As part of the ongoing investigation into the theft of 18 hard disks from the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) headquarters on Anna Salai in Chennai, the Greater Chennai Police (GCP) have arrested a contract employee and intensified efforts to uncover the larger network behind the incident.

A special team arrested Gopinath, 36, of Arakkonam in Ranipet district on Thursday. He is currently being questioned at a secure location as investigators pursue further leads in the case. The police said Gopinath was employed on contract by a private information technology firm responsible for the annual maintenance of computer systems at the TNPDCL headquarters. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to removing the hard disks at the behest of certain key suspects.

Meanwhile, Minister for Energy Resources and Law R. Nirmalkumar said instructions had been issued to ensure the safe custody of all files and to take backup copies of data stored in computers. Speaking to journalists at the Secretariat, he said 18 hard disks had been reported missing from the TNPDCL headquarters last month. Later, he said the police had made some arrests in Bengaluru where the hard disks were taken to.

Following a preliminary departmental vigilance inquiry, a complaint was lodged with the police. Investigators said Gopinath had been communicating with the key suspects through online calls and later handed over the devices in exchange for money.

Investigators suspect that individuals linked to contractors and beneficiaries involved in procurement and tender-related activities may have orchestrated the theft.

Police believe the hard disks could have been targeted to obtain sensitive information related to contracts and purchases.

As part of the probe, officers have collected details of contractors and vendors associated with the State electricity utility, and are examining their possible connections with Gopinath and other suspects. Call detail records and digital communication trails are being analysed to establish the chain of events. Two additional suspects are being questioned to determine their involvement and identify others who may have played a role in the theft.

Meanwhile, the GCP have expanded the scope of the investigation and sought assistance from experts in the Cyber Crime Wing.

Cyber forensic specialists have been tasked with examining digital evidence and tracing the movements, communications, and online activities of those suspected to be connected to the case.

Data in transformer procurement case

Mr. Nirmalkumar said all information regarding the alleged scam in transformer procurement had already been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with an ongoing case. He said certain persons had also been placed under suspension in connection with the matter.

He said the process of backing up data related to tenders issued over the past five years, coal contracts, and contract employee-related records stored in computers had commenced. The validation process was expected to be completed within a few days.

Reacting to the incident, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday demanded that the CBI be asked to probe the alleged theft of hard disks. “How should we interpret the disappearance of the data under a regime that claimed itself to be a ‘clean force’?” Mr. Palaniswami asked, in a post on his social media handle. He also asked the government whether it was trying to “shield” a party that it had once derided.

BJP Tamil Nadu unit president Nainar Nagenthran said the alleged theft of the hard disks from the TNPDCL headquarters showed the current regime’s inefficiency.

Former Electricity Minister and DMK Coimbatore South MLA V. Senthilbalaji on Thursday told journalists in Coimbatore that if hard disks had gone missing from the TNPDCL headquarters, then it is the duty of the government and the Minister and the official concerned to take action against the staff involved. “It is a departmental issues. If someone commits a mistake, it is your responsibility to take action,” he told journalists in Coimbatore.

When a journalist contended that Mr. Nirmalkumar had said there was an attempt to intimidate him on the issue, Mr. Senthilbalaji wondered about the state of law and order when a Minister himself was facing intimidation.

Former Minister for Electricity and DMK Coimbatore South MLA V. Senthilbalaji on Thursday (May 4) said the power outage and shortage prevalent in the State has to be resolved on a war-footing.

Interacting with journalists after the inauguration of his constituency office on Huzur Road, he said that during the tenure of the previous DMK-led government, the State never had any power outage and or scarcity.

Claiming that the ruling TVK was now floating a theory that government servants were pro-Opposition, he said governments might change but the bureaucrats would not. If the TVK said there were black sheep in the official machinery, what about the rest of the bureaucracy, he asked.

The TVK could ask for time to implement whatever was promised in its election manifesto, but law and order maintenance cannot be given time. He reminded the ruling party that it was on the verge of losing whatever public confidence it had. He said a popular criticism now was that the TVK came to power through “reels” but was failing to give a real governance.

PMK MLA for Dharmapuri Sowmiya Anbumani inspected the SIPCOT industrial estate on Friday (May 29). She said that of the 1,700 acres, 1,200 acres were porampok and fallow land and 500 acres were patta land not fit for cultivation. The PMK was supportive of such industrial estates that did not jeopardise farmlands or threaten acquisition of wetlands, she said.

The location of the SIPCOT, however, was on a rocky hilly terrain, and this was deterring businesses from establishing units there. The PMK MLA called upon the authorities to level the terrain. As of date, barring nine industrial units, there were not many takers.

Earlier in the day, she interacted with traders and the public at the old bus stand over the shifting of buses to the new bus stands on the outskirts, which was inaugurated four months ago.

