DHARMAPURI: Residents of Harur have urged the district administration to take steps to set up a boathouse and childrens park in the vicinity of Periya Eri. Periya Eri is one of the key water bodies near the town panchayat. The lake covers over 150 acres and generates water for over 2,000 acres of agricultural land in the taluk. However, over the years, rampant dumping of plastic and organic waste has increased the lakes pollution level. Hence, to conserve the lake, the residents have urged the o

PUDUCHERRY: S Gunasekaran has been re-elected as the President of the Puducherry Chamber of Commerce following the Executive Committee elections held on Sunday. The election saw two panels in contentionone led by the incumbent president Gunasekaran and the other by MLA T Sivashankar. After the voting process, 14 members from Gunasekarans team emerged victorious, while only one candidate from Sivashankars panel secured a position. The newly elected office-bearers for the next three-year term incl

TIRUVANNAMALAI: The Tiruvannamalai district administration conducted an awareness session at the district headquarters on Tuesday to address crimes happening in and around the city. Representatives from local organisations, women's groups, and police personnel participated in the session. According to a press release, the meeting was conducted to spread awareness about issues like chain snatching, theft, and crimes against women. The event was led by District Superintendent of Police M Sudhakar

VILLUPURAM: Villupuram Collector Sheikh Abdul Rahman inspected various ongoing development projects in Gingee taluk on Tuesday. The visit covered the Konalur, Konai, and Chittampoondi panchayats. According to the release, Collector Rahman verified the eligibility of 19 beneficiaries for free house site pattas at Konalur panchayat by visiting their residences. He also inspected a 30,000-litre overhead water tank to assess its maintenance and sanitation. The release added that the maintenance staf

CUDDALORE: Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited (NLCIL) observed the International Day of Forests and World Water Day at its Corporate Office on Thursday. The themes for this year's observances were Forests and Food and Glacier Preservation, respectively. According to a press statement from NLCIL, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, Executive Directors, senior officials, and employees participated in a function. On the occasion, Prasanna Kumar Motupalli emphasised

CUDDALORE: Parents of students studying at Panchayat Union Middle School in Sathavattam near Srimushnam refused to send their children to school for two days, demanding the removal of an encroachment on the school premises. The protest ended on Tuesday afternoon after Revenue Department officials cleared the encroachment. The school has nearly 90 students from Classes 1 to 8. According to local sources, a private individual had encroached on the premises and surrounding areas and set up a shed.

VELLORE: A 55-year-old hotel owner from Mettukulam, located near Katpadi in the Vellore district, was the victim of a burglary when thieves broke into his home and stole 40 sovereigns of gold jewelry. The police have arrested seven men in connection with the crime and have recovered 33 sovereigns of gold and 700 grams of silver. The victim, Raja, who operates a hotel on Siddhar Pradhana Salai, had travelled to Chennai with his family early on Tuesday to attend a function at a relative's house. U

PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry government announced an enhancement of the housing subsidy for Adi Dravidas from Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 7 lakhs, as Chief Minister N Rangasamy stated in the Assembly on Tuesday. Agriculture Minister C Djeacoumar mentioned that the government will extend the old-age pension to 10,000 new beneficiaries in the 2025-2026 fiscal year. In response to demands for grants, he explained that to promote mechanized agriculture under the central government's Agricultural Mechanisation Su

PUDUCHERRY: The Ramanathapuram Sanasthanam records from 1800 to 1900 have been digitally preserved at the National Archives Document Centre in Puducherry, marking a significant milestone in efforts to digitise historical records. This initiative is part of the Union government's project to digitise historical records, manuscripts, and archival collections at the Puducherry Archives under the National Archives of India (NAI). Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, respon

PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy reiterated the necessity of statehood, arguing that the Union Territory will struggle to develop without it. In response to a question from legislator R B Ashok Babu during the Assembly session, Rangasamy explained that the government encounters several administrative challenges due to Puducherry's status as a Union Territory. He noted that bureaucratic delays hinder investment and industrial growth, making it more challenging to attract investor

