hyderabad l Saturday l may 30, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Faced with high costs, U.S. firms look to cut back on AI spending Faced with steep IT costs, many US tech firms including Microsoft are ditching expensive AI agents like Claude Code, Axios reported U.s. Company gets $500 million claude shock Poor return on investment is the pain point Microsoft has reportedly cancelled most of its Claude Code licenses partly due to high costs, according to the Axios report. The tool had become highly popular inside the company since its introduction in December. As per the report, an unnamed US company spent half a billion dollars in a month after failing to put usage limits on Claude licenses for its employees ■ ■ While AI costs keep piling up, companies using the technology have yet to see meaningful returns on their investment, the report said But corporations are not ditching AI altogether, the report noted. Instead, they are looking for cheaper alternatives that can deliver similar results without draining their IT budgets 70% of fortune 100 companies use claude, as per reports 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 Guv accepts resignation, CLP set to PM supervising elect DKS as Siddu successor today retest, says govt N EET - U G p a p e r l e a k Siddaramaiah lobbies for loyalists as DCMs, ministers; oath-taking not later than June 6 10-member initial Cabinet P r eetha N a i r , Bala Chauhan an d De v a r a j B H i r ehall i Sources said DKS will be sworn in with nine others — including picks by Siddaramaiah — in the initial cabinet that will be expanded after the June 18 RS polls. Plans are on for the ceremony on the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha @ New Delhi/Bengaluru Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Friday accepted Siddaramaiah’s resignation as Chief Minister, paving the way for the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Bengaluru to elect D K Shivakumar as the successor — scheduled for 4 pm on Saturday — amid hectic negotiations in New Delhi over ministerial berths. Shivakumar’s oath-taking date is yet to be decided. Governor Gehlot dissolved the council of ministers under Siddaramaiah — who was yet to arrive in Bengaluru at the time — but will continue to function as the caretaker CM until “alternative arrangements are made”. After the CLP meet elects Shivakumar as its leader, he will visit Lok Bhavan to stake his claim to form the new government. Shivakumar is likely to be sworn in no later than June 6, his mentor, spiritual guru and astrologer Rajguru Bellur Sankaranarayanan advocate murder case TPCC leader among seven arrested C H I T H A L U RI R E V A N T H @ Hyderabad Nampally police on Friday arrested seven accused, including TPCC vice-president Mujahid Alam Khan and his father Mahboob Alam Khan, in the murder of senior advocate Khaja Moizuddin. The other accused arrested were Kishan alias Pappu, Abhijeeth alias Nani, Dighan Vinay, Vikram Aditya and Manideep alias Pogo Nani. Immediately after his arrest, Mujahid Alam Khan was expelled from the Congress. TPCC Disciplinary Committee chairman Mallu Ravi said Khan and his father had been arrested by police in connection with the murder of Khaja Moizuddin. He said the committee viewed the case seriously and decided to expel Mujahid from the party . Hyderabad Commissioner of Police VC Sajjanar told reporters that Moizuddin was killed at around 5.45 am on May 23 while he was preparing to leave in his car for swimming. As he was getting into the vehicle, a car rammed into him, throwing him nearly 10 metres away He . later succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at a hospital.  Continued on P5 Express Read `2K crore released to clear employees’ dues Hyderabad: The state government on Friday released `2,000 crore towards the clearance of pending dues of employees. With the latest release, the government has fully cleared major dues related to retired employees | P4 IMD predicts weak monsoon for TG Hyderabad: Telangana may be headed for an uncertain monsoon season this year, with the IMD forecasting below-normal rainfall across the South Peninsular region even as parts of the state continue to reel under prolonged heatwave conditions | P2 Jarkiholi on short list Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi being greeted by Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, in New Delhi on Friday | Express Dwarakanath told this newspaper. “I have told him to consider any of the three dates (May 31, June 5 or June 6) for oath-taking as they are auspicious for him. The time will, however, be 4 pm,” he said. In New Delhi, hectic parleys were on with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar lobbying with the high command, which is keen on having two deputy CM (DCMs), although there are discussions on having four. It is learnt that the high command assured Siddaramaiah that his son and MLC Dr Yathindra will be inducted into the cabinet, besides former ministers G Parameshwara and Priyank Kharge. Sources said Siddaramaiah suggested to senior leader Rahul Gandhi that Yathindra and former ministers K J George and M B Patil be appointed as DCMs. However, names of Priyank Kharge and G Parameshwara The names of former ministers Ramalinga Reddy, George, Satish Jarkiholi and Byrathi Suresh are likely to be on the list. Both Siddaramaiah and DKS have given their lists of MLAs for ministerial berths are also doing the rounds. One of them could also be appointed DCM, sources said. Siddaramaiah has also insisted on retaining his trusted aide Zameer Ahmed as minister and on inducting his legal advisor, A S Ponnanna, in the new ministry . Speaking to reporters after the daylong meetings, Shivakumar said, “Everything