The New Indian Express Chennai - December 18, 2024

In this issue

December 18, 2024

Now, NTA will manage only higher edu entrance tests

IN a significant shift from its role, the National Testing Agency (NTA) will now focus solely on conducting entrance exams for admissions to higher education institutions. It means the agency will no longer oversee recruitment exams.

1 min

'One poll' bill introduced in LS

Draws fierce protest from Oppn; govt ready to send it to a joint parliamentary committee

2 mins

Congress misused Constitution: Shah

UNION home minister and the BJP's principal strategist Amit Shah on Tuesday tore into the Congress, terming it an anti-reservation party that recklessly amended the Constitution of India to pander to its appeasement politics during its long stint in government.

1 min

Hike NREGS wages, says House panel

FLAGGING concern over the low wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a Parliamentary Panel has recommended raising the wages of the workers.

1 min

Special reservation under fine arts & culture for UG courses in IIT-Madras

IN a first, the IIT-Madras has introduced a 'Fine Arts and Culture Excellence' (FACE) admission quota for undergraduate programmes for the academic year 2025-26.

1 min

State-backed changes to cultural identities keep tensions simmering in SL

IN the Tamil-majority northern province of Sri Lanka, as a road turns uphill towards Old Chemmalai, near the scenic Nayaru Lagoon in Mullaitivu district, there stands a statue of Lord Buddha.

2 mins

‘HOME OF CHESS’ TO NURTURE MORE GRANDMASTERS: CM

CHIEF Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday announced the establishment of a chess academy, Home of Chess, under the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT).

1 min

'Savukku' arrested after court issues NBW for failing to appear before it

THE Principal Special Court for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act Cases in Madurai issued a non-bailable warrant against YouTuber 'Savukku' Shankar for failing to appear before the court in a ganja case on Tuesday.

1 min

Tribal hamlets in Kalvarayan Hills to get micro vans for taking kids to school

WORKING towards addressing the challenges faced by children from tribal areas in accessing formal education, the Tribal Welfare Department is planning to launch a pilot initiative to provide micro vans to four schools on Kalvarayan Hills of Kallakurichi district.

1 min

18 fishers repatriated by Lanka reach Karaikal

ON the day when Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is on his maiden Indian visit, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the island nation repatriated 18 Indian fishermen, arrested for allegedly crossing the IMBL this month.

1 min

Cops yet to crack Tiruppur murder case, ask people to install CCTV cams

NEARLY three weeks have passed since three members of a family were beaten to death in a farm house near Avinashi-palayam, yet district police are unable to make a breakthrough in the investigation despite forming 14 special teams.

1 min

Was eco study done before beach sand mining nod?

The Madras High Court on Tuesday questioned government authorities whether an environment impact assessment was carried out before allowing private firms to mine beach sand in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts.

1 min

Erode East constituency declared vacant

CHENNAI: The Assembly Secretariat has declared the Erode East constituency vacant following the death of EVKS Elangovan who represented it.

1 min

Was eco study done before beach sand mining nod?

THE Madras High Court on Tuesday questioned government authorities whether an environment impact assessment was carried out before allowing private firms to mine beach sand in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts.

1 min

Basha laid to rest amid huge police deployment in Kovai

OVER 2,000 police personnel and 200 RAF personnel were deployed from Ukkadam to Flower Market area on Tuesday ahead of the funeral procession of SA Basha, the mastermind of the 1998 serial bomb blasts.

1 min

NGOs urge TN to hold rural local body elections

Citizen groups including Thannatchi, Arappor Iyakkam, Voice of People, Institute of Grassroots and Governance (IGG) and Thozhan have urged the TNSEC and the state to expedite and conduct rural local body elections in 28 districts.

1 min

Land use policy draft points to shift towards horticulture farming in TN

State plan panel submits draft Sustainable Land Use Policy, bats for holistic spatial land use

2 mins

Couple held with 19 dead crows sparks fear of meat finding way to eateries

Birds poisoned using mild toxin; Officials say meat may be sold to small eateries along highways

1 min

Samsung workers plan 'canteen boycott'

UNREST is brewing among the Samsung India workers in Sriperumbudur again over alleged harassment of 35 workers, who were the face of the month-long protest in September, by supervisors and management of the company.

1 min

Woman, live-in partner held for impersonation

A 30-year-old woman and her live-in partner were arrested for impersonation as she made him pose as her husband before the district medical board, formed under the Surrogacy Act, at Directorate of Medical Services office in Teynampet.

1 min

4 held in ₹1.65cr online scam

FOUR men who were involved in an online investment scam were arrested by the State Cyber Crime Investigation Centre (SCCIC) on December 6 and 7.

1 min

₹14 crore cocaine seized from Kenyan woman

CHENNAI Customs have seized 1.4kg of cocaine worth ₹14 crore from a Kenyan female passenger who tried to smuggle it from Addis Ababa by ingesting it.

1 min

Passengers dub proposal for rail terminal at Perambur irrational

EVEN as the Southern Railway continues to drag its feet on the new terminal work at Tambaram for the last seven years, the decision to set up a greenfield terminal at Perambur, near Perambur Loco Works station and 7 km from Chennai Central, has left rail passengers shocked and disappointed.

