Mano Thangaraj re-inducted into Cabinet as Milk and Dairy Development Minister
DMK's Padmanabhapuram MLA T. Mano Thangaraj was sworn in as a State Minister and re-inducted into Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's Cabinet by Governor R.N. Ravi, who administered the oath of office at Raj Bhavan on Monday.
Mr. Thangaraj will take over as Minister of Milk and Dairy Development, which was earlier held by R.S. Rajakannappan, who now holds the Forest and Khadi portfolio, earlier held by K. Ponmudy.
Mr. Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Water Resources Minister R. Duraimurugan, Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru, Minister for Rural Development I. Periyasamy, Minister for Public Works E.V. Velu, Congress' Assembly Floor Leader S. Rajesh Kumar, and Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam were present.
The swearing-in was also significant for the fact that Mr. Stalin and Mr. Ravi were meeting each other for the first time since the Supreme Court verdict, which held that the latter's decision to withhold assent for 10 Bills was 'unconstitutional', prompting the DMK to claim a major victory against the Governor.
Both leaders exchanged pleasantries.
Reason for reshuffle
The Chief Minister reshuffled his Cabinet after Mr. Ponmudy and State Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise V. Senthilbalaji resigned on Sunday.
While the Madras High Court had held that Mr. Ponmudy had made derogatory remarks regarding Saivism and Vaishnavism, the Supreme Court had made it clear that Mr. Senthibalaji had to choose between Minister's post and his freedom.
Mr. Thangaraj previously held the Information Technology portfolio, which is now being held by Mr. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
SC refuses to urgently hear plea against order allowing animal slaughter for Eid-ul-Azha at 'dargah'
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to accord urgent hearing on a plea challenging the Bombay High Court order which permitted animal slaughter for Eid-ul-Azha and Urs at a 'dargah' at Vishalgad fort in Maharashtra 's Kolhapur district. The fort is a protected monument, citing which the authorities had prohibited slaughtering of animals and birds on the premises. The plea challenging the high court's June 3 order was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Air conditioners without external unit. (click to see prices) Air Condition | Search Ads Search Now Undo "Tomorrow, Bakri Eid is there and in a protected monument, Vishalgad, in Maharashtra, the high court has permitted slaughter," the counsel, who mentioned the matter, said. He said the high court has allowed animal slaughter in the protected monument area also for Urs till June 12. Live Events "In protected monuments, so many religious activities are going on," the bench observed. The lawyer claimed there was a specific notification of the state of Maharashtra which said animals cannot be slaughtered in the protected area. He said last year, animal slaughter within enclosed premises was permitted by the high court. The counsel said the high court has said in its order that restrictions which were there last year, would apply this year also. "Be it of any religion or faith, in a protected monument, so many activities are going on," the bench observed. "Let me tell you, sitting in Tripura (high court), I had banned animal slaughter there and then this court modified the order to say, in an enclosed place it would be carried out," Justice Karol said. The counsel then urged the bench to list the matter for hearing next week. "What is the urgency? The matter would be infructuous ," the bench observed. A vacation bench of the high court had heard an application by Hazrat Peer Malik Rehan Dargah Trust , seeking permission for slaughtering animals. The high court had permitted animal slaughter for Eid-ul-Azha to be celebrated on June 7 and the four-day Urs (fair) to be held from June 8 to 12 at the 'dargah' at Vishalgad fort. It had said the order shall extend not just to the 'dargah' trust but to other devotees too. The high court had said similar permission was granted last year too. It had added that conditions imposed last year like carrying out the animal slaughter only in private and enclosed space specifically at Gate No. 19, which is privately-owned by Mubarak Usman Mujawar, and not in public areas, shall apply this year too. The Deputy Director of Archaeology had prohibited animal sacrifice at the fort, citing the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act. The trust argued that the sacrifice was an "age-old practice" conducted on private land 1.4 km away from the fort, and that the meat was distributed to pilgrims and villagers nearby.