is happening as requested by the high command. Nothing has been decided.” Ensure not a single person loses vote during SIR: CM to Cong workers E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad Expressing concern over the possibility of Dalits, minorities and women losing their votes due to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy called upon party workers to ensure that not a single eligible voter was removed from the electoral rolls. Addressing a joint meeting of the Pradesh Congress Committee Political Affairs Committee and PCC Advisory Committee at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday, he asked the Mahila Congress to organise clusterwise meetings on the SIR and create awareness among voters. He said it was encouraging that party leaders were creating awareness on the SIR and had understood the difficulties it could create for common people, the poor and Congress workers. He said the SIR could become a major issue for Lambadas, tribals and migrant workers. Stating that people in some Assembly segments might have migrated elsewhere for employment, Revanth asked Congress activists to remain vigilant and ensure that those who had moved temporarily for work were not removed from the electoral rolls. He directed party workers to create awareness regarding solutions to problems arising out of the SIR process. He recalled that with the support of booth-level enrollers, the Congress had completed 45 lakh digital memberships in 90 days in the past.  Continued on P4 Vaibhav sizzles but GT have last laugh Despite Sooryavanshi’s crucial 96, GT beat RR to enter the final. A look at the tie and some talking points from IPL... BCCI bans smart sunglasses in PMOA Gill goes for killer strike The BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit has barred the usage of smart sunglasses by players and match officials in the ongoing IPL, citing its advanced communication features which allow live streaming and video calling through mobile data or Wi-Fi networks. In an advisory to the league’s franchises, the BCCI ACSU has stated that it has been noticed that some companies are marketing and selling smart sunglasses to players and support staff. If the 97 against Sunrisers Hyderabad made the world stand up and watch Sooryavanshi, the teenager’s 96 from 47 balls helped Rajasthan Royals post 214/6 against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2. However, it was not enough as skipper Shubman Gill stamped his authority with a brilliant 104, setting Titans’ final clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Pant resigns, Pandya and others on radar While Rishabh Pant stepped down as Lucknow Super Giants captain, he may not be the only one to lose the job after this season. Following a poor show, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya, Delhi Capitals Axar Patel and even Kolkata Knight Riders’ Ajinkya Rahane might not be leading their respective teams next season. | P11 as SC raps NTA S U C H I T R A K A LYA N MO H A N T Y @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Friday advised the National Testing Agency (NTA) to learn from bodies like the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) that conduct largescale competitive exams without paper leaks. The court made the observation while hearing a batch of pleas filed by the United Doctors Front and the Federation of All India Medical Associations seeking the disbanding of the NTA over the NEETUG paper leak and the upcoming retest. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, assured the court that the government was treating the matter with utmost seriousness. “The prime minister is personally supervising the situation,” he said, adding the government plans to eventually shift NEET-UG to computer-based testing. “UPSC has never been in such a situation. You need to learn. General liability clauses were not enough. The real problem won’t stop till actual accountability arises. Unless you identify the specific duty bearers, it will be difficult,” the bench said. “The problem is that most institutions are ad hoc. It’s a phenomenon that is everywhere in the country. It’s not the individual who has the capability but the institution,” Justice Narasimha observed. He asked the Centre to file an affidavit specifying how an “institutional memory of continuity” could be built by employing specialised personnel, enabling the NTA to conduct exams reliably in future. Dr K Radhakrishnan, the head of the monitoring committee to suggest recommendations to strengthen NEET, described the structural deficiencies within the NTA in 2024, including the lack of sufficient domain experts. He added that major reforms had been undertaken in the transport of question papers as well, which had previously been vulnerable. The court suggested a permanent, small monitoring mechanism with top universities and IITs to continuously assess and strengthen the system, especially with new technologies like AI. AI-based tools shall be used for at least 85% of translation work to minimise human intervention... Randomisation, rotation is being institutionalised for engagement of paper setters, moderators, vetters, translators for exams NTA affidavit Systemic gaps ‘fixed’ for retest Radhakrishnan, who headed the monitoring committee in 2024 to strengthen NEET, said the panel had submitted 35 long-term and 60 short-term suggestions, most of which had been implemented. He assured the court that the vulnerabilities exposed this year had been addressed for the retest next month Guv sore over partial Vande Mataram in Kerala House S o v i V i d ya d ha r an @ T’puram Vande Mataram once again emerged as the centrepiece of a tussle between the UDF government in Kerala and the Lok