hyderabad 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 Talking points 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 J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi THE US and Iran on Sunday appeared to edge closer to a breakthrough agreement that could end months of conflict in West Asia, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and imposing fresh curbs on Tehran’s nuclear programme. US President Donald Trump said negotiations were progressing in a “constructive manner” and insisted Tehran “must understand” that it cannot develop a nuclear weapon. Trump also confirmed the US blockade linked to the ongoing conflict would remain in place until a deal was reached. The remarks came amid hectic parleys involving the US, Israel and Iran after three months of confrontation that disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and rattled global markets. Earlier in the day during a , press conference with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed a breakthrough is imminent. “There is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news,” he said, adding that progress had been made over the past 48 hours on a framework that could stabilise the Strait of Hormuz. The US administration has repeatedly maintained that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains its central objective. “Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” Rubio said. “The ultimate goal is to make sure Iran could never have a nuclear weapon.” According to reports, negotiators are finalising a 60-day ceasefire arrangement that would immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz and create a window for broader negotiations over dismantling parts of Iran’s nuclear programme. However, conflicting messages from Iran suggested major disagreements remain unresolved. The Iranian Embassy in Delhi said Tehran has the right to “peaceful use of nuclear science and technology” and that “Iran will never relinquish this lawful and internationally recognised right”. Iranian state media also disputed Trump’s claim that the Strait would be fully reopened under the proposed arrangement. I love India and Modi: Trump Trump on Sunday made a surprise live video appearance at an event in Delhi attended by Rubio, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a close friend and asserting that India-US ties had “never been closer”. Speaking on a giant screen installed at the event marking the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, Trump described himself as a “big fan” of the Indian Prime Minister. “I love the Prime Minister. Modi is great. He’s my friend,” Trump said during the 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 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 some “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 pact, 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. At a joint press conference in Delhi with 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 “People-to-people ties are at the heart of the relationship... I apprised Secretary Rubio of challenges that legitimate travellers face in respect of visa issuance.” After 12 days & 2nd 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 conducted a second autopsy on 33-year-old model-actor Twisha Sharma in Bhopal on Sunday with the procedure , lasting nearly three hours. The AIIMS team will submit its findings in a sealed envelope to the SIT, following directions from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Twisha was found hanging at her matrimonial home in Bhopal on May 12. While her family has accused her in-laws of dowry har- assment and abetment to suicide, her in-laws alleged that she was battling drug addiction. Nearly two hours after the autopsy and 12 days after her death, Twisha was cremated at Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat on Sunday afternoon. Her brother Harshit Sharma, an Army officer, performed the last rites. None of her husband Samarth Singh’s family members attended the cremation. Sources said Samarth was not fully cooperating with the SIT probe and that investigators were unconvinced by some of his responses. The SIT is examining the couple’s relationship from the time they met through a dating app in 2024, besides probing Samarth’s whereabouts after the incident and the alleged role of his mother. Sources further claimed that questioning revealed Twisha was reluctant about family life and that her behaviour reportedly changed after her pregnancy was confirmed on April 17. On Saturday, Twisha’s father submitted a representation to the medical board highlighting concerns over the first autopsy . Telangana launches ‘war-like’ 10-day paddy purchase drive E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Hyderabad Amid mounting arrivals, labour shortages, heatwave conditions and unseasonal rains threatening stocks at procurement centres, Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday announced a “war-like” 10-day special operation to accelerate paddy purchase across Telangana. Addressing a high-level video conference with district collectors, attended by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and ministers Thummala Nageswara Rao, Ponnam Prabhakar, Jupally Krishna Rao and Adluri Laxman Kumar, Uttam directed officials to complete procurement operations within the next 10 days through intensive field-level action. The minister said Telangana recorded an estimated 140.81 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy