Almanac today Thursday: 22/10/2026 Year: Parabhav Iyppasi: Valar Pirai Ashwin: Shukla Paksha Tithi: Ekadashitill14.48 hrs Nakshatra (Star): Shatatarakatill 20.49 hrs. Moon in Kumbh. Today is Bharat Milap, Pashankusha Ekadashi Rahukaalam: 13:30-15:00 Yamagantam: 06:00-7:30 Gulikakalam: 09:00-10:30 02 Thursday TIRUNELVELI Contingency funds for TN police stations enhanced E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai The state gover nment on Wednesday enhanced monthly contingency funds for police stations across the state, issuing a government order based on Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s announcements during the 20262027 Police Demand in the State Assembly aimed at establishing , corruption-free government offices. The home department sanctioned an additional annual recurring expenditure of `71.01 crore to increase monthly grants for 1,917 police stations. Under the revised norms, monthly allocations have been raised from `3,750 to `30,000 for 1,169 Light Police Stations, including All Women Police Stations and Traffic Police Stations; from `6,000 to `40,000 for 353 Medium Police Stations; and from `8,250 to `50,000 for 395 Heavy Police Stations, including Metro-1 and Metro-2 stations. The previous rates were fixed under a GO dated December 4, 2013, and revised on January 24, 2022. Speaking to TNIE about the enhancement, a senior police officer said, “This is a welcome move. Police stations were finding it difficult to even buy food for the suspects who were detained at the police station. With the enhanced amount, there will be a little breathing space.” Another officer said that it was high time the amount was revised as it was hard to manage basic expenses such as cleaning the premises. “While the cost of everything went up, this fund stayed the same.” According to the GO, the DGP had also sought an annual outlay of `86.06 crore, including a monthly grant of `30,000 for 11 categories of special units with police station powers. The government has asked the DGP to submit a separate proposal for these special units for further consideration. Min Max 24 C 29 C 0 0 Forecast Partly cloudy sky Weather Sunrise 06:04 am Sunset 05:52 pm Moonrise  02:27 pm Moonset 01:38 am 22 10 2026 l l State kickstarts IT procurement for TNSTC driver dies Phase-III paperless e-Courts project behind the wheel, Elcot invites bids for equipment supply; new phase includes setting up cloud storage systems C S h i v a k u m ar @ Chennaoi Tamil Nadu has begun the process of buying computer and other IT equipment to modernise courts under the third phase of the national eCourts programme. The state-owned Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (Elcot) has invited bids to supply install and maintain the , equipment at the Madras High Court and court complexes across the state. Approved in 2023 with an allocation of `7,210 crore over four years by the union government, the new phase aims to create a unified technology platform for the judiciary, giving courts, litigants and other stakeholders a paperless interface. The first two phases, launched in 2007 and 2015, focused on computerising courts and making case information available online. The centre released `90.69 crore to Tamil Nadu in 2023-24 and another `41.29 crore in 202425 for the programme under the third phase, according to official sources. The new phase includes digitising old court records, setting up cloud-based systems to store information securely and using artificial intelligence (AI) to help courts organise and priori- tise cases. Help centres, called e-Sewa Kendras, will assist lawyers and litigants in using these digital services, sources said. The tender, issued through Elcot’s E-Angadi division, covers equipment for e-Sewa Kendras, IT facilities in new court complexes and upgrades to the Madras High Court’s computer and network systems. It also includes 297 smartphones for a system that enables court notices and other legal documents to be delivered and tracked electronically . The largest share of the order is for e-Sewa Kendras. It includes 690 all-in-one computers, 230 cameras, 230 multifunction printers, 115 document visualisers and 230 speaker-and-microphone sets. New court complexes will receive backup storage drives and power-backup units. The high court will get a server, a 500-terabyte storage sys- tem, a network switch and a firewall to strengthen its IT infrastructure. To ensure