Alibaba to split into six units Chinese e-commerce conglomerate Alibaba Group plans to overhaul its sprawling $257-billion empire by splitting into six business verticals as it looks to react faster to market changes and increase value THRISSUR l wednesday l march 29, 2023 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION The six units are Cloud Intelligence Group, Taobao Tmall Commerce Group, Local Services Group, Cainiao Smart Logistics Group, Global Digital Commerce Group and Digital Media and Entertainment Group Each unit will have a CEO as well as a board of directors and will retain the flexibility to raise outside capital and seek initial public offering, except for Taobao Tmall Business Group that handles China commerce, which will stay wholly owned by Alibaba Group The revamp comes a day after its founder Jack Ma returned home ending a year-long stay abroad and when China is easing its regulatory crackdown on private enterprises 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 Ukraine students to get 2 attempts to clear MBBS: SC Govt had offered them one shot at the final exams following a panel’s recommendation express read Guv consults govt on VC posting T’Puram: In an apparent climb-down, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has written to the state government seeking its views on the appointment of the next vice-chancellor in the A P J Abdul Kalam Technological University. The move comes even as Ciza Thomas, handpicked by the governor to the post, has more than two months’ tenure left as VC. P4 TN pilgrims hurt as bus overturns Pathanamthitta: As many as 64 pilgrims, including nine children, from Tamil Nadu, had a miraculous escape after the bus in which they were travelling skidded off the road and overturned at Elavunkal on Tuesday. Two pilgrims, who suffered serious injuries, are undergoing treatment at the Kottayam MCH. P5 sHR U T I k AKKAR @ New Delhi IN a major relief to Indian medical students who were forced to return from Ukraine, China and the Philippines due to war and Covid-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed them to clear their final examination in two attempts, without enrolling in any medical college in India. This is applicable to MBBS students who returned to India in their penultimate year of studies and completed the course through online mode. The examination will be in line with the existing National Medical Council (NMC) syllabus and guidelines, a bench of judges B R Gavai and Vikram Nath said. The bench was hearing a batch of pleas fled by students who had to leave their studies mid-way and return to India. Earlier, the Centre had told the SC that it was ready to offer penultimate year students one chance to clear the final exams (both theory and practical) but the court modified it to two, considering the special circumstances of the case. The Centre said the theory exam would be held centrally on the pattern of Indian MBBS exam, while the practical exam would be conducted by designated government medical colleges. The students will also have to complete two years of compulsory rotatory internship, of which the first year will be free and the second year paid as decided by the NMC. The SC had in December 2022 asked the Centre to find a solution to the ‘humane problem’ faced by the medical students. “We are sure that the Union of India will give due importance to our suggestion and find out a solution for these students, who are undisputedly an asset to the nation and, particularly, when there is a dearth of doctors in the country it had said. ,” Following the suggestion, the government formed a committee of experts. The Centre submitted its recommendation to the Supreme Court via an affidavit, which the court accepted on Tuesday with one modification in favour of the students. The affidavit also made it clear that the relaxation in rules is only for the present matter and will not be treated as a precedent for issues that P5 may arise in the future.  US watching Rahul case; internal matter, says govt E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi The United States is watching Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s case in courts, US Department of State spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Monday . “The US engages with the Indian government on a shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression. Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy, and we’re watching Rahul Gandhi case,’’ Patel said in a briefing while responding to a question regarding Rahul’s conviction in a defamation case and disqualification from Parliament. On being asked whether the US was engaging with India or Rahul, he said, “I don’t have any specific engagements to read out” though it is normal “to engage with members of opposition parties in any country wh e r e we h ave b i l a t e r a l relationships”. A BJP lawmaker in Gujarat had sued Rahul for defamation for his Modi surname slur in 2019. However, Union I&B minister Anurag Thakur dismissed the US remarks at a media event, saying the official had made a generic statement. “It is our internal matter. No one is above the Supreme Court. There are judicial and constitutional institutions. They (the US) have made a generic statement,” he said. June 30 new deadline for PAN-Aadhaar link The Centre on Tuesday extended the deadline by three months to enable people to comply with the mandatory income tax provisions Believers Church, 3 others seek ‘forward status’ S h a n A S @ T’Puram The Believers Church led by Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan Metropolitan (formerly known as K P Yohannan) has approached the government seeking its inclusion in the forward community list. As per the documents accessed by TNIE, three other Christian groups — Church of Light Emperor Emmanuel Zion, Yuyomaya Sabha and Local Churches Kerala — too have sought the same from the Kerala State Commission for Eco- nomically Backward Classes among Forward Communities. TNIE had earlier reported that the commission was against granting forward community tag to C h r i s t i a n p r aye r groups and Churches that have converts from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Communities among its ranks. How- ever, none of these groups have officially been informed about the commission’s decision. As a statutory body, the commission headed by retired High Court Judge C N Ramachandran Nair is vested with powers to examine the request of any community for inclusion in the forward community list. The economically backward The prayer groups have members not just from the forward communities. So, there are chances of the members attempting to get double reservation benefits — Mani Vithayathil, commission member classes among forward communities, also known as economically weaker sections (EWS), have been earmarked 10% reservation in the state since 2020, which has prompted religious groups to seek forward community status. Commission member Mani Vithayathil justified the panel’s decision and said the Christian prayer groups have members from forward and backward communities and that made it technically impossible for them to provide the groups forward ● More on P4 community tag.