In more than one way, it's a setback for the DMK and Chief Minister Stalin in political terms. The electoral fall-out, if any, will have to wait until the next summer, only when assembly elections are due in the state, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.
The government aims to initiate "transformative reforms" across six domains, including taxation and financial sector, in Union Budget 2025-26, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday.
Unless Governor Ravi or the Union of India moves in appeal, seeking a hearing by a constitutional Bench, this is where it all will have to end, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The Bombay high court on Monday ordered a first information report (FIR) against five policemen for the custodial death of Badlapur sexual assault case accused Akshay Shinde, allegedly shot dead in a police van in September 2024, and setting up of an Special Investigation Team, noting that a prima facie offence is disclosed.
Outfits to get you in the mood for your year-end holiday.
Madison Keys was dumped out of the Miami Open third round on Sunday, falling 6-4, 6-2 to Philippine wild card Alexandra Eala
The Madras High Court has vacated a stay against the Election Commission probing internal disputes within the AIADMK, including the leadership and party symbol issues. This ruling is seen as a setback for the incumbent AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami. The court dismissed Palaniswami's petition seeking a stay against the EC's investigation into the leadership tussle and the allocation of the Two Leaves symbol to the AIADMK. The court directed the Election Commission to conduct the probe under the Election Symbols rules. This decision could have significant implications for the future of the AIADMK, as it allows the Election Commission to proceed with its investigation into the internal disputes within the party.
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and his family participated in the Maha Kumbh on Tuesday, taking a dip in the Sangam and attending a yagya at Parmarth Triveni Pushp in Arail. The family, including Ambani's mother, sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and siblings, were accompanied by Ambani's mother-in-law and sister-in-law. They joined millions at the spiritual pilgrimage at the confluence of the sacred waters of Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati. The family also prayed for "global peace and welfare" at the Vishwa Shanti Yagya.
The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu has won the Erode East bypoll with a massive margin, defeating actor-politician Seeman's NTK. The victory is seen as a boost for the DMK ahead of next year's Assembly elections. DMK candidate V C Chandhirakumar trounced Naam Tamilar Katchi's (NTK) M K Seethalakshmi by a margin of 91,558 votes, leading to the NTK forfeiting its deposit. Chief Minister and DMK president Stalin attributed the win to the DMK government's good governance, while AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami termed it a "fake" victory. The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of Congress MLA EVKS Elangovan last year.
Whether or not today's protest against NEP escalates into a full-fledged struggle across the state remained in the hands of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government, he said.
BITS has produced 10 startup unicorn founders in the US.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has asserted that alliances are formed only at the time of elections and declined to categorically say if his party would align with the BJP for the 2026 Assembly polls. Palaniswami met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday and brought to his attention several issues faced by Tamil Nadu, including the need for funds release, the implementation of the Godavari-Cauvery river linking plan, and a probe into the "TASMAC scam." He said that while the party would decide on an alliance at the time of the election, he did not rule out a tie-up with the BJP.
A magistrate's inquiry has found five policemen responsible for the custodial death of Akshay Shinde, who was accused in the Badlapur school sexual assault case. The Bombay High Court ordered an FIR to be registered against the five policemen, following the magistrate's report. Shinde was arrested in August 2024 for allegedly assaulting two minor girls and was killed in an alleged police shootout in September while being taken from prison for questioning. The police claimed he snatched a gun and opened fire, but the magistrate found the five officers responsible for his death. The court has asked the public prosecutor to inform the bench in two weeks on which probe agency will investigate the case.
The Leader of Opposition assured the parents of raising the issue in Parliament.
A video clip showing women being chased and intimidated by men in a SUV with a DMK flag has gone viral in Chennai. Opposition leaders have condemned the incident and demanded action against the accused. Police are investigating the incident.
'We are not opposed to any Indian language. We are against Hindi imposition.'
'The Dravidian movement was started for the Hindus who were rejected by the upper castes.'
Referring to Abdullah's comments, Saamana claimed that Congress actively contributed to AAP's defeat in at least 14 seats in Delhi, which could have been avoided.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced six new schemes and increased the subsidised Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loan limit to Rs 7 lakh from Rs 5 lakh, targeting everything from unemployment to crop productivity enhancement across the country. Presenting her eighth budget speech in Parliament, Sitharaman positioned agriculture as "the first engine of growth" and unveiled the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, a flagship program targeting 100 agri-districts grappling with low productivity, moderate crop intensity, and below-average credit parameters.
Ramaswamy is still mulling on the exact date to formally announce his Ohio Governor run, which is slated to be in 2026.
Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, in his latest book, argues that Pranab Mukherjee should have been made Prime Minister in 2012 instead of Manmohan Singh, who was then recovering from health issues. Aiyar believes this would have prevented the "paralysis of governance" and "doomed" any prospects the Congress might have had to form UPA-III. He also criticizes the government's handling of the Anna Hazare-led agitation and the Commonwealth Games scandal, which he believes contributed to the party's downfall in the 2014 general elections.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin did not attend the traditional 'At Home' reception hosted by Governor R N Ravi on Republic Day. Stalin instead visited Madurai to participate in events celebrating the cancellation of the Centre's tungsten mining initiative. The Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues boycotted the event, following suit with the ruling DMK's allies, including the Congress party. Governor Ravi, who has been critical of the DMK regime, had targeted the Stalin-led government in his Republic Day Eve address, alleging that many state-run universities in Tamil Nadu were in a dire financial crisis. In Madurai, CM Stalin, recalling his assurance that tungsten mining would not be allowed while he remained in office, said the village elders visited him in Chennai and invited him for the felicitation function. He said rather than praising him, it is the people who should be greeted, thanked and felicitated. The union government recently announced its decision to annul the auctioning of the mining rights.
'He didn't implement good policies for good politics.' 'He never worked on comprehensive policy-making.' 'In Kejriwal's own constituency youths are jobless.'
In 1911, French pilot Henri Pequet flew the world's first official airmail, carrying over 6,500 letters and postcards, during the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, now Prayagraj. The flight, which covered five miles in 13 minutes, marked a significant milestone in aviation and postal history. The mail included letters to Jawaharlal Nehru and King George V, and special commemorative postcards signed by Pequet are now prized collector's items. The event, which coincided with the Kumbh Mela, highlights the intersection of spiritual and technological advancements in India's history.
With its age-old fascination for education, southern states have done better than the North. Start-ups, IT hubs, and industry majors setting up shop have changed the face of the South. Nearly 79% of global offices set up by international conglomerates in India are in the South. Almost 46% of tech unicorns are from the South. The GDP per person in the South is 4.2 times higher than the North. None of these indicators can be ignored by any central government, whatever the political compulsions, notes Ramesh Menon.
Tamil Nadu is set to protest against the National Education Policy (NEP) on February 18, with the ruling DMK and its allies announcing a demonstration. The state government has been at odds with the Centre over the implementation of the NEP and the three-language formula proposed in the policy. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan dismissed the state's opposition as "politics" and asserted that the Centre is committed to implementing the NEP across the country. The DMK, however, accused the Centre of encroaching on the state's rights and using the office of the Governor to push the NEP.
The 2025 Sony World Photography Awards has announced its National and Regional Award winners, celebrating talent from 56 countries.
United States President Donald Trump for the fourth time in recent days claimed that the Biden administration allocated $21 million funding to India for 'voter turnout', evoking a sharp response from the Congress which urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to 'talk to his friend' and strongly refute the allegation.
The Ministry of Labour & Employment is investigating alleged "unsafe and exploitative work environment" days after the tragic demise of Anna Sebastian Perayil who worked with S R Batliboi, a member firm of EY Global. Perayil was a 26-year-old chartered accountant (CA) who died allegedly due to extreme work pressure at the firm. "Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Anna Sebastian Perayil.
The Madras High Court has asserted that press freedom and privacy are intertwined and that surveillance constitutes an attack on the press, which is considered the fourth pillar of democracy. The court made this observation while addressing petitions filed by the Chennai Press Club and three reporters seeking protection from harassment by a police Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the leak of an FIR concerning a sexual assault case at Anna University. The court highlighted the importance of protecting journalists' sources and criticized the SIT for seizing reporters' mobile phones without justification and for failing to adequately investigate the source of the leaked FIR.
Anna Sebastian Perayil, a Keralite who passed her CA exams in 2023, worked at EY Pune office for four months before she succumbed on July 21.
A quick look at the winners of the 82nd Annual Golden Globe awards.
'Sri Anna' means the best among all the food grains," Modi said.
As Indian-origin entrepreneur and Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy pulled out of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), just 69 days after he was announced the co-head of the team along with tech billionaire Elon Musk, a report has revealed that it was the Tesla CEO who wanted Ramaswamy 'out' of the team.
India's Parliament is set to begin its Budget session on Friday, with opposition parties poised to demand a discussion on the alleged mismanagement of the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj, where 30 pilgrims died in a stampede. The opposition also accused the government of politicising parliamentary committees and pushing its agenda through its majority. The session will start with President Droupadi Murmu addressing both houses of Parliament. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on Saturday for the eighth consecutive time.
If the DMK is able to sustain the momentum until the assembly polls, the AIADMK especially and the PMK and possibly the infant TVK too would find it hard to sign up with the BJP, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.
The average Indian works 46.7 hours per week, surpassing even China's 46.1 hours. In some sectors, the numbers are even more staggering.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, suffered a major setback in the Delhi Assembly elections, losing to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The loss marks a significant blow to Kejriwal's national ambitions and raises questions about the future of the party. The AAP had been in power in Delhi for the past 10 years and had also formed a government in Punjab. Despite the defeat, the party still holds 13 MPs from Punjab and Delhi. The article examines the factors that contributed to the AAP's defeat, including allegations of corruption, poor civic facilities, and the BJP's relentless attacks. It also explores the impact of the loss on Kejriwal's national aspirations and the party's future.
Pattali Makkal Katchi President Anbumani on Saturday opposed a decision of his father, party founder S Ramadoss, in a party meeting in Puducherry on Saturday, and the octogenarian leader curtly said those who do not wish to follow his diktats should quit the outfit.
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