villupuram l Thursday l February 19, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION Indians among students seeking compensation from 36 U.K. univs Around 500 Indians figure in a larger group of students seeking compensation for not receiving the level of education they paid for during Covid ‘Covid curbs affected quality of education’ While they paid for in-person teaching and access to university facilities like libraries and studios, their teaching was moved online and facilities were closed for lengthy periods during Covid, Student Group Claim, leading the action said. Fees for online degree courses in the UK are up to 50% less than in-person courses. Universities should have paid that difference, it said ■ 20,000 Pre-class action suit letters sent ■ Pre-class action letters have been sent to 36 universities including Imperial College, LSE and King’s College London. Student Group Claim is inviting more students from 2020-21 year to join its action It comes as a confidential settlement was recently agreed by the University College London with about 6,000 of its students international applicants are part of the class action suit 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 fpuhkg;Gw kf;fspd; tPl;Lf; fdit edthf;fpa fiyQu; fdT ,y;yk; jpl;lk; 2 இலட்சம் வீடுகளுக்கு அனுமதி 1.75 இலட்சம் வீடுகள் கட்டப்பட்டுள்ளன ேமலும் 1 இலட்சம் வீடுகள் கட்ட அனுமதி வீட்டிற்கு 3.5 இலட்சம் அரசு மானியம் br.k.bjh.ï / 202 / tiufiy / 2026 ntyNthk; ; xdwhf ; Global investments, collabs Further Oppn pour in at AI Impact Summit slide expected in Microsoft, Google, Qualcomm line up to plug into India’s AI space RAKESH KUMAR @ New Delhi the India AI Impact Summit 2026 has seen major stakeholders lining up to announce their plans to invest in and build on India’s AI ecosystem. While global majors Qualcomm and Microsoft announced significant investment plans, OpenAI and NVIDIA outlined new partnerships to strengthen the ecosystem and build AI infrastructure. Google also announced the America-India Connect initiative, a subsea cable project aimed at enhancing data connectivity between the US, India and the Southern Hemisphere. Qualcomm said it would invest $150 million to support India’s rapidly expanding technology and AI startup ecosystem. The announcement coincided with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon’s participation in the AI summit, which has now been extended by a day till February 21. Microsoft plans to invest $50 billion by the end of the decade to expand AI access across the Global South. Vice-chair and President Brad Smith and Vicepresident and Chief Responsible AI Officer Natasha Crampton said urgent action is needed to prevent a widening AI divide from exacerbating global economic disparities. Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the America-India Connect initiative, a subsea ca- g.o. issued Heavy vehicle fitness cert fee revision on hold B ANBUSELVAN @ Chennai Three months after it came into force, the state government on Wednesday stayed the enforcement of the revised fees for the grant and renewal of fitness certificate (FC) for heavy and other categories of vehicles. The rates that were in effect prior to November 11 last year for issuing FCs to all types of vehicles, including medium and heavy commercial vehicles, will now continue for three months from Wednesday. A Government Order to this effect was issued by the Home (Transport) Department. In November 2025, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had, through a notification, announced a steep increase in FC charges for vehicles older than 15 and 20 years, citing environmental pollution caused by ageing vehicles. The G.O. issued by Tamil Nadu additional chief secretary (home) Dheeraj Kumar stated that the decision to put off enforcement of the new charges was taken after resistance from the State Lorry Owners Federation, the Chennai Lorry Owners Association and other transport bodies, which termed the revised fee exorbitant and alleged that it had been hiked without prior consultation.  P7 Galgotias Univ chucked after robot dog byte RAKESH KUMAR @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in New Delhi | pti ble project to improve data connectivity between the US, India, and the broader Southern Hemisphere. The announcement followed his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We believe India is going to have an extraordinary trajectory with AI, and we want to be a partner. To help, we have launched new America-India Connect subsea cable routes, building on our $15 billion investment in India’s infrastructure, including a full-stack AI Hub in Vizag,” Pichai said. In addition, Google committed $30 million each for the Government Innovation Impact Challenge, aimed at supporting AI-powered government-to-cit- izen solutions, and the Science Impact Challenge, a global fund for researchers advancing scientific discovery using AI. