The alphabet platter of the year came with a mix of flavours – sweet surprises, spicy twists and bitter hints, offering a taste that lingers on every tastebud
A . AIADMK’s U-turn
AIADMK reunited with the BJP, affirming yet again that in realpolitik there is no permanent foe. Its general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami thwarted challenges from within the party, leading to veteran K Sengottaiyan’s expulsion.The 2026 Assembly poll will tell whether EPS has prioritised self over party’s wellbeing
B .Bomb threats
The year saw a rise in hoax bomb threats across the state, with the Chennai police alone receiving over 350 threat emails since April. The residences of ministers, actors, governor, the US consulate, AVM Studio, educational institutions, among others, received threats, which turned out to be hoax after extensive inspections by the police and bomb squads
C. Chinmayi’s comeback
The playback singer, who has been facing an unofficial ban in the Tamil film industry for roughly seven years, made a powerful comeback to Kollywood mainstream through her rendition of ‘Muththa Mazhai’, originally sung by Dhee, at the audio launch of Kamal Haasan-starrer ‘Thug Life’. The four-minute long video, which crossed 1 million views on YouTube in a week, sparked a massive fan-driven discussion that reminded many of the consequences she’d suffered for speaking out against sexual violence
D. Dravidian movement
Self Respect movement, a bedrock of the Dravidian movement, has dominated TN’s political landscape again on its centenary. CM MK Stalin unveiled a portrait of Periyar at the Oxford University, during his visit to the Europe, to attract investments. Despite the opposition questioning its claims, the present “Dravidian Model” government has asserted that 80% of MoUs it has signed for around Rs 11 lakh crore investments are already under implementation. The DMK government also got a fillip with TN recording a 11.19% growth in 2024-25, the highest in India
E. Electoral Roll Revision
Over 15% of TN electors (97 lakh names) were deleted from the draft voters list as part of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, ahead of the 2026 Assembly poll. In Chennai alone, 35% of voters’ names were dropped. The SIR exercise also met with criticisms from BLOs over workload
F. Family feud
Dynasty politics had its latest victim in PMK when the eight-month-long feud between party founder S Ramadoss and his son Anbumani Ramadoss reached a boiling point with the expulsion of the heir apparent from the party. Their ‘mango’ symbol will remain frozen until the leadership dispute is settled through legal channels
G. Governor's power
Governor RN Ravi continued to hog the limelight, with the SC delivering a landmark verdict, narrowing the powers governors could exercise on legislations passed by the Assemblies, in a case filed by TN challenging Ravi holding up several bills. With the Constitution bench offering an opinion that differed with the verdict, the jury is still out. Meanwhile, the centre renamed all Raj Bhavans as Lok Bhavans on Ravi’s suggestion
H. Honoroubale? Not really
Kavin Selvaganesh (27) was hacked to death by his girlfriend’s brother in the name of ‘caste pride’ in daylight on July 27 in Tirunelveli. The outrage led to the formation of a panel to recommend steps to enact an exclusive law to end caste killings in the state
I . Iron age in TN
Archaeologists discovered iron objects, dating back to 2,953–3,345 BCE, at six sites in TN, indicating the Iron Age in the state was much older than previously thought. The findings suggest that Iron Age in TN was contemporaneous with the Copper/Bronze Age of Indus Valley Civilisation
J. Justice delivered?
It was a mixed bag. The SC’s acquittal of Dashwanth in the rape-murder of a minor reignited debates on probe lapses. In contrast, lifer for Gnanasekaran in the AU rape case offered a rare moment of accountability
K. Karur stampede
At least 41 people were killed and over 100 injured in a stampede during actor and TVK founder Vijay’s rally on the night of September 27 in Karur. A three-member SC-appointed panel is monitoring the CBI probe into what triggered the crowd crush on that fateful night in Velusamypuram
L. Level-cross safety
After three children were killed when a passenger train rammed a school van at a manned level crossing in Cuddalore, the railways conducted a 15-day safety inspection drive on the level crossing gates in block sections across the country. The gatekeeper, who allegedly failed to close the non-interlocked gate, was arrested and later suspended from service
M. MP cough syrup deaths
The cough syrup ‘Coldrif’ manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals in a nondescript building in Chennai’s outskirts without proper licences led to the death of several children in Madhya Pradesh, as the firm used toxic diethylene glycol to cut costs. The news made national headlines.
