A new satirical political group called the National Parasitic Front (NPF) has emerged in India following the rise of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). Both groups stem from a political satire movement that uses humor to address serious issues such as politics, inflation, and unemployment. The NPF was formed mainly by members of Generation Z, who are using satire as a form of protest and social commentary.

The movement began after Chief Justice Surya Kant’s controversial remark comparing some unemployed youth to cockroaches, which he later clarified was misquoted and not intended as criticism. The comment sparked widespread online outrage, leading to the formation of the CJP as a satirical response. The CJP quickly gained popularity on social media, amassing nearly ten million followers on Instagram, surpassing the official handle of the ruling BJP government.

The newly formed NPF positions itself as a platform for dissenters who challenge societal norms. Its messaging portrays “parasites” as citizens surviving within a fragile system, using irony to critique elitist political rhetoric while emphasizing reform from within.

The Delhi government has announced strict restrictions on animal sacrifice ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra stated that sacrificing cows, calves, camels, or any other prohibited animals within the city is completely illegal. Sacrifices are only permitted in authorized and designated slaughterhouses, and performing them in open spaces, streets, or public areas is strictly banned. Violations will lead to criminal cases and legal action.

The government has also prohibited the disposal of blood or waste from sacrifices into drains or streets, requiring all waste to be managed only at approved sites. Additionally, setting up or operating unauthorized livestock markets on roads or in alleys has been declared illegal. To ensure enforcement, Delhi’s administration has instructed the police to remain vigilant and urged citizens to report any violations directly to the police or the city’s development department.

These measures aim to maintain public order and hygiene during the festival period, according to the official announcement.

A severe heatwave is sweeping across India’s Uttar Pradesh state, prompting the meteorological department to issue a red alert in ten districts. The affected areas include Banda, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Pratapgarh, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Bhadohi, and Jaunpur. Authorities have advised residents to avoid going outdoors unless absolutely necessary, as dangerously high temperatures are expected to persist throughout Friday.

An orange alert has been declared for 34 districts including Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, and Agra, while 17 districts such as Lucknow, Ayodhya, Barabanki, Sitapur, and Lakhimpur Kheri are under a yellow alert. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), temperatures in eastern Uttar Pradesh may rise by another 2–3 degrees Celsius within the next 48 hours.

On Thursday, Banda recorded the state’s highest temperature at 47.6°C, followed by Prayagraj at 46.6°C and Varanasi (BHU) at 45.6°C. The IMD explained that yellow alerts indicate monitoring conditions, orange alerts warn of prolonged heat, and red alerts signal extreme danger to public health.

Construction of a barbed wire fence along the Bangladesh-India border has begun, according to the report. The work started from the Phansidewa area near Siliguri after the West Bengal state government formally handed over 27 kilometers of land to the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) for the project.

The decision to transfer land was made after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the West Bengal state assembly elections, under the leadership of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. To strengthen border security, two types of land were provided: 32 acres of government-owned land across nine districts and 43 acres of privately purchased land from five districts. The entire cost of the land acquisition will be borne by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs.

The initiative aims to reinforce security along the international boundary between Bangladesh and India, with construction activities now underway in the designated areas.

The Indian rupee has depreciated significantly over the past year, losing about 10 percent of its value against the Bangladeshi taka and nearly 12 percent against the Pakistani rupee, according to a report by The Economic Times published on May 22, 2026. The rupee also hit a record low of 96.96 per US dollar last Wednesday. Analysts attribute the decline to global economic uncertainty, rising crude oil prices, and reduced foreign investment inflows.

Experts note that India’s heavy reliance on imported energy has made its currency vulnerable to oil price fluctuations. The ongoing stalemate in Iran–US peace talks and higher international bond yields have further driven investors away from emerging markets, putting additional pressure on the rupee. Economists warn that the depreciation could raise costs for overseas education, travel, imported goods, and international business transactions.

Analysts suggest that if import costs continue to outpace export earnings and foreign capital inflows, India’s current account deficit could deepen. The rupee’s short-term volatility is expected to persist as global geopolitical conditions, inflation, and investment trends evolve in the coming months.

The Calcutta High Court has upheld West Bengal’s existing ban on the slaughter of bulls, oxen, cows, calves, and buffaloes ahead of Eid al-Adha. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Joy Pal and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen declined to interfere with a state government notification issued on 13 May 2026, stating that it merely implemented a 2018 court directive. The court reiterated that cow sacrifice is not a mandatory religious practice in Islam and directed the state to amend the notification to include this observation.

The state’s notification declared certain animals “unfit” for slaughter without certification and restricted slaughtering to authorized abattoirs. The court also empowered authorities to inspect facilities to prevent illegal slaughter and tasked the state with ensuring adequate infrastructure and officials for certification. Trinamool Congress legislator Akhruzzaman argued that the lack of exemption under Section 12 of the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act would prevent Muslims from performing religious sacrifices, but the bench maintained its position based on prior Supreme Court rulings.

The court instructed the state government to review the matter and decide within 24 hours whether to grant exemptions under Section 12, considering the upcoming Eid al-Adha.

The Calcutta High Court has upheld the West Bengal government’s notification restricting animal slaughter ahead of Eid. On Thursday, a division bench of Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Parthasarathi Sen ruled that no animal may be slaughtered without an official certificate confirming its suitability, and that public slaughter will remain completely prohibited. The court declined to stay the state’s May 13 notification, which imposed several restrictions on the slaughter of cows and buffaloes.

