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Thursday, December 25, 2025
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Nagraj Naidu Kumar appointed as the Principal Secretary of the UN

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The Commune
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Nagaraj Naidu Kumar has been appointed as the Principal Secretary to the UN General Assembly. Maldives Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid has won a recent election to chair the UN General Assembly. He received 143 votes, while his opponent, Afghan Foreign Minister Salmai Rasool, received 48 votes. In this context, Abdullah Shahid has appointed his Special Envoy to the Maldives, Dilmeesa Hussain, Maldives Ambassador to the United Nations, and K. Nagaraj Naidu, Deputy Ambassador to India. He is the first Indian Diplomat to hold this position. His role in the post-recovery stage of the pandemic will be crucial to the overall growth and international relations.

Commenting on this, Nagaraj Naidu said, “The UN General Assembly is the representative body of the United Nations, the body that formulates key policies. The UN General Assembly, comprising 193 member states, serves as a forum for discussing key issues, including international peace and security. In it, I am proud of the opportunity to work under the leadership of Abdullah Shahid.”

“Today, I have appointed Ambassador Thilmeeza Hussain as Special Envoy of the PGA, and Ambassador Nagaraj Naidu Kumar as my Chef du Cabinet. They will be instrumental in delivering my vision for the #PresidencyOfHope,” Shahid tweeted.

S Jaishankar, India’s external affairs minister, attended the UN General Assembly’s most recent session virtually as Nagaraj Naidu Kumar took oath as the Principal Secretary.

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Cops suspended for stealing ₹ 5 lakhs from Jewellery shop in Chennai

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The Commune
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Two police constables have been suspended for allegedly stealing ₹ 5 lakh from a diamond shop while on night patrol on NSC Bose Road in Chennai.

The suspended police personnel are identified as Mujib Ur Rahman and Sujin of Flower  Bazaar police station. Two police constables, who were on their night patrols at NSC Bose Road, found a jewellery shop open in violation of the lockdown curfew. The police, who entered the shop, found the staff counting cash on the counter.

The policemen asked the staff and the shop owner to bring the money to the Flower Bazaar police station as they opened the shop despite pandemic lockdown rules.

Meanwhile, the owner spoke with the police station’s sub-inspector, who subsequently persuaded the policemen and requested them to return to the station. The staff and the owner were shocked to see ₹ 5 lakh cash missing after the policemen had left. They examined the CCTV footage and saw the two officers snatching the cash bundles after diverting the attention of the employees.

Following this, the shop owner approached a senior police officer and briefed him about the incident. After due inquiry,  the two police constables were placed under suspension while the sub-inspector is facing departmental action in connection with the mess.  A senior official confirmed that the two had been suspended and that additional investigation is underway.

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TN BJP to boycott TV debates temporarily, say sources

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The Commune
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According to reports, the Tamil Nadu BJP has decided not to participate in Tamil TV news debates as BJP spokespersons are not given enough time to express their opinions and the news anchors take sides against the BJP.

A key consultative meeting with Tamil Nadu BJP leaders was held yesterday at the BJP party office in Chennai. The meeting was attended by Tamil Nadu BJP President L. Murugan, senior leader Ila Ganesan, Organizational General Secretary Kesava Vinayagam, state Vice Presidents VP Duraisamy and MN Raja, MLAs Nainar Nagendran and Vanathi Srinivasan, state General Secretaries Karu Nagarajan and KT Raghavan, actress Khushbu, and other participants in the ‘TV’ debates.

According to BJP officials, the decision to boycott TV debates was made after numerous instances of BJP spokespersons not being given enough time to voice their opinions during TV debates, and also frequent interruptions by opposition parties when BJP spokespersons are speaking.

The source added that the news anchors in charge of regulating the debates are opinionated and biased, giving opposition parties extra air time and fail to question them as they speak.

(with inputs from Dinamalar)

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IIT Madras develops indigenous Vessel Traffic Management software for Thoothukudi Port

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The Commune
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India will soon use its indigenous Vessel Traffic Management software and hardware that will be used in ports developed by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

Already a Memorandum of Understanding between IIT-M and the VO Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Trust in Thoothukudi has been signed for the software development project.

At present, Indian ports use foreign software for managing the traffic leading to higher operating costs, and the present VTS at VOC Port has been operational for nearly seven years.

Also, it became necessary to have a more effective VTS system as India has seen a rapid increase in maritime traffic.

This project is led by the National Technology Centre for Ports Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC), at IIT Madras as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and Digital India initiatives.

According to T.K. Ramachandran, Chairman, VOC Port Trust, Tuticorin, theirs is the first major Indian port to sign an MoU with NTCPWC for indigenous software development and he has called this a “home-grown alternative that would be a game-changer in Indian Maritime Industry”.

