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SC lays 3-proof test to regain SC status after returning to mother faith
Politics

SC lays 3-proof test to regain SC status after returning to mother faith

The Supreme Court has reiterated that people who convert to religions other than Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism cannot claim Scheduled Caste (SC) status. It said the SC status enjoyed earlier is lost immediately upon such conversion, citing the 1950 Constitutional Order on Scheduled Castes. The observation came in an appeal linked to a case from Andhra Pradesh. The complainant, Chintada Anand, who had converted to Christianity and became a pastor, sought action under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against a person named Ramireddy for alleged caste-based harassment. After the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed the case, the matter reached the Supreme Court.

Iran strikes cripple 13 US bases; troops shifted to temporary sites
Politics

Iran strikes cripple 13 US bases; troops shifted to temporary sites

Reports from Washington say Iranian missile and drone strikes have heavily damaged several US military bases across West Asia, leaving some facilities unusable. The attacks are described as part of Iran’s retaliation amid a war that the US and Israel are reported to have launched against Iran on February 28, now continuing into its 27th day. Iran has been targeting Israeli and US military sites in the region with missiles and drones.

CPI(M) slams Rahul Gandhi over 'B team' remark, flags Puducherry rift
Politics

CPI(M) slams Rahul Gandhi over 'B team' remark, flags Puducherry rift

Former Tamil Nadu CPI(M) state secretary K Balakrishnan has strongly criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for calling the party a “BJP team” in Kerala, saying the remark reflects political immaturity. Speaking to reporters in Puducherry, Balakrishnan alleged that the DMK-led secular progressive alliance in the Union Territory has been weakened due to what he described as Congress’ “post-seeking” approach. He said Congress candidates have not withdrawn their nominations in constituencies that were allotted to alliance partners such as the DMK, CPI(M) and VCK. As a result, he claimed, the DMK and Congress are now set to face each other in more than five seats, and withdrawals are no longer possible.

ADR report: BJP received 10x more donations than other national parties
Politics

ADR report: BJP received 10x more donations than other national parties

BJP tops national party donations in FY2024-25 New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received far higher donations than other national parties in the 2024-25 financial year, according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). ADR said national parties together received Rs 6,648.56 crore from 11,343 contributors during the year. Of this, the BJP alone received Rs 6,074.01 crore, while the Congress received Rs 517.39 crore.

Rs 73,241 crore remains unclaimed in banks, insurance and mutual funds
Business

Rs 73,241 crore remains unclaimed in banks, insurance and mutual funds

India’s financial regulators—RBI, SEBI and IRDAI—jointly conducted special camps titled “Your Money, Your Right” across the country from October to December 2025 to help people recover unclaimed financial assets. Through these camps, around 22.95 lakh claims were settled and Rs 5,777 crore was handed over to rightful owners, according to the update. Despite this, unclaimed amounts remain high: Rs 60,518 crore in banks, Rs 8,974 crore in the insurance sector and Rs 3,749 crore in mutual funds—together exceeding Rs 73,241 crore.

PM Modi to hold video meet with CMs on fuel crisis preparedness
Politics

PM Modi to hold video meet with CMs on fuel crisis preparedness

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a video conference today with chief ministers of states and Union Territories, excluding those where Assembly election rules are currently in force. The discussion is expected to focus on fuel-supply concerns and preparedness amid heightened tensions in West Asia. The situation has raised fears of possible shortages of crude oil and natural gas in India. According to the report, the conflict has intensified following attacks involving the US and Israel against Iran, and Iran’s retaliatory escalation targeting US positions in Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

No fuel shortage in India, Petroleum Ministry clarifies
Business

No fuel shortage in India, Petroleum Ministry clarifies

The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has said there is no fuel shortage in the country, and that supplies of petrol, diesel and LPG remain fully assured. In a statement, the ministry noted that India is the world’s fourth-largest refining nation and the fifth-largest exporter of petroleum products, supplying fuel to more than 150 countries. It said over one lakh fuel retail outlets across India are operating without disruption and have sufficient stocks.

Iran warns it may shut Bab al-Mandab Strait if attacks intensify
Politics

Iran warns it may shut Bab al-Mandab Strait if attacks intensify

Warning from Tehran Iran has issued a warning that it may move to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait if the United States and Israel intensify attacks, according to reports from Tehran. Deadline and fears of escalation US President Donald Trump had set a five-day deadline for peace talks with Iran, which is set to end today. Reports have suggested that after the deadline, the US could launch a ground assault on Kharg Island, a key hub for Iran’s oil exports.