G Ranganathan, the company’s owner, was arrested. TN government ordered permanent cancellation of its licence
N. News Media
The mainstream news media faced tough challenges, besides handling the ever-rising trolling by organised political camps, as several journalists in Chennai were targeted by cops who seized their mobile phones under the pretext of probing the “leak” of FIR on the AU rape case, which the scribes reported with sensitivity by adhering to guidelines on protecting the survivor’s identity
O. Organs for sale
An organ trafficking scam came to light in Namakkal after police and health officials received complaints about brokers allegedly coercing vulnerable individuals from Pallipalayam into selling their kidneys. Following a probe, the government cancelled the kidney transplant licences of two private hospitals, linked to the scam, in Perambalur and Tiruchy. The high court later quashed the order
P.Police brutality
The police department, still awaiting the appointment of a full-time DGP, came under heavy scrutiny following the death of B Ajithkumar, a temple security guard in Sivaganga, due to custodial torture and frequent instances of suspects being shot below the knee during “escape bid”
Q. Question on quarries
Social activist K Jagabar Ali, a vocal critic of illegal stone quarrying, was knocked down by a tipper lorry in Pudukkottai. After his family claimed that the collision was deliberate, the police, which had initially registered an accident case, altered it to murder. Four persons linked to an illegal quarry, including its owner, were arrested, and the probe was transferred to CB-CID. The killing has since triggered inspections of quarries across the district by TN geology & mining department
R. Rajini @ 75
‘Style Mannan’ Rajinikanth celebrated his 75th birthday on December 12, receiving an outpouring of wishes from across the country. The actor’s 1999 blockbuster ‘Padayappa’ was re-released in theatres to mark his birthday and five-decade-long cinematic legacy, from humble beginnings to an iconic superstar
S. Season of scams
The Enforcement Directorate flagged three major scams in TN department this year with the first being the Rs 1,000-crore irregularities in Tasmac operations. Later in the year, the agency filed dossiers alleging massive tender manipulation and cash-for-jobs scam in MAWS department headed by KN Nehru. A multi-crore property tax scam was also unearthed in Madurai, which led to the corporation mayor resigning from the post
Temple controversy
Thiruparankundram hill made the headlines after Hindu outfits staged protests against attempts by devotees of Sultan Sikandar Badusha Dargah to perform animal sacrifice on the hill, which is also home to Subramaniya Swamy temple. The matter reached the HC, and following a split verdict, the case was referred to a third judge, who ruled against conducting animal sacrifice. Another dispute arose when the temple authorities rejected a request to light Karthigai deepam on a stone pillar near the dargah. When the request was not acceded to even after an HC order, contempt pleas were filed, and the court took it upon itself to implement its order through CISF. But the administration preferred an appeal. An impeachment motion was also moved in Lok Sabha by the INDIA bloc against Justice GR Swaminathan, who had passed the order
U. Unity of unions
Sanitary workers’ unions took to streets against privatisation of solid waste management operations in two zones of the Chennai Corporation. After 13 days, they were evicted from Ripon Building premises in a midnight crackdown by police. Teachers’ union and nurses’ associations also staged demonstrations over their long-pending demands
V. Valiant raaja
Valiant, Ilaiyaraaja’s first Western classical symphony, premiered in London, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on March 8. Returning from London, Raaja said he may be 82, but he was “just getting started”. The TN government organised a grand felicitation ceremony for the maestro
W. Women safety
Safety of women in the state yet again came under scrutiny after a 19-year-old engineering student was sexually assaulted on the Anna University campus, triggering a high-pitched political battle. Calls to prevent violence against women gained further momentum after three men gangraped a 20-year-old PG student near Coimbatore airport
X. Rated remark
An X-rated anecdote proved costly for DMK leader K Ponmudy as he lost his ministership and party post. The crass remarks against Shaivites, Vaishnavites and women in general were made at a public meet, the premise of which revolved around sex workers, in Villupuram
Y. YouTubers in a fix
Several YouTubers ran into trouble with law this year. While ‘Savukku’ Shankar was put behind bars for not complying with police summons, another YouTuber, RS Karthik, got embroiled in controversy over his sexist remark against actor Gauri Kishan during a press meet. By the year-end, the SC asked I&B ministry to work on guidelines to regulate user-generated content
Z. Zapped
If 2025 felt like a live wire, you weren’t alone. From political shocks & economic jitters to climate extremes & viral outrage cycles, the year rarely slowed down. Hoping 2026 brings fewer jolts, and more zen