1. CM Stalin to boycott ‘At Home’ reception hosted by Governor
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced that the State government would boycott the customary ‘At Home’ reception to be hosted by Governor R.N. Ravi at the Raj Bhavan in Chennai tomorrow (August 15) evening over alleged confusion created in higher education and universities, refusal of assent to Bills adopted by the Legislature and the latter’s controversial statements in public forums.
In a statement, Mr. Stalin charged the Governor has been making unkind statements in public forums such as left to him, he (Mr. Ravi) would never grant assent to the Bill seeking exemption for Tamil Nadu from NEET for undergraduate medical courses admissions.
Earlier on April 14 last year, Mr. Stalin boycotted the ‘At Home’ reception hosted by Mr. Ravi due to the delay in forwarding the Bill to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET to the President. Meanwhile, Mr. Stalin and some of his Cabinet colleagues attended the ‘At Home’ reception hosted by Mr. Ravi on January 26, when its allies including Congress, CPI and VCK had boycotted citing the Governor’s walkout from the Assembly a fortnight earlier. The ruling DMK and its allies had boycotted the Pongal celebrations hosted by the Governor at the Raj Bhavan on January 12 this year.
2. Senthilbalaji’s brother Ashok Kumar not arrested: ED
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) clarified it has neither detained nor arrested jailed Minister V. Senthilbalaji’s brother R.V. Ashok Kumar.
In a statement, the central agency termed media reports that Ashok Kumar was detained as “false news”. Referring to Mr. Senthilbalaji as “Ex-Minister and MLA”, the ED said Ashok Kumar had been summoned on four occasions on June 16, June 21, June 29 and July 15, as part of the ongoing probe.
“He has, however, never joined the investigation and has refused to appear before ED in response to the summons citing frivolous inconsequential excuses,” the ED said.
3. Father ends life a day after son dies in Chennai over failure in NEET
A day after his 19-year-old son, Jegadeshwaran ended life over failure in National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), a 48-year-old man from Chennai, identified as P. Selvasekar, was found dead in his residence at Chromepet early this morning. Unable to cope with the loss, the father died of dejection, police said.
Jegadeshwaran had completed class XII from a CBSE school in Pallavaram last year. He appeared twice for the NEET exam but could not clear it. Due to dejection, Jegadeshwaran took the extreme step on Saturday when he was alone in the house, said police.
Condoling the deaths of the father-son duo, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin took to social media to appeal to the students to give up suicidal thoughts.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)
