Chennai Hyderabad February 24, 25 Highlights: Students in Classes 9, 10, 11 declared as having passed by EPS

Tamil Nadu Telangana Coronavirus Assembly Elections 2021 February 24, 25 Highlights: The Prime Minister will be inaugurating key projects in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

By: Express Web Desk
Chennai, Hyderabad | Updated: February 26, 2021 08:58 AM IST
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Tamil Nadu Telangana Assembly Elections COVID-19 February 24, 25 Highlights: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Tamil Nadu and Puducherry today to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development initiatives, including key power projects in Tamil Nadu.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an election meeting in Coimbatore on February 25 and at least 1.5 lakh people are expected to attend, BJP sources said on Tuesday.

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Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief minister O Panneerselvam will participate in the official function. Party workers and functionaries from 12 districts are expected to attend the meeting, in the presence of BJP national general secretary C T Ravi, Union minister of state for home G Kishan Reddy and State president L Murugan.

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18:30 (IST)25 Feb 2021
Man from TN held for duping homebuyers of Rs 2.50 cr by luring them to invest in housing project

A 46-year-old man was arrested from Tamil Nadu for allegedly duping homebuyers of Rs 2.50 crores by luring them to invest in a housing project in southwest Delhi's Dwarka area, police said on Thursday. K Ponniah, an ex-servicemen, was declared a proclaimed offender in 2018 after he fled to his native village in Tamil Nadu and did not join the probe related to this case despite issuance of several notices to him, they said. He was arrested on Tuesday from a lodge in Puddukottai district of Tamil Nadu by a team of Economic Offences Wing (EOW), police said.

Joint Commissioner of Police (EOW) O P Mishra said the complainants were induced by the accused to invest in his housing firm namely Defence Personnel Welfare Housing Organisation (DPWHO) for a project which was to come up in Poachanpur village in Dwarka sector 23. "In 2014, complainants were offered residential units in tower 24B constructed by DPWHO. However, till 2016, the accused did not hand over the possession and in 2017, the complainants came to know that the flats booked by them had been sold to other people," he said.

After an initial enquiry, a case was registered in 2017 and was later transferred to the EOW in 2019, police said. During investigation, bank details were verified and relevant documents were also scrutinized. After the case was transferred to EOW in 2019, surveillance was mounted during which the police traced the location of the accused to Tiruchirrapalli but since he was not found there, the investigating team moved to his native place in Thiruvarur district.

Sensing police raids in his village, he escaped from Tiruchirapalli and reached Pudukottai and switched off all his phone numbers. However, surveillance was also mounted on those whom he contacted and later a police team arrested the accused from a lodge in Pudukottai district where he had been hiding, the police added. (PTI)

18:12 (IST)25 Feb 2021
PM Modi inaugurates various projects in TN

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dedicated to the nation key projects in Tamil Nadu, including the 2x500 mw Neyveli new thermal power plant, and laid the foundation stone for important initiatives in the state.

The Neyveli project is a lignite based power plant designed for power generation capacity of 1000 MW with two units of 500 MW capacity each.

The prime minister also inaugurated virtually a 709 MW solar power project of NLCIL and over 4,000 tenements in Tiruppur, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli, at an event attended by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister K Palaniswami and deputy CM O Panneerselvam.

Modi also laid the foundation stone for the extension, renovation and modernisation of Lower Bhavani Project System. (PTI)

17:45 (IST)25 Feb 2021
Modi in Puducherry: ‘Your ex-CM Narayanasamy expert in lifting slippers of top party leaders’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Congress and its erstwhile government in Puducherry after inaugurating a slew of development projects in the Union Territory.

Addressing a public meeting in the poll-bound UT days after the Congress-led government lost power during a vote of confidence, Modi said winds of change are visible in Puducherry.

In an apparent reference to the V Narayanasamy government that fell on Monday, the PM said that the people of Puducherry are “celebrating freedom from the misgovernance of the Congress”.

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17:13 (IST)25 Feb 2021
IN PICS | Commuters left stranded amid transport strike in Tamil Nadu
17:11 (IST)25 Feb 2021
Commuters, students bear the brunt as TN transport workers strike over wage demands

Hundreds of commuters, including school and college students, bore the brunt of the indefinite strike launched by Tamil Nadu Transportation Union on Thursday.

