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The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
People of Tamil Nadu no longer believe in DMK's theatrics, says Murugan
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan on Saturday said the people of Tamil Nadu no longer believed in the 'DMK's theatrics' and were ready to vote the party out of power. In the 2026 Assembly election, the AIADMK-BJP alliance will secure a historic victory and usher in good governance, he said. In a statement, Mr. Murugan said that at the NITI Aayog meeting held earlier this year, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin urged the Centre to initiate a river restoration project for the Cauvery, Vaigai, and Tamirabharani. 'However, since the time of his late father, former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, the DMK has been deceiving Tamil Nadu in the name of cleaning the Cooum. They siphoned off crores of rupees under the guise of clean-up projects,' he alleged. 'On every issue, the Chief Minister thinks he can escape by blaming the Centre. You claim that the Centre had not allocated funds to the State. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been repeatedly asking you to specify what funds were not given. But you have no answer,' Mr. Murugan contended. Accusing Mr. Stalin and the second-line DMK leaders of promoting dynastic politics, he said they acted like landlords. He added that Mr. Stalin had no moral right to speak about retrieving Katchatheevu or bringing education back to the State List.
Borneo Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Sabah passes landmark Climate Change and Carbon Governance Enactment 2025
Abidin KOTA KINABALU (July 8): The Sabah State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed the Sabah Climate Change and Carbon Governance Enactment 2025, marking a major milestone in the state's efforts to address climate change and regulate carbon-related activities. Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Abidin Madingkir, who presented the Bill, said Sabah is already experiencing the serious impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures, erratic weather, floods and droughts. 'These are no longer predictions of the future — they are unfolding before our very eyes,' said Abidin. In response to this reality, the Sabah Government has established the Sabah Climate Action Council (SCAC), which will serve as the state's top policy advisory body on climate issues. The new law reinforces SCAC's role and introduces a two-tier governance structure: the SCAC will function as the policy-making body, while a director will oversee carbon-related activities and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. All carbon rights are vested in the State Government, positioning the SCAC as the central authority for all carbon matters. 'This ensures that the benefits and revenues from carbon interests are returned to the people and the state,' said Abidin. The legislation adopts a top-down governance model, integrating climate priorities across all ministries and departments and aligning with national and international frameworks. Carbon assets will be leveraged to support economic growth while protecting employment and the welfare of vulnerable communities. Abidin emphasized that environmental matters fall under the residual powers of the state as per Article 77 of the Federal Constitution. He further noted that land, forests and water are under the State List (List II), providing legal justification for the enactment. The Bill also emphasizes protecting the rights and involvement of indigenous communities, particularly in carbon activities conducted on native customary land. Any such proposals must involve direct consultation and offer appropriate benefits to the affected communities. Beyond carbon activities, the Enactment mandates GHG emissions reporting by entities named under the law. This data is crucial for informed climate policy and planning, and it strengthens Sabah's reputation in climate governance. Abidin revealed that in 2024, Sabah completed its first Greenhouse Gas Inventory, showing that the state is a net carbon sink — absorbing more carbon than it emits. Sabah is estimated to contribute 36% of Malaysia's total carbon absorption, a status that offers strategic economic advantages amid the global push for carbon neutrality. 'This rare and valuable position must be safeguarded. If we become complacent, we risk losing this status and the associated benefits,' he warned. He also highlighted the state's climate vulnerabilities, including more frequent floods and coastal erosion, and stressed the need for urgent and strategic action. The Enactment includes 11 key parts: 1. Part I – Preliminary provisions including title and commencement; 2. Part II – Establishment of the SCAC as the highest state climate governance body; 3. Part III – Creation of the Sabah Climate Registry and Inventory Centre to manage data and carbon rights; 4. Part IV – Establishment of the Sabah Climate Fund for climate projects and administrative support; 5. Part V – Procedures for community consultation and benefit-sharing for carbon projects on customary land; 6. Part VI – Requirements and regulations for recognising and registering carbon activities; 7. Part VII – Regulations on carbon credits, levies and royalties; 8. Part VIII – Mandatory GHG emissions reporting and preparation of the state carbon budget; 9. Part IX – Enforcement provisions; 10. Part X – General provisions.
