Old vs new tax regime: Which is better for you? A comparison after Union Budget 2025

Old vs new tax regime: Which is better for you? A comparison after Union Budget 2025

By HT News Desk

Feb 03, 2025 01:55 AM IST

Under the proposed Union Budget 2025, a ₹60,000 rebate applies to incomes up to ₹12 lakh, enhancing the attractiveness of the new tax regime.

Old vs new tax regime: The income tax slabs proposed in the Union Budget 2025 under the new tax regime include a ₹60,000 rebate for income up to ₹12 lakh

( ₹12.75 lakh for salaried individuals) under Section 87A.Budget 2025 offers ₹60,000 rebate for incomes up to ₹12 lakh under new tax regime. (Representational image)(REUTERS)

This makes the old tax regime, which has 5 per cent, 20 per cent, and 30 per cent slabs and allows deductions for tax-saving investments, less attractive in comparison.

Big Tax Relief in Budget 2025: No Tax for Incomes Up to ₹12 Lakh! 👉 Explore the Impact!

According to a report by The Times of India, the finance ministry has consistently supported the idea of separating investment and savings schemes from income tax liabilities, allowing taxpayers to make independent choices based on their own benefits.

The new tax regime offers more benefits than the old one for incomes up to ₹12 lakh ( ₹12.75 lakh for salaried individuals), even when utilising the full deductions and exemptions of ₹5,75,000 and 30 per cent of salary as house rent allowance.

However, it’s unlikely for someone earning ₹12.75 lakh to invest in tax-saving schemes, claim house rent allowance ( ₹3,82,500), and take the standard deduction, adding up to ₹9,57,000, The Economic Times reported.

Know details of differences between old and new tax regimes:The new tax regime results in higher taxes after ₹12 lakh income. Staying with the old tax regime is beneficial only if the taxpayer invests ₹5.25 lakh in tax-saving schemes.

For people earning ₹13.75 lakh without HRA, the old tax system has a lower tax of ₹57,500 compared to ₹75,000 under the new system. This is also true for income up to ₹15.75 lakh, but it requires investing ₹5.25 lakh in savings schemes. Even with HRA, the old system is better.

For people earning ₹20 lakh ( ₹20.75 lakh for salaried ones), the new tax regime is better than the old one. Even after investing ₹5.25 lakh in savings schemes, the old system would require ₹2.4 lakh in tax, while the new system would only require ₹2 lakh, with no deductions allowed.

Quoting experts, The Financial Express reported that for people earning above ₹24.75 lakh, the new tax regime is beneficial only if their total deductions and exemptions excluding the standard deduction are under ₹8 lakh.

Under the new tax regime, a taxpayer with an income of ₹24 lakh will save ₹60,000. In the old regime, after investing ₹5.25 lakh in savings schemes, the tax would be ₹3.60 lakh, compared to ₹3 lakh under the new regime.

Budget gives broadband boost to edu spectrum

 Budget gives broadband boost to edu spectrum 

TEAM TOI 02.02.2025

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a significant increase in allocation for the education sector, focusing on last-mile broadband connectivity in rural schools that were worst hit by insufficient internet coverage during Covid. Infrastructure expansion for IITs, medical education and AI in learning were also among the Budget highlights. 

The digital push is expected to boost broadband connectivity at all govt secondary schools and primary health centres in rural areas. Five of the newer IITs — in Jammu, Bhilai, Dharwad, Palakkad and Tirupati — would be expanded to accommodate 6,500 more students over the next five years. And, ahead of the Bihar assembly polls scheduled later this year, IIT-Patna is set to receive funds for enhanced infrastructure, including hostels.

 “The total number of students in 23 IITs has doubled in the past decade from 65,000 to 1.4 lakh,” said FM Sitharaman. The IIT budget has increased to Rs 11,349 crore from Rs 10,467 crore. To strengthen research, 10,000 fellowships for technology research in IITs and IISc will be provided over five years. Five national centres for excellence (CoEs) in skilling will also be set up, along with 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in govt schools to pro mote scientific curiosity. A CoE in AI for education will also be established with a Rs 500-crore outlay. Sitharaman said the edu cation ministry will get Rs 1.3 lakh crore, up from Rs 1.1 lakh crore in 2024-25. Of this, Rs 50,067 crore is for higher education and Rs 78,572 crore for school education. Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan called the Budget a “leapfrogging moment” for the sector.

“With poor, youth, farmers and women as the pillars, this Budget will accelerate spending, spur growth and nurture research, innovation, entrepreneurship,” he said. While allocations for UGC, NCERT and IIMs have increased, funding for IISERs and World Class Institutions has seen cuts.

