Coimbatore l Monday l June 02, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Ukraine hits Russian bombers ahead of truce talks in Istanbul A Ukrainian drone attack destroyed over 40 Russian planes on Sunday—a day before the two sides were to meet for talks in Istanbul Top ukrainian commander puts in papers Two Russian air bases bear the brunt The spectacular claim that Ukraine damaged $2 billion worth of Russian aircraft parked at airbases thousands of kilometres away came as Kyiv announced that a Russian counter-military strike killed at least 12 of its soldiers at an army training site, leading to the resignation of its ground forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty, who owed ‘responsibility’ for the hit ■ ■ Russia’s defence ministry in a statement confirmed the attacks from Ukraine. The FPV drones damaged aircraft and sparked fires on air bases in Irkutsk as well as Russia’s northern Murmansk Ukraine’s top army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russia attacked Pokrovsk, Toretsk and Lyman in Donetsk as well as Sumy | P9 472 drones launched by russia on sunday in its counter offensive 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 GST collections stay above K2 lakh cr in May Gross GST revenue up 16.4%; robust mop-up for 2nd month in a row; double-digit growth in several large states DI PA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi IF May GST collection—tax collected for April transactions— are anything to go by, India’s economy started the financial year with a bang despite the disruptions caused by US president Donald Trump’s threat of reciprocal tariffs. Gross monthly GST collections in May rose by 16.5% to touch `2.01 lakh crore—only the third time since the indirect tax regime came into force in July 2017. Gross domestic revenue rose by 14% to `1.5 lakh crore, while revenue from imports increased by 25% to `51,000 crore. Net GST revenues (after de- Twin schemes to aid 60K TN SC/ST students S ubas h i n i V i jayakuma r @ Chennai In order to aid its students in reaching their full potential, the state’s Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department is set to implement two major initiatives, Social Labs and Learn-a-Lot. They are aimed at the over 60,000 students residing in school and college hostels run by it across Tamil Nadu. While Social Labs is aimed at students in college hostels, focusing on bridging academic, professional and inter personal skill g aps, Learn-a-Lot has been designed for students in school hostels, to enhance academic p e r fo r m a n c e a l o n g w i t h extracurricular, co-scholastic and life skills. According to officials, most of the students in the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare schools and hostels are from economically backward families earning less than `2.5 lakh per annum and are firstgeneration learners. Even though the schools and hostels address their academic needs, there is a gap in providing them with the necessary guidance to develop additional skills and unlock their full potential. According to the Heckman Curve, the highest rate of economic returns comes from the earliest investments in children, officials said.  P5 ducting refunds from gross collections) showed even better buoyancy as the same increased by 20.4% to `1.74 lakh crore. Total refunds contracted by 4% year-on-year. This is the second month in a row when gross collections witnessed double-digit growth. In April, gross GST collections hit an all-time high of `2.36 lakh crore in April 2025, 12.6% higher than the collection of `2.10 lakh crore in April 2024. This augurs well for the country as FY25 showed GST revenue collections growth slowing down to single digit numbers. “A 16% growth in GST collections in the month shows a renewed upward momentum af- Gross GST revenue Import gains May ’24 May ’25 GST revenue CGST 32,409 35,434 from inward shipments SGST 40,265 43,902 grew 25%, IGST 87,781 1,08,836 showing CESS 12,284 12,879 imports shot up despite Total 1,72,739 2,01,050 tariff (Figures in ` crore) headwinds Tamil Nadu by 25% and Kerala by 24%. Bihar (23%) and Delhi (58%) and West Bengal (18%) are few other notable good performers during the month. Gujarat (4%), Telangana (6%) and Andhra Pradesh (-2%) were few of the laggards. According to Deloitte’s Mani, the wide variations in GST collections growth across states require a thorough analysis across the sectors that are important in each state. “The average growth across the country does not appear to be uniformly reflected across states, possibly due to sectoral or seasonal factors which require a deeper data-based analysis,” he argues. Hasina charged with crimes against humanity a g en c i es @ Dhaka FUGITIVE former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina orchestrated a “systematic attack” that amounted to crimes against humanity in her attempt to crush the uprising that toppled her government, Bangladeshi prosecutors said at the opening of her trial on Sunday . Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 after Hasina’s gover nment launched its crackdown, according to the United Nations. Hasina, 77, fled by helicopter to India as the student-led up- rising ended her 15-year rule, and she has defied an extradition order to return to Dhaka. Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is prosecuting former senior figures connected to Hasina’s ousted government and her now-banned par ty, the Awami League. “Upon scrutinising the evidence, we reached the conclusion that it was a coordinated, widespread and systematic attack,” ICT chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam told the court in his opening speech. “The accused unleashed all law enforcement agencies and her armed party members to crush the uprising.” Islam lodged five charges each against Hasina and two other officials that included “abetment, incitement, complicity, facilitation, conspiracy , and failure to prevent mass murder during the July uprising”. Prosecutors say such acts are tantamount to “crimes against humanity”. Hasina, who remains in self- imposed exile in India since August 5, 2023, has rejected the charges as politically motivated. Apart from Hasina, the case includes ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun and for mer interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who is on the run. Three days after Hasina’s ouster, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took over as the nation’s interim leader. Separately on Sunday the Su, preme Court restored the registration of Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, , allowing it to take part in elections. express read TN offers aid to Madrasi Camp families in Delhi Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government, on instructions from CM M K Stalin, on Sunday offered aid to ‘evicted’ families of the Madrasi Camp in South Delhi who may be looking to return to their native districts in TN | P4 Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah addresses an organisational meeting of the BJP at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday | PTI Shah raises CAA, Operation Sindoor in Bengal poll pitch RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi Sounding the poll bugle in West Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls, Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused the Mamata Banerjeeled government of opposing Operation Sindoor and the Waqf Amendment Bill to appease the Muslim vote bank. Addressing party leaders and workers in Kolkata, Shah alleged Hindus were being oppressed in the state and forced to flee. The recent riots in Murshidabad were not spontaneous but orchestrated by the state, he claimed, adding that the Mamata-led Trinamool Congress shielded the perpetrators of violence. Shah also alleged that Hindu refugees were getting notices that their names may be removed from the voter list. “There is no need to worry. Simply fill out the CAA applications, and we will ensure that they are granted Indian citizenship,” he said. Raising the Pahalgam terror attack issue, Shah said, “When tourists from Bengal were killed in the attack, Mamata Didi remained silent. But now she is having problems with Operation Sindoor.” Mamata Banerjee had recently accused the Centre of politicising Operation Sindoor for electoral gains. “Operation Sindoor was to punish terrorists. But Didi was pained at the deaths of terrorists and gave a cheap political statement. She made West Bengal a centre for infiltrators, corruption and crimes,” Shah said, adding that the TMC’s days were numbered. Shah said the upcoming elections are not just about Bengal, but about national security, adding: “Didi has left Bengal’s borders open for Bangladeshis. Infiltration is taking place in Bengal with her blessing.” In a counter to Shah’s charges, the TMC said stopping infiltration is the responsibility of the BSF, not state government. “It is the sole responsibility of the BSF to stop cross-border infiltration. The TMC is not responsible for guarding the borders; that is the job of the BSF, which operates under the Union Home Ministry If there are . any issues, those should be resolved by the Centre, not blamed on the state,” said , TMC leader and state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. AIADMK names 2 senior cadre as RS candidates, says DMDK in agreement T M u r u g anan d h am @ Chennai Perennial misery Floodwaters force residents to evacuate along with livestock, seeking safety in Lakhimpur, Assam on Sunday | PTI | P8 wunderkind At 11, Bengaluru’s Charvi making heads turn at Norway Open s w a r oop s w am i nat h an @ Stavanger INDIA’s chess conveyor belt shows no signs of slowing down. One of the latest to emerge from the seemingly limitless pool is Charvi A, who has already made the likes of Viswanathan Anand sit up and take notice. The 11-year-old, currently in action at the Norway Open event in the city is a , WFM (Woman Fide Master). Already an age-group world champion, what makes the Bengaluru-based Charvi special is the way she’s laser-focused in her chess. Even in a game where obsessives are dime-a-dozen, it’s unheard of for somebody as young as her to set boundaries. For example, she has already told her parents to not