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
NEET PG 2025 exam date postponed to August 3, to be held in a single shift
NEET PG 2025 exam date: The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate courses (NEET PG) 2025 has been postponed and will now be held on August 3, 2025, following an extension granted by the Supreme Court to the National Board of Examinations (NBE). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The exam was originally scheduled for June 15, 2025. The apex court clarified that no further extensions will be allowed. The Supreme Court has also mandated that the exam be conducted in a single shift to ensure fairness and transparency. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) announced the postponement on May 27, 2025, after receiving the court's directive, as quoted by ANI. The postponement allows the authorities to expand test centres and upgrade infrastructure to meet the court's standards. Supreme court's directive on single-shift examination A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Augustine George Masih emphasised that the exam must be held in one shift, as reported by ANI. Earlier, a vacation bench consisting of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Kumar, and NK Anjaria had rejected NBE's two-shift plan, describing it as 'arbitrariness' and saying that 'the question papers in the two shifts can never be of the same difficulty level,' according to ANI. The court stressed the importance of providing a level playing field for all candidates and ordered the respondents to 'make necessary arrangements for holding the NEET-PG 2025 examination in one shift, duly ensuring that complete transparency is maintained and secure centres are identified and commissioned,' as quoted by ANI. Challenges raised by NBE and court's response The counsel for NBE informed the court that holding the exam in a single shift would require around 900 additional centres, which could not be arranged before the June 15 date. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The counsel also cited concerns about Wi-Fi infrastructure, computer security, and other logistical challenges, as reported by ANI. Despite these arguments, the Supreme Court expressed disbelief that sufficient centres could not be found in a technologically advanced country like India. The court remarked, 'We are not ready to accept that in entire country and considering the technological advancements in this country the examining body could not find enough centres to hold the examination in one shift,' as quoted by ANI. NBEMS's steps to ensure fairness and security Following the Supreme Court's order, NBEMS postponed the exam to allow for necessary preparations. The board stated, 'NEET-PG 2025, scheduled to be held on 15.06.2025, has been postponed to arrange for more test centres and required infrastructure,' as reported by ANI. NBEMS also confirmed that the exam will now be conducted in a single shift, with the revised date notified in due course. This postponement aims to uphold the integrity of the exam, which is a vital gateway for admission to postgraduate medical courses across India. Conducting the test in one shift is expected to reduce discrepancies in question paper difficulty and provide a more transparent and equitable evaluation for all candidates. The Supreme Court has set a firm deadline for the NEET PG exam to be conducted in a single shift by August 3, 2025, with no further extensions. This move is intended to eliminate arbitrariness and ensure a fair exam environment. Candidates can now plan their preparations accordingly, confident that the exam process will be conducted under strict transparency and security guidelines, as mandated by the apex court and reported by ANI.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
NEET PG 2025 To Be Held On August 3; Supreme Court Approves Date Extension Request
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the National Board of Examinations (NBE)'s petition seeking permission to conduct the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for postgraduate courses (NEET-PG) 2025 on August 3. A bench comprising Justice PK Mishra and Justice AG Masih, while delivering the order, said, "We are satisfied that the prayer for extension of time to reschedule the exam to August 3, 2025, is bona fide." "Accordingly, the time allowed by our order dated May 30 is extended, and NBE is permitted to hold the exam on August 3, 2025. No further extension shall be granted," the bench added. Initially, while hearing NBE's petition, the bench expressed concern over the delay and asked, "Why do you need two months?" The NBE informed the court that there are approximately 2.5 lakh candidates and around 450 centres. Since the exam is to be held in a single shift, at least 500 centres are required. Identifying centres, arranging security measures, and allowing students to select test centres will take time. Justice PK Mishra questioned NBE, "You want time till August 3? Why so much time?" Justice AG Masih added, "You haven't started the process even though the order was passed on May 30. What have you done since then? This is causing unnecessary delay. Why do you need two months?" Justice Masih further expressed concern about the time being sought. The NBE responded that TCS, their technical partner, could explain the situation. Justice Masih remarked, "Unfortunately for you, we know how TCS works. Students are studying, and admissions will be delayed." However, both the Centre and NBE maintained that more time was necessary to conduct the examination in a single shift. Ultimately, the Supreme Court allowed their request. On May 30, the Supreme Court had ordered NBE to conduct the examination in one shift instead of two. Subsequently, NBE filed an application citing practical and technical difficulties in conducting the NEET PG examination in a single shift on June 15. NBE informed the top court that TCS, the technical partner for conducting the examination, stated August 3 as the earliest possible date to hold NEET PG in a single shift.