Over one lakh workers, affiliated to nine trade unions, participated in the strike against non-conclusion of wage talks and demanding clearance of provident fund and dues of retired workers, among others.

While nearly 50 per cent buses plied in the state capital during the early hours, the number of government buses in several districts was abysmally low. In Dharmapuri district, only 193 of a total fleet of 343 buses were available for service. In Madurai’s Usulampatti town, just 14 of 86 buses were pressed into service. The situation was similar in other districts such as Nagercoil, Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Cuddalore and Tiruvannamalai. Many buses remained anchored at the bays and some of the bus stations wore a deserted look.

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16:24 (IST)25 Feb 2021
AP govt to implement CBSE system for classes 1 to 7 in its schools from 2021-22

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to implement CBSE system for classes 1 to 7 in all its schools from the 2021-22 academic year. The system will be gradually increased year-wise from classes 8 to 10. By the year 2024, all classes from 1 to 10 will be under CBSE, a release from the Chief Ministers Office said.

The move comes amid an ongoing litigation in the Supreme Court against the conversion of all government schools, from classes 1 to 6, to English medium, a move that has caused widespread resentment. The latest decision by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to switch over to the Central Board of Secondary Education is seen as a move on the sly to completely do away with the Telugu medium of education. 

Under CBSE, Telugu is only a subject taught and the curriculum will be in Hindi or English medium. The government did not specify whether it will do away with the state syllabus completely or introduce CBSE system parallel to it. (PTI)

15:22 (IST)25 Feb 2021
TN govt raises retirement age of its employees to 60 years

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday enhanced the retirement age of its employees, including teachers and PSU staff, to 60 years.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who raised the retirement age of government employees by a year, made an announcement in the Assembly under rule 110 that the increase will apply to all serving government employees including government and aided educational institutions, PSUs and local bodies, and those who retire on May 31, 2021.

In May last year, the CM had increased the retirement age of government employees to 59 from 58 years. The gesture came into immediate effect and the government came out with an order (GO) to give effect to the chief minister's announcement. (PTI)

15:21 (IST)25 Feb 2021
Tamil Nadu Class 9, 10 and 11 students to be promoted without exam

Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami Wednesday announced that all class 9, SSLC (class 10) and class 11 students to be promoted without the exam. The government took the decision based on the inputs from medical experts who suggested the situation is not conducive to conduct the SSLC and plus one exam.

The students will be assessed based on their marks on the internal assessment. The marks for the pending exam will be divided into two parameters. As much as, 80 per cent of marks will be evaluated based on students’ performance in quarterly and half-yearly examinations and 20 per cent will be based on attendance.

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14:15 (IST)25 Feb 2021
CMRL extends train timings in view of transport strike

The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) announced it will commence its services for every five minutes from 7 am to 11 am and from 4 pm to 8 pm on Thursday on the day of the transport union’s strike. CMRL added that additional trips would be enabled during the non-peak hours depending on the passenger flow.

14:14 (IST)25 Feb 2021
Commuters affected as transport unions go on strike in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Transportation Union Thursday began their indefinite strike they announced earlier despite the peace talks initiated by the state government. Over one lakh workers belonging to the nine unions including Labour Progressive Federation, Indian National Trade Union Congress, Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS)Centre of Indian trade unions (CITU), etc have participated in the strike citing the non-conclusion of wage talks, demanding clearance of provident fund, dues of retired workers, etc.

The government on Wednesday sounded confident of running the public transportation without causing any hindrance to the public. Transport Minister MR Vijayabaskar said AIADMK’s Anna Thozhir Sangam has the largest number of members and they will function as usual alongside the support of other members.

However, hundreds of commuters around the state were severely affected from the early morning on Thursday. From Koyambedu, many bus depots in Parrys, Tambaram, and others in Kancheepuram, Poonamalle provided limited services to the passengers.

Though a couple of passengers opted for other services like share-autos and other modes, school and college students who depend heavily on these services suffered a lot.