Bhavan after the Union government’s directive to render the national song in its entirety was not followed at the inaugural session of the 16th Kerala Legislative Assembly . Instead, the Kerala Police band played only the opening stanza. While it marked the first time that Vande Mataram was rendered in the assembly, the omission of the remaining stanzas drew strong objections from Governor Rajendra Arlekar, who delivered the UDF gover nment’s maiden policy address in the House. Arlekar told reporters that the Lok Bhavan had, a day earlier, insisted that the national song be sung or played in full in accordance with protocol. He said he had raised the matter with Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan. “Let us see how things develop,” he said. Chief Minister V D Satheesan defended the decision to play only the opening portion of Vande Mataram. “We all function based on the decision the (Congress) party has taken. Besides, it is not mandatory. Parliament has not passed any legislation on it. It is only a guideline,” he told reporters. The BJP termed the truncated rendition an “affront” to the governor and the Lok Bhavan. Interestingly, the UDF found support from an unlikely quarter, with the Opposition LDF backing its stand. Former YSRCP MLA among accused in fake GO, `1,000 crore land racket E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad Narsingi police busted a fake GO and `1,000-crore illegal government land deal racket and arrested three persons identified as Nimmala Rajesh Goud, Nimmala Venugopal and Nimmala Ramaswamy Former YS. RCP MLA from Vinukonda in Andhra Pradesh, Bolla Brahma Naidu, and his relative Bolla Ramesh allegedly played a key role in creating fake GOs and are currently at large. Serilingampally DCP Ch Srinivas said that on May 23, 2026, a complaint was received from Gandipet tahsildar Srinivas Reddy He alleged that five . fake and fabricated Government Orders (GOs) had been created and circulated through WhatsApp groups and other so- cial media platforms, falsely passbooks, fake Memoranda of claiming that approximately 10 Understanding (MoUs), mobile acres of government (Poram- phones and a laptop were boke) land situated in Survey seized. No 18 of Gandipet village in Investigation revealed that Gandipet mandal of Rangared- Rajesh Goud, Venugopal, Ramdy district had been regular- aswamy and their sister Manga ised and allotted to had allegedly claimed private individuals. possession of the land. Based on the comSubsequently, they applaint, the Narsingi proached the high court police registered a in 2012 by filing peticase and launched an tions against the Reveinvestigation. nue department seeking During the course relief in respect of the of investigation, poland. However, the high lice obtained a warcourt dismissed their rant from a local Brahma Naidu petitions in October court and conducted 2025. searches at the houses of the The Serilingampally DCP accused persons — Nimmala said that, as per official records, Venugopal, Nimmala Ramas- a total of 104 acres in Survey wamy and Nimmala Rajesh — No 18 had been classified as all residents of Gandipet. Dur- government land since 1954.  ing the searches, bank  Continued on P5 HCs must pronounce verdict within 3 months of reserving it S U C H I T R A K A LYA N MO H A N T Y @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Friday imposed tight timelines on all high courts to issue orders on bail applications and reserved verdicts. It said bail application must be disposed of after hearing within 24 hours. As for reserved judgments, it directed that the verdict be pronounced within three months from the date of reservation. A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joym- If judgment is not pronounced within three months from the date of reserving, parties can file an application for release of the judgment. The application should be listed within 2 days If the judgment is not pronounced within 3+1 months from the date of reserving, parties can file an application to withdraw the said case alya Bagchi issued a set of binding directions while hearing a petition challenging the Jharkhand High Court’s delay in pronouncing judgments in New timelines and move it over to another bench for fresh arguments Reasoned judgment pronounced in open courts should be uploaded on the high court website within 24 hours High courts should update their website. The date of reserving judgment shall be reflected in the case status If only the operative portion of judgment is delivered, the case status must record it. When the reasoned judgment is uploaded, the parties/ advocates shall be informed by email The certified copy of the judgments shall mention the date of reserving the judgment, the date of pronouncing the judgment, and the date of uploading it criminal appeals reserved as far back as in 2022. The court directed that the order of bail or sentence suspension be communicated to the jail authorities as soon as it is pronounced, and that the undertrial or convict should be released, preferably the same day or at most the next day . If a bail order is reserved, it must be pronounced and uploaded the next day . If a reserved judgment is not delivered within three months, the Registrar shall place the matter before the chief justice. “The chief justice shall bring it to the notice of the bench within 2 weeks thereafter. If it is still not delivered, the chief justice may assign the case to another bench.” If a reasoned judgment is withheld, the operative part may be pronounced in the court, and the reasoned verdict uploaded within 15 days. RBI upbeat about economy despite war Outlook for 2026-27 remains positive, supported by strong macroeconomic fundamentals, the RBI said in its annual report