically Indian—and that’s the world he brought into advertising. A Revolution in Advertising When Piyush joined Ogilvy India in the early 1980s, the adv...