14:14 (IST)25 Feb 2021
TN Tranportation Unions commence indefinite strike

Tamil Nadu Transportation Union Thursday began their indefinite strike they announced earlier despite the peace talks initiated by the state government. Over one lakh workers belonging to the nine unions including Labour Progressive Federation, Indian National Trade Union Congress, Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS)Centre of Indian trade unions (CITU), etc have participated in the strike citing the non-conclusion of wage talks, demanding clearance of provident fund, dues of retired workers, etc.

The strike has been observed by eight State Transport undertakings including the Metropolitan Transport Corporation. The government has 21,000 buses. The members of the union claimed that the 13th wage contract expired on September 1, 2019 and the next wage revision is due for over two years. They even said the union is incurring losses for benefitting the public as they receive less income while operating busses in rural routes.

Speaking to IETamil.com, the Labour Progressive Federation treasurer K Natarajan says the government should protect the transport unions. He added that the authorities should provide enough funds to bridge the gap between the revenue and expenditure of the state transport corporation.

“It has been two years since the government held talks with us. We placed our demands before the government, committees were formed to initiate talks. We even conducted a round of meeting with the transport minister but there was no progress in regards to our demands. The election is around the corner, we cannot do anything once the election dates are announced. If any other government comes to power, it will take another five months for them to invite us for negotiations, to avert these hurdles, we are organising the strike and we will not withdraw this until the government accepts our demands,” he said.

14:00 (IST)25 Feb 2021
TN issues new guidelines for travellers entering the state by rail, air and road

The Tamil Nadu government has issued fresh guidelines for people entering the state in view of the rising Covid-19 cases in India.

As per the revised guidelines issued by the state Health and Family Welfare Department, travellers arriving in Tamil Nadu by rail, air or road from Kerala and Maharashtra have to home quarantine for seven days, following which they have to monitor their health for another seven days. If they develop a fever, cough or breathlessness, they need to visit a health facility.

Passengers entering by rail, air or road from other states have to monitor themselves for 14 days. During this period, if an individual develops a cough, fever or breathlessness, they will have to visit a health facility. Any individual who shows symptoms of Covid-19 at the entry point will be tested and referred to a medical facility.

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13:12 (IST)25 Feb 2021
253 fever clinics conducted in Chennai Wednesday

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducted 253 fever clinics in Chennai on Wednesday. A total of 18,067 people attended the clinics, with swabs collected from 68 people who were identified with ILI symptoms, while others were provided with medication for minor ailments.

The most number of camps were held in Adyar (Zone 13) where 44 camps had been set up, while Perungudi (Zone 14) had the least with four camps.

12:42 (IST)25 Feb 2021
WATCH | TN BJP leaders feature in song to welcome Modi to Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu BJP leaders including state BJP president L Murugan and president of BJP Mahila Morcha Vanathi Srinivasan have featured in a song to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to Coimbatore. The song highlights the various projects launched by Modi in Tamil Nadu.

12:04 (IST)25 Feb 2021
Next in line for vaccine on March 1: All above 60, 45-plus with comorbidities

The Centre said on Wednesday that the second phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive will begin from March 1 — for all citizens above 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities.

While the vaccine will be available for free at the 10,000-odd government healthcare facilities, the beneficiaries will have to pay at the estimated 20,000 private facilities that are expected to be roped in.

Announcing the Cabinet decision, Union Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said: “The cost of vaccination in the private sector will be announced by the Union Health Ministry in the next two-three days. We are in discussions with the private hospitals.”

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11:35 (IST)25 Feb 2021
Retirement age of govt employees increased to 60: EPS

Making announcements in the Tamil Nadu Assembly today, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappado K Palaniswami announced that the retirement age of government employees has been raised to 60 years.

He also announced that all students studying in Classes 9, 10 and 11 will have passed without writing their exams.

11:14 (IST)25 Feb 2021
Chennai: Sanitary pad vending machines at 39 metro stations

To facilitate women passengers, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has installed sanitary napkin vending machines across 39 stations in the city.

Tamil Nadu Industries Minister MC Sampath launched the initiative on Tuesday.

