At the Tamil Nadu Global Women Summit 2026 held in Chennai on Tuesday, Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the Tamil Nadu Women Employment and Safety (TNWESafe) Project and the State’s Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme, aimed at improving women’s employment opportunities, safety, and health outcomes. However, the launch was soon followed by controversy after an awareness video released as part of the HPV campaign drew criticism over the choice of the content creator featured in it.

The TNWESafe Project, financed through a World Bank loan, is a five-year initiative with a total outlay of ₹5,000 crore, including ₹1,185 crore in external funding. The programme is designed to promote inclusive economic growth through interventions in education, employment, entrepreneurship, and safety for women.

Alongside this, the Chief Minister flagged off the HPV vaccination programme, which is expected to cover 3,38,649 girls above the age of 14 across the State. In its first phase, the programme is being rolled out in four districts – Ariyalur, Dharmapuri, Perambalur, and Tiruvannamalai, covering 30,209 girls. The government also reiterated its earlier initiatives, including the deployment of ‘Wellness on Wheels’ vehicles for free breast cancer screening across all 38 districts.

However, the launch has been overshadowed by controversy surrounding the awareness video released as part of the HPV vaccination campaign.

யாரை வெச்சு இந்த விழிப்புணர்வு விளம்பரம் பண்ணனும்னு தெரியாதா? HPV தடுப்பூசி திட்டத்தை பிரபலப்படுத்துறேன் பேர்வழின்னு, 18+ Videos போடுறவங்களை வெச்சு விளம்பரம் கொடுத்துருக்கீங்களே, இது நியாயமா? அதுவும் குழந்தைகளுக்கு விழிப்புணர்வு ஏற்படுத்த @TNDIPRNEWS @mkstalin #TNDIPR #DMK pic.twitter.com/gkDaeOr9k5

— Harish M (@chnmharish) January 28, 2026

Backlash Over Choice of Content Creator

Public criticism erupted on social media after viewers identified the woman featured in the official awareness video as a social-media content creator who, critics allege, runs subscription-based adult or explicit content on other platforms, including YouTube.

This lady was doing subscription based strip service. How is she an exemplary citizen? I can still find her videos and photos on the net, and they are all legit, not AI.

A very bad example!! Worst ra dei!!

— 丹i尺aᗩ𝓋a𝒟卄aれ (@Airaavan) January 28, 2026

Several users pointed out that while her Instagram account appears relatively neutral, her broader online footprint on YouTube includes paid “members-only” content, with critics claiming that a significant portion of her material is inappropriate for association with campaigns aimed at school-going children. Screenshots and links shared online also alleged that search results for her name lead to explicit images and videos.

Screenshots of her videos appear in Google search and in porn websites, reddit, etc.

The lady in question was confirmed to be the same person in the adult videos after it emerged that she shared the same awareness video on her Instagram account, further amplifying scrutiny of her digital history.

Critics Question Government Vetting

Sections of the public questioned the DMK government’s vetting process for campaign ambassadors, arguing that featuring a creator associated with adult content in a School Education–linked awareness programme sends the wrong message, particularly when the campaign is targeted at adolescents.

ஆபாச நடிகயை வைத்து பள்ளி கல்வித்துறைக்கு விளம்பரம் எடுத்த இந்த விடியா மாடல் விளம்பர அரசை வன்மையாக கண்டிக்கிறோம்.. pic.twitter.com/ZYLEHTKxhb

— Harish Kumar (@Harishkuma35278) January 28, 2026

கடினமா படிச்சு ஆசிரியர் தேர்வில் வெற்றிபெற்றவர்கள் சாலையில் நின்னு போராடிகிட்டு இருக்காங்க…

ஆலப்புழா அம்முகுட்டி ரம்மு ஊத்துன்னு Insta’ல டான்ஸ் ஆடுன பொண்ணு ஆசிரியரா திராவிட மாடல் விளம்பரப் படத்தில் pic.twitter.com/g50zAGuRGb

— மாறன் பாண்டியன் (@maaran_pandi) January 29, 2026

The controversy has also led to reactions on social media, where some users questioned the decision to feature a social media influencer in an awareness campaign linked to the School Education Department.