தணிக்கை துறை தலைமை இயக்குனர் ஆனந்த் பொறுப்பேற்பு

தணிக்கை துறை தலைமை இயக்குனர் ஆனந்த் பொறுப்பேற்பு

ADDED : பிப் 02, 2025 12:58 AM

சென்னை:சென்னையில் உள்ள இந்திய தணிக்கை மற்றும் கணக்கு துறையின் தலைமை இயக்குனராக ஆனந்த் பொறுப்பேற்றார். இந்த பதவிக்கு முன், தமிழகம் மற்றும் புதுச்சேரியின் முதன்மை தலைமை கணக்காளர் தணிக்கை - 2 ஆக பதவி வகித்தார்.

மேலும், முதன்மை தலைமை கணக்காளர் தணிக்கை - 2 ஆக, கேரளா, வடகிழக்கு மாநிலங்கள், அசாம் மாநிலங்களிலும் பணிபுரிந்துள்ளார். ஆனந்த், 1994 சென்னை கால்நடை மருத்துவ கல்லுாரியில் பட்டம் பெற்றவர்.

அதேபோல, தமிழகம், புதுச்சேரி முதன்மை கணக்கு தணிக்கை அதிகாரியாக திருப்பதி வெங்கடசாமியும் பொறுப்பேற்றார்.

இதற்கு முன் அவர், சென்னையில் உள்ள மத்திய கணக்கு தணிக்கை அலுவலக தலைமை இயக்குனராகவும், மஹாராஷ்டிராவின் நாக்பூர் அலுவலகத்தில் தணிக்கை அதிகாரியாகவும் பணிபுரிந்துள்ளார்.

NEWS TODAY 2.2.2025

 

FM charitable to trusts; registration tenure is doubled

FM charitable to trusts; registration tenure is doubled 

TEAM TOI 02.02.2025

For the first time in years, the Budget provisions have made life easier for charitable trusts and institutions. For instance, the period of validity of registration of a trust (registration is essential to claim tax exemption) has been extended from the current five years to 10 years. However, this applies only to smaller trusts with income below Rs 5 crore. Second, minor errors in the registration application will not result in deregistration of the trust. This is a significant development as deregistration meant that the fair market value of the assets of a trust becomes chargeable to tax. In Metro cities, trusts such as those engaged in education or medical have significant assets like land or buildings, and an ‘exit tax’ on deregistration was suicidal. 

But reading between the lines is crucial. Gautam Nayak, tax partner at CNK & Associates, states, “When trusts have income (before exemption) of less than Rs 5 crore in each of the two years preceding the year of making application for renewal, registration will be granted for 10 years. This will apply to cases where application is made after March 31, 2025, and will not apply to provisional registration of new trusts, where registration is granted for 3 years. Small trusts whose approval was valid till Mar 31, 2026, will still have to make an application for renewal by Sept 30, 2025, but the renewal granted to them will then be for 10 years.” He adds that trusts would have to reapply every five years for approval under 80G. Only if the trust is approved can donors get a tax benefit (albeit under the old regime). “The reason for cancellation of a registration by the commissioner would now only be in a case of false or incorrect information – the mere fact that the application was incomplete cannot be a ground for cancellation (which has significant adverse consequences of a heavy tax liability on the fair market value of assets of the trust),” adds Nayak.

Currently, a benefit provided to ‘specified persons’ by charitable trusts can result in loss of exemption to the extent of the benefit provided. The list of specified persons included a substantial contributor (a person who had made aggregate donations of more than Rs 50,000 

since the inception of the trust), his relatives and concerns in which he held a substantial interest. “This ridiculously low limit of Rs 50,000 had remained unchanged for 40 years since 1985, and trusts found it impossible to identify or obtain details of such donors, their relatives and concerns. The limit is now being changed to Rs 1 lakh for donations during the year, or aggregate of Rs 10 lakh since inception. Further, relatives or concerns of such donors are excluded from the list of specified persons. While this will provide much-needed relief to trusts in maintaining records, the retention of period of aggregation of donations from inception of the trust will still be problematic for trusts which are several decades old,” concludes Nayak

HOW UPI CAME TO RULE INDIA’S DIGITAL PAYMENTS

 HOW UPI CAME TO RULE INDIA’S DIGITAL PAYMENTS

Launched less than 10 years ago, UPI now accounts for over 80% of the country’s digital transactions — revolutionising how India’s richest and poorest pay. But the digital payment landscape has seen some other tectonic shifts, too

In nil-tax bracket? Why a raise won’t help you much

In nil-tax bracket? Why a raise won’t help you much 

TEAM TOI 02.02.2025 

The Budget announcement that an annual income of Rs 12 lakh will not be taxed has been met with cheer. For salaried employees, this nil tax limit will be Rs 12.75 lakh per annum, after taking into account standard deduction of Rs 75,000. 

