NDA holds Save Democracy march in Darbhanga; Bhupender Yadav defends electoral roll revision
Digital Desk | Patna, Nov 5 (IANS) The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Thursday organised a 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' (Save Democracy, End Anarchy) march in Bihar's Darbhanga district, with Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav defending the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as essential for strengthening democracy. Addressing a gathering at the Polo Ground protest site in Laheriasarai, Yadav said the electoral roll revision exercise was neither new nor unprecedented in the country. He claimed that such exercises had been conducted eight times since 1950, making the current exercise the ninth. He described the revision as being in the national interest and important for ensuring the credibility of the country's democratic system. Recalling the Emergency, Yadav said NDA leaders had fought to protect democracy during that period and asserted that the alliance remained committed to safeguarding democratic values. He urged people to remain vigilant against any threat to democratic institutions. Highlighting the historical and cultural significance of the Mithila region, he said it was the land of Mother Janaki (Sita) and that Bihar had played a significant role in the development of democracy. He said a strong message in favour of democratic values should emerge from this historic land. Explaining the purpose of the electoral roll revision, Yadav said it was intended to remove the names of deceased persons and those who had shifted from their previous places of residence. It would also help eliminate duplicate entries where the same person's name appeared in electoral rolls at different locations. He alleged that those opposing the revision were indirectly supporting the inclusion of infiltrators in electoral rolls and undermining the interests of genuine Indian voters. The Union Minister maintained that no eligible voter's name could be arbitrarily deleted during the exercise, as political parties had their own Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to monitor the process. He claimed that during the previous election, political parties had deployed around 1.7 lakh BLAs, but only two objections were raised before the Supreme Court. He said the court subsequently examined the matter and upheld the validity of the process. Yadav further claimed that the Congress-led government had provided four documentary options for voter registration, while the present government had expanded the list to 11 documents. He said voters could submit any one of the prescribed documents to establish their eligibility and get their names included in the electoral rolls. Taking a political swipe at the Opposition, he alleged that the SIR exercise was being criticised mainly because of electoral defeats in Bihar and West Bengal. He pointed out that the process was not facing similar opposition in states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The march was attended by several prominent NDA leaders, including JD(U) National Working President Sanjay Kumar Jha, Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi and Darbhanga MP Gopalji Thakur. A large number of workers from various NDA constituencies also participated in the march, raising slogans under the campaign's central message, 'Save Democracy, End Anarchy'.
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Gujarat CM seeks blessings of Kanchi Shankaracharya during visit to Ahmedabad
Digital Desk | Ahmedabad, Nov 5 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday attended a Purnahuti Havan and sought the blessings of Shankaracharya Shri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati, the 70th Peethadhipati of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, during the latter's visit to Gota area in Ahmedabad. Chief Minister Patel participated in the religious ceremony in the presence of the Shankaracharya and later met him at the Yagnashala Mandapam, where the two also held a conversation. The Chief Minister described the interaction as 'inspiring' and said he was fortunate to receive the spiritual leader's blessings. In a post on social media platform X, CM Patel said: Today, at Gota in Ahmedabad, I had the privilege of having darshan and receiving the blessings of Param Pujya Jagadguru Shankaracharya Shri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati Swamiji, the 70th Peethadhipati of the Moolamnaya Sarvajna Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. Referring to the ceremony, the Chief Minister added, I had the divine opportunity to participate in the Purnahuti Havan organised in the presence of Pujya Shankaracharyaji. The interaction with him at the Yagnashala Mandapam was extremely inspiring. He also highlighted the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham's contribution to preserving India's religious and cultural traditions. The contribution of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham towards the preservation and promotion of Sanatan traditions and Vedic culture is very significant. I pray that the blessings of Pujya Shankaracharyaji become a driving force behind the country's prosperous progress, he said. Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati became the 70th Peethadhipati of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham on February 28, 2018, following the Mahasamadhi of his predecessor, Jayendra Saraswati. The Peetham, headquartered in Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, is an important centre of Hindu religious and Vedic traditions. Former Gujarat Education Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, former Minister Mayaben Kodnani and other dignitaries were also present during the programme. The visit brought together state political leaders and the head of one of the country's prominent Hindu religious institutions for the religious ceremony in Ahmedabad.
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Tata Sons: The rift and what next | Talking Politics with Nistula Hebbar
The legal battle over Tata Sons has brought the deepening rift within the Tata Group into focus. What is behind the dispute, what are the legal and corporate issues at stake, and what could happen next? In this episode of Talking Politics, The Hindus Nistula Hebbar and senior journalist Prosenjit Datta unpack the Tata Sons courtroom battle, the power struggle behind it and its implications for the future of the Tata Group.
