Waterlogging due to heavy rains in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in October 2024. File photo
| Photo Credit: Akhila Easwaran

Tamil Nadu has experienced a significant rise in extreme weather events in 2024, with 67 extreme weather days recorded so far, nearly double the 27 days reported in 2023. This sharp increase is highlighted in the Climate India 2024 report, published by the Centre for Science and Environment and Down to Earth.

In Tamil Nadu, the impact has been severe, with rising temperatures, heavy rainfall, and cyclonic storms causing damage to agriculture, infrastructure, and local communities.

The State recorded 67 extreme weather event days in 2024, according to the report. It also reported 25 human fatalities, 14 livestock deaths, and the damage of 149 houses due to these extreme weather events.

While Tamil Nadu is one of the worst-hit States, neighbouring Kerala and Karnataka have experienced even more frequent and intense weather disruptions.

According to the report, India has experienced extreme weather on 255 out of 274 days in the first nine months of 2024, surpassing the number of extreme days recorded in the previous two years. This makes 2024 the most extreme year in terms of weather events over the last three years, with a worrying trend of daily extreme events continuing since 2022.

The report is based on data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which tracks extreme weather events over 24-hour periods. For tracking damage from extreme weather, the IMD relies on media reports and includes details on human fatalities and livestock losses in its monthly summary.

Crop loss

One of the biggest impacts of these extreme weather events has been on agriculture. In 2024 alone, Tamil Nadu reported 1,039 hectares of crop damage due to irregular rainfall, intense heatwaves, and storm surges. The loss of crops like paddy, sugarcane, and groundnut has further strained the livelihoods of farmers and aggravated food security concerns in the region.

: The Election Commission of India on Friday named IAS officer Archana Patnaik as the Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu, replacing incumbent Satyabrata Sahoo. Ms. Patnaik is at present the Secretary of the MSME Department.

Ms. Patnaik would cease to hold and hand over forthwith the charge of all or any charges of work under the Government of Tamil Nadu, which she may be holding before such assumption of office as the CEO, a notification from the Election Commission of India said.

Mr. Sahoo has already been posted as Secretary of the Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Department.

A file photo of a health worker at a COVID-19 testing camp at K.R. Market bus stand in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit:
K. Murali Kumar

The initial quotes by the two firms that bagged the order for 3 lakh PPE kits — DHB Global Hong Kong (China) and Big Pharmaceuticals — included freight and transportation charges. But a corrigendum was issued days later, changing the nature of the contract leading to the Karnataka government bearing the freight and transportation charges, which resulted in undue benefit to the suppliers to an extent of ₹14.21 crore, the John Michael D’Cunha Commission report on alleged irregularities during COVID-19 noted. 

At whose instance?

“It is not known at whose instance the above corrigendum came to be issued. Nonetheless, by this corrigendum, not only the fundamental terms of the contract were altered with regard to the specifications of the equipment, but also the terms of transportation were changed to the detriment of the procuring entity. By altering the contract, the procuring entity is seen to have agreed to bear the additional transportation fee from the point in the delivery of the shipment such as the cost of shipping, packaging charges and the cost of transportation from freight station to the Warehouse,” the report said. 

The corrigendum and the consequent payment of freight and transportation charges, the report notes,“ was wholly arbitrary, malafide, without authority of law and was intended to confer undue advantage to the suppliers to the extent of ₹14.21 crore.” It recommends disciplinary action against officials concerned.

‘Criminal misconduct’

It also said the act of not only approving the contract but also the subsequent corrigendum by the then Chief Minister and the then Health Minister “amounts to criminal misconduct” under The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. 

PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss’ recent comments that “PMK will be a part of the coalition government in the State in 2026” has added weight to various other political parties’ call for power sharing to strengthen democracy in the State.

Meeting reporters in Sholinghur recently, Dr. Anbumani reiterated, “I have always said it: in 2026, there will be a coalition government and PMK will be a part of it. Elections are still one-and-a-half years away, we will take a decision based on the situation then and all alliance partners will feature in it.”

Senior PMK leaders state that when none of the political parties can form a government in the State on their own, they cannot justify denying their alliance partners a share in power.

