Agent/multi-agent systems have become an important field within artificial intelligence research. They have found a number of applications, including control processes, mobile robots, air-traffic management and intelligent information retrieval. Container terminal Technology is a very complex system, and traditional solutions decompose the problem into several sub-problems, each representing one particular aspect. While the set of operations to be conducted in the terminal is very extensive, existing approaches share some common features:

• the Marine Side Interface focuses on the loading and unloading of containers. Normally two or three gantry cranes (GC) are used to move containers for each ship
• the Transfer System transfers containers between the apron and the container storage yard. Yard trucks (YT) perform transports within the terminal. Transtainers are used to pick up or to put down a container on the storage area of the yard.
• the Container Storage System allocates and controls containers in the yard.
• the Land Side Interface handles interactions with the land transportation modes.

An ever-growing number of jobs are emerging in the logistics sector across the world. This is a sector which has huge potential to generate a large number of jobs and if students are imparted proper training and guidance, it would go a long way to bridge the growing demand as well as to ease the growing unemployment situation in the country.

Kochi will see a huge boom in CFS-related business once the Vallarpadam terminal becomes operational. If trade unions co-operate, there is a tremendous future for the CFS.
Kochi: When the ongoing works at the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal is completed by November, it is poised to create a substantial number of new jobs, especially in the logistics sector. The priority would then shift to finding suitable candidates for the port-related jobs that the project is likely to throw up, Mr N. Ramachandran, Chairman of the Cochin Port Trust, said.

An ever-growing number of jobs are emerging in the logistics sector across the world. This is a sector which has huge potential to generate a large number of jobs and if students are imparted proper training and guidance, it would go a long way to bridge the growing demand as well as to ease the growing unemployment situation in the country.

Kochi will see a huge boom in CFS-related business once the Vallarpadam terminal becomes operational. If trade unions co-operate, there is a tremendous future for the CFS.

courses
The new courses are being promoted by the Dubai Ports World (Kochi) and Falcon Infrastructures Ltd. The 15-month diploma course and one-year PG diploma course would entail a three-month internship at the Cochin Port Trust, Vallarpadam Transshipment Terminal and Falcon Freight Station in Kochi.
The course, which is slated to commence from July this year, would enroll two batches of 30 students each. Students who have completed plus-two with 50 per cent marks would be eligible for the diploma course while those who have completed graduation would be eligible to join the PG Diploma course, a press release issued here has said.

Major Attractions of Kochi(Cochin)
When it comes to Forts & Palaces, the options are Mattancherry Palace ( Dutch Palace) which displays beautiful Murals depicting scenes from the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, Gundu Island, the magnificent 16th century Pallipuram Fort, Bolghatty Palace, a Scenic island near the city of Ernakulam, Bolghatty, was once the residence of the British resident of Kochi (Cochin). For the tourists who like churches, though the options are many but Churches Santa Cruz Basilica, monumental church having beautiful paintings on the ceiling, attracts many people. For the lovers of beaches whom you will find everywhere, Beaches Cherai Beach is a lovely beach bordering Vypeen Island and is ideal for swimming. If you are lucky enough, you can even see Dolphins here. A typical Kerala village with paddy fields and coconut groves in close proximity is an added attraction of this beach. The place has many museums viz. Museums Hill Palace Museum, Pareekshith Thampuran Museum etc. Then there is a Vypeen Island which is a magnificent lighthouse at Ochanthuruth, remains open from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm daily.

Excursions of Kochi (Cochin)
Once you are through with the city, you can roam around to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding places. Alappuzha Beach (70 km) known as the Venice of the East, is famous for its boat races, houseboat holidays, beaches, marine products and coir industry. An outstanding characteristic of this land is Kuttanad which is one of the few places in the world where farming is done below sea level. Kalady is located on the banks of the river Periyar, is famous for its many temples. Aluva (20 km) is just north of Kochi, is situated on the banks of the river Periyar. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thekkady (190 km), one of the largest wildlife reserves in India, is more popular as a tiger reserve. Boating lovers can enjoy a fancy boat ride on the marvelous waters of the Periyar Lake. Backwaters Kumarakom (88 km) situated on the banks of the Vembanad Lake is considered the gateway to the backwaters of Kuttanad. Cheeyappara Waterfalls are located between Neriamangalam and Adimali on the Kochi – Madurai highway.

