coimbatore l Saturday l may 30, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 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 E E T - U G p a p e r le a k Siddaramaiah lobbies for loyalists as DCMs, ministers; oath-taking not later than June 6 10-member initial cabinet Preetha Nair, Bala Chauhan a n d D eva ra j B H i r e h a l l 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 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 on nine probables. 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. Siddarmaiah 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.” TN mob lynches Assam man for ‘misbehaviour’ 7 Dalits injured in sickle attacks by masked gangs in Tenkasi, Tirunelveli E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Chennai @ Tenkasi/Tirunelveli A migrant worker was allegedly beaten to death by a group of people at RR Kandigai village near Tiruvallur on Thursday after he allegedly misbehaved with women residents of the village. The deceased was identified as Prosenjit Das (35), a native of Assam. The people involved in the attack are yet to be identified, police said. According to the Vengal police, Prosenjit was one among six migrant workers who had arrived at Amanapakkam village, under Tamarapakkam panchayat in Ellapuram union, on Thursday morning in search of work. Later in the day he al, legedly consumed alcohol and went to RR Kandigai village. In an inebriated condition, Prosenjit entered a house in the village and misbehaved with the women who were present inside. Following this, family members of the house chased him away after assaulting him, the police said. He then allegedly entered another house in the village and picked quarrels with some women and other residents. As they raised an alarm, public intervened and Prosenjit allegedly attacked them as well, the police added.  P5 E x p r e s s Re a d Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal likely to be next TN DGP Chennai: Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, a 1994-batch IPS officer, is likely to be appointed as the next DGP. As he is on a central deputation, TN govt has sent a letter to the centre requesting it to relieve him to be appointed as Head of Police Force, succeeding Sandeep Rathore | P2 14 districts get new collectors in IAS rejig Chennai: In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, TN govt transferred 40 IAS officers on Friday. While new collectors were posted to 14 districts, TN infrastructure development board CEO Pooja Kulkarni has been appointed commissioner of prohibition and excise | P5 EXPRE S S NEW S S ERVICE In a grim reminder of the Perumpathu violence in which a Dalit was killed in March, seven Scheduled Caste people were injured in sickle attacks by masked gangs in two separate incidents in Tenkasi and Tirunelveli districts on Thursday and Friday evening. According to sources, a gang of nine people with their faces covered by cloth arrived at Mathakovil Street of Nettur village in Tenkasi district be- One of the victims injured in the attack at Nettur in Tenkasi district | Express tween 5.30pm and 6pm on three two-wheelers that did not have number plates. “All of a sudden, without any provocation, they drew out sickles and at- tacked people indiscriminately on the street where most of the residents are SC-Christians. Six locals and one person from Ayikudi town were injured in the attack. While one of them was treated at a local hospital, five others were first sent to Government Hospital in Alangulam and then to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital for treatment,” sources added. The injured have been identified as M Arul Maran, G Santhoshkumar, C Rayappan, G Mark Ramesh, R Ramkumar and Amulraj, police said.  P5 Wunderkind Vaibhav rises to occasion As Sooryavanshi scored a crucial 96 which took RR to 214/6, a look at the tie and some talking points from IPL... BCCI bans smart sunglasses in PMOA Sooryavanshi steals the show 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 on Friday rose to the occasion and played a crucial knock for Rajasthan Royals. Despite losing regular wickets at the other end, the 15-year-old soaked in all the pressure to smash 96 from 47 balls, helping RR post 214/6 against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2. Pant resigns, Pandya and other 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. as SC raps NTA S U CHITRA KALYAN MOHANTY @ 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 h a r a n @ 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. TN panel tells CBSE, private schools to display class-wise fee at entrances S u b a s h i n i V i j aya k u m a r @ Chennai In a sweeping directive to ensure transparency in collection of school fees, the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission has ordered district education authorities to ensure public display of fee structure by all private, CBSE, and aided schools across the state. Bringing to end the threeand-a-half-year battle of a Coimbatore resident to obtain information on school fees under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, infor mation commissioner VPR Ilamparithi directed schools to display class-wise fee structures at their entrances, on their websites, and furnish them along with the admission application forms. Coming down heavily on of- Report by June 15 The state information commission has ordered Director of Private Schools to submit a compliance report by June 15. The order was issued on a petition filed by a Coimbatore resident after his query under RTI was kept pending for over 3 years ficials for the prolonged delay in furnishing the information, the commission also directed the School Education Department to pay `25,000 as compensation to the applicant, M Liaquath Ali of Coimbatore, and sought explanations from the officials who repeatedly transferred the RTI application instead of providing the requested details. The commission has directed Director of Private Schools S Suganya to submit a compliance report by June 15. The order was passed recently on the second appeal filed by Liaquath Ali, who had sought information in October 2022 on the fee structure prescribed for private matriculation higher secondary schools under government guidelines. According to the commission’s order, the RTI application was transferred between the office of the Chief Educational Officer, the District Educational Officer (Private Schools) and school principals in Coimbatore, resulting in a delay of more than two-and-a-half years. The panel noted that even after receiving its notice, officials had failed to furnish complete information to the applicant.  P5 HCs now have 24 hours after hearing to decide on bail petitions S U CHITRA KALYAN MOHANTY @ 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