'Tamil Sangam' at the Secretariat headed by the CM; weekly traditional-dress day in govt offices: Minister Rajmohan

1 November 2026 · English Tamil Nadu

Topics: Tamil Nadu · 1 November 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)

News

At the 'Tamil Nadu Day' function at the Government Museum, Egmore, Chennai on 1 Nov 2026, Rajmohan, Minister for Tamil Development, School Education and Information & Publicity, announced on behalf of the Tamil Development Department: (1) on the CM's order a 'Tamil Sangam' will be set up at the Secretariat, merging the existing associations, with CM Vijay as its president; (2) a weekly 'traditional dress day' in government offices – wearing traditional dress such as veshti–shirt or saree; (3) the World Tamil Conference will again be started on Tamil soil and held in many parts of the world.

Key facts

Background

• History – Sangams: per the commentary on Iraiyanar Akapporul, the First Sangam was at Then Madurai, the Middle at Kapadapuram and the Last at Madurai. The 'Fourth Tamil Sangam' was started by Pandithurai Thevar, zamindar of Palavanatham, on 14 Sept 1901 at Sethupathi High School, Madurai; it ran the journal 'Senthamizh' and the 'Pandiyan Puthaga Salai' library.
• Literature: Tolkappiyam is the oldest extant Tamil grammar (three books – Ezhuthu, Sol, Porul). Nannool (by Pavanandi Munivar) is a later grammar. Tamil was declared India's first classical language in 2004.
• World Tamil Conferences: the 1st in 1966 – Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); 2nd 1968 – Chennai; 5th 1981 – Madurai; 8th 1995 – Thanjavur. The 'World Classical Tamil Conference' was held at Coimbatore in 2010.
• Constitution: Article 345 – a State Legislature may adopt one or more languages as the State's official language; under it the Tamil Nadu Official Language Act, 1956 made Tamil the official language. Article 343 – official language of the Union; Article 348 – language of the Supreme Court/High Courts.

Tamil Nadu link: the Tamil Nadu Secretariat functions at Fort St. George, Chennai. The Tamil Development Department handles implementation of Tamil as the official language, awards for Tamil scholars and Tamil development schemes. Tamil University, Thanjavur, was started in 1981.

Source: Daily Thanthi, Puthiya Thalaimurai, Minnambalam, Dinamalar – 1 Nov 2026; Wikipedia (Pandithurai Thevar, World Tamil Conference)

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