The train departed from Coimbatore at around 8.30 pm and was proceeding towards Mettupalayam. When it was nearing Pudupalayam, near Narasimhanaickenpalayam, three boys standing on either side of the railway track began throwing stones at the moving train in an act of mischief.

One of the stones struck the engine and shattered its front windshield before hitting the hand of the loco pilot, Dennis Thomas (50), causing a bleeding injury. He immediately brought the train to a halt at Periyanaickenpalayam railway station.

Mettupalayam Railway Police rushed to the spot and secured the three students, who were still playing by throwing stones across the railway track.

Police said the boys were unaware that their actions had damaged the train’s windshield and injured the loco pilot.

The three boys, aged between 16 and 17, are students of Classes 9 and 10 at Idikarai Government School. Dennis Thomas was taken to the Mettupalayam GH, where he received treatment for his injury.

Mettupalayam Railway Police have registered a case against the three students, and further inquiry is under way.

The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government at the Vetri Tamil Nadu Investment Conclave 2026 here in the presence of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

The investment is expected to create more than 500 direct, high-skilled jobs in hardware engineering, power electronics, embedded software and advanced manufacturing over the next three years.

The fresh investment will be used to scale production at Plugzmart's manufacturing facility in Oragadam-Vallam, besides strengthening its R&D capabilities and charging infrastructure ecosystem.

Plugzmart manufactures indigenously engineered AC and DC fast chargers with capacities ranging from 3.3 kW to 360 kW. Its product portfolio also includes ARAI-compliant charger controllers, Power Line Communication (PLC) modules and cloud-based Charger Management Systems (CMS).

"Tamil Nadu has created a strong ecosystem for advanced manufacturing and electric mobility. This investment reflects our commitment to building world-class EV charging technology from Tamil Nadu and supporting India's transition towards sustainable transportation," Co-founder and CEO Vivek Samynathan said.

Co-founder and COO Ragavendra Ravichandran said the investment would enable the company to expand manufacturing, create skilled employment and develop scalable charging solutions for OEMs, fleet operators, charge point operators and public infrastructure projects.

Plugzmart said it works with automotive OEMs, fleet operators, CPOs and public-sector organisations to expand EV adoption through indigenous charging technology.

The incident occurred at the firecracker manufacturing unit, owned by Krishnamoorthy (62), which is located at Namaskarithanpatti near Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district and has more than 100 sheds. The factory was involved in manufacturing fancy crackers. The owner had recently purchased a new machine for mixing the explosive chemicals.

A private company engineer, Ahmed Ibrahim (42), was installing a machine used for mixing raw materials for manufacturing firecrackers in a room at the factory around noon.

Ahmed Ibrahim was conducting a trial run of the machine using explosive materials, with the factory foreman, Balamurugan (45), of Sivakasi, assisting him in the room. Around 200 workers were involved in manufacturing firecrackers when the explosion occurred with a loud sound, damaging the roof of the room. Hearing the noise, the workers ran away from the workplace to a safe place.

Upon receiving the alert, police personnel and fire and rescue services personnel rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire after fighting it for several hours.

Balamurugan died on the spot. Ahmed Ibrahim sustained 100 per cent burn injuries. He was given first aid at the Sivakasi Government Hospital and referred to the Virudhunagar Government Medical College Hospital for further treatment, where he later died without responding to treatment.

The M Pudupatti police have registered a case and are further investigating.

Among the dissidents, former ministers SP Velumani and Natham Viswanathan have informed Edappadi K Palaniswami that they will not participate in the protests he has announced for Thursday, citing his failure to restore dissenting leaders to their earlier party posts. They have also alleged that assigning places outside their home ground was a deliberate attempt to snub them.

Palaniswami had assigned senior leaders to lead demonstrations outside their home districts. Velumani, from Coimbatore, was asked to lead the protest in Theni, while Natham Viswanathan, from Dindigul, was assigned to Ramanathapuram. Former minister KP Anbazhagan was asked to lead the protest in Ranipet and former minister Thangamani to lead the demonstration in Salem.

Palaniswami had also said senior leaders who were not upset with the party leadership would lead protests in other districts.

In their letter to Palaniswami, Velumani and Viswanathan said the decision to specifically announce the participation of senior leaders in protests outside their respective districts was deliberate. They reiterated their earlier demand that the dissenting leaders be restored to their positions before the change in party leadership.

They said Palaniswami had earlier assured them that the dissenting leaders would be restored to their previous posts, but the assurance had not been fulfilled. In these circumstances, they said they would be unable to participate in the protests he announced.

The latest development comes days after Velumani, Viswanathan and other dissenting leaders wrote to Palaniswami questioning his leadership.

Candidates can visit www.dge.tn.gov.in to download. They must enter their registration number and date of birth to download scanned copies of the answer sheets for the applied subjects.

Candidates who wish to apply for revaluation or retotalling must visit the same DGE website and download the prescribed application form. The completed application should be prepared in two copies and submitted between 11 am on August 14 and 5 pm on August 17.

As August 15 and 16 are government holidays, they are excluded from the application period.

Applications should be submitted to the respective district assistant at the DGE office. In Tenkasi, Kallakurichi, Tirupattur, Ranipet, Mayiladuthurai and Chengalpattu districts, applications should instead be submitted at the Chief Educational Officer (CEO) office.

The prescribed fee must be paid in cash at the time of submission.

The fee for revaluation is Rs 505 per subject. For retotalling, the fee is Rs 305 for Biology and Rs 205 per subject for all other subjects.

Candidates requiring clarification regarding downloading answer sheet copies or applying for retotalling or revaluation can contact the Directorate through 9498383075 or 9498383076.

The deceased, identified as Rahul (30), was a resident of Baghpat district in Uttar Pradesh and was working as a gatekeeper at the Gopurajapuram railway level crossing near Kumbakonam. He was residing at a house in Papanasam.

