Tamil Nadu

Court

The Vice-Chancellor, however, denied Kirubamohan’s allegations and said the student had violated the admission guidelines.

TNM Staff

File Image

Days after Madras University expelled a student allegedly due to his involvement in agitations in the college, the student, T Kirubamohan, has approached the High Court seeking justice. As per reports, the Madras High Court has admitted Kirubamohan’s plea and has served notice to the University to respond to the allegations by September 24. Kirubamohan, 27, a journalism graduate, joined MA Buddhism in the university on July 31. He had graduated from the university’s Department of Journalism and Communication in 2018 and had also initiated the formation of Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC) in the university. He had organised multiple protests inside the premises against the beef ban and against invitations extended to Tarun Vijay (former Rajya Sabha MP) and L Ganesan (BJP member) to address the students. On August 29, the university gave a letter cancelling Kirubamohan’s admission, stating that since his transfer certificate was missing, he was not eligible to continue studies in the university anymore. Kirubamohan alleged that this decision by the university was due to his involvement in protests inside the college and that the Head of the Department was under pressure from the Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit (who is also the Chancellor of the university) and the Vice-Chancellor to remove him from the course. He had also stated that two other students in his class had not submitted their eligibility certificates and the university has not questioned them. The VC, however, denied these allegations by Kirubamohan and said the student had completely violated the admission guidelines. He also clarified that the student had organised a lot of protest in the previous years as well. The VC had also stated that a letter regarding Kirubamohan’s conduct from the Head of the Journalism Department was also factored in while deciding to repeal his admission and denied the involvement of the Governor.

Body 2:

Chennai Rains

Serena Banu, the mother of two died on the spot while her mother and two children have now been safely shifted to another location.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

Heavy rains in Chennai on Thursday morning caused the portion of a wall of a residence in Mannady to crash down on a 42-year-old woman. Serena Banu, a mother of two died instantaneously due to grievous injuries she sustained as the wall of her home collapsed even as her family was sleeping. According to the local police, the incident occurred at around 6.20 am on Iyyappan street. The house was located on temple land and the family had been renting the property. There were four persons in the house including Serena, her mother and two children."The house was dilapidated and its structure was very weak," says a police official investigating the case. "It was a house with a tiled roof and it gave in along with a portion of the wall. The rest of the family has moved to a another house in the neighbourhood and are safe. Serena's body has been sent for postmortem. The police official points that the incident was unexpected but other similar ones can be prevented if residents ensure that their homes are sturdy enough to handle the approaching monsoons. According to Skymet, Chennai has received 75mm of rain in just the last 21 hours. The rains began shortly after midnight and continued into early morning. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had told the media on Wednesday that a low-pressure area was likely to develop in the Bay of Bengal. The cyclonic circulation off the Andhra Prasdesh coast could bring rains to Andhra, Telangana and portions of Tamil Nadu. As per independent weather blogger Pradeep John, who goes by the name Tamil Nadu Weatherman, Wednesday was the wettest day for Chennai city recorded since November 2017. The city received 10 cms of rainfall over a single day as at 8 am on Thursday.

Body 2:

Education

Sources from the Education Department, however, confirmed that Classes 5, 8 students will not be held back for the next three years if they fail the Board Exams.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

Sreedevi Jayarajan

Image for representation only

Sources from the Tamil Nadu School Education Department have put to rest uncertainty on whether Board Exams will be held for Classes 5 and 8 in the state. Public exams for Classes 5 and 8 will indeed be held across Tamil Nadu schools, beginning this academic year (2019-2020), a highly placed source within the School Education Department confirmed to TNM. This clarification comes after a few media reports on Wednesday claimed that board exams for Classes 5 and 8 will be conducted only after a period of 3 years. Conducting exams for these two classes was proposed by the Central government back in February 2019, when the Right to Education (RTE) Act was amended. The RTE amendments effected by the Centre specifically prohibit schools from expelling students who fail their exams at the end of Classes 5 and 8, as education has been made compulsory for students until age 14. Education falls under the Concurrent List allowing both the state and the Union governments to legislate on the subject. While the Tamil Nadu government has decided to hold the exams, no student will be detained for the next three years (until 2021-2022) based of their performance in the said exams. "We are holding the exams to gauge the learning goals of students. This would help understand where our students are in terms of their learning goals. However, nobody will be failed. Based on the outcomes of the exams, remedial measures will be taken to ensure that students are able to reach the learning goals that have been set for them," the source added. Holding exams without any detentions for the next three years will also help identify those schools where children are facing difficulties. It will also help the government offer additional aid, support and training to teachers in order to equip them better, the source added. Tamil Nadu has frequently advocated the no-detention policy in schools, which does not permit detaining of students who fails exams until Class 8. However, with the latest RTE amendments, the Centre has scrapped the no-detention policy, leaving the states with the option to detain students based on their performance. "Not holding exams is not an option for the Tamil Nadu government. But not detaining students is an option. For the next three years, no student will be detained based on their performance in these exams. After the academic year 2021-2022, whichever government is in power will decide whether to detain students or not," the source added. Last week, Tamil Nadu government issued a GO announcing Board Exams for Classes 5 and 8 in all government, government-aided schools and other categories of schools which do follow the state syllabus. However, the Tamil Nadu government's GO came a relief for students as it upholds the no-detention policy for the next three years at least. The GO also explains how underperformance in the said exams will be handled. The order explains that if a child fails an exam at the end of Class 5 or 8, he or she will be allowed to sit for a re-examination within two months. For the time being, performance of students in the school exams will be used to improve their learning goals and skillsets and will not be published. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government’s decision has drawn flak most opposition parties in the state. While DMK Chief MK Stalin said that this would create stress among students who already have to face public exams in classes 10 and 12. Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan and Chief of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), condemned the TN government’s decision in a video that he put up on social media. “How cruel is it to make a beetle fly after making it lift a stone? It’s even more cruel to dump the burden of public exams on a 10-year-old boy. Whatever this education system offers our kids, it will definitely offer mental stress. With this new rule, exam performance will not be great. For children and parents fear of exams will only increase. There are many reasons why I quit studying after Class 8. But today, if a student stops studying after Class 8 the only reason is your new exam rule,” Kamal said. (With inputs from Megha Kaveri)

Body 2:

Keezhadi excavation

Another major discovery is that people in the Sangam period were literate as early as the 6th Century BCE.

