The Times of India
Elections 2026Chennai / The Times of India
A 12-volume etymological dictionary project is exploring the deep linguistic connections between Tamil and Indo-European languages, aiming to prove the antiquity of Tamil. The project traces Tamil root words, suggesting it could be the source for many expressions found across the Indo-European family, potentially linking to ancient global languages.
India's traditional banana varieties are facing decline, prompting the establishment of a new gene bank in Trichy. This facility, by ICAR-NRCB and PPV&FRA, aims to conserve and develop banana varieties, recognizing farmers' contributions with intellectual property rights and awards. The initiative seeks to bolster agro-biodiversity conservation efforts nationwide.
Perarivalan was enrolled as an advocate at an enrollment function conducted by the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the Madras high court auditorium.
Refusing to entertain the plea, the first bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan dismissed the plea filed by M P Venkatesh, a voter from Perambur constituency.
Activists, led by Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam president V Eswaran, have filed a petition in Madras high court to this effect. The court is likely to take up the petition for hearing on April 30.
Music composer James Vasanthan's car was vandalized in Chennai's Kottivakkam area on April 26. He discovered the shattered window glass after returning from a restaurant meal. Vasanthan shared a video of the damaged vehicle on social media, questioning if it was random mischief or a targeted attack.
For Dalit History Month, we spotlight those from dalit households who have overcome barriers, showing how a single breakthrough in a family or neighbourhood can build pride and change futures
In a disturbing turn of events on a Chennai MTC bus, a 25-year-old named Amarnath allegedly took matters into his own hands, fatally attacking 74-year-old Chandrasekaran over a disagreement about reading bus route names. Witnesses report that the confrontation spiraled out of control, culminating in violence. Other passengers quickly stepped in to restrain Amarnath until authorities arrived.
G Varalakshmi: Daughter of a wrestler, runaway child, the versatile actor with a mercurial temperament had a career that spanned almost 100 films in Telugu and Tamil.
Chennai witnessed a significant surge in voter turnout for the recent elections, with nearly 20,000 more people casting ballots compared to 2021. This increase, bolstered by postal votes, highlights a dynamic shift in participation across several key constituencies. While some areas saw a decline, others, like Perambur and Kolathur, recorded substantial gains, potentially influencing close electoral contests.
Commuters on the TiruttaniArakkonam route will experience disruptions for several weeks due to engineering works. Southern Railway has announced full cancellations of specific EMU services between Tiruttani and Arakkonam from April 26 to May 16, 2026. Partial cancellations will also affect services between Tiruvalangadu and Arakkonam during the same period.
Tamil Nadu's voting percentage was revised to 85.10%, with Chennai seeing a significant surge to 86.2% after voter additions. The Election Commission confirmed no re-polling is needed across 75,064 stations. Karur district recorded the highest turnout at 92.65%, while Anna Nagar saw the largest increase in Chennai's votes.
The crime came to light after the elderly couple, identified as Ramasamy, 70, and his wife R Ponammal, 65, did not come out of their house on Friday for a long time.
The incident came to light a short while later when a passerby noticed the two men lying motionless inside the well and alerted the villagers, who in turn alerted Tirukoilur fire and rescue services.
DMK sources said Stalin and his family were likely to spend three days in Kodaikanal.

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