On Wednesday late at night, Rahul, who was on duty, closed the gate for the Nagercoil-Tambaram Antyodaya Superfast Express train.

Suddenly, Rahul noticed an elderly person around 60 years old trying to cross the track without noticing the approaching train.

Without any thought, Rahul ran to rescue the old man, but unfortunately they both lost their balance and fell on the track.

The train ran over them, and they both died. The body parts were strewn all along the tracks.

On sensing the incident, the loco pilot alerted the nearest railway station, and the Kumbakonam railway police rushed to the spot and retrieved the bodies.

The police are attempting to identify the body of the elderly person. The train services were affected for more than 25 minutes on the route.

The police said that Rahul got married six months ago and returned two weeks ago after visiting his wife in Uttar Pradesh.

It may be noted that on July 6, Sandeep Sahar, a railway gatekeeper on duty at Arasoor Railway gate in Mayiladuthurai, rescued a boozy pedestrian who tried to cross the railway track without noticing the Mayiladuthurai-Villupuram passenger train.

The pedestrian had a narrow escape thanks to the timely rescue by Sandeep Sahar, and the CCTV footage went viral in the region.

Special teams formed by the Railway Police secured Amarnath from West Bengal and Rajan Kumar from Bihar.

The Railway Protection Force assisted the police in tracing the accused.

The police produced the duo before the Chengalpattu Court, which remanded them under judicial custody.

As per the orders of Chennai City Police Commissioner A Amalraj, Fort St George and its surrounding areas are under a thick security blanket ahead of the CM's Independence Day address.

Additional Commissioners Kapil Kumar C Saratkar (North), KS Narendran Nayar (South) and B Shamoondeeswari (Traffic), along with joint commissioners, deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, inspectors and other police personnel, have been assigned special security duties.

As a precautionary measure, additional police teams have been deployed at sensitive locations, including Chennai Airport, railway stations, bus terminals, bus and metro stations, shopping malls, beaches, places of worship and other places frequently visited by VIPs. Intensive checks and monitoring are being carried out at these locations.

Searches are also being conducted at hotels and lodges across the city. The public has been urged to immediately inform the police about any suspicious persons or unattended vehicles.

Patrolling has also been intensified across Chennai using four-wheelers and two-wheelers. Barricades have been erected at key locations to conduct thorough vehicle checks, while police personnel have been stationed at major junctions for continuous monitoring.

Malaysia received more than 1.5 million Indian visitors in 2025, making India one of its top international source markets.

South India remains a key market, with Kuala Lumpur continuing to be the preferred destination for many first-time travellers.

The tourism board is also consequently looking to promote destinations such as Langkawi, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak among repeat travellers.

Tourism Malaysia's India Sales Mission Series 2 began in Chennai on Thursday, bringing Malaysian tourism stakeholders, including tour operators, hotels, attractions and airline partners, for B2B meetings with Indian travel trade representatives.

Speaking at the event, "For corporate travellers, the board is targeting companies that send employees on incentive trips, while sports tourism is being pitched around events such as the upcoming Formula 1 and MotoGP in Malaysia.

Eco-tourism is being promoted around experiences such as rainforest trips, trekking and wildlife," said Tourism Malaysia Director General Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rah

The decline in Indian arrivals comes amid a wider impact from the US-Iran conflict on tourism flows. Amirul Rizal said arrivals from the Middle East had fallen, while markets such as Europe, the Americas, Australia, China, Japan and South Korea had recorded increases.

Malaysia is also working on expanding UPI-based digital payments for Indian visitors. An agreement is already in place, but the mechanism for implementing it is still being worked out through discussions and workshops involving banking authorities.

Air connectivity is another area Malaysia is looking to expand. "Discussions are under way with Indian and other airline partners, with potential connectivity to destinations such as Langkawi and Penang being considered.

The official said details would be announced once the plans are confirmed," said Saravana Kumar, Consul General of Malaysia. Malaysia currently has more than 190 direct flights from India every week, with a capacity of over 37,000 seats.

In a statement, he pointed out that, in particular, the business press was not allowed to participate in the event and that the government had not yet released an official list of the 97 MoUs.

According to the information he compiled, Rajaa claimed that nearly 70 MoUs, accounting for around 75 per cent of the investment value and 83 per cent of the jobs, appeared to involve existing companies expanding their operations or investment proposals that had already been initiated during the previous DMK government.

He also claimed that the Rs 1,000-crore investment attributed to Titan was part of the State's existing relationship with the company through TIDCO.

Rajaa said that even if all investments that were new or potentially new were included, they would account for only 24 MoUs, representing around 23 per cent of the investment value and 15 per cent of the jobs, according to his assessment. "An expansion is welcome. A converted investment lead is welcome. Every job is welcome. But an investment already cultivated, negotiated or announced during the previous government cannot suddenly become a new achievement merely because it is presented at a new conclave," he said.

Referring to the resolution, Vijay said it was adopted against the backdrop of the proposed constitutional amendment relating to delimitation.

Recalling the delimitation exercise carried out in 1967, the Chief Minister said the number of Parliament seats in Tamil Nadu was reduced from 41 to 39.

"Any delimitation based on the post-1971 Census that alters the existing strength would cause lasting injustice to the southern states. These states have effectively implemented population-control programmes, achieved good economic growth and carried out healthcare and public welfare measures," Vijay said.

He said that states that had successfully implemented population-control measures should not be penalised by having their representation in Parliament reduced.

Appealing to the Prime Minister, Vijay urged him to consider the resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly and introduce the necessary constitutional amendments to protect the existing representation of the states.

The Chief Minister also emphasised the need to ensure that Tamil Nadu's existing 39 Lok Sabha seats are retained in any future delimitation exercise.

The functionaries, who had earlier quit the BJP to join Annamalai's organisation, formally rejoined the party in the presence of Tirunelveli district office-bearers at the residence of BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran.

