Cabinet approves speeding up of International Maritime Museum and Oceanarium project in Kerala

According to a Capital Kranti report, the decision to accelerate steps to realize the state government's ambitious International Maritime Museum and Oceanarium project in Kerala was taken at a cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 04 November 2026. The cabinet approved the draft Memorandum of Association (MoA) and Articles of Association (AoA) of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formed for this purpose. In the initial stage, this entity will be established as a Section 8 company under the Companies Act, while its financial model will be finalized in the second stage.

The project plans to develop a state-of-the-art oceanarium, which is considered to be the most advanced in the country and is expected to give a major boost to the state's tourism sector. This will also include an international-standard maritime museum showcasing Kerala's rich maritime history, said Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan.

As part of efforts to address staff shortages in the health department, the cabinet decided to create 28 new posts, including 12 Dental Hygienist (Grade II) and 16 Cath Lab Technician (Grade II) posts. Despite prevailing financial constraints, these posts have been approved considering the difficulties faced by several hospitals in operating due to a shortage of Cath Lab technicians, Mr. Satheesan said.

The cabinet also decided to create supernumerary posts to retain six employees recruited through the Public Service Commission (PSC), whose jobs were at risk due to the cancellation of irregular promotions. Five of the beneficiaries are from Kozhikode district and one is from Ernakulam. The issue arose after a court ordered the cancellation of promotions given to PSC-recruited typists to the post of clerks through category change. As a result, the employees were sent back to their original posts, jeopardizing their continuous service, he said.