The New Indian Express Chennai - January 31, 2025

In this issue

January 31, 2025

Pollution of Palar river: SC directs TN to compensate affected persons, set up panel

The Supreme Court on Thursday passed a slew of directions, including compensation to the aggrieved, to mitigate severe pollution in Palar river in Vellore district due to discharge of untreated effluents from local tanneries.

2 mins

Irdai puts 10% cap on hike in premiums for senior citizens

Stormy Parliament session to begin today

3 mins

Don't rush '1 poll' plan, says JD(U) at all-party meet

Stormy Parliament session to begin today

1 min

Irdai puts 10% cap on hike in premiums for senior citizens

IN a bid to protect senior citizens—the most vulnerable age group with limited income sources—from steep hikes in health insurance premiums, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) on Thursday capped the annual increase on such premiums at 10%.

1 min

Cops ignoring rules: Home secy summoned

Slamming the police for forcing the common man to approach the court even for getting an FIR registered or chargesheet filed, the Madras High Court has summoned the home secretary to appear in court on Friday.

1 min

CCTV cameras across TN to be geo-tagged

Database to be maintained by police and help field officers locate cameras that can be used while gathering evidence

1 min

Four get 20-year jail term for gang rape

The Fast-Track Mahila Court in Vellore on Thursday convicted four men for gang-raping a doctor in 2022 and sentenced them to 20 years in prison.

1 min

PG med domicile quota: TN to file review plea in SC

The state government will soon file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the order which ruled the domicile-based quota for PG medical seats as unconstitutional, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Thursday.

1 min

Union with 50% support can be sole negotiator in talks with company: HC

THE Madras High Court has ruled that the trade union which has mustered the support of more than 50% of the workers can be the sole negotiator and can prevent the other unions from participating in the talks with the management of an establishment regarding wage revision and other welfare matters.

2 mins

GCC Makes Microchipping Must For Pet Dog Licence

Owners found abandoning pets to face legal action; move will also help in tracking lost pets; corpn passes resolution

1 min

Owners can leave cattle at sheds for ₹10 per day

THE GCC has passed a resolution to establish a cattle pound in Zone 5 and outlined the standard operating procedures (SOP) for such facilities.

1 min

Mayor says civic body will not outsource breakfast scheme

GCC Mayor R Priya on Thursday announced that the preparation and distribution of meals under the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme will not be outsourced and will be continued by the city corporation.

1 min

Councillors concerned over corporation officials skipping panel meetings

DURING the corporation council meeting held on Thursday, councillors, especially standing committee members, raised concern over the absence of corporation officials at every committee meeting in the recent months which are usually held before council session.

1 min

DSP Probing Rape Tenders Resignation

A police officer from the state cyber crime wing, deputed to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Anna University rape, has sent in his resignation a week ago citing personal reasons.

1 min

Guv faults govt for G.O. on MKU, marking Gandhi anniv in museum

Minister urges Ravi to nurture communal harmony instead of politicising death anniversary

2 mins

Shah's Visit: Cong to Stage Stir in Chennai

The state unit of BJP has made elaborate arrangements to accord a grand reception to Union Home Minister Amit Shah who is visiting Chennai on Friday to attend the marriage of the granddaughter of former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.

1 min

Ravi: Govt mocking Gandhi; Min: Charges factually wrong

Governor RN Ravi has blamed the DMK government for \"mocking\" Mahatma Gandhi by observing his death anniversary in \"a corner of a city (Egmore) museum\" instead of Gandhi Mandapam in Guindy.

1 min

₹4K/KG: Increased Demand Pushes Jasmine Price Up

A sharp decline in arrivals, coupled with increased demand, has led to a surge in jasmine prices, with a kilo being sold for over ₹4,000 in the Madurai market.

1 min

AU case: Press Club submits petition to DGP, says notice sent ‘unlawfully’

The members of Chennai Press Club met DGP Shankar Jiwal and gave a representation regarding the seizure of mobile phones of journalists by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Anna University sexual assault case.

1 min

Arittapatti, nearby areas must be declared as 'protected spl agri zone': Annamalai to govt

The state government must declare the entire zone around Arittapatti as a 'protected special agriculture zone,' said Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Monday.

1 min

Will take correct decision on damages to Palar victims

AFTER the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the state to compensate those affected by pollution in Palar River in Vellore district due to discharge of untreated effluents from local tanneries, Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan said that the government will take appropriate decision regarding paying damages to the aggrieved.