Pallivasal, the first hydroelectric project of Kerala, situated about 8km from Munnar is of immense scenic beauty.
The highly specialised dairy farm, the Indo Swiss Live stock Project, where the green meadows, the exotic cattle and the rose garden attracts a lot of tourists is at Mattupetty.

15km from Munnar is Rajamala , the natural habitat of the Nilgiri Tahr (a rare mountain goat) which is fast becoming extinct. Nyayamakad near Rajamala is a land of breathtaking waterfalls. On the way to top station there is Echopoint, 15km from Munnar which is a scenic place, gets it’s name from the natural echo phenomenon.

PM to lay stone for Vallarpadam
Saturday August 28 2004: The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, has agreed to visit Kerala to will lay the foundation stone for the Vallarpadam container terminal project in Kochi.

Vallarpadam is an Onam gift from Centre: Antony Thursday August 26 2004: A.K.Antony has termed the decision of the Union Cabinet to give its nod for the Vallarpadam project as an ‘Onam gift’ to the people of the State by the Centre.

Dubai Port keen on developing Vallarpadam box terminal soon
Thursday August 19 2004: DUBAI Ports International (DPI) is keen to develop international container transhipment terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadam in Kochi and shift operations there within four years irrespective of whether it handles the threshold level of 4,00,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) for moving out of the Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal (RGCT).

HC seeks explanation from the centre
Monday August 16 2004: The state High Court has sought explanation from the centre for the inordinate delay in implementation of the Vallarpadam Container Terminal Project.

When will Vallarpadam happen?
Thursday, Apr 03, 2003: OVER THE last few months there has been press releases, statements by various State and Union Government leaders and officials and a general thrust in public relations… . all leading to an impression that the Container Transhipment Terminal at Vallarpadam is not only a reality but the actual construction and commissioning is just round the corner.

SEZ in Vallarpadam will lure more investment
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2002: DECLARATION of the Vallarpadam and Puthuvypeen areas as special economic zones will reduce the cost of the proposed trans-shipment terminal by at least Rs 300 crore by way of exemption from Customs and Excise duties and income-tax, according to Mr Paul Antony, Development Commissioner (DC) of Cochin Special Economic Zone.

The church was built by Portuguese missionaries in 1524. It is said that the missionaries discovered a painting of the Lady of Ransom, and later in a dream, they were asked to establish a church in Vallarpadam, which they dutifully did. Many miracles have been attributed to the Lady of Ransom and most are of people being saved from accidents at sea. As per tradition the church was earlier known as the church of the Holy Spirit. The original building was destroyed by floods in the 17th century and rebuilt later. The present building is said to have built in 1676.

As per local folklore, a lady and her child from a Hindu family who were shipwrecked, survived for three days, sheltered under a rock. The lady prayed that she would commit her life to serving the Lady of Ransom, and she was saved. Even today, all processions in connection with festivities of the church begin from the ancestral house of the Hindu lady, which is called Paliath. The images of the lady and child are also seen in the picture of the Lady of Ransom inside the Vallarpadom church.

The local fishermen always bring their new boats to be blessed by the Lady of Ransom before they are taken out to sea for the first time. When prayers are answered, the blessed devotees dedicate their lives to the Lady of Ransom, and sweep the church compound to convey their spirit of dedication. The altar of the church is filled with offerings of devotees who had been blessed by the Lady of Ransom.

Pope Leo the XIII had bestowed ’special status’ to the church in 1888. The Vallarpadam church was declared as a pilgrim center in 1951. The church was given the status of a Basilica in December 2003. The number of pilgrims who visit the church is increasing every year. The major festival of the church falls on the 24th of September and thousands of devotees throng the small island to take part in the feast. The new Goshree bridges which connect Vallapadam with both Vypin and Ernakulam have made it very easy for the believers to come to the church. The church today is not only a major pilgrim center but also an important tourist attraction.

Some of the very famous beaches that attract tourists largely are the Calangute beach, the Baga beach, Anjuna beach, Dona Paula beach, Colva beach, Agonda beach, Miramar beach and many others.

Among the temples of Goa, the Saraswat temples hold much significance amongst the local people. Besides, the Shanta Durga temple, the Ganapati temple, the Maha lakshmi temple, the Shri Nagesh Maharudra temple are also important places of visit.

The most famous churches in Goa which attract large number of visitors are Goa Basilica of Bom Jesus which is a world heritage monument and Goa Se Cathedral which is dedicated to st. Catherine. The other important Churches are the Church of St Francis of Assini, Church of Lady of Rosary and Church of St Cajatan.

