Caste Discrimination It is to be noted that on March 17, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court sought an action report from the Tamil Nadu government on the case. The Madras High Court, on Tuesday, March 21, said that they will consider the possibility of appointing a retired judge to monitor the ongoing CB-CID (Crime Branch, Crime Investigation Department) investigation of the Vengavayal caste crime, in which a potable water tank for the Dalits was contaminated with human excreta. A bench comp

The Elephant Whisperers Last week, Chief Minister MK Stalin felicitated Bomman and Bellie, whose lives are featured in the documentary, and handed over Rs 1 lakh to each of them. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin felicitated Kartiki Gonsalves, director of the Academy Award-winning documentary film The Elephant Whisperers on Tuesday, March 21 at the Secretariat in Chennai. He handed over a cheque worth Rs 1 crore to Kartiki after he praised her for the movie. He said the documentary brought the

Chennai News Tamil Nadu Ministers KN Nehru and Ma Subramanian inaugurated the renovated Anna Nagar Tower, on Monday evening. Twitter/Greater Chennai Corporation After a long hiatus of 12 years, the Anna Nagar Tower, located inside Visvesvaraya Park, was inaugurated for the public, on Monday, March 20. Minister for Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply KN Nehru and Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian, inaugurated the tower. According to reports, renovation work costi

Crime Aishwarya claimed that the stolen jewellery included diamond jewel sets, antique gold jewellery, and gold bangles. Tamil Superstar Rajinikanth's daughter Aishwarya Rajinikanth has lodged a complaint with the police that her gold jewellery and ornaments were missing from the locker in her residence. She has alleged that three of her domestic workers were behind the burglary at the residence. Aishwarya said the jewellery was kept in the locker at her home. In her complaint with the Teynampet

Tamil Nadu budget 2023 The AIADMK MLAs said that they had staged a walkout because the DMK failed to keep inflation in check and because the prices of food, milk and real estate property have also increased. PTI Opposition parties have reacted to the budget presented by the Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan (PTR) on Monday, March 20. Members from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) staged a walkout, led by the partys interim general secretary Edappadi K Palanisw

LGBTQIA+ In a letter to the Coimbatore Commissioner of Police, Dalit trans woman police officer R Nasriya described the harassment she faced while working in the Special Juvenile Aid Police unit. When R Nasriya joined the Tamil Nadu Police a few years back, she was the second trans woman to join the states police force. But such a distinction did not prevent her from being harassed by her cisgender colleagues. Following relentless harassment based on her gender and Dalit identity, Nasriya resign

Tamil Nadu Budget 2023 An international bird centre will be set up in Villupuram district, at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore. Presenting Tamil Nadus Budget for 2023-24, state Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan (PTR) announced several schemes intended to protect wildlife and address environmental concerns. In the state Budget, a sum of Rs 1,248 crore has been allocated to the department of environment, climate change and forests. Among the newly announced measures for wildlife protection ar

Tamil Nadu budget 2023 Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan said that Coimbatore was selected for the metro rail project because of its future growth potential. Represetative image Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan on Monday, March 20, announced that Madurai and Coimbatore will get metro services. Presenting the Tamil Nadu budget, the state finance minister said that a metro rail project will be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs 9,000 crore along Avinashi Road a

Tamil Nadu budget 2023 Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan said that the ex-gratia has been increased to recognise the valour and supreme sacrifice made by security forces in guarding our nation. Representative image/PTI The ex-gratia amount offered by the Tamil Nadu government to families of deceased armed forces officials will be doubled. Presenting the state budget on Monday, March 20, Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan said that the financial compensation provided to the kin of armed

Tamil Nadu Budget Activists and organisations, such as the NCSTL, who had earlier drafted a peoples Bill on SC/ST Sub Plan, have welcomed the move. In what is seen as a welcome move by activists, the Tamil Nadu state government has announced its intention to introduce a Bill to govern the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) in the next Assembly session. The announcement came during the Budget speech by Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan on Monday, March 2

