Daily Current Affairs – 08-01-2025

Tamil Nadu

World Tamil Diaspora Day 2025

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January 12 is celebrated as World Tamil diaspora Day every year.

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TN government has inaugurated the World Tamil Diaspora Day 2025 exhibition, celebrating Tamil heritage and culture.

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The event was themed ‘Ethisaiyum Tamizhanangey’.

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The last year’s exhibition was held under the theme ‘Tamizh Vellum’.

Amendment of Tamil Nadu Forest Act -1882

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The Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a Bill to further amend the Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882.

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It aims to expedite the process of allotting compensatory afforestation lands as reserved forests.

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Whenever any forest land was used for the non-forest purposes, the user agency should provide the specific extent of land for the purpose of the compensatory afforestation.

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The Bill also seeks to delegate powers of the government to issue notification under Section 16 of the said Act to an officer of the Revenue department not below the rank of District Collector by amending Section 65 of the Act.

Bills to prevent sexual crimes

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The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed the Criminal Laws (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

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The objective of the Bills was to enhance punishment for sexual crimes against women and children and prosecute those harassing them on digital and electronic platforms.

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The Criminal Laws Bill proposes a minimum 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for a rape convict, up from the present 10 years.

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If the rapist is a member of the police force, it seeks to double the minimum rigorous imprisonment to 20 years.

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If the rape victim is a girl aged below 12, it calls for life term as the minimum punishment and death penalty as the maximum.

Toda Tribe - Modhweth Festival

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The Toda tribe celebrated their traditional ‘Modhweth’ festival to mark the New Year.

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They are one of the oldest Dravidian ethnic groups residing in the Nilgiris Hills of Tamil Nadu.

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The celebration commenced with prayers at the Moonpo temple, dedicated to the deity Thenkish Amman.

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The Toda people are strictly vegetarian and abstain from consuming meat, fish, and eggs that can hatch.

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The Todas are divided into five clans, namely: Paiki, Pekkan, Kuttan, Kenna and Todi.

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They have their own language, which does not have a script.