Tamil Nadu news live: ‘Govt can reopen colleges for vaccinated kids’

Saying online classes were ineffective, educationists and academicians urged the state to consider reopening colleges for vaccinated students. They sought staggered reopening of colleges, vaccinating students and reopening schools for higher classes.

Former AIADMK minister K. Pandia Rajan on Thursday said he has taken a fiveyear sabbatical from politics. Speaking after his re-appointment as chairman of CIEL HR Services, Pandia Rajan said he would continue as office-bearer of his party.

Chief minister M K Stalin on Thursday ordered withdrawal of 90 defamation cases against journalists, dailies and television channels. The cases were filed between 2012 and February 2021 against editors, printers and publishers of newspapers and television channels when the AIADMK was in power.

The National Gallery of Australia on Wednesday announced it would return 14 works of art from its Asian art collection to the Indian government. They include 13 works of art connected to art dealer Subhash Kapoor and one, a bronze, the child-saint Sambandar from a Tamil Nadu temple, acquired from art dealer William Wolff, said an official release. Tamil Nadu would get back two 12th century Chola-era bronzes --the child-saint Sambandar, stolen from the Sayavaram temple in Sirkali in Tamil Nadu and the dancing child-saint Sambandar, also from TN.

After recording a decline in fresh cases every day since May 21, Tamil Nadu on Thursday reported a spike in daily cases after 69 days. The state recorded 1,859 fresh cases compared to 1,756 cases on Wednesday. On May 21, fresh cases in TN peaked to 36,184.