Anna Isaac

Nikhita Venugopal

In what may be a major discovery for Indian history, artefacts found in excavations carried out at Keezhadi in Tamil Nadu’s Sivagangai district have determined a possible link between the scripts of the Indus Valley Civilisation and Tamil Brahmi, which is the precursor to modern Tamil. Another major discovery was that there was an urban civilisation in Tamil Nadu that was contemporary to the Gangetic plain civilisation. The Indus Valley Civilisation was situated in the north-western part of India between 5,000 BCE and 1,500 BCE. Around 1500 BCE, the civilisation collapsed and some have speculated that its people may have moved south. The script that was used by the people of this civilisation has been termed the Indus script, and experts have long speculated that the language could be Dravidian. Now research coming out of Keezhadi shows a possible connection between the two cultures. The samples featuring graffiti discovered from Keezhadi date back to 580 BCE. This graffiti is believed to be the link between the Indus script and the Tamil Brahmi. Speaking to TNM, T Udhayachandran, Commissioner of TN Archeological Department, says, “It’s an initial finding. Researchers note there is a gap between the Indus script and Tamil Brahmi script and this graffiti could fill that gap. We have to position this graffiti marks in that gap. We found 1000 different marks. We have chosen a few that distinctly relate to the Indus. Research is going on.” A report released by the Tamil Nadu Archeological Department on Thursday explains the significance of the finding. “Among the available scripts of India, the Indus scripts are considered to be the earliest one and were 4500 years old. One kind of script that survived between the disappearance of Indus script and the emergence of Brahmi script is called as graffiti marks by the scholars. These graffiti marks are the one evolved or transformed from Indus script and served as precursor for the emergence of Brahmi script. Therefore, these graffiti marks cannot be set aside as mere scratches. Like Indus script, this also could not be deciphered till date,” it states. Recent genetic studies show that the Indus people may not have had what's known as the 'Steppe Pastoralist' DNA, thus placing the civilization before the arrival of Indo-European speakers in the subcontinent. DNA studies have shown that people of the Indus Valley Civilisation could be of Dravidian origin. Urban civilisation in TN dating back to 2500 years ago The findings of the Tamil Nadu Archeological Department also indicate another major discovery — that an urban civilisation was thriving on the banks of the Vaigai River in Tamil Nadu in 6th Century BCE, around 2500 years ago. What this suggests is that the Sangam era - considered Tamil Nadu’s golden age - began much earlier than what was once thought. “Earlier Sangam period was considered to start from 300 BC and so this is a major finding. This completely changes our perception of Indian history so far,” T Udhayachandran says. Udhayachandran explains, "We sent samples to a lab in Florida, a University in Italy and Deccan College in Pune. To Florida, we sent six carbon dating samples and one of it has been dated to the 6th century BC. All material used in that period has been reduced to carbon and we have tested it to check what time it belonged to.” High levels of literacy Another major discovery is that people in the Sangam period were literate as early as the 6th Century BCE. The finding was based on potsherds which had names of people - like Aadhan and Kudhiranaadhan - written in Tamil-Brahmi script. According to the report, “The recent scientific dates obtained for Keeladi findings pushback the date of Tamil-Brahmi to another century i.e. 6th century BCE. These results clearly ascertained that they attained the literacy or learned the art of writing as early as the 6th century BCE.” Udhayachandran notes, “Professor Rajan from Pondicherry University who is considered an authority in archaeology in south India has said that this indicates high levels of literacy during this period." Earlier when excavations were conducted at Arikkamedu in 1947, Kaveripoompattiam in 1965 and burial sites at Adichanallur in 2005, there was, says the Commissioner, no proof of urban settlements. "However now, in Keezhadi, we have found proof that this was an urban civilisation. We have found what looks to be a pottery industry here," he says. The report also suggests that 70 samples of skeletal fragments of faunal remains were collected from the site. The remains had been sent to Deccan Collect, Post Graduate and Research Institute in Pune for analysis, and species such as cow and ox, buffalo, sheep, goat, Nilgai, blackbuck, wild boar and peacock were identified. It’s noted that while some animals were used for agriculture purposes, cut marks on other animals such as the antelope, goat and wild boar suggest that they were consumed. While phase five of the excavations at Keezhadi began in June this year, Udhayachandran says that they are planning ahead for the next phase. "We have filed necessary proposals before Archeological Survey of India. Not only Keezhadi, but we also want to do excavations in adjoining habitations like Kondahai, Agaram and Manalur. We may find traces of the old Madurai. Keezhadi is an industrial area. Kondahai looks to be a burial site, and Agaram and Manalur could be residential areas," he says. With inputs from Nadika N and Priyanka Thirumurthy

Body 2:

Civic issues

Some of the faulty poles found in the Chitlapakkam neighbourhood pose an imminent threat to residents and pedestrians.

