COIMBATORE: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) on Sunday morning booked five DMK members, including Pollachi Town Secretary Thendral K Selvaraj, for erasing Hindi letters from three name boards at the Pollachi Railway Station. According to sources, Selvaraj who has served as the Coimbatore district (South) coordinator of the ruling DMK, along with four of his supporters have been booked under the Railway Act of 147 (Trespass and refusal to desist from trespass), 145 B (Commits nuisance), and 166

RAMANATHAPURAM: The Sri Lankan Navy caught five mechanised boats and arrested 32 Indian fishermen hailing from Ramanathapuram for violation of the International Maritime Boundary Line between India and Sri Lanka (IMBL) on Sunday. Following the arrest, fishermen association in Ramanathapuram has decided to intensify the indefinite strike which was planned to be held from February 28. As many as 450 mechanised boats had ventured into the sea from Rameswaram on Saturday night. Reportedly, the Sri L

COIMBATORE: Alleging that the increasing number of crimes against girl children in schools is due to a lack of proper preventive measures, psychologists demanded that the school education department mandate counselling in schools and appoint psychologists in every school. N Bhuvana, a psychologist from Coimbatore told TNIE that girls studying in schools and colleges, especially those below 18 years of age are victims of sexual harassment by teachers, and this results in teachers being arrested u

COIMBATORE: The Bhavani River between Mettupalayam and Sirumugai has turned black due to decreased water flow and high levels of sewage discharge. AIADMK MLA A K Selvaraj, along with officials, inspected the affected areas on Friday and identified the reason as pollutants from locally-run dying units and deemed the water not consumable. As Jadayampalayam panchayat is solely dependent on this river for drinking water supply, it has been included under the Tiruppur II water supply scheme, the MLA

COIMBATORE: People can breathe a sigh of relief as after years of delay, the State Highways Department is finally set to start the Rail Overbridge (ROB) works at Thanneerpandal junction near Tidel Park in Coimbatore. The highway officials have sent a revised project cost of Rs 40.7 crore to the state government and are awaiting the Administrative Sanction (AS) for the project. Considering the huge traffic congestion, the state government decided to construct a flyover or ROB across the railway L

KRISHNAGIRI: Hosurs industrial growth has slowed down due to the previous AIADMK government and has improved under the DMK regime, said Industries Minister TRB Rajaa at Kurubarapalli on Saturday. After visiting a Delta Electronics company at Kurubarapalli said, The growth of Hosur industries was slow in the last ten years due to AIADMK government, but after DMK assumes power, its planning to bring more industries. Chief Minister MK Stalin on last year announced a greenfield airport at Hosur and

NAMAKKAL: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan alleged that the state governments insistence on a two-language policy is hindering development of students in government schools, during a meeting of BJP cadre at its headquarters on Saturday. Murugan said, The NEP was designed by various experts in hopes of moulding the countrys future. It was designed to educate the youths wholly. The three-language policy in the NEP does not force students to pick Hindi as their third lan

DHARMAPURI: Farmers of Palacode taluk are worried that the excessive tariff of Rs 135 on commercial vehicles at a new toll gate near Karagathahalli village would affect their livelihood, particularly for transport of produce. They added the toll gate was opened even though the construction of the NH 844 is underway, forcing them to take a detour despite paying the fare. The new toll gate was opened on the Adhiyamankottai - Hosur national highway (NH 844) in Karagathahalli village in Palacode on

COIMBATORE: After six hours of struggle, Coimbatore forest officials doused the fire that occurred at the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border near Anaikkadu tribal settlement in Narasipuram reserve forest in the wee hours of Saturday. Despite Boluvampatti forest range staff had created a forest fire prevention line (that is, clearing of vegetation and dried grasses) much earlier as precautionary measures to prevent the spreading of forest fire at over six km on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, the fire starte

TIRUPPUR: Tiruppur police on Saturday arrested a 43-year-old man for allegedly murdering his cousin over a property dispute near Avinashi recently. The accused has been identified as G Ramesh (43), a farmer from Avinashi. Sources said that S Govindasamy (54), a resident of Kalipalayam near Karuvalur in Avinashi worked as a manager in a private knitwear manufacturing company and was also engaged in farming. However, on February 19 he went missing. Based on a missing case filed by his family, Avin