The CMRL has joined hands with Geo India Foundation and Rotary International in launching the vending machines, with each capable of holding up to 20 pads. Every station has been provided a stock of 1,000 pads for a refill. The machines will be set up near women’s toilets. Commuters can get a sanitary pad by inserting a coin into the machine, with the help of staff members stationed there.

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10:52 (IST)25 Feb 2021
On Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary, Kangana Rananut shares Thalaivi’s release date

Actor Kangana Ranaut remembered J Jayalalithaa on her birth anniversary, on Wednesday. On the occasion, Kangana took to Twitter to share a motion poster of Thalaivi, and also announced the release date of the much-awaited biopic of the legendary actor-politician.

Kangana tweeted, “To Jaya Amma, on her birthanniversary Witness the story of the legend, #Thalaivi, in cinemas on 23rd April, 2021.”

The motion poster traces Jayalalithaa’s journey from films to politics. The audience hears a voice-over stating, “She changed the face of Indian cinema when she entered films. She changed the fate of Tamil Nadu when she entered politics. She wrote her own destiny and created history. By changing the future of millions, she became ‘Thalaivi.'”

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10:15 (IST)25 Feb 2021
Tamil Nadu government to probe sexual allegation complaint against Special DGP; officer put on ‘compulsory wait’

Tamil Nadu government Wednesday issued an order to constitute an enquiry committee to probe the sexual allegation complaint filed by a woman IAS officer against Special Director General of Police (Law and order) Rajesh Das. The officer has been put on ‘compulsory wait’, which means he will not get any posting and cannot carry out his duties as the Special DGP as long as the probe is on.

According to sources, the IAS officer had filed the complaint to both Home Secretary and the Director General of Police a couple of days ago, claiming that Das had misbehaved with her in his car.

IAS officer Jayashree Ragunandan will be the presiding officer for the committee comprising IPS officers Seema Agarwal, A Arun and Shamoondeswari, Chief Administrative Officer VK Ramesh Babu, Head (Programme Management) of International Justice Mission Loretta Jhona.

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09:37 (IST)25 Feb 2021
236 flights to fly between Chennai and major cities

A total of 236 flights will be operated between Chennai and major cities today, with 119 arrivals and 117 departures scheduled at the Chennai International Airport.

09:03 (IST)25 Feb 2021
V K Sasikala: ‘To retain power, Amma’s followers must work together’

Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala on Wednesday appeared to share her future plan of action with regards to the elections, saying the party workers should work together to retain power in the state.

Sasikala – a close aide of J Jayalalithaa – was making her first public appearance since her release from a Bengaluru jail on the occasion of the late AIADMK supremo’s 73rd birth anniversary.

Greeting her supporters at her Chennai residence after paying floral tributes to a portrait of Jayalalithaa, Sasikala did not mention the AIADMK by name – under the present leadership, the party has not only ousted her, but has refused to take her back,

She, however, called on all party workers to come together, win the elections and form the government. She said, “Our government should be there. I am sure that you will fulfil that dream. I am there to stand by you,” and recalled that Jayalalithaa had once talked of retaining the government “for another 100 years”.

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09:01 (IST)25 Feb 2021
TN reports 463 new COVID-19 cases, 6 deaths

Tamil Nadu reported 463 new COVID-19 cases and six more deaths on Wednesday, taking the state tally to 8,49,629 and the toll to 12,478. According to a health department bulletin, recoveries outnumbered new infections with 469 people being discharged, taking the cumulative number to 8,33,089, leaving 4,062 active cases.

Chennai accounted for the maximum infections with 169, taking the total to 2,34,837 till date. The city also accounted for a little over one-third of the COVID-19 fatalities at 4,145 deaths.

A total of 50,395 samples were tested on Wednesday, taking the total samples tested to 1,72,72,643 so far.

As many as 29 districts have reported fresh infections in single digits while 33 reported 'zero' fatalities, the bulletin said. (PTI)

08:59 (IST)25 Feb 2021
PM in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry today to launch several projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Tamil Nadu and Puducherry today to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development initiatives, including key power projects in Tamil Nadu.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an election meeting in Coimbatore on February 25 and at least 1.5 lakh people are expected to attend, BJP sources said on Tuesday.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief minister O Panneerselvam will participate in the official function. Party workers and functionaries from 12 districts are expected to attend the meeting, in the presence of BJP national general secretary C T Ravi, Union minister of state for home G Kishan Reddy and State president L Murugan.

