# Government of Tamil Nadu

The Government of Tamil Nadu (IPA:) is the administrative body responsible for the governance of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the capital of the state and houses the state executive, legislature and head of judiciary.
Under the Constitution of India, de jure executive authority lies with the governor, although this authority is exercised only by, or on the advice of, the chief minister, the de facto authority and the cabinet. Following elections to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, the state's governor usually invites the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats to form the government. The governor appoints the chief minister, whose council of ministers are collectively responsible to the assembly.
Legislative assembly elections are held every five years to elect a new assembly, unless there is a successful vote of no confidence in the government or a two-thirds vote for a snap election in the assembly, in which case an election may be held sooner. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature. The judiciary branch is led by a High Court (Madras High Court) led by a Chief Justice.

## Executive

Administrative officials :
| Title | Name |
| Governor | R. N. Ravi |
| Chief minister | M. K. Stalin |
| Chief Justice | K. R. Shriram |
The Governor is the de jure constitutional head of state while the Chief Minister is the de facto chief executive. The governor is appointed by the President of India. Following elections to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, the state's governor usually invites the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats to form the government. The governor appoints the chief minister, whose council of ministers are collectively responsible to the assembly. Given that he has the confidence of the assembly, the chief minister's term is for five years and is subject to no term limits. Chennai is the capital of the state and houses the state executive, legislative and head of judiciary.

## Council of Ministers

Source:
| Sr. No. | Name | Constituency | Portfolio(s) | Party | Party | Term of office | Term of office |
| Sr. No. | Name | Constituency | Portfolio(s) | Party | Party | Took office | Duration |
| Chief Minister ||||||||
| 1 | M. K. Stalin | Kolathur | Public, General Administration, Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Forest Service, other All India Service, District Revenue Officers, Police, Home, and Welfare of Differently abled persons | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| Deputy Chief Minister ||||||||
| 2 | Udhayanidhi Stalin | Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni | Youth Welfare, Sports Development, Special Programme Implementation Department & Poverty Alleviation Programme and Rural Indebtedness, Planning, Development and Special Initiatives | | DMK | 14 December 2022 | 2 years, 56 days |
| Cabinet Ministers ||||||||
| 3 | Durai Murugan | Katpadi | Irrigation Projects including Small Irrigation, Legislative Assembly, Governor and Ministry, Elections and Passports, Minerals And Mines | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 4 | K. N. Nehru | Tiruchirappalli West | Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 5 | I. Periyasamy | Athoor | Rural Development, Panchayats and Panchayat Union | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 6 | K. Ponmudy | Villupuram | Forests | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 7 | E. V. Velu | Tiruvannamalai | Public Works (Buildings), Highways and Minor Ports | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 8 | M. R. K. Panneerselvam | Kurinjipadi | Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering, Agro Service Co-operatives, Horticulture, Sugarcane Excise, Sugarcane Development and Waste Land Development | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 9 | K. K. S. S. R. Ramachandran | Aruppukottai | Revenue, District Revenue Establishment, Deputy Collectors, Disaster Management | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 10 | Thangam Thennarasu | Tiruchuli | Finance, Statistics, Archaeology, Environment and Climate Change | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 11 | S. Regupathy | Tirumayam | Law, Courts, Prisons and Prevention of Corruption | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 12 | S. Muthusamy | Erode West | Housing, Rural Housing, Town Planning Projects and Housing Development, Accommodation Control, Urban Planning, Urban Development | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 13 | K. R. Periyakaruppan | Tiruppattur | Co-operation | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 14 | T. M. Anbarasan | Alandur | Rural Industries including Cottage Industries, Small Industries, Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 15 | M. P. Saminathan | Kangayam | Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture, Information & Publicity, Film Technology and Cinematograph Act, Newsprint Control, Stationery and Printing, Government Press | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 16 | P. Geetha Jeevan | Thoothukkudi | Social Welfare including Women and Children Welfare, Orphanages and Correctional Administration, Integrated Child Development Scheme and Beggar Homes and Social Reforms & Nutritious Meal Programme | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 17 | Anitha R. Radhakrishnan | Tiruchendur | Fisheries, Fisheries Development Corporation and Animal Husbandry | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 18 | Raja Kannappan | Mudukulathur | Milk and Dairy Development, Khadi and Village Industries Board | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 19 | R. Sakkarapani | Oddanchatram | Food and Civil Supplies, Consumer Protection and Price Control | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 20 | V. Senthil Balaji | Karur | Electricity, Non-Conventional Energy Development, Prohibition and Excise, Molasses | | DMK | 28 September 2024 | 133 days |
| 21 | R. Gandhi | Ranipet | Handlooms and Textiles, Boodhan and Gramadhan | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 22 | Ma. Subramanian | Saidapet | Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 23 | P. Moorthy | Madurai East | Commercial Taxes, Registration and Stamp Act, Weights and Measures, Debt Relief including legislation on Money lending, Chits and Registration of Companies | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 24 | S. S. Sivasankar | Kunnam | Transport, Nationalized Transport and Motor Vehicles Act | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 25 | P. K. Sekar Babu | Harbour | Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, CMDA | | DMK | 14 December 2022 | 2 years, 56 days |
| 26 | Palanivel Thiagarajan | Madurai Central | Information Technology & Digital Services | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 27 | Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi | Thiruverumbur | School Education | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 28 | Siva V. Meyyanathan | Alangudi | Backward Classes Welfare, Most Backward Classes Welfare and De-notified Communities Welfare | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 29 | C. V. Ganesan | Tittakudi | Labour Welfare, Population, Employment and Training, Census, Urban and Rural Employment | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 30 | T.R.B.Rajaa | Mannargudi | Industries | | DMK | 11 May 2023 | 1 year, 273 days |
| 31 | M. Mathiventhan | Rasipuram | Adi Dravidar Welfare, Hill Tribes and Bonded Labour Welfare | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 32 | N. Kayalvizhi | Dharapuram | Human Resources Management, Pensions and Pensionary benefits, Ex-Servicemen | | DMK | 7 May 2021 | 3 years, 277 days |
| 33 | S. M. Nasar | Avadi | Minorities Welfare, Non-Resident Tamils, Refugees & Evacuees and Wakf Board | | DMK | 28 September 2024 | 133 days |
| 34 | Govi. Chezhian | Thiruvidamarudur | Higher Education including Technical Education, Electronics, Science and Technology | | DMK | 28 September 2024 | 133 days |
| 35 | R. Rajendran | Salem North | Tourism and Tourism Development Corporation | | DMK | 28 September 2024 | 133 days |