PUDUCHERRY: Independent legislator Nehru, also known as Kuppusamy, was evicted and suspended from the Puducherry Assembly on Tuesday following an argument with Speaker R Selvam. However, the Chief Minister N Rangasamy, revoked the suspension after an appeal. During a session in which Chief Minister Rangasamy announced the formation of Legislative Committees, Nehru sought clarification from the speaker regarding who would lead each Assembly Committee. The speaker said that all committee heads fro

SIVAGANGA: The students of the Government Sivaganga Medical College Hospital (GSMCH) on Tuesday staged a protest to condemn the attack on a female doctor by an unknown person inside the campus. The Sivaganga town police have registered a case against the unknown person and launched an investigation. Sources said the hostel for students and trainee doctors is inside the campus. When a woman doing her internship was on her way to hostel by a road without street lights, she was attacked by an unkno

COIMBATORE: A 36-year-old man died while he was trekking down the Velliangiri hill on Tuesday morning. The deceased was identified as Shiva of Palayanur village in Tiruvannamalai who lived in Bangalore and ran a business there. Police said, Shiva, his brother and two friends climbed the hills on Monday night. They reached the seventh hill on Tuesday morning and after worshipping in the temple, started to trek down. When they were between the second and third hills around 5 am, Shiva allegedly co

COIMBATORE: Over 100 sanitary workers of Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC), who are staying in temporary sheds after being evicted from their houses in Ukkadam to facilitate construction of a flyover, sieged the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) tenements on Perur Bypass Road on Tuesday after officials cancelled the draw of lots for allocation of houses. The workers said a DMK functionary was interfering in the issue and prevented officials from conducting the draw.

MADURAI: Increased arrival of tomatoes has brought down the prices to Rs 5 to Rs 7 in Madurai central market on Wednesday. Farmers said they are forced to sell the vegetables at very low prices or refrain from harvesting the vegetables. As on Wednesday, a 15-kg crate of tomato was sold at Rs 60 to Rs 120 and retail price of one kg stood at Rs 7 to Rs 10. Similarly, price of other vegetables, including ladies finger and brinjal, have also dropped below Rs 10 to Rs 15 per kg. Madurai Central Marke

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently reduced the punishment imposed on three former officials of Southern Railway for misappropriating Rs 20.7 lakh funds in the guise of purchasing furniture for the broad gauge conversion work, which was undertaken at Villupuram-Vellore section between 2007 and 2011. Justice KK Ramakrishnan reduced the punishment on condition that the trio should pay compensation to the Southern Railway. The order was passed on a batch of appeals filed by

MADURAI: Patients, attenders and staff at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai have spotted a large hole in an iron ramp connecting two blocks on the first floor. Raviraj, a relative of a patient, told TNIE, A few days ago, I was walking to the burn injuries ward when I noticed a large hole with sharp edges. The gap is large enough for a mobile phone to pass through. When I spoke with the staff, they said they had taken up the issue with the authorities. GRH Dean Dr. L. Arul Sundaresh

TIRUNELVELI: After allegations cropped up about a female doctor (postgraduate student) of Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH) collecting bribes from the family members of deceased persons to issue postmortem reports, TvMCH dean Dr Revathy Balan on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into the allegations. The suspect Dr Henna, and the complainant, M Mari Shankar of Naam Tamilar Katchi, have been asked to appear for the inquiry scheduled on April 1. In his complaint, Mari Shankar alleged that Dr H

THOOTHUKUDI: Residents of Srivaikuntam waylaid a government bus that allegedly skipped the Srivaikuntam bus stand, violating the district collector's order to mandatorily stop and alight passengers at the depot, and handed it over to the police. During police inquiry, the conductor of the Tiruchendur-Srivaikuntam bus was found to be in an inebriated state. Following the collector's mandate directing the TNSTC to operate buses via Srivaikuntam bus stand, while plying between Tirunlveli and Tiruch

MADURAI: N Meenakshi Sundaram, a Chemistry teacher working at the Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Othakadai, was selected for the state's 'Best Teacher Award'. The award will be presented during the Science Day Festival, 2025, organised by the Department of Higher Education, at Science City on Wednesday. Meenakshi (58), who started his career as a Chemistry teacher in a private school in 1989, later joined a government school in 2010. Earlier, he had bagged the state-level Dr Radha Kr