1 min

Will skill grads and integrate them into workforce: PTR

INFORMATION Technology and Digital Services Minister Dr Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said the state government's key priorities in the next four years will be to skill graduating talent and integrate them into the workforce through the ICT Academy; establish policies for R&D, deep tech, and AI guidelines; reduce attrition; and provide support programmes for startups to fuel innovation and growth.

1 min

SC clears decks for CBI probe into Kallakurichi hooch tragedy

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the decks for a CBI probe into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that left 68 people dead.

1 min

Kerala waste dumped in Nellai villages: Police register two cases after 37 days

NEARLY 37 days after complaints were filed against miscreants who dumped biomedical, food, plastic and other waste from Kerala in Kodaganallur and Palavoor villages, the Suthamalli police registered two cases on Thursday night.

1 min

Two Odisha men found murdered in Namakkal

TWO Odisha natives were found dead near Veppadai in the early hours of Tuesday.

1 min

Athangudi tile makers file plea against Big Boss show

MEMBERS of the Federation of Chettinad Athangudi Heritage Flooring Tiles Manufacturing Association petitioned District Collector Asha Ajith against popular television show Bigg Boss for projecting traditional Athangudi tiles as those of inferior quality.

1 min

Can't seize PDS rice-carrying ship due to legal constraints

1,320 metric tonnes had been loaded onto the cargo ship: Kakinada DC

1 min

ONE ELECTION CAN BE FIRST OF MANY REFORMS

We should use the move for simultaneous elections to call for other political reforms, such as greater transparency in parties' internal affairs and mandatory reports on manifesto pledges

4 mins

GROWING ENTERPRISES IN A TIME-TESTED INDIAN WAY

SOME accomplished chief financial officers of established companies like Tata Consultancy, Tata Chemicals and KPMG set up a think tank as a body that would engage with relevant audiences—India Inc, regulators, administrators—to create and nurture better-governed enterprises.

3 mins

Govt lacks 2/3rd majority to push bill, says Tharoor

AS the government tabled two Bills on 'One Nation One Election' on Tuesday, the Congress party has raised questions about whether the NDA government has the requisite numbers to pass them in Lok Sabha.

1 min

Nadda accuses Cong of attempting to introduce religion-based quota

QUOTING BR Ambedkar, Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha JP Nadda on Tuesday accused the Congress of attempting to introduce religion-based reservations.

1 min

OTTs glorifying drug use under govt lens

THE OTT (over-the-top) platforms are on the radar of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for streaming content that reportedly 'glamorises' and 'glorifies' the use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

1 min

ED conducts raids at 21 locations in case on betting app owned by Pak nationals

THE Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it had conducted fresh raids under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act at 21 locations in Delhi, Mumbai and Pune as part of its probe against the operatives of an unlawful betting website owned by some Pakistani nationals.

1 min

Erratic rains, warm winter hit sugar production

WITH erratic monsoon rains and warmer winter temperatures negatively affecting sugar production, sugar prices are expected to rise in the coming months.

2 mins

HC judge appears before SC collegium over remarks on UCC at VHP function

ALLAHABAD High Court judge Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, who stirred controversy with his statement at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) event, appeared before the Supreme Court collegium on Tuesday to present his side of the issue.

1 min

Setback to PK as 2 ex-MPs quit Jan Suraj Party

IN a major setback for political strategist-turned activist Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), two former MPs Devendra Prasad Yadav and Monizir Hasan resigned from the core committee of the party on Tuesday.

1 min

A Punjab sad story written in Georgian ski resort

Of the 12 people found dead at a restaurant in the ski resort of Gudauri, Georgia, possibly due to carbon monoxide poisoning, 11 were Indian nationals with most of them from Punjab.

2 mins

PM promises tap water to all homes

Modi lays foundation stone for much-awaited Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project in Jaipur

2 mins

UP presents its 2nd supplementary budget worth ₹17.8K cr in Assembly

THE Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday presented its second supplementary budget of ₹17,865.72 crore, which includes new proposals worth ₹790.49 crore for 2024-25.

1 min

Bhujbal ups ante, fires 'toy' salvo at Ajit Pawar for no cabinet position

SENIOR NCP leader and former deputy CM Chhagan Bhujbal on Tuesday upped the ante against his party leader Ajit Pawar for denying him a place in the Maha Yuti cabinet.

1 min

Over 8L ration cards cancelled, Cong says tribals worst affected

BETWEEN 2013 and 2024, a total of 815,734 ration cards were cancelled in Gujarat, the Centre on Tuesday told the Rajya Sabha.

1 min

Omar to meet Shah in Delhi today to discuss statehood restoration

NEARLY two months after the passage of a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir cabinet on restoration of statehood, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is likely to meet Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital for the second time on Wednesday.

1 min

Russian Gen heading N-arms vertical assassinated

Ukraine claims responsibility, accuses Igor Kirillov of using banned chemical weapons in ongoing war; Moscow treating it as terror attack

1 min

Israel to control Gaza even after war: def minister

ISRAEL's Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that his country's forces would be free to act in Gaza Strip even after its war with Hamas ends.

