The New Indian Express Chennai - December 24, 2024

In this issue

December 24, 2024

New election rule amendment gravest threat to democracy

CHIEF MINISTER M K Stalin on Monday alleged that democracy is facing its gravest threat under the BJP-led union government as it has made a reckless amendment to Section 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Election Rules of 1961 to \"kill transparency\", and appealed to all political parties to counter the \"assault on free and fair\" elections.

1 min

Now, Dhaka note verbale for Hasina's extradition

Ministry of External Affairs confirms receiving it, offers no comment

1 min

Govt schools can now fail students of classes 5 and 8

In a major decision, the Centre has scrapped the 'no-detention policy' for classes 5 and 8 in schools governed by it, which means students will be failed if they do not clear the year-end examinations.

1 min

He was a leader of leaders

One of those who lit the screens of Indian cinema with very meaningful colours and poignant hues left us on Monday. Shyam Benegal is no more. He was 90.

1 min

Women lawyers can't appear with face veil: J&K HC

THE Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has held that women advocates cannot appear before the court with their face covered.

1 min

'New election rule amendment gravest threat to democracy'

CHIEF MINISTER MK Stalin on Monday alleged that democracy is facing its gravest threat under the BJP-led union government as it has made a reckless amendment to Section 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Election Rules of 1961 to \"kill transparency\" and appealed to all political parties to counter the \"assault on free and fair\" elections.

1 min

Child marriages up by 56% in TN in one year; Erode and Tirunelveli top the list

The number of child marriages in Tamil Nadu has increased at an alarming rate of 55.6% between 2023 and 2024.

2 mins

Centre approves revised proposal for widening of Ranipet-Chittoor NH

THE Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) has set the ball rolling for the widening of the 28-km, two-lane stretch of National Highway 40 from Ranipet to the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border into a four-lane highway.

1 min

RGGGH doctors save hands of 40-year-old assaulted with knife

FOLLOWING a nine-hour complex surgical procedure, doctors at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) managed to save the hands of a 40-year-old woman who was assaulted with a knife during a family dispute.

1 min

TN won't scrap no-detention policy: Min

SCHOOL Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Monday stated that Tamil Nadu will not implement the recent amendment to the Right to Education (RTE) Rules, which removes the no-detention policy for students up to Class 8.

1 min

When a door closed, Annai Sathya home opened a window

The home took in around 100 children who lost their parents to the waves and gave them a new lease on life

3 mins

Man injured as balcony collapses at Srinivasapuram

IN a second mishap within a few weeks, a 45-year-old man sustained leg injuries when a balcony in his house on the third floor of a TNUHDB housing tenement in Foreshore Estate, Srinivasapuram, collapsed on Sunday night.

2 mins

Myopia summit to be held on Jan 4

DR Agarwals Eye Hospital will host 'Myopia and digital eye strain patient summit' on January 4 to raise awareness on the conditions among patients.

1 min

VCK chief: 25 seats in DMK bloc is Vanniyarasu's opinion

A day after VCK deputy general secretary Vanniyarasu said the cadre working at the grassroots level wish the party to contest in 25 assembly seats in the 2026 assembly elections, party president Thol Thirumavalavan clarified this was Vanniyarasu's personal opinion.

1 min

Kerala finishes removal of waste dumped in Nellai border villages

A total of 30 truck-load of waste were taken back; TN local body officials disinfect dumpsites

2 mins

One lorry carrying human excreta, 4 with food waste detained in Kumari

Police seized four vehicles loaded with food and fish wastes and a lorry loaded with human excreta from Kerala across Kanniyakumari on Monday.

1 min

Asset details of govt employees can't be shielded from public: HC

SETTING aside an order of the State Information Commission denying information on the assets and liabilities of a government officer, the Madras High Court has held that such details cannot be shielded from public scrutiny.

1 min

Kerala finishes removal of waste dumped in Nellai border villages

A total of 30 truck-load of waste were taken back; TN local body officials disinfect dumpsites

1 min

VCK to chant Ambedkar's name 1K times in Chennai stir

VIDUTHALAI Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) will hold a large-scale protest on December 28 in Chennai over the recent remarks on social reformer and Dalit icon Dr BR Ambedkar by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Party leader Thol Thirumavalavan announced the protest here on Monday.

1 min

Prima facie evidence of laundering exists against Sadiq, says spl CBI court

A special CBI court in Chennai rejected the bail petitions moved by alleged drug kingpin Jaffer Sadiq and his brother Mohammed Saleem, stating that there were sufficient documents available to show that they were prima facie guilty of charges levelled against them.

1 min

NHRC takes up electrocution of EB workers case suo motu

THE National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the electrocution of two Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) workers while repairing power lines on Olaiyur Ring Road in KK Nagar, Tiruchy, on December 18.

1 min

3 students feared drowned in Cauvery

THREE school students were washed away in the Cauvery river at Ayyalamman Padithurai at Kudamurutti in Tiruchy on Monday.