NDTV
20-06-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Amit Shah, Devendra Fadnavis Back Co-operatives As Key Rural Growth Engines
Mumbai: In a bid to promote India's cooperative system and boost the rural economy, Home Minister Amit Shah addressed two high-profile events in Mumbai. The first event was hosted by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), marked the celebration of the upcoming International Cooperative Year 2025. The second event commemorated 100 years of the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA). It was Amit Shah's second visit to Maharashtra in two consecutive months, which is also seen as an attempt to connect with the local voters, months before the civic body polls kickstart in the state. NAFED Event: Strengthening Rural Economy Through Cooperatives Addressing the gathering, Mr Shah stated that while cooperation is often seen as an economic system elsewhere, in India, it reflects a way of life rooted in shared tradition and collective progress. "To come together, live together, and move towards a common aim - to be together in happiness and sadness - is the soul of our country," the Home Minister said. He underlined how successful cooperative models like AMUL, IFFCO, KRIBHCO, and NAFED have transformed lives. "In Gujarat, 36 lakh rural women are part of Amul. None of them invested more than Rs 100, yet they created a turnover of Rs 80,000 crore," he said, adding that money directly reaches them. Mr Shah announced that NAFED had already started procuring crops such as corn and pulses on Minimum Support Price (MSP), with an app-based system enabling farmers to choose better prices in the open market if available. He said such digital platforms would help farmers efficiently plan all three seasonal crops and shared examples from Uttar Pradesh, where triple-cropping had increased rural engagement. He noted that the ministry, long in demand but delayed due to its categorisation under the State List, has created a national cooperative database, increasing the chances of the cooperatives reaching across the country. This includes information about cooperatives in every village and helps identify regions for expansion. Plans are underway to set up two lakh new Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) with integrated services including dairies, fisheries, petrol pumps, gas agencies, warehouses, and even common service centres that offer everything from ticket booking to certificates. "Corporate and cooperative tax laws have now been aligned," Mr Shah said, mentioning that even long-standing issues like the Rs 15,000 crore sugarcane mill tax dispute in Maharashtra were resolved under the Modi government. He also laid out plans for ethanol blending using corn, incentivised with increased procurement prices, reducing import dependence and increasing farmer income. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking at the same event, stated that no other place was more appropriate to celebrate the cooperative movement than Maharashtra, which boasts over 120 years of cooperative history. Mr Fadnavis said the state had exceeded the central targets and created new rural economic linkages. He urged NAFED to resolve the issue of procurement shortfalls, especially regarding 'poti' (grain bags), and assured continued support for cooperative growth. MACCIA 100 Years: Industry and Cooperative Growth Hand-in-Hand At the centenary event of the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA), all three - Amit Shah, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Eknath Shinde - underscored the role of cooperative and industrial synergy in Maharashtra's development. Mr Shinde praised the government's proactive style: "Our government takes no-reason, on-the-spot decisions," he said. Referring to the earlier Maha Vikas Aghadi regime, Mr Shinde said, "The Chamber would meet them and ask them to act - I used to tell them, Amit Bhai would suggest something, we'd do it, and it would get done." Amit Shah, speaking at MACCIA, noted that Maharashtra continues to lead industrial investment in the country, housing India's largest ports and boasting the highest number of women income tax payers. He recalled concerns over Mumbai's traffic but said the Centre had allocated Rs 7,000 crore for the Metro project. Without naming him, Mr Shah appeared to criticise former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, asking rhetorically, "What has been done for Mumbai? What's your vision?" Mr Shah traced the shift in governance focus, stating, "When I started in politics, farmer suicides were always being discussed." He highlighted the implementation of the Jalyukt Shivar Yojana in Marathwada and Vidarbha and contrasted earlier central assistance to Maharashtra - Rs 1.91 lakh crore - with the Modi-era figure of Rs 7 lakh crore. He concluded by stating that only when both agriculture and industry function efficiently can development be meaningful. "It's this approach that has helped India become the fourth-largest economy in the world."
