The new cabinet, predictably, has a sizeable number of Yadavs and Muslims, though members of other sections of the society also find a place.
'To lead the Congress party, you need experience.' 'You should have held some positions which give you the experience of running the party at any level.' 'Tharoor doesn't have any such experience.'
The India Meteorological Department said the deep depression over the Gulf of Mannar close to Ramanathapuram district's coast remained practically stationary for 18 hours and then weakened into a depression.
Rajinikanth will announce his decision by the end of this month through a video message on his Twitter handle.
They also pelted stones at the fishermen before driving them away
Niru's Rameswaram album is an enjoyable montage of musical moods and moments without any disturbing contemporary trimmings.
10,000 Sri Lankan Tamils are waiting to come to Tamil Nadu.
Sri Lankan naval personnel allegedly beat the four fishermen with nylon ropes off Katchatheevu, an islet ceded to Lanka in the 1970s, fisheries department officials said.
The 23 Tamil Nadu fishermen, set free by a court in Sri Lanka after being detained by the island navy on the charge of poaching, arrived at Mandapam coast near Rameswaram on Saturday.
This is Modi's second visit to the temple since he became the prime minister in 2014.
After worshipping at the Sri Ranganayaka Mandapam, the vice president-elect was honoured with the sacred silk cloth and holy prasadams by the management of the shrine.
Despite the Coast Guard's best efforts to discourage Indian fishermen from crossing into Sri Lankan waters, they continue to do so for a better catch.
The Sri Lankan Navy has taken into custody 23 Indian fishermen hailing from Mandapam and Rameswaram areas when they were fishing in mid sea. Assistant Director of Fisheries Markandeyan said that the reason for the detainment, which took place around 11 pm on Monday night, was not known. The Sri Lankan Navy has also taken their five boats into custody. Authorities came to know about the incident from a fisherman who managed to escape with his boat from the Lankan naval men.
The DMK feels its genuine gestures have had no bearing on the governor's politico-administrative conduct, which is 'more political and politicised than administrative and Constitutional', observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The body of the 'people's President' was brought down to Rameswaram from New Delhi in the afternoon.
The Centre has taken the controversial stand that Katchatheevu in the Palk Strait off Rameswaram coast in Tamil Nadu was never part of India, but a senior geologist and remote sensing expert says remote sensing satellite data shows that the islet was geologically linked to Indian land mass.
Hindu organisations have said that unless Rajni tenders a personal apology, they would hold protests outside his Poes Garden residence.
The announcement of the death of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam leader V Prabhakaran by the Sri Lankan army has not created any flutter in the Lankan refugee camps in Rameswaram and Madurai, but most inmates dismissed the reports as false. "Prabhakaran is not dead. He will emerge stronger... nobody can touch even his shadow," Andrews, a refugee at Mandapam camp, said. "Prabhakaran has been fighting for us for more than 30 years, we know his strength," said another refugee.
In what could be seen as a prelude to his possible entry into politics, a demand increasingly being voiced by his fans, superstar Rajnikanth on Monday said he would undertake a state-wide tour to meet them.
Four Sri Lankan fishermen were arrested in Tamil Nadu for fishing in Indian waters on Wednesday, taking the total number of such fishermen apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard to 65 during the last week.
Speculation was rife at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday about whether the wife of Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam supremo V Prabhakaran arrived here, along with a group of Sri Lankan refugees, in the face of escalating violence between the Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan forces. Police and media personnel rushed to the Mandapam refugee camp in Rameswaram after rumours claimed that Prabhakaran's wife Madhivadhani had reached the camp early on Wednesday morning.
The police confirmed that the boat had not crossed the maritime borders when the firing occurred.
The refugees are safe from bombs, but not from their memories.
Some of the Sri Lankan Tamils, who arrived on Saturday, said they were 'second-time refugees.'
Sixty-six Tamil Nadu fishermen set free by a Sri lankan court after being arrested recently by the island navy, arrived in Rameswaram on Wednesday with the Indian Coast Guard repatriating them.
More than 120 Indian fishermen, arrested by Sri Lankan Navy in the past several months, were released on Friday in line with the reciprocal agreement reached between the two countries to set free detained fishermen.
'I am sure Amma's soul is watching over Tamil Nadu and blessing it," Modi said, and was met with a thunderous applause.
In a princely offering, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday donated gold ornaments worth around Rs 5 crore to the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala for fulfilling the vows he had made for realisation of separate Telangana.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday visited the Sivagiri Mutt, a revered spiritual centre established in Varkala, Kerala by the renowned 20th century saint-social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, and paid respects at his samadhi.
The memorial has been built at a cost of Rs 15 crore on land alloted by the Tamil Nadu government at Kalam's village Peikarambu.
Upon his arrival, Modi addressed a thanksgiving public meeting organised by the Andhra Pradesh BJP at Renigunta near Tirupati.
'All-India alliances are not the priority today.' 'Therefore, the CPI-M's political line dovetails with the emergent political reality in the country,' says M K Bhadrakumar.
Security in coastal areas of Tamil Nadu has been further beefed up following an anonymous telephone call about infiltration of terrorists, days after an intelligence alert that they could sneak in from Sri Lanka and attack Madurai, Mayiladuthurai and Rameswaram in the state.
Addressing his fans on the opening day of a six-day-long photo session with followers, the actor said he was hesitant to enter politics since he knew its dynamics.
'Greatness can come from simple beginnings. Actually it will come only from simplicity. Glad to start my journey from a great man's simple abode,' the actor said in a tweet after visiting House of Kalam in Rameswaram.