Tamil Nadu Budget 2023 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin will launch the scheme on September 15, the birth anniversary of Dravidian icon and former Chief Minister CN Annadurai. Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan (PTR) announced the Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme, which gives Rs 1,000 assistance to women heads of households every month in his budget speech on Monday, March 20. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin will launch the scheme on September 15, the birth anniversary of Dravi

Tamil Nadu Budget 2023 Finance Minister PTR announced that the scheme will be expanded to 711 factories in the first phase, covering 8.35 lakh workers. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagams (DMK) Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam health scheme will be expanded to industries, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan said while presenting the state Budget on Monday, March 20. Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam is the DMK governments flagship scheme to provide health services to peoples doorsteps. Finance Ministe

Tamil Nadu Budget 2023-24 The Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation will implement a scheme to help civil services aspirants access better coaching facilities and study material. Facebook In a bid to encourage civil service exam aspirants, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to provide financial assistance to them during their preparation. Presenting Budget 2023 on Monday, March 20, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan said there had been a decline in the number of students fro

Tamil Nadu Budget 2023 PTR also informed in the house that the service conditions and benefits of teachers and staff presently working in these schools will be protected. In his Budget Speech on Monday, March 20, Tamil Nadu finance minister Palanivel Thiagarajan announced that all schools under Adi-Dravidar and Tribal Welfare, Backward Class, Most Backward Class & Denotified Communities, Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments and Forest will be brought under the School Education Department. He

Accident A speeding car rammed into the bike on which Santhosh Kumar (18) and Kalaiselvi (26) were travelling, throwing Kalaiselvi off the Medavakkam flyover from a height of 30 feet. Image for Representation Two siblings were killed in a road accident on the Medavakkam flyover in Chennai on the night of Saturday, March 18. The deceased have been identified as 18-year-old Santhosh Kumar and his 26-year-old Kalaiselvi. They were travelling on the flyover when a car driving at high speed rammed in

Politics Annamalai had earlier stated that BJP should contest the 2024 general elections independently and without any alliance with the AIADMK. K Annamalai Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President K Annamalai, who has been making a strong pitch to contest the upcoming 2024 general elections alone, has taken a U-turn stating that he was not empowered to decide on the alliance with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).Annamalai has earlier been vociferous for contesting

Right to Information Activists say that a search committee headed by retired justice Akbar Ali submitted its recommendations to Chief Minister MK Stalin in February 2023 and that the CM met a candidate in March. Yet, the post remains vacant. Representative Image The post of Tamil Nadus State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) has been vacant for over four months, ever since R Rajagopalan resigned from the position in November 2022. Right to Information (RTI) activists say that this has made a

Politics Muthuvel played a major role in politicising the death of a 17-year-old teen girl named Lavanya from Ariyalur in January 2022. The Tamil Nadu police on Saturday, March 18, invoked the Goondas Act against Muthuvel, the Ariyalur district secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), who was arrested on March 13, on charges of exporting money from a parish priest in the district. The complaint was lodged by Dominic Savio, the parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes in Ariyalur. The complaint

Wildlife In a video that is doing the rounds on social media, the elephant was walking up a slightly elevated piece of land when it came in contact with the electrical wire and died immediately. Representative image/PTI A male elephant died after being electrocuted by an electrical wire in Dharmapuris Kelavalli village on Saturday, March 18. This is the fourth elephant to have been electrocuted in a span of 11 days in Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu. In a video that is doing the rounds on soci

Migrant Workers The arrest was recorded on Saturday, March 18, at the Jagdishpur police station in Bettiah, after he surrendered before the police. In a recent development in the series of actions against those spreading false news about attacks on migrant workers in Tamil Nadu, the police arrested Manish Kashyap, a Bihar-based YouTuber. The arrest was recorded on Saturday, March 18, at the Jagdishpur police station in Bettiah, after he surrendered before the police. The Tamil Nadu and Bihar pol

