The New Indian Express Chennai - April 17, 2025

In this issue

April 17, 2025

Choice Of Acting Head Out Of Sync With The UGC Act

A recent decision by the Union Ministry of Education to appoint the Secretary of Higher Education, Dr Vineet Joshi, as the acting Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), has stirred controversy, with legal experts and insiders flagging a potential violation of the UGC Act.

2 mins

EPS refutes Shah, rules out AIADMK, BJP coalition govt

Breaking his silence on Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks regarding AIADMK and BJP sharing power in the NDA coalition government in Tamil Nadu after the 2026 Assembly polls, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday asserted that Shah had not said anything to that effect.

2 mins

Interim SC order curbing parts of Waqf Act likely

3-judge bench led by the CJI gives the govt additional day to present its case

2 mins

Iruttu Kadai' Scion Files Dowry Harassment Complaint

SRI Kanishka, scion of the famous 'Iruttu Kadai' halwa shop, on Wednesday lodged a dowry harassment complaint against her husband Balram Singh and his family with the CM's Special Cell and Tirunelveli City Police Commissioner Santosh Hadimani.

1 min

No adulteration found in watermelon test, says govt

The state government on Wednesday informed the Madras HC that the department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops has held inspections in the fields, where watermelons are being cultivated, and no food adulteration was found in tests.

1 min

Make TN univs global headquarters of innovation: CM to V-Cs, registrars

CHIEF Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday urged all the administrators of state-run universities to work towards making the universities global headquarters for research and innovation.

1 min

Don't deny caste certs under RTI when job given via quota

Disclosure necessary

1 min

Court Imposes Blanket Ban on 28 Plastic Items in Western Ghats

Bench directs local bodies to provide disposable paper covers free of cost to traders; authorities told to ensure supply of potable water through water ATMs and RO plants

2 mins

Udhaya Opens Library Near Marina Beach

Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday inaugurated a branch library renovated at a cost of ₹38.4 lakh near the Marina Beach.

1 min

Demolition notices issued to illegal pvt buildings at Karikattukuppam

DEMOLITION notices for several unauthorised buildings under construction on Old Karikattukuppam beach in Muttukadu panchayat, citing violations of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971 were served on Wednesday.

1 min

NGT issues notice to GCC over Manali incinerator

THE Southern Bench of NGT has registered a suo motu case following a TNIE report on the illegal operation of a 10-tonne-per-day waste incinerator in Manali.

1 min

Asked to repay loan, drunk man mows down friend

A drunk man driving a car fatally knocked down his friend for repeatedly asking him to repay the loan he had taken.

1 min

Corpn plants turn construction waste into usable sand, gravel, paver blocks

WITH the GCC's new Construction & Demolition Waste Management Guidelines set to be effective from April 21, the civic body is transforming C&D waste into construction materials — from fine sand and gravel to paver blocks through the Greater Chennai Corporation's (GCC) C&D waste processing plants at Perungudi and Kodungaiyur dumping grounds.

1 min

Rare April rain pounds parts of city

THE city woke up to an unseasonal thunderstorm with moderate to intense rain that lasted for a few hours on Wednesday morning.

2 mins

Govt reiterates circulars, orders must be issued, signed only in Tamil

THE state government has issued a government order (GO) reiterating that secretaries of all departments, collectors, and heads of departments should issue all government orders and circulars only in Tamil, except for certain categories that are exempted.

1 min

DMK Hits Back at Separatist Jibe, Says BJP Will Lose Deposit in 2026 Election

DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi said that BJP will forfeit deposits in the 2026 assembly elections if it continues snatching state rights.

1 min

After meltdown, AIADMK-BJP T'ppur units put up a joint show

IN a bid to clear confusion on the contours of the AIADMK-BJP alliance, the functionaries of both the parties jointly told reporters in Tiruppur on Wednesday that they will work together to win in the upcoming 2026 assembly election.

1 min

Allocation for veggies, condiments in noon meal scheme hiked

SOCIAL Welfare Minister Geetha Jeevan announced a ₹61.6 crore increase in allocation for vegetables and condiments under the noon meal scheme, which will benefit 42.71 lakh children.

1 min

Kalaignar film archive to come up at MGR institute

INFORMATION and Publicity Minister MP Saminathan announced in the Assembly on Wednesday that a digitised archive on South Indian films named 'Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar Film Treasury' will be established at the MGR Government Film and Television Training Institute at a cost of ₹3 crore.