K. Murali, Professor In-charge, NTCPWC-IIT Madras was quoted saying in a media, “Though ours is a maiden initiative, the software is expected to be ready in less than a year. Our software will be developed using open architecture. It will be flexible and interoperable, which means it can be integrated with other existing systems that ports use for daily operations,”,

This will cut costs and the reliance on foreign companies as they are very expensive and we do not have complete hardware-software packages, whose internal workings are not known to the user.

But with our own technology, the software can be developed here and an upgrade of hardware can be done based on in-house expert recommendation and that would lead to cutting costs on the hardware required by 50 per cent cheaper.

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Teacher in Karaikudi tutors disabled kids for free

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The Commune
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A teacher from Karaikudi is providing free education in her own backyard for the disabled children who are confined to their homes in Karaikudi, Sivagangai district, thanks to the COVID lockdown.

Pa. Tenral is working as a teacher in Sri Karthikeyan School, Karaikudi. She writes poems and articles for weekly and monthly magazines. She used to organize storytelling workshops at her house once a month with several school children in the county under the name ‘Committee of Angels’.

Under the circumstances of COVID lockdown, children in the area were made to shift to online classes since last year. Following this, the teacher connected with the children of schools in the Karaikudi area through the WhatsApp group and explained the doubts of the students regarding education. Ever since the introduction of online classes in schools, she went to the homes of children without internet access and taught them. She has been providing free education to students.

Commenting on this, Pa. Thenral said, “Currently I am taking the children in our area and tutoring them using lessons that involve puzzles and games. I also teach them in the home garden in my backyard too. Thus they learn a lesson along with nature. Parents eagerly send their children. Children also study willingly.”

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US based Ocugen Inc signs agreement with Bharat Biotech for Covaxin rights in Canada

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The Commune
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As some vested interest groups in India try to denigrate the indigenously developed Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin, its US partner Ocugen Inc has declared that it will pay $15 million upfront for the rights of the vaccine to Canada.

Ocugen also mentioned that it will pay an additional $10 million to Bharat Biotech within a month of Covaxin’s commercial launch in Ottawa as it files for the regulatory filing,  

Bharat Biotech along with Ocugen have zeroed upon a definitive agreement for the co-development, supply, and commercialisation of Covaxin in the US market.

The two companies have also worked out a profit-sharing agreement through which Ocugen will be able to retain 45 per cent of profit from Covaxin sales in Canada and is working towards submitting the emergency use application in the US with similar authorization in Canada as well.

“The Amendment is effective as of May 29, 2021. In consideration of the expansion, pursuant to the Amendment, the Company paid to Bharat (Bharat Biotech) a non-refundable, upfront payment of $15 million immediately upon execution of the Amendment,” Ocugen’s statement was quoted by the PTI.

It added, “The company further agreed to pay to Bharat a milestone payment of $10 million within 30 days of the first commercial sale of Covaxin in Canada.”

Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech has disclosed that the Emergency Use Listing Procedure (EUL) for Covaxin has been submitted to WHO-Geneva and regulatory approvals for the same are anticipated to come between July-September 2021.

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Police officer who asked public to ‘mask up’ pelted with stones in Kerala, officer loses memory

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The Commune
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Three Maraiyur policemen were on patrol in the Kandalur area near Munnar and had caught a pedestrian who was walking without wearing a mask and fined had him. As he tried to flee, two of the policemen tried to catch him. The man then tried to flee and attacked Ashish, the third policeman, by pelting him with a stone.

The man fled the scene as the policeman collapsed. The injured policeman was rescued and admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment. There he was stitched up for a cut on his head. He was taken to the Ernakulam General Hospital for further treatment as he did not regain consciousness.

Ashish’s family and co-workers went to see him 6 days later when he had regained consciousness and did not recognize any of them. His relatives and friends were shocked when doctors told that he had lost all his memory. Upon hearing this, his close friends and top police officials have been in constant contact with Ashish via video call to retrieve his memory. Ashish was seen responding to all of this with a child-like smile.

His family is saddened to find that he has forgotten all about the past as arrangements are being made for his wedding which is to take in a few more months. Meanwhile, Kerala police narrowed down the man who attacked policeman Ashish and fled. During the interrogation, it was revealed that his name was Suleiman and he said that he had escaped by throwing stones at the policeman for fear that the police would take him away and put him in jail.

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Karnataka: Money meant for temples not to be used for any non-Hindu religious institution

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The Commune
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In a decision long awaited, the Karnataka government has ordered that no funds from the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (HRCE) Department also known as Muzrai department be used to fund any non-Hindu religious institutions, reports Swarajya.

Various Hindu groups and leaders showed outrage against the distribution of ‘tastik’ money from the HRCE to priests and staff of other religious institutions.

Minister for Muzrai Kota Srinivas Poojary directed that henceforth such financial support from the department be halted with immediate effect.

In a media address, Poojary said that “until our government came to power, ‘tastik’ amount meant for temples was also being provided to other religious institutions. Upon receiving this information we have directed that all utilisation of funds for non-Hindu purposes be stopped immediately,”.