THOOTHUKUDI: Condemning the move to acquire land for a Space Industrial Park and Propellants Park, residents of Athiyakurichi and the villages surrounding Udangudi observed a one-day hunger strike. The Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce department recently notified over 1,500 acres at Athiyakurichi village for land acquisition on behalf of Space Industrial Park and Propellants Park project. The residents have been protesting against the land acquisition for the past two months, and also

MADURAI: Judges are those who solve the problems of people from different sections and backgrounds, and they must hail from different communities and religions to uphold the principles of social justice and inclusivity, said retired high court judge D Hariparanthaman on Saturday. Speaking on the sidelines of a signature campaign for social justice and inclusivity in the appointment of judges, Justice Hariparanthaman said there are 10 vacancies, out of the total sanctioned strength of 75 judges,

KANNIYAKUMARI: Chief Justice of Madras High Court KR Shriram inaugurated a special court for cases under the Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, at Nagercoil in Kanniyakumari on Saturday. Speaking at the event organised on the district court campus in Nagercoil, Shriram said that Thirukkural is the forerunner of modern social justice concepts. Stating that the special court building embodies the very spirit of justice, offering inspiration and steadfast sup

THOOTHUKUDI: A 30-year-old tractor driver allegedly attempted to die by suicide at the Kovilpatti All Women Police Station after complaining that the police were trying to separate him from his estranged wife, instead of reuniting them. The victim, Mariraj (30) of Kurumalai, has been admitted to Kovilpatti government hospital, and is in stable condition. Sources said Mariraj and Murugalakshmi have been living separately due to differences. The couple has a four-year-old daughter. Recently, Murug

COIMBATORE: Several applicants and e-centre operators are stressed while applying for a Police Verification Report (PVR) online (which is required for both private and government recruitment), as they face technical glitches, especially during the payment process. They suggested that the service is more accessible only in night when website traffic is lower and they urged the police department to fix the technical glitches in the payment gateway to handle the traffic better. A 34-year-old woman,

TIRUCHY: The increase in quantum of paddy procurement in the state this season as compared to last year has raised the demand for labourers at the direct paddy purchase centres (DPCs) of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC). Local workers, however, complain that they are being overlooked for migrant workers from other states for labour at the DPCs. Currently, in several of the 99 DPCs in the district, migrant workers are employed as load men, avoiding local workers who were previous

CHENNAI: National Human Rights Commission chairman Justice V Ramasubramanian stressed the need to inculcate the sense of being human in future generations so that they can live in harmony, while speaking at the launch of Unity India, a national forum for communal harmony, at CPR Convention Centre on Saturday. The nation belongs to the future and it has to be told to our children that unity is inherent in human creation and how it deviated from there, he said, quoting the Tamil song, Iraivan iruk

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has made significant strides in innovation, filing 9,700 patents in 2024. However, there is a growing need for a well-structured Intellectual Property (IP) ecosystem to support emerging technologies, according to Madras High Court judge Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy. Speaking at the Tamil Nadu Technology Development and Promotion Centres conference on Auto Tech IP Trends, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Chennai on Saturday, Justice Ramamoorthy highlight

MADURAI: In the wake of speculations that Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) womens wing leader Kaliammal may quit, NTK chief Seeman said Kaliammal has every right to decide whether she wishes to stay or quit. Speaking to media persons at the Madurai airport on Saturday, Seeman reacted to Kaliammals plan to quit, saying it is autumn season and leaves falling is natural. If anyone wishes to join the party, we welcome them, and if they quit, we convey our wishes as it is a democratic party. Each has a righ

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has refused to revoke an order of the state government and the subsequent notification of the court for compulsorily retiring a district judge who was charged with carrying out murky financial transactions and acquisition of wealth by his family members. A division bench of Justices R Subramanian and G Arul Murugan dismissed the petition filed by the district judge S Gunasekar of Ranipet recently. He was appointed as district judge in 2018 and was placed under susp