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ISI's two-pronged India plan: Kashmir recruitment, Bangladesh propaganda
Digital Desk | New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANS) Pakistan has been working on a dual plan to fuel unrest in India, and the Inter-Services Intelligences Kashmir desk has suggested a two-pronged strategy for the purpose. The ISI has been focusing extensively on its operations in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Bangladesh. While in Kashmir, it is reducing the recruitment of local youth and choosing operatives from other parts of the country; in Bangladesh, the propaganda game is set to hit its peak, the Indian intelligence agencies have learnt. An Intelligence Bureau official said that as locals in Jammu and Kashmir come under the scanner very quickly, it has been decided to look for recruits from other parts of the country. The ISI has, in fact, in the past recruited from Kerala for operations in Jammu and Kashmir and is set to repeat the strategy, the official said. Post the abrogation of Article 370, several recruitment strategies by groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen have failed. First, the locals are no longer interested in violence, and the peaceful conduct of the September 2024 legislative elections is an example of that. The people of Jammu and Kashmir indicated a strong desire for political representation. Further, tourism has boomed post the abrogation of Article 370, and this has led to the locals staying away from violence and terror-related activities, the official said. Another official said that with local recruitments slowing down and existing recruits under heavy scrutiny, the ISI has been scouting for youth outside Jammu and Kashmir. Recruits are being scouted in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In these states, there are a considerable number of youths who have been radicalised by Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. Both these groups have heavily used Kashmir-related propaganda to radicalise the youth. Such youth will easily fall into the ISIs trap and become potential recruits for activities in Jammu and Kashmir, the official said. To keep the Indian agencies busy and divert their attention from Jammu and Kashmir, the ISI has directed groups such as the The Resistance Front (TRF), Peoples Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), Kashmir Tigers (KT), and Allah Tigers (AT) to shift their focus towards Bangladesh. These groups, which are proxies of the Lashkar and the Jaish, were created to spread propaganda and influence the people against the Indian state. Another official said that these proxies are now working closely with groups in Bangladesh. Multiple social media handles impersonating Indian Army personnel and government officials are being created. Further, logos of Indian media channels are being used on videos which carry out a disinformation campaign against India. The shift to Bangladesh is a strategic one and is intended to divert attention away from the Kashmir Valley. Pakistan deliberately played the wait-and-watch game when it came to Bangladesh operations. Islamabad completely focused on consolidating the diplomatic upper hand in Bangladesh before activating its propaganda channels in the country. The proxy terror groups have been told to focus on content that is completely anti-India and fake. Using fake handles of officials and armed personnel, the ISI is set to ramp up its disinformation campaign on a very large scale with the help of Bangladesh-based groups, officials say. While the proxy groups would work on the Bangladesh game plan, the ISI will continue to recruit for Kashmir from other parts of the country. In 2008, the ISI had managed to slip in four operatives from Kerala into Jammu and Kashmir. There was absolutely no information on any of these four operatives until they were gunned down. Muhammed Fayaz and Muhammed Fahiz from Kannur, Abdul Raheem from Mallapuram, and Muhammed Yasin from Ernakulam were gunned down by the security forces in the Lolab forests of Kupwara. A fifth member, Abdul Jabeer, managed to escape and fled back to Kerala before being arrested. Recruiting from various parts of the country for the Kashmir battle suits the ISI. The ISI hopes to build up a strong force in Jammu and Kashmir at a time when infiltrations have stalled, and local recruitments have gone down considerably. Further, it also sends out the message that people from across the country and not just the locals, believe that the Kashmir issue concerns a wider majority. The ISI has instructed the proxy groups to ramp up their disinformation campaign in Bangladesh as it gets set to put in motion its pan-India recruitment strategy for Jammu and Kashmir, an official said.
Bale Muhurta signifies the first of the four rituals preceding the mutts seer ascending the Sarvajna Peetha at Krishna Mutt in January 2028
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Who Owns the Tata Legacy? Inside the Constitutional Struggle for the Soul of Indian Economy
FOR WELL OVER A CENTURY , the House of Tata occupied a singular moral and structural category in Indian economic life. It is an industrial empire generating over sixteen lakh crore rupees in annual revenue and accounting for roughly four percent of India's gross domestic product, yet its apex holding company, Tata Sons Private Limited, was owned not by billionaires or public stock market speculators, but by philanthropic endowments. Nearly sixty-six percent of the equity of Tata Sons rests with the Tata Trusts, chiefly the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. Under this arrangement, the dividends of commercial enterprise flowed upward to fund hospitals, scientific institutes, and rural livelihoods, while the trustees acted as the constitutional guardians of the conglomerate's long-term values. On September 17, 2026, what began as a divergence over executive tenure and regulatory compliance has mutated into a fundamental constitutional crisis. The question confronting Indian corporate law is no longer merely whether Noel Tata or N. Chandrasekaran will prevail. It is whether the institutions created by a founding family can be captured from within by professional managers, independent directors, and regulatory circumstances, effectively severing majority ownership from institutional control. The departure of Darius Khambata The gravity of this institutional rupture was laid bare on November 2, 2026, when Senior Advocate Darius Khambata, a former Additional Solicitor