1 min

Traffic diversion on ECR for V-P Dhankar's visit

Greater Chennai Police and Tambaram commissionerate have announced traffic diversion on ECR on Friday for the visit of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar to National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD) in Kanathur.

1 min

Baby dies at govt hosp, kin cite 'lack of facilities'

A 45-day-old infant, son of an ex-serviceman, allegedly died at Kandiyaperi Government Peripheral Hospital, which is attached to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH), on Thursday.

1 min

Man, daughter found dead inside house

THE bodies of a man aged 78 and his daughter aged 37 were found in their house at Thirumullaivoyal apartment on Tuesday.

1 min

Tambaram corpn study to ID gaps in health services

Pilot survey with 120 questions on infra and accessibility under way in ward 48

1 min

Visually impaired octogenarian gets reprieve as HC orders release on bail

THE Madras High Court has ordered release of a visually impaired elderly prisoner on bail from the Puzhal Central Prison.

1 min

Cops bust gang that stole 136 sov & ₹13L

MAHALINGAPURAM Police in Pollachi arrested a three-member gang that stole 136 sovereigns of gold jewellery and ₹13.5 lakh cash from a locked house two weeks ago.

1 min

Elderly couple dies in suspected gas cylinder blast in Mayiladuthurai

The Mayiladuthurai Town police are investigating the deaths of an elderly couple in an explosion, suspected to have been caused by a gas leak, at their house in Needur early on Thursday.

1 min

WhatsApp-based governance platform launched in Andhra

The Andhra Pradesh government launched 'Mana Mitra', a WhatsApp-based governance platform, offering 161 citizen services, including temple bookings, APSRTC tickets, and birth certificates.

1 min

ED Names Siddu, Wife in ₹56-Crore Land Scam

Agency says that 14 sites, gifted to Parvathy by her brother, were illegally allotted in collusion with MUDA officials

2 mins

Elephant damages crops in Thondamuthur, close shave for 3 villagers

A single-tusked wild elephant roaming in Thondamuthur for the past few days damaged crops in Kembanur village on Thursday morning.

1 min

Ola, Uber services to be hit from tomorrow

Cab and auto rickshaw services in the city are likely to be hit from Saturday as a section of the cab and auto drivers' association has announced a boycott of Ola and Uber over commission deductions ranging from 25% to 40%.

1 min

FASTER PROBES CAN DETER MORE THAN STRICT LAWS

THE conviction rate for rape cases in India was at a dismal 2.56 percent in 2022.

1 min

DEEPSEEK'S DISRUPTION SHOULD OPEN GATE FOR INDIAN AI INITIATIVES

A new Chinese artificial intelligence model has rattled American tech giants.

2 mins

Why Musk's Mars Mission Is Troubled Before Take-Off

Extraplanetary spacefaring has a hoary history in science fiction. Elon Musk, our so-touted Mars visionary, is an avid sci-fi reader. A book he acknowledges as foundational to his outlook is Robert Heinlein's Hugo Award-winner, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1967), about an insurrection of the moon's penal colony against the Earth-based Lunar Authority.

3 mins

New Lanka Govt's Honeymoon Over, Tough Calls Await

The Dissanayake regime's move on corruption is laudable. But with the poverty rate doubling, the govt needs to focus on economic recovery while balancing India and China's concerns.

4 mins

HCs allowed to appoint ad hoc judges to clear backlog

CONSIDERING pendency of cases, the Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the high courts to appoint ad hoc judges, not exceeding the 10 percent of the court's total sanctioned strength.

1 min

Opposition Likely To Take Up Kumbh Stampede

The stage appears set for a stormy Budget session starting Friday, with the Opposition planning to corner the government on a range of issues, but chiefly the proposed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the Maha Kumbh stampede and the downward trend in economy.

1 min

Trump American nationalist, India-US ties strong

HIGHLIGHTING the strong bilateral ties between India and the United States, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday referred to US President Donald Trump as an \"American nationalist\".

2 mins

JPC's Waqf report with Birla, govt may table it in first half of session

THE Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill submitted its report to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday, thus setting the tone for the Bill to be tabled for discussion and passage during the Budget session of Parliament.