Welcoming them back, Nainar Nagenthran said the returning cadres had renewed their association with the BJP and wished them success in continuing their public service under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Those who returned included OBC Wing district general secretary S Venkatesh; district secretaries A Pechimuthu, Govind Rajan, S Pattu Raja and H Arumuga Nainar; OBC Wing East Mandal president S Mariswaran; Youth Wing West Mandal president Vel Murugan; and several booth and mandal-level functionaries.

Among them were booth presidents S Rajee, MA Manikandan, Hari Prasad, Sankar, Vicky, S Perumal, C Sudalai Muthu and Senthil Yadav. Other returning functionaries included S Kali Raj, M Mani, B Muthukumar, L Sendu Kumar, N Arunachalam, Satheesh Mahadevan, S Bala, Karuppasamy, S Mariyappan and M Vellapandi.

The return comes after Annamalai's exit from the BJP and the subsequent launch of We The Leaders, which had drawn several BJP leaders and cadres into its fold.

The arrested students have been identified as K Sriram (21), B Harish Pandian (20), and S Lalith Aditya (20). All three are from Madurai and are pursuing their second year at two different colleges.

Amudhan, 19, a third-year engineering student, was killed in the attack. Five people had already been arrested in connection with the murder.

Police are searching for a few more students who were involved in the attack, which was carried out in retaliation for an earlier incident in which Amudhan and eight other students assaulted a group of students at their house in Poonga Nagar and snatched their mobile phones.

In connection with the mobile phone snatching incident, police arrested C Haridass (18), of Perambalur, and S Udhayakumar (18), from Virudhunagar. Both are second-year automobile engineering students at the same college. Further investigation is under way.

Balu noted in his plea that Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had announced on May 12, 2026, that 717 Tasmac shops located near schools, temples and other public places would be closed.

However, he alleged that several such shops continued to operate and that authorities were attempting to open more shops rather than implement the announced closures.

The petitioner said the Tasmac managing director issued a circular on July 7 launching an online liquor booking portal and prescribing standard operating procedures without any public announcement.

He contended that the scheme was illegal, arbitrary, unjust and contrary to Article 47 of the Constitution. He sought to quash the scheme or declare it illegal and unconstitutional.

Balu further alleged that while Tasmac claimed that only persons aged 21 and above could register on the portal, but the website did not add any further age verification after a user declared that they were above 21.

This, he said, could allow underage persons to use another individual's account to order and purchase liquor, making enforcement difficult.

He also contended that the online pre-booking system would promote liquor sales rather than restrict alcohol consumption and would be detrimental to public welfare.

He questioned the State government's priority in providing high-speed digital infrastructure for liquor sales when citizens, particularly women and senior citizens, continued to wait in long queues at fair price shops and government hospitals without comparable digital facilities.

The matter is expected to be listed for hearing shortly.

A Division Bench comprising Justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel issued the direction on a PIL filed by advocate O Homerlal of Kanniyakumari district, seeking to ensure minerals are available to the public at reasonable prices and to prevent the illegal transportation of minerals from Tamil Nadu to other States.

The petitioner contended that financially influential private players who had taken poramboke lands on lease were excavating minerals beyond the permissible limits, causing permanent damage to the State's natural resources.

Though the Department of Geology and Mining had introduced transport passes to prevent such malpractice, minerals were still being transported illegally with the alleged connivance of police personnel and revenue officials, he claimed.

The petitioner stated that official quarry inspections and penalties for illegal mining were just an eyewash, because authorities collected very small fine amounts.

The situation was worse in Kanniyakumari district, as a large quantity of minerals quarried there were transported to Kerala, he contended. Private contractors were modifying tipper lorries to carry loads beyond their permitted capacity, violating RTO norms, and transporting the minerals to Kerala for huge profits.

At the same time, people in Tamil Nadu were finding it difficult to purchase M-sand and stones for construction due to the steep increase in prices, he said.

In view of the situation, the petitioner sought that the State take over the quarrying of rough stones, M-sand and P-sand from private players and entrust the operations to Tamil Nadu Minerals Limited (TAMIN), which is already involved in the excavation of minerals such as granite, graphite and limestone.

This would also increase revenue for the government, he contended.

He contended that his representations to the Secretary, Natural Resources Department, Chennai, and the Director of Geology and Mining, Chennai, seeking government takeover of quarry operations had not yielded any positive response.

Recording his submissions, the court directed the State to file its response and posted the case for further hearing in the first week of September.

A division bench of Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan recorded the Puducherry government's submission that 24 months would be required to complete the exercise and conduct the elections, and closed the petition. The bench directed the government to expedite the process and disposed of the writ petition.

Former MP and Puducherry Maanila Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam president M Ramadoss moved the plea seeking directions to the State Election Commission to notify and conduct local body elections in the Union Territory.

Ramadoss submitted that elections had not been held for over 14 years. He also pointed out that the Puducherry government had appointed a One-Man Commission on December 17, 2021, to assess backwardness and determine the ward-wise proportion of the OBC population in rural and urban areas. The commission was required to submit its report within six months, by June 16, 2022, but it remains pending for over four years.

He further submitted that several representations made to the State Election Commission seeking the conduct of elections had not been considered.

His counsel argued that the prolonged delay had deprived the people of Puducherry of elected local governance and their constitutional right to participate in democracy.

The Puducherry government, however, told the court that it had no intention of delaying the elections and that a legally sustainable reservation framework had to be put in place before the polls.

The Additional Government Pleader submitted that the One-Man Commission had now submitted its report to the government and that it was actively processing the recommendations. He also said the State Election Commission office was currently vacant.

The government sought 24 months to finalise the reservation framework, allot and rotate reserved wards and take consequential steps to conduct the elections.

The BJP chief accused Aadhav of displaying a lack of legislative propriety. In a statement, Nainar Nagenthran said that Aadhav Arjuna's mocking of Bhojarajan was highly condemnable. Calling the remarks unbecoming of a legislator, Nainar said Aadhav should first understand legislative conventions and political developments before making such statements.