CHENNAI / DHARMAPURI: In the wake of recent incidents where Pocso cases were filed against teachers for allegedly misbehaving with girl students during examinations, teachers associations have urged the school education department to install CCTV cameras in all examination halls where classes 10, 11 and 12 exams are held. They said that this would ensure fair conduct of exams, enhance the safety of both students and teachers and help ascertain the truth behind such incidents to facilitate approp

CHENNAI: Transport Commissioner Shunchonngam Jatak Chiru on Tuesday said e-challans issued by traffic police worth of Rs 2,800 crore remain unpaid in the state, even as the Tamil Nadu government is studying the methods followed by states like Kerala and Odisha in collecting penalty for traffic violations from motorists. He also noted that the TN government is planning to establish a road safety authority to implement a comprehensive state-wide strategy to enhance road safety in the state. The tr

CHENNAI: Indians are the fastest growing community in Australia, with a population of over one million, said Katrina Knapp, Vice Consul at the Australian Consulate-General Chennai at the annual university day celebrations held at Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) Chennai on Tuesday. Indians in Australia are also contributing to India by sharing skills and helping build a resilient economy for the future, she said. Highlighting the growing partnership between India and Australia in various fi

CHENNAI: A heated exchange erupted in the state Assembly on Tuesday over the Coimbatore airport expansion project, with AIADMK MLA and former minister SP Velumani arguing with DMK ministers V Senthil Balaji and TRB Rajaa over fund allocations and project execution delays. During the debate on the demand for grants for municipal administration and water supplies department, Velumani claimed that the AIADMK government, under former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, had approved the acquisitio

CHENNAI: The Assembly on Tuesday witnessed a lighter moment during the question hour when AIADMK MLA KC Karuppanan addressed Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji as Mappilai (son-in-law), and realising his faux pas, Karuppanan immediately apologised to the Speaker M Appavu and the rest of the members. In the meantime, the members burst into laughter. Private firms are installing solar panels in large numbers. If the capacity is 100KV, we strictly adhere to that. When the sun is weaker, the elec

CHENNAI: Minister for Municipal Administration KN Nehru told the Assembly on Tuesday that Ramanathapuram and Perambalur municipalities might be upgraded to corporations. He said a decision in this regard will be taken after holding discussions with Chief Minister MK Stalin. Three selection-grade municipalities, including Tiruchengode, Udumalaipettai and Palani, are to be upgraded to special-grade municipalities based on their annual income. Similarly, Nandivaram-Guduvancheri, Palladam and Ramesw

THOOTHUKUDI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the assault on a Scheduled Caste student by caste Hindu boys in Thoothukudi. Notices have been issued to the director general of police and Thoothukudi collector, seeking a detailed report within four weeks. The commission observed that if the inhuman attack on the Class 11 Scheduled Caste student is proven, it would be dealt as a serious violation of human rights. The incident occurred on March 10, when a

CHENNAI: In an interesting exchange in the Assembly on Tuesday, DMK MLA S Inigo Irudayaraj, representing Tiruchy East Assembly constituency, expressed dissatisfaction over the lesser allocation of funds to his constituency compared to the funds allocated to the Tiruchy West constituency, represented by senior DMK leader and Minister for Municipal Administration KN Nehru. Both the constituencies falls under Tiruchirappalli City Municipal Corporation(TCMC). Addressing the Assembly during the deman

TIRUNELVELI: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on Tuesday, took suo motu cognisance of the murder of Tirunelveli former sub inspector Zakhir Hussain Bijli. It has issued notices to the director general of police of Tamil Nadu and collector of Tirunelveli, demanding a detailed report on the matter within four weeks. According to a media report on March 19, the family of the deceased has alleged police inaction and gross negligence led to his murder. The victim was an activist fighting lega