1 min

Disabled to get battery-operated devices

The government announced that it will conduct special camps across the state to ensure all persons with disabilities attain self-sufficiency in accessing assistive devices.

1 min

CM Introduces Two Bills To Nominate Disabled People To All TN Local Bodies

No election for these posts; urban bodies with over 100 members to have 2 PwD nominees

2 mins

Unknown gang attacks Nanguneri Dalit boy

AN 18-year-old boy from a Scheduled Caste community in Nanguneri who was assaulted by his dominant caste classmates in 2023, was attacked again by an unidentified gang on Wednesday evening who contacted him through an app and called him to an isolated location.

1 min

Stalin Writes to PM on Sudden Cut in Private Haj Quota

CHIEF Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to urgently take up the matter of sudden cut in private Haj quota for Indians with the authorities concerned in Saudi Arabia urgently and seek an expeditious remedy.

1 min

Remove caste tags from school, colleges in 4 weeks: HC

Court says to complete exercise within '25-26, those failing to comply will be de-recognised

2 mins

Raids Inevitable as Documents Kept at Tasmac Head Office: ED

The state government on Wednesday told the Madras High Court that the search and seizure carried out by the Enforcement Directorate on the premises of Tasmac has brought disrepute to the public sector undertaking and indirectly to the state.

1 min

Teen stabs 20-year-old student, tries to kill self in Salem

A 19-year-old man attempted to kill a 20-year-old college student after she allegedly ended their 'relationship', and then tried to end his life on Wednesday at the Salem bus stand.

1 min

Tenkasi man trying to smuggle exotic animals detained at Malaysian airport

A 50-year-old man from Tenkasi was detained by Malaysian authorities at the Kuala Lumpur airport for trying to smuggle 14 species of exotic animals from Malaysia to Tiruchirapalli.

1 min

Bid to smuggle meth to Lanka thwarted, ₹8-cr drugs seized

IN a major drug bust, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested a 32-year-old man near Pudukkottai on Sunday, April 13, with 0.95 grams of methamphetamine valued at ₹8 crore, said the sources.

1 min

Death of Dalit woman: Two more SIs, cop transferred

SUPERINTENDENT of Police R Rajaram on Tuesday ordered the transfer of two SIs and a head constable attached to the Naducauvery police station in connection with the death of a Dalit woman, who along with her sister consumed poison in front of the station over the detention of their brother in connection with a pending case.

1 min

NHAI staff, PA get 4-year RI for graft

A special CBI court in Chennai sentenced a former project director of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and his personal assistant to four years of rigorous imprisonment in a corruption case registered in October 2017.

1 min

SC Pans T'gana Govt on Tree Cut Plan, Grills It Over Restoration

The Supreme Court on Wednesday rapped the Telangana government over its rushed action to fell trees on a land parcel next to the University of Hyderabad and directed it to submit a specific plan to restore the 100 acres of deforested land if it wanted its chief secretary to be saved from any severe action.

1 min

Production of dhoti, saree for 2026 Pongal to start early, ₹75-cr allocated

The Tamil Nadu government has issued a government order for the production of free dhotis and sarees for the 2026 Pongal festival earlier than usual this year.

1 min

Karnataka governor sends bill on 4% quota for Muslim contractors to Prez

State unit of the BJP had urged Guv Gehlot to reject the KTTP Amendment Bill passed last month

1 min

THE SIGNAL FROM SIGNALGATE

SIGNALGATE sounds pointedly scandalous. But does it have the cachet of the earlier 'gates'? Here are some consequential ones—Watergate, Murdochgate, Abu Ghraibgate, Bibigate, Cablegate, Gaetzgate, Contragate, Choppergate and Coalgate (the last two from India). Wikipedia has a dynamic list of 286 events that are -gate suffixed, ranging from political shockers to frivolous hijinks.

3 mins

THE BRAVE NEW UNIVERSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Whether it comes from the Left or the Right, we must create safe spaces for airing criticism. Modernity depends on it. Intermedial hermeneutics offers a way out

4 mins

Amid Trump tariff talk, Vance will meet Modi during 3-day India visit

US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance will embark on a week-long visit to Italy and India from April 18 to 24, White House announced on Wednesday.

1 min

Consumption pattern: Diesel slows down, petrol up

INDIA witnessed a marked slowdown in diesel consumption growth during the financial year 2023-24, with demand rising by just 2% — a significant drop compared to the 4.3% growth recorded the previous year, shows the data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

1 min

Day II: ED grills Vadra for 5 hrs in land deal case

Businessman Robert Vadra on Wednesday appeared before the ED for the second round of questioning in connection with the probe into a case under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) linked to a 2008 Haryana's Gurugram land deal.