1 min

Kejriwal says CEC indulging in 'dirty politics' amid EC nudge

WITH the Election Commission (EC) expressing dissatisfaction with the response of Arvind Kejriwal to its notice over his claim that the Haryana government was \"mixing poison\" in Yamuna river, the AAP supremo on Thursday accused Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar of getting indulged in \"dirty politics\" and alleged that he was seeking a post-retirement job.

1 min

Immigration among 16 bills on govt agenda

IN a well-calculated move, the NDA government may introduce the Immigration and Foreigners Bill during the Budget session of parliament, which will be held from Friday to April 4, with a recess.

1 min

Red meat intake increases dementia risk and cognitive decline, says study

PEOPLE who eat processed red meat have a greater risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia than those who eat very little red meat, according to a new study.

1 min

No idea where to search for my mom'

After Maha Kumbh stampede, many missing persons untraceable; devotees continue to take holy dip

2 mins

PIL in SC accuses UP govt of lapses, administrative failure

A day after the stampede broke out at Maha Kumbh, killing 30 people, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court accusing the Uttar Pradesh government of \"lapses, negligence and utter failure of administration\".

1 min

Social media sensation Monalisa all set to make silver screen debut

MONALISA, the 16-year-old girl selling garlands and religious beads at the Maha Kumbh, who became a social media sensation owing to her deep hazel eyes, is set to make her silver screen debut.

1 min

Chandigarh cross-vote gifts BJP a mayor

ALLEGED cross-voting allowed BJP's Harpreet Kaur Babla to win the mayoral election of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on Thursday.

1 min

Gujarat Banker Who Swindled ₹77 Cr Extradited to India After 2 Decades

AFTER over two decades on the run, fugitive banker Virendrabhai Patel was finally brought back to India, a significant victory for international law enforcement.

1 min

Didi orders probe after univ teacher in Bengal marries student in class

The West Bengal education department on Thursday ordered an inquiry after a professor at Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University (MAKAUT) at Haringhata in Nadia allegedly married a first-year student inside the classroom, a video of which has gone viral.

1 min

Rape-accused Cong MP from Sitapur arrested during press conference

A chase of nearly two weeks ended when police arrested Congress MP Rakesh Rathore on rape charge in his constituency Sitapur while he was addressing a press conference on Thursday.

1 min

Mid-Air Collision Was Preventable: Officials

The night was clear, the plane and helicopter were both in standard flight patterns and there was standard communication between the aircraft and the tower, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

1 min

Iraqi man who burned Quran shot dead in Sweden, 5 held

AN Iraqi man who carried out several Quran burnings in Sweden has been killed in a shooting near Stockholm, authorities said on Thursday.

1 min

NASA's asteroid samples hold ingredients of life from watery world

ASTEROID samples fetched by NASA hold not only the pristine building blocks for life but also the salty remains of an ancient water world, scientists reported on Wednesday.

1 min

Hospital nurse dies from Ebola in Uganda

A nurse in Uganda has died of Ebola in the first recorded fatality since the country's last outbreak of the disease ended in early 2023, a health official said on Thursday.

1 min

Will return US missile system if China threat ends: Marcos

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr offered on Friday to remove a US missile system from the Philippines if China halts what he called its aggressive and coercive behaviour in the disputed South China Sea.

1 min

Prisoner-hostage swap after handover mayhem

ISRAEL is releasing 110 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for five Thai and three Israeli hostages who Hamas freed from Gaza hours earlier.

1 min

Trump Wants to Send Illegals to Gitmo

President orders construction of detention camp in Cuba to hold up to 30,000 migrants

1 min

Biocon Net Income Declines 96% to ₹25 Cr

BIOCON on Thursday reported a 96% decline in its consolidated net profit to ₹25 crore for the quarter ended December 2024, compared to ₹660 crore in the same quarter last year.

1 min

BOB Net Profit Up 5.6% to ₹4,837 Cr as Margin Falls

SECOND-LARGEST state-run lender Bank of Baroda on Thursday reported ₹4,837 crore net profit in the quarter ending December, which is just 5.6% higher than the ₹4,579 crore it had booked a year ago.

1 min

Adani Enterprises' PAT Falls 97% to ₹58 Crore

Adani Group's flagship company - Adani Enterprises Ltd - barely managed to remain in profit in the recently concluded December quarter (Q3FY25) as its profit after tax (PAT) slipped 97% year-on-year to ₹58 crore.