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, announced a major initiative in India to integrate AI across higher education. The programme seeks to help students, faculty, and staff use AI tools responsibly to enhance learning, research, and creativity across disciplines including management, engineering, healthcare and creative arts. AI chip maker NVIDIA announced partnerships with Larsen & Toubro, Yotta Infrastructure, and E2E Networks to establish advanced ‘AI factories’ in India. THE government has asked Galgotias University, which showcased a Chinese-made robotic dog as its own creation at the India AI Impact Summit, to vacate its booth from the ongoing exhibition. MeitY secretary S Krishnan said the government expects companies to follow a defined code of conduct and will not encourage plagiarism or misinformation. “We don’t want any controversy around the exhibits being presented,” he said. When asked whether the products being showcased were verified or certified, he said these were not meant for sale. “Certification happens when something is meant for public distribution... If we start certifying everything that is exhibited, it could end up stifling innovation and creative work.” The controversy began after a professor from the university claimed in an interview that the AI-powered Chinese robodog was developed by the university’s Centre of Excellence. Following backlash over the false claim, the university issued an apology saying its representative manning the pavilion was “ill-informed”. RS biennial polls seats), West Bengal (5), Ass a m ( 3 ) , H a r ya n a ( 2 ) , Riding high on its strong Himachal Pradesh (1) and showings in the Maharash- Bihar (5). In Maharashtra, tra and Bihar elections, the the ruling BJP-led alliance NDA appears set to make is likely to win six seats significant gains by winning while the opposition MVA at least half of the 37 Rajya may get one if they put up a Sabha seats going to bienni- united fight. The Congress, al polls on March 16. The IN- the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the DIA bloc may have NCP-SP are likely to to settle for 10, down lose one seat each. from 19 seats. In Tamil Nadu, Based on its legisthe ruling DMK is lative strength, the likely to retain four NDA is expected to of the six seats, win 15-18, while nine while the AIADMK of its MPs are retiris expected to secure No addition one. The remaining ing next month. The seats will fall The Congress is seat could see a keen vacant on April 2 contest. It is a matlikely to win and 9 following the ter of speculation if four seats — retirement of severDMK will agree to one each in al members, includthe Cong ress deTelangana, ing Rajya Sabha mand for one seat Himachal, deputy chair man amid strained ties. Chhattisgarh Harivansh (JDU), and Haryana — In Bengal, the rulNCP-SP’s Sharad Paing TMC is expected but will not war, for mer Lok to win four seats, have any Sabha deputy Speakand the BJP one. accretion as er M Thambidurai four of its MPs The CPI(M) is ex(AIADMK), DMK’s pected to lose its sole are retiring Tiruchi Siva, ConMP from the state. g re s s ’ A b h i s h e k Five seats will be Manu Singhvi and Union up for grabs in Bihar, with ministers Ram Nath Thakur RJD and JD(U) holding two (JDU) and Ramdas Athawale each and RLM one. The BJP (RPI-A). is expected to claim two The vacancies are spread seats and the RJD is set to across Maharashtra (7), Odi- lose both its seats. Notificasha (4), Telangana (2), Tamil tions for the polls will be isNadu (6), Chhattisgarh (2 sued on February 26. P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi TN panel: State must shortlist 3 names for Guv P r a b h a k a r Ta m i l a r a s u @ Chennai The high-level committee constituted by the Tamil Nadu government and led by Justice Kurien Joseph has recommended a fixed five-year term, state-led appointments, and binding timelines for assenting to Bills for the governor of states. According to the first part of the three-member panel’s report, tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday and accessed by TNIE, the panel has recommended that Article 155 of the Constitution be amended to bind the President to appoint, as governor, one of three names shortlisted by the state and approved by a majority of the total membership of the state’s Legislative Assembly The . panel also recommended the scrapping of the “pleasure” doctrine under Article 156. This allows the union government to remove governors at will. Instead, the panel has recommended that a non-renewable five-year term be fixed for the governor. “A governor cannot be neutral, impartial, or constitution- ally effective while remaining vulnerable to dismissal at the will of the union executive,” the committee said in its report. The report suggests that the governor only be removed by the Assembly u p o n a re s o l u t i o n passed by a majority of the House’s total membership, with the president bound to act within 14 days. The report also says that timelines must be set for governors and the president to assent to Bills.  