Kerala first state to amend central wildlife law: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that Kerala has become the first state to pass a Bill amending the Central Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday passed the Bill with the objective of reducing the growing incidence of human-animal conflict in the state.
The CM, in a post on social media platform 'X' on Thursday, said that the passing of the Kerala Wildlife Protection Amendment Bill marks a major step towards addressing rising human-animal conflicts and ensuring justice for forest-edge communities.
"These reforms reaffirm Kerala’s commitment to safeguarding both human life and wildlife, fostering harmony between people and nature," he said in the post.
Kerala has become the first state to pass a Bill amending the Central Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The Kerala Wildlife Protection Amendment Bill, along with the Forest Amendment Bill, marks a major step towards addressing rising human-animal conflicts and ensuring justice for…
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) October 9, 2025
The Bill will be sent to the Raj Bhavan, which will refer it to the President as it concerns a Central law, according to official sources.
The Bill was introduced in the Assembly last month.
State Forest Minister A K Saseendran had a day ago informed the Assembly that the government had been compelled to come up with its own amendment to the Central Act, as repeated requests to the Centre for timely changes had met with no success.
He had said that human-animal conflict is an issue directly affecting the lives of one-third of the state's population.
The minister had also said that the main objectives of the amendment bill are to get the authority to declare wildlife as vermin and to ensure freedom for the state government to intervene during necessary situations.
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Shivakumar opposes ‘One Nation One Election’, calls it ‘unworkable’
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday strongly opposed the central government’s proposed ‘One Nation One Election’ initiative.
Shivakumar expressed his views at a dialogue on ‘One Nation One Election’ organised by the Joint Parliamentary Study Committee.
He said the plan is a politically motivated, power-centralising scheme that would seriously damage India’s federal structure by weakening states and poses a threat to the democratic system, according to a statement from his office.
As KPCC president and deputy CM of Karnataka, he categorically rejected the proposal, stating that it is being crafted to suit the convenience of those in power at the Centre.
Shivakumar said that the Karnataka Legislative Assembly had already passed a resolution opposing ‘One Nation One Election’ and read out the resolution at the meeting.
He firmly stated that it is “not a workable plan” and added that it is “practically impossible.”
“If a government falls midterm due to political instability, a no-confidence motion, or loss of majority, what is the solution?” he asked.
“Elections are held at different times in different states for different terms. Karnataka had its election in 2023, while Tamil Nadu and Kerala had theirs in 2021, and Punjab and Telangana in 2022 and 2023, respectively. How can these elections with varying schedules be synchronised?” he asked.
He added that the proposal is a ploy to suppress the voices of regional and Opposition parties.
He also said the Karnataka government does not agree with the proposal and remains committed to the position of the Congress party’s national leadership.
