Concerned by increasing dissent and explicit criticism within the party regarding the AIADMK’s contradictory stance to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s assertion of a coalition government following the 2026 assembly elections, Sudhakar Reddy, the BJP’s Tamil Nadu in-charge, and state president Nainar Nagendran urged party members on Friday to exercise complete restraint to avoid jeopardizing their alliance with the Dravidian major.

In what can be seen as a gag order, both Reddy and Nagendran emphasized the importance of refraining from unnecessary critiques of the coalition and avoiding provocative reactions. This directive notably followed remarks by senior AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai, who reasserted party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s (EPS) firm stance that a coalition government would not be formed.

Adding to the BJP’s discomfort, several AIADMK leaders have attempted to draw a distinction between an electoral coalition and a coalition government. EPS’s public contradiction of Amit Shah, who claimed there would be a coalition government involving BJP participation, stirred unrest within the saffron party, prompting swift efforts for damage control.

The AIADMK has also issued a similar gag order to its leaders, instructing them not to discuss the issue publicly. Following suit, the BJP aims to mitigate any further fallout from the situation.

“Guidance for the BJP will come from the national leadership. On policy matters, public expressions of opinion are discouraged; discussions should remain within internal meetings. Decisions regarding the alliance will be jointly made by Amit Shah and EPS. We must avoid unnecessary criticism,” Reddy stated.

He further emphasized that the AIADMK’s reintegration into the NDA was a collaborative decision between Shah and EPS, which would ultimately position the BJP to secure double-digit seats and a considerable presence within the assembly.

Aware of the importance of maintaining this partnership, Nainar Nagendran underscored the need for campaign and promotional materials, including posters and wall writings, to avoid creating discord within the coalition or disparaging any individual leaders. He reiterated that such materials should solely serve to strengthen both the party and the alliance, with the primary goal being to oust the “anti-people and dynastic” DMK government from power.

In March, a total of 131 drug samples were found to be of non-standard quality (NSQ). The Central Drugs Laboratories flagged 70 of these samples, while the State Drugs Testing Laboratories identified 61 additional NSQ samples, according to the Union Health Ministry’s report on Friday.

The Ministry noted that the NSQ and spurious drug lists are updated monthly and made available on the CDSCO portal as part of regular regulatory surveillance.

The categorization of drug samples as NSQ is based on their failure to meet specified quality parameters during testing by government laboratories. Importantly, such failures pertain only to the specific batch tested and do not necessarily raise concerns about other products available in the market.

Additionally, one drug sample from West Bengal was identified as spurious; it was produced by an unauthorized manufacturer using a brand name owned by another company. The Minister confirmed that this issue is under investigation, and appropriate action will be taken in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations.

This ongoing effort to identify NSQ and spurious medications is carried out in collaboration with state regulators to ensure that these products are promptly removed from the market.

In a significant reorganization within the bureaucracy, the Central Government announced on Friday the appointment of Arvind Shrivastava as the new revenue secretary and Vumlunmang Vualnam as expenditure secretary.
The reshuffle at the top levels of government includes Arvind Shrivastava, who previously served as the Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, and Vumlunmang Vualnam, who was the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Shrivastava is a 1994 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Karnataka cadre, while Vualnam is a 1992 batch IAS officer from the Manipur cadre. Vualnam will take over from Manoj Govil, who has been reassigned as Secretary (Coordination) in the Cabinet Secretariat.

In addition to these appointments, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet in the Ministry of Personnel has also designated Vivwek Aggarwal, a 1994 batch IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, as Secretary in the Ministry of Culture. Prior to this role, Aggarwal was the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit.

Furthermore, Santosh Kumar Sarangi, a 1994 batch IAS officer from the Odisha cadre, has been appointed as Secretary in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy after previously serving as the Director General of Foreign Trade in the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Meeta R. Lochan, a 1990 batch IAS officer from the Maharashtra cadre, has been selected as Secretary in the Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in addition to her role as Secretary of the National Commission for Backward Classes in the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

K Moses Chalai, also from the 1990 batch and an IAS officer of the Manipur cadre, has been appointed as Secretary in the Department of Public Enterprises within the Ministry of Finance.

Vandana Gurnani, a 1991 batch IAS officer from the Karnataka cadre, will now serve as Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, while Rajit Punhani, a 1991 batch officer from the Bihar cadre, has been appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Ashish Srivastava, a 1992 batch IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh, has been designated as Secretary for the Inter-State Council Secretariat at the Ministry of Home Affairs. Nikunja Bihari Dhal, a 1993-batch IAS officer from the Odisha cadre, has been appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

Rakesh Kumar Verma, a 1993 batch IAS officer from the Punjab cadre, will serve as the Director General of the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management. Anuradha Thakur, a 1994 batch IAS officer from the Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance.

Rajesh Agarwal, also from the 1994 batch and an IAS officer of the Manipur cadre, will be serving as the Special Secretary for the Department of Commerce within the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Pallavi Jain Govil, a 1994 batch IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh, will be Secretary in the Department of Youth Affairs under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Nidhi Chhibber, a 1994 batch IAS officer from Chhattisgarh, will take on the role of Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Samir Kumar Sinha, also from the 1994 batch and an IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, has been appointed as Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Lastly, Hari Ranjan Rao, a 1994 batch IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh, will serve as Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Sports within the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.