Protest Sanitation workers working in delivery wards of PHCs on a contract basis held a protest in Chennai seeking regularisation of services and better work conditions. Nearly 300 sanitation workers hired on a contract basis at Primary Health Centers (PHC) in Tamil Nadu under the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) scheme staged a protest on Friday, March 17, over various demands to improve their working conditions, including regularisation of their services. Amid heavy rain, the protest was he

Politics He was reportedly speaking at a meeting with BJP functionaries in Chennais Aminjakarai, where he said that the party will grow if it stands alone in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President K Annamalai reportedly said in a meeting on Friday, March 17, that the party wouldnt join hands with any of the Dravidian parties in any election. He was speaking at a meeting with BJP functionaries in Chennais Aminjakarai, days after unrest surfaced between the BJP and AIADMK (A

Rain Light to moderate rainfall is expected in Puducherry and Karaikal as well till March 20 but there is little chance for heavy rainfall in the state. REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE | PTI Chennai received light to moderate rainfall on Friday, March 17, with parts of the city receiving hailstones. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has predicted moderate to light rainfall in Tamil Nadu over the next four days. The Additional Director General of Meteorology at the RMC, S Balachandran, provided infor

Chennai News The new stand is located at the pavilion end of the stadium, and was inaugurated ahead of the third India vs Australia ODI match to be played in Chennai on March 22. The new stand at the M A Chidambaram cricket stadium at Chepauk in Chennai, which has been named after former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, was opened on Friday, March 17. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin inaugurated the new Kalaignar Karunanidhi stand in the presence of state Sports Minister Udhayanidhi

Opinion In a series of videos being released by former BJP member Madan Ravichandran, prominent YouTubers and political operatives are being shown accepting cash and gifts allegedly in return for defamation campaigns. If you are a regular consumer of Tamil news and political content on YouTube, you know all about this. If you are one who has not been paying attention, or are entirely new to the bewildering world of Tamil YouTube channels, here is what is happening. Madan Ravichandran, a popular

Oscars In a conversation with violinist L Subramanian, music composer AR Rahman also spoke about how having a home studio gave him the freedom to experiment with different styles of music. PTI In a conversation with popular violinist L Subramaniam, Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman said that India is nominating the wrong movies to the Academy Awards. In an interview that was uploaded on his YouTube channel on Wednesday, March 15, Rahman is heard saying, Sometimes I see that our movies go ti

Menstruation While a young girls first period is celebrated with grand fervour through puberty ceremonies, little to no attention is paid to her emotional well-being. Representative image/Picxy The Tamil TV show Ayali, which premiered recently on Zee 5, is set in a fictional town where young girls are married off as soon as they get their first period. The show deftly tackles several subjects around menstruation and marriage, as well as the association of family honour with the bodies of women,

Politics The partys organising secretary, RS Bharathi, said that banners, flex boards and cut-outs cause great inconvenience to people, obstruct traffic and should be avoided. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Thursday, March 16, directed its cadre to not erect flex boards, banners and cut-outs felicitating the Chief Minister and party chief MK Stalin, threatening strict action against those who violate this rule. A statement issued by the partys organising secretary, RS Bharathi, said that

Fire Accident Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh to the families of both of them, and Rs 1 lakh to the injured person. IMAGE FOR REPRESENTATION/PTI Two persons were killed and one injured in a blast at a firecracker unit in Pennagram in Tamil Nadu's Dharmapuri district on Thursday, March 16. The deceased have been identified as 65-year-old K Muniammal and 50-year-old B Palaniammal. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh to

Opinion How would survivors feel when they watch the trauma of rape and blackmail their most powerless moments dramatised insensitively on towering theatre screens? TrailerScreenGrab/CourtesySunPictures It has been four years since the Pollachi case came to light a horrifying crime involving multiple rapes, blackmail, and abuse of political power that shook Tamil Nadu. Justice remains elusive to the survivors to this day. But in the meantime, Kollywood has had no qualms about producing films

Politics Ravikumar said that the deaths showed the apathetic attitude of the IIT administration. Following the second death by suicide of a student in one month at IIT Madras, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) MP Ravikumar called for a high-level inquiry into the institution in the Lok Sabha. A third year BTech student, Vaipu Pushpak Sri Sai (23) from Andhra Pradesh died by suicide in his hostel room on Tuesday, March 14. He was staying at the Alakananda Hostel, where a friend discovered his