Sreedevi Jayarajan

All images: Chitlapakkam Rising

A 42-year-old man lost his life to civic negligence on Tuesday when a faulty electric post came crashing down on him in Chennai’s Chitlapakkam. Two days later, even as the police and the State Electricity Minister attempt to wash their hands of the tragic accident, enraged residents of Chitlapakkam connected a survey in their neighbourhood for faulty EB posts. Their findings have confirmed sheer apathy displayed by civic authorities. A local NGO called Chitlapakkam Rising has discovered at least 60 EB posts in the locality that are faulty – ranging from minor issues to heavy cracks and damage. Electric poles in areas such as Babu Street, Sarvamangala Nagar, CV Ramanar Street, Raghavendra Salai, Nakeeran Street, Genguswamy Street, Chitlapakkam 2 main road, Thirumagalnagar Second Street, Thirumurugan Salai, Kalyana Sundaram Street and others were found to have significant faults that pose imminent threats to residents. While Babu street had the most number of faulty posts, a particular electric post in Chitlapakkam 2nd main road is dangerously bent with severe cracks in the structure. As for the electric post which fell on Sethuraj, killing him, a simple inspection has revealed that the metal core of the post had entirely been corroded, affecting the stability of the post. “So many times we have made calls to the TNEB asking them to remove the abandoned broadband and dish cables lying on the road and fix the loose electric posts. Last year, a few members from Chitlapakkam Rising even went to the TNEB office to make the same request. Every single time, they told us that they were understaffed and that it cannot be done immediately,” says Salesh, a member of Chitlapakkam Rising. After Sethuraj’s passing, TNEB officials have finally acted by replacing the faulty electric post in Kalyana Sundaram street with a new one. However, state electricity minister P Thangamani in a press conference on Wednesday blatantly denied that Sethuraj died because the pole was faulty. Instead, he blamed the accident on a truck. “When TANGEDCO officials inspected the area, they found out that the cement base of the electric pole was intact, indicating that the pole itself was in good condition. However, the pole collapsed after a truck nearby hit a tree and a branch of the tree fell on the pole, destabilising it,” Thangamani was quoted in a TNIE report. The minister also showed CCTV visuals showing a truck ramming on a tree and a man walking nearby. However, enraged residents of Chitlapakkam have challenged the CCTV visuals, saying they are from a different location. “This is not the locality where the accident happened. The streets here are much narrower and trucks cannot go through easily. The TN electricity minister has lied and taken another CCTV footage from elsewhere to cook up a story and pass the buck,” Salesh added. Sethuraj’s death is the second instance in a span of two days that a citizen has been electrocuted to death. On Monday, Dheena Senthil, a 14-year old boy from Mugalivakkam, was electrocuted to death after coming in contact with an exposed live wire. Dheena was walking in the neighbourhood when he stepped on the wire which had not been properly isolated and buried by the TNEB workers. According to reports, the live wire had been temporarily buried under a mound of soil as the laying of wires and work on drainage pipes had not been completed in the area. With showers over the past few days, the mound of soil dissolved, exposing the live wire. Even as the electricity minister denies any negligence on the part of the TNEB, Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakhs to the family of the deceased.

Body 2:

Death

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswamy announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh each for Sethuraj and Dheena’s family.

Sreedevi Jayarajan

Chennai saw two electrocution deaths over a span of two days within the one week. While 42-year old Sethuraj from Chitlapakkam lost his life on Thursday after an electric pole came crashing down on him, 15-year-old Dheena Senthil suffered a fatal shock on Monday after coming in contact with an exposed live wire in Mugalivakkam. Both deaths expose the civic apathy of authorities; in this case, the Greater Chennai Corporation and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). And while several enraged residents and the media questioned these authorities on the deaths, neither have taken responsibility for the accidents and instead, are engaging in a blame game to wash their hands of the incident. ‘It’s their fault, not our’s’ On Wednesday, a day after Sethuraj died, electricity minister P Thangamani held a press conference with the sole agenda of passing the buck to the Chennai Corporation. “It was not TNEB’s fault,” the minister stated before blaming the Chennai corporation for Dheena’s demise and a random truck for Sethuraj’s. According to the minister, the electric post on Kalyana Sundaram Street in Chitlapakkam had fallen on Sethuraj after a truck had hit a tree, which caused the branch to fall on the post and destabilising it. The minister even displayed a CCTV footage to prove TNEB’s innocence. However, residents on Chitlapakkam, on seeing the CCTV footage, have challenged the minister’s arguments, stating that the footage was not from the locality and did not show Sethuraj. “The roads here are much narrower than the locality shown in the CCTV visual in this area of Chitlapakkam. While the visual shows a truck hitting a tree and a man walking nearby, trucks cannot easily move through the street here where the accident took place,” Salesh, a resident and member of local NGO Chitlapakkam Rising told TNM. A survey by Chitlapakkam Rising, after Sethuraj’s death, helped identify at least 60 electric posts that were faulty in the locality. The electric post near Sethuraj’s house, too, had been faulty, with its metal core entirely corroded. Meanwhile, on the demise of Dheena Senthil, the class 9 boy who was electrocuted after stepping on a live wire, the electricity minister stated that it was the Greater Chennai corporation’s fault, yet again. Dheena had come in contact with an exposed live wire, which had not been properly isolated and buried. The corporation workers who had dug up the road to lay cables and drainage pipes had temporarily buried the live wire under a mound of mud as the works hadn’t been completed. With a few days of rains, the mound of mud turned to a puddle, exposing the wire underneath. Responding to electricity minister Thangamani’s accusation, Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said that the GCC was not responsible for the death of the 15-year-old. According to local channels, Prakash added that investigations in the death of Dheena were ongoing and it was not the Corporation workers who had caused the accident. Prakash also said that if the Corporation was found to have a role in Dheena’s death, action against the erring workers would definitely be taken. Meanwhile, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), too, has been accused for the Dheena's death in Mugalivakkam, with the digging work in the area being done by them. However, investigations in the case are yet to be completed. Is state government responsible then? Even as the civic body officials attempt to pass the buck on both the electrocution deaths, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh for each family who lost a loved one due to the mishap, perhaps indicating that the state government acknowledged its role in the avoidable deaths. However, the ruling AIADMK government is yet to announce any solatium for the family of Subhasri, the 23-year-old Chennai techie who lost her life to an unauthorised banner last week, after she fell from her bike as the banner collapsed on her and got run over by a lorry. The banner was placed by AIADMK functionary and ex-councillor S Jayagopal who is absconding at present. The incident led to much outcry against the culture of erecting illegal banners and cut-outs popular in the state. Also read: After faulty electric post kills Chennai man, local survey reveals 60 such faulty poles

Body 2:

Business and industry

With orders coming to a screeching halt, ancillary manufacturers say they have been forced to lay off employees.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