CHENNAI: AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday night, fueling speculation about a possible revival of the AIADMK-BJP alliance ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The AIADMK, Tamil Nadus main opposition party, broke ties with the BJP in September 2023 before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, citing differences with the partys state leadership. AIADMK sources said Palaniswami discussed several issues with Shah, including

CHENNAI: Arguing that the Tamil ethnicity and the Tamil language can be protected only by strengthening State autonomy and firmly establishing States rights, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday said in the Assembly that an announcement in this regard will be made soon. Responding to a special mention about the two-language policy during the zero hour, the CM alleged that the present government at the Centre is trying to dominate states, their languages and the ethnic groups by imposin

CHENNAI: As many as 723 special educators, serving on consolidated pay for more than two decades in government run schools, have en masse filed petitions in the Madras High Court demanding the government to regularise their job as per the mandate of the laws that deal with education to special / disabled children and children with special needs. They said most of them have been working since 2002 and were qualified to be appointed as special educators in government schools providing inclusive ed

TIRUPATTUR: A Class 12 girl, who was waiting for a bus to reach her examination centre, was forced to run behind a government bus after it failed to stop at the designated bus stop in Tamil Nadus Kothakottai, despite visible signals from her and another woman. The incident, which happened around 8 am on Tuesday, was captured on video by a person riding a bike behind the bus. The video shows the girl running after the bus for a short distance, risking her safety before it finally stopped and allo

CHENNAI: A division bench of Madras High Court has recused from hearing the petitions filed by the Tamil Nadu government, and its business entity Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC). TASMAC is on the retail sale of liquor, against the action initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) over alleged corruption. The bench consisting of Justices MS Ramesh and N Senthilkumar, having the portfolio for hearing PMLA cases, on Tuesday said

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday announced in the Assembly that a delegation of 39 MPs from the state would soon call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for a fair delimitation of Lok Sabha seats. It is to retrieve the rights of Tamil Nadu and that of similarly-placed other states by taking forward the Tamil Nadu will fight, Tamil Nadu will win, slogan, the CM said. Addressing the Assembly on the Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting held in Chennai on March 22 for a fair delimi

DHARMAPURI: Family members of a woman staged a protest at a private hospital accusing doctors of medical negligence after her twin babies died during delivery on Sunday. According to police, A Nandhini (24) was admitted to a private hospital near the Dharmapuri bus stand on Thursday for delivery of her twin babies. Following various tests, it was decided that Nandhini would have to undergo a C-section. She was taken into the operation theatre on Sunday. Nearly two hours later, doctors informed t

CHENNAI: Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan on Monday informed the state Assembly that the proposed Mekedatu dam project cannot move forward without key approvals from various central authorities and the consent of the states concerned. He said the project requires clearances from the Central Water Commission, Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Tiger Reserve Authority, Tribal Welfare Authority, and also from the states involved. As all these approvals are mand

MADURAI: A Perungudi police SI on Monday shot a suspect in the leg, purportedly in self-defence, after he (suspect) allegedly tried to escape by attacking him (SI) with a sharp weapon at the scene of crime where he was taken to as part of the probe into the murder of a Sivaganga constable here. According to the police, the incident took place when autorickshaw driver M Moovendran (25) of Vallanendhalpuram from Avaniyapuram was taken to the crime spot located between Kilamkulam kanmai and Pudukul

CHENNAI: The Teachers Recruitment Board(TRB) has released its annual recruitment planner for 2025, announcing 7, 535 vacancies across various positions. Aspirants can visit the TRB website (www.trb.tn.gov.in) for updates. As per the schedule, the board will conduct exams for recruiting 1, 915 postgraduate assistants in November, 1,205 graduate teachers/Block Resource Teacher Educators (BRTEs) in December, 51 Block Educational Officers for the school education department in March 2026, with notif

MADURAI: Unemployment is a menace to the society, and the unemployed youth, in a disadvantageous position, are easy prey to government employees who exploit their innocence and cheat them, observed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently. Justice KK Ramakrishnan was hearing an appeal filed by the CBI against the acquittal order of the trial court in a job fraud case against five persons, including two railway protection force staff. In such job fraud cases, the trial court should hav

