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Ground zero Tiruvannamalai: Why does TN fail on road safety?
At least 15 people have died on a stretch of a national highway in prosperous Tamil Nadu that connects Tiruvannamalai and Bengaluru in just ten days during October 2023, bringing the State closer to another dubious road traffic accident record. Only some months...
Better Tamil Nadu
A small solar-powered mill changes tribal lives in the hills
A solar-powered millet milling machine has brought rays of sunshine to the lives of the people living in a tribal-dominated village, who are happy that the machine has mitigated their difficulties in food preparation. Kathirimalai located in the Anthiyur area of Erode district is home to 75...
A selfless act by teachers gets school new floors
It was a lesson in self-reliance taught by the teachers of a school, not through books but through action. One of the three buildings of the panchayat union middle school at Murugankudi in Cuddalore district had been functioning with badly damaged floors for a long time. It made things...
TN doctor cures 40 cattle diseases with Siddha medicine
Dr N Punniamurthy, 65, has demonstrated the efficacy of Siddha medicine in curing about 40 cattle diseases, setting an example for other states to consider and emulate. He has worked as the head of the Ethno Veterinary Medicine Training and Research Centre, Thanjavur, affiliated to the Tamil...
His resolve, sisters’ sacrifice make him the doctor he is
Government school, Tamil medium, poverty in family and marginalised social status…all these factors are seen as deterrents to success. Yet Aravindhraj triumphed over all the heavy odds stacked against his education, and finally donned the coat of a doctor. Born into a marginalised family in...
Parivadini honours flute-maker with Parlandu award this year
Parivadini has carved out a niche in the world of Carnatic music, webcasting live music concerts held at Raga Sudha, home to Nada Inbam in Mylapore, Chennai, so the connoisseurs of Carnatic music can relish classical notes from the cozy comfort of their home. The credit for this must go to Jaya...
Opinion
One nation, one poll: DMK against it ideologically, AIADMK under Jaya was for it but EPS-OPS have flip-flopped
(This article was first published in July 2018) (The first part of the series looked at why the one nation, one poll idea is a ploy by NDA government to come back to power; the second looked at the legal complications in bringing this about; this article deals with...
One nation, one poll: Why the Chief Election Commissioner calls it ‘very difficult’ to achieve
(This article was first published in July 2018) The first part of the article dealt with how the one nation, one poll proposal may be help BJP in the short-term by giving it an advantage in the next Lok Sabha polls. The question is whether it has the intention or the...
One nation, one election: A ploy by Modi to come back to power in the centre
(This article was first published in July 2018) The first thing that must be understood about the move to have simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the state Assemblies is that it is aimed at establishing single party rule throughout the country, including in...
Mathi Memes
Mathi Memes: He can’t act, he can’t dance. Yet Ajith’s Valimai is a smash hit
Actress Khushbu was referring to the reception to Ajith's film Valimai. In what seemed like a mix of admiration and envy, she tweeted in Tamil: “Only you [Ajith Kumar] draw such crowds.” On Wednesday (Feb 24) evening, at a theatre in Thoothukudi, there was a large...
Editor’s Pick
Chennaiites hit by MTC vacancies, ageing buses, poor integration
Chennai’s bus operator Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has a staggering 504 driver vacancies, 75 conductor vacancies and 246 technical positions unfilled as of May 2023, while the oldest bus in the fleet is an ancient 17.4 years, data obtained under the Right to Information Act shows....
Man-animal conflict: Why culling may work well
The recent incidents involving the tusker Arikomban in Kerala and later in Tamil Nadu have sparked a furore among the public and unsettled government officials in both states. There was an outpouring of sentiment from stakeholders on the rough handling of the elephant. However, the issue of...
Fish at ration shops: Siddha expert’s solution to protein deficiency
There is a growing perception that healthy food, exercise and a stress-free mind are the key to full-fledged well-being, says Dr Sivaraman, a leading practitioner of the Siddha system of medicine. The doctor shared his insights gained from participating a path-breaking global seminar on...
Building smarter with Madurai and Coimbatore Metro Rail Project
Whether smaller cities like Madurai and Coimbatore need costly Metro rail systems is a widely discussed theme, and the critiques start to bite when the pattern of underinvestment in existing ‘low capacity’ systems such as buses, mini-buses and smaller vehicles shows little effort to get it...
‘TN Governor Ravi wrong about SC verdict, Constitutional provisions’
A key argument invoked by TN Governor R N Ravi in his letter dismissing Senthil Balaji from the cabinet was that the Supreme Court had observed in 2022 that Senthil Balaji is an influential person and that’s why he was able to evade being charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The...
Politics
Karnataka bandh: Vatal Nagaraj weighs in
Vatal Nagaraj, former MLA and head of Kannada Chaluvaliga, is not supporting the Sept 25 bandh called by political parties in Karnataka on Cauvery but speaks for some in the state when he says Karnataka has exclusive rights over Cauvery. He...
As Kerala govt defaults, teachers save midday meals scheme
While the Tamil Nadu state government is on an expansion mode strengthening the midday meals scheme for school students with breakfast, the cash-strapped neighbour Kerala is struggling to serve noon meal for its over 30 lakh students of...
