MADURAI l monday l may 25, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l LATE CITY EDITION Cbse says Glitch led to incorrect fee deduction, will issue refunds The board said on Sunday it will issue refunds to students who were overcharged during Class 12 post-result process due to technical issues Technical issues with post-result portal Experts from two iits roped in On May 21 and 22, certain technical issues led to incorrect fee deductions from students who were applying for scanned copies of evaluated answer books, the CBSE said. “In some instances, excess payment was deducted, while in others, lesser amounts were charged,” it said. The board said those who were charged more will get back the excess amount they paid | P7 ■ The CBSE will engage experts from IIT-Madras and IIT-Kanpur to tackle issues in its post-result services portal, the government said ■ “The expert team will implement focused technological improvements of the systems and technical workflows and will specifically examine portal stability and server performance,” the education ministry said 18,57,517 Students registered to appear for class 12 exam, the CBSE said 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 Iran peace deal in sight but not rushing it, says Trump Breakthrough imminent, claims Rubio; Iran yet to publicly commit to giving up its uranium The deal that’s taking shape The pact being negotiated would extend truce by 60 days, creating space to resolve key issues before a final agreement is reached, according to US officials quoted by AP and Axios Strait of Hormuz The US would lift its blockade of Iranian ports Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow free passage for all ships US would allow Iran to resume oil exports through sanctions waivers Tehran would suspend nuclear enrichment and agree to give up highly enriched uranium stockpile The mechanism for Iran surrendering its highly enriched uranium stockpile would be finalised through further talks during the 60-day period Washington and Tehran would negotiate sanctions relief and the release of Iran’s frozen funds worth $100 billion during the 60-day period central objective. “Iran can never possess a nuclear weapTHE US and Iran on Sunday ap- on,” Rubio said. “The ultimate peared to edge closer to a break- goal is to make sure Iran could through agreement that could never have a nuclear weapon.” end months of conflict in West According to Axios, CNN and Asia, reopening the Strait of The New York Times reports, Hormuz and imposing fresh negotiators are finalising a 60curbs on Tehran’s nuclear pro- day ceasefire arrangement that gramme, even as differences would immediately reopen the persisted over uranium enrich- Strait of Hormuz and create a ment and regional control. window for broader negotiaUS President Donald Trump tions over dismantling parts of said negotiations were pro- Iran’s nuclear programme. gressing in a “constructive However, conflicting messagmanner” and insisted Tehran es from Iran suggested major “must understand” that it can- disagreements remain unrenot develop a nuclear weapon. solved. The Iranian Embassy Trump also confirmed the in Delhi said Tehran has the US blockade linked to the ongo- right to “peaceful use of nucleing conflict would rear science and techmain in place until a nolo g y” and that deal was reached. “Iran will never reThe remarks came linquish this lawful amid hectic parleys The negotiations are and internationally proceeding in an involving the US, Isrecognised right”. orderly and rael and Iran after constructive manner, Iranian state media three months of con- and I have informed also disputed Trump’s frontation that dis- my representatives claim that the Strait not to rush into a rupted shipping would be fully reothrough the Strait of deal because time is pened under the proon our side Hormuz and rattled posed arrangement. global markets. Donald Trump, I love India and PM Earlier in the day, US president Modi: Trump during a joint press conference with External AfTrump on Sunday made a fairs Minister S Jaishankar in surprise live video appearance New Delhi, US Secretary of at an event in Delhi attended by State Marco Rubio claimed a Rubio, praising Prime Minister breakthrough is imminent. Narendra Modi as a close friend “There is the possibility that in and asserting that India-US ties the next few hours the world had “never been closer”. Speakwill get some good news,” he ing on a giant screen installed said. at the event marking the 250th Rubio said progress had been anniversary of the US Declaramade over the past 48 hours on tion of Independence, Trump a framework that could stabi- described himself as a “big lise the Strait of Hormuz. fan” of the Indian Prime MinThe US administration has ister. “I love the Prime Minisrepeatedly maintained that ter. Modi is great. He’s my preventing Iran from obtaining friend,” Trump said during the a nuclear weapon remains its virtual address.  