But what if there is an increment around the corner for your fine performance at work that pushes you into a higher tax slab? 

Suppose, your boss gives you a 10% hike on Rs 12.75 lakh, to, say, about Rs 14 lakh a year? 

The tax department could then take away Rs 82,000. This would leave you with Rs 13.18 lakh in hand — still a small hike, but nothing to jump about. If your bosses are even more impressed (you might want to pray they are not) and you get a 20% hike on Rs 12.75 lakh, to, say, about Rs 15.3 lakh, this could mean that you might be shelling out tax of about Rs 1.02 lakh, leaving you a less exciting Rs 14.27 lakh in hand. This could mean you could end up with less in the pocket than you first thought.

Nirmala Bats For Middle Order To Revive India’s Spend Force

Nirmala Bats For Middle Order To Revive India’s Spend Force 

Zero-Tax Party For Those In ₹12-Lakh Slab, Gain-Changing Relief Cheers Others Too

TEAM TOI On Budget-eve, PM Modi invoked Goddess Lakshmi, and a day later, Indian taxpayers got a Diwali bonus in Feb. With Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing revised tax slabs and rates under the new regime, the biggest bonanza is for those whose income is up to Rs 12 lakh (Rs 12.75 lakh for salaried taxpayers as they get a standard deduction of Rs 75,000) as their liability will become nil under the new proposed income tax regime.

However, income such as capital gains are excluded and will be taxed at separate short and long-term rates. So how did the FM reach this magic zero-tax figure? 

This was thanks to an increase in tax rebate to Rs 60,000 from the present level of Rs 25,000. Under the new regime, the tax liability on income of Rs 12 lakh and Rs 12.75 lakh for salaried persons is Rs 60,000 which is waived off due to rebate of up to Rs 60,000. Ergo, nil tax. But what if you earn more than Rs 12 lakh? If your taxable income is even a rupee more, you will not get the benefit of rebate but will have to pay taxes as per slab rates un der the new tax regime. But because of a rejig of tax slabs and standard deduction of Rs 75,000 under the new regime, everyone stands to gain. As per the rejig, for people earning over Rs 12 lakh per annum, there will be nil tax for income up to Rs 4 lakh, 5 per cent for income between Rs 4 and 8 lakh, 10 per cent for Rs 8-12 lakh, and 15 per cent for Rs 12-16 lakh. A 20% income-tax will be levied on income between 16 and 20 lakh, 25 per cent on 20-24 lakh and 30 per cent above 24 lakh per annum. How much you save will depend on your income level (see chart). The maximum benefit of Rs 1.1 lakh will accrue at an income level of Rs 24 lakh, where the tax liability under the proposed scheme would be Rs 3 lakh as against Rs 4.1 under the existing new scheme. Beyond the income level of Rs 24 lakh, the tax rates remained unchanged at 30%, so the benefit will remain at Rs 1.1 lakh. Earlier, the limit of income for nil tax payment was Rs 7 lakh.

By increasing this limit to Rs 12 lakh, around 1 crore as-sessees who were earlier required to pay tax varying from Rs 20,000 to Rs 80,000 will be now paying nil tax. The provision will cost the exchequer revenue loss of Rs 1 lakh crore. 

For those under the old regime — used usually by those who have home loans or HRA deductions — there is no change in either rates or slabs. To come back to a point that often causes confusion, what happens to those with taxable incomes of just over Rs 12 lakh? In such cases, the taxpayer will get marginal relief to ensure that those earning just over Rs 12 lakh don't end up with post-tax incomes lower than those earning Rs 12 lakh. For instance, an individual has a taxable income of Rs 12.10 lakh. Without marginal relief, their tax liability would be 61,500 calculated as per tax slabs. However, with marginal relief in place, this taxpayer owes just 10,000. But there’s a cap — marginal relief is only admissible for incomes up to approximately 12.75 lakh. Beyond this, regular tax slabs apply.

கழிவு நீர் தொட்டியில் நடக்கும் விபத்துக்கு உரிமையாளரே இழப்பீடு வழங்க வேண்டும் ஐகோர்ட் உத்தரவு

கழிவு நீர் தொட்டியில் நடக்கும் விபத்துக்கு உரிமையாளரே இழப்பீடு வழங்க வேண்டும் ஐகோர்ட் உத்தரவு

நமது நிருபர்

 பிப் 02, 2025 12:41 AM

சென்னை: 'தனியார் கட்டிய கழிவு நீர் தொட்டியில் இறங்கி சுத்தம் செய்யும் போது இறப்பு ஏற்பட்டால், அதற்கு அந்த வீட்டின் உரிமையாளர் தான் பொறுப்பேற்று, பாதிக்கப்பட்டவர் குடும்பத்துக்கு இழப்பீடு வழங்க வேண்டும்' என, சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.

