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Laer, Modi will flag off 'Kalam Sandesh Vahini', an exhibition bus that would run across states Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate  APJ Abdul Kalam 's memorial in Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu and attend several other programmes on Thursday, the second death anniversary of the former president. Today Current Affairs  : The prime minister will hoist the national flag at the memorial designed and built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Pei Karumbu, the PMO had said in a statement here yesterday. He will unveil a statue of Kalam and offer floral tributes besides interacting with his family members. Later, the PM would flag off 'Kalam Sandesh Vahini', an exhibition bus which would travel across various states of the country and reach Rashtrapati Bhavan on October 15, the birth anniversary of the former President, the statement said. Modi will then proceed to Mandapam for a public meeting. He will distribute sanc...

Rajinikanth’s comments to his fans were as cryptic as Kamalahaasan’s comments on state politics Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Sharath Kumar, Vijayakanth…take your pick. In movie-mad Tamil Nadu, the transition from a film actor/director to politics is effortless. And, the latest chatter is about   Rajinikanth   joining politics. This is not the first time. Before the 2009 general election, a gathering of diehard Rajini fans converged at a small temple in Rajapalayam to pray that their icon get a divine message and join politics. With the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in a shambles after Jayalalithaa’s death and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam seemingly powerless in wresting power, the state is sensing a leadership vacuum. Rajinikanth, once a bus conductor in Karnataka, who then made good in Tamil Nadu’s film industry, was supposed to meet fans from April 12 to 16. This meeting, for fans to get themselves photographed with the legendary actor, would have been the f...

She visited Jayalalithaa's memorial before leaving for Bengaluru Over 500 police officials can be seen a t the Golden Bay resort, wheer the MLAs are staying. The police battalion has reached with Kuvathur village. Sasikala   visits MGR Memorial House before heading to Bengaluru. AIADMK MLA Saravanan files complaint against Sasikala and Edappadi Palaniswami for allegations including kidnapping, says report Sasikala and two others have started their journey to Bengaluru to surrender before the court. She will visit Jayalalithaa's memorial at Marina Beach before going to Bengaluru. Sasikala asked for two weeks time to surrender from the Supreme Court, but apex court turns down. She has now filed a plea before Bengaluru Special Court seeking two weeks time to surrender citing ill health. Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambidurai says soon review petition will be filed against the SC order. He said, "I am sure Chinna Amma (Sasikala) will come back soon and will r...

When the 61-year-old   V.K. Sasikala   – ‘chinnamma’, as she has anointed herself – is sworn in as the new chief minister of Tamil Nadu this week, she will be the third woman to hold the state’s top political job. But whether she will have a long innings in office, like her mentor, the late J. Jayalalithaa, or a short one like Janaki Ramachandran, will depend upon her ability to ensure the continuing loyalty of her party legislators. On Sunday afternoon, all 136 MLAs attending the ruling AIADMK party legislature meeting in Chennai lined up to unanimously choose her as chief minister. In the best traditions of authoritarian politics, her name was proposed by none other than the serving – and now outgoing – chief minister, O. Panneerselvam or OPS. But Sasikala’s show of strength amongst AIADMK legislators cannot hide the fact that the party’s rank and file cadres, and the wider public in the state, do not approve of the manner in which the reins of government have been pla...

Latest News   : In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Jallikattu issue, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Friday charged that he had time to meet actors and others but not the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MPs who wanted to discuss about holding the banned bull taming sport in Tamil Nadu during Pongal. DMK working president and Opposition Leader M K Stalin, who pressed the Centre to immediately promulgate an ordinance to hold the sport and that AIADMK should also press the Centre for it, said that "Tamils will not forgive" the two if such an urgent step was not taken. Referring to the AIADMK MPs from the state petitioning Prime Minister on the issue on Wednesday, Stalin asked if they could meet Modi. "Whom does Modi meet. Those known to him, including those from the cinema world, and immediately gives appointment to them. He has met actors including Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Rajinikanth and Gautami. I am not criti...

People gather in huge number at Rajaji Hall to pay their last respect to Jayalalithaa Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays last respect to late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J   Jayalalithaa . Photo: Twitter (@PIB_India) 13:45:   Tamil Nadu: PM Narendra Modi pays his last tributes to #Jayalalithaa at Rajaji Hall in Chennai. 13:40:   Narendra Modi leaves Rajaji Hall. 13:33:   Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays last respect to Jayalalithaa, consoles Sasikala, Panneerselvam. 13:31:   Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam breaks down in front of Narendra Modi. 13:25:   At least one million queue up at Rajaji Hall in Chennai to get a last glimpse of Jayalalithaa 13:18:   BSP Chief Mayawati to attend Jayalalithaa's funeral 13:12:   Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu): Supporters shave their heads in mourning after the demise of #JJayalalithaa 13:08:   Jayalalithaa was an iron lady. An amazing woman and a great leader. Connect she had with...

Tamil Nadu: Blow for Karunanidhi family's business interests? Thursday’s state election results are likely to make the fortunes for some businesses and mar for some others. The biggest and most prominent loser of the day was from the family of DMK chief M Karunanidhi. On the day of the results, the   Sun TV   stock lost Rs 2,229 crore in market value. Its market capitalisation fell from Rs 16,845 crore at its close on Thursday to Rs 14,616 crore at the end of the day. By virtue of his 75 per cent holding, DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s grandnephew Kalanithi Maran   would take three-fourths of that hit. This notional loss could be an indicator of the bad news in store for the family’s business interests that extend beyond media. While Maran was among the first in the family to get into organised business through his venture into broadcast media in the early 1990s, there were others who have followed in his footsteps. After a brief break-up in relations with the Ma...

AIADMK vows free mobiles, laptops with internet, free electricity in manifesto The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has announced several freebies to voters in Tamil Nadu if re-elected. These include free mobile phones, free laptops, along with internet and free electricty. This time, other political parties including the main opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, have refrained from offering major free schemes in their election manifesto . The AIADMK’s, issued on Thursday by its head and state chief minister, J Jayalalithaa (pictured), promises all ration card holders will get mobile phones free of cost. A free set-top box will be provided to all Arasu Cable TV subscribers. Free internet and up to 100 units of electricity free of cost, in effect exempting close to eight million consumers from paying power bills. Also, a Rs 500 gift coupon to all ration card holders during the Pongal festival. And, continuation of the earlier free...

After providing life cover and accident cover, the government is now working on a universal health insurance plan. To begin with, it will provide a seamless solution to the existing cashless health schemes in states by integrating those with the Centre’s direct benefits transfer (DBT) platform. Later, these would be scaled up. “Encouraged by the success of the social security schemes launched earlier this year, we are now looking at products in the health insurance sector by ensuring access. We are discussing it with states,” said a government official who did not wish to be named. The government is holding talks with states providing cashless  health insurance , such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. The idea is to provide their schemes through the DBT platform. “We are building a DBT platform. Under that, we will provide SMS and phone call notifications on money transfers. Besides, we are building a web or smartphone app. Once the architecture is ready, we load hea...