1. I Am Impregnated With Politics: Birthday Boy Kamal Haasan
Actor Kamal Haasan said he was ‘impregnated’ with politics, confirming he is now ready to play a part in Tamil Nadu politics. While rumours were rife that the app was put out to help the actor launch his own party, Haasan said his app would be a “whistleblower of sorts.”
“Many speculated that today (7 November) I will announce my political party. But I have to do a lot of groundwork, which is what we have been sitting and analysing,” he said. He said he plans to travel across the state and understand the grievances of the people. “Maiam Whistle’ is not just an app, it will be a platform of sorts that will reach out to every single corner of Tamil Nadu,” he said. Haasan hoped to launch the app and reveal his team by January 2018.
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Also Read: Unboxing the Ulaganayagan Aka Kamal Haasan, on His Birthday
2. Tamil Scholar and Periyarist Ma Nannan No More
Tamil scholar, Periyarist and former director of Tamil Development Department Ma. Nannan, whose passion for the right use of the language was legendary, died here on Tuesday. Nannan was a household name in the 1980s and 90s when he taught Tamil in a lucid manner on Doordarshan. He was 94 and is survived by two daughters.
“From a primary school teacher to Tamil professor at the Presidency College, he achieved everything through sheer dedication and hard work. He was wedded to the ideals of Periyar and propagated his ideas and the poems of Bharathidasan,” said K Thirunavukkarasu, historian of the Dravidian Movement. Born Thirugnanasambandam in the composite South Arcot district, he studied Tamil in Annamalai University. A close friend of DMK leader M Karunanidhi, Nannan actively involved himself in the Tamil and social reform programmes organised by the party. He also set up a trust and honoured scholars and researchers every year.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. Will Expose Scam with Data: Residents
Residents’ associations and NGOs in the city have joined hands to expose a scam related to road relaying in the city. “We have analysed the data. We have identified a nexus between contractors and senior officials. We will expose it in two days,” said a representative.
Eighteen residents’ associations and NGOs at a meeting last week announced that they have started collecting data on roads, alleging maladministration in the entire process of relaying. Some of the NGOs and residents associated with the compilation of data alleged that they were harassed by the police after the announcement of a study on roads by the civil society. The Corporation also deleted data on the contractors online. After protests by residents, the Commissioner said the data will be restored.
(Source: The Hindu)
Also Read: Chennai Rains: Showers Across TN to Slowly Recede in Coming Days
4. Minister Jayakumar Takes a Dig at Kamal Haasan
Taking a dig at actor Kamal Haasan for taking the crowd-funding route for launching his political party, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said on Tuesday that the actor was probably the only person in the world to attempt raising Rs 30 crore from his supporters for his political entry.
“MGR started the party having faith in the people. Amma [Jayalalithaa] too followed and created history. No leader got money from people. But, he [Kamal] says he would collect Rs 30 crore from cadre. I don’t understand the calculations behind Rs 30 crore. He is the only man across the world to seek Rs 30 crore to start a political party... If he points out any defect in the administration, Amma’s government is willing to rectify it, no matter what,” he told reporters in response to a query.
Even as he wished Kamal Haasan on his birthday, Jayakumar added: “As I said earlier, anyone can start a political party. But, it is the people who can give a party recognition. In a democracy, who are the masters? It is the people. Then, now and forever, people are with Amma, Puratchi Thalaivar [MGR] and the two leaves [AIADMK’s frozen election symbol].”
(Source: The Hindu)
5. IIT-M Told to Clear Waste from Campus in a Week
The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal on Tuesday directed IIT-Madras to clear all solid waste and construction debris from the campus within a week and ordered the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and Chennai Corporation to inspect the campus after a week and submit a report.
The bench comprising Justice M SNambiar and expert member PS Rao also directed that any event conducted in the IIT-M premises must be within permissible noise levels, while avoiding plastic waste from being strewn around. “In case, IIT-Madras is found to be guilty of negligence and that results in injury or death of any deer or black buck, serious action would be taken against the institute invoking the ‘polluter pays’ principle,” the bench said. The bench, however, turned down a plea by the petitioner, Antony Rubin, to form a committee to look into moving IIT-M’s cultural fest Saarang and Shaastra out of the campus.
(Source: The Hindu)
6. HC Says No to Filing of I-T Returns Without Aadhaar
Making a quick course-correction against an order passed by it on 31 October permitting an advocate to file income tax returns without quoting her Aadhaar number, the Madras High Court on Tuesday rejected a similar plea made by another I-T assessee after finding that the Supreme Court had not dispensed with the requirement of Aadhaar for filing of I-T returns.
Justice TS Sivagnanam dismissed a writ petition filed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja after concurring with Additional Solicitor-General (ASG) G Rajagopalan that the apex court had dispensed with Aadhaar number only for transactions such as sale or purchase of immovable property, opening of a demat account and others as listed under Rule 114B of the I-T Rules of 1962. The judge pointed out that Section 139AA (1) of the Income Tax Act of 1961 requires every person who is eligible to obtain Aadhaar number to quote the number in the return of income.
(Source: The Hindu)
Also Read: Aadhar Scheme Collects Biometric Data of 99 Crore Indians
7. Awards for Emerging Entrepreneurs Presented at CII Connect 2017
In an effort to showcase emerging innovations in the field of ICT, the CII in association with the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday recognised entrepreneurial excellence in various areas and gave away the CII Connect 2017 awards. Tamil Nadu IT minister M Manikandan presented the awards.
Chennai-based Gyan Data and CloudCherry bagged the emerging entrepreneurs award while Coimbatore based Ampere Vehicles led Hemalatha Annamalai received the award for exemplary application of IT. Shaji Ravi of Access Healthcare Services got the award for the emerging entrepreneur of the year in the service category while Kunhamed Bicha of Avalon Technologies won the award in the manufacturing category. The IT ecosystem award was given to R Vasuki, IAS, SIPCOT while Vanitha Narayanan, chairman – IBM won the global influencer of the year award.
(Source: Times Of India)
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