5 things to know about former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy who remained undefeated for over 5 decades

News Network
July 18, 2023

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Two-time Kerala Chief Minister and and veteran Congress leader Oommen Chandy, 79, passed away early morning on Tuesday, July 18 at a hospital in Bengaluru. The news was shared by his son Chandy Oommen on Facebook. "Appa has passed away," he wrote at 4.30 AM.

The former CM had been ailing for over three years. He was under treatment in Berlin’s Charite Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram’s NIMS Medicity and Bengaluru’s Health Care Global Enterprises.

Oommen Chandy was a towering figure in Kerala politics with a career spanning over five decades. His death has triggered a wave of mourning in the Congress, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge hailing the 79-year-old as a visionary leader. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled Chandy's passing away through a tweet.

Here are the five major points you should know about Oommen Chandy:

1) Oommen Chandy was a two-time Kerala Chief Minister. His first tenure began in 2004 and lasted till the 2006 Kerala assembly elections which the Congress lost. He then was appointed the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly till the 2011 elections which the Congress-led coalition won. Chandy then governed as the Chief Minister for the full term of five years till 2016.

2) Chandy has the record of being the longest-serving MLA in the Kerala assembly. Since he first won the Puthuppally assembly constituency in 1970, no one had been able to win it from him in these 53 years. He won 12 consecutive elections from the seat and in August last year achieved the record for being the longest serving legislator in the assembly of the coastal state.

3) He also held important portfolios as a minister in the state assembly four times. He was the Minister of Labour (April 11, 1977-April 25, 1977 and April 27, 1977 – October 27 (1978), Home (December 28, 1981-March 17, 1982), and Finance (July 2, 1991 – June 22, 1994) in governments headed by K Karunakaran and A K Antony.

4) In 2013, Chandy received the prestigious United Nations Award for Public Service. He received the award for his mass contact programme in the state as CM.

5) Born in 1943, Chandy ventured into politics in his student days. He joined the Kerala Students Union, the student wing of Congress in Kerala, and in 1967 rose up to the post of president in the organisation. In 1970, he became the president of the state Youth Congress. In the same year, he was elected in the Kerala Assembly from the Puthuppally seat, which was considered a bastion of the Left at that point.

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News Network
November 27,2025

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Authorities at Pakistan’s high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Wednesday dismissed speculation about the condition of imprisoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, rejecting rumours that he had been moved out of the facility or was in danger. Officials said Khan was in “good health” and described the viral death claims as “baseless.”

“There is no truth to reports about his transfer from Adiala Jail,” the Rawalpindi prison administration said in a statement, according to Geo News. “He is fully healthy and receiving complete medical attention.”

Amid swirling rumours on social media, Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), urged the federal government to issue an official clarification and demanded that authorities allow his family to meet him immediately, Dawn reported.

The frenzy began after Khan’s three sisters called for an impartial probe into what they described as a “brutal” police assault on them and other PTI supporters outside Adiala Jail last week. Soon after, several social media handles circulated unverified claims alleging that Khan had been “killed” inside the prison.

The rumours intensified when a handle named “Afghanistan Times” claimed that “credible sources” had confirmed Khan’s “murder” and that his body had been moved out of the jail — allegations that have not been verified by any credible agency.

Imran Khan, PTI’s patron-in-chief, has been lodged in the Rawalpindi prison since August 2023 in multiple cases. For over a month, an undeclared restriction has prevented family members and senior PTI leaders from meeting him. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has reportedly been denied access despite making seven attempts.

In a letter to Punjab Police Chief Usman Anwar, Khan’s sisters — Noreen Niazi, Aleema Khan, and Dr. Uzma Khan — said they were “peacefully protesting” outside the jail when police allegedly launched an unprovoked assault after streetlights were switched off.

“At 71, I was seized by my hair, thrown to the ground and dragged across the road,” Noreen Niazi said, alleging that other women present were also slapped and manhandled.

Adiala Jail officials reiterated that speculation over Imran Khan’s health was unfounded and insisted that his well-being was being ensured, Geo News reported.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Assembly Speaker and local MLA U.T. Khader has initiated a high-level push to resolve one of Mangaluru’s longest-standing traffic headaches: the narrow, high-density stretch of National Highway-66 between Nanthoor and Talapady.

He announced on Tuesday that a formal proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) seeking approval to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the widening of this crucial corridor.

The plan specifically aims to expand the existing 45-meter road width to a full 60 meters, coupled with the construction of dedicated service roads. Khader highlighted that land for a 60-meter highway was originally acquired during the initial four-laning project, but only 45 meters were developed, leading to a perpetual bottleneck.

"With vehicle density rising sharply, the expansion has become unavoidable," Khader stated, stressing that the upgrade is essential for ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving safety at the city's main entry and exit points.

The stretch between Nanthoor and Talapady is a vital link on the busy Kochi-Panvel coastal highway and connects to major city junctions. The move to utilize the previously acquired land for the full 60-meter width is seen as a necessary measure to catch up with the region's rapid vehicular growth and prevent further traffic gridlocks.

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