chennai l friday l may 02, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 36 l late city EDITION Gross GST collections clock all-time high of `2.37 lakh crore GST collections rose 12.6% YOY to an all-time high of `2.37 L cr in April, which the Centre said was owing to ‘cooperative federalism’ domestic revenue rises to `1.9 lakh crore ‘overall outlook remains optimistic’ GST revenue from domestic transactions rose 10.7% to about `1.9 lakh crore, while revenue from imported goods was up 20.8% to `46,913 crore. “The figures showcase the resilience of the Indian economy and the effectiveness of cooperative federalism,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, while expressing her gratitude to the taxpayers | P10 ■ ■ Central GST collection from domestic transactions stood at `48,634 crore in April, while state GST mop-up was `59,372 crore While a moderation in absolute GST collections is anticipated next month due to the global economic climate, the overall outlook for Indian economy is optimistic, said EY Tax Partner Saurabh Agarwal 2.09 lakh crore is the net gst collection after refunds 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 Hegseth backs India’s right to defend itself WAVES will serve as a major platform where creativity meets coding, software blends with storytelling, and art merges with augmented reality Pahalgam attack was barbaric and merciless... PM Narendra Modi is a fighter. He will meet any challenge... He will bring peace in J&K and glory to our country Veteran stars Mohanlal, Rajinikanth, Hema Malini, Chiranjeevi, Akshay Kumar and Mithun Chakraborty at the WAVES summit on Thursday | X Global community needs to call out Pak’s heinous terror acts: Rajnath to US def secy MAYANK SINGH @ New Delhi AMID rising tensions between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the US on Thursday assured India that Washington supports New Delhi’s right to defend itself. The US stands in solidarity with India, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday during a telephonic conversation. During the call, the two leaders discussed the Pahalgam terror attack, in which terrorists shot dead 26 people. “The US Secretary of Defense Pete He gseth called Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to express his sympathies and condolences for the tragic loss of innocent civilian lives in the recent dastardly attack by terrorists in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir,” the Ministry of Defence said. “During the conversation, the Defence Minister told US Defence Secretary that Pakistan has a history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations,” it added. Singh told Hegseth that Pakistan has been exposed as a rogue state, fuelling global terrorism, and Allu Arjun @ New Delhi THE Supreme Cour t on Thursday refused to examine a PIL seeking a judicial probe into the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, saying such petitions could demoralise the d e f e n c e fo rc e s f i g h t i n g terrorism. A bench of justices Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh also castigated the petitioners for seeking a commission headed by a retired SC judge saying judges are not experts in investigation. The plea was filed by Mohammad Junaid, a resident of Kashmir, along with Fatesh Kumar Sahu and Vicky Kumar. “Be responsible before filing such PILs. You have some duty towards the country also. This is the way you are trying to demoralize the forces in this hour of crisis and KS Chithra Shreya Ghoshal Rajnath Singh and Pete Hegseth Shah vows to hunt down all terrorists Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday vowed to hunt down each and every terrorist involved in the Pahalgam attack and said all of them will be made answerable for the heinous act. Shah assured the government will not spare any terrorist destabilising the region. “The world can no longer turn a blind eye to terrorism,” the defence minister told his American counterpart, while urging the global community to “explicitly and unequivocally condemn and call out” heinous acts of terrorism. Hegseth’s call to Rajnath comes after US Secretary of State Mark Rubio spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar urging India to de-escalate tensions in the South Asian region. juncture?” the bench said. Refusing to pass any orders on the PIL, the bench said: “Tell us, since when have retired High Court and Supreme Court judges become experts in investigation? We only decide disputes… Don’t ask us to pass orders on such kinds of petitions. Don’t ask to pass orders for the Supreme Court judge to investigate.” The SC asked the petitioners to realise the sensitivity of the issue and not make any prayer in the court that may demoralise the forces. “This is a crucial hour when every Indian has joined hands to fight terrorism,” it said. The counsel for the petitioner, then, pleaded for directions to protect Kashmiri stud e n t s s t u dy i n g o u t s i d e Jammu and Kashmir. The bench was unmoved and declined to entertain the plea, but allowed the petitioner to withdraw the plea. S u d h i r S u r ya w a n s h i a n d Pa r v e z S u lta n @ Mumbai/ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday exuded optimism about the growth of India’s creative economy, saying it will in future hold a significant share in the country’s GDP or Gross Domestic Product. He was addressing the crème de la crème among artists and creators, policymakers and world leaders from the media and entertainment industry at , the inaugural of the first edition of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai. “Today, in