Priyanka Gandhi lauds Faizal & Shabana Foundation at Wayanad ATTIO Conference
Wayanad: Congress leader and Member of Parliament Priyanka Gandhi praised the efforts of the Faizal & Shabana Foundation in promoting community development through various initiatives, including quality education and wellness tourism. Speaking at the Wayanad Association of Tourism Trade Organisations, India (ATTIO) Conference, where she was the Chief Guest, Priyanka Gandhi commended Faizal E. Kottikollon and Shabana Faizal for their dedication to social upliftment, particularly through their foundation’s commitment to establishing a Nadakkavu-model school in Wayanad.
The initiative, aimed at revolutionizing education standards in the region, is being undertaken with the support of the foundation, Priyanka Gandhi, and the local MLA. She emphasized that this school would play a crucial role in providing top-tier education to students in Wayanad, ensuring a brighter future for the youth.
The ATTIO Conference in Wayanad marked a significant step in unlocking the vast potential of Veiia and its transformative impact on wellness tourism. Faizal E. Kottikollon, Chairman of KEF Holdings, delivered the keynote address, while Shabana Faizal, Chairperson of KEF Holdings, also shared insights on the growing wellness sector.
The conference focused on positioning Wayanad and the broader North Malabar region as a global wellness hub. Discussions centered on how integrating Wayanad’s natural beauty and cultural heritage with modern wellness solutions could boost sustainable development. Key stakeholders highlighted how wellness tourism could generate employment, preserve ecological balance, and put North Malabar on the global map.
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One of the major highlights of the conference was the introduction of the Tulah Clinical Wellness Sanctuary, a revolutionary wellness retreat blending traditional healing practices with advanced medical treatments. This ambitious project, developed under the leadership of Faizal E. Kottikollon, is set to open in April 2025 in Chelembra, near Kozhikode Airport.
Spread across 30 acres, Tulah has been built with an investment of ₹1,000 crore and aims to redefine global wellness by incorporating Ayurveda, Chinese and Tibetan medicine, yoga, meditation, sports rehabilitation, and genome-based therapies.
The sanctuary was soft-launched on February 22, with dignitaries such as UAE Minister of Economic Affairs Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri and former NITI Aayog CEO and G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant in attendance.
Tulah will feature 65 luxurious suites offering panoramic views of the Western Ghats, along with a dedicated sports rehabilitation center and state-of-the-art sports medicine facilities tailored for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
A standout feature of Tulah is its organic medicinal garden, home to around 400 medicinal plants, with plans to expand it into a large-scale medicinal forest. Additionally, Tulah will introduce the world’s first patented Ayurvedic oil bath bed, developed with European technical support. Unlike traditional wooden oil beds, this scientifically designed innovation ensures hygiene and has secured patents in the European Union, the UK, and Asia.
Beyond the sanctuary, Faizal Kottikollon has unveiled ambitious plans to establish 100 Urban Tulah Centers worldwide. These 10,000 sq. ft. centers will offer premium wellness solutions in major global cities, with the first set to launch in Dubai.
Faizal E. Kottikollon, a prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist, is the son of P.K. Ahmed, founder of Kozhikode-based Peekay Steel. With an extensive background in business, healthcare, and philanthropy, he has been instrumental in launching transformative projects across multiple sectors.
Shabana hails from Mangaluru in Karnataka state of India. She is the only daughter of prominent businessman and socio religious leader Late B Ahmed Haji Mohiudeen who founded the prestigious BA Group of Businesses in Thumbay near Mangaluru.
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SC refuses to adjourn hearing on pleas against EC law, says this matter is more important
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to accede to the Centre's request to adjourn the hearing on pleas challenging the constitutional validity of a 2023 law that removed the CJI from a committee responsible for appointing the chief election commissioner and the deputies, saying the matter is "more important" than the Sabarimala case.
A nine-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant is currently hearing petitions regarding discrimination against women at religious sites, including the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, as well as the scope of religious freedom across various faiths.
A bench comprising justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma turned down the request by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, to adjourn the hearing on the ground that he was currently occupied before a nine-judge bench in the Sabarimala reference case.
Referring to the gravity of the current challenge to the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, Justice Datta said, "This matter is more important than any other matter."
"Let your (solicitor general's) associates take notes today. Let the petitioners start. All matters are important. We read in the newspapers that there is an observation that the PIL in Sabarimala should not have been entertained by the court. So, with due respect to the judges, nine judges are occupied in a matter where there is an observation that it should not have been entertained in the first place," Justice Datta said.
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The bench then directed the petitioners to conclude their arguments by Thursday, allowing the Centre to present its submissions on a subsequent date. The bench then proceeded with the hearing which is underway.
Earlier on March 20, CJI Surya Kant recused himself from hearing the petitions. "I will be accused of conflict of interest. There is a conflict of interest," the CJI had said. The law, enacted by Parliament in December 2023, came months after a landmark verdict by which the apex court directed that election commissioners be appointed by a committee comprising the prime minister, the leader of the Opposition, and the chief justice of India.
The bench had said that the system will remain in force till a law is enacted.
Under the 2023 Act, the selection committee consists of the prime minister, a Union minister nominated by the prime minister and the leader of Opposition (or leader of the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha).
The PILs said the exclusion of the CJI from the panel undermines the independence of the appointment process.
The law has been challenged by multiple petitioners, including Congress leader Jaya Thakur and the Association for Democratic Reforms.
Earlier, the Centre defended in the Supreme Court the appointment of two new election commissioners under the 2023 law that excludes the chief justice of India from the selection committee, saying the independence of the Election Commission does not arise from the presence of a judicial member on the committee.
In an affidavit filed in the apex court, the Union law ministry rejected the petitioner's claim that the two election commissioners were hastily appointed on March 14, 2024, to "pre-empt" the orders of the top court the next day, when the matters challenging the 2023 law were listed for hearing on interim relief.
The apex court also refused to stay the appointment of new election commissioners under the 2023 law.
A five-judge constitution bench had in March 2023 ruled that the chief election commissioner and election commissioners shall be appointed on the advice of a committee comprising the prime minister, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the chief justice of India.