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has urged the Tamil Nadu government to revisit government order issued in 2021, governing the premature release of life convicts, with respect to the disqualification clause. A division bench of Justices M S Ramesh and N Senthilkumar noted that Clause 2 (A) (ii) of G.O. Ms 488 of 2021 prescribes certain criteria to declare a life convict prisoner as ineligible for premature release, in respect of some lesser offences. Apparently, these disqualifications are not in

CHENNAI: The number of Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU) members who have received suspension orders from the company management has gone up to 23 as of Saturday, according to CITU sources. Workers that TNIE spoke to said that the management, in its suspension letter, has stated that they are not permitted to enter the manufacturing plant in Sriperumbudur unless specific instructions are received from authorities to do otherwise. The reasons for suspension stated in the letter included insubord

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government through the Thoothukudi collector on February 10 ordered five beach sand mining companies to pay Rs 2,002.7 crore towards royalties and cost of minerals which were allegedly unlawfully mined and exported from the Thoothukudi port from January 2014 to December 2016. These demand orders form part of the governments decision to recover Rs 5,832 crore from the firms which allegedly mined excess amount of beach sand minerals like Garnet, Ilmenite, Rutile, Zircon, Si

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai broke his silence on the rebellion against him by a small section of district-level functionaries and dismissed their complaints as part and parcel of democracy, which, he said, the Congress respected. On Friday, when cadre and senior leaders of TNCC gathered at the party headquarters to wish Selvaperunthagai as he completed one year as TNCC president, a group of around 15 of the 72 district presidents of the party, that was cam

73-year-old Justice K Chandru has donned many roles over the past five decades political activist, labour lawyer, senior advocate, judge of the Madras High Court, writer, intellectual, and head of government-appointed committees. What has remained unchanged, however, is his tireless work and unwavering commitment to the welfare of those from the marginalised backgrounds. Excerpts You have headed many one-man committees appointed by the present government in Tamil Nadu. The last was to recommend

CUDDALORE: Continuing his tirade against the Centre over the National Education Policy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday said he would not agree to implement it even if the Centre offered to provide Rs 10,000 crore in funds to the state. The opposition to the NEP was not merely due to the attempt to impose Hindi but also because of various other factors that would have serious consequences for the future of students and the social justice system, he claimed. Apart from encouragin

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the police department to reinstate a disabled officer with 50 per cent back wages, criticising the authorities for failing to provide him with an alternative role despite legal obligations. A division bench comprising Justices R. Subramanian and G. Arul Murugan recently dismissed the appeals filed by the Greater Chennai Police (GCP) against a single judge's order in favour of K. Sakthivel, a police department employee. Sakthivel was recruited in 2005 a

NAGAPATTINAM: The international ferry service between Nagapattinam (India) and Kangesanthurai (Sri Lanka) resumed after 109 days. The ferry Sivagangai was flagged off from Nagapattinam Port on Saturday. The service was suspended on November 5 due to monsoon. On Saturday, the service resumed with a special prayer and flag-off ceremony at Nagapattinam Port. The ferry Sivagangai departed with 83 passengers towards Kangesanthurai around 8 am. Subhashree Sundararaj, the Director of Subham Ferry said,

TIRUCHY: The recent anti-encroachment drive in Tiruchy has left many abandoned vehicles on the roadside untouched. Officials from the Tiruchy city corporation often ignore these vehicles during such drives. Some vehicle owners treat vacant spaces beside roads as private property, using them to park their old and damaged vehicles. However, neither the police nor the corporation has taken action against these violators. In October 2022, the police conducted an inspection of abandoned vehicles afte

CHENNAI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhans letter to Chief Minister MK Stalin, accusing the ruling DMK for not signing the PM Schools for Rising India (PM-Shri) scheme has kicked up a storm on Friday, with Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin saying, its the centre, and not Tamil Nadu, that is playing language politics. Speaking to reporters, Udhayanidhi said, We have already made it clear that we will never accept the three-language policy. There is nothing political in this; eve

