Tamil Nadu Politics & Governance

Madras High Court cancels 17 judges’ assistant appointments

1 July 2026

The Madras High Court cancelled the appointments of 17 assistants to judges and ordered a fresh selection process in accordance with the rules. The court cited irregularities including appointments of candidates who had not met required skill-test qualifications and a process limited to existing employees.

Key Facts

• The Madras High Court can issue constitutional writs and has original jurisdiction over Chennai.

Tamil Nadu brings VB-G RAM G scheme into effect

1 July 2026

Tamil Nadu issued an order bringing the VB-G RAM G rural employment scheme into effect in all village panchayats from 1 July. It provides a legal guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per financial year to adult members of rural households who volunteer for unskilled manual work, with funding shared 60:40 between the Union and state governments.

Key Facts

• Eligible works cover water conservation, rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure and measures to mitigate extreme weather and disaster impacts.

Tamil Nadu seeks changes to VB-G RAM G funding rules

1 July 2026

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay wrote to the Prime Minister seeking changes to the VB-G RAM G scheme’s funding and implementation rules. He proposed full Union funding for wage and administrative costs and a 75:25 Union–state share for material costs, as well as greater state flexibility over fund allocation and the scheduling of peak agricultural seasons.

Key Facts

• The Chief Minister proposed state-specific fund-allocation rules, arguing uniform national formulas may overlook local socioeconomic needs.

Tamil Nadu releases 2026–27 engineering admissions rank list

1 July 2026

Tamil Nadu released the 2026–27 engineering admissions rank list, assigning ranks to 236,017 applicants. Fifty-three candidates achieved the maximum cutoff score of 200, including 39 from the Tamil Nadu state board; general-category counselling was scheduled for 20–30 July.

Key Facts

• TNEA is merit-based rather than a separate entrance examination, using qualifying-examination marks normalised to a common 200-point scale.

QR-code outpatient registration introduced at two Chennai hospitals

1 July 2026

QR-code outpatient registration began at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Kilpauk Government Hospital in Chennai to reduce waiting for registration. Patients can scan a hospital QR code using the Scan & Share app, select a department and receive an outpatient token on their phone; in-person registration remains available. Expansion to four other government hospitals was prospective.

Key Facts

• The QR-based registration supplements, rather than replaces, in-person registration for patients unable to use digital services.

₹97-crore modernisation work under way at Arakkonam junction

1 July 2026

Modernisation work valued at ₹97 crore was under way at Arakkonam railway junction. The project includes 58 new crossing points replacing 54 diamond crossings, upgraded track connections and modern switches; it is intended to improve rail movement, safety and efficiency, including by separating suburban, main-line and Renigunta-route services.

Key Facts

• Southern Railway, headquartered in Chennai, operates the regional rail network through six divisions.

Tamil Nadu approves ₹300-crore advance for 2027 Pongal clothing scheme

2 July 2026

Tamil Nadu approved a ₹300-crore advance for producing free dhotis and sarees for the 2027 Pongal scheme. Production using revised quality standards was planned for January to June 2027, with the total production cost estimated at ₹642.88 crore.

Key Facts

• The Handlooms Director is the designated implementing officer for the free Pongal dhoti-and-saree scheme.
• The scheme’s production is intended to provide year-round work for handloom, pedal-loom and power-loom weavers’ cooperative societies.

Tamil Nadu fixes fees for paramedical courses at private medical colleges

2 July 2026

Tamil Nadu’s fee-fixing committee set annual fees for paramedical courses at private medical colleges for the 2026–27, 2027–28 and 2028–29 academic years. The schedule covers diploma and undergraduate courses, with different rates for government and management quota seats; colleges must not collect donations or charge above the prescribed fees.

Key Facts

• The fee schedule addresses differing practices by prescribing charges for private-college paramedical courses where colleges had set fees themselves.

Madras High Court grants four weeks for Thiruparankundram Hill survey

3 July 2026

The Madras High Court’s Madurai Bench granted four weeks for a fresh survey of Thiruparankundram Hill after the Tamil Nadu government cited apparent discrepancies in earlier measurements. It directed that the survey report include ...