## Legislature

The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly consists of 234 members elected through democratic elections. The current seat of the assembly is at Fort St. George in Chennai. The first election to the assembly on the basis of universal adult suffrage was held in January 1952. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature after the abolishment of Tamil Nadu Legislative Council. Any bill passed by the legislature needs the assent of the governor before becoming an act.

## Judiciary

The Madras High Court was established on 26 June 1862 and is the highest judicial authority of the state with control over all the civil and criminal courts in the state. It is headed by a Chief Justice, a position currently held by K. R. Shriram. The court is based out of Chennai and has a bench at Madurai since 2004.

## Administrative divisions

As per the 2011 census, Tamil Nadu is the seventh most populous state in India with a population of 72.1 million. It covers an area of 130,058 km$^2$ (50,216 sq mi) and is the tenth largest Indian state by area. The state is divided into 38 districts, each of which is administered by a District Collector, who is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) appointed to the district by the Government of Tamil Nadu. For revenue administration, the districts are further subdivided into 87 revenue divisions administered by Revenue Divisional Officers (RDO) which comprise 310 taluks administered by Tahsildars. The taluks are divided into 1,349 revenue blocks called firkas which encompass 17,680 revenue villages.
As of 2024, the local administration consists of 15 municipal corporations, 121 municipalities and 528 town panchayats in the urban and 385 panchayat unions and 12,618 village panchayats, administered by Village Administrative Officers (VAO). Greater Chennai Corporation, established in 1688, is the second oldest in the world and Tamil Nadu was the first state to establish town panchayats as a new administrative unit.

## Departments

The administration of the state government functions through various secretariat departments. Each department consists of a secretary to the government, who is the official head of the department with the Chief secretary superintending control over the secretariat and staff. The departments have further sub-divisions which may govern various undertakings and boards. There are 43 departments of the state.

## Insignia

The state emblem was designed in 1949 and consists of the Lion Capital of Ashoka without the bell lotus foundation and flanked on either side by an Indian flag with an image of a Gopuram or Hindu temple tower on the background. There are two inscriptions in Tamil language displayed around the rim of the seal runs. தமிழ் நாடு அரசு ('Tamil Nadu arasu') translating to "Government of Tamil Nadu" is inscribed on the top. Inscribed at the bottom is வாய்மையே வெல்லும் ('Vaymaiye Vellum') which translates to "Truth Alone Triumphs" and derived from the words "Satyameva Jayate" in the Indian emblem.
Symbols of Tamil Nadu :
| Type | Symbol |
| Animal | Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) |
| Bird | Emerald dove (Chalcophaps indica) |
| Butterfly | Tamil Yeoman (Cirrochroa thais) |
| Flower | Glory lily (Gloriosa superba) |
| Fruit | Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) |
| Tree | Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) |