Tamil Nadu in the 2000s
83 events, 2000 to 2009; 2 marked as turning points.
2000
Thiruvalluvar Statue unveiled at Kanyakumari
A 133-foot stone statue of the poet Thiruvalluvar was unveiled on a rock off Kanyakumari on the millennium day.
Pleasant Stay verdict and the Dharmapuri bus burning
Jayalalithaa was sentenced to a year's imprisonment in the Pleasant Stay hotel case; in the violence that followed, three agricultural students were burnt to death in a bus at Dharmapuri.
TIDEL Park inaugurated in Chennai
TIDEL Park, one of the largest IT parks in South Asia at the time, was inaugurated in Chennai by Prime Minister Vajpayee.
Veerappan kidnaps actor Rajkumar
Forest brigand Veerappan abducted Kannada film star Rajkumar from Gajanur in Erode district and held him for 108 days.
Jayalalithaa convicted in the TANSI land case
A trial court convicted Jayalalithaa and Sasikala over the purchase of state TANSI land by their firms in 1992, a verdict that barred her from the 2001 election.
Viswanathan Anand wins the FIDE World Chess Championship
Chennai's Viswanathan Anand defeated Alexei Shirov in Tehran to become FIDE World Chess Champion, the first Indian world chess champion.
2001
Free bicycles for higher secondary students
Free bicycles for higher secondary students were introduced by the Jayalalithaa government, and the scheme later reached every Class 11 student.
Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve established
A biosphere reserve was created at the southern tip of the Western Ghats, spanning Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts and southern Kerala.
Ariyalur district carved out of Perambalur
Carved from Perambalur district in 2001, Ariyalur district was formed again on 23 November 2007.
Tamil Virtual University established
To provide internet-based Tamil learning around the world, the Tamil Nadu government created the Tamil Virtual University, now the Tamil Virtual Academy.
Kodaikanal mercury thermometer factory shut
Protests forced the closure of Hindustan Unilever's mercury thermometer factory at Kodaikanal over contamination.
AIADMK alliance wins the 2001 Assembly election
The AIADMK-led alliance defeated the DMK government and J. Jayalalithaa was sworn in as Chief Minister for the second time.
Midnight arrest of M. Karunanidhi
Former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was arrested at his Chennai home in the early hours in a case over the construction of city flyovers.
Chained to their beds, 28 inmates died when fire swept through a faith-based mental asylum at Erwadi.
Supreme Court unseats Jayalalithaa, O. Panneerselvam becomes Chief Minister
After the Supreme Court held Jayalalithaa's appointment invalid, O. Panneerselvam served as Chief Minister until she returned in March 2002.
2002
Tamil Nadu Open University established
Through the Tamil Nadu Open University Act, 2002, the state set up an open university in Chennai offering distance higher education.
Annadhanam free meal scheme in temples
Jayalalithaa launched free daily meals for devotees in 63 temples, funded by endowments from donors; it was later expanded to hundreds of temples.
Jayalalithaa returns as Chief Minister after Andipatti by-election
After her acquittal in the TANSI and Pleasant Stay cases, J. Jayalalithaa won the Andipatti by-election and was sworn in again as Chief Minister.
MDMK leader Vaiko was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for a speech supporting the LTTE and spent over a year and a half in jail.
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam becomes President of India
Rameswaram-born scientist A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, backed by both the BJP and the Congress, took office as the 11th President of India.
Tamil Nadu anti-conversion law
The AIADMK government introduced a law against forcible religious conversion, which was withdrawn after the 2004 Lok Sabha election and formally repealed in 2006.
Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus opens at Koyambedu
The Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus at Koyambedu was opened to the public, becoming the city's main hub for long-distance buses.
2003
Tamil Nadu bans the sale of lotteries
The Jayalalithaa government banned the sale of all lotteries in Tamil Nadu, including those run by agencies from other states.
Mass dismissal of striking government employees under TESMA
The state dismissed between about 170,000 and 200,000 striking government employees and teachers under its Essential Services Maintenance Act.
Rainwater harvesting made mandatory for all buildings
After severe drought, a 2003 ordinance required every building in Tamil Nadu to install rainwater harvesting structures by 31 August.
Jayalalithaa assets case transferred to Bangalore
On a DMK petition, the Supreme Court moved the disproportionate assets trial of J. Jayalalithaa from Chennai to a special court in Bangalore.