General of India and former Advocate General of Maharashtra, announced that he would not seek reappointment as a trustee of the SDTT and the SRTT when his three-year term expires on November 9. In a four-page letter addressed to Noel Tata and Trusts Chief Executive Officer Siddharth Sharma, Khambata offered a devastating insider account of the governance breakdown at the top of the group. He described the September 17 board meeting as a day that will live in infamy, writing that those events had sullied the reputation of Tata Sons and imperilled the image of corporate India. Khambata's departure was not a mid-term resignation, nor was it prompted by a falling out with Noel Tata. Both Noel Tata and Siddharth Sharma had asked him to continue for another term. However, the reappointment of a trustee upon the completion of a fixed term requires the unanimous consent of all existing co-trustees. Submitting his continuation to the approval of trustees whose actions he considered a violation of fiduciary duty was, Khambata wrote, not in his character and would compromise his independence. At the SRTT, renewal was in any event impossible because the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner had barred the trust in May 2026 from altering its board or renewing tenures. Read as an institutional document, Khambata's letter illuminates a vital distinction between personal loyalty to a family scion and principled defense of an endowment's constitution. Khambata noted that he had originally joined the Trusts at the invitation of the late Ratan Tata and had seconded Noel Tata's appointment as chairman in October 2024 despite external pressure to defer the choice. At the same time, he stated candidly that his views had occasionally differed from Noel's, while praising Noel's democratic acceptance of those differences as the authentic old Tata way. By contrasting democratic consensus inside the Trusts with the boardroom stratagem deployed at Tata Sons on September 17, Khambata criticised the dissenting trustees. He recalled that he had been the first to warn on May 28, 2025, that a public listing of Tata Sons posed an existential threat to the Trusts, and had drafted the resolution opposing listing that all trustees, including Srinivasan and Singh, unanimously adopted on July 28, 2025. His exit carries immediate tactical consequences. Without Khambata, the SDTT shrinks to five trustees, narrowing Noel Tata's supporting majority to a three-to-two margin over Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh. The SRTT shrinks to four trustees, still outnumber Srinivasan three to one, though that board remains frozen by regulatory order. While Khambata's letter arms Noel Tata with a formidable moral and legal indictment ahead of the crucial November 26 Tata Sons board meeting, his absence deprives the Trusts' boardroom of its sharpest constitutional lawyer at the exact moment the dispute is heading toward the courts. Who holds the balance of power now? In the current Tata standoff, economic power, constitutional corporate power, operational power, and regulatory power have pulled apart into separate camps. In early 2026, N. Chandrasekaran appeared to hold every institutional advantage. As Executive Chairman since 2017, he commanded the operational apparatus of the group, presided over a period of substantial revenue expansion, and enjoyed the backing of the independent directors on the Tata Sons board. Moreover, regulatory gravity favoured his position: the Reserve Bank of India had classified Tata Sons as an Upper-Layer Non-Banking Financial Company, a designation carrying a mandatory requirement to list on the stock exchanges. Yet Noel Tata was far from powerless. Following Ratan Tata's death in October 2024, Noel consolidated institutional authority within the Tata Trusts. On September 11, 2025, a four-trustee majority including Noel and Khambata declined to renew Vijay Singh's tenure as a Trust nominee director on the Tata Sons board, a move Khambata confirmed was taken specifically to safeguard the Trusts' boardroom veto against listing. In October 2025, the trustees blocked the reappointment of Ratan Tata's confidant Mehli Mistry to the two main trusts, and in November 2025, Noel's son Neville Tata was inducted onto the board of the SDTT. The balance tipped dramatically between April and September 2026 due to two developments. First, Venu Srinivasan, the Chairman Emeritus of the TVS Group who serves both as Vice-Chairman of the Tata Trusts and as one of only two remaining Trust nominee directors on the Tata Sons board, shifted his allegiance. In April 2026, Srinivasan and Vijay Singh publicly announced their support for listing Tata Sons , abandoning the unanimous July 2025 resolution. On May 15, 2026, Charity Commissioner Amogh S. Kaloti issued an interim order freezing all board meetings of the SRTT pending an inspector's inquiry. That regulatory freeze paralysed the Trusts' shareholder power and the Trusts could not field a joint representative at the 108th AGM of Tata Sons on August 18, 2026. For the first time in 108 years, the Tata Sons AGM was adjourned for lack of quorum. Can professional management take over without buying the company? The events of September 17 raise a profound doctrinal question: can independent directors and professional management acquire practical control of an unlisted company against the express will of a sixty-six percent shareholder? In a conventional hostile takeover, an outsider acquires a majority of voting shares. What transpired at Bombay House was something quite different: a boardroom coalition shift that neutralised the controlling shareholder's constitutional veto from within. The constitution of Tata Sons is built around three provisions in its Articles of Association: Article 104B, which entitles the Trusts to nominate one-third of the board; Article 118, which mandates a Selection Committee to choose the Chairman; and Article 121, which stipulates that no resolution can pass at the board unless it secures the affirmative vote of a majority of the Trust-nominated directors. In its landmark March 2021 judgment in Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. v. Cyrus Investments Pvt. Ltd . , the Supreme Court of India upheld these affirmative voting rights, recognizing that they were designed to ensure that the philanthropic owners retained an absolute check over the commercial board. On September 17, 2026, however, the six-member Tata Sons board found a seam in those Articles. The two directors nominated under Article 104B split one to