Pinarayi Vijayan says Rahul Gandhi lacks political experience
Politics

Pinarayi Vijayan says Rahul Gandhi lacks political experience

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has publicly criticised senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that despite being a national leader, he does not have enough political experience. Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayan said Rahul lacks even the level of understanding expected of a state-level leader and does not make an effort to clearly grasp issues. He also alleged that Rahul does not learn from experience, calling such traits unfit for a strong political leader.

West Asia conflict boosts domestic tourism; Shimla, Shillong in demand
Business

West Asia conflict boosts domestic tourism; Shimla, Shillong in demand

New Delhi: Even as several sectors face pressure amid heightened tensions in West Asia, India’s tourism industry is seeing a sharp uptick, driven by travellers switching away from long-haul international plans. The Israel-Iran war, which began on February 28, has disrupted air traffic across West Asian corridors—routes considered crucial for travel to North America and Europe. As a result, many Indian tourists are shelving overseas summer holidays and opting to travel within the country.

Caste bias alleged in Rasipuram anganwadis; officials hold inquiry
General

Caste bias alleged in Rasipuram anganwadis; officials hold inquiry

Rasipuram in Namakkal district, the constituency of Adi Dravidar Welfare Minister Mathiventhan, has come under scrutiny after allegations that children are being separated by caste in two anganwadi centres. The centres, located in Pudhukolani and Pudhukolani Valavu under the Rasipuram panchayat union, have been functioning for over 48 years. The two units operate with separate kitchens, toilets, organisers and cooks. According to local accounts, one centre has 15 Scheduled Caste children while the other has 18 children from other communities, and this arrangement has continued for decades. When the building used by the centre attended by children from other communities became damaged, a new building was constructed during the current DMK government.

Commercial LPG shortage pushes vadai prices up by 50% in Chennai
Business

Commercial LPG shortage pushes vadai prices up by 50% in Chennai

Chennai snack prices rise amid LPG supply curbs Tea shops and eateries in Chennai have increased prices of popular fried snacks such as vadai, samosa and bajji by up to 50%, citing a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders. The report attributes the disruption to war-related tensions in West Asia, which have affected the movement of crude oil and gas shipments from Gulf countries. As a result, restrictions have been placed on commercial cylinder distribution in India, impacting businesses ranging from small street-side tiffin shops to high-end hotels.

Stalin to launch Assembly poll campaign on April 2; files nomination April 6
Politics

Stalin to launch Assembly poll campaign on April 2; files nomination April 6

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin will kick off the party’s Assembly election campaign on April 2 from Tiruvarur, according to party plans. Stalin has announced that the DMK will contest 175 constituencies under its ‘Rising Sun’ symbol, while the remaining seats will be contested by alliance partners. As part of the first leg of campaigning for DMK and alliance candidates, he is scheduled to address meetings on April 3 in Jayankondam (morning) and Thiruverumbur (evening). On April 4, he will campaign in Karur (morning) and Tiruppur (evening), followed by Nagercoil (morning) and Tirunelveli (evening) on April 5.

Tamil Nadu seeks nod to draft DPR for Chennai–Kerala bullet train routes
General

Tamil Nadu seeks nod to draft DPR for Chennai–Kerala bullet train routes

Tamil Nadu has written to the Railway Board seeking permission to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a proposed bullet train project connecting the state with Kerala through two corridors. The move comes as the Union government advances plans for high-speed rail across India, with bullet train projects identified on 17 routes nationwide. Work is currently under way on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad corridor in the first phase. The Centre has also announced bullet train corridors such as Hyderabad–Chennai and Mysuru–Chennai. Following this, the Tamil Nadu government has proposed extending high-speed connectivity towards Kerala.

Vijay files complaint over derogatory remarks about women
Politics

Vijay files complaint over derogatory remarks about women

Complaint filed at DGP office TVK chief Vijay on Wednesday night visited the Chennai office of the Director General of Police (DGP) and submitted a complaint seeking legal action against political commentator Ponraj for alleged derogatory remarks about women. Allegation over interview remarks According to the complaint, Ponraj—who had earlier served as an aide to former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam—made comments in an interview referring to women associated with TVK in an insulting manner.