“How can any party justify not sharing power when they cannot form a government without their alliance partners? Tamil Nadu is moving towards it [coalition government]. Today, we have reached a situation where nobody can form the government in the State without alliance partners. Then, how can they say they won’t share power? Does DMK have the courage to contest in all 234 seats alone and form the government?” asked PMK spokesperson, K. Balu.

Mr. Balu further underlined that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, despite winning a majority in 2014 and 2019, chose to accommodate their allies.

“Coalition doesn’t mean that there will be a confusion about who will lead the alliance and who will form the government. There are 35 ministers present government. What is wrong in accommodating their allies?” he asked.

Another senior leader said both the Dravidian parties are realising that time has come for a ‘coalition government’. While Dr. Anbumani said the decision regarding whether the PMK would continue to with the National Democratic Alliance and BJP in the State closer to the elections and based on the situation existing then, senior PMK leader said the answer to the question lies in the cryptic social media post made by PMK founder Dr. S. Ramadoss on November 3, in which he said ‘Old must give way to the new’, suggesting the party will likely rethink its alliance.

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In yet another case of online fraud, a government doctor fell victim to scammers, losing ₹76.5 lakh after being enticed by promises of high returns on investments. 

The victim, an Associate Professor at a Government Medical College, had transferred the money to what appeared to be an online trading platform for purchasing stocks and IPOs from well-known companies. The fraud came to light only when he attempted to withdraw funds, realising then that he had been deceived.

According to police sources, Dr. Ramesh (name changed on request) came across an advertisement, offering training and guidance in online trading, on YouTube. It led him to join a WhatsApp community group, where several active members presented themselves as investors.

Online trading classes

In the first few days, the group focused on online trading basics, with members frequently posting screenshots of their investments and profits. The group’s administrator, known as Diwakar Singh, recommended stocks for both intra-day and long-term investments. 

Once the suspects sensed that Dr. Ramesh had gained confidence in the community, they instructed him to open an account on a specific website, promising a 30% profit from investments in Indian and U.S. stocks.

Following a link provided by the suspects, Dr. Ramesh registered an account and began transferring money from his bank accounts to the website. The scammers claimed his funds would be invested in high-return stocks, even providing a list of companies and IPOs for credibility. Nearly all of the funds were transferred during the first three weeks of October this year. 

On October 22, when Dr. Ramesh attempted to withdraw ₹50 lakh from his account, the transaction was declined. Upon inquiry, he was told that a ₹50-lakh fee was required by the “Qualified Institutional Buyers Association” to process withdrawals. “That’s when I sensed something was wrong. I realised that I could not access my funds, and that I had been systematically lured into an online trading scam,” Dr. Ramesh told The Hindu, requesting anonymity regarding his name and workplace.

After Dr. Ramesh reported the incident, a case was registered under the Information Technology Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Tamil Nadu police are now working to locate suspects in North India, where the funds were reportedly transferred and withdrawn.

A senior police officer handling cybercrimes in the State said that Dr. Ramesh’s case was yet another example of unsuspecting individuals losing money to scammers. 

“Once the money is transferred, it is siphoned off in less than two hours. In a recent case, ₹1.18 crore transferred to one such fraud account was withdrawn in about 250 transactions across India. The accused were operating from Southeast Asian countries,” the officer said.  

It is up to the people whether to support or ensure the defeat of candidates who do not believe in Maratha reservation, Maratha Quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil said. He took a U-turn on November 4, and withdrew from the poll fray, after announcing a list of constituencies from where he fielded candidates. Among the several speculations about the impact of this move, there is a discussion on whether this is a re-application of the Lok Sabha formula, and whether this will dent the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance at a time when the political situation in the State has changed since the Lok Sabha elections.

Over a year, Manoj Jarange Patil’s agitation in a poll arena has been tagged as “Jarange Factor”, which has been proved as a kingmaker in Jalna, Hingoli, Nanded, Beed, other Lok Sabha constituencies. For instance- Congress candidate Vasant Chavan won from Nanded seat, whereas incumbent BJP MP, Prataprao Chikhalikar Patil lost. In case of Beed, Mahayuti candidate Pankaja Munde lost and Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate Bajrang Sonawane won. 

