Recent Current Affairs related to Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu government has launched the ‘Vetri Vaanmagal’ scheme to train women farmers in drone operation, promote precision agriculture, and create high-tech employment opportunities in the rural economy.

P Pechiyammal and Govindhammal from Tamil Nadu have been jointly conferred the “Dr. MS Swaminathan Award for Environment Protection 2026”.

N Marie Wilson, the Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu, has presented the maiden budget of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government for the FY27. The state government has set a target to achieve a $1.5 trillion economy by 2031.

The Tamil Nadu government has introduced the Tamil Nadu Soil Conservation Mission and a carbon trading scheme for farmers in its Agriculture Budget 2026-27.

The Tamil Nadu Soil Conservation Mission has been allocated ₹600 crore. A demonstration phase for the carbon trading scheme has also been launched with an allocation of ₹60 lakh to cover 2,000 acres, aimed at establishing monitoring and verification protocols.

The Tamil Nadu government has banned the manufacture, storage, distribution, and sale of artificially coloured appalams, vadams, and fryums in the state.

Separately, the Maharashtra government has enforced a one-year ban on the manufacturing, processing, storage, transportation, distribution, and sale of analogue (non-dairy or synthetic) paneer.

The Tamil Nadu government has signed 4 MoUs with leading global companies to facilitate the establishment of Global Capability Centres (GCCs), Research & Development (R&D) centres, and a manufacturing facility.

As part of these agreements, the state government has also signed an MoU with the University of Western Australia (UWA) to establish its India campus in Velachery, Chennai, with an investment of ₹125 crore.

The central government has approved the development of two new Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMCs) in Tamil Nadu under the 'EMC 2.0' scheme to expand the Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) ecosystem.

The projects, managed by the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamilnadu Ltd (SIPCOT), involve a combined investment of ₹1,012.02 crore. This includes the Manallur EMC in Tiruvallur district (474.3 acres) costing ₹587.47 crore, and the Pillapaikkam EMC in Kancheepuram district (379.3 acres) costing ₹424.55 crore.

The Tamil Nadu government has launched the 'Nalam TN' integrated digital platform to facilitate fast and remote Outpatient (OP) registration and appointments at government hospitals across the state.

It has also introduced the Tamil Nadu Health Foundation (Nalam TN) portal under the Health & Family Welfare Department, which allows individuals and corporate entities to transparently sponsor medical equipment or make direct donations to specific government hospitals.

Aswath S, a 17-year-old from Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, has become India's 98th Grandmaster (GM). He attained this title by finishing as the runner-up at the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Tournament held in Pune, Maharashtra.

The central government has approved the procurement of Khopra and Totapuri mangoes from farmers in Tamil Nadu under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) to ensure better price realization and protect producers from distress sales.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved the procurement of 87,226 metric tonnes (MT) of Khopra and 96,879 MT of Totapuri mangoes at a price of ₹1,545.41 per quintal.

The Tamil Nadu government has appointed Mylswamy Annadurai, a former ISRO scientist, as the Chairman of the Curriculum Design Committee (CDC) for School Education for a 3-year tenure.

Puviyarasu, a renowned Tamil poet, passed away at the age of 96. He was a two-time recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award, receiving it for Translation in 2006-07 for "Puratchikaran" and for Original Poetry in 2009-10 for his collection "Kaiyoppam".

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has highlighted that the VO Chidambaranar Port Authority (VOCPA) has achieved a 45% reduction in net carbon emissions, emerging as a model for sustainable maritime development. The port has also been recognised as a Scope-2 Emission Free Port.

During the event, the minister dedicated 6 key initiatives. The port released its inaugural sustainability disclosure, the "VOCPA Sustainability Report 2026" titled "Towards a Green Maritime Future", along with a case study by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta titled "The Hydrogen Pivot: Orchestrating the Green Transition at VO Chidambaranar Port Authority."

The port also inaugurated the 'vidya pravesh' (academic activities) for the 2026-27 academic year at the newly established Kendriya Vidyalaya located at the Port Colony in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.

NLC India has signed an MoU with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI) in Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, to develop technologies for the extraction of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and critical minerals from mining waste.

The Tamil Nadu government has launched the Singappen Special Task Force, an all-women police unit dedicated to preventing crimes against women and children.

Headed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) K Bhavaneeswari, the unit will deploy about 2,500 personnel in its initial phase. The government has allocated ₹354 crore for this initiative.

Bharathiraja, a veteran Tamil filmmaker and actor, passed away at the age of 85. He was a recipient of the Padma Shri in 2004 for his contributions to the field of Arts.

Throughout his career, he won 6 National Film Awards and 3 Filmfare Awards South.

The Tamil Nadu government has signed an MoU with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for investments worth ₹18,600 crore.

The agreement covers 3 projects: a Hyperscale and Edge AI Data Centre in Kancheepuram (₹15,000 crore), an Electronics and Electrical Systems Manufacturing Hub in Coimbatore (₹2,500 crore), and an Offshore Wind Infrastructure and Shipyard Expansion in Kattupalli, Tiruvallur (₹1,100 crore).

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has signed reform-linked MoUs under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 with Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, and the UT of Puducherry.

The core objective of the JJM 2.0 is to establish a decentralized governance framework, specifically a Gram Panchayat-led, service-based model of rural water supply.

Valluvan, a farmer from the Pollachi district of Tamil Nadu, has been honoured as a ‘Soil Farmer Hero’ by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN.

He has received this recognition for transforming his 11-hectare landholding into a profitable enterprise. He achieved this through the implementation of multi-crop, tree-based farming techniques, generating revenue of ₹2.5 lakh to ₹3 lakh per acre.

The Department of Space (DoS) has approved the establishment of Common Technical Facilities (CTFs) in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. The initiative aims to strengthen the space ecosystem of India by promoting domestic manufacturing capabilities and supporting the growth of the space sector industry base.

Under this, a Space Manufacturing Park will be established at Khoraj, Gujarat, while a Space Vehicles Cluster will be set up at Thoothukudi, TN.