1 min

Buzz of Cabinet expansion in May after PM-Prez meet

Some ministers may be dropped due to their age or performance

2 mins

ATMs on moving train as rlys set to launch cash withdrawal facility soon

INDIANS may shortly be able to withdraw cash from ATMs inside running trains.

1 min

India says regional representation sole criterion for UNSC expansion

INDIA has strongly objected to proposals introducing religion or faith as criteria for representation in a reformed United Nations Security Council (UNSC), emphasising that such parameters are inconsistent with the long-established principle of regional representation.

1 min

Furore over ex-RAW chief's Abdullah story

A political storm has erupted in J&K over the revelations by ex-RAW chief AS Dulat in his new book that National Conference president and former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah backed the Centre's move to abrogate Article 370 in private and was also willing to align with the BJP.

1 min

Army saves jawan stuck in communal clashes, forms helpline for others

THE Indian Army has established a soldiers' helpline and dispatched a Quick Reaction Team (QRT) in Murshidabad following an SOS call from a soldier in the West Bengal town which has witnessed violence over the Waqf legislation.

1 min

11 Underground Bunkers of Top Maoist Leader Demolished and 7 IEDs Defused

In a major breakthrough, the security forces on Tuesday demolished 11 bunkers belonging to top Maoist leader Misir Besra, having a bounty of ₹1 crore on his head, and diffused seven powerful Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Saranda forests of Chaibasa.

1 min

Post-tariff, Punjab Basmati cultivation may drop

The prospect of looming American tariffs and growing Iran-US tensions affecting the price of aromatic, premium rice variety of Basmati this year is giving rise to apprehensions that farmers of Punjab might prefer shifting to non-Basmati paddy.

1 min

Rahul Makes Moves, Unveils Gujarat Cong Revamp Plans

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday, announced new organisational guidelines, promising that electoral candidates will \"not be imposed from the top\" and performance alone will be the criterion for ticket-seeking workers and ministry-seeking legislators.

1 min

Didi smells conspiracy in riots

CHIEF MINISTER Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday called the Murshidabad violence over the Waqf Amendment Act as a \"pre-planned communal riot\", accusing a section of the BSF, central agencies under the Union home ministry, and the BJP of orchestrating tension by facilitating cross-border influx from Bangladesh.

2 mins

Row over trans rights: UK court rules definition of 'woman' based on sex at birth

BRITAIN's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the legal definition of a \"woman\" is based on a person's sex at birth, a landmark decision with far-reaching implications for the bitter debate over trans rights.

1 min

France Urges Release of Russian Journalists

FRANCE on Wednesday urged Russia to immediately release four journalists sentenced to long prison terms for their association with the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

1 min

Israeli defense minister says troops will be in Gaza, Lebanon & Syria indefinitely

ISRAEL's defense minister said Wednesday that troops will remain in so-called security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely, remarks that could further complicate talks with Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage release.

1 min

Harvard Is a Joke, Undeserving of US Federal Funding: Don

PRESIDENT Donald Trump called Harvard a \"joke\" on Wednesday and said it should lose its government research contracts after the top US university refused to accept demands to come under outside political supervision.

1 min

Global trade could slide in 2025: WTO

THE World Trade Organization on Wednesday said the volume of trade in goods worldwide is expected to fall by 0.2% this year on account of US President Donald Trump's shifting tariff policies and a standoff with China.

1 min

Gold crosses ₹95,000 mark amid tariff woes

THE continuing weakness of the dollar coupled with the rising trade tension between the US and China -- with the former hiking import duties on shipments from the latter to 245% from 125% -- has led to the safe haven asset gold hitting a new high, going past the $3,300/ounce-mark in the global markets and scaling past the ₹95,000/10 gram mark (for 24 carat) in the domestic market on Wednesday.

1 min

BluSmart Halts Services After Sebi Curbs on Gensol

ELECTRIC vehicle (EV)-only ride-hailing platform BluSmart has temporarily suspended bookings in major cities, including Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru, following financial turmoil at its key backer and fleet provider, Gensol Engineering Ltd (GEL).

1 min

Trump to launch housing project in Gurugram

Smartworld Developers and Tribeca Developers are bringing back Trump-branded residential project in Gurgaon. They have announced the launch of Trump Residences Gurgaon on Wednesday.