On several occasions Ms. Munde criticised Jarange Patil, whereas Mr. Sonawane visited Mr. Patil and sought his support.

Jarange factor is likely to make the same impact in Assembly elections. Beed-based senior journalist Narendra Kankariya claimed Maratha votes still lay in the hands of Jarange in at-least 20 to 30 constituencies. Withdrawing from election might affect his bargaining power but people are still waiting to get instructions from Jarange on whom to vote.” 

28% of the state’s population is Maratha, says the State Backward Commission. “Je Patil Mhantil” (Whatever Manoj Jarange say, will do) sentiment has been across the Maratha community in Jalna, Beed district. 

He has not cleared his stand openly on whether to support MVA or make Mahayuti taste the defeat. However, people claim his message is crystal clear and doesn’t require a formal announcement. Even if he is out of the election fray now, Jarange Patil talked about the “correct karayakram” (to put in line) of Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis. 

In a conversation with him, in his village ‘Antrawali Sarati’, which became the epicentre of Maratha agitation, Manoj Jarange Patil again blamed the home minister as a mastermind behind not giving reservation. “No matter who makes the government, we will keep fighting till reservation is granted”, he said. 

Strongly defending his stand on the reservation, the quota activist said, “If everyone can get a reservation, why not us? Our survival is in question, farmers like us have fallen into debt traps, and hence suicides are increasing. If there is no good price for the yields, a farmer cannot repay the loan, and paying for a child’s education becomes economically unviable. He has to sell land to pay fees; no guarantee he will get a job.”

Reservation demand has been lingering for decades, what made you take up this cause?

All individuals in a family are aware of the problems; pain and despair are visible. Your parents are poor, they do all they can, but when nothing works disappointment grows. If you can relate that society is also suffering from the same despair; want is created for the change, that is how movements take shape. I am doing this because my community is in pain, not because someone asked it. I have been fighting for the last 22 years. 

(L-R) Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu address a press conference ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections in Mumbai on Saturday (November 9, 2024).
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Chief Ministers (CM) from Congress-ruled states, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, and the deputy CM of Karnataka came down to Mumbai on Saturday (November 9, 2024) to hold a press conference, responding to the remarks made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of ‘failing to fulfill poll promises’.

Karnataka Deputy CM D. K. Shivakumar said, “Mahayuti leaders should visit my State to see how Congress’ welfare guarantees are benefiting people.”

Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy said, “In 10 months, our government gave 50,000 jobs to the youth in the State. The BJP does not have any success story to boast of in Maharashtra. BJP is transferring all the big-ticket investment projects from Maharashtra to Gujarat.”

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu highlighted his government’s decision to restore the old pension scheme and positive impact. “People of Maharashtra have to decide whether toppling the government with the use of money is democracy.”

The report further lists multiple instances of the State government procuring large quantities of PPE kits from local suppliers both before and after the direct purchase order to the two Chinese firms on April 2, 2020.
| Photo Credit: File Photo

The John Michael D’Cunha Commission report, which has recommended prosecution of the then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Minister for Health and Family Welfare B. Sriramulu over the direct purchase of 3 lakh PPE kits from Chinese firms, has said that records were “built up to show that post facto approval of the Chief Minister was obtained.”

Sequence of events

Following a decision by the Need Assessment Committee that the State required 12 lakh PPE kits on March 18, 2020, the Price Fixation Committee that met on April 1, 2020, said that the price of a universal PPE kit was estimated to be ₹2117.53. An email from the director, Industries and Commerce, that had price quotes from three firms was the basis for this estimation. However, quotes were not invited officially, the report notes. 

Also read | Govt. bore freight and transport charges of PPE kits despite companies initially quoting it, says report 

The note sheet refers to proceedings of the Principal Secretary and PA to Chief Minister and Additional Chief Secretary, Health Minister, which suggested calling a short term global tender or procure under Section 4(a) of Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act, 1999. However, “subsequent note sheet indicates that in view of the urgency of the situation, the matter was placed before the Chief Minister and Health Minister and on their approval, direct purchase order was issued to DHB Global Hong Kong (China) for supply of 1 lakh PPE kits on April 2, 2020 at unit cost of ₹2117.53.” 