யாரை வெச்சு இந்த விழிப்புணர்வு விளம்பரம் பண்ணனும்னு தெரியாதா? HPV தடுப்பூசி திட்டத்தை பிரபலப்படுத்துறேன் பேர்வழின்னு, 18+ Videos போடுறவங்களை வெச்சு விளம்பரம் கொடுத்துருக்கீங்களே, இது நியாயமா? அதுவும் குழந்தைகளுக்கு விழிப்புணர்வு ஏற்படுத்த @TNDIPRNEWS @mkstalin #TNDIPR #DMK pic.twitter.com/gkDaeOr9k5

— Harish M (@chnmharish) January 28, 2026

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The Madras High Court has issued notices to the Tamil Nadu government, directing it to formulate and explain appropriate steps to prevent the use of children for begging on roads and public spaces. The directive came on Friday during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking action against those who involve minors in begging.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan admitted the plea and suggested the state develop a concrete plan to address the issue.

The petition was filed by R S Tamilvendan, a resident of Kodambakkam, who stated he regularly witnessed women begging at traffic signals and other public places with children in their hands. He raised serious concerns about the welfare and origins of these children.

“Those children are exposed to intense heat and rain. Begging is a crime in our country,” the petitioner said. He urged the court to order authorities to verify “whether women using children for begging are their biological mothers.”

Tamilvendan further highlighted the potential for exploitation, suggesting an investigation was needed to determine “whether the children were stolen from someone else, obtained from a child trafficking gang, or rented for a price.”

Emphasizing the state’s duty, he argued, “It is the duty of the government to at least investigate and take the children to a government shelter to protect their future.” He warned of long-term social consequences, adding, “If the child grows up in such an environment, there is a possibility that they will easily become anti-social in the future.”

The petitioner also requested the court to direct authorities to probe “whether the children are given sleeping pills or drugs to sleep.”

Noting that many of the women involved are not natives of Tamil Nadu, the plea calls for a thorough inquiry into the practice. The court has admitted the petition and awaits the state government’s detailed response on its strategy to curb this exploitation and rehabilitate affected children.

Source: Times of India

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Madhya Pradesh Minister of State for Public Health and Family Welfare Narendra Shivaji Patel on 8 October 2025 held the Tamil Nadu government responsible for the deaths of 20 children in his state due to kidney infections caused by consumption of an allegedly contaminated cough syrup.

Addressing PTI Videos, Patel said the southern state showed “grave negligence” as it was responsible for inspecting medicines manufactured and dispatched from Tamil Nadu. He added that while the MP government randomly inspects medicines entering the state, it was “by chance” that this particular stock of cough syrup went untested.

The Tamil Nadu government banned the sale of the cough syrup ‘Coldrif’ from 1 October 2025 and ordered removal of stocks from the market. The syrup, linked to the deaths, was manufactured by a company based in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu. On 4 October 2025, the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration department declared that samples collected from the manufacturing facility in Sunguvarchatram, Kancheepuram, were “adulterated,” and instructed the company to halt production immediately.

Patel emphasised the responsibility of Tamil Nadu authorities in issuing licences and inspecting medicines. “A Certificate of Analysis (COA) certificate is required to be issued for every batch of medicine produced. Where did the Tamil Nadu government go wrong? Whether a COA certificate was issued or not? Which official made the mistake is a matter of investigation. The Tamil Nadu government has shown grave negligence in how such medicines came out of their state,” he said.

“We randomly inspect medicines that come into our state. By chance, these medicines were not tested. We seriously inspect medicines manufactured here,” Patel added.

He further stated that the Tamil Nadu government’s negligence directly contributed to the deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh. “We are writing to the central government and the state (Tamil Nadu) government to take strict action against the culprits,” he said. Patel also confirmed that the MP government had taken action against the pharmaceutical factory owner and that the state police had visited Tamil Nadu as part of the investigation.

Speaking about preventive measures, Patel said the state is increasing the number of testing laboratories and will also conduct tests in private labs to speed up the process. Commenting on another substandard medicine originating from a factory in Gujarat, he said, “We are also writing letters to the governments in the states from where the substandard medicines came.”

On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s likely visit to Chhindwara to meet the families of deceased children, Patel alleged, “The government in Tamil Nadu is running with the support of the Congress. Rahul Gandhi should question his party’s alliance partner as to why this (tragedy) happened. I smell a conspiracy in this if the Congress is politicising this issue.”

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who oversees the health portfolio, said 20 children have died following consumption of the cough syrup, while five others remain in critical condition.

Reacting to Patel’s statement, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh blamed the food and drug department for “poor administration,” claiming it led to the children’s deaths. “Firstly, drug controllers and inspectors are responsible for conducting sample surveys every month, but this was not done. Diethylene glycol should not exceed 0.1 per cent in the drug, but it was 48.6 per cent in the syrup. What were the drug inspectors and controllers doing here?” he asked.