As per reports, 764 other non-Hindu religious institutions are recipients of the ‘tastik’ and this will now be stopped with immediate notice as instructed by the Minister.

In a statement, the HRCE Commissioner informed that a total of ₹133 crore is spent annually on ‘tastik’ distribution which covers around 27,000 Hindu temples in the state.

Hindu organisations had opposed the distribution of Covid compensation to imams of mosques from the funds of the HRCE department after Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had announced a relief package of ₹500 crore which involved a one-time compensation to ‘archakas’ and staff of C-grade temples as well as Imams and muezzins of mosques.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) welcomed the compensation to priests, however, they opposed the government’s move to sanction funds of the HRCE to mosques and condemned this decision of the government.

In its appeal to Poojary, VHP said it “opposes the decision of the government to provide Covid pandemic relief to the imams of 41 mosques and madrasas of the district from the funds of Hindu Religious Endowment,”.

According to the VHP, it wants the government withdraw its orders immediately and emphasied the funds from ‘daivasthanas and temples’ should only be used for the Hindu community. “It should not be used for mosques and madrasas. We condemn this decision of the state BJP government,” said the appeal further.

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Govt. of India’s free telemedicine service completes 60 lakh consultations, TN stands 2nd with more than 11.6 lakh calls

By
The Commune
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Union Health Ministry’s National Telemedicine Service – eSanjeevani has crossed another milestone by completing 6 million (60 lakh) consultations through more than 375 online OPDs, where over 40,000 patients consult over 1600 doctors  and specialists on a daily basis using this innovative digital medium to seek Health services.

Currently, the National Telemedicine Service is operational in 31 States/Union Territories.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had conceptualised eSanjeevani – a doctor to doctor telemedicine platform in November 2019 for implementation at 1,55,000 Health and Wellness Centres under Govt. of India’s Ayushman Bharat Scheme in a Hub & Spokes model. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, as OPDs across the country were closed, the Union Health Ministry ensured a rapid development and roll out of this initiative in collaboration with The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (Mohali)

eSanjeevaniAB-HWC – the doctor to doctor telemedicine platform has been implemented at around 20,000 Health and Wellness Centres as spokes and over 1800 hubs in around 30 States. The Ministry of Defence too has hosted a National OPD on eSanjeevaniOPD, where over 100 veteran doctors and specialists – roped in by the Ministry of Defence, serve patients across the country.

People in many states have been quick to recognise the benefits of eSanjeevani and this has led to an encouraging trend of widespread rapid adoption of this digital modality of seeking Health services. It has led to massive improvement in access to specialised health services, particularly in rural areas. Further, this  Service has come in handy for the patients in urban areas as well, especially during the second wave of the ongoing pandemic that has burdened the Healthcare services delivery system in the country.

In a short span of time, Govt. of India’s National Telemedicine Service has started aiding the Indian healthcare delivery system by plugging the digital health divide that exists in urban and rural India. It is also addressing the shortage of doctors and specialists at ground level while reducing the burden on secondary and tertiary level hospitals. In line with the National Digital Health Mission, eSanjeevani is also boosting the digital health ecosystem in the country.

Leading 10 States in terms of adoption (number of consultations) of eSanjeevani are Andhra Pradesh (1219689), Tamil Nadu (1161987), Karnataka (1056447), Uttar Pradesh (952926), Gujarat (267482), Madhya Pradesh (264364), Bihar (192537), Maharashtra (177629), Kerala (173734) and Uttarakhand (134214).

(Published from PIB)

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Divyang brothers donate their pension to TN CM COVID Relief Fund

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The Commune
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Two disabled brothers with muscular dystrophy near Melur in Madurai district are donating their entire monthly disabled pension to the Corona Relief Fund of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

The Vairavapandi-Indumati couple, hailing from Mukkampatti near Melur in Madurai district sell fish for a living. They have three sons, Manoj (21), Nitish, (19), and Prathesh (17). Of these, Manoj and Pradesh are both disabled who cannot walk due to muscular dystrophy. The eldest son, Manoj, used to study at the government school in Thiruvathavur up to the 6th standard.

Like Manoj, his third son Pradesh also suffered from muscular dystrophy in the fifth grade and was unable to walk. Due to poverty, Manoj is now staying at his grandparents’ house in Panaikulam and the youngest son Prathesh at their house.

The two brothers volunteered to donate their monthly pension of ₹1,500 to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, which they receive from the Government of Tamil Nadu. Their parents contacted the Melur Revenue Commissioner and asked him to accept their relief amount.

In response to their request, the Commissioner went to the home of the disabled and said that the money would be received and sent to the CM Relief Fund. He presented the two with books and honoured them with a silk shawl.

(With inputs from Polimer News)

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TheCommune
The Commune is a news and views portal focusing on social and political issues of the southern part of India with a focus on Tamil Nadu.
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