50-year-old Balachander* who has been running a spare parts manufacturing company for TVS in Chennai, is set to completely shut shop in October. In the last month alone, he has had to lay off 20 employees who worked at his factory in Guindy and with no orders coming in, he sees no benefit in paying the last eight men still under his employment."We do sub-contract works for automobile manufacturers and the last three years has seen a steady decline in work culminating in a paralysing situation this month," he tells TNM. "I am giving the employees still here half a month's salary without even any work to do. Three years ago, I had 50 employees and a flourishing business," he laments. In Guindy and Ekkaduthangal alone, there are close to 200 ancillary industries that depend on larger automobile manufacturers and most of them are struggling to stay afloat as demand is coming to a screeching halt. According to the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), the figure of job losses in this sector stand at around 10-15%. So far, those hired on contractual basis, who form a major portion of the workforce have had to bear the brunt, these reports indicate. In terms of absolute numbers, some 8 to 10 lakh workers might have lost their jobs, says ACMA. Sources in ACMA estimate that there are over 50,000 ancillary manufacturers in the country."The first line of suppliers are called Tier 1 -like Wheels India And Lucas TVS. These people have suppliers who form Tier 2. And then Tier 2 have suppliers who form Tier 3. The most vulnerable in this chain are Tier 2 and Tier 3. They could be small and micro enterprises and the problems they face are very valid. They are under lot of stress because of liquidity crunch. They don't have credit rating that big companies have and the cost of capital for them is high," says an ACMA member to TNM. Industry de-growth With the economy seeing a massive slowdown and amid damp consumer sentiment, sales of automobiles in the country have been the lowest in over a decade. According to data from Society of Indian Auto Manufacturers (SIAM), the industry saw a de-growth of 12.25% in the April-August 2019 period in terms of production. Automakers have scaled down production amid dampening sales. The sale of Passenger Vehicles declined by 23.54% in April-August 2019 over the same period last year. The overall commercial vehicles segment fell by 19% in the same period, compared to last year. Three-wheelers sales declined by 7.32%, while two-wheelers sales registered a de-growth of 14.85%. All ancillary companies depend on these major automobile manufacturing companies for their business. With production coming to a halt here, ancillary companies, which are much smaller in size are the worst affected. Ancillary manufacturers tell TNM that they are not given loans easily and neither do they benefit from government schemes like Mudra. "We are forced to take hand loans because banks don't give us money for capital easily," says Balachander. Kumar*, who has been running a spare parts manufacturing unit in the city for 25 years now, says the current downturn is unprecedented."In 2008 we faced a dip in demand but it was nowhere close to the current debacle," he tells TNM. "There are no orders coming in from companies like TVS and Maruthi. But the bigger players - like Hyundai or TVS will manage because they have assets. It is only smaller players like us who will suffer. I have laid off all my employees because we couldn't pay them salaries," he says. Balachander says that his unit would make a turnover of Rs.3-4 lakh every month and that has now reduced to nothing. ACMA, meanwhile, predicts that the worst is yet to come."Everyone is a victim of the downturn but the poor people always suffer the most as is the case in everything. Tier 2 and 3 are weakest links in our value chain. They don't have the right resources, access to capital or human resources. If the downturn continues, they will completely collapse," warns the member. ACMA and smaller manufacturers allege that the government's decision to levy GST is one of the primary causes for the downturn. However, they do acknowledge that the problem is larger."People will not think about buying vehicles when they are unsure if they can even keep their jobs long enough to pay EMIs," says Kumar. "The economy as a whole is suffering. And we are going down with it."

Body 2:

Education

The government of Tamil Nadu issued a government order on Wednesday which said that students of Class 11 can opt to write board exams for 500 or 600 marks based on how many core subjects they choose to study.

Megha Kaveri

Image for representation/PTI

From the next academic year onwards, students in Class 11 of the Tamil Nadu state syllabus can opt to study either three core subjects or four core subjects along with language papers for their board exams. The government of Tamil Nadu issued an order to this effect on Wednesday, which stated that from academic year 2020-21, students of Class 11 can choose to write their board exams for 500 marks instead of the 600 marks at present. The change in the course pattern is an attempt to ease the burden on the students and enable them to find time to prepare for competitive entrance examinations like the NEET and IIT-JEE. Speaking to TNM, a senior official in the state school education department said, “This would give students a choice to study only what is necessary to clear the entrance exams for medicine and engineering. The burden and the related mental stress on the students is reduced if they opt to study just three core subjects instead of four.” The present streams are: Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Maths; Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry, Maths; Commerce, Accountancy, Economics, Computer Science/Business Maths. According to the government order, students in the science stream can choose to avoid Maths completely, if their aim is to write NEET and qualify for the medical entrance. Similarly, students aspiring to become engineers can now choose to avoid Biology altogether in their higher secondary curriculum. A welcome move for teachers The decision by the government has been welcomed by the Tamil Nadu Teachers Association. PK Ilamaran, the state president of the association and a government school teacher for over two decades, told TNM that the burden on the students will be reduced considerably. “When this idea was first discussed, the proposal was to combine the language papers. But it is great that the government decided to cut down the subject papers of the students,” he said. However, he added that the government should implement the move from the present academic year 2019-2020. Restricts the options available to students in college Some experts, however, seem wary about the impact of the decision on the future of the students. Jayaprakash Gandhi, an education consultant with over 20 years’ experience in the field, said that while the move could be considered fantastic for students who know where they are headed to in terms of career goals, it may be counterproductive for students who want to keep their options open. “For example, for Commerce students, none of the options given in the government order has Economics and Maths together. This essentially restricts the options available for the students after Class 12,” he said. He points to the fact that most top colleges in the country prefer to admit Commerce students with Maths background in Class 12 for their B.Com course. However, the Tamil Nadu state syllabus has not offered Maths to Commerce students in recent years, instead providing Business Maths or Computer Science as an alternative. G Saimukundhan, a practicing Chartered Accountant and a CA educator, explained that in recent times, a lot of Commerce students are not restricting themselves to chartered accountancy as a career option. “They are also looking at the five-year law programme as a feasible option. The moment you take Maths out of the equation, the number of people who are opting for CA is going to come down,” he said. He also added that the newly announced model is worrying considering the impact it will have on the futures of the students. “I don’t think it is going to be helpful for a Commerce student. Even assuming students do get into B. Com in this scheme, what happens to their competitiveness among their peers?” he wondered. Schools anyway call the shots Another crucial issue around the new government order is the way in which the intent of the education department would translate on the ground. Schools in Tamil Nadu have traditionally called the shots when it came to offering subject groups for higher secondary classes to students, not to mention scheduling classes for students who choose to study four and three core subjects. “There will be practical issues for schools in terms of drawing a timetable that ensures no subject or exams clash with each other,” said Jayaprakash Gandhi, adding that the schools must also have the necessary infrastructure like teachers, classrooms and support facilities like labs to implement the order without glitches. Saimukundhan also seemed to agree with the fact that schools decide to offer streams to students based on a lot of other factors. “If the schools choose to factor in their pass percentage and reputation, then students are again going to be left at the mercy of what the schools have to offer rather than what their choices are,” he said. “For well-established schools with enough number of students in each subject choice scheduling will not be a problem. But if students are sparse in each subject choice, then it becomes a problem for us,” a correspondent of a private school in Coimbatore district said. She also explained that students tend to be easy-going in their academics in the higher secondary classes which might prove counterproductive in their college days. Proper guidance options necessary The move will also imply that parents and students who are entering Class 11 in Tamil Nadu’s schools will now need to make an informed choice about their future career options. For families that lack access to guidance, this would pose a risk of them making uninformed choices. “This is as bad as the old way of giving away marks aplenty and instilling a fake sense of confidence in the minds of the students. The government is trying to find a quick fix, but this is not a fix at all,” Saimukudhan said, adding, “It feels like the government is literally telling the students that they are capable of only this much.” Panning the government on issuing random government orders, the school correspondent said that it would be better if the government involved all stakeholder representatives before bringing in such huge changes in the curriculum.