He also dismissed Aadhav's contention that delimitation would weaken Tamil Nadu's representation in Parliament. "Saying that Tamil Nadu's MPs will be reduced when their number increases from 39 to 59 is an expression of your ignorance," he said, adding that the State's representation would rise to 7.23 per cent.

Nainar also rejected the minister's argument that the proposed exercise would favour only Hindi-speaking and populous states. He said the Centre's proposal envisaged a 50 per cent increase in representation irrespective of population or language, and therefore would not disadvantage any state.

Pointing to the existing challenges faced by MPs representing constituencies spread across four districts and by those representing constituencies with populations larger than some states, the BJP leader said delimitation could help address such disparities.

"Your freeze-delimitation policy, on the other hand, will ultimately lead to the complete silencing of Tamil Nadu's voice," he added.

After it blew into a controversy and drew the ire of scores of people, including netizens, it was temporarily reinstalled at its earlier location.

Incidentally, the episode played out merely days ahead of Jeevanandham's 119th birth anniversary that is falling on August 21.

Jeevanandham was an orator, writer, journalist, literary critic, poet, and social reformer, and was among the prominent leaders of pre-Independence era. During the formative years, he was part of Congress and then a supporter of Dravidian icon Periyar EV Ramasamy, before emerging as one of the key figures who helped develop the communist movement in Tamil Nadu.

The bust of the late leader had stood in Aatrumeedu for more than 40 years before it was removed for flyover construction. It was kept in a nearby compound amid garbage. After its photo went viral,

Various groups had earlier condemned the statue's condition and demanded that it be restored with due respect.

Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (CPI) functionaries cleaned the bus and reinstalled it at the same location, which was welcomed by members of the public and those associated with the communist movement.

Residents said the reinstallation would help preserve his memory in the Aatrumeedu area.

The police, fire and rescue services personnel rescued the injured workers who were trapped in the debris and admitted them to the Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital. The condition of worker Rajkumar (45) is critical, as he was unconscious when he was admitted to the hospital. The other workers sustained injuries to various parts of their bodies. However, the police said the injuries to the other workers are not grievous.

Explaining the cause of the incident, a police source said that the wooden poles and iron rods used to support the concrete roof had given way due to the heavy load, causing the roof to collapse suddenly around noon. The workers were trapped under the debris, said the police, adding that only twelve of 42 workers engaged in the work sustained injuries.

It is said that cement, gravel and iron rods had been loaded onto the roof for laying the concrete roof of the church. “Some workers who were actively engaged in laying the concrete roof fell along with the materials,” the source added.

The injured were identified as Moorthy (38) of Manthithoppu in Kovilpatti, Anthoniraj (52) of Vellapatti, Ramar (29) of Thattaparai, Rahul Hussain (32) of Bihar, Manikandan (22) of Amudha Nagar in Thoothukudi, Subash (22) of Kurukkuchalai, Muralidharan (42) of Paruthikudi in Kumbakonam, Vijay (44), Sekar (42) of Kadayan in Tenkasi district, Chandrasekar (42) of Thalamuthu Nagar and Marianickson (34) of Vellapatti.

The Thalamuthu Nagar police have registered a case, and an inquiry is under way.

A total of 72,633 applications were received for MBBS and BDS admissions. Of these, 4,860 applications were under the 7.5 per cent reservation for government school students, 468 under the sports quota, 524 from children of ex-servicemen and 212 from persons with disabilities.
After scrutiny, 3,625 applications under the 7.5 per cent government school reservation were accepted.

As part of Thursday's counselling, call letters were issued to candidates under the government school quota based on their rank and NEET scores. In the general category, candidates who scored between 599 and 469 marks and those who scored between 468 and 433 marks were called for counselling.

Candidates belonging to the SC, SCA and ST categories under the government school quota were also called based on their respective ranks.
The special category counselling is being conducted offline, with candidates required to attend the venue according to the schedule mentioned in their call letters.

Meanwhile, the general online counselling for MBBS and BDS courses began at noon on Thursday. Eligible candidates can register, pay the counselling fee and opt for their preferred colleges and courses until 5 pm on August 19.

The incident took place at a Government Higher Secondary School in V K Pudur near Surandai in Tenkasi district on July 20.

According to police, the accused, identified as Thenmaria Suganthi, was conducting a Class 11 session when she became enraged by noise emanating from an adjacent Class 10 room. She subsequently entered the classroom and severely caned the students.

Around 10 students sustained severe injuries to their hands and required immediate medical attention.

The injured students were treated at the V K Pudur Government Hospital and local private facilities. Pavithra, one of the students was transferred to the Tenkasi Government Hospital, where she remained an inpatient for three days, officials said.

Due to persistent swelling in their hands, the injured students were unable to attend school or appear for their exams. Following this, Pavithra's mother, Rajathi, submitted a formal complaint to the District Collector.

Based on the complaint, the Veerakeralampudur police registered a case against the teacher under Section 115(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for voluntarily causing hurt, along with relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

Further investigation into the matter is underway.

Speaking to reporters at the Thoothukudi Airport, he stated that talks regarding the Tamil Nadu fishermen's issue are ongoing and that he has discussed the matter with the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He further added, "Next week, we will go to Delhi and meet the Union Minister of External Affairs and the Union Minister of Fisheries to discuss measures to prevent the arrest of Tamil Nadu fishermen. A positive outcome will be reached soon."

The Minister also mentioned that various beneficial schemes for fishermen will be included in the demand for grants for the Fisheries Department. He stated that several schemes aimed at benefiting fishermen have been evaluated, and discussions have been held with the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister regarding them. "Many good schemes will be included in the demand for grants to fully benefit fishermen in a suitable manner," Minister Srinath said.

On the demand of Thoothukudi mechanized boat fishermen to grant permission for deep-sea fishing, the Minister responded that this request too has been included in the Fisheries Department's demand for grants, and an announcement regarding it will be made during the session. Regarding the water scarcity issue in Thoothukudi, the Minister assured, "The drinking water issue in Thoothukudi will be completely resolved within a couple of days," adding that repair works are underway for damaged water pipelines in certain areas, and regular water supply has already resumed in several locations.

