Thooimai Mission
▪ The Tamil Nadu government has issued an order to form a State-level mission titled ‘Thooimai Mission’ for sustainable waste management in the State.
▪ The Clean Tamil Nadu Company Limited (CTCL) be brought under this mission.
▪ The mission shall serve under the Special Programme Implementation Department.
▪ It will ensure alignment with State priorities, facilitate collaboration among key departments, oversee technical guidance, and monitor overall mission progress to achieve its objectives
Governing body
▪ The Mission Secretariat will function with a Governing Body and a State-Level Committee.
▪ The Chief Minister will be the Chairperson of the Governing Body, while the Deputy Chief Minister will be the Vice-Chairperson.
▪ Minister for Water Resources, Minister for Municipal Administration, Minister for Rural Development, Minister for Finance and Environment and Climate Change, Minister for School Education, Minister for Higher Education, and Minister for Health will be the members of the Governing Body.
▪ The body will also have two to three experts as members, besides 10 ex-officio members.
▪ It shall meet at least once in six months or as and when situation warrants.
▪ The Chief Secretary will be the Chairperson of the State-Level Executive Committee, while the Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Secretary to Government, Special Programme Implementation Department, will be its convenor.
▪ Secretaries from departments including Finance, and Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department will be members of the State-Level Executive Committee.
Thovalai Flower Garland – GI Tag
▪ The Thovalai flower garland of Kanyakumari have been granted Geographical Indication (GI) Tags by the Government of India.
▪ Famous in southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
▪ Handcrafted using white, red, and green flowers woven like a mat.
▪ Recognized for its artistic floral arrangements.
Six new – GI Tag
▪ Six new products from Tamil Nadu have been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, bringing the state’s total to 69.
▪ These products, renowned for their unique qualities, include Panruti Jackfruit, Panruti Cashew, Puliyankudi Acid Lime, Virudhunagar Samba Vathal, Chettikulam Small Onion, and Ramanadu Chithiraikar Rice.
