-PTI/ NDTV.com "I appeal to the opposition (AIADMK, BJP) parties and our allies (Congress, left parties) not to politicise but stand by the government in facilitating the local bodies to take up pro-people initiatives," MK Stalin said. Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said his DMK government was constrained to revise the property tax to ensure funds flow to the newly elected civic bodies so as to facilitate developmental...

-The Hindu There is a lack of recent data on the representation of various communities in education and employment The Madras High Court’s recent verdict of quashing the 10.5% special reservation for Vanniyakula Kshatriyas within the overall 20% quota for Most Backward Classes (MBC) and Denotified Communities (DNC) has again highlighted the importance of quantifiable data as a prerequisite for reservation in education and employment. Adopted on the last day of the previous...

-The Hindu There seems to be a shift from prioritising expressways and megaports to agriculture and forests Environmental promises have made a visible entry into Tamil Nadu’s politics, along with a guarded valourisation of farmer and fisher rights over big-ticket infrastructure and industrial projects. All key parties in the 2021 Assembly polls barring the AIADMK dedicated a section for “environmental protection” in their manifestos. Setting aside the justified cynicism about fulfillment of...

-The Hindu Other important promises that could touch, and likely improve, the lives of millions rarely make headlines Disparaging references to “freebies” are a popular trope of media coverage of elections in Tamil Nadu. This Assembly election is no different: free data, free tabs, free washing machines were in the news as political parties released their election manifestos. Electoral promises serve as a road map for elected governments and deserve greater scrutiny....

-The Hindu Association for Democratic Reforms analysis finds that 89% have declared assets estimated at over ₹1 crore. New Delhi: About a quarter of the sitting Rajya Sabha members have declared criminal cases against themselves, according to an analysis of their self-sworn affidavits by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) released on Wednesday. With three seats vacant and Kerala MP K.K. Ragesh’s affidavit being unavailable, the ADR report said an analysis of 229...