சென்னை, விநாயகபுரத்தை சேர்ந்த யோகேஷ் என்பவர் தாக்கல் செய்த மனு:

விநாயகபுரம் பகுதியில், கழிவு நீர் இணைப்பு இல்லை. சென்னை மாநகராட்சிக்கு, பல முறை மனுக்கள் அனுப்பியும் இணைப்பு வசதி வழங்கவில்லை. இதையடுத்து, சொந்த செலவில் கழிவு நீர் தொட்டி கட்டினேன். மாநகராட்சி ஊழியர்கள், அவ்வப்போது நிரம்பிய கழிவு நீரை அகற்றுவர்.

கடந்த 2013 செப்., 30ல், மாநகராட்சி 3வது மண்டல ஊழியர்கள், வீட்டில் நிரம்பிய கழிவு நீரை அகற்றும் பணியில் ஈடுபட்டனர்.

அப்போது, மது அருந்தி இருந்த முனுசாமி என்ற ஊழியர், கழிவு நீர் தொட்டியில் திடீரென ஆழமான பகுதிக்குள் இறங்கினார். மற்ற ஊழியர்கள் அவரை காப்பாற்ற முயன்றனர்; ஆனால், முடியவில்லை.

விஷ வாயுவால் மூச்சுத்திணறி முனுசாமி இறந்த சம்பவம் குறித்து, மண்டல அதிகாரிக்கு தகவல் கொடுத்தேன். முதல் கட்டமாக கருணை அடிப்படையில், முனுசாமியின் குடும்பத்துக்கு, 55,000 ஆயிரம் இழப்பீடாக கொடுத்தேன்.

பின், முனுசாமியின் குடும்பத்துக்கு, 10 லட்சம் ரூபாய் இழப்பீடு வழங்கும்படி, சென்னை மாநகராட்சி, 3வது மண்டல அதிகாரி, 'நோட்டீஸ்' அனுப்பியுள்ளார்.

எங்கள் பகுதி முழுதும் கழிவு நீர் கால்வாய் அமைக்கப்படாததால் தான், கழிவு நீர் தொட்டி கட்டியுள்ளோம். முனுசாமியின் இறப்பு துரதிருஷ்டவசமானது. என் சொந்த பணத்தை அவரது மனைவியிடம் கொடுத்தேன்.

இந்நிலையில், முழு இழப்பீடு தொகையை வழங்கும்படி, மண்டல அதிகாரி நோட்டீஸ் அனுப்பியது விதிகளுக்கு முரணானது. எனவே, மண்டல அதிகாரி நோட்டீசை ரத்து செய்ய வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு அதில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இம்மனுவை, நீதிபதி சி.வி.கார்த்திகேயன் விசாரித்தார். மாநகராட்சி தரப்பில் வழக்கறிஞர் ஏ.சி.மணிபாரதி ஆஜராகி, ''தனியாரின் கழிவு நீர் தொட்டியில் விபத்து ஏற்பட்டால், அதற்கு அந்த வீட்டின் உரிமையாளர் தான் பொறுப்பாவார். வீட்டு உரிமையாளர் தான் பாதிக்கப்பட்டவரின் குடும்பத்திற்கு இழப்பீடு தர வேண்டும்.

''இது தொடர்பாக, நகராட்சி நிர்வாகத் துறை அரசாணை பிறப்பித்துள்ளது. உரிய விதிகளின்படியே, மனுதாரருக்கு நோட்டீஸ் அனுப்பப்பட்டுள்ளது,'' என, வாதிட்டார்.

இதையடுத்து நீதிபதி, 'மனுதாரர் நேரடியாகவோ, மறைமுகமாகவோ ஒரு தனி நபரின் இறப்புக்கு பொறுப்பாகி உள்ளார். எனவே, உரிய விதிகளின் அடிப்படையில் தான் மாநகராட்சி நோட்டீஸ் அனுப்பியுள்ளது.

'சென்னை மாநகராட்சி இழப்பீடு தொகையை, பாதிக்கப்பட்டவரின் மனைவியிடம் கொடுத்துள்ளது. அந்த தொகையை மனுதாரரிடம் வசூலிக்க மாநகராட்சி நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கலாம்' என உத்தரவிட்டு, மனுவை தள்ளுபடி செய்தார்.

Weather disruptions cause flight delays

Weather disruptions cause flight delays

TNN | Feb 2, 2025, 03.50 AM IST

Chennai: Unfavourable weather conditions prevailing in different parts of the country impacted flight operations in Chennai on Saturday. Flights experienced delayed departures or arrivals from Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.

An Air Arabia flight from Abu Dhabi with 176 passengers, scheduled to land in Chennai around 12.25 am, landed nearly two hours late. Consequently, its departure from Chennai was delayed by two hours. Two other Air Arabia flights from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi were also delayed by about 30 minutes, delaying return flights.