Body 2:

Chennai rains

The wall of the old building of the Sundaram Medical Foundation hospital in Shanthi colony collapsed and around 200 patients were moved out.

Sreedevi Jayarajan

Several patients were moved out of the ICU ward of a private hospital in Chennai's Annanagar neighbourhood after a portion of the compound wall collapsed due to heavy rains. The wall of the Sundaram Medical Foundation (old building) in Shanthi colony collapsed at 1:30 am on Thursday after Chennai saw the heaviest rains in 2019. The wall, which caved in, knocked down the main transformer of the building which, in turn, fell and disrupted the power supply to the hospital. "There were around 20 patients who were moved out of the hospital as we faced a power shortage. Patients from the Intensive Care Unit have been moved out and some of them have been admitted to Apollo," hospital staff at Sundaram Medical Foundation told TNM. The collapsed wall led to some amount of inundation and damaged the drainage connection of the hospital. "A part of the hospital was inaccessible as the rainwater entered and filled up the area. However, now, we are in the process of fixing the drainage pipes and the collapsed wall. Power supply, too, has been restored," the staff added. According to reports, around 12 male patients, 9 women patients and 1 child were shifted out of the hospital. Apart from Apollo hospital in Vanagaram, some were also admitted to MGM hospital in Nelson Manickam Road, SMF (new building in Annanagar) and Kanchi Kamakoti Child's Trust hospital in Nungambakkam. Chennai recently witnessed the wettest day of 2019, with around 108 mm of rainfall received within 24 hours until 8:30 am on Thursday. Heavy rains and thundershowers were a result of the upper air circulation of the south Andhra coast which resulted in thunderstorm activity in Chennai and neighbouring regions. While the rains came as a relief to the city which has been water-starved over the last few months, the heavy showers also led to building collapses resulting in one casualty. Serena Banu, a 42-year-old woman and mother of two died on the spot after heavy rains caused a portion of a wall in Mannady to collapse on her while the family was asleep. The woman died immediately after sustaining grievous injuries. However, her husband and two children were safely shifted out of the house. The incident took place at 6:20 am on Iyappan street. The house had been located on a temple property which Serena's family had taken on rent. Also read: 42-year-old woman dies in Chennai, as a wall of her house collapses in rain

Body 2:

Crime

While reports suggest that the accused Kalai Arasan is a member of the BJP, police say that his political affiliation is yet to be determined.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

The Dharmapuri police have filed an FIR against a man called Kalai Arasan from Harur, after he posted a video on social media, insulting social reformer Periyar EV Ramasamy. The video, according to the police, showed a pair hands cutting a dung cake in front of a Periyar poster and then throwing the slush on the leader's image. Police tell TNM that Kalai Arasan is currently absconding and efforts are underway to find him. While reports suggest that he is a member of the BJP, police say that his political affiliation is yet to be determined. The complaint against him was given by a local resident named Vediappan, who is a member of Dravidar Kazhagam."They have cut this cake made out of dung and thrown it on the poster on Periyar's birth anniversary. In addition to this, they have garlanded the Periyar poster with slippers. We have already filed a case. We are on the lookout for the accused," says a police official involved in the investigation. A case has been filed under sections 153(A)1(a)(promoting disharmony), 505(1) (b) (intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public) and 505(1) (c) (intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community) of the Indian Penal Code. The video has been pulled down from the accused's Facebook page.

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Crime

Tiruchengode DSP Vishnupriya had killed herself in September 2015 when she was investigating the caste killing of a Dalit youth Gokulraj.

Megha Kaveri

An investigation report into the suicide of DSP Vishnupriya by the CBI has found that there was no abetment to her suicide. The CBI report reaffirmed its earlier report that that it filed in April 2018 on Vishnupriya’s death. In the earlier report, CBI had mentioned that there were no evidence of murder or foul play in her death. However, her father objected to the report and approached the Coimbatore district court seeking to record statements of the witnesses under section 164 CrPC. The court had ordered CBI to continue further investigation in the case in December 2018 and ordered CBI to file report within six months. The CBI report now gives a point by point rebuttal to the aspects raised by the district court when it ordered for continuation of the probe. Some of the issues that were raised by the district judge were the contradictions in the date of seizure of electronic devices that were in Vishnupriya’s possession, contradictory statements made by the Village Administrative Officer and the village assistant related to the date on which the gadgets were seized from Vishnupriya’s room and the non-examination of SP Senthilkumar, Vishnupriya’s superior officer who had called her hours before she killed herself. The CBI, in its latest report, has stated that the reason for the contradictions in the date of recovery of the gadgets were due to the non-availability of investigating officer of the case on the date when the case was transferred to the CB-CID. The report also states that since the next day was Sunday, there was a delay in handing over the recovered items to the CB-CID by the local police. “…It is humbly submitted that investigation into the suicidal death of Ms R Vishnupriya, did not show any abetment...,” reads the report that also requests the court to consider the closure report filed along with this report be considered. Speaking to TNM, Arulmozhi, lawyer for Vishnupriya’s father says that they are not satisfied with the report. “One of the major demands that we put forth was that the seven police officers who were questioned by the CBI must be made to come to the court and their statements be recorded under section 164 (Recording statements of witnesses in the presence of a magistrate) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). That has not been done even now,” he explains. He also adds that the CBI should have investigated the case with a Superintendent of Police as investigating officer and not a DSP. Tiruchengode Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Vishnupriya was found dead at her house in Namakkal on September 18, 2015, while she was investigating an alleged caste killing involving Dalit youth Gokulraj. Gokulraj was found dead on the railway track in June 2015. The case was sensitive because Gokulraj was allegedly kidnapped and killed for being friends with a woman from the dominant Gounder community. A note, allegedly left behind by Vishnupriya, stated that the job she was doing had its own pressure and that she was investigating a sensitive case. However, her suicide note said that the case was the not reason for her death. She had also allegedly mentioned that she loved her job and that a mistake that she made was making her feel guilty and that feeling was troubling her. She also implored her parents to not create problems and to not make her death political or sensational. However, the opposition parties demanded a CBI probe into her death and her parents alleged that she killed herself due to alleged harassment from her superiors. Though the case was initially handled by the state’s CB-CID, the Madras High Court transferred the case to the CBI in July 2016 after her father moved the court demanding a free and fair probe.