COIMBATORE: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Crime Branch CID (CB-CID) has sent a reminder to Interpol seeking details of international phone calls received by prime suspect C Kanagaraj in the Kodanad heist-cum-murder case. Speaking to reporters at the Nilgiris district sessions court on Friday, special public prosecutor Shajahan said the CB-CID had first approached Interpol to trace the VoIP calls received by Kanagaraj last year. Interpol did not share any information. So, the SIT has re

CHENNAI: The green peas import scam detected by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) two weeks ago is not the only major case where the alleged collusion of Chennai Customs officers and fraudsters has been found. Customs own intelligence wing has dug up a case where Sandeep Kumar Chorasiya, an ex-serviceman from the Indian Air Force working as an appraiser in Chennai Seaport Customs, allegedly took several crores of rupees as a bribe from multiple companies to help them evade customs du

KARAIKAL: Karaikal fisherfolk on Friday suspended their indefinite stir over the January 27 episode of Sri Lankan navy firing following assurances by the Union Ministry of External Affairs and the Puducherry government that the injured fisherman, a Karaikal native, is receiving proper treatment. The agitation had reached a feverish pitch after the fisherfolk planned to surrender their ration cards at the Karaikal collectorate on Friday. However, on Wednesday evening, the office of Puducherry Lie

MAYILADUTHURAI: K Kalyanakumar (50), a daily wager, was lying near his house at Muttam in the district that night, heavily sloshed after consuming the liquor allegedly smuggled into the village from Puducherrys Karaikal. His neighbours attempted to wake him up and tell him the dreadful news. But he never came to his senses till morning, when he finally learnt his elder son K Harish (20) had been stabbed to death by an inebriated group. My son was growing frustrated seeing his father and his uncl

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday directed the GST department to defer the inquiry proceedings on the four show-cause notices on tax liability of Rs 1,100 crore issued to the Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation (TANTRANSCO) for four financial years from 2017 to 2021. Justice Krishnan Ramasamy issued the directions while hearing the petitions filed by TANTRANSCO challenging the notices and the inquiry proceedings. Senior counsel P Wilson, appearing for the petitioner-firm, submitted that t

CHENNAI: Taking exception to the remark of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan that Tamil Nadu would be losing Rs 5,000 crore if it fails to accept the PM-Shri Scheme, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday said, Refusing to release the Samagra Shiksha (SS) funds and pressurising the state government to accept the NEP will be treated as a betrayal of students, teachers and the public in TN. Stating the remark of the union minister shocked and angered the people of Tamil Nadu, Pa

CUDDALORE: Chief Minister MK Stalin laid the foundation stone for 178 new projects worth Rs 384.41 crore and inaugurated 602 completed projects worth Rs 704.89 crore at a public event held at Manjakuppam ground here on Friday. Stalin also distributed welfare assistance worth Rs 386.92 crore to 44,689 beneficiaries. In his address, the chief minister announced ten new initiatives for Cuddalore district. These include development works at Veeranam and Wellington lakes for Rs 193.5 crore, infrastru

TIRUCHY: Mentioning the three-language policy a backdoor entry attempt to enforce the National Education Policy (NEP), Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Friday said Tamil Nadu will never fall victim to such Union government schemes. Reacting to Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhans letter written in reply to Chief Minister MK Stalin, Poyyamozhi said, The minister while acknowledging the greatness of the Tamil language has insisted on Tamil Nadu implementing the

CHENNAI: Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin said the film and media industrys plea for exemption from entertainment tax would be reviewed with CM MK. Stalin before any formal decision is taken. Speaking at the inaugural session of the Media & Entertainment Business Conclave - MEBC: South Connect, organised by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Udhayanidhi assured delegates, I give my word that the Chief Minister will definitely give a good announcement very soon. His remarks ca

THOOTHUKUDI: With a section of activists and associations reviving the demand to reopen the Sterlite Copper plant that was shut down following Supreme Court orders, anti-Sterlite activists have approached the district administration raising their objections, triggering a sensation in the town. Led by Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) National Secretary P Kathirvel, the representatives of Tamil Nadu Ezhuchi Tholilalar Nalasangam, Thoothukudi Makkal Valvathara Pathugappu Iyakkam, Thooth

