Economy of Tamil Nadu Main rail junctions in the state include Chennai, Coimbatore, Erode, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchirapalli and Tirunelveli . Chennai has a well-established Suburban Railway network, a Mass Rapid Transport System and is currently developing a Metro system, with its first underground stretch operational since May 2017. Tamil Nadu has a major international airport, Chennai International Airport, that is connected with 19 countries with more than 400 direct flights every day. Other international airports in Tamil Nadu include Coimbatore International Airport, Madurai International Airport and Tiruchirapalli International Airport. Chennai International Airport is currently the third largest airport in India after Mumbai and Delhi
History of Tamil Nadu in the Indian Union, Tamil Nadu was the seventh largest economy in 2005 among the states of India. The growing demands for skilled labour has caused increased number of educational institutions in Tamil Nadu. The widespread application of caste based affirmative action caused the state to have 69% of all educational and employment vacancies to be reserved to the backward castes. Such caste-based reservations have huge public support in Tamil Nadu, with no popular protests organised against its implementation. The politics of Tamil Nadu have gone through three distinct phases since independence. The domination of the Congress Party after 1947