Further on April 10, two more direct purchase orders were issued for 1 lakh PPE kits, each to DHB Global Hong Kong (China) and Big Pharmaceuticals at a cost of ₹2104.53 and ₹2049.84, per unit, respectively. The report said that though the quotations by the firms were scrutinised on the same day, April 1, there was no justification recorded for the difference in rate, the report said, adding that the officials concerned have to be made answerable to bear the above loss of ₹1.22 crore.

“Though the records are built up to show that post facto approval of the Chief Minister was obtained on 02.07.2020, the earlier notings clearly disclose that the order was issued purely on the directions of the Chief Minster, which has rendered the whole process non-transparent, arbitrary and tainted with fraud,” the report concludes. 

Why not Indian firms

Further the report also says that an explanation that local suppliers were not in a position to supply 5 lakh PPE kits seems like a ruse to justify supplies from the select supplier identified by the Chief Minister and Health Minister.

“Though in the Note Sheet it is noted that the local suppliers were not in a position to supply the required 5,00,000 quantity, there is nothing on record to suggest that the Indian firms had expressed their inability to supply the quantity needed at any point of time. This explanation appears to have been put forward as mere ruse to justify the supplies from the select supplier identified by the Chief Minister and the Health Minister,” the report said. 

From local suppliers

The report further lists multiple instances of the State government procuring large quantities of PPE kits from local suppliers both before and after the direct purchase order to the two Chinese firms on April 2, 2020. For instance, on March 14, 2020, the State government had procured 1.5 lakh PPE kits from a local supplier Plasti Surge Industries Pvt. Ltd. at a cost of ₹330.40 per unit. A corrigendum was issued to this order on March 27, 2020, increasing the procurement price to ₹725. The report also recommends action against officials for the same. 

The city’s first digital population clock was inaugurated at the Institute for Social Economic Change (ISEC) Bengaluru on Friday (November 8) and it will access real-time estimates of Karnataka’s and population of the country.

The project was jointly taken up by ISEC, and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). It would update the figures of the state’s population for every 1.10 minute (one minute 10 seconds) and the country’s population at every two seconds.

Kal Singh, ISS, Director General (Statistics Division), MoHFW, inaugurated the clock and the census data research workstation and said, “The clock will play a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of population trends.” The new census data research workstation would further strengthen the academic research, policy analysis, and capacity building in population studies.

Sukhadeo Thorat, Chairman of Board of Governors, ISEC; Rakesh Kumar Maurya, ISS, Deputy Director of General, (Statistics Division), MoHFW, D Rajasekhar, ISEC director and C.M. Lakshmana, head of the Population Research Centre and nodal officer of the project, ISEC, were present.

R. Sreya of Alappuzha wins the gold in Junior girls’ 100m at the Kerala School Sports & Games 2024 on November 8.
| Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

She has dancing eyes and flying feet. R. Sreya, inspired by her elder sister, a Bharatanatyam dancer, took up Kathakali and now she is the fastest girl in Kerala.

“Just last week, she performed a Kathakali dance in the role of Krishna at the Kalarcode Mahadeva Temple in Alappuzha… and now she has set her personal best in the 100m,” said her father, K. Shyamlal, after Sreya won the junior girls’ 100m with a time faster than the senior champion E.P. Rahna Raghu’s performance.

“She trains for two hours every morning in athletics and in the evening for dance. Her Kathakali guru is Kalamandalam Ganesan. During the festival season, she performs Kathakali at four or five temples.”

Sreya has to overcome many hurdles in her promising career on track.

“We don’t have a synthetic track in Alappuzha, so her coach Joseph Antony takes her to the Municipal Stadium at Pala once or twice a month for training. Otherwise, she typically trains on a mud track at Alappuzha’s Leo XIII School, which is close to the St. Joseph’s HSS School where she studies,” said her father.

Sreya was a good runner as a child, and her parents enrolled her in the Leo XIII Athletics Academy when she was in the third standard.

“This is her first gold in the State games. Last year, she fell just before the start while running a trial and hurt both her knees. Her favourite event is the 400m, and she won a silver in it on Wednesday,” said her father, who is a school teacher.