production during the current Rabi season from a record 65.91 lakh acres under cultivation. Total arrivals at procurement cen- A rare sculptural panel believed to depict celebrated Kakatiya emperor Ganapatideva and his queen Somaladevi has been identified at Totapalli village in Bejjanki mandal of Siddipet district, marking what historians describe as a first-of-its-kind discovery in Telangana. Archaeologist E Sivanagi Reddy told TNIE that the sculptural panel is carved on a granite slab measuring nearly three square feet. The central figures are believed to represent Ganapatideva and his the nearby Trikuta temple closely resemble Kakatiya craftsmanship and can be dated to the reign of Ganapatideva between 1199 and 1262 CE. The finding emerged during a heritage survey and public awareness programme titled “Preserve Heritage for Pos- @ Karimnagar A sanitation worker has alleged that she was assaulted by Karimnagar police during questioning in connection with a missing gold chain case. The police denied the allegations and maintained that no torture took place. The w o r k e r, R ayave n i L a x m i , claimed that Karimnagar Two Town police assaulted her while investigating a complaint lodged by Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar (MCK) Additional Commissioner J Suvartha regarding a missing gold chain from her residence. According to Laxmi, she 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 terity” conducted on Sunday by Pleach India Foundation and Kotha Telangana Charitra Brindam (KTCB). Ganapatideva was the longestreigning monarch of the Kakatiya dynasty of southern India. He brought most of the Telugu-speaking region in present-day Andhra Pradesh and Telangana under Kakatiya influence by war and diplomacy. He was succeeded by Rudrama Devi, his daughter.  tres are expected to touch 70–75 LMT. “This is not a routine procurement exercise. This is a statewide mission to protect farmers under extremely difficult conditions,” Uttam said, assuring tillers that every grain brought to procurement centres, including raindrenched paddy, would be purchased. He stated that while the Union government announces Minimum Suppor t Price (MSP), its procurement support to Telangana remained limited to around 52 LMT, forc- N a v e e n K u m ar Ta l l a m First depiction of Kakatiya emperor Ganapatideva found wife Somaladevi worshipping a miniature Sivalinga. “The royal parasols (umbrellas) or chatris carved above their heads are important royal insignia that helped us identify the figures as members of the Kakatiya royal family,” Sivanagi Reddy explained. Historians noted that the sculptural style, iconography and architectural features of With the Centre yet to respond to repeated requests for procurement of maize, jowar and sunflower crops, the Telangana government has decided to purchase additional produce on its own to prevent distress sales by farmers. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy approved an additional allocation of `1,867.77 crore, taking the total to `6,040.71 crore | p4 Sanitation worker alleges assault by Karimnagar cops a royal discovery K h yati S hah @ Hyderabad State to procure maize, jowar, sunflower continued on p5 A rare sculpture depicting Kakatiya emperor Ganapatideva and his queen Somaladevi identified at Totapalli village, Bejjanki mandal, in Siddipet district on Sunday Rayaveni Laxmi (inset) shows her hands injured during the ‘assault by cops’ was taken to the police station despite having no connection with the case. She alleged that police assaulted her during questioning. After videos of her allegations went viral on social media, she claimed police again called her to the station and s u b j e c t e d h e r t o ve r b a l abuse. continued on p5 ing the state government to undertake additional procurement on its own. As of May 23, procurement centres had received 58.79 LMT of paddy, of which 50.01 LMT had already been procured. Nearly 85% of arrivals had been cleared, while the remaining 8.78 LMT would be cleared within 72 hours, he said. Another 16 LMT is expected from late-harvest districts over the next 10 days. The minister said the Civil Supplies department was functioning in mission mode with a daily procurement target of 3 LMT. The state government has already released `8,749.82 crore towards MSP payments to farmers. Uttam also highlighted operational challenges faced during the procurement season, stating that many migrant labourers and rice mill workers from West Bengal had returned to their native states during the recent Assembly elections and had not returned on time, leading to severe labour shortages and delays in transpor t operations. E x p r e s s Re a d IAF chief bats for local air power New Delhi: Air Chief Marshal AP Singh pressed for faster induction of indigenous military aircraft and systems, saying design-to-delivery timelines must be compressed, as the Indian Air Force grapples with a widening fighter squadron deficit and the retirement of several ageing combat fleets. He was addressing graduating officers in Bengaluru | p7 23 killed, 70 hurt in Balochistan train blast Quetta: A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a railway track as a passenger train passed through the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on Sunday, killing at least 23 people and wounding over 70 others. The force of the explosion caused two of the train cars to overturn and catch fire, sending thick black smoke into the air | p9