This comes after the Sri Lankan Navy on Thursday arrested nine fishermen from Rameswaram and seized their boat for allegedly fishing across the border near Katchatheevu. According to the Coastal Security Group police, the group was part of a larger contingent of 297 fishing boats that had set out from the Rameswaram Port on August 12 after being issued formal fishing permits.

The seized vessel, registered as IND TN 10 MM 329, is owned by P Wellington, a resident of Thangachimadam Raja Nagar. The nine arrested fishermen have been identified as J Janathan (45), A Anthony Pichai (38), K Vellaichamy (51), M Prabhu (43), Arogya Jeniston (25), P Stevin (30), M Donbosco (55), V Arogya Devin (31), and Subbaiah (52). Following the arrest, the fishermen were taken to the Thalaimannar Naval Camp by the Sri Lankan Navy for further questioning.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, the rise in the Mettur Dam level is attributed to increased water flow into the Cauvery following intensified southwest monsoon activity in Karnataka.

Inflows rise in Cauvery basin

The southwest monsoon has intensified in the Karnataka region of the Cauvery basin over the past few days, resulting in increased inflows into reservoirs in the region. With water levels rising in the dams, additional water has been released downstream into the Cauvery. Water has been released from the Kabini Dam towards Tamil Nadu since August 1. The quantity released from the reservoir has been adjusted periodically based on the inflow. At one stage, the discharge from the Kabini Dam reached 27,000 cusecs. Water has also been released from the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam towards Tamil Nadu. The discharge from the reservoir was maintained at around 1,000 cusecs.

Mettur inflow touches 7,833 cusecs

The increased flow in the Cauvery has now begun reflecting in the water level of Mettur Dam. After remaining below the 80-foot mark for around three months, the reservoir crossed the level on Thursday. The water level stood at 80.31 feet, while the inflow into the reservoir increased to 7,833 cusecs. At present, around 1,500 cusecs of water is being released from the dam to meet drinking water requirements.

The increase in inflow has raised hopes among farmers who depend on the Mettur Dam and the Cauvery for irrigation. The reservoir is an important source of water for several districts in Tamil Nadu, particularly during the agricultural season.

Farmers welcome rise

The crossing of the 80-foot mark has brought cheer among farmers and the general public who depend on the reservoir. The rise in water level is particularly significant as the southwest monsoon continues to strengthen in the Cauvery basin.

Officials are closely monitoring the inflow and the water levels in the reservoir, with the quantity of water released from Mettur being regulated based on requirements. The continued rise in inflow could further improve the storage position of Mettur Dam if the monsoon remains active in the Cauvery basin. For now, the crossing of the 80-foot mark after three months has provided relief to farmers and residents awaiting improved water availability.

At the Vetri Tamil Nadu Investors' Conclave held in Chennai on Thursday in the presence of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, 97 MoUs were signed involving investments of Rs 67,452 crore and employment for 1,06,998 people.

The government said that, including the MoUs signed prior to Thursday's conclave, the total investment commitments during the first 100 days stood at Rs 1,02,514 crore. The projects are expected to create 1,21,788 jobs.

The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for eight projects involving Rs 4,476 crore investment and 5,074 jobs, and inaugurated five projects involving Rs 2,676 crore investment and 1,550 jobs.

He also inaugurated completed projects and 13 new buildings worth Rs 777.74 crore under SIPCOT, TIDCO, Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited and Tamil Nadu Industrial Housing Development.

Among the major investment proposals, Skyroot Aerospace will invest Rs 250 crore in Thoothukudi to establish a private orbital launch vehicle manufacturing facility, creating 500 jobs. Agnikul Cosmos will invest Rs 400 crore for a reusable liquid-propulsion launch vehicle facility, generating 1,500 jobs.

Ultraviolette will establish an electric two-wheeler manufacturing plant in Krishnagiri with an investment of Rs 779 crore and create 4,000 jobs. US-based Super Micro will invest Rs 477 crore in Chennai for a server manufacturing and integration centre.

Japan's YKK will establish a zipper and fastening products manufacturing facility in Tiruvallur with an investment of Rs 1,651 crore and employment for 4,316 people. JK Tyre will invest Rs 5,143 crore in expanding its tyre manufacturing facility in Kancheepuram, creating 3,510 jobs.

German automobile major Daimler will invest Rs 4,000 crore to expand its manufacturing and R&D centre at Oragadam, while Australian-based Avid Group has proposed investments of Rs 7,000 crore over five years in urban infrastructure, tourism, healthcare and mining equipment manufacturing.

The government also signed seven institutional MoUs with organisations from Kazakhstan, New Zealand and Russia covering trade, investment, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, advanced technologies and semiconductor skill development.

Among the completed projects inaugurated was a Rs 350-crore tissue paper commercial production facility of Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited at Mondipatti in Tiruchirappalli. A Rs 250-crore aerospace hub developed by TIDCO at Vallam Vadagal in Kancheepuram was also inaugurated. The Chief Minister also distributed appointment orders to 20 persons selected for various positions in nine industrial companies.

The GO directs that the state song should be rendered first at all public, educational, and government functions, and the directive enforces standing when the anthem is being rendered while exempting the differently-abled persons.

The GO issued by Chief Secretary M Sai Kumar on August 12 follows a unanimous resolution passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on August 10. It applies to all educational institutions, universities, government offices and public sector undertakings.

It recalled the resolution piloted by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, stating that the "Assembly proudly records that Tamil is the ancient classical language of the world and Tamil civilisation is one of the oldest cultural traditions in the world."

The song taken from the play 'Manonmaniam', written in 1891 by Manonmaniam Sundaranar, has been made the first song to be sung at government functions since November 23, 1970. It has been mandated that Tamil Thaai Vazhthu will be sung before the start of the event, as it has been officially recognised as the state song since December 17, 2021.

