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New Indian Express
5 days ago
- New Indian Express
633 SC/ST Act cases in Nellai in six years
TIRUNELVELI: As many as 633 cases have been registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act between January 2019 and April 2025 in Tirunelveli city and rural limits, police said in its reply to a RTI query filed by a lawyer. Of these, 446 cases were registered in district and 187 in city police limits respectively. A total of 45 complaints were rejected during the period, the information obtained by lawyer T Esakki Pandian revealed. To another RTI query filed by him, the Adi Dravidar Welfare (ADW) Department stated that 1,095 people from SC community were given Rs 11.30 crore compensation over the past four financial years (2021-22 to 2024-25). The compensation was given in accordance with the provisions of the SC/ST (PoA) Act, which mandates relief and rehabilitation to victims of caste-based offences. The RTI reply also revealed that the number of cases registered each year under the SC/ST Act in the district ranged from 52 to 88 between 2019 and 2024, with 26 cases filed in the first four months of 2025. At least 100 cases are registered each year in district and city limits. Activists claimed the gap between the number of cases registered and compensation paid highlights possible discrepancies in the actual number of atrocities. However, a police official explained that the number of victims who received compensation is higher than the number of cases as the government released funds in recent years for victims who were affected long ago.
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Minister lays foundation for knowledge centre in Namakkal
Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare M. Mathiventhan laid the foundation for a knowledge centre in the district on Monday. The Minister participated in the ground breaking ceremony for the centre at a cost of ₹1.27 crore at Thirumalaipatty in Puduchatram Panchayat Union. Under the Iyothee Thass Pandithar Habitation Development Scheme and the Nabard scheme, funds were allocated for this centre. Officials said the centre would be constructed as a two-storey building and the ground floor would be constructed at 2,228.47 sq. ft., and the first floor 1,874 sq. ft. The ground floor would have a skill development hall with a seating capacity of 100 people and an integrated development centre. A scheme exhibition room for women would be constructed on the ground floor. At the first floor, a training centre for farmers and Self-Help Groups with a seating capacity of 100 people and a meeting hall and computer hall would be constructed, the officials added. Namakkal MLA P. Ramalingam and officials participated in the function.
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Tamil Nadu government hostels to be called ‘social justice hostels', says Stalin
The Tamil Nadu government on Monday announced that school and college hostels for students belonging to Schedule Caste/ Schedule Tribe, Backward Caste, Most Backward Caste, and denotified communities will be renamed as 'Social Justice Hostels'. The retired judge had recommended that the government issue an order directing the removal of caste prefixes from names of government schools and hostels. (File photo) 'This decision will lay the foundation for building a progressive Tamil society without any caste differences,' Stalin said, adding that under the DMK's Dravidian model of governance, he aims to establish justice in the spheres of social, gender and economy. 'It is essential to eliminate caste sentiments to shape our future society into a progressive one. As a continuation of the various initiatives taken by the Tamil Nadu government with this objective, it has now been decided to change the names of student hostels currently operating under the names of various caste communities,' Stalin said. The renaming is part of the recommendations made by justice (retired) K Chandru, who was appointed by the Tamil Nadu government to address caste violence among students in Tamil Nadu, following the murder of a 17-year-old Dalit student by his classmates from the dominant Maravar community in Nanguneri in Tirunelveli district in 2023. The retired judge had recommended that the government issue an order directing the removal of caste prefixes from names of government schools and hostels. As of now, 179k students reside in 2,739 hostels in Tamil Nadu with 98,909 students in Adi Dravidar Welfare hostels, 41,194 students (Backward Communities), 26,653 students (Most Backward Communities), 9,372 students (Denotified Communities), 1,250 students (minority communities), and 2,190 (Tribal communities). Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai criticised Stalin saying that student hostels across Tamil Nadu lack proper maintenance, access to quality drinking water, and clean toilet facilities. 'The advertising expenditure for the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department was ₹1.65 crore for 2023–2024 and ₹11.48 crore in 2024-25,' Annamalai said. 'A few more crores may be accounted for by this name-change publicity, but it will bring no benefit to the students,' he added.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Nagapattinam Collector reviews awareness drive for ‘Ungaludan Stalin'
Nagapattinam District Collector P. Akash, on Monday, reviewed awareness activities under way for Tamil Nadu government's upcoming flagship outreach programme, 'Ungaludan Stalin'. The inspection took place in Nagapattinam Municipality and Velankanni Town Panchayat, where volunteers distributed pamphlets and application forms door-to-door. The scheme, set to launch across the district on July 15, aims at directly addressing public grievances through special camps in both urban and rural areas. From July 15 to August 14, 36 camps will be conducted: 10 in municipalities, 4 in town panchayats, and 22 in rural locations. In total, 97 camps will be organised across the district. Urban camps will provide 43 services from 13 departments, including Adi Dravidar Welfare, Revenue, Labour, and Health. Rural camps will offer 46 services across 15 departments. The initiative is designed to bring essential government services closer to citizens and ensure timely redress of grievances. Residents are required to bring their Aadhaar card, ration card, mobile number, and supporting documents when submitting petitions at the camps. Grievances will be addressed within 45 days.
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Doddakombai tribal settlement in Erode district gets government bus facility
After decades of isolation, Doddakombai tribal settlement in Perumugai panchayat under the T.N. Palayam Panchayat Union finally got government bus connectivity on Tuesday (June 24, 2025). Home to over 100 Urali tribal families for more than 70 years, the hamlet lacked basic transport access until now. Residents had to walk nearly 10 km through the forest area to reach Kallipatti, the nearest location with bus services, to access hospitals, buy essential commodities, and attend school. Students often risked their safety walking long distances through the forest daily. Responding to the community's long-standing demand, the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) extended its Gobichettipalayam–Athani bus service from Karumbarai Pudur to Doddakombai. The service will operate in the morning and evening, catering to the needs of both students and the public. The new service was flagged off on Tuesday by Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare M. Mathiventhan. He was joined by Rajya Sabha MP Anthiyur P. Selvaraj, Anthiyur MLA G. Venkatachalam, District Revenue Officer S. Santhakumar, and other officials, who travelled in the bus and received an enthusiastic welcome from the local residents. Doddakombai's residents primarily depend on collecting minor forest produce such as honey and broom grass for their livelihood. However, restrictions from the Forest Department had limited their access to forest resources, forcing many to rely on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and farm labour. The newly introduced bus service is seen as a major step toward improving mobility and access to essential services, marking a significant milestone in addressing the needs of the tribal population.