P9 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a bilateral meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Sunday | pti J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi We’ve made tremendous progress and I think we’re going to wind up with a trade agreement between the United States and India that’s going to be enduring, beneficial to both sides and sustainable Marco Rubio ‘US, too, has stupid people’ Rubio defended America’s image as a welcoming country when asked about racist remarks targeting Indians in the US, saying such comments reflected the actions of “stupid people” and not American society at large. “Every country in the world has stupid people… stupid people in US make dumb comments all the time,” he said US pushes trade deal, India flags visa concerns J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi india and the US on Sunday sought to project continuity and momentum in their strategic partnership despite unease over trade talks and tightening American visa policies, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raising concerns over difficulties faced by legitimate Indian travellers seeking entry into the US. Addressing a joint press conference in Delhi alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after delegation-level talks, Jaishankar said the two sides had made progress on trade negotiations and remained committed to deepening cooperation in energy , technology mobility and regional security , . “We spoke about the value of concluding at an early date the final text of the interim agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade,” Jaishankar said, and referred to efforts to operationalise the bilateral trade framework envisioned during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington earlier this year. An Indian delegation had recently travelled to the US, he said, while an American team was expected in India soon. Rubio confirmed that both sides were “on the verge” of reaching a durable agreement. Energy security emerged as another major focus of the talks. Jaishankar underscored that India’s priority remained ensuring affordable and accessible supplies. Flagging concerns about delays in US visa processing, the minister said “Peopleto-people ties are at the heart of the relationship... I apprised Secretary Rubio of challenges that legitimate travellers face in respect of visa issuance.” In response, Rubio said the recent visa policy changes were not aimed at India. After 12 days and a second autopsy, Twisha laid to rest A N U R A A G S I N G H @ Bhopal A team of doctors from AIIMS Delhi completed the second autopsy of 33-year-old modelactor Twisha Sharma in Bhopal on Sunday. The process lasted three hours. The AIIMS team will submit its report in a sealed envelope to the Special Investigation Team, as directed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Twisha was found hanging at her matrimonial home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area on May 12, with her family accusing her in-laws of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide. Her in-laws, however, alleged she suffered from drug addiction. Two hours after the second autopsy was completed, and 12 days after she was found dead, Twisha’s body was cremated on Sunday afternoon. Her brother Harshit Sharma, an army officer, performed the last rites, including rendering ‘mukhagni’ to the body at the Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat in Bhopal. Emotions were high. Twisha’s mother and other members of her family were inconsolable as the funeral pyre was lit. Case in SC today The Supreme Court is set hear the Twisha Sharma death case on Monday. The court had taken suo motu cognisance of the case on Saturday. A three-judge bench of the court, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, will hear the matter No one from her husband’s family including the ex-judge , mother-in-law Giribala Singh and brother-in-law Siddharth Singh, an Indian Air Force officer, attended the funeral. Meanwhile, sources said Twisha’s husband Samarth Singh is not fully cooperating with the Bhopal Police’s Special Investigation Team. The investigators are not convinced by certain answers he has given. While the focus is on the events of May 12, the SIT is looking into every aspect of Samarth and Twisha’s life, right from the time they became close through a dating app in 2024. It is also trying to determine where Samarth was hiding and what role his mother had played in helping him. Sources said the initial questioning of Samarth has revealed that Twisha wasn’t keen to lead a family life. There was a drastic change in her behaviour after her pregnancy was confirmed on April 17, sources said. On Saturday, Twisha’s father submitted a detailed representation along with a copy of the high court order to the medical board, raising several concerns regarding the first autopsy . Among the concerns raised were alleged blunt force injuries on Twisha’s left arm and forearm, lack of detailed dissection to determine the depth and age of injuries, and absence of radiological examination of the neck and cervical structures. E x p r e s s Re a d