In a statement, Anbumani said the state government had increased its incentive for ordinary variety paddy procurement price to Rs 2,600, while the price for fine variety had been increased to Rs 2,750. He said more than 95 per cent of the paddy procured by the government belonged to the ordinary variety and therefore the incentive for it should have been increased substantially.

He said the Centre had fixed the minimum support price at Rs 2,441 per quintal for the ordinary variety and Rs 2,461 per quintal for the fine variety for the current season. During the previous DMK regime, Tamil Nadu provided incentives of Rs 131 and Rs 156 per quintal for the two varieties, respectively.

According to Anbumani, the present government had increased the incentive to Rs 159 for the ordinary variety and Rs 289 for the fine variety. He argued that the higher incentive for fine variety would benefit only a small section of farmers, while the majority cultivating ordinary paddy would receive only a marginal increase.

Comparing Tamil Nadu with other states, Anbumani said Odisha had provided an incentive of Rs 800 per quintal last year, while Kerala had offered Rs 650 per quintal. He said Tamil Nadu's incentive was inadequate compared with those of these states.

Anbumani said the production cost of one quintal of paddy in Tamil Nadu ranged between Rs 2,300 and Rs 2,400. Fixing the procurement price by adding only around Rs 200 to the production cost was not justified, he said.

He demanded that the state government increase the incentive for ordinary paddy to Rs 559 per quintal so that farmers would receive Rs 3,000 per quintal this year. He also urged the government to fulfil its electoral promise and increase the procurement price to Rs 3,500 per quintal next year.

On sugarcane, Anbumani said the Centre had fixed the procurement price at Rs 3,290.50 per tonne for the 2025-26 crushing season, while the Tamil Nadu government had announced an incentive of Rs 709.50, taking the effective price to Rs 4,000 per tonne.

For the 2026-27 crushing season, beginning in October, the Centre has fixed the procurement price at Rs 3,383 per tonne. Anbumani said that if the state continued the previous year's incentive, farmers would receive Rs 4,092 per tonne.

He demanded that the state government increase its sugarcane incentive by Rs 408 and provide a total state incentive of Rs 1,117 per tonne, taking the procurement price to Rs 4,500. He urged the government to announce the revised incentive immediately.

Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, said the Rs 709.50-per-tonne hike in the sugarcane incentive was a decent increase and would take the price to Rs 4,000 per tonne. However, the Chief Minister had assured farmers during the election campaign that sugarcane would fetch Rs 4,500 per tonne.

“Though the present price of Rs 4,000 per ton is a comfortable hike, it is applicable to the crushing period that commences from October 2026 to September 30, 2027 and only one lakh sugarcane farmers alone can benefit,” he said.

He appealed to the Chief Minister to ensure Rs 4,500 per tonne for sugarcane from the next crushing period. “The State government has proposed to increase Rs 5,000 crore more through the Tasmac sales, and sugarcane is one of the major raw materials, so the State government should encourage the sugarcane farmers who would support income generation to the State,” he said.

Meanwhile, farmers’ associations affiliated to the CPM and CPI also welcomed the increase in incentives for paddy and sugarcane, but sought a higher incentive for common-variety paddy and the implementation of the promised farm loan waivers.

Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association general secretary Sami Natarajan said the government’s decision to increase the incentive for fine variety paddy from Rs 156 to Rs 289 per quintal would take the procurement price to Rs 2,750, while common variety paddy would fetch Rs 2,600. He said the Centre had increased its paddy price by only Rs 69 over last year.

Natarajan also welcomed the additional Rs 709.50-per-tonne incentive for sugarcane, taking the price to Rs 4,000 per tonne for the 2025-26 crushing season. The Centre has fixed the price at Rs 3,290.50 for sugarcane with 9.5% recovery.

He said the higher incentives came at a time when fertiliser prices had risen sharply and diesel prices had been increased four times in a month, pushing up agricultural production costs. The announcement showed that the TVK government had recognised the difficulties faced by farmers and renewed their confidence that it would fulfil its election promise of providing higher prices for paddy and sugarcane, he said.

CPI-led association general secretary B S Masilamani also welcomed the paddy and sugarcane price increases. He said the association had urged the government during a meeting with eight ministers at the Secretariat on August 7 to announce the higher prices for the current season.

Masilamani also sought immediate implementation of the election promise on farm loan waivers, saying farmers were under pressure from banks to repay loans. With many farmers already facing financial difficulties, the pressure to repay loans was affecting their ability to prepare for the next cultivation season, he said.

Participating in the debate on the Revised Budget and Agriculture Budget, Bhojarajan said three schools in the Nilgiris had been closed and sought immediate intervention to reverse the trend. "People have no confidence in government schools. Officials should identify the reasons for declining student strength and take steps to change the situation," he said.

School Education Minister Rajmohan, however, said no government school had been closed due to poor enrolment. "We are sending teachers to find out why student strength is declining and address the shortcomings. I will personally examine the schools mentioned by the member," he said. The government was committed to keeping every school open, he added.

Bhojarajan also sought a complete waiver of crop loans and greater support for farmers, particularly in the Delta and 12 other districts. He demanded subsidies for tea growers, citing similar assistance during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee and J Jayalalithaa regimes.

He urged the government to explore diverting water from the Sarabanga river to the Bhavanisagar reservoir, saying the Nilgiris was the water tower of the Kongu region. He also sought measures to protect forests, increase tree planting and facilitate patta transfers for residents of small villages in the Nilgiris.

Bhojarajan highlighted Rs 14 lakh crore in central assistance to Tamil Nadu over 12 years, including Rs 7,011 crore for railways and 11 medical colleges.

Bhojarajan also praised Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay for wearing traditional attire during the Budget session and urged other legislators to follow suit. Responding to him, Minister Rajmohan said even Mahakavi Bharathiar, who worked for Tamil, wore western attire.

Health Minister K Arunraj, who released the state rank list for MBBS and BDS admissions for the 2026-27 academic year on Monday, said that online counselling would begin on August 13. Special category students will attend offline counselling at Omandurar Government Medical College on the same day.

Villupuram’s Venkatapathy Velayutham topped the rank list with 705 marks in NEET, followed by Srinika B of Pudukkottai with 700 marks and Sudar of Virudhunagar with 696 marks.

The cut-off for MBBS seats in private medical colleges under the government quota is also expected to rise by up to 23 marks under the 7.% reservation. For students seeking admission to private medical colleges under the 7.5% quota, the increase is expected to be up to 50 marks.

A total of 9,999 MBBS seats will be filled through state counselling this year, including 5,600 seats in government medical colleges and 4,005 in private medical colleges. The State has added around 850 MBBS seats compared to last year, despite the loss of seats following three medical colleges being granted deemed university status. Around 2,000 BDS seats will be filled through counselling, about 200 fewer than last year.

Under the 7.5% reservation for government school students, 537 MBBS and 104 BDS seats (641 total) will be available. M Dinesh of Nagapattinam topped the category with 599 NEET marks, followed by Dharanish BS of Salem and Rajesh R of Pudukkottai, both with 595 marks.

The government has begun a review of the 7.5% reservation scheme as part of the mandatory five-year review to assess its effectiveness and decide whether it should be continued, extended or modified.

Five candidates were disqualified this year for submitting fake NEET scorecards, compared to 25 such cases detected last year. In one case, a candidate who had actually scored 170 marks allegedly submitted documents showing a score of 552.

Reiterating the government’s opposition to NEET, Arunraj said, “The State will continue its legal and political efforts seeking a permanent solution and abolition of the examination.”