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Madras HC upholds Tamil Nadu's restrictions on real money games
The Madras High Court on Tuesday upheld the Tamil Nadu online gaming authority 's restrictions on real money games , including a ban on gameplay between midnight and 5 am, and mandatory Aadhaar verification, rejecting legal challenges by gaming companies. The development follows a February petition where companies challenged regulations that required mandatory KYC verification, Aadhaar authentication and restricted hours of gameplay. These restrictions were imposed under Sections 5(2) and 14(1)(c) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Act, 2022. A division bench comprising Justices SM Subramaniam and K Rajasekar ruled that the State has the authority to make laws on online gaming under Entry 6 (public health and sanitation) and Entry 26 (trade and commerce within the State) of the State List in the Constitution, which covers matters exclusively under states' jurisdiction. In their arguments, Head Digital Works Pvt. Ltd., which develops online games of skill in India, and two other gaming companies, Junglee Games India Pvt Ltd, and WinZO, insisted that the current restrictions based on time, age and monetary factors are unconstitutional. Code of ethics and regulatory framework Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories In March, ET reported that real money gaming industry bodies All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), E-Gaming Federation (EGF) and Federation of Indian fantasy Sports (FIFS), jointly came up with a 'code of ethics' encouraging responsible gaming practices. The gaming industry bodies include companies such as Dream11, My11Circle, Khelo Fantasy Live, SG11 Fantasy, WinZO, Games24X7, Junglee Games etc. The code of ethics had provisions similar to the curbs placed by the Tamil Nadu government. Under the new GST regime, the real-money gaming (RMG) industry faces a 28% GST levy on the deposits made by players on these platforms. Last September , India's top GST investigation agency, the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), stated that the real money gaming sector topped the list of tax evasion, with dues to the tune of Rs 1.1 lakh crore. The agency issued show cause notices to 34 entities and took action against 118 Indian and 658 foreign companies. Trends shaping the RMG sector In FY22-23, India's largest RMG platform, Dream11, recorded gross gaming revenue of Rs 7,167 crore. Of this, Rs 976 crore was spent as promotional credits to players. There are close to 568 million users of online games in India, and nearly 25% of them are pay-and-play customers. In fiscal year 2023, the RMG segment in online gaming was estimated to be a $2 billion business. According to the latest EY-FICCI report, Esports and casual gaming grew to Rs 5,300 crore in 2024, and is projected to reach Rs 6,300 crore in 2025 and Rs 8,300 crore in 2026.
The Hindu
02-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
85,000 students provided with uniforms, says Minister Muthusamy in Erode
Minister for Housing, Prohibition, and Excise, S. Muthusamy, said that 85,000 students studying in Classes VI to VIII were given uniforms as schools reopened in the district on Monday. In the presence of Collector Raja Gopal Sunkara, Erode MP K.E. Prakash, MLA V.C. Chandhirakumar, and Mayor S. Nagarathinam, the Minister inaugurated a new building block and laboratories worth ₹2.50 crore at the Government Higher Secondary School in Nanjappa Goundan Valasu, Surampatti. The project was funded under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative by Bengaluru-based Alice Blue Financial Services Private Limited, as part of the State government's 'Namma School – Namma Ooru Palli' scheme. Addressing the media, the Minister said that special initiatives by the Education Department helped government schools, which were previously ranked among the bottom 30 positions in the previous public examination results, and that this had significantly improved their pass percentages, with some achieving centum results. He noted that boys tend to score lower marks than girls in examinations and that this gap would be addressed. However, he acknowledged that girls' academic performance has been consistently improving year after year. He also assured that the distribution of uniforms to all students in the district would be completed in the coming days. On the issue of POCSO cases, the Minister revealed that over 250 school-related incidents were reported last year and that immediate action was taken. 'This academic year, preventive measures will be implemented to ensure such issues do not recur,' he said. Responding to AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami's criticism that the DMK government failed to bring education under the State List, Mr. Muthusamy asserted that the government has been consistently advocating for shifting education from the Concurrent List to the State List. He questioned why, during the AIADMK's 10-year rule, no concrete steps were taken on the matter by the then Chief Minister. Deputy Mayor V. Selvaraj, Chief Education Officer K. Subbarao, Headmaster N. Rajesh, and M. Sidhavelayutham, Founder and CEO of Alice Blue, along with several others, were present at the event.
