Page 3 - Tamil Nadu

Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat launched, first to link 3 southern states

The Ernakulam-KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat, one of the four trains that Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off on Saturday, is the first inter-state semi-high-speed premium train service linking Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the Southern Railways said. Since it links three states, the train will boost business and tourism, officials said. The eight-coach train traverses major cities of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, including Thrissur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, before reaching Krishnarajapuram and KSR Bengaluru. It is the third Vande Bharat train that originates from Kerala. "KSR Bengaluru-Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express will provide seamless connectivity between Ernakulam, the commercial capital of Kerala and the cosmopolitan city of Bengaluru," a press note from Southern Railway said. "The existing two Vande Bharat services, between Kasaragod and Thiruvananthapuram (via Kottayam), and Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru Central (via Alappuzha) intertwine the southern

Bomb threat at Tamil actor Arun Vijay's Chennai residence, probe underway

The teams were alerted after the DGP office received an email threat from a mysterious individual, as stated by officials of the Ekkattuthangal Police Station

SC to hear on Nov 11 plea of DMK against EC's decision to conduct SIR in TN

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on November 11 the plea of DMK challenging the decision of the Election Commission to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was urged by lawyer Vivek Singh, appearing for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), to accord an urgent hearing to the petition. List it on Tuesday, the CJI said. On November 3, R S Bharathi, organising secretary of the DMK, moved the top court against the SIR, calling the exercise "unconstitutional, arbitrary, and a threat to democratic rights". The petition, settled by senior advocate and MP N R Elango, was filed by lawyer Vivek Singh and has sought quashing of the EC's notification of October 27 for undertaking the exercise of SIR in the state. The plea termed the SIR as being violative of Articles 14, 19 and 21 (right to equality, freedom of speech and right to life) and other provisions of the Constitut

TN govt holds all-party meet to draft safety norms for public events

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday held a meeting of political parties to formulate guidelines on holding public meetings in the wake of the September 27 stampede in Karur that claimed 41 lives and left over 60 injured. The consultative meeting was held following the Madras High Court directive asking the state government to frame the draft standard operating procedure (SOP) for regulating road shows and public meetings of political parties aimed at preventing the Karur stampede-like situation. The disastrous incident occurred during the meeting of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party addressed by its founder actor-politician Vijay. "We held a detailed consultation on various aspects, including avoiding stampede during meetings and preventing damage to public property," State Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru said in a post on 'X.' According to a source, among the suggestions was to collect a deposit amount from the political parties depending on the size of the turnout,

Vedanta's power business secures 500 MW power purchase deal from Tamil Nadu

Meenakshi Energy will supply 300 MW and VLCTPP will supply 200 MW of power to Tamil Nadu under a five-year contract

Vijay's party authorises actor to decide on alliance for 2026 polls

A special general council meeting of Vijay-led TVK on Wednesday authorised the actor-politician to take a call on the party's alliance for next year's Assembly polls and announced him as its Chief Ministerial candidate. The special meeting of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam was held at a private hotel in Mahabalipuram near here under the leadership of the actor, who turned up in his trademark white shirt and stubbled look. A total of 12 resolutions on issues including the recurring arrests of Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan navy, women's safety in the state--the latest sexual assault of a woman in Coimbatore was highlighted, and the SIR of electoral rolls was adopted. The resolution authorising the party founder to decide on alliance for the Assembly polls was unanimously adopted at the general council, the party's decision-making body. Vijay is "the CM candidate loved by all sections of people. Under his leadership, will face the 2026 polls and authorise him to take a

SIR starts in TN amid staunch opposition from ruling DMK, its allies

Amid staunch opposition from the ruling DMK, the exercise of SIR of electoral rolls commenced on Tuesday in Tamil Nadu and authorities said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will guide people in filling up the requisite enumeration form. As part of the exercise, house-to-house enumeration will be carried out from 04.11.2025 to 04.12.2025, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu said. Meanwhile, the DMK, in its plea before the Supreme Court against the SIR, has dubbed it a "de facto NRC" and has challenged its constitutional validity. The ruling party has sought the quashing of the Election Commission's notification on SIR dated October 27, 2025. The main opposition, AIADMK, an ally of the BJP supports the exercise. According to CEO office, the Booth Level Officers will visit every household to distribute partially pre-filled enumeration forms in duplicate to all existing electors and guide them in filling up the form. "If BLO finds that any house is locked or closed, she/