1 min

3 arrested for gun trade in Kovai

COIMBATORE District Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in coordination with Peelamedu police, arrested three individuals for illegal firearm trade on Sunday.

1 min

Loco pilot's swift action averts major accident

A potential train crash was averted near Tindivanam in Villupuram district on Monday after a crack was spotted on the railway tracks by the loco pilot of a passenger train.

1 min

MLA joins stir against 'school closure', kneels before HM

PARENTS along with PMK MLA R Arul from Salem West constituency on Monday staged a protest at Old Suramangalam in Salem urging the administration of an aided higher secondary school against closing it allegedly as the school land had been sold.

1 min

Factories pay less for leaves, Kundha tea planters protest

CONDEMNING tea factories for paying ₹3 less per kg than the committee-fixed price of ₹24.59 for green tea leaves, small plantation owners in Kundha launched a strike on Monday. The planters also did not send leaves that have already been plucked to eight tea factories.

1 min

HC flays KL for dumping waste in TN

Govt secy directed to furnish report on agencies involved in collecting, disposing waste

1 min

17 Delhi women achievers felicitated with Devi Awards

IT was an all-women show without any pink bows.

2 mins

RELIGION IN THE TIME OF UNCERTAINTIES

Apart from other motivations, he said 'woke' was a virus and he would not rest till he destroyed it.

4 mins

INFLUENCER OF THE YEAR: ALGORITHM

Algorithms affect most parts of our lives today. With quantum computing set to be unleashed, the future looks loaded in favour of the abilities of instructions coded in machines

5 mins

Army's equine, canine unit falls short on training, animal transport use: CAG

THE Indian Army's Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC) fell short of achieving half of its training objectives and failed to fully utilise its Animal Transport (AT) Units, revealed a recent audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India on the defence services.

1 min

E-forensics platform to connect 117 labs: MHA

KEEPING in view the special importance given to forensic evidence after implementation of revamped criminal laws, Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bhartiya Sakshya Sanhita (BSS), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has developed and operationalised an e-Forensics IT platform, which is connected with 117 forensic science laboratories across the country, officials said on Monday.

1 min

200 Vande Bharat sleeper trains in line

THE Indian Railways is preparing to launch 200 Vande Bharat sleeper trains following the success of its chair car trains, which have reportedly received positive feedbacks in the regions they are running through.

1 min

Building young talent key for New India: Modi

Distributes over 71K appointment letters to new recruits in govt depts under Rozgar Mela

1 min

PMO steps in, asks health ministry to act against misleading adverts

THE Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has directed the Health Ministry to take \"appropriate action\" to amend the draft Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954, which aimed to take stringent action against misleading advertisements, including Ayush medicines.

1 min

Should Evaluate ONOE in National Interest

P Chaudhary, former Union Minister of State for Law and now Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, shares his insights on the One Nation One Election (ONOE) concept and its implications for India.

3 mins

Parbhani youth killed for being Dalit: Rahul

CONGRESS MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday met the family members of Somnath Suryawanshi, who allegedly died in police custody in Parbhani and alleged he was killed because he was a Dalit.

1 min

UP plans crash course on RTI Act at Sangam during Mahakumbh 2025

INTRODUCING new features to the Mahakumbh, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to sensitize the visitors about the Right to Information on the sands of Sangam.

1 min

College students locked up inside hostel for hours

AS many as 90 students of Government Polytechnic College in Saraikela were allegedly locked inside the hostel for at least two hours on the behest of the principal for failing to pay the contribution money for the fresher's party being charged forcefully by them.

1 min

Manipur govt announces to make 1,946 new police recruits peace messengers

THE Manipur govt will make an endeavour towards restoring peace in the ethnic violence-hit state by not disintegrating a team of 1,946 newly-inducted India Reserve Battalion personnel from Meitei, Kuki, Naga and other communities who were trained together in Assam.

1 min

Protests erupt after idol of Ambedkar vandalised

A statue of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was vandalised in Ahmedabad's Khokhra area on Monday morning, sparking outrage amid the ongoing controversy over a contentious statement by Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament about the Dalit icon.

1 min

Three Khalistani terrorists killed in Pilibhit encounter

Three suspected Khalistani terrorists allegedly involved in the grenade attack in Gurdaspur were killed in an encounter with police in Pilibhit early on Monday.

1 min

Snowfall in Himachal, severe cold alert issued

HIMACHAL Pradesh experienced its second light snowfall of the season on Monday, bringing joy to both locals and tourists.

2 mins

Trump threatens to take back control of Panama Canal

Prez-elect says US ships passing the waterway are charged unfair fees

2 mins

Israel's pager blast ops started 10 yrs ago: spies

TWO recently retired senior Israeli intelligence agents shared new details about a deadly clandestine operation years in the making that targeted Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Syria using exploding pagers and walkie talkies three months ago.

1 min

$5 bn scam probe against Hasina over N-plant project

BANGLADESH launched a probe into the alleged $5 billion embezzlement connected to a Russian-backed nuclear power plant by ousted leader Sheikh Hasina and her family, the anti-corruption commission said on Monday.