one. Noel Tata argued, backed by a legal opinion from former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, that the resolution had failed automatically; the standalone condition precedent under Article 121 was not satisfied. Tata Sons subsequently challenged Mr. Tata with legal opinions from Senior Advocate Sudipto Sarkar, former Supreme Court Justice B.N. Srikrishna, and former Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit, while also relying on an April 2025 opinion by former Justice R.F. Nariman to argue that under Section 166 of the Companies Act, 2013, a nominee director like Srinivasan owes an independent fiduciary duty to the company that overrides instructions from the nominating trust. Notice, too, that on the day before the meeting, Srinivasan had openly defied a September 16 circular resolution from the SDTT directing him not to vote on listing matters. In a fifth formal letter sent to the Tata Sons board on October 26, 2026, Noel Tata pointed out that legal opinion had been commissioned only after the vote, to validate the conduct at the boardroom. Even more damaging are corporate filings uncovered in late September concerning Hanno One Warehousing Private Limited, an entity incorporated in March 2025 with Chandrasekaran's wife Lalitha and son Pranav as directors. State land and banking records revealed that Hanno One is executing two industrial warehousing and auto-component park projects in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka valued at approximately 436 crore rupees for TVS Motor Company, where Venu Srinivasan is Chairman Emeritus. In his letter, Noel Tata demanded to know why neither Chandrasekaran nor Srinivasan disclosed these conflicts of interests before casting vote for Chandrasekaran's third term on September 17. The regulator and the changing ownership structure In March 2024, when the board and the Trusts were still united against going public, Tata Sons applied to surrender its registration as a Core Investment Company after paying down its debt. On September 11, 2026, six days before the fateful board meeting, the RBI formally rejected that application. On October 23, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra publicly reaffirmed that Upper-Layer NBFCs must list to mitigate systemic risk. By October 20, 2026, reports confirmed that Tata Sons had already begun reviewing its Articles of Association to strip out the Trusts' special governance rights in preparation for SEBI compliance. Thus, regulatory compliance via an IPO becomes the exact mechanism through which professional management can permanently extinguish the constitutional authority of the Tata Trusts. Tata Trusts transmitted a comprehensive Strategic Reorganisation Plan to Chandrasekaran and the RBI on September 28, 2026. The plan proposes merging two wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, Tata Electronics Systems Solutions Private Limited (TESS) and Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE), directly into Tata Sons. Based on financial projections as of March 31, 2026, absorbing these two operating businesses would raise Tata Sons direct operating revenues to 64.3 percent of total income, removing it from the RBI's fifty-percent threshold for an NBFC. Simultaneously, its investments in group companies would fall to 88.49 percent of its aggregate net assets, dropping below the ninety-percent statutory threshold for a CIC. As the Trusts noted, until TCS was demerged in 2004, Tata Sons operated under this exact operating-cum-holding model for eighty years. Paired with a 25,000-crore rupee share buyback proposal to provide liquidity to the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, Noel Tata's plan demonstrates that a non-IPO compliance route exists. When corporate governance becomes political On October 28, 2026, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged on social media that the Tata Group was being criminally destroyed. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman swiftly rebuked Gandhi, to which he responded by asking why a strictly commercial and legal matter had required the leadership of Tata Trusts and Tata Sons to be hosted at the Home Ministers residence. Gandhis reference to the ministerial meeting rested on established fact: on the evening of October 7, 2025, Noel Tata, N. Chandrasekaran, Venu Srinivasan, and Darius Khambata had indeed met Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman at Shah's residence in New Delhi amid rising tensions in the Trusts, and Noel Tata held further meetings with government officials in August 2026. Given that the Tata Group plays a strategic role in semiconductors, defence, and aviation, informal consultations between its leadership and senior Union ministers during a succession crisis are not unprecedented. However, it is undeniable that a public listing of Tata Sons benefits some. Chief among them is the SP Group, which holds an 18.37 percent stake in Tata Sons and carries roughly 55,000 to 60,000 crore rupees in debt. Who speaks for the Tata Trusts? Under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act of 1950, the Charity Commissioner exercises supervisory jurisdiction over public charitable trusts registered in the state. Historically, this regulatory machinery was designed to prevent the misappropriation of charitable funds and ensure proper administration of temple and philanthropic endowments. In 2026, it has become the decisive fulcrum in the battle for corporate control of Tata Sons. Following the complaints filed in April 2026 by Suresh Tulsiram Patilkhede and Tata Trusts Vice-Chairman Venu Srinivasan alleging that the SRTT held three lifetime trustees (Noel Tata, Jimmy Tata, and Jehangir H.C. Jehangir) out of six in violation of a 2025 twenty-five-percent statutory cap, Charity Commissioner Amogh S. Kaloti ordered an inspector's inquiry under Section 37 on May 13 and issued an ex-parte order under Section 36A(1) on May 15 barring the trust from holding board meetings until the inquiry report under Section 39 is submitted. Five months later, that report is still awaited, and the SRTT remains frozen. Emboldened by the effect of that freeze, Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh sent identical email complaints to the Charity Commissioner on September 25, 2026, targeting the larger SDTT. They asked the regulator to investigate Noel Tata's perpetual trusteeship, scrutinize Neville Tata's appointment, examine whether the trust's involvement in the commercial strategy of Tata Sons endangered its charitable tax exemptions, and