The New Indian Express Chennai - March 20, 2025

In this issue

March 20, 2025

CM, RSS try to tamp down Maha tension

TWO days after communal riots in Nagpur, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asked his party’s ministers to restrain from making unwanted comments that would disturb harmony.

1 min

Jewel Loan Rule Spells Debt Trouble for Customers

A recent policy change introduced by the Reserve Bank of India regarding repayment of jewel loans has cast a new financial burden on the loanees and created windfall gain for loan sharks who charge even up to ₹2,000 interest per lakh for two days (about 365% per year).

3 mins

Punjab Police Evict Protesting Farmers

Leaders Dallewal and Pandher detained in Mohali; cops clear Khanauri & Shambhu, raze stages, pull down tents

2 mins

History-sheeter Hacked to Death on NH, Three Accused Shot in Leg

A 30-year-old history-sheeter, travelling in a car along with his wife, was hacked to death by a six-member gang along the Salem-Kochi National Highway near Nasiyanur in Erode district on Wednesday afternoon.

1 min

Joy All Around As Sunita's Back Home

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, stranded on the International Space Station for nine months after their spacecraft developed serious technical glitches, finally returned to Earth in the wee hours on Wednesday.

1 min

In a surprise find, tin, terracotta medal unearthed

IN the third phase of the Vembakottai excavation, archaeologists unearthed tin, iron and a decorated medal made of terracotta.

1 min

HC Asks Customs to Investigate Muslim Woman's Abuse Complaint

THE Madras HC on Wednesday directed the chief commissioner of customs in Chennai to hold an inquiry into the complaints of a Muslim woman, who alleged that a female air customs officer at Chennai airport verbally abused her religion while checking her after her return from a pilgrimage in Mecca.

1 min

Wife watching porn not valid ground for man to seek divorce, says HC

CAN a man seek divorce on the ground that his wife has sexually transmitted disease (STD), watches porn and masturbates?

1 min

TN and Tasmac move Madras HC seeking stay on ED probe

THE Tamil Nadu government and state-run Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) have filed petitions in the Madras High Court against the proceedings of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), following its recent raids held in multiple premises of Tasmac and other related entities.

1 min

Railway job aspirants made to travel thousands of km by RRB face no-test

Technical failure cited as reason for cancellation; rescheduled exam date to be notified shortly

1 min

Mayor presents ₹68-cr revenue deficit budget

₹5,214.09-crore corporation budget focuses on infrastructure, solid waste management and special projects

1 min

GCC to set up pet trauma care centre, add 10 vet hosps

MAYOR R Priya has announced the establishment of a trauma care centre at a cost of ₹25 lakh at the pet animal centre in Kannammapet to provide emergency treatment to animals injured in accidents.

1 min

Smart parking system on app soon

GCC plans to introduce a smart parking system through a mobile application which can be used to track occupancy details of designated parking slots and make payments through a dedicated payment gateway.

1 min

Stalin assures thorough probe into ex-SI murder

EPS says perpetrators executed the killing due to police’s lethargy

1 min

Remove flagpoles from public places, DMK cadre told

In compliance with the order of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, DMK general secretary and minister Duraimurugan has instructed the party cadre to remove the party flagpoles from public places.

1 min

MaSu: DMK govt spent ₹5K crore to complete works of med colleges

HEALTH Minister Ma Subramanian on Wednesday said it was the incumbent government that has spent around ₹4,000 crore to ₹5,000 crore since 2021 to complete the construction of 11 medical colleges in the state.

1 min

Key suspect in murder case shot at, caught

TIRUNELVELI city police on Wednesday caught the prime suspect in connection with the murder of Zakir Hussain Bijili here.

1 min

Adyar revival delayed due to resettlement issues: Mins

THE state Assembly on Wednesday witnessed heated exchange between the opposition and treasury benches after AIADMK MLA and former minister C Vijaya Baskar questioned the repeated mention of Adyar river restoration project in the budgets of the past three years.

1 min

Sugarcane MSP will touch ₹4K/tn this year: Minister

AGRICULTURE and Farmers Welfare Minister MRK Panneerselvam assured the Assembly that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugarcane would be fulfilled as per the DMK's poll promise, reaching ₹4,000 per tonne this year.

1 min

Discovery of Indus Valley reshaped understanding of ancient India

CHIEF Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday unveiled the statue of Sir John Hubert Marshall, who announced the discovery of the Indus Valley Civilisation to the world on September 20, 1924 -- on the occasion of his (Marshall) 148th birth anniversary.