Participating in the debate on the General Budget and Agriculture Budget, former Minister and DMK MLA MRK Panneerselvam questioned the government's decision not to waive crop loans for farmers as assured during polls.

He said the TVK had announced during the election campaign that all farmers' crop loans would be waived. "Based on this announcement, the government would have to waive loans worth around Rs 21,000 crore, but it has allocated only Rs 6,000 crore. Since crop loans have not been waived, farmers are unable to obtain fresh loans," Panneerselvam alleged.

Responding to Panneerselvam's allegation that private traders were procuring paddy from farmers at higher prices than the government, Food Minister P Venkataramanan said the government had procured around 65 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from farmers over the past three months.

He said procurement had been increased to ensure adequate stocks and avoid shortages during natural calamities.

"During the DMK regime, Direct Procurement Centres were operated by DMK functionaries. The situation has changed now," the minister alleged.

Former Food Minister and DMK MLA R Chakrapani rejected the charge, saying that during the DMK regime, Direct Procurement Centres were operated under committees headed by the respective District Collectors.

Defending the DMK's position on crop loan waiver, former Minister and DMK MLA EV Velu explained why the previous DMK government had not promised a complete crop loan waiver.

He said the then Finance Secretary had not given consent to the proposal, citing difficulties in distinguishing between small, marginal and large farmers.

"The Finance Secretary told us that the government could not differentiate between small, marginal and large farmers. If the scheme had been implemented, the government would have had to spend around Rs 19,000 crore. Due to financial constraints, we did not include the proposal in the DMK's election manifesto," Velu said.

The debate subsequently shifted to paddy procurement.

It is said that on Monday, Nagaraj, a former panchayat president of Kongudipatti near Iluppur in Pudukkottai, went to drop his wife, a teacher, to the school in Iluppur. After dropping her in the school, Nagaraj was returning home.

When he was nearing Pakkudi-Periya Kudumbam Patti road, he was stopped by an unidentified gang and was attacked with lethal weapons, in which Nagaraj sustained severe injuries and fell dead.

The gang, after ensuring Nagaraj died, severed his head and escaped. On information, Illuppur police rushed to the spot, retrieved the body and sent it to the GH. The police registered a case and commenced an investigation.

The police said that there was a land dispute between Nagaraj and his neighbour, Muthu Lakshmi, who recently lodged a complaint with the police after an altercation, and the police also had registered a case, and the investigation was under way.

In such a scenario, Nagaraj was brutally murdered. The police are investigating from various angles.

The Speaker intervened after MJK MLA M Thamimun Ansari alleged that Vijay had left the House when he began speaking.

Responding to the charge, Prabhakar said officials had informed him that several files were pending for the Chief Minister's approval. "Officials have informed me that a lot of files are pending for the Chief Minister. So, he left the House and is in his chamber, continuing to watch the Assembly proceedings on television. He listens to everything. The member need not worry, " he said.

Prabhakar added that Vijay clears more than 100 files every day.

Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan directed the Tamil Nadu Home Affairs Department and the DGP to constitute district-level Special Investigation Teams (SITs) across the State, with necessary financial and administrative support, to probe fraudulent insurance claims involving fake accidents, forged policies, fabricated injuries, and false medical reports and bills, and initiate criminal proceedings against those responsible.

The SIT in each district shall be headed by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, District Crime Branch, and in Commissionerates, by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, City Crime Branch. Each team will be monitored and periodically reviewed by the concerned Superintendent of Police under the overall supervision of the Additional Director General of Police, CBCID, Chennai.

Upon receiving a request from an insurance company, the SIT will process it in accordance with law and facilitate the timely collection of relevant materials, including call detail records, wherever legally permissible. The respective department heads will initiate disciplinary action against officials responsible for dereliction of duty or misconduct in facilitating or failing to prevent fraudulent claims, without prejudice to criminal proceedings wherever warranted.

Go Digit General Insurance Company had filed a petition before the Madras High Court seeking directions to the State Home Affairs Department to constitute district-level SITs, provide necessary financial and administrative support, and conduct a comprehensive probe into fraudulent insurance claims involving fake accidents, forged policies, fabricated injuries, and false medical reports and bills, and initiate appropriate criminal proceedings against those responsible.

The insurance company submitted that Tribunals, out of misplaced sympathy, were passing awards in favour of fraudsters, causing increasing financial losses. It alleged an unholy nexus among fraudulent claimants, insured persons, police personnel, and some lawyers and doctors, making insurers the principal victims of fake and fabricated accident claims.

Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan observed that it was against this background that numerous petitions complaining of harassment were being filed before the Court, seeking directions to restrain police officials from harassing persons named in a complaint.

The Court further observed that it would normally not interfere with an investigation conducted by a police officer. But, it would not turn a blind eye to instances of harassment by the police under the guise of investigation when such conduct is brought to its notice.

While summoning any person named in the complaint or any witness to the incident complained of, the police officer shall summon such person through a written summons under Section 179 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, specifying a particular date and time for appearing before the officer for such inquiry/investigation. The minutes of the inquiry shall be recorded in the general diary/station diary/daily diary of the police station. The police officer shall refrain from harassing persons called for inquiry/investigation.

R Raja, based in Chennai, had filed a petition before the Madras High Court that the police had been harassing persons under the guise of an inquiry or investigation. The Court thereafter closed the petition.

Replying to queries by reporters during a press conference called to announce the MBBS/BDS rank list for 2026-27, the Health Minister sought to temper the controversy, noting that he was unaware of the context of the Speaker’s statements and urging the public not to misinterpret them.

"Abortion is regulated through the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act," the minister stated.

"Legally, as per the current law, women can legally undergo an abortion up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. In the medical field, across many circumstances, abortion is a definitive medical necessity, and it is something we must do."

Asked about the constitutional and political implications of the Speaker's anti-abortion stance, the minister distanced the health framework from Prabhakar's personal views. "I do not know in what sense the Honourable Assembly Speaker made those comments. Please do not misunderstand it," he said.

The controversy erupted after Prabhakar attended the 5th National March for Life as a chief guest on August 8 and 9. The event, hosted by the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore at Stella Maris College, drew over 5,000 participants to protest abortion rights and advocate for the protection of unborn life.

During the gathering, which explicitly criticised the MTP Act, Prabhakar reportedly echoed global anti-abortion sentiments by declaring that "life begins at conception."

The Speaker’s presence and speech at the rally drew sharp criticism from progressive voices and rights advocates, especially online. Critics pointed to the Supreme Court of India's 2021 ruling, which upheld a woman's reproductive autonomy and the right to a safe abortion as a fundamental right protected under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Admitting the habeas corpus petition (HCP) filed by Kokila, a Division Bench comprising Justices Anita Sumanth and Sunder Mohan notified the Greater Chennai Police and posted the matter after four weeks. 

According to the prosecution, Arasakumar had allegedly scammed private schools for the past two years using an unregistered outfit named ‘TN Private Schools Association’. He had promised several private schools that he would secure permanent recognition, school upgradation, DTCP/CMDA approvals and other statutory clearances by using his political and bureaucratic connections, according to the complaint filed by Elangovan, secretary of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu. 

However, he allegedly failed to secure the promised approvals or refund the amounts collected from the schools and had allegedly swindled over Rs 100 crore. He was arrested based on a complaint lodged by Elangovan. 

Following the complaint, police registered an FIR, arrested Arasakumar and subjected him to custodial interrogation before invoking the Goondas Act against him. Challenging the preventive detention order passed by Police Commissioner A Amalraj on July 11, his wife filed a petition.