impose an immediate interim freeze on SDTT's meetings and Noel Tata's participation. Recognizing that a second ex-parte freeze would completely paralyze the Tata Trusts, Noel Tata, Neville Tata, Bhaskar Bhat, and Darius Khambata issued a sharp five-page rebuttal on October 5 accusing Srinivasan and Singh of fiduciary betrayal, while SDTT and seven allied Tata trusts filed more than one hundred caveats across the Charity Commissioner's office, the Bombay High Court, and the Mumbai City Civil Court to ensure no adverse order could be passed without a full hearing. When an administrative inquiry into trustee tenures can indefinitely disable a majority shareholder from voting at a corporate AGM before the merits of the complaint are even adjudicated, regulatory supervision risks becoming an instrument of corporate de-control. Who owns the Tata legacy? When Sir Dorabji Tata and Sir Ratan Tata bequeathed their wealth in the early twentieth century, they deliberately placed their shares into public charitable trusts for the benefit of the people of India rather than creating dynastic family trusts. Furthermore, in 2022, during Ratan Tata's lifetime, the Articles of Tata Sons were amended to prohibit the chair of either principal trust from simultaneously serving as Chairman of Tata Sons, institutionalizing a separation between philanthropic oversight and executive management. Yet it would incorrect to conclude that because the Tata family surrendered proprietary ownership to charity, that family stewardship lacks legitimacy. The founders endowed the Trusts with voting shares in Tata Sons precisely so that the commercial enterprise would remain permanently anchored to a philanthropic purpose. As six Parsi community organisations reminded the Prime Minister in an October 2026 appeal, and as Darius Khambata articulated in his farewell letter, the Tata model is an indivisible combine of industry and philanthropy in which neither limb retains its meaning without the other. Noel Tata turns seventy on November 12, 2026, and will step down from six group operating company boards in compliance with the very retirement norms that the Tata Sons board waived for Chandrasekaran on September 17. The contrast between institutional restraint and managerial entrenchment will now, only sharpen. The precedent for India Inc. Across the country, multi-generational business families, from the Godrej and Bajaj groups to the Mahindra, Birla, and TVS empires, have increasingly separated family ownership from day-to-day professional management while migrating promoter shareholdings into trusts to ensure orderly succession. If the mechanisms deployed at Tata Sons in 2026 are validated by the courts, they will establish a perilous precedent for every promoter-led enterprise in India. If a nominee director appointed by a controlling trust or holding company can invoke Section 166 of the Companies Act to defy the nominator's written mandate, promoter nomination rights will lose their predictability. If an independent director presiding over a meeting can use a casting vote to manufacture a majority among divided shareholder nominees, affirmative veto clauses in shareholder agreements and Articles of Association across India will be rendered fragile. If a dissenting trustee can approach a state Charity Commissioner or civil court to freeze trust board meetings and thereby block the controlling shareholder from establishing a quorum at the company's AGM, any internal family or trustee disagreement can be leveraged by opportunistic individuals. Ironically, Venu Srinivasan himself is now confronting the complexities of family governance, with reports in late October 2026 confirming that he and his daughter Lakshmi Venu have filed caveats against each other over family business matters. The institution beyond its founders An institution must undoubtedly evolve beyond the era of its founders, adapting to modern regulatory standards of financial transparency and minority shareholder fairness. As Darius Khambata observed, Tata Sons could voluntarily adopt every transparency and reporting safeguard of a listed corporation without triggering the nuclear option of an initial public offering. Institutional evolution cannot endorse displacement of a founding philanthropic purpose through procedural stratagems. When a split among trustees, an unannounced agenda item, and an administrative freeze on a charitable trust are weaponised to sideline a majority shareholder and rewrite the company's constitution, that is no longer the natural maturation of corporate governance. It is a form of institutional capture. Whether Indian law will protect the constitutional authority of founders or ratify the autonomy of an boardroom coalition will determine not only the fate of the Tata legacy, but the future architecture of trust and stewardship in Indian capitalism.
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Lankesh gets fair treatment while Rama sticks to tradition as Nitesh Tiwari turns the epic into an action-adventure where technology takes a leap of faith but lands somewhere between spectacle and soul. It holds your gaze but doesnt travel further.
Post offices to serve as dark stores as govt expands Gujarat farmer e-commerce model to other states
After rollouts in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, the agriculture ministry and India Post are collaborating to take the farmer e-commerce model to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Nocturne series review: Stephen Grahams Hannibal-esque monster makes for killer television
Stephen Graham is mesmerisingly vile as a serial killer pulling strings from behind psychiatric confinement in Apple TVs moody Silence of the Lambs-tinged crime thriller
Contract worker critically injured in Visakhapatnam Steel Plant industrial accident
Breast cancer begins long before the lump: why diet and lifestyle matter
While genetic predisposition is one factor, a majority of breast cancers develop in women with no family history: metabolic health and physical inactivity play a role too, and it is important for women to know about these factors How processed foods, obesity, diabetes, physical inactivity influence breast cancer risk, and what women can do to protect themselves
Vetri Special Vegetables Kit priced at 100 launched in Erode ahead of Deepavali
The kits will be sold at cooperative outlets for three days, from November 5 to 7
The Amazon is no longer a carbon sink, it is an emitter
The Hindus weekly Science for All newsletter explains all things Science, without the jargon.