This resolution followed the Union Home Ministry's communication dated July 9, 2026, about the singing of the state anthem.

Supporting the resolution while reiterating the DMK’s position that if delimitation was undertaken to implement women’s reservation, Udhayanidhi said it should be based on the 1971 Census. “If there is any change in Tamil Nadu’s proportion of MPs, its representation should not fall below 7.18 per cent,” he said. He also accused the TVK and its allies of changing their stand from supporting fair delimitation to opposing the exercise.

Eventually, even as all parties supported women’s reservation but differed on the means and methods to implement it, the Assembly adopted the resolution by voice vote, with the DMK, CPM, CPI, Congress, VCK and IUML supporting it, while the AIADMK, BJP, PMK, and DMDK opposed it.

Moving the resolution, Vijay said legislation providing for onethird reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies had already been enacted, but its implementation had been delayed.

“Delaying women’s reservation by linking it with the census and delimitation amounts to denying women their political rights. Women’s reservation should not be postponed or merged with the census and delimitation exercise,” he said.

Referring to the consultative meeting that he chaired on August 8, Vijay said parties had supported retaining the existing 543 seats and implementing women’s reservation in the ensuing election.

During the debate, AIADMK floor leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, BJP’s M Bhojarajan and A Ganeshkumar of the PMK opposed the resolution, arguing there was no urgency, as the Union government had not introduced a delimitation Bill. DMDK leader Premallatha Vijayakanth said she neither supported nor opposed delimitation, and questioned the rationale behind the Assembly adopting a resolution over a Bill that was not yet introduced. She also favoured increasing the number of LS seats by 50%.

Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna cited the possible impact of delimitation on Tamil Nadu’s representation as the rationale for bringing the resolution.

Special police teams are searching for seven more students whose identities have been established, while efforts are under way to identify others involved in the attack. The arrested students were identified as B Aaramudhan (20), from Cuddalore; M Aravind (21), from Sivaganga; S Siva Rohith (20), from Tiruvarur; V Mani Balu (20), from Perambalur; and a 17-year-old boy.

The deceased, Amudhan, was a third-year engineering student at the college. The incident was reportedly linked to an earlier confrontation over an assault and mobile phone theft. A police officer dismissed reports that the murder was linked to Amudhan informing the Chettipalayam police about drug peddling on the college campus. Amudhan’s parents had also made similar allegations. “Amudhan did not lodge any complaint with the police regarding drugs. An inquiry is under way into the claims made by his family members,” the officer said.

Meanwhile, Coimbatore District Collector Pavankumar G Giriyannavar said a detailed inquiry would be conducted into the circumstances surrounding the student’s murder.

J Jaya, principal of Hindusthan College of Engineering and Technology, said that Amudhan and another student had earlier been suspended for assualting a cook on July 21.

“Their parents were informed about the disciplinary action and were asked to take them home as they were under suspension. However, Amudhan did not return to hometown but stayed outside the college campus,” she said.

She also ruled out any link between the disciplinary action and allegations concerning drugs. Police said the investigation was continuing.

The case was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by the present Palani Sub-Registrar, Easwari. Police booked Justin Manikandan (44), Mani (64) of Komarapalayam in Coimbatore district and Kandasamy (87) of TKN Pudur in Palani.

The complaint alleged that the property was registered on July 7 despite the alleged non-submission of proper documents. Police have commenced an investigation.

Meanwhile, doctors at GRH on Wednesday conducted an angiography on Justin Manikandan to assess his heart condition and kept him under close observation in the ICU of the Cardiology Department.

“He is already a cardiac patient and a stent has been placed in his heart. He also suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure,” a GRH doctor said.

Based on the recommendation of doctors at the Dindigul hospital, CB-CID personnel brought him to GRH in an ambulance equipped with ICU facilities. “We are closely monitoring him. If necessary, we will place another stent in his heart,” doctors said.

Judicial Magistrate-I, Dindigul, Bhakyaraj, had visited the hospital, verified that Manikandan was undergoing treatment and formally remanded him in judicial custody till August 21. He will continue treatment at the hospital while remaining in judicial custody.

Meanwhile, the Dindigul JM-I court dismissed the regular bail petitions filed by Manikandan and document writer-cum-broker Jayaprakash.

The duo had approached the court after the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court dismissed their anticipatory bail petitions on August 5, observing that granting anticipatory bail could hamper the investigation and accepting the prosecution's submissions. They filed regular bail petitions before the JM-I court on August 8, with Manikandan citing his health condition.

Petitions seeking transfer of the investigation into the alleged Palani land registration fraud to the CBI also came up for hearing on Wednesday. Counsel for the petitioners raised suspicions over the death of advocate S Anwardeen, another accused in the case, while in judicial custody, and sought transfer of the investigation to the CBI.

The Government Pleader opposed the plea, urging the court not to politicise the issue and submitting that the investigation was being conducted on the basis of documents and evidence. The court said it needed to examine the CB-CID's report in detail and adjourned the hearing to August 24.

Anwardeen (65) died hours after being brought back to Madurai Central Prison following three days of CB-CID interrogation on August 7. He was suffering from paralysis affecting the right side of his body, diabetes and high blood pressure. He developed chest pain in prison that night and died while prison officials were taking him to GRH for treatment.

Senior Counsels G Masilamani and Srinath Sridevan, appearing for Chief Minister Vijay, told Justice V Lakshminarayanan that they would file applications seeking rejection of the three election petitions challenging his victory in Perambur.

Accepting the submission, the judge posted the petitions for hearing on August 25.

The court also adjourned to August 25 another election petition filed by defeated DMK candidate S Inigo Irudayaraj challenging Vijay’s election from the Tiruchirappalli (East) Assembly constituency.