The inflow at Hogenakkal, which stood at around 5,000 cusecs on Sunday, increased to 6,500 cusecs by 7 a.m. on Monday and further surged to 8,000 cusecs by 11 a.m. With the water flow expected to rise further, authorities have stepped up safety measures in the area.

Police, Fire and Rescue Services personnel have intensified patrols along vulnerable stretches of the Cauvery to prevent tourists and residents from venturing into unsafe areas. The administration has also temporarily prohibited coracle rides as a precautionary measure.

Officials of the Central Water Commission are closely monitoring the flow at Biligundlu, the point where the Cauvery enters Tamil Nadu from Karnataka. Water released from Karnataka’s Kabini Dam entered Tamil Nadu on August 4. After showing a decline for a few days, the inflow has increased again amid continuing rainfall in the Cauvery catchment areas.

Meanwhile, the water level in the Mettur dam stood at 78.69 feet on Monday. The reservoir recorded an inflow of 5,311 cusecs, while 1,500 cusecs were being discharged.

A protest against the construction of the Mekedatu dam and demanding crop loan waiver was organised by the Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations was held at Pullambadi in Tiruchy. While speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the protest, Pandian, president of the Coordination Committee, said that while the farmers were fighting for the crop loan waiver without any conditions, the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay advised the minister to hold a talk with the farmers and a meeting was organised on July 7 in which eight ministers held talks with the representatives from various farmers' associations. “We are awaiting the crop loan waiver as per the poll promise,” Pandian said.

He also pointed out that the Delta farmers had already lost kuruvai, and the State government should encourage the farmers to take up samba, for which an incentive of Rs 20,000 per acre should be disbursed to the farmers.

Meanwhile, Pandian charged that the Karnataka government has been planning to construct the Mekedatu dam despite the court's refusal to grant permission. "Chief Minister Joseph Vijay should initiate legal steps against Karnataka and should get the due 40 TMC water for Tamil Nadu as per the orders of Cauvery Water Management Authority, as the water level should reach 100 feet at Mettur reservoir for release of water for samba cultivation,” he said.

He also warned that the farmers from the entire delta region would converge at Tiruchy-Chennai bypass and stage a massive road block protest in the first week of October if Karnataka fails to release the due share of water.

He also charged that the officials have been misguiding the Chief Minister on the Cauvery issue.

Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam (non-political) Secretary, P Raja Chidambaram, Desiya Thennindiya Nadhigal Inaippu Sangam State president P Ayyakannu, Tamilaga Vivasayigal Pathukappu Sangam, founder president Easan Murugasamy and others took part in the protest.

The disruption left passengers bound for Bengaluru stranded at the Hosur bus stand and caused considerable inconvenience to commuters. Members of various Kannada organisations, led by Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj, gathered at Attibele near the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border around noon to protest against Tamil Nadu’s stand on the Mekedatu project.

As a precautionary measure following the protest, services operated by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) were suspended for around three hours.

“I had planned our journey to Bengaluru for an interview. As the services suddenly stopped, I returned home after a long wait at Hosur bus stand without knowing when bus services would resume,” said V Arthy, a passenger from Krishnagiri.

Bus services resumed after the situation at the border returned to normal, but the temporary suspension caused inconvenience to several passengers travelling between the two States. Meanwhile, the Kannada organisations have announced a statewide bandh in Karnataka on August 13, demanding that the Tamil Nadu government extend its support to the proposed Mekedatu dam project.

The Division Bench comprising Justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel issued the direction on a PIL filed by advocate and fishermen-rights activist Theeran Thirumurugan from Ramanathapuram.

The petitioner sought the court's intervention to ascertain the whereabouts, custodial status and physical safety of the fishermen and communicate the details to their families. He said he had independently verified the details of five fishermen from Ramanathapuram district through their families and local fishermen associations.

He referred to the recent violence at Negombo Prison in Sri Lanka and expressed concern over the safety of Tamil fishermen detained in the Sinhala nationalist country's prisons.

Relying on Article 21 of the Constitution, the doctrine of parens patriae and provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963, the petitioner argued that the Union government had an obligation to provide consular protection and assistance to Indian citizens detained abroad.

The petitioner also sought the formulation of a comprehensive SOP providing for consular assistance, legal aid, coordination between the Centre and State governments and periodic communication with the families. He proposed that travel formalities and repatriation be completed within seven days of a fisherman's release or grant of bail by a competent Sri Lankan court.

The petitioner said he had interacted with several of the 12 fishermen who had earlier been detained in Sri Lanka and subsequently released and repatriated to India. They informed him that, as on the date of their release, 24 Tamil fishermen continued to remain in Sri Lankan custody awaiting release and repatriation, he said.

The released fishermen told him that the continued detention of the remaining fishermen was not an isolated occurrence but part of a recurring pattern in which Tamil fishermen remained in Sri Lankan custody for prolonged periods, causing hardship to them and their families, the petitioner said.

After hearing the submissions, the court directed the Central and State governments to file their responses and adjourned the case to September 2, 2026.

The man, accompanied by his wife and three children — twins, a boy and a girl, and another son — submitted the petition during the district administration’s public grievance meeting.

According to the complainant, his daughter developed a fever in 2018 and was admitted to Tirupur Government Hospital, where doctors reportedly found that she had low haemoglobin levels. She was subsequently referred to CMCH for further treatment, where she received a blood transfusion before being discharged.

The girl later developed lumps near her ear and was taken for further medical evaluation. Tests subsequently showed that she was HIV-positive, the father alleged.

Shocked by the diagnosis, the couple underwent HIV tests and were found to be negative, he said. Based on this, the family suspected that the infection could have been acquired through the blood transfusion at CMCH.

The weaver urged the district administration to conduct a detailed inquiry, identify the cause of the infection and take appropriate action. He also sought compensation for the family.

Acting on the complaint, the Collector directed officials to take the girl to the hospital for appropriate medical evaluation and treatment and submit a detailed report on the case. CMCH authorities, however, denied that the girl could have contracted HIV through the blood transfusion administered at the hospital.

“The donated blood was separated into plasma, red blood cells and white blood cells, and the components were subsequently used for three patients. Only red blood cells were transfused to the child. The other two recipients and the donor were also tested and found to be HIV-negative,” a hospital official said.

The district administration is examining the medical records and other relevant details to ascertain the cause of the girl’s HIV infection.

Sundaresan, appearing for the Union government, informed a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan that the petition had become infructuous as the Union Home Ministry had issued a fresh notification.

He further submitted that the Union Home Ministry had not insisted that Tamil Thai Vazhthu be sung last, but had only stated that when the national anthem and the national song were sung together, Vande Mataram should be sung first. The bench thereafter adjourned the hearing of the case to next week.

The petition, filed by Ananya Radhakrishnan, contended that placing Tamil Thai Vazhthu in the third position during the ceremony caused deep anguish among the people and amounted to an unwarranted dilution of the ceremonial dignity traditionally accorded to the State song.

According to the petitioner, a circular from the Ministry of Home Affairs dated January 28 titled ‘Orders Relating to the National Song of India’ does not impose any constitutional, statutory or executive prohibition against commencing official State functions with an officially recognised State song. The plea stated that the circular merely regulated the order between the National Song and the National Anthem, when both were rendered together and is silent on State songs, including Tamil Thai Vazhthu.