An Air India Express flight from Pune landed in Chennai six hours late on Saturday. Eleven flights experienced delayed departures by up to two hours.

Airport sources said poor visibility at several airports hampered flight operations, and Chennai airport felt the impact as the calculated take-off time of different flights went awry. tnn

Auto drivers’ boycott of Ola, Uber sees weak response

Auto drivers’ boycott of Ola, Uber sees weak response

TNN | Feb 2, 2025, 03.50 AM IST

Chennai: The confederation of auto drivers’ unions’ call for an indefinite boycott of Ola and Uber fell flat on the first day, even as support grew for alternative subscription-based platforms such as Namma Yatri and Rapido. Despite the unions’ push for drivers to unsubscribe from major ride-hailing apps, Ola and Uber autos remained widely available, with little visible impact on operations.

Earlier this week, the confederation had urged its 10,000 affiliated auto drivers to stop using app-based aggregators from Saturday, citing high commission charges ranging from 25 to 40 per cent. The unions said these deductions significantly reduced drivers’ take-home earnings, making it unsustainable for many to continue working under these platforms. However, the expected mass withdrawal did not materialize. Commuters continued to find autos through Ola and Uber within two to four minutes throughout the day, and surge pricing remained active, fluctuating between 50 and 100 per cent above standard fares.

Meanwhile, a section of auto drivers participating in the protest shifted to alternate platforms such as Namma Yatri and Auto Na, saying that these services offered more transparent fare structures with only fixed subscription fees and no commissions. According to the confederation’s coordinator, A Zahir Hussain, drivers on these platforms adhered to pre-determined fare charts, charging a base fare of 50 for the first 1.8 km and 18 per additional km, without imposing surge pricing. He said that around 5,000 trips were completed on Saturday through these two apps alone.

Hussain said the confederation had not enforced the boycott with coercion but had instead engaged with drivers to make them aware of the financial strain caused by aggregator commissions.

Authorities kept a close watch on the situation, with police conducting checks in the morning to monitor any irregularities. However, no cases were registered regarding excessive fares.

Cardiac surgeon K.M. Cherianlaid to rest

Cardiac surgeon K.M. Cherianlaid to rest

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI  02.02.2025

Renowned cardiac surgeon K.M. Cherian, who died in Bengaluru on January 25, was laid to rest in Chennai on Saturday (February 1, 2025).

Dr. Cherian had collapsed suddenly while attending a wedding in Bengaluru. He was rushed to the Manipal Hospital, where he was declared dead. His mortal remains were kept for public viewing at Frontier Lifeline Hospital, Mogappair, on January 31.

During a service held in the evening, several doctors, including those who had worked with him, and colleagues shared their experiences interacting with him.

People from across the country, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi, participated. Following a service at his residence on Saturday, the final service and burial was held at the Kilpauk Cemetery.

NEWS TODAY 1.2.2025

 

New Collectors for nine districts; Secretaries for three departments

New Collectors for nine districts; Secretaries for three departments

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI 01.02.2025

The Tamil Nadu government on Friday posted new Collectors to nine districts and new Secretaries to the Departments of Special Programme Implementation, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Welfare of Differently-Abled Persons.

Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam issued the government order posting R. Sadheesh as the Dharmapuri Collector, S. Saravanan as the Dindigul Collector, and M. Prathap as the Tiruvallur Collector. While C. Dinesh Kumar is the new Collector of Krishnagiri, S. Shiek Abdul Rahman has been posted as the Villupuram Collector.

K. Tharpagaraj will be the Tiruvannamalai Collector and V. Mohanachandran has been posted as the Tirupattur Collector. R. Sukumar and K. Sivasoundaravalli have been posted as the Tirunelveli and Tiruvarur Collectors respectively.

Pradeep Yadav will hold the full additional charge as the Secretary of the Special Programme Implementation Department, while Jayashree Muralidharan will hold the full additional charge as Secretary of the Welfare of Differently-Abled Persons Department. V. Dakshinamoorthy will serve as the Secretary of the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department.

Madurai Commissioner

Chitra Vijayan will become the Commissioner of the Madurai Corporation. Gaurav Kumar will assume office as the Executive Director of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board. A. Shanmuga Sundaram will become the Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation. J. Innocent Divya has been posted as the Commissioner of Technical Education and Sigy Thomas Vaidhyan as the Commissioner of Disaster Management. T. Charusree has been posted as the Director of Treasuries and Accounts and S.A. Raman as the Commissioner of Labour. S. Ganesh will be the Special Secretary in the Revenue and Disaster Management Department.

