chennai l friday l may 22, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l vellore EDITION Pulwama ‘conspirator’ Burhan shot dead by unknown men in PoK A key accused in the 2019 Pulwama attack, Hamza Burhan alias ‘Doctor’, was shot dead in Pakistanoccupied Kashmir, Indian intelligence officials said File PIC Was designated a terrorist by mha in 2022 Supplied explosives to terrorists Burhan, identified as Arjumand Gulzar Dar from Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, was allegedly shot by unidentified gunmen in Muzaffarabad, sustaining multiple bullet injuries that proved fatal, officials added. Burhan was designated a terrorist by the Union home ministry in 2022 under UAPA, following findings by NIA in its probe into the Pulwama attack ■ ■ The February 14, 2019 suicide bombing at Lethpora in Pulwama district killed 40 CRPF personnel after a JeM operative rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a security convoy Investigators alleged Burhan played a crucial logistical role in the attack by supplying explosives and grenades to the terrorists ISI bURHAN HAD CLOSE TIES WITH isi AND WAS associated with Al-BadR TERROR OUTFIT 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 India-Africa meet TN gets 23 new ministers, young cabinet postponed over Plea in HC seeks Ebola virus scare Finance portfolio allotted to Marie Wilson; exclusive department set up for AI; IUML & VCK MLAs to be sworn in today T M u r u g a n a n d h a m @ Chennai E X PR E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi INDIA and the African Union have postponed the Fourth India–Africa Forum Summit, originally scheduled to be held in New Delhi from May 28 to 31, amid growing concerns over the Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa. The decision comes at a time when India was preparing to unveil an ambitious roadmap to deepen its strategic, economic and developmental partnership with the African continent after a gap of nearly a decade. In a statement issued on Thursday the Min, istry of External Affairs (MEA) said India and the African Union had held consultations on the “evolving health situation” in parts of Africa and agreed that it would be “advisable” to convene the summit at a later date. “Recognising the importance of ensuring the full participation and engagement of African leaders and stakeholders, and mindful of the emerging public health situation on the continent, consultations were held between the Government of India, the Chairperson of the African Union, and the African Union Commission regarding the holding of the summit and associated activities,” the MEA said. “Following these consultations, the two sides agreed that it would be advisable to convene the Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit at a later date,” it added. The decision to postpone the summit was taken against the backdrop of a fresh outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which the World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency of international concern. More than 136 deaths have reportedly been linked to the outbreak so far. The summit was expected to bring together leaders from across Africa along with representatives of the African Union Commission to chart a broader framework for cooperation in sectors ranging from trade, energy and technology to healthcare, capacity building and digital infrastructure. Several African leaders had already confirmed their participation. The postponement of the summit will delay what was being viewed as a major diplomatic push by New Delhi to reinforce its engagement with the African region amid intensifying geopolitical competition for greater influence on the continent. The previous India-Africa Forum Summit was held in October 2015, while subsequent plans were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and shifting global priorities. The MEA said that India has reaffirmed its “solidarity with the peoples and governments of Africa” and expressed readiness to support Africa-led efforts in tackling the health crisis. Airports issue advisory All major international airports in India have issued health advisories for passengers arriving from Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, asking them to report symptoms or exposure history to airport health authorities before immigration clearance Passengers with symptoms must immediately report to airport health officer or health desk before immigration clearance Directorate General of Health Services Watch for symptoms for 21 days The Directorate General of Health Services said passengers must watch out for fever, weakness or fatigue, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, unexplained bleeding and sore throat. Also, those developing symptoms within 21 days arrival must report the same and seek medical care E x p r e s s Re a d One more senior TNEB official suspended Amalraj appointed as Chennai commissioner Chennai: A day after suspending P Chandrasekaran, a senior official of Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited (TNGECL), the TNEB on Thursday suspended V Kasi, chief financial controller (revenue), over alleged irregularities in