Singh also criticised Deputy CM Shukla for allegedly giving the Tamil Nadu-based pharmaceutical company a “clean chit” even before the investigation concluded. “Besides, when information about the incident came to light, how did the Deputy Chief Minister (Rajendra Shukla) give a clean chit on the first day? On what basis did he give the clean chit? This is the biggest mistake. Had the drug inspectors and controllers performed their duties properly and conducted investigations, this incident would not have occurred,” Singh said.

On the MP minister blaming Tamil Nadu, Singh said, “I am not aware of the Tamil Nadu government. I have been told that permission has to be obtained from the Central government.”

When asked about CM Mohan Yadav’s statement that the Opposition should not politicise the issue and instead provide constructive suggestions, Singh responded, “We are not playing any politics. Take action against the culprits. How did the deputy CM give a clean chit? Accept his resignation. If the mistake was committed, what action did you take?”

(With inputs from The Week)

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday strongly criticised the Tamil Nadu DMK government for failing to ensure equal pay for nurses employed on a contract basis in state-run hospitals and health centres. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing the state’s appeal against a Madras High Court order in April 2025 that had directed the government to pay contract nurses the same salary as their permanent counterparts.

The judges observed that the state was “exploiting” the services of contract nurses by paying them less despite similar duties. They said the government was “using them for selfish purposes” and questioned why they were not being made permanent.

When the state’s counsel argued that funds had not been released by the Centre, the bench dismissed the explanation, saying, “Don’t keep blaming the central government for everything. Isn’t it your responsibility to pay your employees?” The judges further remarked that Tamil Nadu, which projects itself as one of the most developed states, could not deny frontline health workers their due.

The bench also drew attention to the state’s expenditure on welfare schemes and elections, questioning how money was available for such purposes but not for paying nurses. “There is money to give freebies, but not to pay workers?” the judges asked.

Taking note of the state’s claim of financial difficulties, the court issued notices to the Union government as well as the Tamil Nadu MRP Nurses’ Association to file their responses. The case has been adjourned for further hearing, with the state directed to reply within four weeks.

Meanwhile, nurses across Tamil Nadu have continued protests demanding permanent appointments and equal pay, arguing that they have been kept on temporary contracts for years despite performing the same work as regular staff.

This order comes after several years of legal proceedings; the earlier Madras High Court directive required the state to grant equal pay and benefits to contract nurses within three months.

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The State of Tamil Nadu has filed a formal application before the Supreme Court opposing the maintainability of the Presidential reference on timelines for Governors to assent to bills passed by State legislatures. The State has termed the move as a legally impermissible attempt to reopen issues already settled by the Court’s April 2025 judgment in State of Tamil Nadu vs. The Governor of Tamil Nadu.

The application, submitted in response to the reference made under Article 143 of the Constitution, asserts that the reference is effectively “an appeal in disguise.”

“The Presidential Reference dated 13.05.2025 raises questions of law… which have been directly answered by this Hon’ble Court recently in The State of Tamil Nadu vs. The Governor of Tamil Nadu in an exhaustive manner,” the state government stated.

The State has urged the Supreme Court to decline answering the reference altogether.

“It is prima-facie evident that the present Presidential Reference is nothing but an appeal in disguise… Therefore, the Presidential Reference dated 13.05.2025 deserves to be unanswered as a whole and liable to be returned,” the application further states.

April Judgment Already Settled the Law, State Says

The Supreme Court, in its April 2025 verdict, had issued firm timelines for both Governors and the President to act on pending bills. A Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan held that the Governor’s inaction under Article 200 of the Constitution is not immune from judicial review and must be resolved within a “reasonable time.” The Bench emphasized that constitutional silence cannot be used to paralyze the democratic process.

With regard to Article 201, the Court clarified that the President must take a decision on referred bills within three months, and any delay beyond that must be justified with reasons communicated to the State concerned.

“The President is required to take a decision on the Bills within a period of three months from the date on which such reference is received and in case of any delay beyond this period, appropriate reasons would have to be recorded and conveyed to the concerned State,” the Court had held.

President’s Reference Seeks Clarification

Despite this ruling, President Droupadi Murmu referred 14 constitutional questions to the Supreme Court on 13 May 2025, questioning the legitimacy of the deadlines prescribed by the judiciary. The reference contends that neither Article 200 nor 201 contains explicit provisions authorizing courts to fix timelines or imply “deemed assent.”

Tamil Nadu’s application asserts that the timing and substance of the reference clearly indicate an intent to overturn the Supreme Court’s judgment.