The plea sought to quash the circular and direct the authorities to issue appropriate protocol guidelines ensuring that Tamil Thai Vazhthu is rendered at the commencement of official State functions and constitutional ceremonies, and was not relegated to a position subsequent to Vande Mataram or the National Anthem in the absence of any express constitutional, statutory or binding executive mandate.

The association said when cybercrime investigations trace the transaction trail, a payment made at a petrol outlet too comes under the scrutiny, even though the dealer has no way of knowing the source or history of the customer's money.

TNPDA president K P Murali said Cyber Crime authorities send requests to banks to freeze accounts into which disputed transactions have reached. The dealers had earlier been approaching banks, submitting their explanations and getting the account released while the disputed amount remained on hold pending investigation. The issue, Murali said, has now escalated to dealers being taken to police stations for inquiry.

“Many dealers were among those who were affected. A woman petrol dealer who was taken from her house at around 5.30 am for inquiry. Her husband accompanied her and they remained at the police station until around 8 pm,” he said. Adding that, investigators could instead visit the outlet or the dealer's house and collect the required documents and transaction details.

The dealers say, they were now facing the consequences of a digital-payment system they had been encouraged to adopt. “ An outlet will handle around 200-500 digital transactions a day, and that digital payments account for more than 50% of revenue at many outlets, we don't have mechanism to establish whether a customer's money is connected to a crime,” they say.

The association said the action was causing mental agony, embarrassment and reputational damage to dealers and has sought a standard operating procedure for handling disputed digital transactions involving petrol outlets. It wants authorities to provide details of the disputed transaction and communicate with the dealer before taking coercive action.

“We have no other option but to temporarily suspend UPI, Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm and card payments at petrol outlets across Tamil Nadu if the issue is not addressed,” said Murali.

"The Tamil Thai Vazhthu is an identity of the Tamil language. It should have the first place in our State. It is a song that speaks about the multifaceted character of India. This is our State's right," the Chief Minister said, adding that singing it first did not go against the Constitution. "It is a common identity of Tamils. It does not differentiate us; it unites us," he said.

Here are some interesting facts about Tamil Nadu’s State Song, which has been at the centre of controversies over the years.

From a play to the State Song:

1. Tamil Thai Vazhthu, beginning with “Neerarum Kadaludutha,” was written by Professor P Sundaram Pillai, also known as Manonmaniam Sundaranar, in 1891 as part of his play Manonmaniam. Born in Alappuzha, Kerala, Sundaram Pillai wrote the verses as an invocation to Mother Tamil, celebrating Tamil language, culture and identity.

2. The current rendition is only a portion of the original prelude. A section of the verses titled “Tamil Dheiva Vanakkam” in Manonmaniam, eventually came to be known as Tamil Thai Vazhthu.

3. A later version was composed by MS Viswanathan in the traditional Mohana raga, and sung by TM Soundararajan and P Susheela

4. The Tamil Nadu government, headed by M Karunanidhi, issued an order on November 23, 1970, directing that Tamil Thai Vazhthu be sung at the beginning of functions organised by government departments, local bodies and educational institutions.

The 2021 controversy and State Song status

5. In December 2021, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, while hearing a case concerning Kanchi Mutt seer Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal remaining seated during Tamil Thai Vazhthu in 2018, observed that the song was a prayer and not an anthem. Justice GR Swaminathan said the song deserved the highest reverence, but questioned whether standing was the only way to show respect.

6. On December 17, 2021, days after the court's observation, the MK Stalin government issued G.O. Ms No. 1037 officially declaring Tamil Thai Vazhthu the State Song. The order directed that everyone, except differently abled persons, should stand during its rendition and that it should be sung at the beginning of programmes in government and educational institutions.

7. The 2021 GO also said the song should be recited by trained people instead of playing its recorded version. It added that the song should be recited for 55 seconds in Mullaiparani Ragam (Mohana Ragam) and in Thisra Thalam.

8. In May 2026, Tamil Thai Vazhthu was rendered third, after Vande Mataram and the National Anthem, at Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's swearing-in ceremony. The sequence drew criticism from several political parties.

9. The controversy resurfaced in July 2026 when the same sequence was proposed for the convocation of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, named after scholar-writer P Sundaram Pillai, who penned the Tamil Thai Vazhthu. The proposed order had Vande Mataram first, followed by the National Anthem and Tamil Thai Vazhthu. The arrangement drew objections from political parties, prompting Higher Education Minister P Viswanathan and two MLAs to boycott the July 28 convocation.

10. On July 9, 2026, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) clarified in a fresh directive that when a State Song is performed along with the National Song and National Anthem at government functions, the State Song should be performed first, followed by the National Song (Vande Mataram) and the National Anthem (Jana Gana Mana).

The six-member committee, constituted for two years from July 24, follows the expiry of the previous panel's tenure. It is headed by Thavathiru Sivagnana Balaya Swamigal of Bommapuram Adhinam, Mayilam, with retired District and Sessions Judge K Ramanathan as deputy chairman.

Retired IAS officer PR Sampath, M Sumathi Sree and folk singer T Velmurugan are the other members.

Archana, who is the CEO of AGS Cinemas and a creative producer at AGS Entertainment, becomes the latest film-industry personality to be appointed to a public position since the TVK government assumed office.

Her appointment comes after film producer K Venkata Narayana, associated with Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan, was appointed Special Representative of the Tamil Nadu government in New Delhi. The appointment had drawn criticism from political circles over the significance of the post in the national capital.

The government had also appointed cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa as chairman/president of the MGR Government Film and Television Training Institute in Taramani. Paramahamsa has worked on films including Nanban, Beast and Leo, all featuring Vijay.

Archana Kalpathi has also been closely associated with Vijay professionally, having served as producer/creative producer for his Bigil and The Greatest of All Time, both produced by AGS Entertainment.

Earlier, the appointment of Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister (Political) was withdrawn following opposition from political parties. Jagadish Palanisamy, a longtime manager and close aide of Vijay, was subsequently appointed Private Secretary to the Chief Minister (Political).

Addressing reporters here, Shanmugam criticised the party leadership's failure to evaluate the reasons for continuous electoral losses since 2019 and hit out at AIADMK whip 'Agri' S S Krishnamurthy for blaming district secretaries for the setbacks.

"Whenever a party is defeated in an election, the leader takes moral responsibility," he said, adding he was not demanding Palaniswami's resignation but urging an introspective review of the party's decline.

Shanmugam stated that Palaniswami must accept responsibility instead of shifting the blame to grassroots workers and candidates.

He strongly condemned Krishnamurthy's claim that the party's victory in 47 seats in the recently held Assembly election was solely due to Palaniswami's popularity.

Questioning this narrative, the former minister asked whether Palaniswami lacked influence in the 181 constituencies where the AIADMK lost, noting the party's poor performance even in his home district of Salem.

Highlighting the party's reliance on allies, Shanmugam claimed that 34 of the seats won in the northern districts were largely due to the alliance with the PMK.

He noted that the AIADMK was completely wiped out in the southern and delta districts, as well as in the Chennai region, managing to win only two out of 37 seats there.

Hitting back at Krishnamurthy, Shanmugam reminded the media of the former agriculture minister's past, noting he was dismissed from late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's Cabinet and jailed for allegedly abetting the suicide of a subordinate.

He also alleged that a backroom deal was brokered between Palaniswami and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on the night the Assembly election results were announced.

According to Shanmugam, an agreement was reached where the DMK would offer outside support to make Palaniswami as the chief minister.

The MLA claimed he vehemently opposed this proposition during a meeting convened at the leader's residence.

Both DMK and AIADMK have earlier denied such claims.