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Airport

DMK MP Kanimozhi posted a picture of plastic trays being laid out on the airport floor to collect the dripping rainwater.

TNM Staff

Three blue plastic trays are seen lying on the floor beyond the baggage screening and security check area of an airport terminal. On closer inspection, plastic containers seem to have some amount of water in them. The above description is that of an image tweeted by DMK MP Kanimozhi which was taken at the Chennai International Airport. According to the MP, blue baggage trays were placed on the floor by the airport staff to collect rainwater which was leaking from the airport’s ceiling after the city witnessed heavy thunder showers on Thursday - which was recorded to be the wettest day of the year in Chennai. Tweeting the picture on Thursday, Kanimozhi wrote “First it was the ceiling falling. Now the roof has turned into showers. Plastic containers have been placed to collect the water dripping from above due to rains. First it was the ceiling falling. Now the roof has turned into showers. Plastic containers have been placed to collect the water dripping from above due to rains. Place: @aaichnairport#Chennai airport pic.twitter.com/74JJOvnkho — Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) September 19, 2019 Other problems at airport The domestic and international terminals at the Chennai airport were expanded and renovated at a cost of Rs 2000 crore in 2013. But since its inauguration, there have been multiple incidents of glass panels collapsing – at least 70 reported incidents. The glass ceiling of the airport had even come crashing down three times within the first six months of the airport's inauguration. Over the years, at least 13 people are reported to have been injured due to such incidents of glass ceiling shattering in the airport. In July 2019, G Chandramouli, the director of the Chennai International Airport also received a show cause notice citing safety concerns. The notice stated that non-frangible material such as concrete slabs, open concrete trench and chambers were found on the primary and secondary runways of the airport. Further several large loose stones were discovered on the Runway End Safety Area or RESA of both ends of the Chennai airport’s primary runway, reports stated. The DGCA notice added that Chennai’s primary runway also failed the friction test, making the runway slippery for aircraft landings. As per the DGCA's findings, the friction reading levels of a portion of the runway was below required levels. A few of the runway signboards and lighting too were not found to be in working condition, the notice further stated.

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Court

Justice VK Tahilramani had resigned in protest of her transfer to Meghalaya High Court by the SC Collegium, which was considered a huge step down for the senior judge.

TNM Staff

Days after the Chief Justice of Madras High Court submitted her resignation after her controversial transfer to the Meghalaya High Court, President Ram Nath Kovind accepted her resignation on Friday. Justice Vineet Kothari, the senior-most judge of the Madras High Court, will be the acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court till further orders. The Supreme Court collegium had, in the last week of August, recommended swapping the Chief Justices of two high courts in the country – the Madras High Court and the Meghalaya High Court. According to the decision of the collegium, Justice AK Mittal, the present Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court was to be posted as the Chief Justice of Madras High Court, while Justice VK Tahilramani was to take over AK Mittal’s post in Meghalaya. The decision had sent shockwaves within the fraternity. While it could have been construed as an advancement for Justice AK Mittal, since the Madras High Court is one of the oldest high courts in India and is the fourth largest one in the country in terms of number of judges, Justice VK Tahilramani was slated to head a court that was set up in 2013 with only three judges. Though Justice VK Tahilramani had requested the collegium to reconsider its decision, the collegium had refused to do so. Protesting the collegium’s decision, Justice Tahilramani submitted her resignation to the President of India and the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi in the first week of September. Justice Tahilramani was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court on August 12, 2018, after she was transferred from the Bombay High Court where she served as acting Chief Justice three times between 2015 and 2017. Justice Tahilramani had presided over many important and controversial cases during her term in the Bombay High Court. On May 4, 2017, she upheld the life imprisonment of 11 convicts in the gang rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of her family during the 2002 Gujarat riots. She also set aside the acquittal of seven persons in the case including 5 police officers and 2 doctors, convicting them under sections 201 (tampering of evidence) and 218 (not performing duties) of the Indian Penal Code.

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Crime

The girl’s mother had filed a police complaint in January in Andhra Pradesh alleging that Bhanupriya and her brother had tortured her 14-year-old daughter while she was employed with them.

TNM Staff

The Pondy Bazaar police station has registered a fresh case against veteran actor Bhanupriya in relation to the illegal confinement of her 14-year-old domestic help. According to reports, the case booked under the Juvenile Justice Act and for criminal intimidation was initially registered in Samalkot, Andhra Pradesh and has now been transferred to Chennai. The actor was booked under Sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC and Juvenile Justice Act Sections 75 (Punishment for cruelty to the child) and 79 (Keeping a child under bondage for employment). In January, the girl’s mother had alleged that Bhanupriya and her brother Gopalakrishnan were torturing her daughter. Gopalakrishnan had told her that her daughter had stolen valuables worth Rs 10 lakh from the house. He allegedly told the girl’s mother to pay Rs 10 lakh if she wanted to meet her daughter. She also alleged that Gopalakrishnan had sexually harassed her daughter while she was working in their house. She hence filed a police complaint with the help of a few child welfare groups in Andhra Pradesh. In her complaint, she had also stated that her daughter was not being paid regularly. In February, Gopalakrishnan had also filed a police complaint that the girl had stolen 10 sovereigns of gold, watches and other electronic gadgets. The police had arrested the girl’s mother and the girl was sent to an observational home after the complaint. In July, the Juvenile Justice Board acquitted the girl of all charges and she was allowed to go home. Actor Bhanupriya, however, had stated that she was not aware of the girl’s age and was being falsely implicated in the case. She also refuted the allegations leveled by the girl’s mother saying that there were no restrictions on the girl when she was working in Bhanupriya’s house.