Many among the public said several buses to moffusil areas were bypassing the old bus stand, forcing them to find transport to get to the new bus stand. Traders around the old bus stand, which is located inside the town, had long voiced their objections to the shifting of the bus stand on the grounds that their business had been hit.

Interacting with the traders, Ms. Sowmiya Anbumani said that despite the assurance by the District Collector that all buses would continue to pass through the old bus stand, buses were not doing so. She also threatened to lead protests if the buses were not allowed to enter the old bus stand.

The district Collector S. Kandasamy on Friday felicitated headteachers of schools that secured 100% pass results in the Class 10 and Class 12 public exams. At a function organised by the School Education Department, he distributed shields and appreciation certificates to the headteachers.

Congratulating teachers, School Management Committees and Parent-Teacher Associations, Mr. Kandasamy said the achievement reflected their collective efforts. He urged the headteachers to ensure that students were imparted good values along with education during the new academic year of 2026-27.

The District Collector pointed out that Erode district secured first place in the State in the Class 12 public exams in the 2025-26 academic year. In Class 10 exams, the district improved its ranking from 11th last year to eighth this year.

According to official data, 178 schools in the district recorded 100% pass results in Class 10 public exam, while 128 schools achieved centum in Class 12 exam. A total of 78 schools secured 100% results in both exams. Mr. Kandasamy also distributed appreciation certificates to four teachers who helped improve Tamil learning skills among Kannada-medium students in hilly areas and enabled them to pass Class 10 public exam. Officials who helped conduct of the exams were also felicitated.

District Revenue Officer Su. Santha Kumar, Chief Educational Officer E. Manvizhi, District Educational Officers and other officials participated in the event.

Government polytechnic colleges in Tamil Nadu have recorded over 93% placement for outgoing diploma students in the academic year 2025-26.

At a time when engineering admissions have been overshadowing most other streams of study, this development comes as an interesting disruption. According to officials of the Directorate of Technical Education (DoTE), a reason for this could be the very nature of the diploma courses, which equip students with more hands-on, vocational, and trade-specific skills.

The minimum salary earned by a diploma student was ₹15,000, with several employers even extending accommodation and food benefits to the fresh recruits, the officials said. On the other hand, some of the new recruits were paid as high as ₹45,000 for their starting salary by multinational engineering companies, the officials added.

Lateral entry

While the placement scenario was opening up, a section of students opted for lateral entry to engineering courses of their choice. As per norms, they are eligible to gain entry to second year of an engineering course of their choice after they have completed the diploma. A large number of students from the computer science courses opted for lateral entry, an official said, adding that these students often found themselves in direct competition with computer science and engineering pass-outs in the job market. Lateral entry saves them the hassle of going through the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions counselling process.

In the next academic year, officials said the department was working with the industry to offer internships for one semester to at least 9,000 students in government polytechnic institutes, with a minimum stipend of ₹14,000. Depending on the feedback, this scheme could be extended to multiple semesters.

Intake woes

While the placement scene appears to be bright, the government-aided and self-financing polytechnics have been finding it difficult to invite patronage. In 2025-26, although the government polytechnic colleges had near-full admission, the aided institutions recorded 71% intake, while private polytechnics had a mere 44%, bringing the overall admission percentage down to 54. Tamil Nadu has 55 government polytechnics, 31 government-aided polytechnics, and 321 self-financing institutes.

Officials added that about 80 polytechnic colleges had declared that they would not admit students in the forthcoming academic year, beginning a phase-wise shutdown of the institutes due to poor student patronage.

The death of a 19-year-old nursing student while in admission for a surgical procedure at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) in Tiruchi on Saturday (May 23, 2026) triggered a protest by over 300 nursing students of the K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College, attached to the hospital.

A high-level inquiry committee, comprising doctors of the Madras Medical College and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), has been constituted to inquire into the “adverse medical event” pertaining to the student.

According to hospital sources, third-year nursing student Seethalakshmi, from Manakudipatti village, Pudukottai district, had sought treatment at the MGMGH for persistent headache. After tests, the problem was diagnosed as being caused by a deviated nasal septum, requiring surgery.

“The patient was prepared for surgery on May 22, but suffered a cardiac arrest while anaesthesia was being administered. She was kept under observation in the Intensive Care Unit. Unfortunately, she passed away due to medical complications the following day. We will share the video and other documentation of the procedure as per standard operating protocol, with the inquiry committee,” dean S. Kumaravel, told The Hindu.

In the meantime, nursing students blocked the road from 9 a.m. in front of the MGMGH entrance as they protested their colleague’s demise and alleged medical negligence by the authorities.

S. Ramesh, Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, who was on his first visit to the city after assuming charge as Minister, District Collector V. Saravanan, and senior officials held talks with the students.

Inquiry panel to visit hospital

In an order issued on Saturday, RGGGH dean, following instructions from the Additional Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare and Director of Medical Education and Research, constituted the committee that will visit K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College and conduct an inquiry.