reveal the identity of her coach (she has worked ter a few months of growth in the range of 11 to 12%. If the growth continues in this range for next couple of months, it might provide the cushion for the Government to look at rate rationalisation on which a lot of work has already been done,” says Pratik Jain, partner, Price Waterhouse & Co LLP. Meanwhile, M S Mani, partner, Deloitte India, says a 25% higher GST revenue from imports indicates that imports have accelerated despite recent tariff headwinds. Several large states, including those in the South, have seen high double-digit growth. Collections from Maharashtra rose by 17%, Karnataka by 20%, Charvi A with her parents with Swayams Mishra and RB Ramesh in the past). Her dedication also lies in her wanting to learn from her mistakes. After every game, she makes it a point to have a debrief with all of her opponents. “It can go on for 30 minutes also,” her mother, Akhila, who left behind her IT job, says. She and her husband Anil Kumar had to rely on YouTube to understand the game and keep pace with their daughter. Her parents were undecided on her daughter pursuing chess but after she won the Under-8 girls World Championship, they were sold on her obvious talents (post that, she also got the highest civilian award given to children for her chess exploits). They were okay pulling her out of school (she only visits to give term exams) apart from customising her training schedule. Apart from chess training, she also goes for swimming and badminton classes in the evening to ensure she gets some physical activity on a daily basis. Charvi has had a mixed Open event but that’s to be expected at this level as the players she faces are either higher rated or have more experience. But it will stand her in good stead going forward. delayed Start for qualifier 2 between MI & PBKS The all-important contest began at 9:45PM with no overs lost in Ahmedabad. Earlier, Punjab Kings had won the toss and invited five-time champions Mumbai Indians to bat | P11 The AIADMK has decided to keep the two Rajya Sabha seats to itself and named senior functionaries and for mer MLAs of the party, I S Inbadurai and M Dhanapal, as candidates for the forthcoming elections to the Upper House. AIADMK deputy general secretary K P Munusamy announced the candidates at the party headquarters on Sunday . Responding to a question, Munusamy said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami had promised the DMDK a Rajya Sabha seat in 2026, and that the party stands by it. He claimed the DMDK would continue in the AIADMK-led alliance and had I S Inbadurai M Dhanapal agreed to the current arrangement. However, later in the day, DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakant refused to confirm to reporters that the party would indeed continue in the AIADMK alliance, suggesting her displeasure at the Dravidian major’s move. Of the two candidates, Inbadurai (59) is secretary of the party’s advocate wing and has been a criminal lawyer at the Madras High Court for the past three decades. He has played a prominent role in representing and safeguarding the AIADMK’s interests in judicial and public fora. A Christian Nadar, he has appeared numerous times for AIADMKrelated cases and secured verdicts in favour of the party. Inbadurai had joined the AIADMK in 1983 and represented the Radhapuram Assembly constituency from 2016, until he lost the seat in the 2021 polls. M Dhanapal (65) is a senior functionary of the party from the Dalit community, hailing from Puduppattinam near Kalpakkam in Chengalpattu district.  P5 Paddy worth `840 crore spoiled in 5 yrs in TN B A N B U S E LV A N @ Chennai Despite ongoing efforts to expand storage infrastructure, Tamil Nadu suffered wastage of 3.72 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy/rice stored at direct procurement centres and warehouses from 2019-20 to 2023-24 at a minimum estimated financial loss of around `840 crore. TNIE obtained this data through Right to Information (RTI) Act requests made to the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNC- Procured paddy left in the open during heavy rain in Thanjavur in 2022 | file pic SC). The actual financial loss, which was not fully disclosed by TNCSC, could be higher. TNIE acquired this information after multiple RTI requests and appeals, following delays and denials from TNCSC. The data revealed that between 65,000 MT and 1.25 lakh MT of paddy/rice is lost annually due to various factors. Losses were particularly higher in the districts of Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Pudukottai. In 2021-22, an alarming 1.37 lakh MT of paddy/rice was wasted across the state. During that year, a total of 43.27 lakh MT of paddy was procured, which was subsequently converted into 28.5 lakh MT of rice. The annual expenditure for paddy procurement is `5,000 to `6,500 crore depending on the minimum support p r i c e ( M SP ) a n d p a d d y cultivation. Several factors contributed to these storage losses, including inadequate or poorlymaintained storage facilities — such as those with leaky roofs, cracked walls and open storage areas.  P5