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08:58 (IST)25 Feb 2021
Welcome to today's live blog

Good morning!
Welcome to the live blog from Chennai and Hyderabad where we bring to you the latest updates on Tamil Nadu elections 2021, COVID-19 vaccination, COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, UK COVID-19 virus in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and more across Chennai and Hyderabad throughout the day. Follow the blog to stay up to date with the states in real time.

16:25 (IST)24 Feb 2021
44th Chennai Book Fair begins, Kamal Haasan to recommend one book a day

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Pannerselvam Wednesday inaugurated the 44th edition of annual Chennai Book Fair at YMCA ground near Nandanam in Chennai.

The event organised by the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI) used to take place during January coinciding with the Pongal festival. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was postponed to February.

BAPASI expressed happiness that the event is taking place amid the reports it might be called off this year due to the pandemic. They assured that all the Covid-19 protocols will be followed. The fair features 650 stalls and the public can visit the book fair from 11 am till 8 pm till March 9.

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15:27 (IST)24 Feb 2021
Tamil Nadu: EPS unveils portraits of state freedom fighters in Assembly

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday unveiled the portraits of three state freedom fighters in the Legislative Assembly to honour their services to the nation.

The life-sized portraits of V O Chidambaram, P Subbarayan and Omandur Ramasamy Reddiyar were unveiled to join the existing collection of portraits in the House, including Thiruvalluvar, Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, EVR Periyar, CV Rajagopalachary, K Kamaraj, Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, CN Annadurai, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, among others.

While unveiling the portraits, both EPS and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam paid tributes to the freedom fighters and hailed their contribution towards the freedom movement in the nation.

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14:42 (IST)24 Feb 2021
Centre rushes high level teams to states witnessing surge in COVID-19 cases

The Centre has deputed multi-disciplinary teams to states witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases. The central teams have been deputed to Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir.

The three-member multidisciplinary teams are headed by joint secretary level officers in the health ministry, the Union Health Ministry said.

“These teams will work closely with the states and UT administration and ascertain reasons for the recent surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. They will also coordinate with health authorities of the states and UT for requisite COVID-19 control measures to break the chain of transmission,” the ministry said.    

The states and UT have been advised for regular critical review of the emerging situation with district officials concerned to ensure that gains made so far in COVID-19 management are not lost, the ministry stated.

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14:29 (IST)24 Feb 2021
IN PICS | EPS, OPS celebrate Jayalalithaa's 73 birth anniversary
12:56 (IST)24 Feb 2021
BITSAT 2021 application process begins

Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) has invited applications for the entrance exam to be held for admission to degree courses offered at Pilani, Goa, and Hyderabad campus. Interested candidates can apply at bitsadmission.com till May 29.

Those who clear the BITS Admission Test 2021 or BITSAT 2021 will be eligible for admission to BE, BPharm, and MSc courses. The candidate should have obtained a minimum of aggregate 75 per cent marks in physics, chemistry, biology/mathematics subjects. Those applying for BPharm should have biology as a subject while those applying for BE should have mathematics.

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12:55 (IST)24 Feb 2021
Oman Chandy, Randeep Surjewala to negotiate seat sharing with DMK

Oman Chandy and Randeep Surjewala have been appointed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to negotiate seat sharing with ally DMK ahead of the polls in Tamil Nadu.

According to reports, the duo will arrive in Chennai today and meet party leaders in the city. They will engage in talks with the DMK on Thursday.

12:01 (IST)24 Feb 2021
PM in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry on Thursday to launch several projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit poll-bound Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Thursday to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development initiatives, including key power projects in Tamil Nadu.

