The New Indian Express Chennai - March 15, 2025

In this issue

March 15, 2025

BUDGET THAT COUNTS ALL

STATE TO FOOT 22,152 CRSS FUNDS AS CENTRE HOLDS TN’S DUES 1% REDUCTION IN REGISTRATION FEE FOR PROPERTIES UP TO 10 LAKH FOR WOMEN 23,500 CR FOR 1 LAKH KALAIGNAR HOMES

3 mins

Man with rod attacks devotees at Golden Temple

A man armed with a rod attacked devotees inside the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar on Friday, injuring five.

1 min

Trump positive, as is Putin

US President Donald Trump on Friday urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to spare the lives of Ukrainian soldiers on the front line, after what he called was a \"very good and productive\" ceasefire discussion in Moscow.

1 min

The Big Picture

₹700-CRORE VARSITY GRANT

1 min

Kalloori Kanavu gets bigger, 2,000 students to get placed in top institutes

The government on Friday announced a significant expansion of the Kalloori Kanavu scheme to increase awareness about scholarships for undergraduate courses in over 350 premier institutions in India and foreign universities across 20 fields of study.

1 min

Free Laptops for 20L College Students

The state government has announced the resumption of a free laptop distribution scheme for students this year, albeit in a different manner than it was implemented by the previous AIADMK government.

1 min

TN allocates ₹2,152 cr for Samagra Shiksha

Amid a tussle with the Centre, the DMK-led government has decided to fully fund the Samagra Shiksha scheme even if the centre doesn't release its share of ₹2,152 crore allocated this year for the schools in the state.

1 min

City to get 6th reservoir with 1.6 tmcft capacity

A new reservoir will be built in the Kovalam sub-basin near Chennai covering 4,375 acres at an estimated cost of ₹350 crore to augment the drinking water supply for the city, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said during budget presentation on Friday.

1 min

City to get 6^th reservoir with 1.6 tmcft capacity

A new reservoir will be built in the Kovalam sub-basin near Chennai covering 4,375 acres at an estimated cost of ₹350 crore to augment the drinking water supply for the city, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said during budget presentation on Friday.

2 mins

₹100-cr science centre with world-class facilities soon

IN a bid to promote scientific thinking among students, the state will set up a state-of-the-art Chennai Science Centre in collaboration with the Singapore Science Centre.

1 min

Govt staff: State mum on key demands

OLD PENSION

1 min

'Fiscal deficit to be 3% of GSDP'

FINANCE Minister Thangam Thennarasu said the fiscal deficit (FD) of the state government is estimated to decrease to 3% (₹1,06,963 crore) of the GSDP during 2025-26.

2 mins

TN debt three times more than Gujarat's

KNEE-DEEP IN DEBT

1 min

Excavations set to be carried out at 8 places

IN continuation of the state government's efforts to showcase the excellence of Tamil culture to the world, archaeological excavations will be carried out at eight places in Tamil Nadu, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu announced while presenting the state budget on Friday.

1 min

AIADMK, BJP walk out over 'liquor scam'

THE principal opposition party AIADMK, along with the BJP and former chief minister O Panneerselvam, staged a walkout from the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday, expressing their dissatisfaction with the ruling DMK government.

1 min

Feasibility study on rapid transit system

THE state government is considering the establishment of a Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), modelled after the Semi High-Speed Railway (SHR) between New Delhi and Meerut.

1 min

Master plans to ensure sustainable tourism in hilly regions across TN

TO ensure sustainable tourism, the state government has announced preparation of dedicated master plans for hilly regions across the state, aiming to regulate development in eco-sensitive areas and strengthen disaster management measures.

1 min

70% More Funds for Industries Department

In its bid to make Tamil Nadu a global hub for high-tech industries, ₹3,915 crore has been allocated to the department of industries, investment promotion, and commerce.

1 min

₹11.7K-cr for power projects in Kovai, Kumari

TO generate additional renewable green energy in the next five years, the state government has announced two pumped storage projects at Aliyar in Coimbatore, and Vellimalai in Kanyakumari.

