Newborn boy found in Kerala's 'Amma Thottil' named after late CM Achuthanandan

Alappuzha: A three-day-old boy weighing 2.5 kg was found in the 'Amma Thottil,' a baby cradle set up beside the Women and Children’s Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, at 2 pm on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. The infant was immediately examined by doctors and confirmed to be healthy.

The baby has been named Achyuth in memory of the late V S Achuthanandan, former Chief Minister of Kerala and a prominent figure in working-class politics. He is currently under medical care as the state prepares to initiate adoption procedures.

This marks another instance of the Amma Thottil being used to safely surrender a child. Just last week, on October 1, a baby girl named Veena was found in the same cradle. The facility, operated by the Kerala State Child Welfare Committee, aims at providing better life conditions for the destitute, abandoned and relinquished children.

State Child Welfare Committee secretary G L Arun Gopi urged anyone with legal claims to the child to contact authorities immediately before adoption proceedings advance. The Amma Thottil initiative, launched in 2002, has become a vital mechanism for preventing infant abandonment and ensuring safe, legal pathways to adoption across Kerala.

With inputs from PTI