Latest news with #TNIE
New Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
CEO of Miss World Julia Morley spills out details of the 'blue crown'
Watch TNIE's Principal Correspondent speak to Chairman and CEO of Miss World, Julia Morley, to know all about the historic, blue Miss World crown.
New Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Grand Miss World finale today in Hyberabad
HYDERABAD: The stage is set for a spectacular evening as the 72nd Miss World finale gears up to mesmerise audiences around the globe at Hitex Exhibition Centre on Saturday. For the first time in the history of Miss World, the event promises a setup so grand, it's sure to leave everyone in awe. Ahead of the big night on Saturday, TNIE spoke to Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary for Tourism and Youth Advancement, who gave us an exclusive peek into what the audience can expect. 'The Miss World events have been going on for the past three weeks,' said Ranjan. 'We started with 109 contestants who competed in various rounds, and now we're down to the top 40. These finalists will battle it out in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final rounds — all in one exciting evening.' The night begins with the introduction of all 109 contestants, followed by the selection of 40 quarterfinalists, chosen from four continental regions — Americas and Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and Asia and Oceania.
New Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Parents fret as Bengaluru schools offer EMI schemes to meet steep fee hike
BENGALURU: With no fee cap or regulation in place, private schools in Bengaluru are not only hiking annual fees steeply but are now tying up with private financiers to offer EMI schemes to parents. The move, flagged by parent groups, highlights the growing commercialisation of school education and the state government's continued inaction despite repeated demands for intervention. Parents lament that by introducing finance-backed EMI options, schools are turning basic education into a debt-driven service. Many argue that this is a way to normalise exorbitant fees rather than address the root problem — the absence of a regulatory framework to keep education affordable. In Bengaluru, most private schools charge anywhere between Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh just for nursery admissions — and the fees only keep rising as the child moves to primary and high school. This amount, however, doesn't cover everything. Parents are made to pay up to Rs 30,000 separately for transport, uniforms, books, extracurricular activities, and other add-ons. Speaking to TNIE, parents said that private schools in the city suggest they tie them up with some finance companies that often charge high interest rates, making it difficult for families to repay the loans. Offering loans, collecting school fees in EMIs pushing parents into debt Many parents, desperate to secure admission or continue their child's education, are lured into signing agreements without fully understanding the terms which pushes them into a cycle of debt. However, a representative from a private school in Jakkur said the EMI schemes are being introduced as a way to support parents who may find it otherwise difficult to pay the full fee at once. 'We are forced to bear the pressure of high-interest repayments, which often leads to financial stress. In most cases, families we know have even reported harassment by finance company agents when they struggle to make payments,' Shalini Kamath, one of parents whose son is in a well-known private school in Brookefield, said. Shalini said that a major issue is the lack of transparency in these school-financier arrangements. 'Parents are rarely given a clear picture of the loan terms, including interest rates or repayment conditions. Without this clarity, many end up committing to financial agreements they cannot afford,' she added.
New Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Praveshanotsavam sings a new tune with student's poem as theme song
KOCHI: What better than a student ushering in the new school year. For the first time in its history, a poem written by a pupil has been selected as the theme song of the Praveshanotsavam, which celebrates the beginning of a new academic season. The song, which captures the essence of Kerala, has resonated with listeners and gone viral. The verse of 15-year-old Bhadra Hari has been put to music and and sung by music director and singer Alphons Joseph. Speaking to TNIE, Bhadra, who completed her Class X from SVVHSS Thamarakudi, in Kottarakkara, with an A+ in all subjects, says, 'The department had last year issued an advertisement inviting poems from students with the Praveshanotsavam as the theme. It caught my attention, and I decided to send an entry.' Bhadra spent more than two days writing the poem. 'Well, it is not easy to come up with the lines even though you have an idea and the imagination. I would scribble on my note pad, especially at night. Very slowly, the lyrics took shape. I mailed it to the address provided by the department and that was it,' the youngster says. She didn't hear anything from the department after that. 'However, the other day I was contacted by the private secretary of General Education Minister V Sivankutty. I was informed that the department had selected my poem as the theme song for Praveshanotsavam 2025-26. It was the happiest day of my life. I felt recognised as a poet even though I have won 'A' grade in the School Kalolsavam twice,' says Bhadra, who has opted for the humanities stream for her Plus One.
New Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Despite ban, tobacco products sale thrives in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchy
TIRUCHY: At Chathiram Bus Stand, a man smokes beneath a 'No Smoking' sign board. Nearby, visibly amidst the crowd, another person rubs tobacco into his palm and packs it into his lip. Despite Rs 33.28 lakh fines under the COTPA Act, 2003, collected between 2017 and 2025, and repeated awareness drives, tobacco use in Tiruchy remains visibly entrenched especially in public spaces. This, even after the Tamil Nadu Food Safety Commissioner extended the ban on manufacturing, storing, transporting, and selling gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine for another year from May 23, 2025, through a gazette notification. A field visit by TNIE to city shops found chewable tobacco products widely available, often bought by students, youth, heavy vehicle drivers and guest workers. Some shops sold cigarettes without statutory warnings or pictorial displays at their outlet. While open displays of cigarettes have reduced, they are still sold discreetly. The ban does not cover cigarettes, which remain legal but regulated. In Tiruchy, tea shops often double as informal smoking hubs, where public smoking is rarely questioned "Tea alone doesn't attract customers. If we don't sell cigarettes, they go elsewhere. We run at a loss," said a tea vendor near Beema Nagar. Meanwhile, a popular tea outlet chain with 15 branches across the city has successfully banned tobacco sales. "We've built a brand around clean service. We don't rely on tobacco," said A Nasser Ahamed, owner of one such outlet near Gandhi Market.
