COIMBATORE l sunday l may 17, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 26 l LATE CITY EDITION Top Islamic state leader killed in Joint raid by U.S., Nigeria forces US and Nigerian forces killed Abu Bakr al-Minuki in a covert operation launched late on Friday night in northeastern Nigeria’s Lake Chad Basin Trump calls him group’s second-in-command Spotlights growing US-Nigeria partnership US President Donald Trump said a “meticulously planned and very complex mission” eliminated the world’s most active terrorist. Al-Mainuki was seen as a key figure in IS organisation and finance, and had been plotting attacks against the US, an official said. Trump called him the group’s second-incommand globally, a claim many analysts are sceptical about | p11 ■ ■ The Nigerian military said the latest operation was the culmination of months of intelligence gathering and reconnaissance It puts spotlight on the US-Nigeria security partnership launched last year amid complaints from the Trump administration that the Nigerian government is not doing enough to combat terrorist groups 2023 when the U.S. imposed sanctions on Al-Minuki CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI 300-yr wait for Chola plates endS Vijay keeps home, welfare portfolios In Netherlands since 1700 J aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi The Netherlands on Friday formally returned the 11th-century Anaimangalam Chola Copper Plates to India, marking the culmination of a 14year diplomatic effort to reclaim one of the most important surviving records of the Chola Empire and a prized symbol of Tamil heritage held overseas. The handover took place in The Hague in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten. Known in Europe for centuries as the Leiden Plates, the artefacts date to the reign of Emperor Rajaraja Chola I, the builder of the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur and among the most powerful rul- Anaimangalam Chola Copper Plate. The 21 copper plates carry the imprint of two generations of Chola power | x ers in South Asian history . The 21 copper plates, weighing nearly 30 kg and bound together by a bronze ring bearing the royal Chola seal, are more Historians believe the plates reached the Netherlands around 1700 through Florentius Camper, linked to a Christian mission during the period of Dutch control over Nagapattinam. By then, the Dutch East India Company had made the city its headquarters on Coromandel Coast than royal records. They preserve the memory of a maritime empire deeply connected to trade, diplomacy and religion across the Indian Ocean. 3rd language must for Class IX: CBSE To kick in from July 1, score won’t be a bar for X Boards I f r a h M u f ti @ New Delhi WITH THIS ISSUE The Return of Sanskrit PLUS 12 P AGES First-ever haul of ‘jihadi drug’ in India, 1 held m u k e s h r a n j a n @ New Delhi THE Narcotics Control Bureau has busted an international drug syndicate involved in the trafficking of Captagon and seized approximately 227.7 kg of the ‘Jihadi drug’ worth `182 crore, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Saturday . This is the country’s firstever seizure of the drug, a highly addictive synthetic stimulant often referred to as ‘Jihadi drug’, since it is widely popular. One foreign national linked to the trafficking network was also arrested. Calling the seizure a landmark success in India’s anti-drug campaign, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the government’s commitment to a Drug-Free India and praised the agency for dismantling the network. Sharing details of the operation, officials said NCB received a tip from a foreign drug law enforcement agency and raided a house in Neb Sarai, New Delhi. They recovered 31.5 kg of Captagon tablets on May 11. The drug was meant to be sent to Jeddah. The house was rented by a Syrian national. All about Captagon Captagon is the street name of Fenethylline, a synthetic stimulant originally developed during the 1960s for treatment of attention disorders and narcolepsy. Because of its highly addictive nature and widespread abuse potential, it was banned. Today, most Captagon tablets are produced clandestinely using methamphetamine, caffeine and other synthetic stimulants The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Saturday announced that the study of three languages will become compulsory for students from Class IX beginning July 1, 2026, in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. In a circular issued on Friday the Board clarified that stu, dents must study three languages — referred to as R1, R2 and R3 — with at least two of them being native Indian languages. However, to reduce academic pressure, the CBSE stated that there will be no Board examination for the third language at the Class X level. The Board said all assessments for the third language (R3) would be conducted internally by schools. Students’ performance in the subject will still be recorded and reflected in the CBSE certificate, but no student will be prevented from appearing in the Class X Board examinations because of R3. According to the circular, schools can choose any language from the CBSE-approved list of subjects, provided that at least two of them are Indian languages. Foreign languages may only be taken as the third language if the first two are In- All assessments for R3 (third language) shall be entirely school-based and internal. The performance of students in R3 will be duly reflected in the CBSE certificate CBSE circular Class VI textbooks for now Students entering Class IX would initially study from Class VI-level textbooks for the third language until specialised secondary-level textbooks are introduced. Schools facing shortages of teachers can adopt temporary measures like sharing teaching resources with nearby schools dian languages, or they may be opted for as an additional fourth language. As part of the transition process, CBSE said students entering Class IX in 2026 would initially study from Class VI-level textbooks for the third language until specialised secondary-level