log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline TUESDAY MAY 5, 2026 GOA SUMMER SKINCARE NEEDS: BEATING GOA’S HEAT, HUMIDITY AND UV RISK SILVER BONDS: 25 YEARS OF LOVE, COMMITMENT, AND GRACE IN SHORT >> SC defers petition on G8 MLAs’ disqualification PANAJI: The Supreme Court on Monday briefly heard a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Congress leader Girish Chodankar seeking the disqualification of eight MLAs. The bench directed that the matter be listed on a Non-Miscellaneous Day for final arguments. The petitioner submitted that the Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, named as a respondent in the case, has not filed a reply despite a notice issued by the apex court in March 2025. CCP poll petitions hearing adjourned PANAJI: The North Goa court has adjourned the hearing of two petitions challenging the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) elections to June 25, when replies and arguments will be taken up. One petition raises concerns over the secrecy of the ballot, while the second has been filed by a prospective candidate contesting the reservation of Ward No. 1 for an ST woman following the delimitation exercise. ST quota: Goa team to call on Amit Shah MARGAO: Asserting that the process to provide political reservations to the Scheduled Tribe communities of Goa is almost complete, Tribal Welfare Minister Ramesh Tawadkar said a delegation will all on Union Home Minister Amit Shah within the next 15 days with a plea to issue the notification to take the exercise to the logical conclusion.  >> See pg 2 3 Indians hurt in Iran drone strike DUBAI: Three Indian nationals were injured on Monday after a fire broke out on the Fujairah Petroleum Industries Zone in the UAE following a drone strike originating from Iran. The relevant authorities in the eastern emirate of Fujairah confirmed that a fire has broken out in the FOIZ, resulting from a drone attack coming from Iran. WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 32.1 C 19.2 C 83% TIDES Low: 05.12 16.51 High: 09.53 ---- The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 317 Double tracking: 17 hearings, still no arguments in Velsao land row >PG 6 Facebook.com/thegoan 2 3 GOA Fresh plea in HC seeks immediate civic polls, targets ordinance Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Say goodbye to boils: Safe and effective home remedies 10 13 SPORTS Rohit, Rickelton power Mumbai Indians to 6-wicket win SAFFRON STORM SWEEPS BENGAL  BJP ENDS TMC'S 15-YEAR RULE  KERALA VOTERS SHOW THE DOOR TO LEFT RULE, UDF COMES TO POWER  NDA TO FORM GOVT IN ASSAM FOR THIRD STRAIGHT TERM  NDA RETAINS POWER IN PUDUCHERRY WEST BENGAL PTI KOLKATA Extending its saffron brushstroke in the east, the BJP was on Monday set for a decisive win over the TMC in long elusive West Bengal and headed for another term in Assam while actor-politician Vijay's TVK made a stunning debut in Tamil Nadu. While the UDF swept to power in Kerala, the AINRC-led NDA emerged victorious in Puducherry. In West Bengal, BJP scripted history by winning 202 seats to secure more than a two-thirds majority, ending the TMC's 15-year rule. What began as tentative early leads soon hardened into a decisive wave, with the BJP winning 202 seats and leading in five, while the TMC trailed far behind, managing to win 73 and leading in eight seats, according to Election Commission data. For the first time since 1972, West Bengal appears set to be governed by a party that is also in power at the Centre -a shift with deep administrative and political implications. As votes were counted for assembly elections in West 294 207 80 BJP+ TMC+ 02 CONG 04 OTH 1 seat yet to go to poll KERALA 89 UDF ASSAM 140 35 LDF 03 BJP+ 13 OTH 102 21 BJP+ 02 CONG+ AIUDF+ 01 OTH KOLKATA: In a dramatic, high-stakes contest that mirrored the political theatre of Nandigram five years ago, Bharatiya Janata Party's Suvendu Adhikari defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her home turf Bhabanipur, delivering a blow to the Trinamool Congress amid a sweeping saffron surge across the State. Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, Election Commission trends showed a wipeout of the Left and a solitary win for the Congress that has been battling diminishing electoral returns. That silver lining for the opposition party came from Kerala where the Congress-led UDF MOVES AFOOT TO WRITE TO THE GOVERNOR THE GOAN I NETWORK Forum seeks Chancellor’s intervention PANAJI: A forum representing non-government college managements in Goa has sought the intervention of the Chancellor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju over the introduction of integrated undergraduate-postgraduate (UG+PG) programmes by Goa University, alleging that the courses were rolled out without mandatory government approval. In a representation submitted on April 29, the Forum of Principals and Representatives of Managements of Non-Government Colleges in Goa raised serious concerns regarding the presentation and approval of an ordinance for the new integrated programmes during a recent Academic Council >> See pg 3 meeting.  