TN This Week: Tamil Nadu Reiterates its Stand on New Education Policy

In another firecracker unit blast, at least three people were killed and several others injured in the Sarkar Kollapatty area of Tamil Nadu’s Salem on Thursday.

An infant, bitten by a snake, died while being carried on foot by her parents to a hospital in Atthimarathu Kollai village in Tamil Nadu's Vellore. The district collector assured motorable roads will be laid soon to enable faster commutes.

Eight years after the murder of dalit youth Gokulraj by members of a caste outfit for allegedly having an affair with a girl from their caste, the Madras high court has confirmed the trial court order imposing life imprisonment on 10 people.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday declared one-day state mourning following the horrific train accident after the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed in Balasore, Odisha which claimed 233 lives and left 900 injured.

Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday alleged that the state lost two mega investments worth several thousands of crores of rupees to other states due to the “careless” attitude of the DMK government, and mocked Chief Minister M K Stalin's just-concluded trip abroad.

The statement by the newly formed Karnataka Congress government’s deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who holds the irrigation portfolio, that his government would build a dam across the Cauvery at Mekedatu has riled political parties in Tamil Nadu.

Following the cancellation of the recognition of three medical colleges in the state, Tamil Nadu Health Minister, Ma. Subramanian will soon visit New Delhi to meet the concerned authorities.

On Monday, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights member R G Anand submitted a preliminary report on whether the banned two-finger test was carried out on minor girls to the Governor at Raj Bhavan instead of submitting it to the Tamil Nadu government. Two minor girls from the Chidambaram Dikshithar community are alleged child brides. Read more

A grand public meeting was held in Trichy on Tuesday at the conclusion of the CITU padayatra to highlight the 14-point demand charter of the workers. Read more

Following the attack on Dalit youths in Mayiladuthurai and the filing of “false” cases against the victims, CPI(M) held protests and talks with the police. Read more

NewsClick brings you a round-up of the happenings in the last week in Tamil Nadu.

TN ASSURES SUPPORT FOR DELHI

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin criticised the central government for creating a crisis in non-BJP-ruled states and said that the ruling DMK party will strongly oppose the central ordinance on control over administrative services in Delhi.

Stalin accused the central government of preventing duly elected governments from functioning independently and interfering in the affairs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi, despite a Supreme Court verdict favouring the latter.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann joined Stalin in Chennai on Thursday to discuss opposition to the ordinance.

‘NO’ TO NEP

Tamil Nadu has come out in support of Karnataka's new Congress regime's stance to have the state’s education policy, and not follow the new education policy (NEP).

On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy said that the state government will soon introduce a common syllabus for all state universities.

The minister’s comment assumes significance as it is seen as a response to Governor R N Ravi who is holding a separate vice-chancellors’ conference in Ooty on June 5 to discuss NEP.

INCOME TAX SEARCHES

Searches by Income Tax officials continued on Friday for the eighth day in Karur in Tamil Nadu at properties allegedly belonging to Electricity Minister Senthil Balaji, and his close associates, and party functionaries.

Stalin has alleged that the BJP government at the Centre was trying to misuse the agencies like Income Tax, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Tamil Nadu just like in other states.

DMK supporters were arrested at Karur for preventing IT officials from doing their duty, informed the police, adding that a total of 19 persons have been arrested in the matter, so far.