1 min

MSMEs Get ₹1.9K Cr; 9 New Industrial Estates in TN

STARTUPS

1 min

New Integrated City to Come Up Near Chennai

In a move to manage the challenges due to rapid urbanisation, the state government has planned to develop an integrated new city near Chennai spread on 2,000 acres.

1 min

₹225 Cr to Upskill, Empower Women

AIMING to increase the participation of women in Tamil Nadu's economic development, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu announced an upskilling and guidance programme to elevate one lakh women as entrepreneurs in the next five years.

1 min

Rabies Deaths: ₹20 Cr To Bolster ABC Programme

Animal Control

1 min

Trans persons to be part of Home Guard

Inclusion

1 min

Daycare for elderly to come up in corporations

IN a first, the state government will establish 25 ‘Anbucholai’ centres — elderly daycare services — across municipal corporations, including Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Salem, Tiruppur, Erode, Thoothukudi, Vellore, Thanjavur, and Dindigul, at a cost of ₹10 crore.

1 min

Dhanushkodi to be notified as flamingo sanctuary

In a bid to safeguard the varied ecosystems, including sand dunes, marshes, and mangrove forests and protect its role as a critical stopover for migratory birds along the Central Asian Flyway, the state government announced plans to notify Dhanushkodi, located at the tip of Rameswaram Island, as a Greater Flamingo Sanctuary.

1 min

TN to vaccinate girls aged 14 against HPV

TAMIL Nadu government has allocated ₹36 crore in the budget 2025-2026 to provide the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to all girls aged 14 years in order to prevent cervical cancer.

1 min

Minority panel can't check quota in edu institutes

The Madurai Bench of Madras HC recently held that the State Minority Commission does not have the authority to call for records from minority educational institutions to verify whether reservation was adopted during admission in the institutions.

1 min

NCB Freezes Assets in 2 Meth Seizure Cases

In two separate cases, NCB has issued freezing orders following major methamphetamine seizures in Chennai.

1 min

Three Prison Officials Suspended

Three prison officials have been placed under suspension by the TN Home Department following the recommendations of the TN Prison Department Director and Additional Director-General of Police, Maheshwar Dayal.

1 min

HC Upholds One-Year Jail for Jawahirullah in FCRA Case

The Madras High Court has upheld the conviction of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam leader and sitting MLA MH Jawahirullah in a case relating to collecting foreign funds without permission from the union government.

1 min

Man scratched by stray dies after 40 days

A 49-year-old man, V Ramesh, died of rabies at the Vellore Government Medical College and Hospital on Thursday night.

1 min

Pawan Kalyan slams TN leaders for opposing Hindi

JANA Sena Party (JSP) chief and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Friday criticised TN leaders for their strong opposition to the three-language formula under the NEP.

1 min

Dad assaults 2-yr-old, dumps her in tank

A two-year-old girl is battling for life after her 30-year-old father allegedly sexually assaulted her and dumped her in a water tank.

1 min

Kerala CM backs Stalin's stand against delimitation

Pinarayi says states that controlled population shouldn't be penalised

1 min

Pocso case on BSY: Karnataka HC stays trial court order

THE Karnataka High Court on Friday stayed the special court's order taking cognisance of offences against former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa in a case under the POCSO Act and IPC for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl at his residence.

1 min

Loot of Prehistory in Ukraine

A ceasefire in Ukraine is of personal interest to almost half the world’s people—not only for geopolitical reasons, but because the origin of the Indo-European languages has been traced to its battlefields.

3 mins

Forgone Care: The Blindspot of Our Health System

Care forgone in the early stages of diseases inflicts high health and financial burdens later on. Primary healthcare services must be strengthened for early detection and efficient referrals

4 mins

Survey on to reduce congestion in Delhi roads

As a couple of ministries and departments are expecting to shift to the three Common Central Secretariat (CCS) buildings soon, the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) has started exploring solutions for designing better mobility in and around the New Delhi area, especially in the vicinity of Kartavya Path and Parliament House.

1 min

Rlys loaded 1,465 mn tonnes of freight in FY25

INDIAN RAILWAYS loaded 1,465.371 million tonnes (MT) of freight in FY 2024-25, up from 1,443.166 MT in 2023-24, the Ministry of Railways said in a post on X.