2004
New Veeranam water supply project completed
A project to pipe water from Veeranam Lake to Chennai, first conceived in 1967, was completed during a severe water shortage.
Krishnagiri district carved out of Dharmapuri
Krishnagiri became the 30th district of Tamil Nadu, taking in the industrial town of Hosur.
DMK-led alliance wins all 39 Lok Sabha seats
The DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance with the Congress and Left won every Lok Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry; the AIADMK-BJP alliance won none.
A fire at a school in Kumbakonam killed 94 children after a thatched roof caught fire, leading to new school safety rules.
Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court opens
A permanent bench of the Madras High Court began functioning in Madurai to serve the southern districts.
Madras Day, held each 22 August, was first celebrated in Chennai, recalling the 1639 acquisition of the land where the city developed.
Tamil declared a classical language
The Government of India declared Tamil the first classical language of India.
Veerappan killed in Operation Cocoon
The forest brigand Veerappan was killed by the Tamil Nadu Special Task Force near Dharmapuri, ending a decades-long manhunt.
Arrest of the Kanchi Shankaracharya
Jayendra Saraswathi of the Kanchi math was arrested in the Sankararaman murder case; he and the other accused were acquitted in 2013.
2004 Indian Ocean tsunami strikes the Tamil Nadu coast
The tsunami after the Sumatra earthquake killed about 8,000 people in Tamil Nadu, with Nagapattinam the worst-hit district.
2005
Kanchipuram silk registered as a geographical indication
Kanchipuram silk saris were one of the earliest Tamil Nadu products to gain registration as a geographical indication.
Narain Karthikeyan becomes India's first Formula One driver
Coimbatore-born Narain Karthikeyan made his Formula One debut with Jordan at the 2005 Australian Grand Prix.
Nilgiri Mountain Railway added to UNESCO World Heritage list
UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension of the Mountain Railways of India World Heritage Site.
Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project inaugurated
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched work on a shipping canal between India and Sri Lanka, a project later stalled by the Ram Setu dispute.
Actor Vijayakanth launched the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam at Madurai.
2005 Chennai floods and relief camp stampedes
Heavy north-east monsoon rain flooded Chennai, and two stampedes at relief distribution camps killed more than 50 people.
2006
The DMK government began distributing free colour television sets to families holding ration cards, a key 2006 election promise.
Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam
A village development programme of the Karunanidhi government aimed to give every village panchayat basic infrastructure, including a library.
Professional course admissions law and end of entrance tests
With common entrance tests abolished, a 2006 law reorganised professional course admissions and brought reservation to private colleges.
Foxconn opens plant in Nokia SEZ at Sriperumbudur
Foxconn India opened a factory inside the Nokia Special Economic Zone at Sriperumbudur to supply Nokia, anchoring an electronics cluster near Chennai.
Supreme Court allows higher Mullaperiyar level; Kerala passes dam law
The Supreme Court allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the Mullaperiyar dam's level to 142 feet; Kerala responded with a law capping it at 136 feet.
Sharath Kamal wins India's first Commonwealth table tennis gold
Chennai's Achanta Sharath Kamal beat William Henzell in the men's singles final at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
DMK forms a minority government
M. Karunanidhi became Chief Minister for the fifth time, heading a DMK government that depended on outside support from the Congress.
Free land distribution for the landless poor
At Tiruvallur, Karunanidhi began handing out free land to landless poor families, delivering on a DMK election pledge.
Santhi Soundarajan stripped of her Asian Games silver
The Pudukkottai athlete won silver in the 800 m at the Doha Asian Games but lost the medal after a sex verification test.
2007
Separate reservation for Backward Class Muslims and Christians
Under a 2007 Act, Backward Class Muslims and Christians received their own portion of the backward class quota.
Welfare board and department for persons with disabilities
In 2007 Tamil Nadu enacted a Welfare Board for Disabled Persons Act, and in 2009 it formed a separate Department for the Welfare of the Differently Abled.
Ram Setu affidavit controversy
A government affidavit telling the Supreme Court there was no historical proof that Adam's Bridge was built by Rama intensified opposition to the Sethusamudram canal.