Waterfalls in Goa
Waterfalls in Goa are an added attraction to entertain and pull the crowd apart from its sunny beaches, dazzling discos and swaying palms.

Goa is distinguished as the land of golden beaches and as the beach State in India, full of magnanimity. Goa is also gifted with endless beauty- an exquisiteness, the splendor of which has attracted millions of travelers through ages.

Goa is well prosperous with a number of lakes, waterfalls and springs that has turned it into a tourist’s paradise.
These waterfalls, lakes and springs lying far away from the seashores, away from the jostle of the beaches and thundering waves give you that perfect retreat, a perfect picnic spot and refreshing water to make a splash.

Stretches of golden sand soaked by a rush of blue sea waters with the sky mirroring the sea below and the green paddy fields and coconut groves along with rolling and falling waters of the cascades makes your longer days of sun, sand and sea the most enjoyable.

Some of the most wonderful water bodies to be essentially visited in Goa are as follows:

– Kesarval Spring in Goa
– Arvalam Waterfall in Goa
– Dudhsagar Waterfall in Goa
– Mayem Lake in Goa

These water bodies not only render a different dimension of beauty but also a kind of serenity to the atmosphere of Goa tourism.

The place is a unique combination of sea and backwaters rimmed by lush green coconut palms and paddy fields. The backwaters are a combination of lakes, lagoons, canals and estuaries.

The 15 km long golden Beach is very clean, shallow and is ideal for swimming, surfing and sunbathing. The newly beautified 400 Meters of the main beach has a walkway and High mask lamps which make the beach enjoyable even at night. Trained security staff are present round-the-clock in the beach. The Beach is very safe and tourists of all age groups can enjoy the Beach alike. The beautiful beach is studded with seashells of various hues and shapes. There is a park for children on the beach. Water Scooter and Speed Boats are available for hire. One could catch an occasional glimpse of Dolphins as they spring out and dive back into the water. The far end of the beach is lined with Chinese fishing nets which is a beautiful sight by itself.

The beach is shallow, calm and is ideal for swimming & sunbathing. Enjoy a game of beach volley ball & take a dip in the sea. We have enough beach benches & umbrellas for your comfort.

The 10 kilometer long Cherai Beach is the best golden beach of Kerala and is rightly called “The Princess of the Arabian sea”. One should really feel the warmth of the golden rays of sunset infront of our resort. Dolphins are occasionally seen here.

The newly beautified main beach with the walkway adds to the charm and the Highmast lamp makes the beach enjoyable even at night. Cherai beach is well known for its mouth-lingering fresh sea food.

The marina, the first of its kind in the country – and, in the public sector at that – is set up at Bolghatty Island by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC).

Delivering the inaugural address, Antony said Kerala should provide the best infrastructure to retain its supremacy in the tourism sector.

“Good roads and effective waste management can play a key role in attracting tourists to the state. The Kochi Marina is a commendable step towards providing better amenities to adventure tourists,” Antony said. He said the situation prevailing in the national capital was favourable for Kerala. “Apart form ministers, there are many efficient people holding key posts in almost all ministries. The state should make use of this situation, and I assure everything possible to help the state,” Antony said. Antony said he kept away from the State Government functions not because of any political stand-off.

“I have been keeping away from all functions. At present, I attend functions which the protocol demands,” Antony said.

Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who presided over the function, said the KTDC had initiated a number of new projects, including resorts at Muzhappilangad and Bekal, and a Kerala House in Chennai. He said the KTDC had become a profit-making organisation.

A three-storey Marina House and berths for 34 yachts are the major features of the marina. The berthing facility will be enhanced to 50 later. The marina was constructed by Sharjah-based Gulf Marinas on a project prepared by the Kerala Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation (KITCO).

The marina will be managed by the private company, Ocean Blue, on a three-year contract. However, the Marina House will be under the direct control of the KTDC.

The marina was set up at a cost of Rs 8.21 crore with a central assistance of Rs 4 crore.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture K V Thomas, P Rajeev MP, MLAs V K Ibrahim Kunju, M K Purushothaman and Dominic Presentation, Kerala Tourism Secretary V Venu, Cochin Port Trust chairman N Ramachandran, Tourism Ministrym Principal Secretary E K Bharat Bhushan and KTDC MD K G Mohanlal were present.