CHENNAI: Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan on Monday criticised the previous AIADMK government for not taking steps to implement the Thamirabarani-Karumeniyar-Nambiyar river interlinking scheme. He said, The AIADMK regime did not show any interest in moving forward with the project. It was the DMK government led by Chief Minister MK Stalin which took up the work and completed it. He said the 75.175-km flood carrier canal with a capacity of 3,200 cusecs links rivers in Tirunelveli and Thoothu

CHENNAI: Minister for Water Resources and Natural Minerals Duraimurugan defended the states mining policies in response to concerns raised by MLAs over alleged mineral depletion and illegal transportation to neighbouring states. He dismissed the claims that the states mineral resources were looted. Refuting allegations of declining mineral reserves, Duraimurugan said 104 mines and 1,494 quarries are currently operational in Tamil Nadu. The revenue from mining operations stood at Rs 983 crore in

CHENNAI: Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin on Monday emphasised the historical and emotional bonding between his party and the Muslim community by recalling that former chief ministers CN Annadurai and M Karunanidhi had first met at a Milad-un-Nabi celebration in Tiruvarur. Addressing an Iftar organised by the partys minority wing, Stalin stressed the DMKs commitment to protecting the rights of minorities. He also said Karunanidhi had often told Muslims not to alienate him from them by

CHENNAI: Office-bearers of political parties who attended the meeting of the recognised political parties convened by Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik on Monday stressed preparing 100% error-free electoral rolls for the 2026 Assembly election well ahead of the polling date. RS Bharathi (DMK) said permission for advertisements on social media should be given within 24 hours. As of now, it takes a week and delayed permission does not serve any purpose. D Jayakumar (AIADMK) said the issue of

Actor, Karate legend, and archery expert Shihan Hussaini passed away in the early hours of Tuesday after a brave battle with blood cancer at a private hospital in Chennai, his family confirmed. Hussaini, affectionately known as HU, was a multi-talented individual a sculptor, painter, and a source of inspiration to countless young people who took up martial arts and archery under his guidance. He was 60 years old and leaves behind his wife and daughter. In a post shared on his official Facebook a

CHENNAI: DMKs parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi on Monday criticised the union government for not appointing permanent Tamil teachers in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) across Tamil Nadu while allocating a significant number of teachers for Hindi and Sanskrit. Quoting a response from Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary to her question over the status of Tamil teachers in central schools in Tamil Nadu, she said in a post on X, The union government has officially stated that the num

CHENNAI: IIT Madras on Monday launched Zero e-mission, a comprehensive set of e-mobility initiatives across different domains ranging from education, skilling and research to policy, outreach and safety. Spearheaded by department of engineering design, IIT Madras, the initiatives envisage strong industry collaborations to speed up the EV transition in India. The initiatives launched on Monday include an EV battery engineering lab, a battery charging infrastructure and a certificate programme on

RAMANATHAPURAM: Unseasonal rainfall has become a cause of concern for farmers in the district, as fungal disease has affected chilli crop on nearly 1,000 hectares here. In light of this, farmers urged the state government to distribute compensation to start cultivation. Chilli crop, including samba and mundu varieties, are cultivated on 11,500 hectares in Ramanathapuram, largely in rain-fed areas such as Kamudhi, Kadaladi, Mudukulathur, Thirupullani and Paramakudi. After the unseasonal rainfall

COIMBATORE: Alleging that blasting and quarrying have been happening at the proposed Sillahalla Pumped Storage Hydro-Electric project -1 site near Kundha for the last two months, members of Sillahalla Environmental and Social Association (SESA) urged the district collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru to hold an inquiry. Sources in Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited (TANGECL) said they are yet to commence the project and have only conducted in-situ tests for checking the stability of the dam

TIRUNELVALI: A group of ITI students allegedly assaulted a fellow student at the Pettai railway station in Tirunelveli here on Monday, inflicting injuries on his head and limbs. The injured student has been admitted to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital. The victim and suspects are students of the government Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Pettai, which has over 400 students enrolled in various trades. A few days ago, an argument allegedly broke out between the students from Pallamadai