First Chennai Sangamam folk arts festival
Chennai Sangamam, an open-air festival of Tamil folk and traditional arts around Pongal, was held for the first time with state government backing.
Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal final award
The Cauvery tribunal issued its final award allocating river water among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.
BMW opens its car plant near Chennai
BMW Group Plant Chennai began operations, adding a luxury carmaker to the automobile cluster around the city.
Mudumalai declared a tiger reserve
Mudumalai National Park in the Nilgiris was declared a tiger reserve under Project Tiger, with a buffer zone of about 368 square km.
Pallikaranai marsh notified as a reserve forest
To stop the shrinking of Chennai's last large freshwater marsh, 317 hectares of Pallikaranai were declared a reserve forest.
Attack on the Dinakaran office in Madurai
After Dinakaran ran a survey on Karunanidhi's political heir, its Madurai office was firebombed and three people were killed.
Sripuram golden temple consecrated near Vellore
The gold-covered Sri Lakshmi Narayani temple at Sripuram near Vellore was consecrated on 24 August 2007.
India win the Hockey Asia Cup in Chennai
Chennai hosted the men's Hockey Asia Cup, and India beat South Korea 7-2 in the final to win the title.
Viswanathan Anand becomes undisputed world chess champion
Chennai-born grandmaster Viswanathan Anand won the World Chess Championship tournament in Mexico City without losing a game.
2008
108 free emergency ambulance service begins
The state health department launched the free 108 emergency ambulance service, run in partnership with GVK-EMRI.
Tamil New Year moved to the first day of Thai
A DMK government law moved Tamil New Year to the first day of the Tamil month of Thai; the change was revoked in 2011.
Hogenakkal Integrated Drinking Water Project
A Cauvery-based drinking water scheme for Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts was begun in 2008 amid objections from Karnataka and launched in 2013.
Transgender Welfare Board, first in India
Tamil Nadu set up India's first welfare board for transgender persons under the Social Welfare department.
Central Institute of Classical Tamil moves to Chennai
The Union government's Centre of Excellence for Classical Tamil moved from Mysore to Chennai and became the Central Institute of Classical Tamil.
Vellore becomes a municipal corporation
Vellore was upgraded from a municipality to a municipal corporation on 1 August 2008.
Rice at one rupee a kilogram in ration shops
The Karunanidhi government cut the price of rice in public distribution shops to one rupee a kilogram.
Kathipara cloverleaf grade separator opens
The Kathipara cloverleaf interchange near Guindy, one of the largest in South Asia at the time, was fully opened to traffic.
Tiruppur becomes a municipal corporation
The knitwear town of Tiruppur was upgraded to a municipal corporation on 26 October 2008.
Cyclone Nisha floods the Cauvery delta
Cyclonic Storm Nisha made landfall in Tamil Nadu, bringing record rain to Orathanadu and killing at least 189 people in the state.
2009
Internal reservation for Arunthathiyars
Tamil Nadu set aside 3 percent within the Scheduled Caste quota for the Arunthathiyar community.
Kalaignar health insurance scheme launched
The state launched the Kalaignar Kapitu Thittam to give economically disadvantaged families free treatment in hospitals.
The DMK won the Thirumangalam assembly by-election on a turnout of about 89 percent, amid allegations of cash being paid for votes.
Self-immolation of K. Muthukumar
Journalist K. Muthukumar set himself on fire in Chennai in protest against the killing of Tamil civilians in the Sri Lankan war.
Construction of the Chennai Metro begins
Work started on the first phase of the Chennai Metro, approved by the state government in November 2007, with an elevated viaduct at Koyambedu.
Police and lawyers clash in the Madras High Court
A police action against lawyers on the Madras High Court campus led to an inquiry by former Supreme Court judge B. N. Srikrishna.
Tiruppur district was carved out of Coimbatore and Erode districts as the 32nd district of Tamil Nadu.
A. R. Rahman wins two Academy Awards
Slumdog Millionaire earned composer A. R. Rahman Oscars for both Best Original Score and Best Original Song.
DMK-Congress alliance wins 27 of 39 Lok Sabha seats
Against expectations, the DMK, Congress and VCK won 27 of Tamil Nadu's 39 Lok Sabha seats, helping the UPA return to power.
End of the Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan army defeated the LTTE, ending a 26-year war that had deeply affected Tamil Nadu's politics.