allotment and approval for power projects | P2 Chennai: TN government on Thursday appointed senior IPS officer A Amalraj as the new commissioner of the Greater Chennai Police (GCP), replacing Abhin Dinesh Modak, who has been transferred as additional DGP of the Crime BranchCriminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) | P2 In his first cabinet expansion on Thursday , Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay inducted 23 legislators, including two from the Congress, into his council of ministers. With an average age of 44, this is possibly the state’s youngest cabinet. The TVK cabinet currently has 33 ministers, including the CM, and Tamil Nadu can have up to 35 ministers. IUML’s Papanasam MLA AM Shahjahan and VCK’s Tindivanam MLA Vanni Arasu will be sworn in as ministers on Friday Adi Dravidar & Tribal Wel. fare, and Minorities Welfare are the two major portfolios yet to be allocated and likely to be given to VCK and IUML, respectively . During the cabinet expansion on Thursday Vijay reshuffled the portfolios of a few , ministers, including his own. He transferred the women’s welfare portfolio to K Jegadeshwari, while taking over poverty alleviation and rural indebtedness from N Anand. The CM will also hold the portfolio of special initiatives. K A Sengottaiyan has been designated as the revenue minister, and his finance portfolio has been given to N Marie Wilson. The portfolio of ‘legislative assembly’ has been taken away from R Nirmalkumar and given to Sengottaiyan. An exclusive AI department has been created, and R Kumar has been designated as minister for AI, IT and digital services. Srirangam MLA Ramesh, who seems fond of social reformer Periyar, has been given the HR&CE portfolio, sparking expectations of reforms in temples. MLAs V Sampathkumar and K Thennarasu, who had defeated BJP’s Vanathi Srinivasan and TNCC president K Selvaperunathgai, respectively, have also been accommodated in the cabinet. While Congress MLA S Rajesh Kumar has been made minister for tourism, his party colleague P Viswanathan will be the new higher education minister. Former Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal’s son Logesh Tamilselvan (Rasipuram) has been made the minister for department of commercial taxes and registration.  P5 probe into ‘use of children for electoral gains’ R S I V AKU M AR @ Chennai 4 woman ministers after 2016 Three new woman ministers, Kamali S, C Vijayalakshmi, and Jegadeshwari K, were also inducted on Thursday. With S Keerthana already in the cabinet, there are now four woman ministers. In 2016, there were four woman ministers in Jayalalithaa’s cabinet TVK’s Tambaram MLA D Sarathkumar being sworn in as a minister during the cabinet expansion ceremony held at Lok Bhavan on Thursday | ashwin prasath Record 7 SC MLAs part of Vijay’s TVK ministry S u ba s h i n i V i jaya k u m a r @ Chennai Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhalagam (TVK), which swept to power on the promise of ‘social justice’, among others, took a historic first step in making that a reality by appointing a record seven SC ministers to the cabinet. This marks the highest representation the SC community has ever received in Tamil Nadu’s political history The number is expected to . rise to eight once the VCK joins the ministry The new cabinet . also includes four woman min- US offers ‘separate treatment’ for India under Sec 232 investigation PU S HPI TA D E Y @ New Delhi IN the ongoing trade talks with the US, India has secured relatively favourable terms on several items facing investigation under Section 232, including pharmaceutical products, auto parts and aircraft components, a commerce ministry source said. “As far as certain other products are concerned which are under Section 232 investigation, there is a separate treatment for them also. We have got exemption for aircraft parts and auto parts. We also have a framework to work on generic pharma,” the source told TNIE. Under Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the US can impose tariffs on imports on grounds of national security concerns. Washington has invoked the provision to levy duties on Delegation coming Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said a US delegation is expected to visit India next month for further negotiations on the proposed agreement. This follows talks held in April in Washington between Indian and US officials steel, aluminium, automobiles, aircraft and their parts, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. These tariffs currently range between 10% and 50% on a range of strategic products. Some Indian exports, including steel, aluminium, and autoparts face tariffs of 25-50% under Section 232. Generic phar maceuticals, however, attract no tariff. In the India-US joint statement signed in February 2025, the US had agreed to provide India with “negotiated outcomes with respect to generic pharmaceuticals and ingredients”, contingent on the findings of the Section 232 probe. “So comparatively, when I look at our terms of settlement, the terms are better than any competitor for India,” the source added. Indian negotiators have been pushing for product-specific relaxations as part of the broader trade discussions. The development comes at a time when India and the US are continuing negotiations for a proposed bilateral trade agreement, with both sides aiming to conclude an interim arrangement before moving towards a broader pact. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India from May 23 to 26. The four-day visit, his first trip to India since taking office, will focus on trade, defence and energy . Vande Mataram made mandatory at all WB-recognised madrasahs as well S UBH E NDU M AI T I @ Kolkata Mandatory singing of Vande Mataram is not just confined to schools in West Bengal, the fiat extends to all madrasahs that are sponsored, aided and recognised by the state government as well. The West Bengal Directorate of Madrasah Education issued a directive on May 19 to district magistrates, secretary of West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education and other offices related to madrasah education di- Replaces Tagore song Banglar Mati Banglar Jol Vande Mataram replaces the state song, Banglar Mati Banglar Jol, composed by Rabindranath Tagore in 1905 in school assemblies. The Tagore song was introduced by the erstwhile Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee recting them to implement the singing of Vande Mataram in all madrasahs during morning assembly prayers mandatorily isters and two ministers from the Brahmin community mark, ing a departure from the political formulae that typically dictate ministry formation in TN. The previous DMK government had four SC ministers. The new cabinet also reflects the social composition of the legislators of the ruling alliance, with TVK having 23 SC MLAs. While the TVK emerged victorious in 24 of the 44 reserved seats in the recent polls, including one ST seat, five of the 13 MLAs from other parties in support are also from the SC community . P5 The Madras High Court has ordered notice to the Election Commission of India, directing it to file its responses to a petition seeking a probe into the exploitation of children for indirect electoral gains by the TVK which had won 108 seats in the recent Assembly polls and captured power with the help of post-poll alliance. A vacation bench of Justices G R Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan on Thursday granted a week’s time for the respondents, including TVK, DMK and AIADMK, to file reply . The petition was filed by L Vasuki, an advocate from Bhuavanagiri in Cuddalore district. She stated that TVK president C Joseph Vijay, during a public meeting in Chennai on April 24, called upon children “to emotionally influence or pressure their parents” regarding voting preference in the elections. The petitioner stated that exploitation of minors for indirect electoral influence “undermines constitutional morality” and “democratic fairness” and the ECI is duty bound to ensure fairness in the electoral process, and failure to investigate these corrupt practices amounts to abdication of duty  . P5 with immediate effect. “Singing of Vande Mataram will henceforth be mandatory in all recognised madrasahs as well. Why should it not be mandatory in madrasahs at a time when other recognised schools in the state do the same?” wondered Khsudiram Tudu, state minority affairs and madrasah education minister. The BJP government had on May 14 directed its mandatory singing during assembly prayers in all institutions under the school education department. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari reverentially prostrates before monks during a visit to Belur Math, in Howrah district on Thursday | PTI sun-shy-ne Women wearing shawls and huddling under umbrellas to escape the ongoing brutal heatwave in Chennai on Thursday | martin louis NEET: House panel grills NTA officials P r eet h a N a i r @ New Delhi Amid the row over the cancelled NEET-UG exams, top officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA) came under intense scrutiny from a Parliamentary panel on Thursday over the question paper leak and related irregularities. According to sources, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh informed the panel that the question paper was not leaked through the agency’s system, adding that the CBI is currently investigating the breach. The panel summoned the officials amid multiple arrests by the CBI, which included teachers and intermediaries allegedly linked to the question paper leak prior to the exam. During the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, several opposition MPs grilled the NTA officials on the steps they have taken to strengthen the exam system. Sources said that when MPs questioned how the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) paper was leaked, Singh responded that it had not been compromised through the NTA system. Several MPs then pressed him on how the leak occurred and why the exam had to be cancelled and a retest conducted. Singh, however, said that the matter is being probed by the CBI. According to sources, some opposition MPs demanded that the investigation report be shared with the panel, but BJP members argued that the CBI should be allowed to complete its probe without interference.