Mumbai, artists, innovators, investors, and policymakers from over 100 countries have gathered under one roof. Together, they are laying the foundation for a global ecosystem that celebrates talent, creativity, and innovation on an international scale... India is emerging as a global hub for film production, digital content, gaming, fashion, music and live concerts... This is the dawn of the Orange Economy in India,” said Modi. Orange economy is a global phrase that encapsulates the creative sector. Modi said India’s Orange Economy stands on three strong pillars — content, creativity and culture. In , student safety Suspend govt school staff in four days of Pocso plaint: TN SOP E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Chennai THE Tamil Nadu School Education Department in a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has mandated that headmasters, teachers, or any government school staff accused of sexual harassment or assault against students must be suspended within four days of a complaint being reported, based on a preliminary inquiry by the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO). This will take place in parallel to the police probe under the Pocso Act. The SOP which does not cover staff of private , schools, outlines timelines for each stage of the disciplinary process and requires the action to be completed within approximately three months. It says action will be initiated against the disciplinary authorities if the timeline is not adhered to. The SOP comes after School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi’s assurance that those involved in sexual violence against students will face not only criminal prosecution but also departmental action.  P5 dope shame 186 positives in less than year Gujarat, UP top beneficiaries of Khelo India funds, says Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports’ recent annual report | P11 WITH THIS ISSUE CHENNAI’S BEST WEEKEND GUIDE 36 PAGES, INCLUDING 24 OF INDULGE (TABLOID) tansche survey TN to study why scholars struggle to finish PhDs B i n i ta J a i s w a l @ Chennai DATA from 13 state universities in Tamil Nadu have revealed that only 29.4% of PhD students are able to complete the course within five years. Alarmed by the figures, the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE) has decided to take up a detailed survey to identify the challenges faced by state institutions and PhD scholars that are causing delays. According to initial data collected by TANSCHE from the 13 MM Keeravani Shah Rukh Khan Deepika Padukone Alia Bhatt Aamir Khan Rajinikanth, Veteran star Shantanu Narayen, Adobe Orange economy to make waves: PM SC: Don’t demoralise forces during crisis S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y Naga Chaitanya Given the size and breadth of the creative opportunity that AI unlocks, it’s fair to say that India’s next growth will not be in software code but in creativity state universities functioning under the Higher Education Department, 42,913 students had enrolled in PhD programmes in the last five years. Of them, only 12,625 students (29.4%) managed to submit their thesis within five years. Varsity officials said that ideally PhD scholars should be able finish their degrees within three to five years, with the maximum time allowed to complete the programme being six years. “Nearly 70% of the scholars are unable to finish their PhD within five years. To address the problem, we need to identify the root causes. A questionnaire is being prepared for the students and this will provide us clarity on their problems,” said TANSCHE vice chairman MP Vijayakumar.  P5 Only 29% finish in 5 years Survey of PhD students at 13 state varsities found that only 29% managed to submit their thesis within five years. Officials say scholars should ideally finish PhD in three to five years Crème de la crème of creative sector in attendance Veteran actor Anupam Kher outlined the vision behind the WAVES initiative. Singers M M Keeravani, Shreya Ghoshal and Mangli performed the welcome song. WAVES advisory board members, including Mohanlal, Hema Malini, Kartik Aaryan, S S Rajamouli, Rajinikanth, Anil Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranbir Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani and Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen shared their thoughts during the event the coming years, the country’s creative economy will hold a significant share in the GDP . This newspaper was the first to report in July last year that the government planned to host WAVES on the lines of the annual World Economic Forum held in Davos to establish India as a global content hub. The global animation market is currently worth over $430 billion and is expected to double in the next 10 years. The WAVES summit will open new doors of success for India’s animation and graphics industry, he said, adding this was the right time for “create in India, create for world”. Modi underscored India’s deep-rooted artistic and spirit- ual heritage. Indian mythology has always expressed divinity through music and dance, he said, citing Lord Shiva’s damru (drum) as the first cosmic sound, Goddess Saraswati’s veena as the rhythm of wisdom, Lord Krishna’s flute as an eternal message of love, and Lord Vishnu’s shankha (conch) as a call for positive energy . “In India, growth has been witnessed in the OTT platform. The screen size may be getting smaller but the scope is infinite. The screen is getting micro, but the message is mega so youth can play a major role,” the prime minister said, adding there are no boundaries or baggage in the youth’s spirit and working style.