Shanmugam also said there were even alternative talks of making VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan the chief minister, with the AIADMK taking the remaining Cabinet portfolios, which he also rejected, asserting the AIADMK was founded on an anti-DMK ideology and cannot compromise.

"Mother language is equal to our mother, and it carries great sanctity. When we consider our mother sacred, how can we leave our Tamil soil and Tamil Thai Vazhthu, which invokes and celebrates Tamil? We will never leave it," the Chief Minister said.

He noted that there were very few countries in the world without Tamil-speaking people.

"Which country does not have Tamil and Tamils? Tamil is not just a language; it is a culture, a civilisation, a thought and love. Tamil means hospitality; in short, Tamil means boldness (gethu). Tamil means power," he said.

Drawing an analogy, Vijay said every individual had a separate name and people would turn when their particular name was called. "But when someone calls out 'Tamil, Tamil', all of us turn and look. How can Tamil Nadu remain silent when the Tamil language is pushed backwards?" he asked.

He said Tamil represented the life and sentiments of the people and had survived for centuries, even as several other languages of the world had disappeared.

"The Tamil Thai Vazhthu is an identity of the Tamil language. It should have the first place in our State. It is a song that speaks about the multifaceted character of India. This is our State's right," the Chief Minister said.

Vijay also said singing Tamil Thai Vazhthu first did not go against the Constitution of India or the unity of the country.

"There is no need for a debate over singing Tamil Thai Vazhthu first. It is a common identity of Tamils. It does not differentiate us; it unites us," he said.

Veerasamy's wife gets same post

Media reports said Hemavathi has been appointed as the joint secretary of the TVK Thiruporur, Chengalpattu district committee, the same post previously held by her husband Veerasamy.

The appointment has drawn attention as it comes shortly after Veerasamy was caught on camera accepting money from a road contractor. Hemavathi was also reportedly present in the video, which subsequently went viral on social media and triggered criticism of the TVK leadership.

The TVK leadership had announced Veerasamy's expulsion from the party and removed him from all organisational posts following the controversy. He was also arrested in connection with the bribery case. However, media reports now indicate that Veerasamy is out on bail and has resumed working under the TVK, while his wife has been appointed to the same organisational post he previously held.

The development has raised questions among political circles and the public over the party's disciplinary action and the decision to appoint the spouse of a former functionary to the same post following his expulsion.

Bribery allegation against Veerasamy

Veerasamy, who serves as the Mambakkam Panchayat Council president in Chengalpattu district, was also the joint secretary of the TVK Thiruporur, Chengalpattu district committee.

Media reports said a contractor named Naveen had completed a cement road project in Mambakkam Panchayat at a cost of Rs 9.80 lakh. However, the bill for the completed work was reportedly pending, following which Naveen approached Veerasamy regarding the release of the payment.

It was alleged that Veerasamy initially demanded Rs 2 lakh as a bribe before reducing the amount to Rs 1.80 lakh. Naveen reportedly transferred Rs 50,000 each in two instalments through GPay. A video later surfaced showing Naveen handing over the remaining Rs 30,000 to Veerasamy at his office.

The video subsequently went viral on social media, leading to criticism of the TVK leadership and questions over its claims of providing corruption-free governance. Veerasamy reportedly denied the allegations and claimed that councillors and DMK members were conspiring against him. He also maintained that the contractor had received the money that was owed to him.

TVK expels Veerasamy

Following the controversy, the TVK leadership removed Veerasamy from the party. Media reports said Chengalpattu East district secretary Dinakaran announced that Veerasamy was being removed from all party positions, including primary membership, for acting in a manner that brought disrepute to the organisation.

A case was also registered against Veerasamy in connection with the matter. He was arrested and later released on bail after spending 15 days in prison.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, the crematorium had remained poorly maintained for several months, with thick overgrowth, invasive Seemai Karuvelam (Prosopis juliflora) trees and heaps of garbage making the premises inaccessible to the public.

Hundreds of discarded liquor bottles and plastic waste littered the complex, leaving the burial ground in a dilapidated condition.

Environment month awareness initiative

The cleanup was carried out as part of the organisation's 'Clean and Prosperous Tamil Nadu' campaign being observed during Environment Month.

As part of the statewide initiative, 'We the Leaders' has been conducting cleanliness and awareness drives across Tamil Nadu to reclaim neglected public spaces and promote environmental conservation.

The organisation identified the Pappakkudi crematorium as one of the sites requiring immediate attention and mobilised volunteers for an intensive restoration effort.

Tons of garbage removed

The drive was led by KK Builders Kannan, with volunteers from 'We the Leaders' and local youth participating in large numbers.

Using modern equipment, the team removed hundreds of discarded liquor bottles, plastic waste and other debris from the premises.

They also cleared dense thickets and uprooted invasive Seemai Karuvelam trees, restoring the crematorium to a clean and usable condition. The volunteers worked throughout the day to ensure the entire complex was cleared and made accessible for the public.

Public appreciation

Residents welcomed the initiative, saying the restoration had transformed a neglected public space into a clean and dignified environment.

The effort has also received widespread appreciation on social media, with many praising the volunteers for preventing the crematorium from becoming a haven for anti-social activities and highlighting the importance of community participation in maintaining public spaces.

The student of CS Academy, Erode, will join the Ivy League university for the 2026-30 academic cycle, according to media reports.

What will Pranav study at Brown University?

Pranav will study Public Health and Applied Mathematics at Brown, combining mathematics, technology and data to explore solutions to complex problems. His long-term goal is to use technology and data to address public health challenges, particularly those affecting underserved communities.

How did Pranav prepare for his academic journey?

Pranav began preparing for an international academic journey at an early age.

At 13, he joined Dexterity Global's National Scholar Development Programme, where he received mentorship and training in leadership, problem-solving and other skills. He was also recognised among the Outstanding Cambridge Learners and received a World Topper distinction in IGCSE Mathematics.

What other international scholarship did Pranav receive?

Brown was not the only university to offer Pranav a major scholarship.

He also received a 100 per cent scholarship offer from The University of Hong Kong before choosing Brown University for his undergraduate studies.

What are Pranav's interests and future plans?

Pranav has developed interests in software, entrepreneurship, engineering, artificial intelligence and data science. He hopes to eventually build a public-health venture that uses data and technology to provide insights to governments and communities, particularly in underserved regions.

The scholarship attached to his Brown admission has been widely reported at around Rs 3.55 crore over four years.

However, media reports noted that a publicly visible post associated with CS Academy described the award as a 90% scholarship, and said the exact coverage should be treated with caution unless confirmed directly by Brown University or Pranav's family.

The new procurement season would commence from September 1, added the chief minister in his first announcement under Rule 110 of the State Assembly, which bars any discussion on the topic.

The MSP for Grade A paddy has been increased by Rs 156 per quintal to Rs 2,750, while that for common paddy was fixed at Rs 2,600 per quintal. "The increase of Rs 156 in MSP is not merely an announcement; it is a first in the history of the State," said the chief minister.

For sugarcane, the government fixed the MSP at Rs 709.50, taking the total amount payable to farmers to Rs 4,000 per tonne.

Comparing the revised rates with those of the previous five years, Vijay said the MSP had increased by only Rs 156 during the DMK regime, whereas the present government had increased it by Rs 360.50 per tonne in its first year itself.

He assured that the government would continue to support farmers and strengthen agriculture and rural livelihoods.

During the debate on the General and Agriculture Budgets, Food and Civil Supplies Minister P Venkataramanan said the government had procured 62.53 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from the Delta districts between September 2025 and August 9, 2026.