VCK to contest 3 seats in Puducherry, Thirumavalavan slams Congress
Politics

VCK to contest 3 seats in Puducherry, Thirumavalavan slams Congress

VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan has criticised the Congress party’s approach to seat-sharing in Puducherry, saying it has pushed the INDI alliance into confusion and weakened its prospects in the Assembly election. According to the VCK, a dispute between Congress and the DMK over constituency allocation meant that other alliance partners, including VCK and the Left parties, were not allotted seats. While an understanding was said to have been reached for Congress to contest 16 seats and the DMK 14, Congress has fielded candidates in 22 constituencies.

MDMK says it is 'crying while laughing' over DMK seat share
Politics

MDMK says it is 'crying while laughing' over DMK seat share

Chennai: Discontent over seat-sharing has surfaced within the DMK-led alliance, with the MDMK saying it is unhappy with the number of constituencies allotted to it. According to the arrangement, the MDMK has been given four seats, compared with six in the previous election. The understanding also includes the party contesting under its own symbol in one constituency and under the DMK’s ‘Rising Sun’ symbol in three constituencies. Other allies have also expressed dissatisfaction. VCK, which expected a double-digit share, has been allotted eight seats, while the two Communist parties have been given five seats each—one fewer than last Assembly election.

AIADMK cedes Avinashi seat to BJP in alliance move
Politics

AIADMK cedes Avinashi seat to BJP in alliance move

TIRUPPUR: The AIADMK has decided to allot the Avinashi (SC) Assembly constituency in Tiruppur district—considered one of its long-standing strongholds—to its alliance partner, the BJP. Avinashi has largely remained an AIADMK bastion since the party began contesting Assembly elections in 1977. While the AIADMK lost in 1977 and an ally, the CPI(M), won in 1980, the party later fielded its own candidates in nine subsequent elections from 1984 to 2021.

Registration Dept announcements stalled, minister cites lack of funds
Politics

Registration Dept announcements stalled, minister cites lack of funds

Several announcements related to the Tamil Nadu Registration Department, made in the Assembly during the 2021–2025 period under the DMK government, have not been implemented, according to a report. During the 2023–24 grant demand debate, Minister Moorthy said no new announcements were issued because government funds were not provided. Among the pending measures is a plan to redraw sub-registrar office boundaries so that hamlets under revenue villages fall within a single office jurisdiction. Another proposal is to form a special investigation team to probe alleged irregularities from previous years.

AIADMK allots 12 DMK ministers’ seats to alliance partners
Politics

AIADMK allots 12 DMK ministers’ seats to alliance partners

Chennai: In the ongoing seat-sharing exercise, the AIADMK has allotted a set of high-profile constituencies currently represented by DMK ministers to its alliance partners. According to the allocation, Minister Sivasankar’s Kunnam seat has been given to the IJK. Seats linked to Ministers Chakrapani (Ottanchathiram), Muthusamy (Erode West) and Gandhi (Ranipet) have been allotted to the TMC. The AMMK has been assigned constituencies associated with Ministers Subramanian (Saidapet) and T.R.B. Raja (Mannargudi).

DMK’s Assembly poll record since 1957: Seats contested vs won
Politics

DMK’s Assembly poll record since 1957: Seats contested vs won

A special analysis has compiled DMK’s performance in Tamil Nadu Assembly elections from 1957 up to the current 2026 election cycle, listing the number of constituencies the party contested and the seats it won. The data shows DMK’s early growth from 15 wins out of 117 seats contested in 1957 to 50 out of 143 in 1962, followed by major breakthroughs in 1967 (137 out of 174) and 1971 (184 out of 203).

Tamil Nadu politics heats up as parties rush to finalise candidates
Politics

Tamil Nadu politics heats up as parties rush to finalise candidates

Political activity intensified on March 26 as parties moved quickly to finalise constituencies and candidates ahead of the Assembly elections. The Election Commission’s deadline to add names to the voter list ends today. Those missing from the final roll can vote only if they apply immediately to be included in the supplementary list. In Tamil Nadu, around 3 lakh people have applied to be newly added to the voter list so far.

Chennai gold price swings; ends at Rs 1,06,800 per sovereign
Business

Chennai gold price swings; ends at Rs 1,06,800 per sovereign

Chennai saw sharp fluctuations in 22-carat jewellery gold prices on March 26. Rates moved up during the day before easing in the evening, reflecting continued volatility in the market. In the morning, 22-carat gold was quoted at Rs 1,09,360 per sovereign after a rise of Rs 560. The per-gram rate stood at Rs 13,670, up by Rs 70. By evening, the price dropped by Rs 2,560 to Rs 1,06,800 per sovereign. The per-gram rate also fell by Rs 320 to Rs 13,350.