MENTAL HEALTH In a 2019 resolution, independent student body ChintaBAR demanded that a study be conducted by an external committee of experts in mental health, education, and sociology, in order to understand the root cause of continuing suicides. Following the recent death by suicide of an IIT Madras student, ChintaBAR, an independent student body in the Institute, released a statement on Wednesday, March 15, asking the administration to implement the demands for adequately addressing mental he

Chennai News The power outage is expected to last from 9 am to 2 pm on March 16, the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) said. Parts of Chennai will witness power cuts on Thursday, March 16, as part of the regular maintenance work. The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) has issued a notice about the same, with a list of areas that will be affected. The power outage is expected to last from 9 am to 2 pm on Thursday. Power may be restored earlie

Health Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramaniam said that the incidence of H3N2 cases was not high in Tamil Nadu and urged the people not to spread rumours about the same. File Photo/PTI Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian announced on Wednesday, March 15, that there will not be any holidays for students up to Class 9 in the state amid the H3N2 influenza virus scare. Speaking with reporters after neighbouring Puducherry declared a holiday for students up to Class 8 due to the increase in

News Muthuvel, the VHP leader who has been held, played a major role in politicising the death of Lavanya, who died by suicide in January 2022 in Ariyalur. Twitter Muthuvel, the district secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Ariyalur, was arrested by the police on Tuesday, March 13, on charges of extorting money from a parish priest in Ariyalur district. The complaint was lodged by Dominic Savio, the parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes in Ariyalur. The complaint alleged that Muthuvel dema

Caste Discrimination Nearly 300 people protested at the Pudukkottai district Collectors office, alleging that the Dalits in Vengavayal were colluding with outsiders to hamper the probe into the contamination of a water tank with human excreta. Dominant caste Eraiyur residents protest at Pudukkottai Collector's office More than two months have passed since the water tank used by the Dalits of Vengavayal village in Tamil Nadus Pudukkottai district was found contaminated with human excreta. Despite

Chennai News The highlight of the park is the 135-foot-tall tower containing 12 floors at its centre. Twitter/Chennai Updates The iconic Anna Nagar Tower, which offers a panoramic view of Chennai, will soon be open to the public, 12 years after it was closed. The more than 100-feet-tall tower was closed in 2011 due to repeated instances of suicides and damages inflicted on the structure by the public. In 2018, a renovation project was planned at Rs 3 million, and the work commenced last year. Du

News The four men were arrested after the migrant workers were allegedly beaten near Mahaliamman temple on Edaiyar Street in Coimbatore on Sunday night. Amid the unrest in Tamil Nadu over fake claims of attacks against migrant workers in the state, the Coimbatore police on Monday, March 13, arrested four men including two from the Hindu Munnani for allegedly assaulting migrant workers. The four men were arrested and sent to judicial custody after they allegedly beat up workers near Mahaliamman t

2023 Booker Prize One among the 13 contenders, Pyre was written originally in Tamil as Pookuzhi in 2013 and translated into English by Aniruddha Vasudevan in 2016. Tamil writer Perumal Murugans book Pyre has been announced as a part of the longlist for the 2023 International Booker Prize. One among the 13 contenders, Pyre was written originally in Tamil as Pookuzhi in 2013 and translated into English by Aniruddha Vasudevan in 2016. Set in the 1980s, the novel revolves around an inter-caste coupl

Interview Bomman is an elephant rescuer, and the Oscar winner The Elephant Whisperers revolves around how Bomman and his wife Bellie take care of an orphaned elephant calf, Raghu. Bellie and Bomman who starred in Elephant Whisperers and director Kartiki Gonsalves Bomman has been receiving calls all day on Monday, March 13, congratulating him after a documentary featuring him and his wife Bellie Amma won the Oscar for the Best Documentary Short. Currently deployed in Tamil Nadu's Dharmapuri to re