“A cursory view of the whereas clauses… would reflect that the above Reference has been issued to overrule the decision and directions… and make it clear that the above Presidential Reference is nothing but an Appeal in disguise, which is impermissible in law,” the State submitted.

Court Cannot Be Given Appellate Jurisdiction by Reference, State Says

Tamil Nadu further emphasized that the Supreme Court itself cannot re-open its own final decisions under the guise of an Article 143 reference. It added that the Governor, who was the respondent in the original case, has not filed any review or curative petition against the April 8 judgment.

“The Supreme Court cannot sit in appeal over its decision and the President cannot confer an appellate jurisdiction on the Court under Article 143 of the Constitution,” the application reads.

The State of Kerala has also filed a similar application seeking the dismissal of the Presidential reference as not maintainable.

The matter is currently being heard by a Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, PS Narasimha, and Atul S Chandurkar.

(With inputs from Bar and Bench)

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The Tamil Nadu government has been taking several measures to contain the spread of the Wuhan Virus and is leaving no stone unturned.

On Saturday (July 11), Tamil Nadu Minister Ma Foi K. Pandiarajan held a consultative meeting with a group of Siddha doctors at the Siddha Central Research Institute in Chennai’s Arumbakkam.

He said that the traditional method indigenous to Tamil Nadu has been very effective in treating the patients affected by the Wuhan virus and added that the Tamil Nadu government is committed to improving on the Siddha treatment. He mentioned that the Chennai High Court has given a chance to the government to prove it.

In light of this, the Central government has approved 7 Siddha medical research for treating the Wuhan Virus.

The Siddha treatment is being administered in COVID care centres in Tiruvannamalai and Vellore. A COVID care centre has also been set up at the Ambedkar Arts College in Vyasarpadi lying in the Tondiarpet zone which started treating patients from June 24 using the ancient method indigenous to Tamil Nadu.

80% of those affected with Wuhan virus in Tondiarpet zone have recovered.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is also taking steps to expand the Siddha treatment for COVID19 to other districts.

The post Centre gives nod to 7 researches based on Siddha for COVID treatment, Minister Pandiarajan says appeared first on The Commune.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said on Thursday that strict action will be taken against the perpetrators involved in the heinous crime where a 7 year old child was brutally raped and killed.

He tweeted that the he was shaken by the incident and assured that strict action will be by law.

He also conveyed his condolences to the family.

புதுக்கோட்டை மாவட்டம், அறந்தாங்கி அருகே ஏழு வயது சிறுமி பாலியல் வன்கொடுமை செய்யப்பட்டு கொல்லப்பட்ட சம்பவம் நெஞ்சை பதறச் செய்கிறது. இக்கொடூர செயலில் ஈடுபட்டவர்கள் மீது சட்டப்படி கடுமையான நடவடிக்கைகள் எடுக்கப்படும். சிறுமியின் குடும்பத்தினருக்கு எனது ஆறுதலை தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன்.

— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) July 2, 2020

A 7 year old girl (name not disclosed) in Aranthangi of Pudukottai district was brutally raped and murdered reportedly by 3 men. A man named Raja from Yembal village has been arrested by the police.

The post TN CM takes cognisance of murder and rape of 7 year old child, assures strict action against perpetrators appeared first on The Commune.

Switch on any news channel or go to any social media feed – the only thing that is bombarded at us is the daily rise in number of COVID cases. “Tamil Nadu records highest number of cases in single day”, “Chennai sees spike in cases”, “Death toll in Chennai touches 888”, these are the headlines thrown at us for our consumption.

However, amidst the gloomy picture painted, there exist several bright spots that not many wish to focus on. The recovery rate of the city has risen to 59.27% and the active cases percentage is just 40.73% of the overall figures.

Tondiarpet and Royapuram considered as the COVID hotspots and the worst affected zones now have just 27% and 28% active cases respectively.

Thanks to the micro planning and containment strategies of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and team, the number of recovered patients in zones of Chennai has been on a steady rise.

Of particular interest is the Tondiarpet Zone IV in which 72% of the patients (as of July 2, 9:00 AM) who tested positive have recovered. This zone has one of the highest recovery rates in India and the R factor, which is the effective reproductive capacity of the virus has come down below the threshold of 1.