Darez Ahamed will take over as the Managing Director, Guidance. M. Aarthi will hold the full additional charge as Project Director, Tamil Nadu Women Employment and Safety Programme. R. Kannan has been posted as the Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services. K. Santhi has been posted as the Director of Sericulture. M.N. Poongodi has been posted as the Joint Commissioner (Admin.), Commercial Taxes.

Lalitaditya Neelam has been posted as the Joint Commissioner of Municipal Administration. C. Palani has been posted as the Additional Commissioner (Admin.), Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments.

Shankar Lal Kumawat has been posted as the Additional Secretary, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department. K.M. Sarayu will be the Joint Secretary (Protocol), Public Department. Srutanjay Narayanan has been posted as the Joint Director (e-Governance) and Joint Chief Executive Officer, Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency. R. Anamika is the Additional Commissioner of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. R. Jaya has been posted as the Commissioner of Economics and Statistics.

S.P. Amrith is the Additional Registrar of Co-operative Societies, while S. Kishan Kumar is the Sub-Collector, Chidambaram. Durga Moorthi will assume office as the Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Magnesite Limited, while T. Prabhushankar will become the Managing Director, Metropolitan Transport Corporation. K.P. Karthikeyan will take over as the Managing Director, Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu.

D. Baskara Pandian will assume office as the Project Director of Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project-II and the Chennai-Kanniyakumari Industrial Corridor Project, and Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Road Development Company. J.E. Padmaja will take over as the Additional Collector (Dev.), District Rural Development Agency.

Violations galore in Annamalai Univ recruitment: Arappor

Violations galore in Annamalai Univ recruitment: Arappor

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 01.02.2025

Chennai : About 180 nonteaching staff recruited as programmers by the department of computer and information science at Annamalai University were redesignated as teaching staff. It is a violation of the rules, said anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam in its complaint to the chief minister M K Stalin and higher education minister Govi Chezhiaan on Friday. “Of the 180 staff members, only 50 of them completed PhDs. However, the redesignated staff members are now guiding 125 PhD scholars, of whom 44 already completed their PhDs. It raises questions about the quality of PhDs, and students may get affected if the PhDs are cancelled,” Arappor Iyakkam said in the complaint.

Due to the financial crisis and irregularities in appointments, the state govt took over Annamalai University and appointed a special officer in 2014. “When the university was facing a financial crisis due to excess staff, these non-teaching staff were redesignated as teaching staff through a resolution by the university’s syndicate on Nov 1, 2016,” said M Radhakrishnan of Arappor Iyakkam. Of the 154 programmers at the university, 27 of them were employed in the districts, and 30 were employed in different universities and affiliated colleges. “Redesignating the non-teaching staff as teaching staff is against the law.

According to the act, Annamalai University should have advertised the posts, and appointments should have been done by the selection committees as prescribed by the UGC rules,” the complaint said. The complaint also asked the govt to get explanations from the former vicechancellors S Manian and V Murugesan and former special officer of Annamalai University Shiv Das Meena. “The govt should conduct a thorough audit in other universities to find out whether such irregularities were committed in other universities and ensure the quality of education,” Radhakrishnan said in the complaint. Sources in the higher education department said the department would look into the complaint

Four college students among five held for harassing, chasing women on ECR

Four college students among five held for harassing, chasing women on ECR 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  01.02.2025

Chennai : The Kanathur police on Friday arrested five people including four college students for harassing and chasing a car carrying women on East Coast Road (ECR) last week. Police also seized two cars and said one of them sported a DMK flag. Police suspect the accused may have chased the vehicle believing it brushed against their car and caused damage, but said they were still investigating the motive. 

On Wednesday, a video surfaced showing several youths in an SUV, with DMK flag fluttering on the bonnet, chasing a car carrying three women, a baby and a man. Following the incident, a woman from Kanathur filed a complaint with the jurusdic tional police on Jan 26. She said she had gone to Muttukadu with her family for a long drive and was returning when she was chased by the men at 3 am. Police registered a case of obstruction, obscene language, causing damage to public property, intimidation, and violations under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Atrocities on Women Act. Police gathered all CCTV camera footage from the area and five special teams l were formed to track the vehicle.

On Thursday, a man named Chandru, 25, was apprehended and based on his information, Santhosh, 28, Tamilkumaran, 21, Ashwin, 21, and Visves, 21, were arrested. Police are searching for three more suspects. On Friday, Pallikaranai deputy commissioner of police Karthikeyan told reporters four suspects were college students but clarified they were not affiliated to any political party. The DMK flag, he said, was used by the suspects to avoid detection by police and toll booths. The car used in the incident is owned by Chandru, who has pending criminal cases at two police stations.

Aadhav Arjuna and Nirmal Kumar get key posts in TVK

 Aadhav Arjuna and Nirmal Kumar get key posts in TVK

The Hindu Bureau

 

CHENNAI 01.02.2025

Former VCK deputy general secretary Aadhav Arjuna and AIADMK IT Wing joint secretary C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in the presence of party president Vijay at its headquarters at Panaiyur near Chennai on Friday.

