A place to ponder: The Kamaraj Memorial House at T. Nagar. It is where major decisions were taken by Kamaraj when he was the Chief Minister and the president of the Indian National Congress. | Photo Credit: R. Ravindran In a city like Chennai that is dotted with memorials of political leaders, it is hard to miss the iconic … Read more
Spotlight on the coast: The stretch lies within 500 metres of the sea, but CMDA officials say the Coastal Regulation Zone clearance is not required because the project does not involve permanent structures. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement “From Santhome to Fort St. George runs the Marina, a broad road along the sea-front some two miles in length,” wrote Charles … Read more
Remarks about judiciary The framers of the Constitution have ensured a balance of power among the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. When a person holding a high constitutional post joined by some members of the ruling party make impractical, baseless and arbitrary remarks against the Supreme Court of India, how can an ordinary citizen … Read more
Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board is responsible for providing water connections in Chennai. The file photo shows pipe-laying work in progress. | Photo Credit: M. KARUNAKARAN Whom to approach? The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board is responsible for providing water and sewer services in Chennai. Who can apply for a water … Read more
On March 15, some States and cities in India experienced the first of severe heatwaves for the year 2025. This was 20 days earlier than the first severe heatwave in 2024. In the last decade, the number of severe heat days and the severity/intensity of heatwaves have been rising. The year 2024 was the warmest … Read more
The story of Alaipayuthey, told in a series of flashbacks while a husband goes in search of his lost wife, segues into how they fell in love and got married. The summer of 2000 offered a celluloid high for Tamil cinephiles. On April 14, Mani Ratnam’s Alaipayuthey was released and the movie turned 25 recently. This was … Read more
The MCC-MRF Innovation Park at Madras Christian College. MRF has contributed ₹30 crore from the MRF Foundation to the establishment of the park. | Photo Credit: BIJOY GHOSH Apart from engineering colleges, arts and science colleges in Tamil Nadu are becoming hotbeds for entrepreneurial activity. With innovation and start-up culture spreading, colleges are improving their … Read more
(This article is part of the Gender Agenda newsletter. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Sunday, subscribe here.) Years ago, a friend, who was studying at a reputed technical institute in Chennai, called me one weekday afternoon, sounding both annoyed and amused. He said he had suddenly been given the gift of time, having … Read more
Last week, Telangana became the first State to notify categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs) after the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment last year upholding the constitutionality of sub-classifying SCs and Scheduled Tribes (STs) to grant separate quotas for the most marginalised groups within these communities. Soon after the Court’s verdict, the Telangana government headed by Chief … Read more
‘Some countries have chosen to maintain silence regarding the U.S.’s illegal actions, issuing insipid statements that they are carefully examining the U.S.’s decision’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images The world is shaken by the reckless decision of the United States to impose reciprocal tariffs, which were announced on April 2, 2025, though it has been … Read more