Cough syrup tragedy: SIT arrests wife of accused Dr Praveen Soni

The SIT investigating the cough syrup tragedy that claimed the lives of 24 children in Madhya Pradesh has arrested the wife of accused Dr Praveen Soni, an official said on Tuesday. Chhindwara-based Dr Soni, who allegedly prescribed the contaminated cough syrup 'Coldrif' to most of the ailing kids, was arrested last month for alleged negligence in connection with the child deaths due to kidney failure. His wife Jyoti Soni, another accused in the case, was arrested from her residence in Parasia town of Chhindwara district on Monday night, Sub Divisional Office of Police and Special Investigation Team (SIT) in-charge Jitendra Jaat said. She is the proprietor of a medical shop from where the cough syrup was sold to several victims, the official said. So far, seven persons have been arrested in connection with the cough syrup tragedy, he added. Following the child deaths, the Tamil Nadu government revoked the licence of the cough syrup manufacturing company, Sresan Pharma. Those arres

Ford to invest ₹3,250 cr in Chennai plant for 'next-gen' engine production

Ford signed an MoU with Tamil Nadu to manufacture next-generation engines at its Chennai plant with a ₹3,250 crore investment, creating over 600 jobs and boosting state's auto sector

PM Modi, Vice prez pay tributes to spiritual leader Muthuramalinga Thevar

Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tributes to freedom fighter and spiritual leader Pasumpon Thiru. Muthuramalinga Thevar on his birth anniversary, recalling his contributions to the freedom struggle. Radhakrishnan said Thevar was a great warrior, fearless fighter, and revered saint. "Pasumpon Thiru. Muthuramalinga Thevar was a true Desa Bhakt (patriot) who dedicated his life to the nation and its people. A devoted follower of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, he embodied courage, sacrifice, and patriotism in thought and action," he said on X. He was a leader for all communities and faiths, who even gave away his own lands for the welfare of others, Radhakrishnan recalled. "A voracious reader and a powerful orator, he inspired the masses through his words and deeds. He fought against British atrocities, endured imprisonment for the nation, and remained undefeated in every election he contested - earning the unwavering love and faith of the

Tamil Nadu leads with ₹4,271 crore under electronics component scheme

State secures five of seven projects cleared under the Centre's Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme and aims for 30 per cent of total investments

Tamil Nadu overtakes Gujarat in new investor registrations for September

Rising investor numbers hint at a shift, yet broad household uptake stays low

Palaniswami criticises CM Stalin for ignoring monsoon crisis, praises films

AIADMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday lashed out at Chief Minister M K Stalin over the government's handling of the ongoing monsoon-related issues and charged the CM with becoming a "full-time movie critic". Palaniswami has been raising the issue of crop damage in the state due to the heavy monsoon rains. In a social media post, the LoP said he could feel the indescribable pain of the farmers when he held the sprouted paddy crops in his hands recently. "But the hands of the CM that need to hold this paddy are holding those of the film crew," he said in an apparent reference to Stalin recently watching Tamil movie 'Bison' and congratulating its director and the team. Although, there was nothing wrong in watching movies or lauding the talented movie crew, he said. "But, forgetting why he became chief minister, the puppet CM has become a full-time movie critic and this is a matter of concern," Palaniswami said. Referring to Sta

CBI takes over Karur stampede probe that killed 41 at actor Vijay's rally

The CBI has taken over the probe of the Karur stampede, in which 41 people were killed during a political rally of actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), officials said Sunday. A special team of the CBI has already visited the site at Velusamypuram in Karur, Tamil Nadu, they said. Forty-one people lost their lives and over 60 injured in the stampede that occurred at the TVK meeting addressed by Vijay on September 27. As per procedure, the CBI has re-registered the FIR of the state police and also informed the local court about the development, they said. The case was handed over to the CBI by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) for an independent probe. The apex court directed the director of CBI to appoint a senior officer to take over the investigation and appoint some other officers for the assistance of the officer. The court also set up a three-member supervisory committee headed by former apex court judge Ajay Rastogi to

