HYDERABAD l wednesday l june 11, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE CITY EDITION openai probes high error rates as chatgpt hit by global outage OpenAI’s ChatGPT experienced a major global outage on Tuesday, with India and the United States reporting highest number of disruptions over 800 complaints from india alone According to the real-time monitoring platform Downdetector, user reports of ChatGPT outages surged rapidly around 3pm, with about 800 complaints logged in India alone. About 88 per cent of complaints from India cited the chatbot not responding to queries, 8 per cent reported issues with the mobile app, and 3 per cent faced API-related problems ■ 18 crore downtime shows overreliance on ai ■ The outage led to a flurry of activity on social media, with users sharing memes, voicing frustration, and highlighting the growing reliance on Artificial Intelligence tools for finishing daily tasks OpenAI acknowledged the outage, and said it is investigating the issue, but did not provide a specific timeline for the resolution users employ chatgpt on a daily basis across the world 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 Cabinet rejig on the TG horizon? Rumours swirl after high command meets Revanth for 2 hours, summons Bhatti & Uttam E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad Signals emanating from Delhi — an extended two-hour meeting between the Congress high command and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy the sum, moning of senior members of the state Cabinet as well as senior AICC functionaries, and murmurs of feedback reaching the national capital regarding the performance of some ministers — hint at important changes in the state government. The fact that the three ministers who were sworn in on Sunday haven’t been allotted portfolios yet is being seen as a pointer in this direction. On Tuesday, All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary (organ- much on revanth’s platter?  Revanth holds several portfolios, including Home, Education, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, General Administration, Scheduled Castes Welfare, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Dairy Development, Tribal Welfare, Minority Welfare, Skill Development, Mines and Geology, along with other departments that are yet to be allocated. isation) KC Venugopal were involved in intense discussions with the chief minister. While the outcome of these deliberations was not made public, it can be safely assumed that they involved portfolio allocation for new ministers and key state party matters. Following the discussions, the AICC reportedly summoned two senior Telangana Congress leaders — Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy — for further consultations. Uttam arrived in Delhi along with his wife Padmavathi Reddy who is also an MLA. She , is seen as a contender for the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) working president post. Party sources indicated that discussions may have focused on appointments to the TPCC. A similar meeting is expected on Wednesday to discuss governance issues in Telangana, particularly with local body elections approaching. AICC general secretary Meenakshi Natarajan is said to have cut short her scheduled programme to travel to Delhi, according to sources. At present, the chief minister and several ministers hold multiple portfolios. Sources say that the AICC may relieve them of some of this load. According to sources, the high command is weighing the political fallout of a major reshuffle, considering how such changes may alter the balance within the state government. A senior party leader, insisting on anonymity said the high , command had received complaints from various quarters, including MLAs, about the performance of some ministers. The possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle had not been ruled out, the leader added. K’taka to hold fresh caste survey P r ee t ha N a i r @ New Delhi nabbed Lawrence Bishnoi gang operative Zeeshan Akhtar, alleged mastermind behind NCP leader Baba Siddique’s murder, detained in Canada. | P8 Op Honeymoon Now, mystery over Sonam’s whereabouts an u r aa g s i n g h @ Indore DAY after Meghalaya police said they cracked the May 23 murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi and arrested his wife and four aides, the million-dollar question now is where was Sonam for 17 days after her husband’s murder. Two kinds of unconfirmed information are cropping up during the ongoing probe. Investigators are probing the possibility of Sonam having returned to her home Indore on May 25 (two days after husband’s killing in Meghalaya) before leaving by road for Varanasi in eastern UP Once in In. dore, she met prime suspect Raj Kushwaha (alleged boyfriend), who kept her in hiding close to Dewas Naka in Indore. On May 27, she boarded a taxi hired by Raj to Varanasi, after which she went into hiding, before dramatically re-surfacing in Ghazipur district’s Nandganj on the night of May 8-9. Another possibility being probed is Sonam took a bus from Varanasi for Gorakhpur on June 8, but left the bus 65 km away near the roadside dhaba in Nandganj (Ghazipur) after knowing that Raj and his henchmen had been arrested in Indore on night of June 8-9. Some people in the bus she is believed to have boarded said they spotted her at ISBT in Varanasi. “If the second possibility is true then the question arises why was she on her way to Gorakhpur. People in hiding who proceed towards Gorakhpur take that route to go to Nepal, generally a source who ,” is part of the probe said.  