1 min

Rescue efforts on as 7.3 quake flattens buildings in Vanuatu

A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific nation of Vanuatu on Tuesday, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one used by foreign embassies, with a witness saying bodies lying in the city.

1 min

Russian Parliament approves bill that can lift Taliban terror tag

RUSSIA's parliament on Tuesday approved a bill that could pave the way for Moscow to lift its designation of the Taliban as a banned \"terrorist\" organisation.

1 min

Was target of suicide attack during 2021 Iraq visit: Pope

POPE Francis turned 88 on Tuesday and marked the occasion with revelations that he almost didn't make it.

1 min

ITC Hotel demerger from January 1, 2025

FMCG giant ITC Ltd has fixed January 1, 2025 as the effective date for the demerger of its hotel business after receiving an order from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

1 min

Gold import up on tariff cut, UAE pact

331% rise in import of yellow metal to $15 bn in Nov resulted in trade deficit, pressure on rupee

2 mins

Slower Q2 GDP growth temporary blip, will see healthy growth in coming qtrs: FM

FINANCE Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has termed the second quarter GDP growth slowdown a temporary blip and expressed her confidence that the economy will see healthy growth in the coming quarters.

1 min

Domestic market declines on trade deficit, weakening rupee

DOMESTIC equity market declined sharply on Tuesday with the benchmarks - BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty50 - cracking nearly 1.5% each.

1 min

Sebi may tighten SME listing norms, bring in transparency

THE Securities and Exchange Board's (Sebi) board meeting slated for Wednesday is likely to come up with a slew of measures to clean the SME IPOs space that has, of late, received regulatory attention.

1 min

ED hands over ₹22,000 cr worth properties attached under PMLA to owners

THE Enforcement Directorate (ED) has handed over properties worth ₹22,280 crore attached under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to victims or their legitimate claimants, finance ministry has informed parliament.

1 min

Adani group firm Ambuja merges Penna Cements, Sanghi Ind with itself

AMBUJA Cements, the cement and building material company of Adani Group, announced the merger of Sanghi Industries (SIL) and Penna Cement Industries with itself.

1 min

Bid in satellite spectrum not feasible: Scindia

A day after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised concerns over the government's decision to administratively allocate satellite spectrum in the country, communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday defended the move, saying that satellite spectrum is neither suitable nor practical for auction.

1 min

Rana wouldn't have got into our playing XI: Gujarat coach Klinger

GUJARAT GIANTS, after finishing last in the back-to-back Women's Premier League points table, went into the mini-auction looking to make a few important changes.

2 mins

Chelsea's Mudryk fails drugs test: Club

CHELSEA forward Mykhailo Mudryk has failed a doping test, the Premier League club said on Tuesday, as reports stated the Ukraine international has been provisionally suspended.

1 min

RAHUL AND JADEJA BRING ORDER AS INDIA TAIL WAGS

SOMEWHERE in the middle of the first innings, Virat Kohli rushed out of the Gabba dressing room, called up Abhimanyu Easwaran, told him something in earnestness and sent him off the ground.

3 mins

Two World Champions, 31 GMs, Tamil Nadu is the best: Anand

OPEN rooftop car. Scores of people. Cavalcade of cars. It was another maddening but memorable day in the newly-crowned world champ, D Gukesh's, life.

2 mins

Ongoing struggle of Sharma the Test batter

Poor form and captaincy issues could be two unrelated things as Rohit falls for another low score on day four in Brisbane on Tuesday

4 mins

THE HEART'S LITTLE BRAIN

The heart is an essential organ, on which rests the reality of life and death. But new research suggests that it does more than just pump blood, fusing a host of psychological connections

5 mins

LESSONS FOR PEACEFUL LIVING

A man's soft voice breaks as he shares the age-old wisdom of living completely in the present moment as he begins his session on mindfulness and meditation.

2 mins

Culinary tales of Karnataka

In the diverse culinary landscape of Karnataka, rice and rice-based dishes served with flavorful curries take center stage.

2 mins

SWEET LI'L THING

CE takes a bite into the origins, cultivation and health benefits of the starchy, mildly sugary winter vegetable - sweet potato

2 mins

SILO TO END WITH SEASON 4

On Monday, Apple TV+ announced that Rebecca Ferguson's Silo has been renewed for another two seasons. The streamer also shared that the fourth season will be the last chapter.

1 min

A Man on the Inside to return for S2

After its successful debut earlier this year, Netflix has renewed its series A Man on the Inside for another season.

1 min

It takes a village to usher in change

KAMPONG Bras Basah in the Malay language movie La Luna might be several thousand miles away from Soorajmukhi in the interiors of North India in the Hindi film Laapataa Ladies, but the two quaint fictional villages share quite a lot in common, even as both the films have themselves been among the 85 vying in the Best International Feature category at the Oscars.

2 mins

Wicked sequel to release in November

While Wicked: Part One was released in November, the makers have already announced a release date for its sequel.

1 min

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