to the proposal at the time, asserting that the university enjoys academic autonomy and that the State cannot mandate such an audit. “VC was of the opinion that only Chancellor can issue such directions. Hence, the government is now considering writing to the Chancellor to recommend an academic au- dit of the university, at least covering the past five years,” sources said. Officials believe that the recent decision by the university to introduce nine integrated programmes without securing mandatory approvals has further strengthened >Continued on P8 06 NRC+ CONG+ 03 TVK+ PTI 03 OTH TAMIL NADU CHENNAI Actor-politician Vijay's TVK on Monday created a record of sorts in the electoral history of Tamil Nadu and emerged as the single largest party by delivering a shock defeat to incumbent DMK and its president, Chief Minister MK Stalin in his Kolathur constituency, while the AIADMK was pushed to a distant third spot. This was the first time since 1967, when the first non-Congress government (DMK) came to power in the state, that a party other than the two Dravidian heavyweights emerged victorious in the hustings. Vijay and TVK have many firsts to their credit and the party founder will be the first person from a minority religion – Christianity -- to helm the state. While Vijay won from both Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East constituencies, his party has netted 89 seats and was leading in 18 more and is on 234 two-thirds majority, with a record high of 102 seats in the 126-member assembly, while the Congress-led Opposition delivered its worst performance in recent times on Monday. The BJP, which contested 90 seats, won 82, while its allies -- the Bodoland People's Louis Berger ED case: Digambar, Churchill get court reprieve Water levels in reservoirs drop to 40%, crisis looms Adhikari won by a margin of 15,105 votes, according to data available on the Election Commission website, capping a stunning turnaround in a contest where Banerjee had led comfortably in the early rounds. While Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the outgoing assembly, bagged 73,917 votes, the CM secured 58,812 votes. won or was leading in 101 of the 140 Assembly seats while the CPM-led ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) was ahead in just under 40 constituencies. In Assam, the ruling NDA was set to form the government for the third consecutive term after securing a 18 30 Stalin, EPS suffer shock defeat Front (BPF), which contested 11 seats, and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which fought in 26 seats -- bagged 10 constituencies each. In Puducherry, riding a pro-incumbency wave, the AINRC-led NDA emerged victorious and was all set to form the government for a successive term. AINRC leader and Chief Minister N Rangasamy won from both the seats that he contested --Thattanchavady and Mangalam -- even as the party won a total of 11 seats and was leading in one, according to latest Election Commission figures. The cynosure of Election 2026, however, was West Bengal, the eastern state where the Trinamool Congress was eyeing a fourth straight term in its only bastion. Suvendu dethrones Mamata in Bhabanipur Govt pushes for academic audit of Goa University PANAJI In the wake of the controversy over the introduction of unapproved integrated courses, the State government is considering approaching the Chancellor and Goa Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju to recommend an academic audit of Goa University (GU). The move revives an earlier proposal made in July last year, in the aftermath of the paper leak row, when the government had suggested a comprehensive academic audit along with the drafting of a long-term vision document to improve the quality and functioning of the State’s only university. The proposal had also included a complete overhaul of the Goa University Act, 1984, through necessary amendments. However, sources said that Vice Chancellor Harilal Menon had strongly objected 126 PUDUCHERRY Political earthquake in TN; Vijay’s TVK topples DMK bastion THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a reprieve for PWD Minister Digambar Kamat (ex-CM) and former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao, the Bombay High Court at Goa on Monday quashed the order taking cognizance of the offence against them in the money laundering case related to the predicate offence in the Louis Berger bribery scandal. Justice Ashish S Chavan delivered the ruling on Monday, disposing off two criminal revision applications filed separately by Kamat and Alemao. Chavan held that the Special Court at Mapusa erred in taking cognizance of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) without prior sanction under Section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The ED conceded that no sanction had been obtained when cognizance was taken on July 21, 2018. Referring to the Supreme Court’s 2025 judgment in >Continued on P8 107 74 TVK 52 DMK+ ADMK+ 01 OTH course to become the single largest party in the 234-member House. Elections were held on April 23 and the counting of votes done on Monday. Perhaps the biggest shock was CM Stalin being defeated by a margin of 8,795 votes in his Kolathur constituency by little known V S Babu, who was formerly with the DMK and an ex-MLA. More than 10 ministers including Geetha Jeevan and Ma Subramanian were defeated. Stalin had last tasted defeat in 1991. Even Deputy CM Udhayanidhi's prospects appeared dim for a while as he trailed behind the TVK nominee >Continued on P8  RATIONING FEARS SURFACE  NEXT FOUR TO SIX WEEKS LIKELY TO BE CRITICAL THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA With water levels in most of Goa’s major dams dropping