1 min

TN officials to visit states to study PDS system

FOOD Minister AR Sakkarapani on Wednesday told the Assembly that a team of officials from Tamil Nadu will be visiting the neighbouring states including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from March 20 to study best practices in Public Distribution System (PDS) and based on their report, steps would be taken to implement them in the state.

1 min

Key suspect in murder case shot at, caught

TIRUNELVELI city police on Wednesday caught the prime accused in connection with the murder of Zakir Hussain Bijili here.

1 min

Livestock deaths due to dog-bites to be compensated via CM public fund

RURAL Development Minister I Periyasamy on Wednesday announced in the Assembly that based on a review of the reports from collectors on livestock deaths due to dog bites, the government has decided to compensate such losses through the CM's Public Relief Fund (CMPRF) as per rules defined under the Disaster Management Fund.

1 min

BJP MLA: TN the best among states, but DMK can't take credit

IN a passing reference during her speech on the state's budget for 2025-26 in the Assembly, BJP's Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan mentioned she had the opportunity to travel to many states in the country and TN remains the best compared to others.

1 min

Saveetha varsity honours ISRO chief at convocation

The 24th convocation of Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences was held on Tuesday, with Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Chennai, Changnyun Kim, as the chief guest.

1 min

MTC launches ₹2K pass for unlimited ride in all buses

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has launched a ₹2,000 monthly pass that grants commuters unlimited access to all types of buses, including air-conditioned (AC) services.

1 min

Retd corpn employee killed in land dispute

P Kumar, a 71-year-old retired employee of the Greater Chennai Corporation and national functionary of the DMK's Labour Progressive Federation, was kidnapped from Tambaram and strangled to death in a moving car on Sunday.

1 min

Toddler mauled by stray dog undergoes surgery in Ranipet hospital

An 18-month-old boy was grievously injured after a stray dog mauled his face outside his house at Sri Krishnapuram in Tiruvallur district on Monday evening.

1 min

Govt Docs Demand Job for Late Colleague's Wife, Better Pay, Hold Stir

OVER 50 government doctors staged a protest under the Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors (LCC), demanding various reforms, including a government job for Divya, wife of Dr Vivekanandan, who died during the pandemic.

1 min

NGT stays TNPCB's order asking CPCL to pay ₹73-cr for oil spill

CPCL told to provide ₹19-cr bank guarantee

1 min

Forced to marry, 17-yr-old kills self

A 17-year-old girl died by suicide after her mother allegedly forced her into child marriage.

1 min

Curb Defamatory News Against Ranya: HC to Centre

The Karnataka High Court issued notice to the central government and media houses on a petition filed by the mother of actor Ranya Rao, who was arrested in a gold smuggling case, seeking direction to the Centre to lay down guidelines for publication and telecasting when the accused is a woman.

1 min

Pondy govt extends ₹1K monthly aid to APL women

CHIEF Minister N Rangasamy announced in the Assembly on Wednesday that women heads of Above Poverty Line (APL) families holding yellow ration cards, who are not covered under any existing scheme, will receive 1,000 per month.

1 min

Devi Awards Return to Kochi After 9 Years

KOCHI, the Queen of the Arabian Sea, is set to host the 32nd edition of the Devi Awards, instituted by The New Indian Express, celebrating the trailblazing achievements of 15 exceptional women.

1 min

Why Punish Students For Systemic Faults?

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her latest budget speech, \"Viksit Bharat encompasses 100 percent good quality school education.\" Yet, education remained grossly underfunded in her budget outlay for the year, with an expenditure of 2.9 percent of the GDP, much below the 6 percent recommended by the Kothari Commission.

3 mins

ATTACHING STRINGS: CENTRE TO STATES & STATES TO CITIES

States love to blame the Centre. But as the Smart Cities scheme shows, they often do not use central funds responsibly. Our municipalities can do with some healthy competition

4 mins

Govt clears air on four astronauts

Minister says those selected for Gaganyaan mission under training after Opposition raises query Strong policy has paid dividends’

1 min

Dhankar calls for accountability on govt spending

VICE President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday called for a national policy to ensure government investments are structured for the greater good.

1 min

Zero tolerance on terror, 71% decline in cases, says govt

UNION Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that terror incidents have been reduced by 71 percent in the country under the Modi government.

1 min

Govt, Oppn in war of words over performance of Jal Shakti ministry

DURING the discussion on demand for grants for Jal Shakti ministry in Lok Sabha, the Opposition parties and the ruling government on Wednesday traded charges over the budgetary allocation and the performance of the ministry.