In Tamil Nadu, the prime minister will dedicate to the nation the Neyveli New Thermal Power Project — a lignite based power plant designed for power generation capacity of 1000 MW with two units of 500 MW capacity each. Built at a cost of about Rs 8,000 crore, the pit head power plant will utilise lignite as fuel from the existing mines of Neyveli, which have sufficient lignite reserves for meeting the lifetime requirement of the project, the statement said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an election meeting in Coimbatore on February 25 and at least 1.5 lakh people are expected to attend, BJP sources said on Tuesday. Modi will arrive in Coimbatore by flight at 3.30 pm and attend a function at the Codissia complex where he will dedicate various projects to the nation at 3.55 pm, BJP’s district party president Nandakumar told reporters. He will address the public meeting organised by BJP at the adjacent grounds at 5 pm and leave for Chennai by flight at 6 pm, he said.

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11:19 (IST)24 Feb 2021
Jayalalithaa's followers should be united to elect the government again: Sasikala

On the occassion of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's 73rd birth anniversary, her former aide and expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala said that all Jayalalithaa followers should be united to elect the government again even as the AIADMK leadership is against her return to the party.

10:53 (IST)24 Feb 2021
Bookings commence for Dibrugarh – Kanniyakumari – Dibrugarh Weekly Superfast Special Trains

Bookings for the Dibrugarh – Kanniyakumari – Dibrugarh Weekly Superfast Special Trains began at 8 am today. According to a release by Southern Railway, the trains will commence operations from February 27.

Train No. 05906 Dibrugarh – Kanniyakumari Weekly Superfast Special train will leave Dibrugarh on Saturdays at 19.25 hrs on and from February 27 to reach Kanniyakumari at 22.00 hrs, the fourth day until further advice. In the return direction, Train No. 05905 Kanniyakumari - Dibrugarh Weekly Superfast Special train will leave Kanniyakumari on Thursdays at 17.30 hrs on and from March 4 to reach Dibrugarh at 22.50 hrs, the fourth day until further advice. 

The train will comprise one AC 2-tier coach, four AC 3-tier coaches, eleven sleeper class coaches, three general second class coaches and two luggage cum brake vans.

Enroute, the train will have stoppages at New Tinsukia, Naharkatiya, Simaluguri, Mariani, Furkatking, Dimapur, Diphu, Lumding, Hojai, Jagiroad, Guwahati, Goalpara Town, New Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, New Alikpurduar, New Coochbehar, Mathabhanga, Jalpaiguri Road, New Jalpaiguri, Kishangani, Malda Town, Rampur Hat, Bardhaman, Dankuni, Kharagpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Khurada Road, Berhampur, Palasa, Srikakulam Road, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Duvvada, Samalkot, Rajamundry, Eluru, Vijayawada, Ongole, Nellore, Renijunta, Katpadi, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Palghat, Thrissur, Aluva, Ernakulam Town, Kottayam, Chengannur, Kollam, Trivandrum and Nagarcoil.

10:29 (IST)24 Feb 2021
Telangana schools for Classes 6 to 8 to reopen today

The schools in Telangana for classes 6 to 8 will be reopened on February 24 following the directions of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao. Chief secretary Somesh Kumar in a meeting held today directed the district level education monitoring committee to monitor the Covid-19 safety measures and protocols taken by the schools at the time of reopening.

The students need to wear masks, carry hand sanitisers as, without them, they will not be allowed to enter schools. The students also need to take parental permission to attend classes. Around 17.24 lakh students are likely to attend school, the government stated.

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09:57 (IST)24 Feb 2021
PM Modi remembers former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on her birth anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to remember former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on her birth anniversary. The late AIADMK leader would have turned 73 today.

"She is widely admired for her pro-people policies and efforts to empower the downtrodden. She also made noteworthy efforts to empower our Nari Shakti. I will always cherish my several interactions with her" (sic), he tweeted.

09:46 (IST)24 Feb 2021
Budget: TN’s outstanding debt may touch Rs 5.70 lakh cr by March ’22

Attributing reasons to the ongoing pandemic situation, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who presented the 2021-22 interim budget on Tuesday, said the state’s overall outstanding debt may touch Rs 5.70 lakh crore by March 2022. The debt outstanding, as on March 31 this year, is estimated to be Rs 4,85,502.54 crore.