1 min

Wipro profit rises 26%; outlook weak

AMID uncertainty and macroeconomic headwinds, IT services firm Wipro expects clients to take a more measured approach, especially on large transformation programmes and discretionary spending.

2 mins

FM's visit 'triggers' flow of investment from UK; to firm up economic ties

AMID uncertain economic and business conditions globally, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's recent UK visit assumes significance with both the countries committing greater investment and cooperation.

1 min

Trade Deficit with China Swells to $100 Billion in FY25

Growing gap between 2 nations is due to fall in India's exports to China

1 min

Musk's Starlink may soon get license to operate in India; co officials meet Goyal

ELON MUSK-led Starlink is likely to receive a license soon to launch satellite broadband services in India, as company representatives met with commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday to discuss future investment plans in the country.

1 min

Starc difference in Delhi win

RAJASTHAN Royals and Delhi Capitals served up a feast for the ages in their Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter on Wednesday.

1 min

Gandhinagar Club 'A' champs

GANDHINAGAR Club 'A' lifted the 'B' Zone title at the 32nd TNTA Chennai City Club league championship, by defeating Anna Nagar K Block 'A' 2-1 in the final at the Gandhinagar Club.

1 min

Smoking gun: Suruchi Singh, India's latest golden girl in shooting

LATE on Tuesday, pistol shooter Suruchi Singh nailed her second gold medal in as many weeks.

3 mins

Canada, Nigeria join India as contenders to host 2030 CWG

INDIA is not alone in showing interest in hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

1 min

PSG Keep CL Bid Alive, Barcelona Survive Scare

PARIS Saint-Germain's bid to win a first Champions League crown remains on course but the French giants only just survived a bumpy ride against Aston Villa on Tuesday as old ghosts almost came back to haunt them.

1 min

Shedding 7kg: Manpreet's weight loss journey

AFTER the Paris Games, Manpreet Singh let himself go. There were celebrations every other day. After refusing to go within a mile of anything sugary for years, the two-time Olympic medallist 'lost control'.

2 mins

Goal: Produce One Sensation a Year

PBKS general manager Tuli gives a lowdown on process involved while unearthing talent

3 mins

Where Are Indian Travelers Headed This Summer?

Booking.com data reveals a rise in demand for cooler domestic getaways and international favorites like Tokyo and Abu Dhabi, as Indian travelers seek meaningful summer escapes

1 min

REIMAGINES PRIVATE ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ushers in a new era of ocean-bound luxury and island escapism with the unveiling of Norwegian Aqua and a bold reimagining of its private Bahama paradise.

1 min

LIVING LEGACIES

AS INDIA REIMAGINES ITS PAST THROUGH ADAPTIVE REUSE, NEW HERITAGE STAYS OFFER TRAVELLERS A CHANCE TO HELP PRESERVE IT...

2 mins

I Wouldn't Have Done Good Bad Ugly If It Wasn't An Ajith Sir Film

Actor Priya Prakash Varrier opens up about recreating Simran's iconic song in 'Good Bad Ugly', her most treasured memory with Ajith Kumar, things she picked up from Dhanush, and more

4 mins

KISS...

Keep it simple, stupid. Well, that's the mantra people who are embracing the 'frugal living' trend swear by. CE joins the discussion

6 mins

A Temple Where A Great Scholar Is Worshipped

Arasanipalai, a village situated very close to River Cheyyar and about fifteen km from River Palar in Thiruvannamalai District, has a tiny temple for Lakshmi Narayana.

1 min

A perturbing platter experience

Earlier this month, a vegetarian named Chhaya Sharma in Noida chose to order a plain biryani from an eatery called Lucknowi Kebab Parantha through the Swiggy food delivery app. She received a parcel, opened it, ate a bit and then realised that it was a chicken biryani.

2 mins

The art of artistic fashion

A gathering of people always dons the garb of predictability.

2 mins

Knot Forever

16-year-old Mallar, a shy and introspective boy, takes every opportunity to slip away from home and hang around his best friend's mango orchard nearby.

2 mins

Sam Neill joins next Monsterverse film

ACTOR Sam Neill has joined the upcoming Monsterverse film from Legendary Pictures.

1 min

A lone warrior's legacy

Bosch: Legacy star Titus Welliver speaks about his favourite aspects of detective Harry Bosch, what it means to bid farewell to the character, his favourite episode from the series, and more

3 mins

Halle Bailey to share screen space with Jesse Eisenberg

Jesse Eisenberg's upcoming musical comedy has added Halle Bailey, Havana Rose Liu, and Bernadette Peters to its cast.

1 min

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