1 min

SC to hear pleas on CEC appointment process

The Supreme Court on Wednesday fixed April 16 for hearing a batch of pleas challenging the appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners (EC) under the 2023 law.

1 min

Accidents due to minors on wheels: TN tops list

TAMIL Nadu saw the highest number of road accidents caused by underage drivers in the country last year.

1 min

Utilise funds under Eklavya model schools scheme, panel tells ministry

THE standing committee on 'Social Justice and Empowerment' on Wednesday asked the Tribal Affairs Ministry to make concerted efforts to overcome the hurdles in implementation of the 'Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) scheme, a flagship initiative of the Central government.

1 min

BJP praises Tharoor's 'wiping eggs off my face' remark on Russia-Ukraine war

THE BJP on Wednesday described Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's praise of the government's handling of the Russia-Ukraine war as an endorsement of India's adept diplomacy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

1 min

'Cow ambulances helped save 9L animals in 2 yrs'

More than 8.84 lakh stray animals, mostly cows, have been given timely veterinary care through a fleet of 406 cow ambulances in Madhya Pradesh over 22 months, the state government revealed while addressing a query by Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar during the budget session in the Vidhan Sabha.

1 min

6 Univ Officials Dismissed Over Uttarakhand Ragging

SIX officials of GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar have been relieved of their duties after a youth was subjected to humiliation on the campus.

1 min

BJP MLAs corner govt on religious conversions

The BJP-ruled government in Chhattisgarh faced tough questions from its own legislators during the budget session of the House over cases of religious conversion allegedly taking place in the state.

1 min

NIA Raids 12 Locations in Jammu to Probe Into Infiltration of Terrorists

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted searches at 12 locations, including premises of terrorists' sympathisers, in Jammu district as part of its probe into infiltration by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists from across the border.

1 min

Temple locks doors as wedding plans trigger controversy in Pauri Garhwal

A priest and two of his associates have been booked by revenue police in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district after they locked the temple upon learning that a scheduled caste woman's wedding was to be held there.

1 min

Non-locals make a beeline to buy land after abrogation of Art 370

More than 2K kanals of land allotted to investors in last two years, J&K govt tells Assembly

1 min

No headway in farmer-Centre dialogue, next round on May 4

THE seventh round of talks between farmers' leaders and the Centre remained inconclusive on Wednesday.

1 min

1 Dead in Fresh Violence in Kuki-Dominated Churachandpur District

A 53-year-old man died on Tuesday night as fresh violence broke out between Hmar and Zomi tribals in Manipur's Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district.

1 min

Trump says truce on track after talks with Zelenskyy

Spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart on Wednesday; Russia accused of sending drones

2 mins

Trump Says Truce on Track After Talks With Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Spoke to Ukraine Min; Russia denies drone energy attacks

1 min

Researcher sentenced to death in China for espionage

A Chinese engineer from a research institute has been sentenced to death for selling classified material to foreign spy agencies, China's Ministry of State Security said on Wednesday.

1 min

US judge says dismantling of USAID may have violated the Constitution

The dismantling of the US Agency for International Development by billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency likely violated the Constitution, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday as he indefinitely blocked DOGE from making further cuts to the agency.

1 min

Sexual allegations in UN missions in 2024 cross 100

ALLEGATIONS of sexual abuse and exploitation in UN peacekeeping and political missions topped 100 for the third time in the last 10 years in 2024, according to a UN report released on Tuesday, which said 65 of the allegations involved women who gave birth after saying they were raped and were seeking child support.

1 min

Don Offers to Take Control of Kyiv Power Plants for Security

THE White House on Wednesday suggested that the US could take control of Ukrainian power plants to ensure their security.

1 min

Israel launches ops to take over Netzarim corridor

DEIR AL-BALAH

1 min

Awami League should not contest polls: Student party

THE student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) said that they don't want the party of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League to participate in the elections.

1 min

Erdogan rival detained on charges of supporting terror, bribery, extortion

TURKISH police detained Istanbul's powerful Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu Wednesday in connection with two investigations into graft and \"supporting terror,\" a move that the main opposition party slammed as a politically-motivated \"coup\".

1 min

Hero MotoCorp Witnesses Exec Exodus After CEO Exit

HERO MotoCorp is witnessing a wave of senior-level exits, with Chief Information and Digital Officer Reema Jain and HR Head for Talent Management Sameer Pande reportedly resigning this week.

