From social engineering to bearing the cost of COVID-19 treatment to financial reconstruction of Tamil Nadu's debt the debutant chief minister is emerging as a leader with a difference, says Shjne Jacob
The Congress party has alleged that Instagram blocked a post by Rahul Gandhi featuring actor-politician Vijay due to government interference, a claim denied by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
History-sheeter Arjun Ayanki has publicly challenged Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, daring him to reinvestigate a case and warning him against intimidation. This comes as police intensify their search for Ayanki in connection with allegedly threatening a police officer. Ayanki, known for his involvement in a gold smuggling network, has multiple cases against him, including a recent one for his social media post against the minister.
In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced new relaxations such as resumption of intra-district transportation in 25 districts after a hiatus of nearly two months. Maharashtra Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta has issued an order notifying extension of the lockdown, an official said.
Building a party from scratch and leading it to electoral success is an entirely different challenge.
Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand was awarded the Sports Journalists' Federation of India (SJFI) medal, joining a distinguished list of Indian sports legends. Anand expressed pride in being a catalyst for chess growth in India, receiving the honour from former India cricket captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth.
Movie star Trisha Krishnan graced C Joseph Vijay's swearing in as Tamil Nadu's new chief minister.
A total of 13 functionaries from the Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday quit the party to join its alliance partner the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
The Tamil Nadu government is proposing a nanotechnology park, similar to the highly successful Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan. The park, likely to come up near Chennai, will focus on hi-tech manufacturing in semiconductor foundries, chip assembly and testing, optoelectronics, solar cell technologies and nanotechnology.
Tension gripped Lower Camp area on Tamil Nadu's border with Kerala on Saturday as over 4,000 villagers of the district took out a march protesting against alleged attacks on Tamils in Kumily in the neighbouring state in the wake of the escalation of the row over Mullaperiyar dam.
A student from Maharashtra drowned and another went missing after entering the sea in Chennai. The Maharashtra government is coordinating with Tamil Nadu authorities for search and rescue efforts.
Rulers in New Delhi and their political aides in sensitive states like Tamil Nadu have to be doubly careful not to provoke a situation whose consequences may be much more than visible now to the naked eye, notes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The finance ministry has clarified that its letter to state chief secretaries, urging them to align their bonus policy to promote pulses, oilseeds, and millets, was an advisory and not a directive. This clarification comes in response to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin's criticism, who called the advisory a 'treacherous act against farmers'.
Tamil Nadu is the celebrated home of the 'social justice' movement in the country, yet caste differences and violence has only been increasing in numbers and becoming more brutal in recent years, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
G Sindhushree lacked the funds to buy proper equipment after her father's death in 2022, forcing her to compete with shorter poles until she borrowed a longer one just two weeks before the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is set to make crucial decisions regarding the status of rebel factions from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Shiv Sena (UBT) before the Monsoon session of Parliament begins on July 20, following demands for their disqualification by their parent parties.
The AIADMK has released its final list of candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, including nominees to contest against prominent DMK leaders. The party is contesting in alliance with the BJP, AMMK and PMK.
"A member of the LTTE is monitored from the moment he lands on Indian soil and is unaware that he is being tracked by the police. We allow him to wander for a while before catching him red-handed with the material as well as his contacts."
Former BJP leader K Annamalai has criticised the Centre for its handling of the NEET issue, alleging a lack of accountability despite three question paper leaks and questioning the delay in engaging with student protesters.
'In both places the minority was disproportionately powerful.' 'Few people acknowledge it but at its core the Tamil Nadu problem between the Brahmins and the rest was one of power.' 'In Kashmir the Hindus held most of the land and the accompanying political power, while the Muslims were the peasants and powerless,' notes T C A Srinivasa Raghavan.
Vijay's electoral triumph in Tamil Nadu is poised to dramatically revive the fortunes of his much-anticipated final film, Jana Nayagan, which has been plagued by release delays, censorship battles, and a cancelled streaming deal.
Madhya Pradesh's Nupur Kumrawat won the 50m rifle prone women's event at the 24th Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial Shooting Championship. Tamil Nadu's MA Akschadha Aiswarya secured the junior and youth women's titles.
State Governor Surjit Singh Barnala administered oath of secrecy to Jayalalithaa at the Madras University's centenary auditorium in Chennai.
'Our biggest opportunity lies with the younger age-group teams.' 'If you look at the senior national team, our chances are about 50-50.' 'The gap becomes smaller as you move down the age groups.' 'At the Under-20 level, it's closer to 60-40.' 'By the Under-17 level, it's around 80-20. That's where I feel we have our best chance.'
Tamil Nadu thrashed Punjab 5-0 and qualified for the semi-finals of the 70th Santosh Trophy Senior National Football Championship in Nagpur on Wednesday.
Despite aggressive expansion, India's solar power sector faces significant hurdles from rising regional disparities in installed capacity and a looming manufacturing glut due to overcapacity in domestic solar equipment production, potentially leading to consolidation and pricing pressures.
A mahout from Tamil Nadu died after being attacked by an elephant he was tending near Naruvamoodu in Kerala. The incident occurred when the elephant pulled a palm leaf, dragging the mahout closer and goring him with its tusk.
The Supreme Court has ruled that mere swear words, profanities, and vulgar expletives, however offensive, do not amount to obscenity under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code. The court clarified that for an utterance to be considered obscene, it must be lascivious, appeal to prurient interests, and have the tendency to deprave and corrupt minds. This ruling came while hearing a plea challenging a high court order confirming a conviction under IPC Section 294.
Tamil Nadu government on Thursday banned Dam 999 with immediate effect after the movie faced a storm of protests from various political parties which claim the controversial film is based on the Mullaperiyar dam, over which the state is locked in an escalating row with Kerala.
A massive swarm of black flies has descended upon Kotagiri town in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district, causing widespread panic and discomfort among residents. The unusual invasion has led to calls for official intervention and investigation, despite officials stating the flies do not transmit diseases.
Rahul Gandhi's aggressive street politics is giving him a fresh political edge, but overplaying his role could hurt his credibility with the wider opposition, predicts M R Narayan Swamy.
Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda, Simran Singhi, and Kavipriya Selvam are set to make their BWF World Championships debut as India hosts the prestigious badminton event after 17 years, offering a significant platform for these rising stars.
Suresh Lokeshwar (52) and Pradosh Ranjan Paul (65) struck half-centuries to help Tamil Nadu complete the formalities and win their Ranji Trophy Group C match against Goa by seven wickets, in Porvorim on Monday.
A journalist from a Tamil news channel was questioned by Chennai police and his mobile phone seized in connection with an alleged bribery case involving a ruling TVK MLA. The MLA claimed he was offered Rs 35 crore to vote against his party in a no-confidence motion, part of a larger "Meghalaya Project" to destabilise the government. The Chennai Press Club has condemned the police action, citing concerns over press freedom.
Riding high on an unbeaten half-century from Vijay Shankar, Tamil Nadu managed to score 192/3 on the opening day of their semi-final against Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy match in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Bharatiya Janata Party Tamil Nadu unit General Secretary V Ramesh was hacked to death by unidentified assailants near his house in Salem on Friday night, the police said.
'With the deaths of Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi, the BJP and Congress thought that they had a chance.' 'They have conceded that power is with the Dravidian parties.'
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.
'I am sure Amma's soul is watching over Tamil Nadu and blessing it," Modi said, and was met with a thunderous applause.
N Kalaiselvi, the first woman Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has received an extension to her tenure until February 2027. Known for her pioneering work in lithium-ion batteries, Kalaiselvi's extended leadership marks a significant milestone for women in Indian science.
