The Cabinet gave its nod to the expedited project of the International Maritime Museum and Oceanarium in Kerala

A cabinet meeting held here on Wednesday (November 4) decided to expedite steps to implement the ambitious International Maritime Museum and Oceanarium project by the state government. The cabinet approved the draft social contract (MZ) and statutes (ZoA) of the special purpose vehicle (SPV) created for this purpose. Initially, the entity will be incorporated as a company under Section 8 of the Companies Act, with its financial model being finalized in the second phase.

The project envisages the development of a state-of-the-art oceanarium, which is considered to be the most advanced in the country and is expected to significantly boost the tourism sector in the state. It will also include an international standard maritime museum to showcase the rich maritime history of Kerala, Chief Minister VD Satheesan said.

As part of efforts to solve the shortage of workers in the health sector, the cabinet decided to create 28 new positions, including 12 positions for dental hygienists (level II) and 16 positions for laboratory technicians (level II). Despite the prevailing financial constraints, these sites have been approved in view of the difficulties faced by several hospitals in conducting surgeries due to shortage of laboratory technicians, Mr. Satheesan said.

The cabinet also decided to create surplus posts to retain six employees recruited through the Public Service Commission (PSC) whose jobs were at risk after the cancellation of their irregular promotions. Five of the beneficiaries are from Kozhikode district and one from Ernakulam. The issue arose after the court ordered cancellation of promotions granted to scribes hired by the PSC to the post of clerk through recategorization. The employees were subsequently returned to their original posts, jeopardizing their continued service, he said.

Published – 04 Nov 2026 17:02 IST