Panneerselvam’s budget speech said the debt-GSDP ratio, as on March 31 this year, would be 24.98 pr cent and it would be 26.69 per cent by March 31 next year.

The pandemic has led to a sharp decline in the revenue even as the expenditure levels had gone up to protect people’s welfare, he said, describing a situation that forced the government to resort to borrowings that resulted in a higher fiscal deficit. There was an additional expenditure of Rs 12,917 crore for health care and relief works alone.

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09:45 (IST)24 Feb 2021
Chennai: DAV group clarifies on exam paper row, says question on farmers’ stir doesn’t reflect institution

The DAV group of schools has issued a statement amid a raging controversy over a question in their exam paper, labelling the farmers protesting in Delhi as ‘violent maniacs’. The question appeared in the second revision examination of an English language paper held for students of Class 10 of DAV Boys Senior Higher Secondary School in Gopalapuram, Chennai.

“We have received feedback from various stakeholders –parents, alumni, teachers and the general public. Ours being a diverse country, it has not been surprising that the feedback has also been quite diverse –from expletive-laden hate messages to solemn support for the institution that has been providing high quality, value-based, affordable education over the last 50 years. The specifically highlighted wordings of the question framed by a teacher do not reflect the institution. However, we do take pride in constantly striving towards making education relevant, contemporary and contextual. We strongly believe in the need to nurture independent thinking amongst children and also abide by the principle and ethos as enshrined in the Indian constitution,” the statement read.

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09:24 (IST)24 Feb 2021
TN reports 442 fresh cases, 6 deaths

Tamil Nadu recorded 442 positive cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the state tally to 8,49,166. Among these, Chennai reported 148 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 2,34,652. The state recorded six deaths on Tuesday, putting the state toll at 12,472. Five of them had succumbed due to comorbidities. A total of 453 patients were discharged following treatment, taking the total number of recoveries to 8,32,620.

As of Tuesday, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 4074. Till date, 5,13,119 males, 3,36,012 females and 35 transgenders have tested positive for the virus in the state.

According to a bulletin released by the Health and Family Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu, 1,72,22,248 samples from the state have been tested till date, with 51,301 samples having been sent yesterday. There are 257 COVID-19 testing facilities in the state, out of which 69 are government and 188 are private facilities.

09:24 (IST)24 Feb 2021
Welcome to today's live blog

Good morning!
Welcome to the live blog from Chennai and Hyderabad where we bring to you the latest updates on Tamil Nadu elections 2021, COVID-19 vaccination, COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, UK COVID-19 virus in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and more across Chennai and Hyderabad throughout the day. Follow the blog to stay up to date with the states in real time.

The CMRL has joined hands with Geo India Foundation and Rotary International in launching the vending machines.

To facilitate women passengers, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has installed sanitary napkin vending machines across 39 stations in the city. CMRL has joined hands with Geo India Foundation and Rotary International in launching the vending machines, with each capable of holding up to 20 pads. Every station has been provided a stock of 1,000 pads for a refill. The machines will be set up near women’s toilets. Commuters can get a sanitary pad by inserting a coin into the machine, with the help of staff members stationed there.

READ | Chennai: Sanitary pad vending machines at 39 metro stations

Also Read | 44th Chennai Book Fair begins, Kamal Haasan to recommend one book a day

Tamil Nadu government Wednesday issued an order to constitute an enquiry committee to probe the sexual allegation complaint filed by a woman IAS officer against Special Director General of Police (Law and order) Rajesh Das. The officer has been put on ‘compulsory wait’, which means he will not get any posting and cannot carry out his duties as the Special DGP as long as the probe is on.

READ | Tamil Nadu government to probe sexual allegation complaint against Special DGP; officer put on ‘compulsory wait’

For assistance on COVID-19-related queries and mental health support in Chennai, citizens can contact the Greater Chennai Corporation's (GCC) COVID-19 helpline 044 46122300 | Citizens can find the nearest GCC-facilitated COVID-19 fever clinic here | For lodging rain-related complaints and assistance during the monsoon, citizens can contact the GCC's monsoon helplines 044 25384530 or 044 25384540 or the control room 1913 (available 24x7)

Chennai Hyderabad February 22, 23 Highlights

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