1 min

Airtel adds users for 1st time since tariff hike in Jul

FOR the first time since the tariff hike announced by private telecom service providers in July 2024, Bharti Airtel added 1.9 million subscribers in October 2024.

1 min

Razorpay grants employees ₹1L ESOPs to mark 10 yrs of operation

FINTECH major Razorpay is awarding employee stock option plans (ESOPs) worth ₹1 lakh to all its current employees as part of its 10 years celebration.

1 min

GST rate hike: Used car market faces challenges

Experts say rate hike from 12-18% to impact second-hand vehicle biz

1 min

Women represent 20% of crypto exchange CoinDCX's high networth customers

WITH the increasing adoption of cryptocurrency, women are now representing 20% of crypto exchange CoinDCX's HNI (high net-worth individual) customers.

1 min

Honda-Nissan to be 3rd-largest carmaker

JAPANESE auto giants Honda and Nissan have announced plans to merge operations, creating the world's third-largest automaker by sales, trailing only Toyota and Volkswagen.

1 min

TRAI asks telcos to offer tariff vouchers for calls, SMS

THE Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has directed telecom service providers to offer separate special tariff vouchers (STVs) for voice calls and SMS services.

1 min

Market snaps 5-day losing streak, retail participants advised to take cautious stance

DOMESTIC equity market snapped a five-day losing streak on Monday with the benchmark indices - BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty - gaining 0.70 per cent each.

1 min

Tata Capital to raise up to $2 billion from overseas mkt

TATA CAPITAL, which after the merger with the group company Tata Motor's NBFC subsidiary has become the 12th largest non-bank player in terms of AUM, is tapping the global debt market to raise up to $2 billion as part of its medium-term notes (MTN) programme.

1 min

Adani Defence acquires 85.8% stake in Air Works at an enterprise value of ₹400 crore

ADANI Defence Systems & Technologies Ltd. (ADSTL) acquired 85.8% shareholding in Air Works (AWIEPL), India's largest private sector MRO company with the largest pan-India footprint, said the Adani Group company on Monday.

1 min

Scrap dealer's son Sairaj claims gold

SAIRAJ Pardeshi was pretty clear what he had to become when he was only eight.

2 mins

Naveen & Lokesh one hit away from national glory

IT was a mixed outing for shuttlers from Tamil Nadu in the ongoing Senior National Badminton Championships in Bengaluru on Monday.

1 min

GREEN CORNER IN BOXING DAY BOUT

MCG curator says grass on the surface should excite pacers

4 mins

Beau is not afraid of Test challenges

IMAGINE being Beau Webster. You had just helped Tasmania beat New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the Sheffield Shield game around late November. A 61 and 49 with the bat while taking five wickets across two innings. You get called up as cover for Mitchell Marsh ahead of the pink ball Test against India.

3 mins

Hyderabad FC squander 2-goal lead to suffer loss

HYDERABAD FC have endured a difficult run in the ongoing Indian Super League so far. And things turned from bad to worse on Monday.

1 min

A SLIPPERY SLOPE & SILENT EPIDEMIC

Identify Signs, Lend a Hand

4 mins

Comfort Cuisine at a Historic Home

Tucked away in Nungambakkam, Una Villa, built in a repurposed mid-century home, offers a scrumptious menu

3 mins

TIMELESS TRADITIONS AT TAJ

N a glorious nod to sustainability and timeless tradition, Taj Coromandel unveiled its majestic Christmas tree in the hotel lobby, marking the festive season with an innovative approach.

2 mins

'Artists are meant to face the suffering of the world'

Actor Andrew Garfield speaks about the privilege of watching non-English film at 21st Marrakech International Film Festival, his collaboration with Luca Guadagnino, and more

4 mins

A MAGICAL CHRISTMAS GALA AWAITS

STEP into the festive season with grandeur as the Ambica Empire Hotel unveils its Christmas celebrations for 2024!

1 min

SUSTAINABLE CELEBRATIONS AT HILTON

A sparkling Christmas tree, carols by the hotel team, and an array of snacks marked the festivities

1 min

Dine at the finest

HERATON Grand Chennai Resort & Spa, Mahabalipuram invites you to immerse yourself in the festive spirit with an array of exceptional dining experiences, promising culinary delights, warm hospitality, and unforgettable moments by the Bay of Bengal.

2 mins

Celebration of cultures

As the holiday season envelops Chennai, the city transforms into a vibrant festive haven, blending its rich cultural heritage with the universal cheer of Christmas.

2 mins

AN EXQUISITE BONFIRE 'BBQ NIGHTS'

FIRE up your weekends; give into sizzling smoky flavours of the new BBQ Nights at Nectar.

1 min

Festive season's unveiling at Savera Hotel

SAVERA Hotel's festive season celebrations begin with a delightful journey of artisanal creations, festive menus, and holiday cheer, crafted by our culinary experts.

1 min

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