textbooks are developed and introduced. Schools have also been encouraged to enrich classroom teaching with local and regional literary material to promote cultural and linguistic diversity . The implementation of the three-language formula has raised concerns among some schools regarding teacher availability and infrastructure. Addressing these challenges, the CBSE advised schools facing shortages of qualified language teachers to adopt temporary measures such as sharing teaching resources with nearby schools, using virtual learning support, or hiring retired teachers and qualified postgraduate educators. The Board also announced that relaxations would be provided for children with special needs, schools located outside India, and foreign students returning to the country. These exemptions and accommodations, the CBSE said, would be considered on a case-by-case basis to ensure smooth implementation of the new policy . After election setback, BJP eyes reshuffle in TN R Ki r u b a k a r a n @ Coimbatore With the BJP reduced to a single seat in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls despite a marginal rise in vote share, party functionaries said the BJP national leadership is likely to conduct a reshuffle among state-level functionaries. The move is expected to favour former BJP state president K Annamalai, who is believed to be popular among youth. State and district-level officebearers are also likely to be changed, with decisions to this effect expected to follow the c o re c o m m i t t e e m e e t i n g chaired by BL Santhosh, BJP’s national general secretary (organisation), in Coimbatore on May 19 and 20, functionaries indicated. “The leadership is considering bringing about a change at the state level with someone who can attract youth and women to build the party at the grassroots. The upcoming core committee meeting will include separate sessions with state, district, media and IT wing functionaries to review the 2026 results. Organisational changes are expected to follow, but after forming the central committee,” said a state-level functionary who had lost in the recent election. Another state-level functionary pointed out that party reshuffles usually follow election results or when a new state president takes charge. “When Nainar Nagenthran was appointed TN BJP president, alliance talks had already begun. Hence, he did not change office-bearers, and the old team continued. So, a reshuffle is definite now. Based on election results, widespread changes are likely to happen,” he said.  P7 ‘Reappoint Annamalai’ A section of party cadres has begun putting up post on social media, demanding that Annamalai be reappointed to a key post in the state party committee Four seats in 2021 poll In 2021, BJP contested 20 seats in the NDA, won four seats and re-entered TN Assembly after 20 years, with a state-wide vote share of 2.62% One section of the plates, inscribed in Sanskrit, traces the genealogy and divine lineage of the Chola dynasty The Tamil . section records a striking act of medieval religious pluralism and international engagement, Rajaraja Chola I granting revenues from villages near Anaimangalam to support a Buddhist vihara in Nagapattinam built by the Srivijaya kingdom of Southeast Asia. The inscription offers a rare glimpse into a cosmopolitan world where commerce, faith and political alliances travelled together along monsoon sea routes. A Shaivite emperor patronising a Buddhist institution established by a foreign ruler reflects the Chola Empire’s maritime reach and cultural confidence. E x p r ess Re a d Bandi Sanjay’s son ‘surrenders’ Hyderabad: A day after the Telangana High Court refused to grant interim relief to Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s son Bandi Bageerath, who has been booked under a POCSO case, he ‘surrendered’ before the police. “The accused has been arrested,” a senior police official said | P7 Another arrest in NEET paper leak New Delhi: The CBI arrested Botany teacher Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, claiming she was the primary source of the NEET-UG Botany paper leak. Based in Pune, she revealed the questions to select students at private coaching sessions T M u r u g a n a n d h a m @ Chennai PWD, sports for Aadhav Villivakkam MLA Aadhav Arjuna has been entrusted with the heavyweight Public Works portfolio, including Buildings, Highways and Minor Ports, along with Sports Development First woman Industries min Sivakasi MLA S Keerthana has been assigned the Industries and Investment Promotion, making her the first woman to head the ministry in the state A week after Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and nine ministers were sworn in, the portfolios were allocated on Saturday with the , chief minister retaining key welfare departments. Significantly, and perhaps for the first time in Tamil Nadu’s history, the chief minister has kept charge of Municipal Administration, Women’s Welfare, Youth Welfare, and Urban and Water Supply portfolios, in addition to the other key departments, including Public, General Administration, Police, Home, Welfare of Children, Aged and Differently Abled Persons, and Special Programme Implementation. “The chief minister has recommended the portfolios and subject allocations to the council of ministers, who were sworn in along with him on May 10, the governor has approved them,” a Lok Bhavan release said. Though placed fourth in the cabinet, KA Sengottaiyan, the only minister with prior administrative experience in the government, has been entrusted with the crucial Finance portfolio. He had earlier handled major departments, including School Education, Revenue, Transport, Information Technology, and Agriculture, in the previous AIADMK governments. Sengottaiyan must have been chosen as the finance minister as the role involves allocating funds for welfare schemes and TVK’s poll promises, while balancing demands from cabinet colleagues. In the previous DMK regime, at least one minister had openly complained about inadequate fund allocation to his department.  P7