Quiz: Easy like Sunday morning: What has Nov. 8 ever given us
Mobile phone retailers expect 10% price hike post Diwali even as sales drop
All India Mobile Retail Association projects a staggering 50% volume drop after mid-Novmber that could persist over an extended period
Supreme Court refuses to transfer Tirupathi ghee adulteration case out of Andhra Pradesh
CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigations into the case had revealed a 250 crore scam involving the supply of 68 lakh kg of fake and synthetic ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) between 2019 and 2024
The war that defeated America First
The central question now is whether Washington can recover the capacity to distinguish supporting an ally from subordinating its own interests
Younger, dynamic Democratic leaders dealt a decisive blow to Trumpism
These leaders are ideologically and socially diverse, but for the most part, they fall on a progressive spectrum
Farmers opposing the project say the figure reflects a reluctance among farmers to part with their land while officials of GBDA, the implementing agency, attribute the slow pace to a lengthy and cumbersome process
Supreme Power Equipment Limited Secures Transformer Order Worth Rs 6.89 Cr
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 4: Supreme Power Equipment Limited (NSE SUPREMEPWR), one of the leading players in the power and distribution transformer manufacturing industry, has secured a domestic
The move comes after Kochi MLA Mohammed Shiyas met Minister for Local Self-Government K.M. Shaji along with P&T Apartment Protest Committee president Abhilash P. Parameswaran in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday
Tanvi Patri becomes first Indian badminton player to reach Youth Olympic badminton final
The 15-year-old from Odisha continued her impressive run, stunning Japans second seed, Yuzuno Watanabe, 21-14, 11-21, 21-19, in a hard-fought 54-minute semifinal to book her place in the title clash
The Angry Birds Movie 3 trailer: Jason Sudeikis Red faces fatherhood and a new threat to Bird Island
Reds latest adventure brings family responsibilities into the mix, as the animated franchise returns with a new mission and an original song by BLACKPINKs JISOO
Keralam Higher Education dept seeks explanation from Calicut University over pro-V-Cs appointment
Department has sought to know how P. Rasheed Ahammed, the PVC, was relieved of duties from his parent institution and permitted to assume charge on deputation without obtaining prior sanction from government
Fire breaks out at factory in Delhis Narela Industrial Area
The fire prompted the deployment of 10 fire tenders
What Canvas layoffs reveal about its AI challenges | Explained
While the popular graphic design platform is preparing to lay off almost a quarter of its company, dedicated Canva users and customers had shared their concerns much earlier
Digital Desk | Chennai, Nov 5 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin has launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay over the delay in implementing the promised crop loan waiver, accusing the state government of betraying farmers and failing to honour its election commitments. In a strongly worded post on social media platform X on Thursday, Udhayanidhi questioned when the Chief Minister would announce a comprehensive waiver of agricultural crop loans, alleging that the government had remained silent despite mounting protests by farmers and opposition parties. When will the dummy Chief Minister announce the waiver of farmers crop loans? Udhayanidhi asked, accusing the Vijay-led administration of misleading the agricultural community. He alleged that although the ruling party had promised to waive all crop loans before assuming office, the government subsequently introduced a slab-based system under which only limited amounts would be written off. The proposal had drawn strong opposition from the DMK, other opposition parties and farmers organisations, which demanded complete loan relief without restrictions. Udhayanidhi recalled that ministers had assured protesting farmers that discussions would be held after the Dharapuram and Madurantakam Assembly by-elections. However, nearly a month after the elections, the government had neither initiated meaningful consultations nor clarified its position on the waiver. He said farmers feared that the administration was preparing to announce another limited concession instead of fulfilling its original promise. Referring to the approaching festive season, the DMK leader said farmers who were already disappointed over their inability to celebrate festivals were increasingly worried about whether they could observe the forthcoming Pongal festival without financial distress. Udhayanidhi also criticised the government over the failure of the Kuruvai cultivation season, alleging that inadequate and delayed release of Cauvery water had severely affected farmers. He accused CM Vijay of misleading the Assembly by claiming that the Kuruvai special assistance package constituted drought relief and that compensation had already been provided. The opposition leader demanded that the government immediately announce a complete waiver of crop loans for all eligible farmers rather than introduce further restrictions. He also accused the ruling administration of repeating what he described as the failures of previous governments in addressing agricultural distress.
Nothing to launch its first AI-native product next month
According to Carl Pei, AIs primary value lies in professional productivity and solving the technologys critical context gap.
Digital Desk | Chennai, Nov 5 (IANS) The Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government has earmarked Rs 812 crore to provide eight-gram gold coins and pure silk sarees to 60,000 eligible brides during the 2026-27 financial year under the Annan Seer Thittam, reviving gold-based marriage assistance with revised eligibility conditions and quality standards. The initiative marks the return of gold coin distribution under the state's marriage assistance programme, which had witnessed prolonged disruptions and policy changes under successive governments. According to tender documents issued by the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department, approximately Rs 1.35 lakh has been allocated for each beneficiary towards purchasing an eight-gram gold coin and a silk saree. The government has prescribed stringent specifications to ensure the quality of the materials distributed. Gold coins must have 916 purity and comply with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) hallmarking requirements. Each coin will carry the Tamil Nadu government emblem on one side, while the reverse will display its weight, purity and hallmarking details. The silk sarees must be manufactured using 100 per cent pure mulberry silk yarn, with a minimum silk content of 380 grams. Each saree must measure 6.2 metres, including blouse material, and weigh 430 grams. This includes 380 grams of silk and 50 grams of half-fine zari. Polyester-based zari will be permitted only for decorative work along the borders, pallu and butta designs. Both sides must feature zari borders measuring 1.5 centimetres. Under the eligibility criteria, the bride's family should have an annual income not exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh. Applicants must belong to Tamil Nadu, and the marriage must take place within the state. The Annan Seer Scheme replaces the earlier Thalikku Thangam programme introduced during the AIADMK administration, which offered eight grams of gold along with financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to eligible women. The previous programme experienced implementation difficulties between 2016 and 2019, followed by mounting application backlogs in 2020 and disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic. After assuming office in 2021, the DMK government processed pending applications but discontinued fresh registrations. In September 2022, the administration introduced the Pudhumai Pen Scheme, providing monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to eligible girl students pursuing higher education. The revived marriage assistance programme now seeks to extend direct support to economically disadvantaged families while ensuring standardised quality in the distribution of gold coins and silk sarees.