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Water Resources

Chennai was one of the worst affected cities in Tamil Nadu last summer due to the severe water crisis.

TNM Staff

File Image

Incessant rains in Chennai and surrounding areas over the last two days have helped boost the reservoir water levels, bringing much needed respite to the residents of Chennai city. The water levels at all four reservoirs that supply water to the city have jumped up in the last few days. According to the data available at the Chennai Metrowater website, the combined water level in the four lakes at the city’s periphery stood at 273 mcft as of Friday. This is in sharp contrast to the situation from a few weeks ago, when the lakes had been considered close to dry. Poondi reservoir holds 208 mcft of water as of Friday, the highest among the four lakes. Water levels at Cholavaram lake (30 mcft), Redhills (27 mcft) and Chembarambakkam (8 mcft) have also brought relief to the citizens.The amount of water will be enough to tackle the supply needs of the city for over 10 days. The combined lake levels on Wednesday stood at 15 mcft, which was just 0.13% of the total water storage capacity of the four lakes. While Redhills and Cholavaram lakes received upto 600 cusecs of water on Thursday, Poondi received upto 3000 cusecs of water through the Kosasthalaiyar river. The inflows to the lakes had reduced drastically by Friday afternoon, and more rains would be required to keep the inflow steady to refill the lakes. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has, meanwhile, forecast heavy rainfall over isolated places in Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Vellore, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and parts of the Cauvery Delta till Sunday. The meteorological centre has also forecast heavy to very heavy rains over isolated places in Tamil Nadu’s coastal districts on Monday and Tuesday. As on Friday, Udayalipatti in Pudukottai district received the highest amount of rainfall at 7 cms while Thanjavur received 6 cms of rainfall over a day as on Friday.

Body 2:

Subhasri death

"We as members of the public don't raise our voices till someone is dead. Why do we wait for something terrible to happen?" asks Revathi

Priyanka Thirumurthy

On September 12, a young techie in Chennai met with a gruesome death immediately after an illegal banner fell on her, on the busy Thuraipakkam- Pallavaram road. As anger swept through the state over her fate, in Coimbatore, 32-year-old Revathi could only feel numb with grief as television channels played out 23-year-old Subashri's final moments. Revathy lost her brother in 2017 in a similar accident, where the 32-year-old victim Raghunanthan allegedly crashed into an illegal AIADMK hoarding and then came under a truck. Two years since the young engineer's death, his sister says that it is only the public that can herald change."Lawful action against those involved is necessary but for larger change people need to have a re-look at their mindset," says Revathy. "It is not about a single party being responsible for the accident because irrespective of the government in power, these incidents continue," she adds. Revathy says every single resident in the state must take responsibility for what has happened."We as members of the public don't raise our voices till someone is dead. Why do we wait for something terrible to happen? Every individual has to come to the realisation that these banners are dangerous and have to be eliminated," says Revathi. "There are so many people who saw the banners before Subashri's death and did nothing. Can we punish them all? We can only hope that individuals will understand that they need to call out such issues and address them before we lose more lives," she explains. Revathi points out that all officials, from the Chief Minister to a corporation worker should be held to highest standards and ensure that their job is done."We see so many deaths due to civic apathy - be it electric wires, sewage cleaning or banners. Everyone knows the reality," she says. "So each one of us has to change for society to change. My brother and Subashri have lost their lives because we stayed silent. Their deaths should not go in vain." In the two years since her brother's death, Revathi says she constantly reflected on the family's loss."There is not a day that passed without a thought about my brother," she says. "But as people who have faced the loss, we can only resign to our fate and hope that their deaths will create the change that our society needs."

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Politics

The Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in both constituencies - Nanguneri and Vikravandi.

TNM Staff

The Election Commission has announced that bye-polls in Nanguneri and Vikravandi constituencies in Tamil Nadu will be conducted on October 21. Party chief MK Stalin announced that while DMK will contest from the Vikravandi constituency, the Congress will contest from Nanguneri. With this announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in both constituencies. The bye-poll in Nanguneri in Tirunelveli district had to be announced because the sitting MLA, H Vasanthakumar of the Congress had resigned after he was elected as the MP from Kanyakumari constituency. The Vikravandi assembly seat in Villupuram district meanwhile fell vacant after DMK MLA K Rathamani passed away in June. Nominations for the seats begin on September 23 and the last day for filing nominations is September 30. While scrutiny of nomination will happen on October 1, the counting will be on October 24. Shortly after the Election Commission's announcement, the DMK revealed its strategy for the bye-polls, with DMK contesting from the Vikravandi constituency and Congress from Nanguneri. While there were earlier reports of disagreement over seat sharing between the two parties, Stalin's announcement has however put rest any murmurs of a rift between the allies. Earlier this month, while addressing cadre in Nanguneri, Tamil Nadu Congress President KS Alagiri had even said, "Why can't the Congress contest alone in the elections? Why are we just being an opposition party in the state for the last 50 years? Why can't the Congress contest alone when we have a strong base in the southern Tamil Nadu? We have a strong presence in Kanyakumari, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts." In the recent elections held in the state, the ruling AIADMK had won nine assembly seats while the DMK won 13. This time around, there could be a change in alliances ahead of the polls. Sources in the AIADMK tell TNM that while Vikravandi could be a definite win for the party, Nanguneri will be challenging."We are not sure if the alliance with BJP will continue for these two seats, but it definitely will with PMK. Vikravandi is a stronghold for them and can help us win," the source said. While DMK had won the previous assembly poll in Vikravandi, the AIADMK and PMK together had polled over 30,000 votes more in 2016. "Nanguneri however will prove to be an issue because of the large Christian population. They may resist if we tie up with the BJP," he adds.

Body 2:

Transport

Increasing air traffic in the city has led to the need of a new airport, according to reports.

