Current Events Prelims Plus
1.World Skating Championship: CM Vijay congratulates medal-winning athletes from Tamil Nadu
When athletes from Tamil Nadu represent India and win medals on a global stage .
üAnandkumar: Won a total of 3 medals:
üLakshitha, Pragathi, and Ruthva:
2.Joint drinking water project for Dharapuram constituency at a cost of Rs 1,439 crore’ - Chief Minister Vijay announces
Mega Water Project: A massive ₹1,439 Crore Combined Drinking Water Scheme has been announced. It will use water from the Cauvery River to serve 1,232 rural settlements across Dharapuram, Kangeyam, Kundadam, Pongalur, Vellakoil, Mulanur, and Palladam blocks in Tiruppur district.
Irrigation & Agriculture: ₹10 Crores allocated for desilting 159 irrigation canals (covering 271 km specifically in the Dharapuram constituency) to improve agricultural water flow.
Housing (Social Welfare): Distribution of 2,700 free house site pattas for the homeless in the region.
üUrban & Disaster Infrastructure:
3.Exemption for agricultural income of economically weaker sections – Central Government scheme
The Union Government is planning to amend the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) reservation rules by exempting agricultural income from the annual income limit and potentially removing the condition that restricts eligibility to those owning less than 5 acres of agricultural land.
Background of EWS: Introduced in January 2019 through the 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act, inserting Articles 15(6) and 16(6). It provides a 10% quota in education and government jobs for economically weaker sections in the unreserved category (General Category).
Current Criteria:
oFamily income must be below ₹8 Lakhs per annum (currently includes agricultural, business, and professional income).
oMust own less than 5 acres of agricultural land.
Proposed Changes: Following a University Grants Commission (UGC) study, the Centre plans to exclude agricultural income from the ₹8 lakh limit or modify the 5-acre land ceiling to benefit more agrarian families from the general category.
Relevance to Tamil Nadu
Ideological Contrast: The EWS quota is based purely on economic criteria, whereas Tamil Nadu’s historic reservation model (and the Dravidian movement's core ideology) argues that reservation is a tool for social justice (uplifting socially and educationally backward classes), not a poverty alleviation program.
The 69% Quota: Tamil Nadu follows a 69% reservation system protected under the 9th Schedule of the Indian Constitution (76th Amendment Act, 1994). The introduction and modification of the central 10% EWS quota continually spark political and legal debates in the state regarding its implementation in state-run institutions.
4.Ban on using mobile phone speakers for audio and video on trains
The Southern Railway has implemented strict regulations against public nuisance caused by using mobile phone speakers at high volumes inside trains and at railway stations.
5. Ban on using mobile phone speakers for audio and video on trains
The Southern Railway has implemented strict regulations against public nuisance caused by using mobile phone speakers at high volumes inside trains and at railway stations.
The Regulation: A strict ban on playing loud music, watching videos on loudspeakers, or having loud phone conversations during train journeys. Passengers are advised to use earphones.
Legal Provision: Punitive action will be taken under Section 145 of the Railways Act, which deals with causing a nuisance or inconvenience to fellow passengers.
Penalties: Violators can face eviction from the train or station, a fine of up to ₹5,000, and potential imprisonment for up to 6 months for repeated offenses.
Enforcement Authority: Train Ticket Examiners (TTEs) and senior officials of the commercial department are officially authorized to impose these fines.