1 min

RBI Warns of Tightrope Walk Amid Trade Wars

THE Reserve Bank of India (RBI) economists have called for a tightrope walk from policymakers amidst the rising tide of trade wars and rupee fluctuations by balancing the impacts of these headwinds, even as they feel the resultant economic slowdown may lead to downward pressure on the inflation front.

1 min

Fitch Trims FY25 Growth Projection of India to 6.3%

RATING agency Fitch has revised India's FY25 GDP growth forecast down from 6.4% to 6.3%, while keeping the FY26 estimate steady at 6.5% and slightly raising the FY27 projection to 6.3%.

1 min

Par panel flags CASA decline, calls for bank reforms

Committee warns shift in household deposits to market-linked products could strain bank liquidity & raise funding costs

1 min

Cabinet OKs ₹1,500 cr push for small BHIM-UPI deals

THE Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a ₹1,500-crore incentive scheme to promote BHIM-UPI (Person-to-Merchant) transactions below ₹2,000 in 2024-25.

1 min

Anti-dumping body proposes 12% duty on imported steel

DIRECTORATE General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has proposed a 12% safeguard duty on imports of non-alloy and alloy steel flat products to curb excessive imports and protect the domestic steel industry.

1 min

Sebi, Digilocker join hands to help investors get back unclaimed assets

THE markets regulator Sebi has joined hands with DigiLocker to help investors reclaim unclaimed financial assets.

1 min

GCC wages 20% more than traditional IT services

GLOBAL Capability Centres (GCCs) are now paying 12-20% higher to employees than traditional IT services, highlighting the growing premium placed on digital expertise.

1 min

Balaji backs CSK to thrive this season

FORMER Tamil Nadu captain and former bowling coach of Chennai Super Kings L Balaji is upbeat about IPL 2025 and believes that annual summer T20 bonanza will be an exciting one.

1 min

BFI chief urges women boxers to play nationals

IN the middle of the tussle between the Boxing Federation of India president, secretary-general and treasurer, the senior women nationals to be held in Greater Noida from March 21 to 27 is getting affected.

2 mins

Delhi High Court sets aside BFI chief's March 7 letter

THE Delhi High Court on Wednesday put on hold the Boxing Federation of India's (BFI) directive that restricted electoral representation in its upcoming polls to only elected members of affiliated state units.

1 min

IPL'S COMING OF AGE AT 18

WHEN the Indian Premier League (IPL) made a big splash in the nation's consciousness in the Summer of 2008, one of the themes was readily identifiable.

4 mins

My role in Good Bad Ugly is wild, loud, and deeply negative

Actor Raghu Ram opens up about his role in Good Bad Ugly, working with Ajith Kumar, the kind of roles he wants to explore as an actor going forward, and more

4 mins

KEEP IT COOL

CE speaks to fashion gurus about blending style and comfort to take on the blazing summer

4 mins

Heart Without a Home

Alina Gufran discusses her debut novel No Place to Call My Own, and the complex travails of its protagonist, Sophia

2 mins

Heart Without a Home

The notion of 'coming of age' is one that has for long been a monopoly for Western popular media, its origin lying in the bildungsroman.

2 mins

Platters wrapped in tradition

PICHAMMAI Mess, new in the city, specialises in pandhi-style elai sapadu, where meals are served on banana leaves and all dishes are offered in unlimited portions, allowing guests to eat to their heart's content.

1 min

Lines of Conviction

We, as a nation, owe a lot to our cinemas for it has always unfailingly filled in the gaps in our education system.

2 mins

New York City beyond Times Square

For many Indians, the chaotic lights and thrumming energy of Times Square is synonymous with New York City.

3 mins

Excerpts From A Chosen Life

HERE are two recurring types of posts that have been popping up all over my Twitter (oh, is anyone calling it X?) feed over the last few days, both dealing with love.

2 mins

TULSA KING RENEWED FOR SEASON 3

FOLLOWING the release of Tulsa King season 2 in September last year, which became the mostviewed Paramount+ series worldwide, the streamer has now renewed it for a third season. Production on Tulsa King season 3 is underway in Oklahoma and Atlanta, announced the makers.

1 min

Stories without borders

ABIR Khan has always been a storyteller of scale—his films sweep across borders, histories, and human emotions, turning intimate journeys into grand cinematic spectacles.

3 mins

Sikandar to release by end of March

The release date of Salman Khan's upcoming actioner, Sikandar, was announced by the makers on Wednesday.

1 min

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