Oscars 2023 The Theppakadu Elephant Camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is the oldest elephant camp in Asia and was established 105 years ago. The Oscar-winning short documentary 'The Elephant Whisperers' was shot in the Theppakadu Elephant Camp at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiri Mountains in Tamil Nadu. The Theppakadu Elephant Camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is the oldest elephant camp in Asia and was established 105 years back. Situated on the banks of river Moyar, it presently has 28 e

News The Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) said that Shalin has been targeted by several right-wing groups, including BJP supporters, and supporters of the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, for her efforts in raising awareness about caste-related atrocities. Dalit writer and activist Shalin Maria Lawrence The Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) issued a statement on Monday, March 13 expressing solidarity with and condemning the online harassment of Chennai-based Dalit writer and activist Shali

Politics Palaniswami was travelling from Chennai to Madurai and a person had allegedly made derogatory remarks against him in an airport shuttle bus at the Madurai airport. FILE PHOTO Tamil Nadu police have registered a case against former Chief Minister and interim general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), based on a complaint filed by an Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) functionary that he was assaulted by AIADMK men led by Palanis

Oscars 2023 Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin congratulated director Kartiki Gonsalves and producer Guneet Monga, saying there was no better news to wake up to than two women winning the first-ever Oscar for an Indian production. File Photo of CM Stalin Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin congratulated the team of The Elephant Whisperers for winning the best documentary short film award at the 95th Academy awards. The Chief Minister tweeted: Congrats to Kartiki Gonsalves &@guneetm on winning the #Oscar. N

Academy Awards The film won in the Best Documentary Film (Short Subject) Category. After The Elephant Whisperers won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Film (Short Subject), Bellie Amma, who featured in the film, recalled how Raghu, the baby elephant in the documentary, first came into her familys care, When I saw his condition and his cut off tail, I initially thought it wouldnt be possible to raise him. But my family said, lets try as much we can to cure him. We managed to do so, and by th

Controversy TNM speaks to migrant workers in Tamil Nadu to glean their response to rumours about attacks against them. Representative Image | PTI Nearly two weeks have passed since rumours were spread that north Indian labourers were being assaulted and murdered in Tamil Nadu. While the rumours, which led to a political storm, have been proved to have been false, TNM spoke to migrant workers from other states to ask their opinions on the matter. Ive worked here for eight years as a security guar

Hate Speech Seeman made a speech on February 14, saying Hindi-speaking people will leave Tamil Nadu if he comes to power, at Erode during the bye-poll campaign, and was booked by the police. A day after political analyst and election strategist Prashant Kishor questioned the inaction against hate speeches targeting migrant workers from north India, citing a speech made by actor-politician and leader of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) Seeman, the police have added additional sections to the existing ca

COVID-19 The deceased man has been identified as Chinthamani, a native of Trichy and employed in Bengaluru. IMAGE FOR REPRESENTATION/PTI Tamil Nadu on Saturday, March 11, recorded its first COVID-19 death since November 2022 in Trichy. A 27-year-old man, who was admitted to a private hospital, passed away due to COVID-related illness. The deceased man has been identified as Chinthamani, a native of Trichy and employed in Bengaluru. He was admitted to a private hospital in Trichy after he returne

News The team is expected to take action against those who spread false videos and rumours about north Indian migrant workers facing violence and hostility in Tamil Nadu. Representative image To curb disinformation regarding violence and hostility towards north Indian migrant labourers in Tamil Nadu, the Tiruppur Cyber Crime Police have formed a special team. The team will be headed by Sornavalli, Cyber Crime Inspector of Police, and is expected to take action against those who spread false vide

News With his camera trained on EPS, the man can be heard launching a tirade against the AIADMK leader for betraying Sasikala and allotting 10.5% reservation to the Vanniyar community. A man was detained at the Madurai airport in Tamil Nadu on Saturday, March 11, allegedly for posting a Facebook live video recording and launching a tirade against All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, commonly known as EPS. The former Chief Minister wa