reliability, the equipment must have been manufactured after October 2025 and carry a five-year onsite warranty. Suppliers must acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and repair or replace equipment following major failures within three days. Bids close at 3 pm on October 27, with a mandatory evaluation of product samples scheduled for October 29, according to the tender document. The selected suppliers must deliver, install and make all equipment operational within 45 days. They must also appoint a full-time logistics coordinator. Delays will attract a penalty of 0.25% of the delayed order’s value per day, subject to a maximum of 10%, the tender document added. E X P R E S S R E AD IG A Radhika, questioned in GEM case, transferred Chennai: Senior IPS officer A Radhika, who was serving as Inspector General of Police (IG), Administration, at the DGP/HoPF office in Chennai, was transferred without a posting on Wednesday. N Kamini, IG and Commissioner of Police, Tiruchy City, has been posted in her place. It is to be noted that Radhika was questioned by the SIT last week in connection with the Pocso case against ‘GEM’ Veeramani. Earlier, former Chennai Police Commissioner A Arun and Coimbatore City Police Commissioner N Kannan, were placed on compulsory wait over their alleged involvement in the case. Meanwhile, Santosh Kumar and Rupesh Kumar Meena were transferred and posted as IG, Civil Supplies CID, Chennai, and IG and Commissioner of Police, Tiruchy City, respectively.  ENS Moody Monsoon As dark clouds brought in cool weather, boys jump into the fresh rainwater in the Uyyakondan canal in Tiruchy on Wednesday| MK Ashok Kumar auto driver killed E xpress N ews S er v ice @ Coimbatore A 50-year-old autorickshaw driver was killed after the driver of a TNSTC bus suffered a fatal heart attack at the wheel and rammed into several vehicles near the Ukkadam-Athupalam over bridge on Wednesday . Two others were also injured and two bikes were damaged in the incident. The deceased bus driver was identified as T Martin (54), a resident of Singanallur in Coimbatore, while the autorickshaw driver was Noor Mohammed of Kuniyamuthur. Martin was the driver of bus 66A, plying between Palathurai near Madukkarai and Ukkadam. On Wednesday morning, he operated the bus from Palathurai with more than 50 passengers on board. After crossing Kuniyamuthur, the bus was approaching the UkkadamAthupalam over bridge when Martin suffered a heart attack and collapsed in his seat. The bus veered and struck two two-wheelers, a person standing by the roadside, and an autorickshaw. The bus then Noor Mohammed and T Martin ran over the autorickshaw driver, resulting in his death. While passengers panicked and screamed, one passenger quickly applied the brakes and brought the vehicle to a halt. Later, passengers alighted from the bus and Martin was found dead. Traffic Investigation Wing (West) police reached the spot and began the investigation. S Abbas (46) of Kalavai, who was riding a two-wheeler, and a woman passenger in the autorickshaw received minor injuries. Two two-wheelers and an autorickshaw were damaged in the incident. The bodies of Noor Mohammed and Martin were recovered by police and sent to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for postmortem examination. HC dismisses plea against temple eviction on NH land COIMBATORE: The Madras High Court has dismissed a petition filed by the temple trust’s president challenging an eviction notice issued by the National Highways (NH) for the construction of a service road beneath Periyanaickenpalayam flyover near Jothipuram. A division bench of Justices S M Subramaniam and R Rajesh Vivekananthan, in an order dated October 6, observed that the authorities had identified the temple as encroaching on NH land as early as 2020. The peti- tioner, R Rangaraj of the Jothipuram Thandu Mariamman Aarathanai and Vazhipadu Trust, argued that the authorities should consider the matter through monitoring committees constituted under a state G.O. issued in 2022. Rejecting the argument, the court observed that the G.O. relating to encroachments on government land was not applicable here, as the eviction notice had been issued under the Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002. ENS Pvt med college found charging addl Sengol craftsman passes away at 99 in Chennai fee; TN seeks action from NMC, UGC Vummidi Ethiraj (1926-2026) E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai Vummidi Ethiraj (99), a veteran jeweller who played a key role in crafting the historic Sengol that is now installed near the Speaker’s Chair in the new Parliament building in New Delhi, died in Chennai on Wednesday morning. Ethiraj is survived by his sons — Udayakumar and Vijayendran — and daughter, Vijaya Bharati. His wife Sumitra Vummidi predeceased him. President Droupadi Murmu, Vi c e P r e s i d e n t C P R a d hakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and several other leaders condoled his demise. According to a statement from the private hospital where he was getting treated at for septic shock with multi-organ dysfunction, his advanced age, frailty and severity of infection led to his death. Ethiraj belonged to the Vummidi Bangaru Chetty family, which established Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers in Chennai in 1900. He is best remembered for his role in crafting the historic Sengol, which became an enduring symbol associated with India’s Independence and the transfer of power from British rule in 1947. The Sengol was crafted by the Vummidi family following an initiative involving Rajaji (C Ra- Jeweller Vummidi Ethiraj jagopalachari) and the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam. The golden sceptre features intricate workmanship, with a Nandi figure at its top. It symbolises righteous governance, justice and the responsibility of those entrusted with power. The Sengol was presented to Jawaharlal Nehru on the eve of Independence in August 1947. After his demise, it was kept at the Nehru Gallery of the Allahabad Museum in Prayagraj before being returned to national prominence in 2023, when it was found a place at the new Parliament building. “Ethiraj’s craft in creating the Sengol has given him a lasting place in India’s civilisational heritage,” the President said. The PM said on X: “Ethiraj Ji will always be remembered for his efforts in crafting the historic Sengol that was presented to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.” E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai The state wrote a letter to the National Medical Commission (NMC) and University Grants Commission (UGC) on Wednesday to take appropriate action against the Saveetha Medical College for allegedly collecting additional fees and blocking the MBBS students attendance website for non payment of fees, which is against the norms of the NMC. According to a press release from the health department quoting Health Minister KG Arunraj, since Saveetha Medical College is a part of deemed- to-be university it comes out of , the purview of the State Tuition Fee Fixation Committee. The state also requested the commission to reopen the student attendance website and ensure that no student is denied attendance, internship, or eligibility to write exams for non-payment of the additional fee. It also has sought an order to refund or adjust the amount collected in excess and urged the commission to ensure that no student or parent is affected for filing a complaint or participating in the investigation. The release added that students who joined MBBS in 2022 22-10-2026 CHENNAI HorosCopEs and are currently in their final year, along with their parents have complained that the college administration is demanding `24.75 lakh as tuition fees for the entire year, and that the attendance registration website (VStudy) has been disabled for students who have not paid the fees. The investigation revealed that the college didn’t follow the guidelines of the NMC in charging tuition fees from students. It has also been revealed that the attendance website of students who have not paid the full year’s fee has been suspended since 30 September. ARieS TAURUS (Apr. 20 - May 20) (May 21 - June 21) (June 22 - July 22) CANCeR leO viRGO liBRA SCORPiO SAGiTTARiUS CAPRiCORN AQUARiUS PiSCeS Let go of keeping score. Life will fail every test of perfect fairness. Give what feels right to give. Ask for what you want in return. Then judge each relationship by how you feel and what you learn inside it. There will be tattered edges where ideals meet realities, not to mention roadblocks, dead ends and detours. Let go of the idea that a good life must follow the plan you once made. You can always draw up a new one. Let go of performing for an audience you have outgrown. Your humor may change. Your interests may wander. Follow