Vance eyes own trail in America First politics in Republican rout
What continues to work for Mr. Vance is that he manages to challenge and critique Mr. Trump without triggering a meltdown from the latter. Whether he can continue in that manner all the way to the 2028 election remains to be seen. But Mr. Vance would be perfectly capable of carrying forward his own version of America First without Mr. Trump
Tamil Nadu launches Rs 100 vegetable kits at 218 co-op outlets ahead of Diwali
Digital Desk | Chennai, Nov 5 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, has launched a special Diwali vegetable package containing 10 essential items for just Rs 100, offering relief to households facing rising food expenses during the festive season. The initiative, named the Vetri Special Vegetable Package, is being implemented through the State Cooperation Department and will be available at 218 selected cooperative outlets across Tamil Nadu from November 5 to 7. The scheme was formally launched at the 15th Main Road outlet of the Poonga Nagar Cooperative Wholesale Store in Chennai. Four mobile vegetable vending vehicles have also been deployed in the city to make the packages accessible to more consumers. Each package contains approximately 2.55 to 2.60 kilograms of vegetables and other essential cooking ingredients, carefully selected to meet the daily requirements of an average household. The Rs 100 kit includes 500 grams each of onions and tomatoes, 250 grams each of brinjal and potatoes, 200 grams each of carrots and beans, 100 grams each of green chillies and lemons, 50 grams of ginger, and one coconut weighing between 400 and 450 grams. Officials said the vegetables are being procured, graded, weighed and packed under hygienic conditions to ensure freshness and quality. The department aims to provide essential vegetables at prices lower than those prevailing in the open market. To ensure equitable distribution and prevent bulk purchases, the government has restricted sales to one package per person. The kits will be available during the regular working hours of cooperative outlets throughout the three-day programme. Adequate stocks have been arranged at participating outlets, while district-level cooperative coordinators and regional officials have been instructed to supervise distribution and ensure uninterrupted supplies. The department has also directed officials to maintain proper coordination between procurement centres and retail outlets to avoid shortages during the festive shopping period. The special initiative is intended to reduce household expenditure on essential cooking ingredients ahead of Deepavali, when demand for vegetables and other food items generally increases. The Cooperation Department has appealed to residents across Tamil Nadu to make use of the subsidised packages before the special sale concludes on November 7.
Champions League: Real Madrid pulls off another comeback, Liverpool beaten by Fenerbahce
In some other results, Manchester City battled to victory over RB Leipzig after twice blowing leads, and Como beat Lens
A 2019-batch DANIPS officer, Vashishta has served with the Sashastra Seema Bal and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He was suspended hours after police personnel protested his transfer.
Deepavali in Hyderabad: Stories of sweets, family and finding inner light
From homemade sweets and family gatherings to new traditions and the pursuit of inner light, these personal reflections explore the many ways people celebrate the Festival of Lights
Tamil Nadu seeks urgent oral mentioning in Supreme Court over Cauvery water issue
The court agreed to list the plea early
In a Facebook post, Rajeev Chandrasekhar says Rahul Gandhi can take along Jamaat-e-Islami, which supports him, and pursue politics there
Collins Dictionary chooses mogging as its 2026 word of the year
Collins Dictionary has named mogging as its word of the year
HC Expresses Concern Over 14 TN Universities Functioning Without VC For Years
The Madras High Court has expressed concern over the functioning of 14 universities in Tamil Nadu without a Vice-Chancellor.
From sea to market: How mussels sustain livelihoods along Thiruvananthapurams shore
In Thiruvananthapurams rocky coastal belt, mussel harvesting peaks between September and February, pushing the shellfish from rocky shores into bustling city markets and restaurants. The mussels, harvested from Vizhinjam, Kovalam, Azhimala, Poonthura and Muthalappozhi, among other nearshore hamlets in the Keralam capital, fetch up to 15,000 in auctions, sustaining a community of divers whose livelihood depend on the sea and its seasonal bounty.
Amish Shah claims victory in Arizona, sixth Indian-American in U.S. House
Amish Shah made history as he became the first Indian-American to represent Arizona in Congress. By defeating Feely, Mr. Shah flipped a Republican-held seat
Professor Romila Thapar says a Hindutva reading of Indian history cannot be single and fixed and argues that historical inquiry must explain the evolution of Indian society rather than construct statements for contemporary political use
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2nd national security case
The 30-year-old is already serving a four-year, eight-month prison term for the city's biggest national security case
Vettri Special Vegetables Kit with 10 varieties launched in T.N. at 100
The sale of the special vegetables kit will continue for three days, until November 7.
Christian representatives meet West Bengal RSS leader over mob attacks on congregations and churches
Senior RSS functionary from West Bengal Jishnu Basu, the Saha Khetra Prachar Pramukh of South Bengal, said that dialogue will continue with the representatives of Christian organisations but there are genuine concerns about forced conversion
The centuries-old Ezhur Amman festival is being celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm in Tamil Nadu's Madurai district, bringing together people from seven neighbouring villages to honour their presiding deities and showcase the region's rich religious and cultural heritage. A large number of devotees have gathered to participate in the traditional rituals, religious ceremonies and festivities, making the occasion a significant celebration of faith and community bonding. People from all seven villages come together to organise and take part in the festival, reflecting the longstanding traditions and collective identity of the region. The main highlight of the celebrations is the procession of seven beautifully decorated temple chariots, locally known as 'chaparams', representing the presiding deities of the seven villages. The chariots are taken out in a traditional procession, drawing hundreds of devotees who participate in the celebrations, while thousands of people gather al...