P8 ENDING days of uncertainty, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said his government will hold a fresh caste survey to address concerns flagged by several stakeholders. The announcement came after the party’s top brass met Siddaramaiah and his deputy and PCC president D K Shivakumar at the Congress’ new headquarters in New Delhi, and discussed various issues, including the June 4 stampede in Bengaluru. Siddaramaiah said the new survey will be completed within 90 days. “At the meeting, the leadership said the report submitted on the caste census has Rahul: Human lives of great value to Congress On the stampede issue, a source said Rahul Gandhi told the CM and PCC president that human lives are of great value to the Congress and the government has to be responsive towards people. wbeen accepted in principle. However, concerns were raised by some organisations, religious heads, and a few ministers as the last survey was conducted in 2015. So we have agreed to hold a fresh caste enumeration,” said Siddaramaiah. The decision comes ahead of the state Cabinet meeting on June 12, which will discuss the contentious social and educational survey (caste census) report, which was released in April. Though the report has been discussed in as many as three Cabinet meetings, the state government failed to reach any consensus. Shivakumar said the caste census would be redone to allay doubts of various communities over the sanctity of data, and that the government has plans to finalise the resurvey of the caste census in the next Cabinet meet on June 12 “Data will be collected through door to door and online surveys. The process would be done in a very transparent manner,” he said. Measured response Security concerns spurred a measured response blending diplomacy with limited military action, showing a more adaptive deterrence posture years of BJP govt Modi govt 3.0 Adapts and Advances J ayan t h J a c o b @ New Delhi As the Modi gover nment completes the first year of its unprecedented third consecutive term, India finds itself navigating a landscape defined by both political recalibration at home and assertive re-engagement abroad. The 2024 general elections ushered in a significant shift as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is at the helm of a coalition government for the first time since 2014. This has necessitated a more consultative and consensus-driven style of governance, compelling the BJP to adapt its political strategy to accommodate the diverse interests within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Domestically this new coali, tion dynamic has driven both tactical flexibility and policy evolution. While the BJP fell short of a parliamentary majority it swiftly reasserted its , dominance within the NDA and gained momentum in key state elections, indicating political resilience. Legislative moves such as the caste census and the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, underscore a balancing act between ideological priorities and the imperatives of coalition politics. Simultaneously, efforts to revive “re- KCR to depose before PC Ghose panel today VV B A L A K RIS H N A @ Hyderabad Former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will appear before the Commission of Inquiry on Kaleshwaram, headed by former Supreme Court judge PC Ghose, on Wednesday . KCR will become the first former chief minister from Telangana and the second from undivided Andhra Pradesh after N Chandrababu Naidu to depose before such a commission. Former irrigation minister T Harish Rao, who appeared before the Commission on Monday, met KCR at the latter’s farmhouse in Erravalli for the second straight day on Tuesday . The two are understood to have discussed possible questions that the Commission may pose to KCR during his deposition. Former Roads and Buildings minister Vemula Prasanth Reddy was also present at the meeting. Anticipating a large gathering of BRS supporters at the BRKR Bhavan, where the Commission’s office is locat- ed, the police have put in place tight security arrangements. Meanwhile, the state government is awaiting KCR’s response to the Commission on several matters concerning the Kaleshwaram project. These include the shifting of the project’s source from Tummidihatti to Medigadda, design flaws, quality concerns, the sinking of piers at Medigadda, alleged lack of maintenance and claims that the project’s construction commenced without formal Cabinet approval. Government sources stated that the Commission may also question KCR about payments made prior to the completion of the project and about objections reportedly raised by the Vigilance wing and the technical committee of the National Dam Safety Authority . According to government sources, former finance minister Eatala Rajender told the Commission that the Cabinet sub-committee, of which he was a member, had placed the Kaleshwaram proposal before the Cabinet, which subsequently approved it. continued on P4 E x p r e s s Re a d 2 UAE-based firms to invest `2,125 cr in Telangana Hyderabad: UAE-based firms, Shaiva Group and Taranis Capital, have committed to investing `2,125 crore in Telangana. The two companies signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with five Telanganabased firms in the presence of IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu at the Secretariat on Tuesday. The investment is expected to generate