In the May 2026 Assembly election in Perambur, Vijay secured 1,20,365 votes against 66,650 votes polled by RD Shekar, winning by a margin of 53,715 votes. Shekar has filed an election petition challenging Vijay’s election. Voters S Dinesh and TN Lakshmi Narasimhan have also filed separate petitions challenging his election from the constituency.

In his petition against CM Vijay's election to Tiruchy East, DMK candidate Irudayaraj alleged that Vijay had suppressed material information relating to pending cases, failed to disclose election expenses and engaged children in his election campaign.

The petition seeks to declare Vijay’s election void, declare Irudayaraj the returned candidate and stay any by-election pending disposal of the election petition.

Vizhunthamavadi, the coastal hamlet near Kilvelur in Nagapattinam, has around 1,500 residents whose main livelihood is fishing. At a recent routine meeting, the functionaries of the fishermen panchayat and the village elders raised concerns about the growing nuisance caused by drunk men, particularly the youth.

They arrived at a bold decision of total prohibition, banning their unmarried young men from consuming alcohol in the village and penalising those who broke the rule.

A banner announcing the rules of consumption was soon erected at a public place, with a tagline ‘Mathuvai Oilippom, Makkalai Kaappom’ (ban alcohol and save people). The banner also said the effort was initiated for the safety and well-being of the youth.

The restriction has been relaxed for married men, who are allowed to drink but cannot create nuisance inside or outside their homes. “In case of complaints against them, they would also be imposed a fine of Rs 5,000. At the same time, those who promptly inform the village committee about ‘illegal’ alcohol consumption and/or nuisance, would be rewarded an incentive of Rs 2,000,” the banner reads.

“Around 10 days have passed since the public announcement, and we are already experiencing peace and calm,” says Rajendran, a panchayat member.

Women claim that life at home has become peaceful, as the men now focus more on work, fearing complaints by the womenfolk.

Following the incident, Madurai District Chief Educational Officer Dayalan visited the school and conducted an inquiry with the headmaster. A preliminary inquiry found that the attack was reportedly linked to an earlier dispute involving another student.

The parents of the student who allegedly carried out the attack met the school authorities and expressed regret over the incident. The teachers arranged counselling for the student who was attacked.

It had invited applications from eligible persons on June 14 under Section 46 (iii), with July 22 fixed as the original deadline. The deadline was later extended to August 12. Following requests from devotees, the application window was further extended.

Interested applicants can submit the prescribed forms online, in person or by post to the office of the Regional Joint Commissioner concerned.

The elephant habitats in the Western and Eastern Ghats are connected to forest landscapes in Karnataka and Kerala, forming one of the largest contiguous habitats for Asian elephants.

On World Elephant Day on Wednesday, Forest Minister RV Ranjithkumar noted how habitat fragmentation, expansion of settlements along forest boundaries, changing land-use patterns and developmental and linear infrastructure projects have increased human-elephant conflict.

The government has earmarked Rs 20 crore this year for integrated measures to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, focussing on reducing encounters between elephants and people, he said.

The measures are two-fold. On the one hand, the Forest Department is strengthening existing elephant-proof trenches and solar-powered fences in vulnerable areas, and will create additional barriers wherever necessary. More personnel will also be deployed to patrol vulnerable areas and safely drive elephants back into forests when they enter human habitations and agricultural fields, the minister said.

The department will also expand the use of AI-based monitoring and early warning systems to track elephant movements and alert local residents and officials.

On the other hand, measures are also being taken to improve elephant habitats through the restoration of degraded forests, increasing grass and fodder availability, augmenting water resources, controlling invasive alien species, and undertaking soil and moisture conservation works. The government was also prioritising the identification and protection of traditional elephant corridors.

The minister stressed the need to prevent elephant deaths caused by electrocution. The Forest Department, in coordination with other departments, is identifying low-hanging and sagging power lines and other electrical infrastructure. Farmers and landowners have been urged not to illegally electrify fences around agricultural fields.

He said elephants played an important role in maintaining forest ecosystems by dispersing seeds, facilitating vegetation regeneration, and influencing forest structure, making their conservation crucial for protecting forests and biodiversity.

Ranjithkumar said elephant conservation required the cooperation of local communities, farmers and youth. He urged people to immediately alert the department whenever elephants enter human habitations or agricultural fields.

ADGP Vidya Jayant Kulkarni, on compulsory wait was posted as ADGP, Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

The government also transferred M Ramamurthy, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) - Intelligence, Greater Chennai Police and posted him as Superintendent of Police (SP), Q Branch CID, replacing BK Arvind. SP Arvind who has been transferred and posted as SP, Special Branch CID replacing A Myilvaganan. Arpita Rajput serving as SP, North Zone, CB-CID has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Anna Nagar, replacing I Eswaran who has been transferred and posted as SP, TN Commando Force.

SR Senthil Kumar, serving as DCP, Central Crime Branch, Avadi has been transferred and posted as SP, Coastal Security Group, Nagapattinam. V Saravana Kumar, serving as SP, North Zone, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption has been transferred and posted as SP, Anti Terrorism Squad, Chennai replacing D Ramesh Babu who has been posted as DCP (headquarters), Tirunelveli City.

Former AIADMK Minister and party whip Agri SS Krishnamurthy has moved the Madras High Court challenging the Speaker's decision to accept the resignations of S Jayakumar, P Sathyabama, Maragatham Kumaravel and Esakki Subaya.

During the hearing, Senior Advocate V Giri, appearing for party whip Agri SS Krishnamurthi, argued that the court could not accept the counter affidavit filed by the Assembly Secretary on behalf of the Speaker unless the Speaker submitted himself to the court's jurisdiction. He said the questions raised in the petitions had to be answered by the Speaker himself.

He further argued that under Article 190 (3) of the Constitution, the Speaker was required to enquire whether a member's resignation was voluntary and genuine. In the present case, there was nothing to show that such an inquiry had been conducted. He also pointed out that the members were admitted into the ruling party within a few hours of resigning, making the acceptance of their resignations questionable.