Heavy rains raise levels of dams, trigger mudslides in parts of Kerala

Heavy rains continued to lash parts of Kerala on Saturday leading to rise in water level of dams in Palakkad, Idukki and Thrissur districts. The rains also led to minor mudslides in parts of rural areas of Thiruvananthapuram district, causing damage to homes. Water levels in Walayar, Malampuzha, Moolathara, and Chuliyar in Palakkad dams approached their maximum storage capacities, prompting authorities to open the shutters by several centimetres. Water levels reached the 'red alert' status in various dams, including Ponmudi and Madupetty, in Idukki and 'orange alert' status in Sholayar dam in Thrissur. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department informed that it would be releasing surplus water from the Periyar Dam. It said that two radial surplus shutters of Periyar dam R2 and R3 will be opened to one meter by 12 noon and five vertical surplus shutters V1, V2, V3, V4 and V5 will remain open at 1.5 meters The present discharge of water from the dam is 1780 cusecs (Cubic

Airline fined for denying passenger to travel over single-name passport

The Chennai North District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed the Gulf Air Airlines to compensate a former Tamil Nadu legislator for denying him travel at Moscow airport as his passport did not contain his surname. The airlines has been directed to pay a compensation of about Rs 1.4 lakh with nine per cent interest per annum from the date of travel, to former MLA and advocate Nizamudeen, the affected passenger. This resident of Periamet here was stopped from boarding the Gulf Air flight at Moscow airport because his passport had a single name. On February 9, 2023, he was scheduled to travel by Gulf Air flight from Moscow to Dubai via Bahrain but was denied travel as his passport had contained only his name Nizamudeen without the surname. Nizamudeen claimed that he was allowed to board a flight from India to Moscow under the same name in the passport. He had a meeting in Dubai the next day but the airline's ground staff was "inconsiderate" to his requests and made h

TN sanctions ₹186 cr to provide free meals to Chennai sanitation workers

The Tamil Nadu government has accorded administrative sanction for Rs 186.94 crore towards providing free meals to the sanitation workers in the Greater Chennai Corporation for three years. The move will facilitate the GCC to provide meals to about 29,455 conservancy workers, including staff working under the private contractors, at 512 locations, a government order issued by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department said. The announcement comes close on the heels of prolonged agitation by the sanitation workers protesting against the privatisation of waste management operations in two zones under the GCC, and regularisation of jobs. The free meal scheme is among the six special welfare initiatives announced by the government on August 14. The civic body will hire a catering agency on contract for three years to prepare food in designated kitchens. The meals prepared in compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India norms, will be packed and ...

Low pressure likely to intensify into depression off Andhra, TN coasts

The Meteorological Department on Wednesday said the well-marked low-pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal off North Sri Lanka coast moved northwestwards and is likely to intensify into a depression on October 22. The Met Department noted that the weather system lay over southwest Bay of Bengal off Tamil Nadu coast at 5. 30 am on Wednesday. "While moving northwestwards, there is a possibility for the (weather system's) intensification into a depression over southwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal off north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts during next 12 hours," said the Met Department in a press release. Thereafter, it is likely to move across north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts during the subsequent 12 hours. Under the influence of the well-marked low pressure area, the Met Department observed, extremely heavy rainfall is likely over isolated places in Nellore, Prakasam, Tirupati, Annamayya, Chittoor and Kadapa districts. It also .

Rain batters TN, Mettur Dam reaches full capacity, schools, colleges shut

Rain continued to batter Tamil Nadu causing a sharp rise in the water levels of the reservoirs and in Chennai, tree branches fell due to overnight downpour. The Mettur Dam, the largest reservoir in the state, reached its Full Reservoir Level (FRL). The widespread rain forced the administration in several districts to declare a holiday for schools and colleges on Wednesday. Apart from the intermittent spells of heavy rain in Chennai, widespread showers thrashed the coastal districts. Chief Minister M K Stalin, who chaired a meeting of officials to review the preparedness for the Northeast Monsoon in the wake of heavy rain forecast by the IMD, directed the officials to be vigilant and remain on the field for rescue and relief activities. Heavy rains were reported from Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai and also Tuticorin districts. The IMD has issued a red alert for parts of Tamil Nadu owing to the formation of a low ..

TVK transfers ₹20,00,000 aid to families of karur stampede victims

On October 15, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said that a total compensation of Rs 4.87 crore has been issued to the families of victims in the stampede during TVK chief Vijay's rally in Karur