KOCHI l sunday l may 17, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 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 | P9 ■ ■ 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 Cong wants 13 cabinet berths; IUML asked to settle for four In Netherlands since 1700 J aya n th 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. 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. 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 PLUS 12 P AGES WITH THIS ISSUE The Return of Sanskrit PLUS 12 PAGES First-ever haul of ‘jihadi drug’ in India, 1 held m u kesh 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 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 among them. One foreign national linked to the trafficking network was also arrested.. 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. 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 . Elite Special Protection Group faces DIG crunch m u kesh r a n j a n @ New Delhi FOLLOWING a similar crisis at the Intelligence Bureau, the country’s Special Protection Group (SPG), responsible for the Prime Minister’s security, is now grappling with a shortage of Deputy Inspector General (DIG)-rank IPS officers. This comes on the back of several senior IPS personnel being repatriated to their parent cadres. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has written to Chief Secretaries of all states except Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories requesting them to identify and recommend eligible IPS officers for central deputation to the SPG. States have been asked to widely circulate vacancy details among eligible officers and submit a list of willing candidates within 30 days, along with detailed service records, vigilance clearance, and the consent of nominated officers. To qualify for DIG-rank positions in the SPG, officers must have completed a minimum of 14 years of IPS service. The stringent screening reflects the sensitivity of the role: DIGrank officers in the SPG are responsible for strategic supervision, operational coordination, threat assessment, intelligence liaison, and oversight of security arrangements linked to the Prime Minister’s domestic and international movements. The shortage has become particularly significant after nearly a dozen DIG-rank officers were repatriated to their cadre states in recent months, creating gaps in the SPG’s leadership structure. The impact is critical because of the SPG’s specialised operational role. No end to IB’s dearth of officers As reported by this paper on April 27, the Intelligence Bureau has also been grappling with a dearth of IPS officers at the DIGlevel. Of the 203 IPS posts in the Intelligence Bureau, 81 remain unfilled, indicating an overall shortfall of around 40 per cent. The DIG rank alone accounts for 36 vacancies against 63 posts press Intake Capital gears up for swearing-in of cabinet |P4 Captain being held at gunpoint in CPM |P4 NEET row: Botany prof arrested | P8 K S S R E E J I T H @ T’Puram CM-designate V D Satheesan and K C Venugopal interact with mediapersons outside Venugopal’s residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday | Albin Mathew Probable ministers Congress Ramesh Chennithala Sunny Joseph K Muraleedharan P C Vishnunadh Bindu Krishna M Liju A P Anil Kumar Chandy Oommen I C Balakrishnan Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan Shanimol Osman/Anvar Sadath T J Vinod/ M Vincent IUML P K Kunhalikutty N Samsudheen K M Shaji Parakkal Abdulla Mons Joseph (Kerala Congress) Shibu Baby John (RSP) C P John (CMP) Anoop Jacob/ Mani C Kappan Flexing its muscles to balance group equations within the party while maintaining community preferences too, the Congress has come up with a proposal cutting to size minor allies in the UDF. Staking its biggest claim ever, the Congress wants to keep 13 berths, including the chief minister, in the 21-member Cabinet. CM-designate V D Satheesan will formally submit the final list of ministers to be sworn in to Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Sunday . During bilateral discussions between the Congress and UDF allies on Saturday, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) was asked to settle for four ministerial berths along with the post of deputy speaker or chief whip. It has also been decided to divide one cabinet berth between two parties — Kerala Congress (Jacob) and Kerala Democratic Party led by Mani C Kappan – who will have to share the post for two-and-ahalf years each. Sources said Satheesan is likely to retain the important finance portfolio, considering the evolving financial challenges the state faces. As reported by TNIE, senior Congress lead- er Ramesh Chennithala is likely to get home and vigilance portfolios. During the marathon discussions held at the KPCC headquarters, it has been more or less decided to give the revenue portfolio to party state president Sunny Joseph in a bid to appease the Syro-Malabar Church. Though Kerala Congress laid claim to the portfolio, the Congress turned down the demand. Other probable ministers from Congress and likely portfolios are: A P Anil Kumar (health), M Liju (excise and cooperation), P C Vishnunadh (tourism and culture), I C Balakrishnan (SC/ST development), K Muraleedharan (electricity), Bindu Krishna, Chandy Oommen, and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who is also being considered for the speaker’s post, though he has reportedly declined the offer. The Congress is facing fresh challenges in cabinet formation following the factional divisions triggered by the CM race. The party is yet to find space to accommodate T J Vinod or M Vincent, representing the Latin Catholic community , as well as Anvar Sadath or Shanimol Usman.  ● More on P4