N. Basker, medical superintendent, RGGGH, will head the committee, while M. Bharathi Mohan, professor of ENT, P. Shanmugasundaram, professor of Anaesthesia, and N. Jayaprakash, professor of Medicine of RGGGH, are members of the committee, the order said.

The 49th Yercaud Summer Festival and Flower Show began at Anna Park in Yercaud here on Friday (May 22). District Collector K. Elambahavath inaugurated the seven-day festival in the presence of Yercaud MLA P. Usharani, Salem West MLA G. Lakshmanan and Veerapandi MLA M. Rajasekar.

Organised annually to promote tourism in the hill station, the festival will continue till May 28 with floral displays, cultural programmes, entertainment events and sports competitions. This year’s flower show has been designed around the theme of protecting agriculture and feeding the world. The horticulture department has created floral installations depicting integrated farming, including a farmer ploughing using bulls; cows with calves; goats, hens; rabbits; ducks; bees; and a farmhouse using 90,000 roses.

Among the major attractions are a teddy bear made with 45,000 roses, fairy and Bharatanatyam dancer figures, and cartoon characters Pluto and Goofy created using roses. Floral models of a double heart, crescent moon, winged heart and deer have also been arranged.

In total, over 2.07 lakh flowers of various colours have been used for the displays. Over 30,000 ornamental flowering plants, including dahlias, zinnias, salvias and chrysanthemums, have been exhibited at the park.

Exhibition stalls by various government departments and food stalls have also been arranged for visitors. Officials said around 1.16 lakh tourists visited the flower show last year and about 1.5 lakh visitors are expected this year. The District Collector has asked people to visit the show in large numbers.

District Revenue Officer R. Ravikumar, Project Director of the District Rural Development Agency Vani Eswari, Salem Revenue Divisional Officer K. Udhayakumar, Joint Director of Agriculture K. Srinivasan, Deputy Director of Horticulture K. Manjula and other officials were present.

The police on Wednesday (May 20) held meetings with the staff of Tasmac liquor outlets in the city to curb the sale of liquor before or after business hours and sale to persons aged below 21. The Peelamedu police held a meeting with the supervisors and salespersons of Tasmac outlets functioning in their jurisdiction.

Inspector S. Saravanan said staff from 13 Tasmac outlets in Peelamedu station’s jurisdiction attended the meeting. The staff were told to strictly adhere to the business hours — 12 noon to 10 p.m. They were told to sell liquor to persons aged 21 years and above, with a limit of four quarter bottles or two half bottles or one full bottle per person. The police told them that necessary action will be taken against the errant staff if these instructions are not followed.

The staff were advised to ask for valid age and identity proof if the age of any customer was in question. The restriction in the sales quantity was advised to avoid bulk purchase of liquor that could lead to bootlegging. 

Officials with the Coimbatore District Police said similar meetings were held in all sub-divisions in their jurisdiction. Patrol teams are covering Tasmac outlets to curb sale of liquor before or after business hours, they said.

Wind energy generation in Tamil Nadu in 2026 is expected to be lower than that last year. With nearly 10,000 MW of installed wind energy capacity, Tamil Nadu is one of the largest wind energy generators in the country, and the peak wind season in the State sets in May.

“The generation was expected to pick up gradually from May 15. However, we need to see the impact of El Nino,” said A.D. Thirumoorthy, advisor to the Indian Wind Power Association.

According to the forecast, the generation at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning was expected to be 200 MW but the actual generation registered was 243 MW. The generation is likely to be between 1,350 MW and 2,250 MW from Sunday evening and higher from May 19.

The generation can be at least 5% lower than the peak that the State can generate, added N. Pradeep, former president of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Consumers’ Association. The State’s generation and evacuation of wind energy was high last year. Given the weather forecast and wind energy generation forecast, however, the generation is likely to be lower than that last year, he added.

According to Mr. Thirumoorthy, though installed wind energy capacity did not increase much in 2025-2026, it may go up in the current year.

Former AIADMK MLA Ettimadai A. Shanmugam, who represented the Kinathukadavu Assembly constituency from 2016 to 2021, joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Saturday (May 16) in the presence of the party’s chief coordinator and Minister for Finance K.A. Sengottaiyan at his residence near Gobichettipalayam.

Mr. Shanmugam had also served as the Madukkarai union secretary of the AIADMK in Coimbatore suburban south district. Several AIADMK functionaries from Madukkarai and Kinathukadavu areas also joined the party.

Those who joined included Chettipalayam town panchayat secretary Balu, former Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society deputy secretary C. Kathirvel, Madukkarai farmers’ wing joint secretary S.M.N. Nagamanickam, Kinathukadavu unorganised drivers’ wing functionary S.M.N. Varadharaj and unorganised drivers’ wing union president Anand.