In a statement, Mr. Vijay said, “Mr. Arjuna, who has been appointed as the party’s election campaign management general secretary, will function along with my political strategist John Arockiyasamy in organising election campaigns.” He appointed Mr. Kumar as the deputy general secretary (IT and social media unit), P. Jegadeesh as the joint treasurer (headquarters), A. Rajmohan as the propaganda secretary, and S. Veeravigneshwaran as spokesperson.

Last December, Mr. Vijay launched a book, Ellorukkumaana Thalaivar Ambedkar (Ambedkar: A leader for all), authored by Mr. Arjuna. At the book launch, Mr. Arjuna said: “In Tamil Nadu, only monarchy exists. In 2026, the monarchy should come to an end. Chief Ministers should not be chosen on the basis of birth. We need ideologically committed leaders to rule Tamil Nadu. A common man, a Dalit, should become the Chief Minister.”

His comments on the “dynastic politics of the DMK” sparked a controversy, as the VCK is a constituent of the DMK-led alliance. VCK founder Thol. Thirumavalavan suspended him. Mr. Arjuna quit the party a few days later.

Meets Thirumavalavan

Later in the day, Mr. Arjuna met Mr. Thirumavalavan at the VCK headquarters.

Speaking to reporters along with the VCK leader, Mr. Arjuna said Mr. Thirumavalavan had given him a lot of advice, which he would follow in his new party. Mr. Thirumavalavan said Mr. Arjuna had started a new kind of politics.

Eight patients at govt. hospital develop allergic reactions, one dies

Eight patients at govt. hospital develop allergic reactions, one dies

The Hindu Bureau

Salem 01.02.2025

Eight patients admitted to the Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital (GMKMCH) developed allergicreactions after they were administered salineto the patients on Thursday night.

While one patient died, hospital authorities denied that the death was caused by the saline.

Doctors injected saline into the patients at around 9 p.m. on Thursday night at the male surgery ward.

By around 11 p.m., eight patients developed allergic reactions and their relatives alerted the doctors.

The hospital’s dean, Dr. J. Devi Meenal, along with a medical team, transferred the affected patients to the Hybrid Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the super-specialty building for treatment.

The affected patients are Venugopal (40), a resident of Mangalapuram in Namakkal district, Manoj (28), a resident of Nagalur in Dharmapuri district; Manoharan (64), a resident of Erode district, Ramesh (45), a resident of Deevattipatti in Salem district, Rajaram (27), a migrant worker, Anbalagan (40), a resident of Kamalapuram in Salem district, and Murugaesan (54), a resident of Vazhapadi in Salem district.

At midnight, Venugopal died at the hospital.

However, hospital authorities denied that his death was caused by the allergic reaction, stating that he had multiple underlying health conditions.

‘Others stable’

Dr. Devi Meenal assured that the same saline solution had been used on several patients across the hospital and that all other affected individuals remained stable.

Sources at GMKMCH reported that Health Minister Ma. Subramanian inquired about the incident, and doctors were instructed to cease using that specific batch of saline. A pharmacovigilance team will investigate the saline.

‘Exorbitant private college fees deny underprivileged access to medical courses’

‘Exorbitant private college fees deny underprivileged access to medical courses’




The number of candidates aspiring to study MBBS has gone up from 16 lakh in 2019 to 24 lakh in 2024, the Survey says. Getty Images

Maitri Porecha

New Delhi 01.02.2025

Skyrocketing fees for undergraduate medical education remain a considerable challenge that denies the opportunity to make the MBBS degree accessible and affordable for students from less privileged backgrounds, the Economic Survey says.

The number of medical colleges grew from 499 in the financial year 2018-19 to 648 in 2022-23 to 780 in 2024-25, during which MBBS seats increased from 70,012 in 2018-19 to 96,077 in 2022-23 to 1,18,137 in 2024-25 and postgraduate seats from 39,583 in 2018-19 to 64,059 in 2022-23 to 73,157 in 2024-25.

Despite the National Medical Commission issuing guidelines for determination of fees and all other charges in respect of 50% of seats in private medical institutions and deemed-to-be universities, fees remain high ranging from ₹60 lakh to ₹1 crore or even more in the private sector, which holds 48% of the MBBS seats, the Survey notes.

The number of candidates aspiring to study MBBS has increased consistently over the years, from around 16 lakh in 2019 to around 24 lakh in 2024.

The very low pass percentage of foreign medical graduates in the qualifying exam for practising in India (16.65% of 2,02,385 students) indicates sub-par quality of medical education abroad.