He alleged that during the DMK regime, more than seven lakh metric tonnes of paddy had been procured without adhering to prescribed moisture-content norms, resulting in substandard rice being supplied through ration shops.

While the Rule prohibits any debate on the topic, the opposition DMK raised this matter during subsequent discussions, denying the minister’s allegations of poor quality grains and party men taking over procurement.

Paddy procurement in Tamil Nadu is undertaken by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) through Direct Procurement Centres. The State operates around 1,872 active DPCs during peak harvest seasons, while more than 775 permanent DPC buildings are managed by the TNCSC.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana took note of submissions made by the counsel representing the state government that in a rain-deficient year Tamil Nadu was not getting its due share of Cauvery water.

“We will list it for hearing on Thursday,” the CJI said.

The Joseph Vijay led-state government on August three approached the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Karnataka government for immediate release of the share of Cauvery water.

The state government, in its plea, claimed that the quantum allocated to it by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) as well as that released by its neighbour Karnataka was far less.

A CWRC meeting held on July 28 directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs for 15 days starting July 29, an order which was upheld by the CWMA later.

However, the quantum of water released at Biligundlu ranged between 158 and 550 cusecs from July 29 to August 2, the state government said.

A press release issued by the Tamil Nadu government said that as of August 3, the combined total storage in the reservoirs in Karnataka -- KRS, Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathy -- stood at 77.537 TMC and Karnataka would face no difficulty in releasing Tamil Nadu's due share proportionately.

Following rains in the catchment areas in the KRS and Kabini dams in Karnataka recently, the proportionate water to be realised at Biligundlu should be 26.954 TMC, it said.

"Accordingly, the Cauvery Water Management Authority order allocating 4.536 TMC is very less," the release added.

Karnataka has "failed" to share with Tamil Nadu its due share of water and the quantum was 26.954 TMC, the press release said.

Earlier, the DMK, the main opposition party in Tamil Nadu, had also moved the top court seeking directions to the Karnataka government for the immediate release of the due share of Cauvery water to the state.

The party has submitted that Karnataka must strictly follow the apex court's final 2018 verdict and comply with the directions issued by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

"Direct the State of Karnataka / Respondent No. 1 to forthwith and fully implement the direction of the CWRC dated July 28, 2026, as affirmed by the CWMA on July 30, 2026, by ensuring a flow of 3,500 cusecs per day at Biligundlu for the period of 15 days commencing from date of the order passed by this Hon'ble Court, and to make good the shortfall in compliance from July 29, 2026 onwards," the DMK said in its plea.

It also sought a direction to Karnataka to "make good the accumulated backlog of about 9.46 TMC due at Biligundlu as on July 26, 2026, computed on the pro-rata/ distress-sharing basis, by ensuring releases such that about 7,000 cusecs per day is realised at Biligundlu over a period of 15 days", it had said.

The plea has sought directions to the CWMA to monitor the water release from the reservoirs of Karnataka and the flows realised at Biligundlu on a day-to-day basis and to report compliance.

The CWMA has earlier upheld the CWRC's recommendation of releasing 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days.

In 2018, the Centre constituted the CWMA to address the dispute over sharing of river water among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.

Besides the members of the riparian states, the board also has a nominee of the Centre.

The resolution was moved by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and adopted unanimously through a voice vote.

The resolution stated that ‘Tamil Thai Vazhthu’, an invocation to Mother Tamil, was taken from Manonmaniam, written by Manonmaniam Sundaranar in 1891.

It said the practice of singing the State song first at government functions was introduced through a Government Order on November 23, 1970. Subsequently, through another Government Order issued on December 12, 2021, the practice was extended to educational institutions, universities, government offices, public sector undertakings and other public institutions in the State.

Referring to observations made by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the singing of State songs at government functions, the resolution said Tamil Thai Vazhthu had been sung before the commencement of programmes conducted by the government and educational institutions as part of a long-standing tradition and in accordance with the relevant Government Orders.

Emphasising the importance of the State song, the resolution said it was not merely a song but an expression of respect for the Tamil language and Tamil culture.

The resolution stated that Tamil Thai Vazhthu shall be mandatorily sung first before the commencement of programmes conducted by educational institutions, universities, government offices and public sector undertakings.

The resolution was welcomed by members cutting across party lines, including those from the DMK, AIADMK and Left parties. DMK member Kovi Chezhian and PMK member S Sivakumar emphasised that a separate law should be enacted to make the singing of Tamil Thai Vazhthu mandatory.

"Tamil Thai Vazhthu is an expression of respect for the Tamil language and Tamil culture and stressed the need to uphold Tamil Nadu's cultural identity," Vijay said.

What does CM Vijay's resolution say on Tamil Thai Vazhthu?

The resolution noted that Tamil is an ancient classical language and that Tamil civilisation is one of the world's oldest cultural traditions.

"Tamil Thai Vazhthu, taken from Manonmaniam written by Manonmaniam Sundaranar in 1891, was being sung first at all government functions ever since a government order issued on November 23, 1970," Vijay added.

The song was officially recognised as the State song on December 12, 2021, following which it was mandated to be sung before the commencement of events at educational institutions, universities, government offices, public sector undertakings, and other public organisations in Tamil Nadu.

Why has Tamil Nadu brought a fresh resolution on Tamil Thai Vazhthu?

Vijay said the Union Home Ministry had communicated its position on the singing of State songs in a letter dated July 1, 2026.

As per the order issued by the Centre, the National Song, Vande Mataram, should be sung first, followed by the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana. In this sequence, Tamil Thai Vazhthu was pushed to the last, which did not go down well in the State.

However, in a July 9 clarification, the MHA clarified that state songs must be played or sung first in government functions, followed by the National Song (Vande Mataram) and National Anthem (Jana Gana Mana), in that order.

“There is no truth in reports that companies were advised against attending the Andhra Pradesh government’s event. No department head or ministerial authority has issued any such direction. Companies are free to participate in investment promotion events organised by any State,” the officials added, citing precedents.

The Andhra Pradesh investor meet was a routine exercise to attract investments and should not be projected as a threat to Tamil Nadu, the officials said, accusing the Opposition of politicising the issue.

Such cross-State investment outreach is a normal practice, they said, pointing out that Andhra Pradesh had conducted roadshows in Chennai and other major cities in 2018 and held an investor meet in Chennai ahead of its Global Investors Summit in Visakhapatnam in 2023. Tamil Nadu, too, has organised similar programmes across India and overseas.

“Investors ultimately take decisions based on skilled manpower, infrastructure, transport and logistics, supply chains, market opportunities, policy stability and ease of doing business,” the officials said.

They said Tamil Nadu was also expanding industrial capacity around Chennai in response to demands for more land. The Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers’ Association (AIEMA) had sought about 1,000 acres within a 50-km radius of Chennai. The Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation (TANSIDCO) has identified around 294 acres of government land, while allocating 20 per cent of SIPCOT land to TANSIDCO could potentially create more than 1,000 additional acres.

Several rice mills are functioning in Manachanallur, Ariyamangalam, Manikandam, Lalgudi and Kattur in Tiruchy district and traders who procure paddy from delta districts as well as from other states like Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for hulling and supply them to the traders.

The fine rice varieties like Ponni were sold up to Rs 74 per kg last week, sold between Rs 78 and 80 this week, while the matta rice variety, which was sold at Rs 76 per kg last week, has been sold at Rs 84 this week.

Similarly, the premium variety seeraga samba, which was sold between Rs 120 and 150 per kg until last week, is sold between Rs 165 and 200 per kg this week.

