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Off the cuff: Police intervention restores woman's property in Tirunelveli

Off the cuff: Police intervention restores woman's property in Tirunelveli

New Indian Express11 hours ago
Star appeal
What was meant to be a routine inspection at a government school in Nangavalli took an unexpected detour when a top Samagra Shiksha officer allegedly told a postgraduate teacher — in front of her students — that she resembled an actress. The teacher complained, but the issue hit a bureaucratic speed bump. Instead of pulling up the officer, two DEOs questioned the teacher and students, filed reports, and higher-ups in Chennai decided to let it slide. The officer, said to be well-connected in Salem's education circles, was quietly transferred — no warning, no action. And just like that, the complaint was wrapped up with a neat bow. Teachers are left wondering if accountability too took a transfer along with the officer.
-N Dhamotharan, Coimbatore
God as registrar?
Remember that old Tamil flick Palayathamman, where a baby tumbles into a temple hundi and the goddess adopts it? Fast-forward to real life at Padavedu Renugambal temple in Arani — only this time, it's not divine intervention, but a property row. A retired army man, neck-deep in family drama, lobbed his land documents into the hundi — because why go to court when you've got gods? Trouble is, hundi rules are clear: what goes in, stays in. And while those papers hold no legal weight, sentiment is expensive — and allegedly costs Rs 20 lakh in bribes to pry them out. The temple trustee chairman, a DMK man no less, is allegedly in the middle of it. God's piggy bank has never seen such high-stakes paperwork.
- Rajalakshmi Sampath, Tiruvannamalai
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Kerala engineer held for selling drugs over the internet: What is the ‘dark web', and is it really all dark?
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Kerala engineer held for selling drugs over the internet: What is the ‘dark web', and is it really all dark?

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Crime branch arrests 2 interstate drug traffickers, seizes heroin worth Rs 5 crore
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Time of India

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Eluru Collector directs private schools to conduct Mega PTM on July 10
Eluru Collector directs private schools to conduct Mega PTM on July 10

The Hindu

time36 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

Eluru Collector directs private schools to conduct Mega PTM on July 10

Eluru District Collector K. Vetri Selvi directed that the State government's prestigious 'Mega Parents-Teachers Meeting' (Mega PTM) 2.0 must be conducted in all private schools across the district on July 10, following the official schedule issued by the Andhra Pradesh government. Addressing private school management representatives at a meeting held on Monday, the Collector emphasised that the Mega PTM is a key component of the State's educational reforms, aimed at strengthening parental involvement in students' academic progress. She explained that the event will be held across 1,810 government and 558 private schools, along with 140 junior colleges in the district. The event will serve as a platform for interaction between parents, teachers, and students, helping to enhance communication about academic performance, behaviour, and social issues. To ensure the event's success, the Collector suggested that parents and community leaders be invited through student-designed invitations. Conduct welcome ceremonies, 'Talli Ki Vandana' (a tribute to mothers), and cultural programmes. Organise photo sessions with students and teachers, she added. Arrange tree-planting activities in school premises, with students taking responsibility of nurturing them for three months. Green passports will be issued to participating students. Conduct interactive sessions on child progress, mental health awareness, anti-drug messages, and cybercrime awareness, she said. The Collector also instructed schools that lack adequate space to organise the event in open or alternative venues, and asked private school managements to hold the event across all their branches, not merely as a formality but as a celebration. Additionally, schools are required to upload photos and short videos (under 30 seconds) of the meet on the LEAP app as part of documentation and monitoring, she added. District Education Officer Venkata Lakshmamma, Samagra Shiksha APO Pankaj Kumar, and various private school management members attended the meeting.

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