Delighted to share #Zone4 #Tondiarpet of @chennaicorp recorded a sharp spike in #Covid recovery by 503 cases, leading to 67% (one of the highest in India). The daily growth rate of active cases has fallen to 0.05% over the last 18 days of #microplanning strategy of @CMOTamilNadu! pic.twitter.com/gvL8fFBwXo

— Pandiarajan K (@mafoikprajan) June 28, 2020

The Tamil Nadu government has stuck to the mantra of 5 Ts (Trace, Track, Test, Treat and Tech). The State COVID control room on an average receives 2000 calls per day and has so far received more than 1.47 lakh calls. Door-to-door surveys are being done on a daily basis to monitor the health of all the residents in an area and fever camps have been arranged for people with symptoms to get tested. An Indian Express article quoted a Corporation health official say that 6.39 lakh people were checked at 9790 camps till June 29. Of them, 26,266 were identified having Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and swab samples of 22,371 of them were collected.

While an average of 1000 samples were collected across the camps put up in the city, the Tondiarpet and Royapuram areas collected 10,000.

On June 30, in the Tondiarpet zone, 15 key market places were identified and team of 16 health officials went on a door-to-door testing spree. Samples from 550 businessmen, vendors and shopowners, were taken and sent to the Kings Institute for testing. The Tondiarpet zone has a 2,200 strong field team.

@chennaicorp #தண்டையார்பேட்டை மண்டலத்தில் இன்று புதுமுயற்சியாக 15 முக்கிய சந்தைப்பகுதிகளில் வணிகர் சங்கங்களின் ஒத்துழைப்புடன் 16 மருத்துவர்கள் நேரடியாக சென்று >550 வணிகர்களுக்கு கொரோனா பரிசோதனை செய்து, மாதிரிகள் #CDH மற்றும் #KingInstitute க்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டன. #AggressiveTesting pic.twitter.com/ABThhDSa8F

— Pandiarajan K (@mafoikprajan) June 30, 2020

Apart from this, 5 treatment centres have been commissioned in the Tondiarpet zone, of which the one at Ambedkar College is a Siddha based COVID care facility. The centre has the capacity to treat 224 patients with provisions for high quality satthvic food, herbal bath and Yoga. Testing would be done 3 times – One during the time of admission, and the 2 other times after the 7th day and 14th day.

Minister Ma Foi K. Pandiarajan who is responsible for the zone has been able to coordinate the efforts of various stakeholders which have yielded results. Experts have noted that the recovery rate signals that the spread is under control.

As of July 2 (9:00 AM), the number of recovered cases in Chennai has far surpassed the active cases with 36,826 recovered patients and 22,777 active patients.

இதுவரை சென்னையில் கொரோனா நோய் உறுதிசெய்யப்பட்டவர்களின் மண்டலவாரி நிலைப் பட்டியல்.#Covid19Chennai #GCC #Chennai#chennaicorporation pic.twitter.com/91afv4j3i8

— Greater Chennai Corporation (@chennaicorp) July 2, 2020

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As schools remain closed across the state due to the lockdown, the Tamil Nadu government has been taking steps to ensure that children’s mid-day meals entitlements are not affected. The Department of Education has started collecting bank account details to transfer the money directly required for mid-day meals.

Schools in Tamil Nadu have remained closed from March 17. As a result of this, disadvantaged children who go to government schools found it difficult to get nutritious food which they were getting as part of mid-day meals.

After consulting domain experts to resolve the problem, the Tamil Nadu government has come with a plan to ensure that no children go hungry. Accordingly, the government has given orders to transfer money for equivalent to amount required for mid-day meals right from the date of closure till date to the education department.

For this purpose, the Government of Tamil Nadu has instructed all District Education Officers to collect the names, age, address and bank account numbers of the students who are part of the mid-day meals programme in Government Schools and Government Aided Schools.

Tamil Nadu is the first state to come out with such a measure and could be a role model for other states to follow suit.

The post TN Govt takes measures to directly transfer money in children’s accounts for mid-day meals appeared first on The Commune.

The Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn the circular dated June 4, 2020 that directed the District Collectors to instruct the tehsildars to stop issuance of income and assets certificates for EWS quota.

The move comes in response to the petition filed against the government’s move at the Madras High Court by All India Brahmin Association and Reddy Sangha.

The petition was filed by T.P Kulathumani, President of Akhil Bharatiya Brahmin Association and advocate G. Girubakaran who is an executive member of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Pondicherry Reddy Nala Sangam.

Advocate General Vijay Narayan submitted that the matter will now be referred to a group of ministers who will now take policy decision on the same which will be conveyed to the court.

The advocate general representing the state government submitted before the court that the erstwhile Revenue Commissioner had issued the circular without consulting the government. He said that the current Revenue Commissioner has withdrawn the circular after consulting the government.

The matter is currently under the purview of the group of ministers who will take a policy decision and the court will be apprised of the same. The case is due for hearing on July 13.

Source: The New Indian Express

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