“As policy intervention to dissuade medical education abroad is crafted, keeping costs in India within reasonable limits is essential,” the survey points out.

The availability of opportunities for medical education is geographically skewed, apparent from the fact that 51% of undergraduate seats and 49% of postgraduate seats are in the southern States, the Survey says.

Also, the Survey points out that market estimates indicate that remuneration of fresh graduates is around ₹5 lakh a year and senior doctors earn between ₹12.5 lakh and ₹18.4 lakh a year in cities.

Survey snubs AI impact on workforce, says skilling could put Indians ahead

Survey snubs AI impact on workforce, says skilling could put Indians ahead

Techies working at an IT unit in Visakhapatnam. file photo

The Hindu Bureau

New Delhi

The Economic Survey 2024–25 struck an upbeat tone on the implications that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could have on the workforce. In defiance of the concern that AI could replace some jobs, particularly in the information technology sector, the Survey says that appropriate skilling would allow Indians “to stay one step ahead of technological developments,” and that harnessing AI “would minimise or even eliminate the potential adverse impact on employment and, if possible, turn it into a force for augmenting employment.”

In an entire chapter dedicated to AI and labour, the Survey acknowledges, “With AI research and development currently concentrated in the hands of a few, very large companies that control the resources to erect high entry barriers, AI adoption in place of humans presents the risk of concentrating the benefits of automation.”

Engle’s pause

The report acknowledges that while previous technological advancements had often increased job opportunities, this came at the expense of displaced workers facing “protracted” unemployment, for decades on end, known as Engle’s pause.

Such a lag is not desirable for India’s service-led economy, the report advances. “India would have to create an average of 78.5 lakh jobs annually in the non-farm sector by 2030 to cater to the rising workforce,” the report says.

But the report also casts technological advancements as a net benefit for employment, citing low job losses in India from factory automation, and the potential for “Human-AI teams” in scientific research.

The role of institutional involvement in stewarding AI’s growth in India is key, the report posits. It warns labour markets themselves are “shifting” in anticipation of AI impact. As such, the report says, “The responsibility for course correction will then fall in the hands of the public sector,” calling for vigilance.

‘Hostile work culture, long hours in office affecting mental health’

‘Hostile work culture, long hours in office affecting mental health’

Pull the plug: The Survey said a phone-based childhood is rewiring the very experience of growing up.Getty Images

Given the direct costs to human welfare, putting mental well-being at the centre of economic agenda is prudent, states the Economic Survey, tabled in Parliament; it suggests highest tax rate on ultra-processed foods, regulation of advertisements

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

New Delhi  01.02.2025 

Overexposure to social media, lack of exercise, not spending enough time with one’s family and overwork (hours exceeding 55-60 per week) have all worsened mental well-being among Indians, said the Economic Survey 2024-25, tabled in Parliament on Friday by Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Hostile work cultures and excessive hours spent working at the desk can adversely affect mental well-being and ultimately put the brakes on the pace of economic growth, states the Survey while highlighting that lifestyle choices, workplace culture and family situations are critical for productivity.

If India’s economic ambitions are to be met, then immediate attention must be given to lifestyle choices that are often made during childhood/youth. “The increase in mental health issues in children and adolescents is often linked to the overuse of the Internet, specifically social media.The phone-based childhood is rewiring the very experience of growing up,” it stated.

Given the direct costs to human welfare, putting mental well-being at the centre of economic agenda is prudent, states the Survey, besides listing a series of mental health initiatives taken by the Centre. “It is about time to find viable, impactful preventive strategies and interventions. India’s demographic dividend is riding on skills, education, physical health and, above all, mental health of its youth,” it said.

Establishing a link between good mental health and clean eating habits, the Survey noted that individuals who rarely consume ultra-processed or packaged junk food have better mental well-being than those who regularly do so.

It also says that those who rarely exercise, spend their free time on social media or are not close to their families have worse mental well-being.

It emphasised the urgent need for school and family-level interventions to encourage healthy pastimes such as meeting with friends and playing outside,and also said that investing time in building close family bonds would go a long way in keeping children and adolescents away from Internet.

Ultra-processed foods

The Survey suggested that the government look at bringing in a higher tax rate for ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and may also consider a ‘health tax’ measure targeted specifically at brands/products that advertise these foods.

It further suggested that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare urgently define nutrient thresholds for sugars, salt, and saturated fats to regulate advertising, adopt warning front-of-pack labels (FOPL), and impose stricter marketing restrictions on unhealthy foods, especially targeting children under 18.

Noting that a multi-pronged approach is required to address the concerns emerging from increased inclusion of UPFs in diets, the Survey said that misleading nutrition claims on UPFs need to be tackled and should be brought under the scanner.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India could consider bringing UPFs under regulation with a clear definition and standards, including stricter labelling requirements.