P7 Stalin’s take on the report: P4 identical twins with same JEE Main score Believe it or not, identical twins Mahroof Ahmed Khan and Masroor Ahmed Khan scored an identical 285 in their JEE Main exam as well, hitting the 99.998th percentile. Hailing from Bhubneswar, both appeared for the exam in the same shift at the same centre. Born on May 7, 2008, they studied together throughout, from school to coaching classes in Kota. Their mother, Dr Zeenat Begum, a gynaecologist, said: “We shifted to Kota in 2023 after both qualified for the Science Olympiad. They later decided to pursue JEE coaching.” | pti 2014 ordinance Formal Maha order nullifies 5% Muslim reservation S u d h i r s u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai The Maharashtra government has formally scrapped the 5% reservation for Muslims in government and semi-government jobs and education. According to a government resolution (GR) issued by the state social justice department on Tuesday night, a 5% reservation was granted to socially and educationally backward Muslim groups under the Special Backward Category in 2014 through an ordinance. However, this ordinance was not converted into a law by passing it through both Houses of the state legislature, and therefore, it has lapsed automatically . The government has cancelled the earlier decisions and circulars from 2014 and stopped issuing caste and non-creamy layer certificates to Muslims in the Special Backward Category , the GR stated. It also stated that the Bombay High Court had passed an interim stay on the reservation for Muslims. The ordinance was issued by the Congress-led government of Prithviraj Chavan ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha and assembly elections, along with a 16% reservation to the Maratha community. The BJP came to power that year and the ordinance on Muslim reservation was not converted into law. The Congress on Wednesday accused the Devendra Fadnavis government of being against the welfare of minorities. Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad termed the Mahayuti government’s decision as “harmful to democracy” and said that it would push the Muslim community away from the mainstream. Former state Congress working committee member Naseem Khan said while the CongressNCP government issued the ordinance in 2014, “the subsequent Devendra Fadnavis government did not take the process forward, and even after the Bombay High Court granted interim relief for 5 per cent educational reservation, its implementation was not ensured”. ranji trophy J&K’s miracle song: Despite conceding lead, team enters historic final Fi r o z Mi r z a @ Chennai Jammu and Kashmir team celebrates after beating Bengal to enter Ranji Trophy final for the first on Wednesday. They will play Karnataka from Februay 24-28 | PTI Until the middle of third day , the skies were still gloomy. Home team Bengal had taken the lead, Jammu and Kashmir were tottering on the brink. Only a miracle could have saved them. And it came in the form of Auqib Nabi and Sunil Kumar who took four wickets each to skittle Bengal out for just 99. A target of 126 was achievable. On Wednesday they scripted history Their journey, though . fairytale-ish, has had its share of struggles and trepidation. J&K head coach Ajay Sharma still remembers the day when conceding a first innings lead just by a solitary run deprived them a place in the Ranji Trophy semifinal last season. The last pair of Kerala added 81 runs much to the dismay of the J&K team taking their score to 281 — one run more than J&K’s first innings total of 280. That was J&K’s third entry into the lasteight stage in 66 years but it ended in a big heartbreak. And he hoped nothing liked that happened this time. J&K came back stronger this season and not only went past the quarterfinals but also made it to their maiden final beating Bengal by six wickets in Kalyani on Wednesday. “That pain was gone when we defeated Madhya Pradesh in Indore to make it to our first semifinal,” Sharma told this daily . For a side that started participating in the premier domestic competition in 1959-60 and waited 23 years for their first win, it’s a historic moment. Considered underdogs for decades, J&K made cricket connoisseurs sit up and take notice of them when they entered their maiden quarterfi- nals in 2013-14. Mismanagement and alle g ations of financial irregularities led to formation of a three-member sub-committee that comprised Mithun Manhas till he was elected as the BCCI president. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as J&K not only got professional coaches and support staff but also saw talent hunt programmes conducted regularly Left-arm pacer Sunil . Kumar was its product. The panel revamped JKCA hostel ground, equipping it with multiple practice wickets, including red soil. Positive changes ushered in positive results. P13