tirupati l monday l may 25, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l anantapur EDITION Cbse says Glitch led to incorrect fee deduction, will issue refunds The board said on Sunday it will issue refunds to students who were overcharged during Class 12 post-result process due to technical issues Technical issues with post-result portal Experts from two iits roped in On May 21 and 22, certain technical issues led to incorrect fee deductions from students who were applying for scanned copies of evaluated answer books, the CBSE said. “In some instances, excess payment was deducted, while in others, lesser amounts were charged,” it said. The board said those who were charged more will get back the excess amount they paid | P7 ■ The CBSE will engage experts from IIT-Madras and IIT-Kanpur to tackle issues in its post-result services portal, the government said ■ “The expert team will implement focused technological improvements of the systems and technical workflows and will specifically examine portal stability and server performance,” the education ministry said 18,57,517 Students registered to appear for class 12 exam, the CBSE said 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 Iran peace deal in sight but not rushing it, says Trump Breakthrough imminent, claims Rubio; Iran yet to publicly commit to giving up its uranium The deal that’s taking shape The pact being negotiated would extend truce by 60 days, creating space to resolve key issues before a final agreement is reached, according to US officials quoted by AP and Axios Strait of Hormuz The US would lift its blockade of Iranian ports Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow free passage for all ships US would allow Iran to resume oil exports through sanctions waivers Tehran would suspend nuclear enrichment and agree to give up highly enriched uranium stockpile The mechanism for Iran surrendering its highly enriched uranium stockpile would be finalised through further talks during the 60-day period Washington and Tehran would negotiate sanctions relief and the release of Iran’s frozen funds worth $100 billion during the 60-day period ity that in the next few hours the world will get some good THE US and Iran on Sunday ap- news,” he said. peared to edge closer to a breakRubio said progress had been through agreement that could made over the past 48 hours on end months of conflict in West a framework that could stabiAsia, reopening the Strait of lise the Strait of Hormuz. Hormuz and imposing fresh The US administration has curbs on Tehran’s nuclear pro- repeatedly maintained that gramme, even as differences preventing Iran from obtaining persisted over uranium enrich- a nuclear weapon remains its ment and regional control. central objective. “Iran can US President Donald Trump never possess a nuclear weapsaid ne gotiations on,” Rubio said. “The were progressing in a ultimate goal is to “constructive manmake sure Iran could ner” and insisted Tenever have a nuclear hran “must under- The negotiations are weapon.” proceeding in an stand” that it cannot According to Axios, orderly and develop a nuclear CNN and The New constructive manner, York Times reports, weapon. Trump also con- and I have informed negotiators are finalmy representatives firmed the US blockising a 60-day ceasenot to rush into a ade linked to the on- deal because time is fire arrangement that going conflict would would immediately on our side remain in place until reopen the Strait of Donald Trump, a deal was reached. Hormuz and create a US president The remarks came window for broader amid hectic parleys negotiations over disinvolving the US, Israel and mantling parts of Iran’s nucleIran after three months of con- ar programme. frontation that disrupted shipHowever, conflicting messagping through the Strait of Hor- es from Iran suggested major muz and rattled global d i s a g r e e m e n t s r e m a i n markets. unresolved. Earlier in the day, during a The Iranian Embassy in Deljoint press conference with Ex- hi said Tehran has the right to ternal Affairs Minister S Jais- “peaceful use of nuclear scihankar in New Delhi, US Secre- ence and technology” and that tary of State Marco Rubio “Iran will never relinquish this claimed a breakthrough is im- lawful and internationally recminent. “There is the possibil- ognised right”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a bilateral meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Sunday | pti J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi We’ve made tremendous progress and I think we’re going to wind up with a trade agreement between the United States and India that’s going to be enduring, beneficial to both sides and sustainable Marco Rubio ‘US, too, has stupid people’ Rubio defended America’s image as a welcoming country when asked about racist remarks targeting Indians in the US, saying such comments reflected the actions of “stupid people” and not American society at large US pushes trade deal, India flags visa concerns J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi india and the US on Sunday sought to project continuity and momentum in their strategic partnership despite unease over trade talks and tightening American visa policies, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raising concerns over difficulties faced by legitimate Indian travellers seeking entry into the US. Addressing a joint press conference in Delhi alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after delegation-level talks, Jaishankar said the two sides had made progress on trade negotiations and remained committed to deepening cooperation in energy , technology mobility and regional security , . “We spoke about the value of concluding at an early date the final text of the interim agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade,” Jaishankar said, and referred to efforts to operationalise the bilateral trade framework envisioned during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington earlier this year. An Indian delegation had recently travelled to the US, he said, while an American team was expected in India soon. Rubio confirmed that both sides were “on the verge” of reaching a durable agreement. Energy security emerged as another major focus of the talks. ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ trend on SM should not be dismissed: Palla Express News Service @ Vijayawada Telugu Desam Party State president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao on Sunday said the viral “Cockroach Janata Party” trend on social media should not be dismissed merely as political rhetoric, but understood as a reflection of the anxieties and frustrations among the country’s youth. Speaking to the media, Palla observed that democratic governments have a responsibility to respond sensitively to the aspirations and insecurities of young people, particularly at a time when concerns over employment, competitive examinations, economic pressures, and career uncertainty are growing. H e a s s e r t e d t h at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu have consistently prioritised youth welfare, job creation, and long-term economic growth through initiatives such as Digital India, startup promotion, manufacturing expansion, and industrial development. He noted that emotionally charged discourse on social media warrants introspection from policy makers, adding that gover nments must remain open to re-calibrating policies to ensure youth concerns are meaningfully addressed. “The objective of governance is to ensure that young people do not feel abandoned or betrayed, but instead see their aspirations translated into tangible opporP4 tunities,” he said. After 12 days and a second autopsy, Twisha laid to rest A N U R A A G SI N G H @ Bhopal A team of doctors from AIIMS Delhi completed the second autopsy of 33-year-old modelactor Twisha Sharma in Bhopal on Sunday. The process lasted three hours. The AIIMS team will submit its report in a sealed envelope to the Special Investigation Team, as directed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Twisha was found hanging at her matrimonial home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area on May 12, with her family accusing her in-laws of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide. Her in-laws, however, alleged she suffered from drug addiction. Two hours after the second autopsy was completed, and 12 days after she was found dead, Twisha’s body was cremated on Sunday afternoon. Her brother Harshit Sharma, an army officer, performed the last rites, including rendering ‘mukhagni’ to the body at the Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat in Bhopal. Emotions were high. Twisha’s mother and other members of her family were inconsolable as the funeral pyre was lit. Odisha officials remove AP police out-post Parvathipuram-Manyam: Mild tension prevailed at Eguva Simbi in the disputed Kotia region on Sunday after Odisha officials removed a temporary police outpost set up by AP government. The district administration has deployed additional police force in Eguva Simbi | P4 Our govt will revive Nandi awards: Durgesh 24 dead in Pak blast Paramilitary forces and volunteers try to recover victims after a powerful explosion ripped through a shuttle train in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Sunday. At least 24 people were killed and dozens injured | AFP AP gears up to face Ebola threat S G u r u S r i k anth @ Vijayawada The Andhra Pradesh government has announced precautionary measures to guard against the possible spread of Ebola virus, following alerts from the World Health Organisation and the Centre. Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav said, “The State is prepared to implement advance checks and emergency protocols, with special focus on passengers arriving from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, where the outbreak has been severe.” The Health Minister explained that medical screening will be intensified at Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Vijayawada international airports with district health authorities instructed to coordinate closeP4 ly with airport officials. For Telugu immigrants, American dream just got harder For years, the “American Dream” drew thousands of Telugu-speaking students and technology professionals to the United States with the promise that talent, hard work and perseverance would eventually be rewarded with stability and a place to belong. But the new im- migration policy unveiled by the Donald Trump administration has now left many staring at an uncertain future, as fears grow that the lives they carefully built in America could suddenly be placed on hold by a system becoming increasingly difficult to navigate. Under the new US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy most green card , applicants must now leave the US and complete consular processing abroad, restricting the long-used Adjustment of Status pathway The move has . raised concern particularly among Telugu-speaking communities, whose population in the US has grown from 3.2 lakh in 2016 to 12.3 lakh in 2024.  P4 No one from her husband’s family including the ex-judge , mother-in-law Giribala Singh and brother-in-law Siddharth Singh, an Indian Air Force officer, attended the funeral. Meanwhile, sources said Twisha’s husband Samarth Singh is not fully cooperating with the Bhopal Police’s Special Investigation Team. E x p r e s s Re a d n e w U S C I S p o l ic y U s ha P e r i @ Visakhapatnam Case in SC today The Supreme Court is set hear the Twisha Sharma death case on Monday. The court had taken suo motu cognisance of the case on Saturday. A three-judge bench of the court, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, will hear the matter The investigators are not convinced by certain answers he has given. While the focus is on the events of May 12, the SIT is looking into every aspect of Samarth and Twisha’s life, right from the time they became close through a dating app in 2024. It is also trying to determine where Samarth was hiding and what role his mother had played in helping him. Sources said the initial questioning of Samarth has revealed that Twisha wasn’t keen to lead a family life. There was a drastic change in her behaviour after her pregnancy was confirmed on April 17, sources said. On Saturday, Twisha’s father submitted a detailed representation along with a copy of the high court order to the medical board, raising several concerns regarding the first autopsy . Among the concerns raised were alleged blunt force injuries on Twisha’s left arm and forearm, lack of detailed dissection to determine the depth and age of injuries, and absence of radiological examination of the neck and cervical structures. People who followed every legal process are now being asked to leave the lives they built here and start all over again without certainty that they can return A master’s graduate Vijayawada: Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh said the NDA government is determined to revive the film, television and theatre sectors in AP. Nandi Awards and Nandi Natakotsavam will be restarted, and efforts will be made to make the State a hub for cinema, the minister said | P3