Chennai l wednesday l june 11, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 20 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 e e 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. RTE funds from centre to states need not be linked to NEP: Court R SI V A K UMAR @ Chennai In a significant ruling, the Madras High Court has held that the centre’s obligation to disburse its share of funds to Tamil Nadu towards reimbursement of fees for students admitted in private schools under the Right to Education (RTE) Act is an independent responsibility and it need not be linked with the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP). The state government has the non-derogable obligation to reimburse the fee to private un- aided schools, and non-receipt of funds from the centre cannot be cited as a reason to wriggle out of that statutory obligation, the court said. A division bench of Justices GR Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan issued the ruling while disposing of a PIL petition by Coimbatore-based activist V Eswaran praying for directions to the TN government to begin admissions under the RTE Act for 2025-26. The court observed that the obligation under the RTE Act is independent by itself. It referred to Section 7 of the Act that says that the central and state governments will have concurrent responsibility to provide funds for implementing the provisions of the Act. Section 7(3) also mandates that the centre provide the state government a specific percentage of expenditure referred under sub-section 2 as grant-in-aid from time-to-time in consultation with state governments, the bench noted. “Therefore, funds payable to the state government, representing the central government’s share, towards discharging the RTE Act obligations need not be linked to NEP-2020,” the court said.  P7 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 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- 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. Union min belittles Keezhadi report, Thennarasu claps back be pushed back to 800 BCE, around 300-500 years older than Wading into the controversy what was thought. over the Archaeological Survey Speaking to reporters in of India’s (ASI) letter to archae- Chennai at the BJP headquarologist K Amar nath Ram- ters, Shekhawat said there was akrishna late last month that a need to be cautious since requested him to resome people are using work certain aspects of these findings to fuel his report on Keezhadi “regional sentiments”. excavation, Union MinTaking umbrage at ister for Culture and Shekhawat’s reply State , To u r i s m G a j e n d r a Minister for ArchaeolSingh Shekhawat told ogy Thangam Thennarreporters on Tuesday asu said the comments Gajendra Singh show the centre’s relucthat the report was neither scientific nor techtance to acknowledge nically well-supported. the antiquity of Tamil culture. The findings from the ar- Shekhawat was addressing rechaeologist’s digs in 2014-16, porters on the PM Modi govdetailed in a report submitted ernment’s achievements in the in 2023, created a lot of interest last 11 years when reporters as it provided evidence to indi- questioned him on the ASI’s recate that the Sangam Age could fusal to approve the report.  P7 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 Kamal Haasan, 5 others elected unopposed to RS Chennai: Actor-politician Kamal Haasan and five others — three nominees of DMK and two from AIADMK — are all set to be elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha, with their nominations being accepted on Tuesday. The Returning Officer said that the nominations of seven independent candidates were rejected | P4 T M u r u g a n a n d h a m @ Chennai 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 | P13 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 | P13 Betting apps target eyeballs India’s fertility rate drops below replaceable level via surrogate ads in TNPL 2025 UNFPA report R a j e s 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 | P10 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. Siddharth Prabhakar @ Chennai While the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (TNOGA) is cracking down on online betting platforms, several betting apps from foreign countries are acting as the main sponsors for multiple teams in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier Lea gue (TNPL) through surrogate advertising, with minor tweaks to the names of their apps. The betting apps which are sponsoring teams include dafa- bet, 1xBet, MELBET, Cricadda, Pin-up Cricket, JSK1, etc. In a bid to circumvent regulations, these apps are being promoted through surrogate advertising. For instance, 1xBet is advertised as 1xBat, dafabet as dafanews, MELBET as MELBAT, Cricadda as Cricadda news, JSK1 as JSK1 news, among others. The apps are mainly visible on the team jerseys while some are displayed on the ground.TNPL is an eightteam franchise-based cricket contest organised by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association.  P7