1 min

Investors Pin Hope on Budget as Market Loses ₹27L Cr in Jan

INVESTORS are placing high hopes on the upcoming Union Budget to revive market sentiment as the ongoing equity market downturn has eroded over ₹27 lakh crore of investor wealth in the first month of 2025.

1 min

Aviom Housing case: RBI files for insolvency

Within days of superseding the board and appointing an administrator, the Reserve Bank has filed an insolvency petition at the New Delhi bench of the NCLT and has appointed a three-member panel of experts to advise the administrator of the housing finance firm Aviom India Housing Finance.

1 min

Demand for hybrid cars will remain strong in 2025

JAPANESE auto major Toyota is confident that demand for hybrid vehicles will remain strong in India going forward owing to its practicality and consumer acceptance.

1 min

Survey May Address Tough Economic Questions

Analysts expect Eco survey to lay out plan to create fiscal room for capex, underline low economic impact from freebies

2 mins

SP Group to seal $3 bn refinancing deal with global funds to repay debt

THE Shapoorji Pallonji Group, which owns 18.6% in over $30.5 billion worth Tata Sons, is close to sewing up a funding deal with a group of overseas alternative asset managers to refinance its outstanding debt that runs in excess of $3.2 billion.

1 min

India will build world-class AI model: IT minister

INDIA will develop a world-class foundational AI model that will compete with the best global models, including ChatGPT and Deepseek R1, said minister of electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday.

1 min

HC declines to postpone Religare AGM amid proposed takeover bid

THE Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to stay the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Religare Enterprises Limited (REL), scheduled for February 7, despite a legal challenge by a minority shareholder over the proposed takeover by the Burman family, owners of Dabur.

1 min

THE SUBJECTS AND THEIR KING

Kohli's first Ranji Trophy match since 2012 reiterated his superstardom amongst the stalwarts of Indian cricket

3 mins

Tamil Nadu squander advantage, concede lead

ALL-ROUNDER Utkarsh Singh's 6 for 30 came in handy for Jharkhand to bag a lead of 79 runs over Tamil Nadu on the opening day of the final league round of the Ranji Trophy played at the Keenan Stadium, Jamshedpur on Thursday.

2 mins

No Captains', Shoot, Opening Ceremony

INDIA captain Rohit Sharma will not travel to Pakistan as there will be no captains' photo-shoot or joint press conference ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy starting on February 19.

2 mins

Blasters break 11-year wait, beat Chennaiyin FC

KERALA Blasters FC delivered a dominant performance, netting three goals to clinch their first-ever away victory against Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League with a 3-1 triumph here on Thursday.

1 min

City, PSG stay alive as Arsenal reach last 16

MANCHESTER City came from behind against Club Brugge to reach the Champions League knockout phase, where they were safely joined by Paris Saint-Germain as Arsenal qualified directly for the last 16 on Wednesday in the final round of league-phase matches.

1 min

Narmada shoots down NR to win 10 air rifle gold

TAMIL Nadu's former World Cup-winning shooter Narmada Nithin Raju outgunned her more fancied rivals to win the 10m air rifle gold with a national record, even as Karnataka continued to top the medal tally with another strong show in the swimming pool at the National Games here Thursday.

1 min

MI Cape Town Beat Sunrisers, Enter Playoffs

MI Cape Town booked their maiden entry into the playoffs of the SA20 tournament here with a 10-wicket thrashing of defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape here.

1 min

Infosys & Siemens

to accelerate digital learning with Gen AI

1 min

Do Ola and Uber charge iPhone users more?

In the past two months, many iPhone users have shared screenshots on social media alleging that they were charged more on commercial platforms like cab-hailing apps Ola and Uber, or quick-commerce apps such as Zepto.

2 mins

Why high-performance GPUs are critical for IndiaAI Mission

In 2024, the government approved an investment of over ₹10,300 crore for the IndiaAI Mission, a five-year initiative to develop India's artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem in the country.

1 min

From shores to plates

The coastal charm of Tamil Nadu meets culinary heritage at this ongoing food festival

1 min

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The New Indian Express Chennai is an English-language daily newspaper published in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the most popular English newspapers in Tamil Nadu, covering a wide range of topics, including:

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The New Indian Express Chennai is known for its in-depth reporting, investigative journalism, and editorial independence. It is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to stay informed about the latest news and developments in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and India.