After hearing the matter, the court posted the case for further hearing on August 17, 2026.

According to the police, the arrested person is R Santhosh Kumar (41), a resident of Yagasalai Street in Kumbakonam and a Corporation Council member (Ward No 12) belonging to the DMK. After receiving information that the council member had been hoarding lethal weapons, the Kumbakonam Taluk police conducted an elaborate search operation. The police also initiated a vehicle inspection.

Subsequently, the police found that Santhosh Kumar had hoarded weapons in his house and in his vehicle. Soon, the police seized the weapons and arrested him. Later, he was lodged in Kumbakonam prison.

He said the number of Parliamentary constituencies should not be reduced and should remain in the present proportion of 7.18 per cent for Tamil Nadu, and urged the ruling benches to believe the assurances given by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Palaniswami said the AIADMK had supported only one part of the resolution — the 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha seats.

Recalling Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assurance on the delimitation issue, Palaniswami said Tamil Nadu's proportionate representation in Parliament would be safeguarded. He said this assurance was also included in the AIADMK's election manifesto.

Replying to Palaniswami, Health and Family Welfare Minister KG Arunraj said the country's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, had assured that Hindi would not be imposed, but people knew what was happening in the country.

"In this situation, when we could not fulfil Nehru's promise, we do not know how Amit Shah's promise can be implemented," Arunraj said.

Responding to Arunraj, Palaniswami said that Amit Shah was the Union Home Minister and that his words must be trusted.

He said Tamil Nadu could produce a Prime Minister in the future and pointed out that representation from the southern States was lower than that of the northern States.

"This resolution is more important than the NEET issue, as the NEET Bill is also being brought before Parliament," Arjuna said.

Emphasising the importance of the resolution, Arjuna said that even if Tamil Nadu secures 39 Lok Sabha seats, laws enacted by the Union government would still go against the State.

Thanking DMK president MK Stalin, who was the first to raise his voice against delimitation, Arjuna said that if all parties raised their voices together, Bills such as the NEET legislation could not be passed.

Cautioning against the proposal to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats by 50 per cent, the minister said that even if the Union government implemented it, the Hindi-speaking states would dominate Parliament, which would be unjust to the southern States.

"Tamil Nadu needs only a freeze on delimitation, not fair delimitation. The 543 constituencies in India should continue. No one is seeking an increase in the number of Parliament constituencies. We should not fall into the trap of the Hindi-speaking States," Aadhav said.

Observing that the case concerned “the educational prospectus of a bright student”, Justice L Victoria Gowri directed the MCC to unlock the portal and permit the petitioner to upload the relevant documents to claim the OCI category on the website.

The Court further directed the NRI Scrutiny Committee to scrutinise the documents uploaded by the petitioner and, if they were found to be in order, directed the MCC to facilitate the further process forthwith.

Prajit, a British citizen holding a valid OCI card, had appeared for the NEET UG-2026 examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and became eligible to participate in the All India UG counselling conducted by the MCC. However, while submitting his online registration for counselling, Prajit inadvertently selected the category “Foreign National (Other than OCI)” instead of “OCI”.

It was only during document verification that the MCC raised a discrepancy, stating that the uploaded document was not valid and that the petitioner ought to have applied under the OCI category.

During the hearing, Prajit's counsel submitted that he immediately attempted to rectify the mistake through the MCC portal; however, the "Remove Discrepancy" page did not provide any option for uploading an OCI document. The mistake was purely accidental, and there was absolutely no intention to suppress any facts or derive any undue advantage, the counsel submitted.

The counsel appearing for the MCC submitted that the Committee does not change any candidate category. As candidates enter details by themself, both at the time of registration for the examination and during registration for counselling conducted by the MCC, the respondents could take positive action to change the candidate’s category only if permitted by the Court, the counsel submitted.

With the above direction, the Court allowed the writ petition with no order as to costs and closed the connected miscellaneous petition.

The TNPSC, which released the notification for the examinations on Tuesday, announced 821 vacancies. Last year, only 640 vacancies were notified.

The Group 2 and Group 2A examinations are conducted to recruit candidates for various posts, including Sub-Registrar, Deputy Commercial Tax Officer, Local Fund Auditor, Revenue Inspector, Cooperative Inspector and Assistant posts in various departments.

The vacancy figures announced over the years show a sharp decline in the number of posts in the last two recruitment cycles. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the TNPSC had announced 3,000 vacancies in 2020. The number increased to 6,500 in 2022 before declining to 2,540 in 2024. It fell sharply to 640 in 2025 and has increased only marginally this year.

Aspirants said that the latest vacancy figure was particularly disappointing as more than 2,500 Group 2 and Group 2A posts were reportedly lying vacant in various government departments. K Priya, an aspirant preparing for the exams, said, “Those of us who have been preparing for government jobs for several years are deeply disappointed by the reduction in vacancies. Many aspirants have been preparing for these exams for years to secure a government job. The low number of vacancies has killed our hopes. The government should take steps to increase the number of vacancies to more than 1,000.”

S Natraj, who runs a TNPSC coaching centre, said the reduction in vacancies had added to the frustration among aspirants, particularly after the previous Group 2 examination was cancelled. “The change in government and the expectations among young voters for a change, including hopes for more employment opportunities for youngsters, had disappointed the youth, especially with the TVK in power,” he said.

Natraj added that aspirants were prepared to stage protests if the government did not take immediate steps to increase the number of vacancies.

Aspirants have urged the government and the TNPSC to review the vacancy position in various departments and include additional posts in the current recruitment process.

Vacancies in 14 years

• 6,241 in 2011

• 3,842 in 2012

• 1,086 in 2013

• 3,215 in 2014

• 1,947 in 2015

• 1,208 in 2016

• 1,943 in 2017

• 1,348 in 2018

• 1,100 in 2019

• 3,000 in 2020

• 6,500 in 2022

• 2,540 in 2024

• 640 in 2025

• 821 in 2026