CUDDALORE: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday lashed out at the Centre warning it not to throw stones at the beehive and said he will not permit any activities inimical to Tamil language, the state and its people, on the soil, so long as he and his DMK existed. Seeking to turn the tables on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on the National Education Policy (NEP) row, he said Pradhan has replied to the state's plea for Rs 2,152 crore funds for the education department by ask

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has renewed the Government Order (G.O.) leasing out 90 acres of land at Payyanur, near Kelambakkam, to workers of the film industry. The land, valued at Rs 150 crore, was originally allocated in 2010 under a 99-year lease at Rs 1,000 per year. On Friday, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin handed over the renewed G.O. to office-bearers of the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI), the Tamil Film Producers Council, the South Indian Artistes' Asso

VILLUPURAM: District collector, S Sheik Abdul Rahman on Thursday, visited the Ellis Chatram check-dam at Yenathimangalam village to inspect ongoing repair activities after the dam was damaged by heavy rainfall and flooding in December last year. The right and left side embankment walls of the dam were severely damaged due to the recent floods, prompting an urgent need for permanent repairs. The dam, constructed in 1949-1950 across the Thenpennai river, serves as a crucial irrigation facility for

CHENNAI: The school education department has released Rs 61.5 crore as the second instalment of the composite school grant for maintenance work in government schools across Tamil Nadu. The state department released the funds despite the union government withholding Rs 2,152 crore of Samagra Shiksha funds, under which the grant was sanctioned. The project approval board of the Samagra Shiksha scheme had approved around Rs 120 crore for the maintenance of 37,471 schools. The first instalment of Rs

CHENNAI: The school education department has released Rs 61.5 crore as the second instalment of the composite school grant for maintenance work in government schools across Tamil Nadu. The state department released the funds despite the union government withholding Rs 2,152 crore of Samagra Shiksha funds, under which the grant was sanctioned. The project approval board of the Samagra Shiksha scheme had approved around Rs 120 crore for the maintenance of 37,471 schools. The first instalment of Rs

CHENNAI: The war of words between Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and BJP state president K Annamalai over GetOut Modi hashtag on X intensified on Thursday, with the BJP chief daring Udhaya to specify the date and time for the showdown on Anna Salai. When I visit Chennai next time, I am ready to come to the location on Anna Salai where the DMK fixes, all alone. I dare you to stop me with your party force and police force, the BJP state chief said, while speaking to newspersons in Salem.

MADURAI: Alleging that a department head demanded money, passed casteist comments and tampered with their attendance for a few years, over 100 students of Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) College, along with members of the SFI, staged a protest on the college premises on Thursday. The students alleged that undergraduate Economics department head (in charge) P Regina Devi demanded Rs 1,500 from final year B.A. Economics students. Speaking to TNIE on request of anonymity, a student said the staff,

VELLORE: While there are several wonders in the world, the Thanjavur Brihadeeswarar temple is an engineering marvel, for it has stood the test of time, braving various floods and natural calamities, said actor-director and orator Rajmohan Arumugam at the Anna Auditorium in VIT University on Thursday. He was speaking at an event, Tamizhi, during the first day of VIT's annual international sports-cultural festival, Riviera 2025. Arumugam further said that all 38 districts in the state have somethi

CHENNAI: As supporters of TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai prepare to mark the first anniversary of his assuming office on Saturday, a group of district Congress presidents has travelled to New Delhi to express discontent with his leadership. Their primary concern is Selvaperunthagais move to replace certain district presidents. According to sources, 15 district Congress presidents met Girish Chodankar, the newly appointed AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu, and conveyed their dissatisfaction with S

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday asked the state whether caste names in government-run institutions could be removed as done in the case of such appendages in the names of streets. Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, while hearing petitions, including the one regarding the election to the South Indian Senguntha Mahajana Sangam, raised the question to Advocate General (AG) PS Raman. Now, what is it about the caste names that are used by the government for educational institutions like scho