Tamil Nadu

State Awards & Independence Day Honours

Thagaisal Thamizhar Award 2026:
- Conferred on former Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president and veteran leader M. Krishnasamy (86) by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.
- Profile: M. Krishnasamy represented the Vandavasi Lok Sabha constituency (1991–1996) and Arani Lok Sabha constituency (2009–2014).
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Police Medals:
- Provided for Excellence in Investigation and Excellence in Public Service.
- Award Perks: Each recipient receives an 8-gram gold medal and a cash reward of ₹25,000.

Recital of Tamil Thai Vazhthu in Courts:
- The Madras High Court issued a revised circular directing that the State song Tamil Thai Vazhthu, national song Vande Mataram, and national anthem Jana Gana Mana be rendered during Independence Day celebrations across its principal seat in Chennai, the Madurai Bench, and all district judicial units.
- This aligns with the State Government Order issued under GO (August 12, 2026) making the State song mandatory at official functions.

SC Stay on HC Order regarding Karur Stampede Victims:
- The Supreme Court stayed a Madras High Court order that had quashed compassionate state government job allocations to families of Karur stampede victims.
- Constitutional Basis: The Tamil Nadu government cited executive powers under Article 162 of the Constitution to provide state policy relief.

Census 2027 Data Collection Notification:
- The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI Mritunjay Kumar Narayan) notified 40 questions for Census 2027 under the Census Act.
- Expanded Parameters: Collects information on Aadhaar, mobile numbers, voter ID, bank accounts, and COVID-19 vaccination status. Phase 2 commenced in snow-bound regions (Ladakh, J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand).

White House Report on Transshipment Networks:
- A U.S. White House report titled ‘The Great Transshipment Scam’ identified the “Pune-Gujarat-Chennai” industrial belt as an area enabling Chinese exporters to route goods and evade U.S. Section 301 tariffs.

AMCA Stealth Fighter Combat Engine Partnership:
- Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) and Rolls-Royce announced a strategic partnership to design, develop, and manufacture an indigenous combat engine for India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.
Green AI Data Centre Proposals in Andaman & Nicobar:
- The Andaman & Nicobar administration floated an Expression of Interest (EoI) for private-led “Green AI/Data Centre Verticals” across Little Andaman and Great Nicobar Island (including Campbell Bay and Gandhi Nagar Bay).