Traders said that the short supply from the local market would be compensated with the arrival of paddy from the neighbouring states like Karnataka, Andhra and Telangana, but this time, these states had reduced the quantity to Tamil Nadu as the local demand was high this time.

The mill owners said that they failed to receive supply from the neighbouring states since November last year. “Probably the big farmers might have stocked paddy anticipating higher prices in the coming days,” K Vathilingam, a mill owner from Manachanallur, claimed.

Despite the CWMA approving the recommendations of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) to release water to Tamil Nadu, the Karnataka government refused to obey the order. Consequently, the Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, moved the Supreme Court on August 3. The state appealed for a direction to Karnataka to release 26.954 TMC of water owed for the period between June 1 and August 12. It also sought an instruction to the CWMA to monitor flows in Karnataka’s reservoirs every 10 days and ensure stipulated monthly releases at Biligundlu, the interstate point. The state government further highlighted that in the current 2026-2027 irrigation year, catchments upstream of KRS received 488 mm of rainfall, Kabini received 676 mm, and other catchment areas received 78 mm between June 1 and July 27.

“With proper legal grounding and concrete figures, the Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court this time. Karnataka, which usually releases water only to avoid flooding, will certainly be instructed to release the monthly dues. They cannot escape now, and we are confident that Delta farmers will get a reasonable share of water for irrigation,” said Sami Natarajan, general secretary of the Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam.

He added that inflow into Mettur must remain between 5,000 cusecs and 12,000 cusecs for farmers to decide on proceeding with Samba cultivation. “If water is released at least by August 30, we can take up single-crop samba cultivation, with the Northeast monsoon rains supplementing our water requirements later,” Natarajan noted.

Natarajan stated that if Karnataka releases the due share for June, July, and August following court orders, farmers can successfully cultivate samba even if they skip thalady. “However, the water level at Mettur must reach at least 100 feet before it is released for irrigation. Currently, the level stands at just 78 feet. We hope the Supreme Court issues strong directions and Karnataka releases our due share,” Sami Natarajan further said.

He also urged the state government to announce a special package for Samba cultivation along the lines of the Kuruvai package. “Having largely lost the Kuruvai crop, it is vital that the state government releases a special samba package to support farmers taking up the crop this season,” he added.

With the Mettur level standing at 78.37 feet with a storage of 40.352 TMC on Sunday despite an inflow of 5,543 cusecs into the reservoir, agriculture experts said that this storage is inadequate. At least 40 TMC of water should be reserved for drinking purposes, and the outflow of 1,503 cusecs can only be utilised for drinking. Farmers who have already readied their fields for samba cultivation, which commences in the second week of August, must wait for the North-East monsoon rains since the South-West monsoon saw inadequate rainfall. Experts asked farmers to opt for a single samba crop and skip thalady, though they are hesitant to offer firm advice at this point.

Despite the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) upholding the orders of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) to release water to Tamil Nadu, the Karnataka government has not yet relented. This has affected irrigation across the Cauvery Delta region, forcing farmers to turn to borewells to begin Samba cultivation. As groundwater depleted, farmers were forced to deepen borewells beyond sea level. "On average, the sea water level is 50 feet in the Delta region. Farmers, wanting water due to groundwater depletion, opted to deepen borewells beyond 50 feet, which resulted in high salinity. This water is not suitable for paddy cultivation," said P Kalaivanan, Senior Agricultural Technocrat. Kalaivanan said farmers should drop long-term samba cultivation as direct sowing is impossible at present due to the non-release of water from Mettur and depleting groundwater. "Given the El Nino situation, it is hard to predict even the North-East monsoon rains. With inadequate rainfall in the South-West monsoon, anticipating good North-East monsoon rains would be baseless. Farmers need to wait and opt for medium-term samba varieties; otherwise, they might face difficulty," Kalaivanan cautioned.

He pointed out that a similar situation prevailed at Tiruvidaimarudur three years ago, when borewells filled with seawater and affected the entire paddy crop in the region. "So, farmers should be very careful in irrigating groundwater for paddy at this moment. If they want to retain income, they may opt for cultivating oilseeds and pulses," he suggested.

A senior agriculture official, who pointed out that more than 12 lakh acres were under samba cultivation during the previous season, expressed optimism about achieving the usual target of 9.82 lakh acres. The official said the IMD has predicted good rainfall during the North-East monsoon, and since most farmers engage in rainfed samba cultivation, achieving the target would certainly be possible.

Meanwhile, agri experts said that at least 150 TMC of water is required to realise samba and thalady cultivation in the Delta region. But the current storage at Mettur is just around 40 TMC, which satisfies only drinking water requirements. As release for irrigation from Mettur is not possible, farmers should quit thalady and opt for a single samba crop.

According to the records tabled in the Parliament, nearly 3 lakh cases have been pending for more than five years and 1.8 lakh for over a decade.

And the numbers are only rising.

Across the country, more than 64 lakh cases are pending in High Courts, while the Supreme Court has nearly 96,000 cases pending as on end of July. The number of pending cases in subordinate and district courts across the country is around 4.99 crore.

According to data, 17,89,467 civil and criminal cases are pending before the subordinate courts in Tamil Nadu, 2,04,421 for over five years and 63,691 for more than 10 years. And the numbers are only rising.

The growing pendency is attributed to several factors, including increasing legal awareness among people, the introduction of new laws, judicial vacancies, shortage of court staff, inadequate infrastructure and repeated appeals.

Speaking to DT Next, advocate V Vasanthakumar said increasing awareness about legal rights was one of the major reasons for the rise in litigation. People are increasingly approaching courts to seek remedies, while the introduction of new laws has also resulted in more cases being filed.

He also pointed to the acute shortage of court staff, including stenographers, and inadequate infrastructure in district courts. District judges are also entrusted with administrative responsibilities in addition to their judicial duties, adding significantly to their overall workload.

Vasanthakumar said greater cooperation from lawyers could help reduce pendency, by presenting their arguments within the allotted time to avoid unnecessary delays. Also, he said, technology could help speed up judicial processes, though its use should not compromise the privacy of litigants, particularly in sensitive cases.

Offering another point of view, that haste cannot be the answer to chronic delays, Madras High Court Advocates Association president RC Paul Kanagaraj said every case requires proper examination and an opportunity for both sides to be heard, while adverse judgments may lead to appeals and further appeals, contributing to pendency.

“Cases should be disposed of as quickly as possible, but justice cannot be reduced to mere speed. Courts need adequate time to hear both sides and arrive at a reasoned decision,” he said, adding that lawyers too need sufficient time to prepare arguments and written submissions.

Raising another key aspect, that of access, retired Madras High Court judge Justice N Kirubakaran questioned how the Supreme Court could claim that “Justice is at the doorstep” while being headquartered in Delhi, and recommended that regional benches should be established across the country.

Similarly, the Madras High Court has only its principal seat in Chennai and circuit bench in Madurai, which, in his opinion, is not sufficient. Setting up more regional benches would help reduce the pendency of cases, he said.

One way of reducing case load is to take strict action against PILs that are filed in pursuit of individual interest rather than genuine public interest. Such petitions should be dismissed with a penalty ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh, he said.

Alternative mechanisms such as Lok Adalats and mediation centres are being encouraged to settle suitable disputes without prolonged litigation.

Addressing these shortcomings, along with ensuring adequate judicial strength and timely hearings, can go a long way to reduce pendency of cases and ensure speedy delivery of justice, said legal experts.

