chennai l friday l july 03, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 38 l late city EDITION SC quashes verdict based on AI-generated ‘precedents’ Supreme Court set aside a verdict of the National Company Law Tribunal on Thursday, stating that courts must show zero tolerance to AI slop fabricated case name, faulty citations The matter arose from an insolvency dispute involving Pooja Singh and J&K Bank and Essel Infraprojects Ltd. The appellant challenged an NCLT Mumbai order that had admitted a Section 7 insolvency application. The Supreme Court found that several “precedents” cited by NCLT did not exist. These included fabricated case names and wrong attributions ■ Two ai is methyl isocyanate of law, says sc ■ The bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe said, “The production of fake, non-existent, and hallucinated material as precedents is like release of methyl Isocyanate in law and justice...” The bench clarified that its judgment shall have no bearing on the rightful use of AI, but would only apply to fake AI-led case histories Tribunals, NCLT and NCLAT, relied on AI-generated fake citations 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 Re-NEET blunder: 1 question deleted 1st def co-development S l a l i t h a @ New Delhi JUST when the NEET-UG controversy appeared to be dying down after the successful completion of the June 21 re-exam, it has come to light that the Physics question paper had two blunders in it. One question had no correct answer and the National Testing Agency (NTA) will be dropping it, resulting in four bonus marks to all students. Another question had two answers, both of which will be treated as correct. Despite repeated requests, neither the NTA nor the Education Ministry was ready to chhattisgarh Can’t force Hindu prayer in school: HC E J A Z KAISER @Raipur IN a major development concerning the secular character of public education, the Chhattisgarh High Court on Thursday made it clear that school children cannot be forced to recite Hindu prayers in government-run educational institutions. The ruling was delivered by Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad on a writ petition challenging the constitutional validity of a circular issued by the State School Education Department on June 12. A controversy erupted after the BJP-led Chhattisgarh government issued the fiat mandating daily recitation of Vedic mantras, including the Gayatri Mantra and Saraswati Vandana, in all government schools from the new academic session. The legal challenge was filed by former Chhattisgarh Waqf Board Chairman Abdul Salam Rizvi, alongside Mahendra Chhabda and social activist Shafique Ahmed. The state government informed the court that the actual implementation of the administrative circular had not yet begun in any school so far. Taking note of the government’s submission, Justice Prasad disposed of the petition. However, the court left the door open for petitioners to approach it again if any child is compelled to participate in the religious recitations.“There is no issue if students of a particular faith recite Hindu prayers in government schools but students of other religions shouldn’t be coerced to follow it,” Aamir Khan, counsel for the petitioners, told this paper. WITH THIS ISSUE CHENNAI’S BEST WEEKEND GUIDE 38 PAGES, INCLUDING 24 OF INDULGE (TABLOID) NTA’s answer key officially stating the remedies for the two blunders | NTA come out with an official statement on the blunders. The exam had 180 multiple choice questions in all with four marks awarded for each correct answer. It was split into 45 questions each for Physics, Chemistry Botany and Zoology , for a total of 720 marks. Harpreet Singh, a reputed Physics teacher and Director at Visionary Masters in Delhi, shared the queries with this paper. “The question on Vernier Callipers has four answer options. All four are wrong. The correct answer is 1.6 cm and it does not figure among the options for question 40,” he said. The other blunder is the query Belgium complete comeback It seemed for all money that Senegal would be heading into the last 16. They were leading 2-0 but Belgium got one back and forced an equaliser before winning it via a contentious penalty in injury time to win the game 3-2 US advance to last 16 The main co-hosts advanced after beating Bosnia & Herzegovina 2-0. But Folarin Balogun, who scored along with Malik Tillman, picked up a red card after what looked like a stamp on the ankle of a covering defender Belgium to face co-hosts US Why contentious? The on-field ref had waved for play to continue after Youri Tielemans went down. But he was asked to consult the monitor by VAR. The on-field referee gave the penalty. However, it wasn’t a clear and obvious error Argentina start knockout journey Holders Argentina face Cape Verde in one of the last three games of the first knockout stage. The three-time champions are prohibitive favourites but Cape Verde have been resillient so far Today’s matches: Australia vs Egypt 11.30 PM, Argentina vs Cape Verde (3.30 AM)*, Colombia vs Ghana (7.00 AM)* (*IST Saturday) project deal with Japan Agreement to upgrade the Comprehensive Economic Partnership J aya n t h J a c o b a n d P u s h p i ta D e y @ New Delhi India and Japan on Thursday elevated their global strategic partnership with a twin push on defence manufacturing and economic integration, signing their first-ever defence co-development project while agreeing to upgrade the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), as