what fascinates you now. You get to develop new tastes without anyone else’s approval. Let go of your family story as the definitive account of who you are. As loving as they may be, when they look at you, they see who they need, want or expect to see. Besides, the whole of you could never be confined to a role. Let go of the version of events you have explained a hundred times. You have made your case. Leave the evidence on the table and walk away. You have better things to spend your time and energy on. Let go of proving that you earned every pleasure. In this life of cycles, we must seize joy when it’s available, knowing that it won’t always be. Buy the flowers. Lollygag. Eat up. You made enough sensible choices. Let go of a joyless responsibility that was imposed on you. You were meant for the responsibility that honors your talents and strengths and makes you feel fulfilled as you give it your very best. Let go of keeping an old hurt available for reference. You already know what happened. You know what it taught you. Past you would have chosen one thing, but present you has other ideas. Start the fresh page. Let go of beliefs you inherited before you knew enough about life to examine them properly. Pick one assumption and hold it up to your experience. Keep what rings true. Release the rest. Let go of an old definition of success. Decide what you want your days to be like. Start there. A title can impress people for a minute. It’s the quality of your work and results that keeps them coming back. Let go of belonging everywhere you once belonged. You don’t need to keep the keys to apartments you’re never going to live in again. Thank the people who mattered there. Take the memories with you. Let go of the promise you made to an earlier version of yourself. You made it with the information you had then. Look at your life today and come up with terms that make sense for where you are and where you want to be. (Mar 21 - Apr. 20) H O L I DAY M AT H I S 22nd October : Letting Go of Libra The last day of Libra recalls a line from “Ulysses” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson: “Though much is taken, much abides.” Every transformation requires a tribute, something we cannot take forward. The Pisces moon favors a lighter vessel for the crossing. What can we leave on Libra’s silver shore? An old grievance, a borrowed belief, a role we’ve finished playing? The tide is coming in. GeMiNi (July 23 - Aug. 22) (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) (Sept. 23 - Oct. 23) (Oct. 24 - Nov. 21) (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) crOSS wOrD JuMbLe Solutions to Yesterday’s puzzle AcrOSS Su DO Ku evil TeST YOur nuMber cruncHIng SkILL wITH Our unIque puzzLe  Fill in the grid with digits in such a manner that every row, every column and every 3X3 box accommodates the digits 1 to 9, without repeating any. (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) DOwn 1 Vile precis produced in an insincere profession (3,7) 8 Grain coming from a tropic island (5) 9 Glance shows a number in fault (7) 10 It’s disturbing having the wrong spirit in work (7) 11 Alan’s wrong to be nosy (5) 12 Washing down a pig about to do wrong (6) 14 Routine procedure (6) 17 Bus - or train (5) 19 Take advantage of an adventure (7) 21 A sign of a poisonous creature (7) 22 It’s inappropriate in a single woman (5) 23 How one may travel to start school? (5-5) 2 Reveals I have a thousand shares (7) 3 Midnight oils put out in Irish county (5) 4 Question a learned cleric put in to annoy (6) 5 One’s childhood in one’s imagination (7) 6 Sewer is designed like other water-carriers (5) 7 Deadlocks with old friends (10) 8 Perform a priceless operation? (3,3,4) 13 Failure in phone or exchange (2-5) 15 King surrounded by subjects in sunny area (7) 16 Turn out a bad citizen perhaps (6) 18 A fool disposed to be distant (5) 20 Gem that looks right in a ring (5) YesterdaY’s sOLUtIONs across: 1 Creeps, 4 Nassau, 9 Tripoli, 10 Theme, down: 1 Caters, 2 Edict, 3 Prolong, 5 Attic, By DaviD L. Hoyt anD Jeff KnureK 11 Ratio, 12 Hackles, 13 Stage fright, 18 Indoors, 20 Plane, 22 Congo, 23 Elegant, 24 Resort, 25 Asides. 6 Stealth, 7 Uneasy, 8 Tight-fisted, 14 Tidings, 15 Impress, 16 Mincer, 17 Tenths, 19 Odour, 21 Award. yesterday’s (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) (Feb. 19 - Mar 20) UnscrAmbLE ThEsE JUmbLEs, OnE LETTEr TO EAch sqUArE, TO fOrm fOUr OrdinAry WOrds.