Chennai Police step up security ahead of Diwali; drones, watchtowers at shopping hubs
Digital Desk | Chennai, Nov 5 (IANS) Greater Chennai Police have announced extensive security arrangements across major commercial centres in the city ahead of Diwali on November 8, deploying additional personnel, surveillance drones, temporary watchtowers and mobile patrol units to ensure public safety during the festive shopping rush. City Police Commissioner A. Amalraj has directed officers to prioritise crowd management, crime prevention and traffic regulation, particularly in busy shopping areas such as T. Nagar, Purasawalkam, Washermenpet and Flower Bazaar. Personnel drawn from various wings of the city police, Armed Reserve, Tamil Nadu Special Police and Home Guards will be deployed to manage the anticipated crowds. According to an official release, 25 temporary watchtowers have been established at strategic locations, including 10 in T. Nagar, four each in Kilpauk and Flower Bazaar, two each in Washermenpet and Triplicane, and one in Adyar. Police personnel equipped with binoculars will monitor public movement from these towers. The police have also established 12 temporary control rooms and 37 help desks to assist shoppers, monitor CCTV footage, identify suspicious activities and reunite missing children with their families. As part of enhanced surveillance, seven drones and 100 body-worn cameras will be deployed in crowded commercial areas. Plainclothes police personnel, including women officers, will mingle with shoppers to identify potential offenders and prevent theft and chain-snatching incidents. Public safety announcements will be broadcast through 66 public address systems, while LED screens will display crime prevention messages and precautionary instructions. Police have advised shoppers to safeguard their mobile phones, cash, jewellery and other valuables. Women have also been advised to take precautions against chain-snatching. Vehicle patrols have been intensified, while dedicated traffic patrol units will regulate congestion around shopping centres. Mobile X-ray baggage scanners will be deployed for random security checks at commercial establishments and other crowded locations. An exclusive WhatsApp group has been created to facilitate intelligence sharing and coordination among police personnel. Emergency response arrangements include 108 ambulances with medical teams and fire engines stationed at designated locations. Additional fire safety precautions have been introduced around firecracker shops to prevent accidents during the festive season. Police have appealed to the public to cooperate with security personnel and follow traffic regulations to ensure peaceful, incident-free Diwali celebrations.
How is Delhi implementing restrictions to reduce air pollution?
From Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras to AI-enabled Integrated Control and Command Centres ICCC and manual checking, the authorities have adopted a mixed approach to impose the restrictions with varying degrees of success
Google extends voluntary buyout offers to employees in several countries
Alphabets workforce has grown steadily in recent quarters, but it has sought to shift resources toward priority areas
Delhi High Court refuses to entertain PIL to stay release of Sunny Deol-starrer Suryaa
A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma said there was no reason to entertain a separate petition when the issue was already being examined by a single judge bench
Jaishankar urges Commonwealth partners to 'de-risk and diversify'
S. Jaishankar said Commonwealth partners need to make more efforts to enhance local distribution, adding that more connectivity corridors are good for business
Donald Trumps midterm defeat dims hopes of North Korea meeting
Mr. Kims powerful sister Kim Yo Jong signalled that there was little appetite for renewed dialogue with Washington, saying Pyongyang had no need to sit face to face with such unreliable and hostile persons
OpenAI says ready to IPO in 2027, now counts majority of sales from enterprises
Greg Brockman said the AI lab has been ramping up sales to businesses in competition with rival Anthropic
TN forest department steps up Olive Ridley turtle conservation ahead of nesting season
Digital Desk | Chennai, Nov 5 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has launched a series of conservation measures along the Chennai coastline to protect endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles and safeguard their habitats ahead of the annual migratory and nesting season, which is expected to begin in December. The Chennai Wildlife Division has initiated beach and boat patrols as part of a comprehensive conservation strategy aimed at ensuring a safe environment for turtles when they arrive along the coast to lay eggs. Chennai Wildlife Warden Bhargava Teja said patrolling operations commenced in November in accordance with the department's standard operating procedures. The patrols, lasting between two and three hours, will be conducted three to four times a week, with particular attention to vulnerable coastal stretches where turtles are known to nest. The headquarters wildlife range will monitor the coastline extending from Marina Beach to Neelankarai and Uthandi in Chennai district, while the Pulicat range will undertake similar conservation activities along the Pulicat coast. Officials will identify and demarcate sensitive patrol zones, undertake regular beach-cleaning operations and remove obstacles that could interfere with turtle nesting. The department also plans to train volunteers in turtle conservation techniques, identification of nesting sites and established reporting procedures to ensure timely intervention whenever turtles or their nests face potential threats. Meanwhile, the Marine Elite Force (MEF), in coordination with the Fisheries Department, has commenced boat patrols along the Chennai coastline to monitor fishing activities. The specialised force will closely track the movement of trawlers and other fishing vessels to ensure compliance with government-imposed fishing restrictions intended to protect marine wildlife. Fishing-related activities, particularly the operation of mechanised trawlers in sensitive coastal waters, pose significant risks to Olive Ridley turtles, which can become accidentally entangled in fishing nets. Olive Ridley turtles migrate to the Tamil Nadu coast annually for nesting, making the protection of beaches and nearshore waters crucial during the breeding season. Conservation efforts generally focus on preventing accidental turtle deaths, protecting nesting sites from human disturbance and ensuring that eggs and hatchlings remain safe. Forest officials expect the coordinated patrolling, habitat protection and volunteer participation initiatives to strengthen conservation efforts along Chennai's coastline during the forthcoming nesting season.
DRI seizes 7.85 kg of hashish smuggled from U.S. to Mumbai in mirror frame; one arrested
Following the seizure, DRI officials traced the consignee of the parcel and arrested the person on November 2 under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985. The agency has not disclosed the identity of the arrested person
Eight rescuers missing in Telanganas Peddacheruvu saved; search on for three others
The incident occurred when two inflatable boats carrying 11 personnel capsized in the swollen rivulet while the rescue teams were attempting to evacuate five fishermen stranded in the floodwaters