Prime Minister Narendra Modi described “unbreakable mutual trust” as the bedrock of bilateral ties. The two sides also unveiled a roadmap on economic security , supply chain resilience, clean energy and biotech following the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit between Prime Minister Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi. “Today, we have signed an agreement on the first co-development project between India and Japan in the defence sector. This project for a naval radio antenna will open a new chapter in our defence technology partnership,” Modi said. The pact relates to the Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) project, a next-generation naval communications system designed to provide secure and reliable communications for warships. The joint statement said both PMs welcomed the conclusion Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Japan counterpart Sanae Takaichi | PTI Widening trade deficit The CEPA review assumes significance as India’s trade deficit with Japan widened over the past decade — from $5.18 billion in 2015-16 to $15.4 billion in 2025-26. During the same period, imports rose to $21.43 billion, while India’s exports increased only modestly to $6 billion in principle of the remaining technical issues on UNICORN and agreed to explore additional defence equipment and technology collaborations. Modi welcomed Japan’s review of its Russia buying Indian gasoline? Not directly from refiners, says minister R a k e s h K u m a r @ New Delhi Speed breaker An SUV lodged on the iron reinforcement bars of an under-construction bridge after crashing through roadside barriers near Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh | pti E x p r e s s Re a d 4 ex-AIADMK ministers, former MLAs join TVK Five more arrested in `35-cr bribery bid case Chennai: Four former AIADMK ministers — C Vijayabaskar, M R Vijayabhaskar, S Valarmathi and MSM Anandan — along with several MLAs and hundreds of office-bearers joined the ruling TVK on Thursday in one of the biggest defections from AIADMK to the ruling party | P4 Chennai: Police included DMK former minister V Senthil Balaji and his brother V Ashok Kumar in the FIR and arrested five more persons on Thursday in connection with the alleged `35-crore bribery and intimidation bid targeting TVK’s Uthangarai MLA Dr N Ilaiyaraja | P5 Private vehicles rule Chennai roads, share of public transport nosedives R u d h r a n B a r a a s u @ Chennai The government seems to be waging a losing battle in encouraging more people to use public transport in the state’s capital as private vehicles now account for more than 65% of motorised trips in the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA). The share of public transport in daily trips in CMA has registered an 11% dip in the last 35 years, official data show. Though metro rail network, bus fleet, and suburban rail services have all been introduced and expanded over the last three on electromagnetic waves. “While ideally there should be only one answer for a question, both the answers 3 and 4 are correct for this question numbered 22,” Singh said. The NTA portal states, “If none of the options is correct or a question is wrong or is dropped, all candidates who appeared will be given four marks irrespective of whether the question has been attempted or not attempted by the candidate.” NTA also stated that in the case of a question with two answers, the bonus marks will be awarded only to those students who have chosen either of the two as options. Share of public transport in daily trips in CMA fell 11% in the last 35 years | file pic decades, the share of usage of public transport has dropped from 42% in 1991 to 31% in 2026. The Second Master Plan (SMP) conceived in 2005, as part of which projections for the city’s growth were laid out till 2026, had estimated that public transport would account for 70% of all motorised trips in Chennai by this year, but private vehicles now account for 65% of such trips. The SMP had projected around 2.07 crore daily trips across the CMA in 2026, close to the 2.13 crore now estimated by the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA). Of this, the SMP said 1.45 crore daily trips would be made through public transport.  P7 PETROLEUM Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday denied reports that Indian refiners are exporting gasoline to Russia, saying none of India’s public or private refiners are currently shipping fuel to the country. The minister, while speaking to the media, said that any Indian-origin fuel reaching Russia could have been traded through intermediaries rather than sold directly by Indian companies. The clarification came after media reports claimed Russia had imported seaborne gasoline from India to meet domes- Fuel prices On possibility of a cut in domestic fuel prices, Petroleum Minister Puri said petrol and diesel prices could be reduced if international crude prices remain at current levels for the next few months tic demand after Ukrainian attacks disrupted its refining facilities. According to reports, at least 60,000 metric tonnes of gasoline have already been dispatched from India, while another report said two tankers carrying 30,000-40,000 tonnes each had been sent.