over 5,000 jobs in the state | P2 Domestic coalition, global recalibration First year of Modi 3.0 has seen a dual transition: From single-party dominance to coalition governance at home, and from rhetorical assertiveness to pragmatic recalibration abroad. The challenge now is sustaining policy momentum amid alliance politics and the global order under Trump forms” like “One Nation, One Election” reflect the continued pursuit of a key ideological project, despite being in a coalition government. On the foreign policy front, Modi 3.0 has projected continuity with added urgency . From making an all-out engagement with the Trump administration from the very beginning to initiating all-party diplomatic delegations and managing delicate relationships in South Asia, the government has sought to build bipartisan consensus on external affairs on national security front. Strategic engagement with China led to limited disengagement at Depsang and Demchok, while ties with Bangladesh turned fragile amid Dhaka’s political shifts. India will strike back at terror, says Jaishankar J ayan t h J a c o b @ New Delhi External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has issued a stern warning to the neighbour, asserting that India will strike deep into Pakistan if provoked by terrorist attacks. Talking to Politico during his visit to Europe, Jaishankar said that retribution would be directed at terrorist outfits and their leaders in response to barbaric acts such as the Pahalgam attack. Jaishankar, who is travelling a month after India launched Operation Sindoor, accused Pakistan of openly training and unleashing “thousands” of terrorists against India. “If you continue to do the kind S Jaishankar of barbaric acts which they did in April, then there will be retribution against the terrorist organisations and leadership.” He said, “We don’t care where they are. If they are deep in Pakistan, we will go deep into Pakistan.” Jaishankar also addressed China’s close ties with Pakistan, stating: “On an issue like terrorism, you cannot afford ambiguity or double standards. In the end, it’s a problem that concerns all of us.” On the ongoing Ukraine conflict, Jaishankar reiterated India’s neutral stance, advocating for a negotiated peace. He downplayed concerns over Indo-US trade tensions, stressing that ties have strengthened over decades. Proposal to set up IIM in TG on the table, says Pradhan stated that the NDA government was implementing the National Education Policy Disclosing that proposals to (NEP) to improve the growth of set up an Indian Institute of the Indian education system. Management (IIM) in Admitting that Telangana are under southern states play a consideration, Union major role in India’s Minister for Educae c o n o m i c g row t h , tion Dhar mendra Pradhan stated that Pradhan on Tuesday there was no cause for said that the southern concern regarding the states are leading the delimitation process, country in the field of which was yet to beeducation. gin. He said that the Dharmendra Speaking at a press delimitation of conPradhan conference held at the stituencies would take BJP state office, Pradplace only after considhan said that the Union govern- ering all relevant factors. ment has been increasing the He recalled that Union Home number of universities and es- Minister Amit Shah had also tablishing new Indian Insti- clarified on several occasions tutes of Technology (IITs), IIMs that no state would lose out in and central universities. He the process.  continued on P4 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad austria shocker Rescue service personnel attend the scene of a shooting at a school in Graz, Austria. A former student opened fire on Tuesday killing 9 and injuring at least 12 before taking his own life. Police said the 21-year-old suspect was not known to them and had legally owned the two weapons he used but there is no immediate information on his motive | ap | P9 2 0 2 5 U N F PA r e p o r t India’s fertility rate drops below replaceable level Raje s h K u m a r Thak u r @ New Delhi The United Nations Population Fund’s latest report predicts that India’s population will reach an estimated 1.46 billion by 2025 but at the same time the fertility rate has declined below the replaceable level. Right now the fertility rate is precariously placed at 1.9. This means soon the population curve will start moving south. According to UNFPA’s 2025 State of World Population Report, in the next 40 years India will reach an estimated pop- ulation of about 1.7 billion before it starts declining. The report says that nearly 36 per cent of adult women in India experience unintended pregnancies while 30 per cent face an unfulfilled desire to have either more or fewer children. The report says that 23 per cent face both the issues. It India in numbers 1.46 bn Estimated population in 2025 79 yrs Population doubling time 2.1 Replaceable rate 1.9 India’s total fertility now 68% (15-64) Population by age 26% group (10-24) 24% (0-14) 7% Aged above 65 years Age in Bracket () stresses the need to shift focus from concerns about underpopulation and overpopulation to addressing unmet needs regarding sexual health, contraception, and family planning. Despite decline in fertility rate, India’s youthful population remains significant with 24 per cent in 0-14 age-group and 26 per cent in 10 and 24. A substantial 68% is of working age aged between 15-64 presenting a potential demographic dividend if matched by adequate employment and policy support.