Latest news with #ThiagaRajan
New Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
PTR inaugurates global eye surgery meet, highlights Tamil Nadu's medical tourism
CHENNAI: Minister for Information and Technology Palanivel Thiaga Rajan inaugurated the Indian Intraocular Implant and Refractive Surgery Convention (IIRSI), a two-day conference focused on new technologies in eye surgeries, on Saturday. Speaking at the event, the minister said medical tourism in Tamil Nadu is drawing people not only to Chennai but also cities like Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem and Tiruchy, adding that the state has the highest number of medical colleges, seats and beds, excluding specialisations. Honouring doctors with gold medals, Thiaga Rajan said the state's focus on eye care dates back to the time when the government introduced 'Kannoli Kaapoam Thittam', an eye screening scheme which was later expanded to include schoolchildren and newborns.
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
The Hindu Huddle 2025: Union Government cannot dictate the state's policies, says Palanivel Thiaga Rajan
The Union Government cannot dictate the state's policies as the elected governments in states get to decide for themselves within the realm of the constitution, Tamil Nadu Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said on Saturday. 'Government of India nowhere gets the power to tell us what our priorities are. They are trying to dictate to us. The constitution is clear about Government of India cannot be dictating state's policies. If you try to do all things from Delhi because you are power hungry, you will fail,' the Minister said during the panel discussion on 'More Than a Sum of Parts: Reimagining India's Federalism', moderated by Narayan Lakshman, the Curator of The Hindu Huddle and Opinion Editor, The Hindu. Also Read | The Hindu Huddle 2025 Day 2 live updates Echoing similar sentiments, P. Rajeeve, Kerala Minister for Law, Industries and Coir said: 'The parliament cannot fix the borrowing limits of the state. It does not have power to regulate universities. Centre is taking away all powers and encroaching upon the states' powers.' Some Governors are living in colonial era, and unfortunately nobody during the discussion in Constituent Assembly could predict that this kind of people will become Governors, he said, hitting out at the overreach of the Governors in the Opposition-ruled states. Range of issues The two leaders exchanged their views over a range of issues on devolution of funds, delimitation, centre-state relationship, the role of the Governor and language, which comes at a time when Southern states are at loggerheads with the Union Government. Asking when was the last time that a Governor spoke about the issues pertaining to his state, Mr. Thiaga Rajan said that though the money was coming from states, the Centre was limiting the divisible pool by charging cess and surcharges that are not divisible. 'The Centre is using Article 293 and provisions in back -to back loan to limit the borrowing limits of the state. We are capable of handling our finances. Who is questioning the Centre when the fiscal deficit is going through the roof?' Delimitation On the delimitation exercise that is set to be disadvantageous to Southern states, Mr. Rajeeve said: 'We are not against delimitation, but a proportion should be maintained when the number of seats is increased. Equal representation has to be provided. It will be unfair if development index and population control is not considered and South's representation is reduced.' Seeking a 30-years freeze on delimitation, Mr. Thiaga Rajan said that states that successfully implemented population control were being punished. 'Whichever party dominates the Hindi heartland has the potential to be in power. Importance of other 26 states will be inconsequential. The states that would benefit in redistribution of seats are the Hindi heartland states that are already securing benefits. What more do they expect with more and better representation? Tall leaders of the country in their wisdom decided to freeze the delimitation exercise.' He pointed out at the equitable representation in the GST council irrespective of the contribution of states to GST pool or the population size. The Hindu Huddle 2025 is presented by Sami-Sabinsa Group Co-powered by: Government of Karnataka, Government of Telangana; Associate Partners: ONGC, Presidency University, TAFE, Akshayakalpa Organic; Energy Partner : Indian Oil Corporation Limited; Realty partner: Casagrand; Knowledge partner: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham; State partner: Meghalaya tourism and Haryana government; Luxury car partner: Toyota; Radio partner: Radio City; Gift partner: Anand Prakash; Broadcast partner: Times Now; Outdoor media partner: Signpost India
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
International university looking to set up campus in Tamil Nadu, says Palanivel Thiaga Rajan
Tamil Nadu Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said on Monday (May 5, 2025) that an international university is looking to set up a campus in Tamil Nadu. Speaking at an industry event, the Minister said he attended a meeting with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday, wherein officials from the university had participated. 'When I was Finance Minister, in my Budget speech, I had announced that a knowledge city would be developed through international collaboration,' Mr. Thiaga Rajan said, addressing the 7th Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) Smart Datacenters and Cloud Infrastructure Conclave 2025, with the theme, 'Empowering Global Digital Change: Tamil Nadu's Data & Cloud Vision'. 'The knowledge city will come up in 2,000 acres, where we will have a smart sustainable hub of academia, tech, fintech, and living arrangements. The university meeting this morning was part of this discussion,' he said. Mr. Thiaga Rajan, however, did not mention the name of the university. An official note from the State government earlier in the day said Diane Smith-Gander, Chancellor, University of Western Australia, and Jennifer Howell, Pro-Vice Chancellor, met Mr. Stalin and held discussions. Mr. Thiaga Rajan also pointed out that Tamil Nadu's gross enrolment ratio in higher education has increased to over 50% in the last four years, from around 45-46%, when the DMK government assumed office. This was enabled particularly through programmes that incentivised unprivileged girls from the government schools to join higher education, he said. Mr. Thiaga Rajan said one of the key strengths of Tamil Nadu is its human capital, and along with it an overall development makes the State an attractive investment destination. 'I think Tamil Nadu will be well-positioned as the innovation hub. We have a lot of data, data centres, and many talented people, and these are the building blocks for innovation and AI,' he said. Knowledge report released Mr. Thiaga Rajan also released a knowledge report by ASSOCHAM and audit firm PwC. As per the knowledge report, Tamil Nadu, particularly Chennai, is emerging as a significant data centre hub in India. The Chennai data centre market is projected to grow from 202.43 MW in 2025 to 551.15 MW by 2030, at a compounded annual growth rate of 22.18%. This growth is driven by the city's strategic location, robust infrastructure, and supportive government policies. The Tamil Nadu Data Centre Policy 2021 provides incentives such as tax benefits, land subsidies, and power tariff concessions, further boosting the market, it said. Surajit Chatterjee, Managing Director, Data Centre, India, CapitaLand Investment and Co- Chair, ASSOCHAM National Council on Data Centres, Max Parry, Head - Business Development, Equinix APAC, Ashok Mysore, President, CtrlS Datacenters Ltd, Jatinder Singh Pabla, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, STT GDC India and Co-Chair, ASSOCHAM National Council on Data Centers, among others, spoke at the event.