1 min

Tight Security Ensures Calm Holi, Ramzan Prayers

HOLI, the festival of colours, was celebrated with great enthusiasm across North and Central India on Friday.

1 min

Ordnance factory worker held for sending sensitive info to Pak: ATS

The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad has arrested an employee of the Ordnance Factory at Hazratpur in Firozabad district for allegedly sending sensitive and confidential information to a Pakistani agent, who had befriended him on Facebook, an official statement said on Friday.

1 min

Ganja worth ₹6.20 crore seized in MP

AN inter-state narcotics racket smuggling ganja worth ₹6.20 crore under sacks of animal fodder, was busted in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh on Friday.

1 min

Parl panel: Guidelines 1st, announcement after that

HIGHLIGHTING the delay in finalising schemes and approvals for implementation, the Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs has recommended that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs ministry complete paperwork and guidelines in consultation with stakeholders before announcing the schemes during the budget presentation.

1 min

Pakistan epicentre of terror, says India, raps it over 'baseless remark'

Response follows Pakistan foreign office's accusation of India \"sponsoring terrorism\"

1 min

NHAI Proposes Cattle Shelters Every 50 Km Along Highways

WITH stray cattle being a significant cause of accidents on national highways, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has proposed setting up animal shelters at regular intervals of 50 kilometers along highways.

1 min

Shiv Sena leader shot dead in Punjab

A SHIV SENA leader was shot dead in Moga district of Punjab late on Thursday night due to a fallout of a 'personal rivalry'.

1 min

Car rams police barricade, kills 3

THREE people, including a police constable and a home guard volunteer, were killed in the early hours of Friday when a speeding car rammed a police barricade (naka) on the Chandigarh-Zirakpur border.

1 min

J&K Unveils New Road Safety Policy

The Jammu & Kashmir government has unveiled \"The Jammu and Kashmir Road Safety Policy 2025\" in a bid to reduce road mishaps and fatalities by 50% by 2030.

1 min

Bodo council chief seeks devpt of tribal languages

ASSAM's autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council chief Pramod Boro on Friday called for the development of tribal languages, saying that none could neglect their mother tongue.

1 min

Hit-and-run case: Driver arrested

THE Dehradun police have arrested the driver of a speeding Mercedes that mowed down and killed four labourers on Rajpur Road on Thursday.

1 min

Carpet of 17L tulips to welcome Srinagar visitors

ASIA's largest tulip garden in Srinagar, housing a flower carpet of 17 lakh tulips of 74 varieties with different colours and fragrances, will be thrown open to visitors after March 20.

2 mins

Hurriyat leader placed on house arrest days after ban on party

HURRIYAT Conference chairman and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest and barred from offering Friday prayers at Kashmir's grand mosque (Jamia Masjid in Srinagar).

1 min

Dehradun woman cop alleges repeated rape, blackmail by colleague

IN A shocking incident, a woman SI in Dehradun has accused a constable of her own department of repeatedly raping and blackmailing her.

1 min

Hamas to release Israeli-US hostage, 4 bodies

HAMAS said on Friday it was ready to free an Israeli-American hostage and the remains of four others, after the Palestinian militants and Israel resumed indirect Gaza ceasefire negotiations.

1 min

Mark Carney Takes Over as PM of Canada

FORMER central banker Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada's new prime minister on Friday, and will now try to steer his country through a trade war brought by US President Donald Trump, a threat of annexation and an expected federal election.

1 min

China, Russia and Iran call for end to US sanctions

Efforts to restart nuclear talks gain traction after Trump's letter to Ayatollah Khamenei

1 min

BSNL, MTNL Sell Assets Worth ₹1,375 Crore Till October, But May Miss FY25 Target

The State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Limited (MTNL) have generated ₹1,375 crore through asset monetization as on October 31, 2024, against a target of ₹2,200 crore for FY25.

2 mins

Infosys Settles Case Against US Unit for $17.5 Million

INFOSYS said on Friday that it has reached an agreement in principle to pay $17.5 million for settling six class-action lawsuits against its US subsidiary McCamish Systems over a cyber security incident in 2023.