“None of the Indian refiners, including private refiners, are exporting gasoline to Russia. It may be some intermediary… Crude oil and refined products are often traded multiple times through intermediaries before reaching the final destination. Therefore, the original source of a shipment may differ from the immediate seller,” Puri said. The minister, while speaking on exports of petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF), said India is one of the world’s largest refining and petroleumexporting hubs, supplying refined products to more than 140 countries. HEALTHY Fizz Cola-veri as new entrant shakes up duopoly in soft drinks market DI PAK MONDAL @ New Delhi Kolkata-based ITC has opened a new front in India’s famed cola wars, traditionally waged by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. The Indian company’s latest coconut-based carbonated drink has reignited interest in the country’s soft drinks market, currently dominated by the two US giants that control nearly 90% of the market. Reliance Industries-owned desi brand Campa Cola, a distant third player, has been unable to make inroads into this highly entrenched market. ITC’s entry will add another layer of competition but may not disrupt the market. According to sources, ITC’s B Natural Coconut Cola lacks the conventional ‘fizz’ needed to make significant headway in the fiercely contested cola segment. Interestingly, ITC is not trying to compete with established cola brands; instead, it wants to create an entirely new category by blending coconut water with cola flavour. The drink is positioned as a healthier alternative, with lower calories and no added sugar. Industry executives point out that ITC has stayed away from the aggressive price wars. B Natural Coconut Cola is priced at `60 for a 250 ml can, compared with `38 for a 300 ml can of Coca-Cola. Direct competition unlikely, say analysts According to market analysts, ITC’s foray into soft drinks may not intensify competition in the cola market. A broking analyst said ITC itself is unlikely to take on the established players directly, given Reliance’s limited success so far in challenging the two US beverage giants “It is being marketed as a premium product,” said the spokesperson for a quick-commerce platform. The product is available only on select quickcommerce platforms. A brokerage analyst tracking ITC said the launch is part of the company’s strategy to introduce innovative beverages, including Breakfast Smoothie with Oats, Mango Smoothie with Chunks and Berry Smoothie with Chia Seeds. Reliance recently said that Campa Cola, the iconic brand revived by Reliance Consumer Products Ltd, has become one of India’s top four carbonated beverage brands in less than two years of its relaunch. According to RCPL, Campa recorded annual revenue of `4,700 crore in FY26, m a k i n g i t I n d i a ’s fourth-largest carbonated drinks brand. principles governing the transfer of defence equipment and technology, which New Delhi sees as opening new avenues for industrial collaboration. Both leaders also agreed to modernise the India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Ag reement (CEPA), which came into force in 2011 but has come under scrutiny over its limited benefits for Indian exporters. “Upgradation of the CEPA pact and review of its provisions were discussed....whether the agreement has become outdated in light of newer trade arrangements,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said. Sources said India has sought a review of several non-tariff barriers, particularly Japan’s stringent sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards, which have constrained Indian exports despite preferential tariff access. “The global trade landscape has evolved considerably since 2011, and India has conveyed its interest in reviewing aspects of CEPA,” a senior government source said. The summit also produced a Joint Roadmap on Economic Security, under which the two countries will strengthen supply chain resilience in strategic sectors including semiconductors, quantum technologies and advanced materials. Man, 5-yr-old son killed in gang war in Tirunelveli E X P RESS NE W S SERVICE @ Tirunelveli In a brutal gang war that has its genesis in a street clash in 2007, a gang killed a 40-year-old man and his five-year-old son and left his 15-year-old son fighting for life in a deadly attack near Veeravanallur in Tir unelveli on T hursday evening. The deceased were identified by police as C Kalimuthu and his son K Jayaraj. K Chinnadurai, another son of Kalimuthu, is undergoing treatment at a hospital. The car-borne gang rammed their vehicle into the two-wheeler on which the victims were travelling, before attacking them with machetes. The boy died in the impact of the collision. The gang severed Kalimuthu’s head and placed it on the Tirunelveli-Ambasamudram State Highway triggering panic , among the public. All the three victims are from Moolachi village near Kallidaikurichi. The rivalry between the attackers, who are suspected to be relatives of K Perumalpandi of the same village, and Kalimuthu’s father Chithiraputhiran began in 2007. “The clash led to the registration of cases against both groups by the Kallidaikurichi police. The rivalry later intensified with a series of retaliatory murders. On Chithiraputhiran’s side, he and his relatives Subramanian, Perumal, Papanasam and Kumar were killed. The rival group had lost Perumalpandi, Subbiah and Chinnathambi in retaliatory attacks so far,” sources said. On Thursday the gang alleg, edly followed Kalimuthu’s twowheeler in a car and on a few two-wheelers. When Kalimuthu was passing through the Vallathunambikulam area, the gang launched the attack.  P7