Come 2024, DMK will surrender to BJP: Savukku Shankar
Savukku Shankar, a social media influencer, popular for his stormy petrel image, has courted trouble for his anti-establishment remarks. In an interview to inmathi.com, he shared his insights into the burgeoning of social media and the problems...
‘Stalin had demanded removal of Senthil Balaji for corruption’
The drama that unfolded on June 14 in Chennai involving Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji is continuing with chief minister M K Stalin strongly defending Balaji and criticizing the Union government. Senthil Balaji was minister for prohibition...
Cauvery: Karnataka activists seek re-assessment by CWRA and CWMC
Even as Bengaluru area, Chamarajanagar, Mysuru City, Mandya district, and Ramangara district experienced total shutdown on Sept 29, activists in Karnataka protesting the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu say what the state needs is an official document on...
Culture
Warli tribe’s colorful tradition
At the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples celebrated near Mumbai recently, the cynosure of all eyes was the parade of adivasis: The most striking feature about them was that the clothes and hats they wore and the musical...
Coconut food festival adds flavour to Aadi in Kongunadu
Tamil Nadu abounds in festivals marked by various food items depending on the geographical and cultural features of the regions. The Kongu region comprising Salem, Erode, Dharmapuri, Namakkal and Tirupur celebrates the advent of the Tamil month...
One hundred years of goli soda
In Tamil Nadu, the very mention of soft - or cool - drinks brings back to mind goli soda. Time was when goli soda was served to guests at home as a token of honour. Post-Independence, the industry expanded. But after the advent of the foreign...
How TN working women can feel more at home in workspaces
TN may boast of females contributing more to the paid economy but major challenges exist for working women. In September 2022, a 15-day residential training program for the Tamil Nadu Education Fellowship— a 2-year scheme launched by the School...
Who celebrated Onam first? Answer: The Pandyas
(This article was first published on Sept 7, 2022) As Keralites throughout the world are celebrating Onam festival, the cultural festival of Malayalees cutting across caste and religion, a public holiday has been announced in several districts of Tamil Nadu too....
Food
GI tag for Vellore thorny brinjal, Ramnad rotund chilli
In recognition of Tamil Nadu’s indigenous varieties of brinjal and chillies, the thorny brinjal of Vellore and the rotund chilli of Ramanathapuram have been given the geographical indication or GI tag. ‘Mullu kaththarikaai’ (thorny brinjal) is...
Drink water regularly; it does more than just quench thirst
Drinking enough water every day plays a great role in maintaining human health. Water accounts for 75 per cent of the substances our body is made up of, and drinking enough water aids digestion and regulates metabolism. How much water should you...
Have greens everyday to keep diseases at bay
Food in itself and of itself is medicine. So goes an old Tamil adage. Familiar with the medicinal properties of greens, our forefathers made them a part of their daily diet. Modern doctors too insist on taking greens regularly as they play a...
Drop it like a hot potato: Boiled good, french fries bad
Is potato good for health or not? Some vouch for the potato’s health benefits such as being able to prevent cancer. But others say the tuber is anything but healthy. So, which is it? Potato, one of the world’s important food crops, is a...
No oil no boil — raw food restaurant serves superfoods
In the midst of an explosion of exotic food fads and Internet gourmet gurus, Chennai’s own Kannamma Neelakandan flips all our assumptions about food on their head — by serving delicious, multi-course meals without cooking! On the outskirts of the city in...
Civic Issues
Ground zero Tiruvannamalai: Why does TN fail on road safety?
At least 15 people have died on a stretch of a national highway in prosperous Tamil Nadu that connects Tiruvannamalai and Bengaluru in just ten days during October 2023, bringing the State closer to another dubious road traffic accident record. Only some months...
Kerala struggles to combat stray dog menace.
With an estimated 2,80,000 stray dogs on its streets, Kerala is in danger of becoming Dogs own Country rather than the iconic Gods Own Country, known for its serene and green landscape. There are another 9,00,000 licensed pet dogs many of which join the strays...
Environment
Kerala caught in storm over Justice for Arikomban
Kerala: Protest marches, road blockades, endless poster campaigns on digital platforms, legal wrangles, vociferous discussions in television channels, poetry readings, music albums, cultural resistance and much more — Kerala is caught in jumbo debate over problem...
Can Chennai open more parks only at high cost?
Chennai’s Semmozhi Poonga, which experiences fluctuating fortunes based on who is in power at Fort St. George is all set to host a short three-day flower show from June 3. To prepare the park for the event, funds have flowed in for beautification, including laying...
Sports
Chennai, TN, the surfing capital of India
Surfing in Chennai and all of Tamil Nadu has seen a surge in popularity, captivating both locals and tourists along the state’s long and breathtaking coastline. The state's diverse range of surf spots cater to surfers of all levels, making it an enticing...
CSK’s Gujarati, GT’s Tamil talent bode well for IPL
“You do get emotional; the first game at CSK everyone was chanting my name. My eyes were full of tears,” said an emotional Mahendra Singh Dhoni as he led Chennai Super Kings to a record fifth IPL final on Monday. So without going into the details of how and where...
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