1 min

LG Electronics Gets Sebi Nod for ₹15K Cr IPO

LG Electronics is set to become the second Korean firm to go public after auto major Hyundai, with the domestic unit of the consumer electronics giant getting the regulatory nod for a ₹15,000-crore public float, which will be an offer for sale.

1 min

IndusInd Bank's derivative fiasco: What went wrong?

RECENTLY, IndusInd Bank revealed discrepancies in its derivatives portfolio, leading to an estimated adverse impact of 2.35% on the bank's net worth as of December 2024.

1 min

Pay Hike for Govt Staff to Unlock $50-bn Boost: UBS

Higher income to push consumption and savings, says a new report

2 mins

300% premium on series IV gold bond redemption

INVESTORS who bought sovereign gold bonds series IV in 2017 have struck gold.

2 mins

India to become 3rd largest economy by 2028

INDIA is poised to become the third-largest economy in the world by 2028 after the US and China, overtaking Germany and Japan, Morgan Stanley said in its latest report.

1 min

For 2036 Olympics, tap into talent now, says Sreejesh

THE one overriding theme on the opening day of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) Indian Sports Summit was India's potential growth trajectory in the field of sport over the next decade.

2 mins

Mumbai vs Delhi: Story of two metros

AFTER 21 fixtures across four cities in India, the third season of the Women's Premier League (WPL) will conclude with the final between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians at the same place where the same two sides faced each other in the summit clash of the inaugural season.

2 mins

Boxing Off The Ring In A Bid To Govern Sport

PORTS elections in the country are turning out to be big controversies.

4 mins

Chennai Super Kings Tie Up With MTC Again For Free Bus Ride

FOR the second successive year, in a special partnership aimed at enhancing fan convenience, Chennai Super Kings have collaborated with Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai) Limited (MTC) for TATA IPL 2025.

1 min

Lakshya falls to Feng in All England quarterfinals

INDIA'S Lakshya Sen bowed out of the All England Badminton Championships and so did the women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand after losing their respective quarterfinal matches here on Friday.

1 min

Bumrah likely to miss initial IPL ties

Mumbai Indians' Jasprit Bumrah is likely to miss the initial rounds of the league as the star pacer is still recovering from the lower back injury that rendered him out of action since January.

1 min

What is the controversy over Green Credit Rules all about

ON March 4, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change regarding alleged inadequacies in the Green Credit Rules (GCR) of 2023.

3 mins

Clean and Green Energy in India A Sustainable Future

A Sustainable Future

2 mins

Future Beyond Classroom Walls

The gates of MOP Vaishnav College for Women remained open even after college hours on Thursday.

2 mins

Shades of Holi

A Holi Carnival

2 mins

Spins and strides of a sportsman

T is not easy for a player from the north to come down to Chennai and play league cricket when you are no longer playing first-class cricket.

2 mins

Secret to a Healthier & Happier You

With over 78% of Indian couples opting for 'sleep divorce'—sleeping separately for better rest—experts weigh in on its benefits and drawbacks

3 mins

Prioritising self-care isn't selfish

N this busy digital age when technology is advancing at a lightning pace, women are repeatedly playing multiple roles performing professionally and juggling roles — mothers, wives and caregivers.

1 min

Balance Your Brew To Keep Your Heart Beating

When talking about heart health, brewed coffee is the most common but not the only form.

2 mins

Keep the silent killer at bay

VERY morning, you rush to the bathroom to carry out an extremely important task — passing urine. Well, this doesn't just happen in the morning. Sometimes, it leaves like clockwork at different points in the day. But other times, it wants to venture out amid the most inconvenient situations.

3 mins

Ryan Hurst joins The Odyssey cast

The latest to join the long list of Hollywood A-listers in filmmaker Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is The Walking Dead actor Ryan Hurst.

1 min

Impregnated With Clichés And Contrivances

Relationship dramas often have a scene right at the start that sets the tone for the rest of the film. Director Swineeth S Sukumar's Sweetheart! starts with lovers Manu (Gopika Ramesh) and Vasu (Rio Raj) breaking up their relationship.

2 mins

Shoddy Writing Waters Down a Promising Premise

ARUNAN opens by contrasting humanity's historical reverence for the five essential elements with the modern-day exploitation of these resources, particularly water.

2 mins

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