below the halfway mark, concerns are mounting over whether the State can comfortably tide over the peak summer month of May without resorting to water rationing. Latest data from the Water Resources Department (WRD) shows a steady decline across key reservoirs since early April, raising fresh questions over the sustainability of supply – particularly if the monsoon arrival is delayed or rainfall falls short of expectations. The Salaulim dam, the primary source of drinking water for South Goa, has dropped to 40 per cent of its live storage capacity, down from 53 per cent recorded on April 2. In North Goa, the Tillari reservoir has declined to 41 per cent from 50 per cent during the same period. THIRSTY MONTH AHEAD? „„Salaulim Dam: Storage dips to 40% from 53%, „„Tillari Reservoir: Levels decline to 41% from 50% „„Anjunem Dam: At 24%, down from 36% „„Amthane Reservoir: Water level recorded at 44% „„Chapoli Dam: Holding relatively stable at 49% „„Gaunem Dam: Steady at 48%, showing no major fluctuation. „„Panchwadi Dam: Has reached a precarious level at 35% The situation is more worrying in pockets that are heavily dependent on smaller reservoirs. The Anjunem dam, which caters to Sattari and parts of Bicholim taluka, has seen a sharp fall to 24 per cent, compared to 36 per cent last month. The Amthane reser- voir, supplying Bardez, Pernem and parts of Bicholim, currently stands at 44 per cent. Among other reservoirs, Chapoli in Canacona and the smaller Gaunem dam are relatively better placed at 49 per >Continued on P8 Tiger carcass: Experts comb area, Goa’s draft AI policy aims for a tech-driven future retrieve most of the teeth, claws THE GOAN I NETWORK POSSIBILITY OF DEATH DUE TO POISONING RULED OUT THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI An expert committee led by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has recovered most of the teeth and claws of the tiger whose carcass was found in the forests of Sacorda in Dharbandora on Saturday. Sources said a joint operation by NTCA officials and the State Forest Department led to the recovery of the remains, which were likely scattered after the carcass was consumed by scavengers. “On Sunday, the area where the carcass was found was thoroughly combed and all remaining parts were collected. The extent of scavenging and the presence of maggots have ruled out the possibility of poisoning,” sources said, adding that the post-mortem report is awaited. Officials further stated that samples collected from the carcass, along with the post-mortem findings, have been sent for forensic examination to ascertain the exact cause of death. Possible causes under investigation include poisoning, territorial fights, poaching, or death due to snares. “From the autopsy it looks like the tiger died almost three weeks back. A portion of the head, leg is also missing,” sources said. A panchnama conducted on Saturday in the presence of veterinary experts indicated that the carcass had been partially consumed by scavengers. The highly decomposed remains were discovered in a private forest area at Aalot, >Continued on P8 PANAJI n a major push towards digital transformation, the Goa government on Monday made public the draft Goa AI Policy 2026, outlining an ambitious roadmap to position the State as India’s “Responsible AI and Applied Innovation Hub.” The policy envisions Goa as a model State for ethical, inclusive, and citizen-first artificial intelligence adoption where technology strengthens governance, empowers citizens, preserves cultural heritage, and drives sustainable growth across key sectors such as tourism, fisheries, and creative industries. I „„Vision to make Goa „„Centres of Excellence, a responsible AI & startups, hackinnovation hub athons, global WHAT partnerships „„Ethical, GOA’S DRAFT „„Target 5 inclusive, AI POLICY multilingual global AI firms PROPOSES by 2028 with governance solutions incentives „„Automation, „„AI compulsory in transparency, and effischools (Classes VI–XII) + cient public services AI labs The core of the policy is to deploy multilingual, transparent, and ethical AI solutions in public service delivery. The government aims to integrate AI into governance to improve efficiency, automate administrative processes, and enhance transparency, while ensuring that “no resident is left behind.” A key highlight is the focus on building a robust AI ecosystem through Centres of „„Goal to have 50,000 AI professionals by 2030 „„Focus on development of a Konkani Large Language Model „„AI in tourism, fisheries, healthcare, and environment „„Governance tools -Chatbots, RTI automation, disaster & traffic dash- Excellence, incubation hubs, hackathons, and innovation challenges to attract startups and global players. The State has set a target of bringing at least five global AI companies to Goa by 2028, backed by in- centives such as a seven-year GST reimbursement for firms establishing research and development centres with local employment. The policy also places strong emphasis on skilling and education. Goa plans to create an AI-ready workforce by certifying all technical graduates by 2028 and training 50,000 AI professionals by 2030, with at least 20 per cent participation from women and youth. AI will be introduced as a compulsory subject from Classes VI to XII by the 202728 academic year, alongside the establishment of AI laboratories in 50 government schools and expanded higher >Continued on P8