The report argues that the State should move from a ‘human capital’ approach to child rights budgeting, covering survival, development, protection and participation.

A major concern is school education funding. The allocation rose from Rs 44,042.08 crore in 2024–25 to Rs 46,767 crore in 2025–26, which fell to Rs 44,527 crore in 2026–27 a decline of about 4.8% from the previous year.

The reduction comes despite proposed initiatives in artificial intelligence, robotics, coding, entrepreneurship and digital learning.

TNCRW says teacher vacancies, inadequate counselling, the absence of school social workers and weak safeguarding systems remain largely unaddressed.

The report calls for one teacher for every class, permanent recruitment to fill vacancies, physical education teachers in every school, counselling services in secondary schools and trained school social workers.

It also recommends disability-friendly and climate-resilient infrastructure, Child Rights Clubs and mandatory Child Protection and Safeguarding Policies.

Social welfare spending, meanwhile, has increased substantially from Rs 7,830 crore in 2024–25 to Rs 8,597 crore in 2025–26 and Rs 9,818 crore in 2026–27.

However, TNCRW questions the composition of expenditure, arguing that significant resources directed towards gold and marriage-related assistance schemes could overshadow long-term investment in child protection and women’s empowerment.

The organisation estimates that child protection expenditure remains below 0.6% of the State budget and recommends progressively increasing it to 2-3%.

It also seeks stronger funding for TN’s 38 District Child Protection Units (DCPUs), proposing annual State-wide support of about Rs 30–35 crore.

The sharp exchange between TNCC president Manickam Tagore and former DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi NVN Somu on social media came amid the DMK’s increasingly nuanced stance on the proposed delimitation exercise and the Congress’ questions over the ally’s position.

Speaking at a blood donation drive in Chennai, Somu asserted that the DMK, under Chief Minister MK Stalin, had consistently fought at the national level to protect Tamil Nadu’s fair share of parliamentary representation. Responding to criticism of the DMK’s stance towards the BJP, Somu said that in politics, “nobody can be called a friend or an enemy” forever, stressing that the DMK would support whatever was in the best interests of Tamil Nadu.

She also hit back at the Congress, saying the grand old party should take responsibility and introspect on developments following the elections.

Her remarks drew a sharp response from Tagore, who said he had expected the DMK to change its stand on delimitation and that its position would be revealed after the Parliament’s delimitation Bill voting session. However, he said Somu’s remarks had now exposed the DMK’s “real stand” on the issue.

Tagore also questioned whether DMK leaders would now reveal who their “new friends” were.

Taking to X in response, Somu took a swipe at Tagore over what she described as his “lack of basic knowledge” about Parliament, including who is a member of the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha and who would participate in the voting.

Somu ended her post by advising Tagore to “start reading the newspaper.”

The former leaders, who once stood firmly behind Palaniswami in earlier rounds of internal strife, blamed him for ignoring advice from veterans and even accused him of heresy, albeit indirectly, for advocating alliance with arch enemy, the DMK, to stop the TVK from coming to power.

In a letter to Palaniswami, they sought the re-induction of ousted leaders, VK Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran, and reinstatement of executive and general council members who were removed from the party after May 13.

Listing out Palaniswami’s mistakes, Velumani and Viswanathan said the party suffered because he refused to accept Union Home Minister Amit Shah's suggestion to include Dhinakaran in the alliance ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in which the AIADMK got drubbed.

Similarly, Palaniswami refused to take alliance parties like DMDK along, resulting in the loss in 2021 Assembly polls, and failed to form an alliance with the TVK ahead of the recent elections, they recalled.

Around the same time that the letter hit the news cycle, Velumani chaired a meeting of his loyalists in Coimbatore, where he questioned the leadership for the abortive bid to join hands with the DMK after the Assembly election.

Significantly, SM Velusamy, whom Palaniswami had appointed as the secretary of the newly created Coimbatore Central (rural) district, was seated beside Velumani at the meeting.

Recalling how they were branded as traitors for voting in favour of the TVK-led grouping during the trust vote, he said, “We voted in favour of TVK only because of our strong opposition to the DMK. If action is taken against us, then what action will be taken against those who wanted an alliance with the DMK?”

Velumani also sought to underline his past support for Palaniswami, saying that he and several other senior leaders, including CVe Shanmugam, Viswanathan, P Thangamani, KC Veeramani, and KP Anbalagan, had stood firmly behind EPS when he was seeking to become the party's general secretary and chief minister.

Recalling the AIADMK's political history under former party supremo and late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, he said the party had traditionally returned to power after spending a term in opposition.

“Until Jayalalithaa was alive, the AIADMK would generally return to power after five years in opposition. Our demand is that a general body meeting be convened to discuss why the party has not been able to return to power after being in opposition,” he said.

The deceased, identified as Balakrishnan, a resident of O’ Valley Town Panchayat, had gone out on Saturday evening to divert spring water to his house for domestic use by constructing small earthen barriers and laying a pipeline following rains.

When Balakrishnan failed to return home, his family members and relatives searched for him in the surrounding areas. After their efforts proved unsuccessful, they alerted the police and forest department.

Forest personnel, accompanied by residents, launched a search on Sunday morning. During the operation, they found Balakrishnan’s mauled body near the boundary of a forest area. Some parts of his body had been eaten by a carnivore.

The body was recovered and taken to the Gudalur Government Hospital for post-mortem examination. The incident sparked anger among villagers, who blocked forest department and police vehicles and objected to the removal of the body. They alleged that officials had taken it away in haste without allowing residents to see it.

The protest was withdrawn around noon after Gudalur Revenue Divisional Officer SK Gunasekaran held talks with the villagers and assured them that appropriate action would be taken.

Meanwhile, the forest department launched an intensive operation to track the suspected tiger. A team led by Gudalur Forest Range Officer (in-charge) R Ravi conducted an aerial search using a drone. A sniffer dog was also deployed to assist the search, while camera traps were installed at strategic locations to monitor the movement of the animal.

The police said Rajkannan (54), Bojan (70), and Radhika (55), all hailing from Kundha, were bound to Coimbatore in a car through an alternative rugged ghat road, when the mishap happened.

As the hill road witnesses limited vehicular movement, the accident went unnoticed for some time.

While nearing Perumpallam, close to Mulli check post, Rajkannan, who was driving the vehicle, lost control and the car crashed into a barrier, before plunging into a deep gorge. In the impact of the fall, the car was severely mangled.

On receiving information, the Karamadai forest department and Pillur dam police rushed to the spot.

The rescue personnel went down the gorge using ropes and recovered the bodies trapped inside the wreckage.

The bodies were taken to Mettupalayam Government Hospital for post-mortem examination.

A case has been registered and further investigation is on.

Addressing a public rally organised by the Congress, MP Praveen Chakravarty and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president Manickam Tagore claimed that the proposed delimitation would weaken the voice of southern states in Parliament.

Addressing the media, Manickam Tagore said there was no need to criticise the all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, as its sole purpose was to safeguard the State's political rights and representation in Parliament.

He also pointed out that a uniform 50 per cent increase in seats would raise Tamil Nadu's and Puducherry's count from 40 to 60, while increasing Uttar Pradesh's representation from 80 to 120. This, he said, would widen the representation gap between the two states by 20 seats.

"Our position is clear: no delimitation and no increase in seats," Tagore said, advocating instead for reserving seats for women within the existing framework.

He termed political figures who endorsed or facilitated the Centre's proposal as "modern-day Ettappans" (traitors), alleging they were compromising the State's political authority.