vijayawada l wednesday l june 11, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 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 downtime shows overreliance on ai 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 ■ ■ 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 18 crore 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 K’taka to hold fresh caste survey Data to be collected door-to-door and online, the process will be completed in 90 days P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi 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 been 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 Now, mystery over Sonam’s whereabouts a n u r a a 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.  P10 Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, LoP in Lok Sabha and party leaders Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal with Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar during a meeting to discuss the Bengaluru stampede in New Delhi | PTI human lives of great value to cong: rahul 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. 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 re- port 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. We will correct all concerns expressed about the previous caste census. Online option is given so that people of our state can ... be enumerated even if they are living outside the state,” he said. The state government has been facing heat from opposition and party leaders for ‘unscientific data’. Several leaders from Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities opposed the report, saying their numbers were less than what had been previously extrapolated. While the survey pegged total population of backward classes at 70%, Lingayats were about 11% while Vokkaligas were 10.29% of the population. Kerala-based Kitex Garments plans to invest `4k cr in Andhra Pradesh E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada Kitex Garments, a prominent Kerala-based textile company, has expressed interest in investing in Andhra Pradesh. According to sources, the management of Kitex, which has already invested `3,600 crore in Telangana, is planning to invest around `4,000 crore in Andhra Pradesh. Preliminary discussions in this regard were held during the recent visit of Handlooms and Textiles Minister S Savitha to the Kitex Garments head of- fice in Kerala. The Minister stated that the coalition government in AP is prioritizing the development of the textile sector and has recently rolled out a new Textiles Policy . Stating that she met the Kitex Garments officials in Kerala as per the directions of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the Minister said that she also held talks with the Kitex Garments management and learned that they are planning to invest in AP . Savitha noted that priority is being given to setting up Kitex Garments in the Sri Sathya Sai district, due to its proximity to Bengaluru airport, Krishnapatnam Port, and railway connectivity. She said that the Kurnool district, which produces large quantities of cotton, can serve as a reliable source of raw materials. The Minister said that the company’s management will soon meet CM N Chandrababu Naidu to present their investment plans. She affirmed that the state government will extend full support to the company. As part of her visit, the Minister, along with Kitex MD Sabu Jacob, inspected all departments at the company . Measured response years of BJP govt Security concerns spurred a measured response blending diplomacy with limited military action, showing a more adaptive deterrence posture Modi govt 3.0 Adapts and Advances J aya n 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 reassert, ed 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 , 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 revive “reforms” 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. Take swift action in crimes against women: CM to cops Sathya Sai district. The Director General of PoTaking serious note of two lice (DGP) and other senior ofdistressing incidents involving ficials briefed the Chief Minisgirls in the combined Ananta- t e r o n t h e p r o g r e s s o f pur district, Chief Minister N investigations in both cases. He Chandrababu Naidu directed was informed that the girl police officials to deal killed in Anantapur, ster nly with crimes identified as S Tanmayi, against women. was murdered by someHe emphasized that one known to her. In the the state must instill Yedugurallapalli case, a fear in the minds of pogroup of individuals tential offenders by had been repeatedly demonstrating swift sexually assaulting a and strict law enforce- CM Chandrababu minor girl over a period ment action. of time—a deeply disOn Tuesday, the CM held a turbing crime. review meeting at his Camp OfThe Chief Minister exfice in Undavalli regarding the pressed deep anguish over the murder of an intermediate stu- incidents and, after reviewing dent in Anantapur and the rape the case details, emphasized of a minor girl in Yeduguralla- that the accused must be punP4 palli, Ramagiri mandal of Sri ished without delay  . India will strike back at terror, says Jaishankar J aya n 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. express read India raises deportation of student with US new delhi: India has formally taken up the issue of an Indian national’s detention at Newark Airport with the US authorities. Indian Consulate in New York working to ascertain details about the incident. The issue gained attention after a social media video showed US officials handcuffing Indian student | P7 S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Trump deploys Marines, raising tensions in LA austria school shocker: 10 killed 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 Los Angeles: Hundreds of US Marines were expected in Los Angeles on Tuesday after President Donald Trump ordered their deployment in response to protests against immigration arrests and despite objections by state officials. The 700 elite troops will join around 4,000 National Guard soldiers | P9 Vile remarks against women: India’s fertility rate drops below replaceable level NCW demands strict action 2025 UNFPA report R a j es h K u m a r T h a k u r @ New Delhi nabbed Lawrence Bishnoi gang operative Zeeshan Akhtar, alleged mastermind behind NCP leader Baba Siddique’s murder, detained in Canada. Authorities are working to bring him back | P8 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. E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports regarding alleged dero g atory remarks made by journalist V V Krishnam Raju against the women of Amaravati during a debate on a vernacular TV channel. “Referring to Amaravati as a “capital of prostitutes” is an outrageous insult to women farmers. NCW strongly condemned such unacceptable and inciting statements in public discourse. The Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has written a letter to the DGP of Andhra Pradesh directing him a swift and time-bound investigation, and strict action against Mr Krishnam Raju under relevant laws. A detailed action taken report has been sought from the concerned authorities within 3 days,” NCW posted on ‘X’. Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to apprehend Krishnam Raju, who is reportedly abP4 sconding.