BJP begins talks to finalise Tamil Nadu Assembly candidates
Politics

BJP begins talks to finalise Tamil Nadu Assembly candidates

A consultation meeting to finalise BJP candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly election is under way at the party’s Kamalalayam office in Chennai. The AIADMK-led NDA alliance includes the BJP, PMK, AMMK, TMC, Puratchi Bharatham, Tamilaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam and the Indian Democratic Party. As per the seat-sharing arrangement, the BJP has been allotted 27 constituencies, PMK 18 and AMMK 11, while AIADMK will contest the remaining 169 seats after allied parties’ allocations.

VCK to contest 3 Puducherry seats alone; Thirumavalavan targets Congress
Politics

VCK to contest 3 Puducherry seats alone; Thirumavalavan targets Congress

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) will contest three constituencies in Puducherry on its own, party president Thol. Thirumavalavan said on Wednesday, while levelling allegations against the Congress over seat-sharing within the INDIA alliance. According to the VCK, the DMK-led alliance had indicated a seat arrangement in Puducherry, and the Uzhavarkarai constituency was allotted to VCK from the seats earmarked for the DMK. However, Thirumavalavan alleged that the Puducherry Congress has fielded a candidate in Uzhavarkarai despite the allotment, and has refused to ensure the withdrawal of that nomination.

BJP manifesto to be released in two days: TN chief Nainar Nagendran
Politics

BJP manifesto to be released in two days: TN chief Nainar Nagendran

Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran on Wednesday said the party’s election manifesto for the Assembly polls will be released within the next two days. He made the remarks after a consultation meeting at the party’s Kamalalayam office in Chennai to discuss the selection of BJP candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. The meeting was chaired by BJP organisation general secretary B L Santhosh. Nagendran, Sudhakar Reddy and Karuppu Muruganandam were among those who attended.

Seeman rejects election freebies, promises better livelihoods in Salem
Politics

Seeman rejects election freebies, promises better livelihoods in Salem

NTK coordinator Seeman, campaigning in Salem district’s Mettur constituency for party candidate Vidhya Veerappan, criticised the culture of election freebies and said his party would not distribute cash or household appliances. He said NTK would not offer “Rs 1,000 or Rs 2,000”, refrigerators or washing machines as giveaways. Instead, he claimed the party’s focus would be on creating facilities and opportunities that enable people to purchase such items on their own.

New party joins AIADMK alliance; one seat allotted to Singath Tamilar
Politics

New party joins AIADMK alliance; one seat allotted to Singath Tamilar

A new entrant has joined the AIADMK-led NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu, with the Singath Tamilar Munnetra Kazhagam (STMK) being allotted one constituency, party leader Bharathan announced. Bharathan said the party would contest on the AIADMK’s ‘Two Leaves’ symbol. He made the statement after meeting AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). The AIADMK-led alliance currently includes the BJP, PMK, AMMK, TMC, Puratchi Bharatham, Tamilaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam and the Indian Democratic Party. As per the seat-sharing details cited, the BJP has been allotted 27 seats, the PMK 18 and the AMMK 11.

Stalin to launch campaign on April 2, file nomination on April 6
Politics

Stalin to launch campaign on April 2, file nomination on April 6

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin will begin his election campaign for the DMK-led alliance on April 2 at Tiruvarur, and is scheduled to wrap up the tour on April 21 at Kolathur. The Assembly election is slated to be held on April 23. Seat-sharing in the DMK alliance includes Congress (28), DMDK (10), VCK (8), CPI (5), CPM (5), MDMK (4), IUML (2), Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (2), and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (2), besides one seat each for SDPI, Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi and Mukulathor Pulipadai.

Annamalai condemns separate anganwadis for SC children in Namakkal
Politics

Annamalai condemns separate anganwadis for SC children in Namakkal

Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai has condemned what he described as caste-based discrimination in the functioning of anganwadi centres in Namakkal district. In a statement, he said that in Pudhukolani of Kakaveri panchayat under Rasipuram union, two anganwadi centres have been operating for years—one exclusively for Scheduled Caste children and another for children from Backward Classes. Calling it “shameful” that such practices continue even in the 21st century, Annamalai said the separation sows division among young children and is an affront to the Constitution’s principle of equality.

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