TNM Staff

After several years of discussions, talks on a second airport in Chennai may finally bear fruit with the state government shortlisting six new locations for the same. According to The Hindu, the newly shortlisted locations for a second city airport included Thiruporur, Cheyyar, Vallathur, Thodur, Maduramangalam and Mappedu. The state government is also likely to hold talks with officials of the Airports Authority of India to decide which location would be the most feasible to build a second airport. A site visit and inspection too is likely to be held, according to reports. The land requirement for the new airport is around 2000 to 2500 acres and the locations were shortlisted from a bunch of places that were initially identified. One of the places was identified around two months ago but failed to be approved by the AAI for technical reasons and lack of suitability. According to reports, the city needs a second airport due to the existing airport getting saturated due to the increasing air traffic. With the Chennai airport’s phase-2 modernisation project being completed in the next two years, the airports passenger capacity may see an increase from 18 million to 35 million. The modernisation work will see a new integrated terminal, a multi level car parking lot and other works. However, the increasing air traffic has made it necessary to identify a new location for a second airport, according to reports. Earlier, Sriperumbudur was first considered as one of the locations for a second airport but was however dropped citing insufficient land available in the region. Apart from this, Pattalam and Cheyyur were also identified. Rapid exit taxiways are also being constructed which will help increase aircraft movement per hour significantly, sources from AAI had told The Hindu back in May 2019.

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The entire area is being surveyed by CCTV cameras and several layers of security have been added ahead of the summit.

TNM Staff

Ahead of the second informal summit between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese premier Xi Jinping Mamallapuram, top officials of Tamil Nadu visited the venue for an inspection. DGP of Tamil Nadu JK Tripathy and Chief Secretary K Shanmugham on Saturday visited the venue of the summit and other tourist locations in Mamallapuram that delegates are likely to visit. The second informal meeting between the two leaders will take place in October. Ahead of the meet, a Chinese delegation had visited the site on Friday. JK Tripathy and K Shanmugham along with the state police arrived at the venue. Inspections were conducted on the route the dignitaries would take to reach the venue. The monuments in Mamallapuram will also come under tight security as the dignitaries are likely to pay a visit to them, considering that they classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Monuments such as Krishna’s butter ball – the giant rock in Mamallapuram, the shore temple, the Pancha Rathas and other monuments were inspected by the team. After the inspections, a meeting was held by the DGP and Chief Secretary with the officers to discuss arrangements. The high-level meeting will see the deployment of 10,000 policemen and several layers of added security. The entire location will come under CCTV cover. Further, drones will also be used to monitor the area and the coastline, according to reports. Lodges and individual houses too are being checked to ensure that no suspicious people are staying or any suspicious activities are happening in any of these places. Residents here have also been warned to not let tourists stay without them showing valid documents, according to reports. If tourists are found to be staying without their visas and passports, residents of the houses will be arrested, a police officer told the media.

Body 2:

Terror attack

Officers of the NIA searched the house of M Diwan Mujipeer from Velanguli in Tirunelveli district on Saturday.

IANS

Image for representation only

Cracking the whip on the Islamic State's (IS) Tamil Nadu Ansarulla module, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday carried out searches at the residence of one of the suspected operatives in the Tirunelveli district. A search was conducted at M. Diwan Mujipeer's residence on the basis of warrant issued by a special NIA court in Chennai, an NIA spokesperson said in New Delhi. "During the search, three mobile phones, four SIM cards, one memory card many incriminating documents have been seized," the official said. According to the NIA official, during investigation it was found that Mujipeer was associated with Ansarulla. The seized materials would be submitted to the special court and will also be sent for forensic examination. On July 9, the NIA registered cases against 16 accused for allegedly owing allegiance to banned terrorist organisations -- IS/Daesh, Al Qaeda and SIMI. The accused were allegedly trying to set up a terror outfit named Ansarulla. According to the NIA, the accused were making preparations to wage war against the country. They were luring people for terror strikes and posting videos and other jihadi propaganda material, exhorting supporters to conduct terrorist attacks using explosives, poison, knives and vehicles. They had collected funds to carry out terrorist attacks with an intention of setting up Islamic rule in India, the NIA said in a statement on Friday. The NIA arrested 9 people -- Hassan Ali, Harish Mohamed, Mohamed Ibrahim, Meeran Ghani, Gulam Nabisath, Rafi Ahamed, Munthasir Umar Barook and Farook -- on July 13. On July 15, seven more -- Mohamed Sheik Maitheen, Ahamed Azarudhen, Toufiq Ahmed, Mohamed Ibrahim, Mohammed Afzar, Mohideen Seeni Shahul Hameed and Faizal Sharief -- were arrested. A special NIA cout had granted the agency an 8 day custody of the terror suspects who were accused of starting up a terror outfit named Ansarulla in Tamil Nadu. The accused were also found to supporters of terror outfits such as Al Qaeda and ISIS While 14 of the accused had been deported from Sauda Arabia for attempting to start the terror outfit in the country, the NIA officers nabbed two others from Tamil Nadu later.

Body 2:

Student expelled from Madras University allegedly for ‘organising protests’ moves HC

42-year-old woman dies in Chennai, as a wall of her house collapses in rain

Board Exams for Classes 5, 8 to be held from this academic year: TN Education Dept

Major discovery in Tamil Nadu’s Keezhadi: A possible link to Indus Valley Civilisation

After faulty electric post kills Chennai man, local survey reveals 60 such faulty poles

‘Not our fault’: TNEB, Chennai corporation pass the buck in electrocution deaths

As auto industry slows down, ancillary companies suffer in Chennai

TN allows Class 11 students to choose only 3 core subjects: Experts weigh in

Wall of Chennai hospital collapses in rains, patients moved out due to power failure

TN man booked for garlanding Periyar poster with slippers, throwing cow dung on it

DSP Vishnupriya killed herself, says CBI: Agency recommends case closure

‘Roof turned into showers’: DMK’s Kanimozhi slams Chennai airport for leaky roof

Justice Tahilramani’s resignation accepted, Vineet Kothari to act as CJ of Madras HC

Minor girl harassment case against actor Bhanupriya transferred to Chennai

Heavy rains offer new lease of life to Chennai lakes after bone-dry summer

‘Banners culture in Tamil Nadu must be eliminated’: Ragu’s sister speaks out

Bye-polls in two TN constituencies to be held on October 21

Chennai to get a second airport, six locations shortlisted

Modi-Xi meeting in Mamallapuram: DGP, Chief Secretary inspect venue

NIA searches home of Ansarulla terror suspect in Tamil Nadu