Panaiyur Babu quits VCK, slams party leadership Chennai: Former VCK Cheyyur MLA Panaiyur M Babu on Sunday resigned from the VCK, accusing party chief Thol Thirumavalavan of repeatedly shifting political positions and undermining the movement’s foundational ideology. Babu announced that he was quitting both the party’s primary membership and his responsibilities as an ex-legislator, saying his conscience no longer permitted him to continue under the current leadership | P4 Kovai rape: Mom alleges cremation sans her assent 24 dead in Pak blast Paramilitary forces and volunteers try to recover victims after a powerful explosion ripped through a shuttle train in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Sunday. At least 24 people were killed and dozens injured | AFP Coimbatore: The mother of the 10-year-old girl, who was sexually assaulted and murdered near Sulur in Coimbatore, on Sunday alleged that her husband’s family cremated her daughter’s body without her consent and without letting her see it. Speaking to reporters, the mother said she had earlier refused to accept the girl’s body from the hospital until justice was ensured, and urged the police to take action against her husband and in-laws | P4 ‘Open to all’: Govt to hire In a first, 48 students of TN tribal welfare schools photographers via TNPSC secure seats at India’s premier tourism institute B A N B U S E LV A N @ Chennai BJP Sweeps falta re-poll BJP candidate Debangshu Panda won West Bengal’s Falta assembly seat on Sunday by 1.09 lakh votes. The Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan slipped to fourth position in the re-poll. With the win, the BJP’s strength in the House rises to 208 | P8 After 56 years of photographers being appointed to various Tamil Nadu government departments based on political connections, the process has finally been opened to all. Ending the long-standing practice, appointments under the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) have now been brought under the ambit of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC). With this, aspirants who are not associated with or recommended by political parties can now occupy the post of photographer in government departments. The TNPSC recently issued a notification to recruit 23 candidates for the post of junior pho- tographer for the first time. The prescribed qualification for the post is a Bachelor of Science degree in Visual Communication from a recognised institution, and the selection process will include a written examination. The move follows a decision taken by the then DMK gover nment in 2022, when the Human Resources portfolio was held by Palanivel Thiaga Rajan. Subsequently , the government had enacted the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (Additional Functions) Act, 2022, empowering the TNPSC to conduct recruitment for services in state-owned public sector undertakings, corporations, statutory boards and authorities. The Act came into force on March 17, 2023.  P5 S ubas h i n i V i j aya k u m a r @ Chennai A total of 48 students, including 18 girls, from schools under the state tribal welfare department have secured admission to the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) after clearing the institute’s entrance examination this year. The IITTM, functioning under the Union Tourism Ministry, is one of India’s premier institutions specialising in tourism, travel, hospitality des, tination management and allied sectors. The students will pursue a three-year BBA programme in tourism and travel on the IITTM campus in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, with the state government bearing all study expenses. Officials said that while 11 Students of the schools run by TN tribal welfare department who secured admission to the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management this year | Express tribal students joined the institute last year, the number has significantly gone up this year — the highest so far — thanks to focused outreach and training initiatives. “One of the major challenges in sending tribal students to premier institutions is the reluctance of parents to allow their children to study far away from their native places,” officials said. To address this, the department held zonal-level counsel- ling sessions for parents to explain the career opportunities available through these courses and the support that will be provided to students. The department also organised a special training camp at the Eklavya Model Residential Higher Secondary School (EMRS) in Kumizhi, Kancheepuram, to help students improve soft skills and prepare for the personal interview and group discussion rounds of the entrance test. “The training camp helped us improve our spoken English, especially for the interview and discussion rounds. My parents were initially reluctant to send me to Noida to pursue the course. However, after my headmaster and department officials assured them of full support, they agreed,” said D Dharshini Priya, a student of EMRS, Abinavam in Salem. P5