The bench directed the state government to review the certification process and related infrastructure while continuing hearings on the constitutional validity of the law. It also instructed that any applications for exemption be resolved within 24 hours. The court referred to the Supreme Court’s earlier observation in the “State of Bihar vs. Mohammad Hanif Qureshi” case, which stated that cow slaughter is not an essential religious practice in Islam.

The state notification contains eight specific directives requiring prior certification for the slaughter of bulls, oxen, cows, calves, male and female buffaloes, and castrated buffaloes. Violations of these provisions will be punishable under law.

The West Bengal government has issued a directive prohibiting state government employees from speaking to the media or attending media-organized events without prior permission. The order, published on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, applies to members of the Indian Civil Service, the West Bengal Police Service, and employees of government-aided institutions. It also instructs that government employees must not make negative comments about government policies in the media.

The directive has sparked widespread criticism on social media. Many users argued that several corruption allegations against the previous government had surfaced through disclosures by government employees, and therefore, the new rule could restrict freedom of expression. However, individuals close to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stated that such a rule has existed since 1976 but was not strictly enforced by the previous administration.

The renewed enforcement of this rule may tighten communication controls within the state bureaucracy, though its long-term impact on transparency and governance remains uncertain.

Former Indian Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa has argued that elections without real competition cannot be considered victories for democracy. Writing in a commentary published on May 21, 2026, he compared political competition to the essential spirit of sports and business, saying that without credible rivals and a neutral referee, the democratic process loses legitimacy. Lavasa emphasized that true mandates require genuine contests where voters believe the process is fair and transparent.

He criticized provisions in India’s electoral law that allow candidates to win unopposed and highlighted recent events in West Bengal, where over 2.7 million voters were removed from rolls during a rushed verification process. Lavasa questioned the Election Commission’s neutrality and the judiciary’s silence as millions lost their voting rights without a functioning appeal mechanism. He warned that such actions erode public confidence and damage the democratic fabric.

Lavasa concluded that a democracy without competition or impartial oversight risks turning into a hollow exercise, where victories lack meaning and the very essence of people’s rule is compromised.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, where he humorously gifted her a packet of 'Melody' chocolate-caramel toffees made by Parle Products. Following Meloni’s sharing of the gift video on social media, the clip quickly went viral, sparking a wave of online memes combining their names as 'Melody'.

Within minutes of the video’s circulation, investors on Dalal Street began searching for 'Parle' on the Bombay Stock Exchange and rushed to buy its shares. However, they mistakenly purchased shares of Parle Industries, a company unrelated to Parle Products, which actually manufactures Melody toffees but is not publicly listed. Parle Industries operates in infrastructure, housing, paper, and recycling sectors.

Despite a broader market downturn due to global concerns over the Iran war, Parle Industries’ share price rose by 5 percent within an hour of the video’s release, climbing from 4.95 to 5.25 rupees. The company’s stock, which had fallen 68 percent over the past year, briefly rebounded thanks to the viral diplomatic moment.

A satirical Indian group called the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has gained widespread attention after surpassing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Instagram followers. Within hours of this surge, the Modi government shut down the CJP’s Instagram account and banned its X account in India, according to the group. Founder Abhijit Deepak shared a screenshot of the blocked account and urged his more than 10 million followers to protest the move, saying the group had only demanded accountability from the education minister following a student’s suicide.

The CJP has been calling for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan since the cancellation of India’s national pre-medical entrance exam over alleged question paper leaks. The exam is scheduled to be retaken in June, but the cancellation has triggered frustration among students nationwide, with Indian media reporting at least two student suicides linked to the incident.

India’s legal framework allows the government to order social media platforms to remove content or block accounts on national security or public order grounds, though such directives are rarely made public.

The Indian rupee has depreciated by about 10 percent against the Bangladeshi taka over the past year, according to data cited on May 21, 2026. The currency also fell 11.86 percent against the Pakistani rupee during the same period, while its exchange rate against the US dollar dropped to 96.96. Analysts attribute the rupee’s broad decline to global economic uncertainty, high crude oil prices, and reduced foreign investment inflows.

Experts note that India’s heavy reliance on imported energy has made its currency vulnerable to rising oil prices, which increase import costs. The situation has been compounded by stalled US-Iran peace talks and higher international bond yields, prompting investors to withdraw funds from emerging markets like India. This has further tightened foreign exchange liquidity and pressured the rupee.

Economists warn that the rupee’s depreciation could raise living costs by making overseas education, travel, and imported goods more expensive. If import expenses continue to outpace export earnings and capital inflows, India’s current account deficit may deepen. Analysts expect short-term volatility to persist if oil prices remain high and global investors continue seeking safer assets.

The West Bengal government has made the singing of 'Vande Mataram' compulsory in all madrasas across the state. According to an order issued by the state's Madrasa Education Directorate, every recognized, government-aided, and unaided madrasa under the Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education Department must include the song in their morning assembly. This directive follows a similar order issued last week requiring all primary and secondary schools in the state to sing the same song before classes begin.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced online that the state government has made the singing of India's national song 'Vande Mataram' mandatory in all schools under the School Education Department. The move aligns with the central government's February decision granting 'Vande Mataram' equal status with the national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana'.

The NDTV report noted that 'Vande Mataram' was a key slogan during India's independence movement and has recently re-emerged in political discussions ahead of the state assembly elections. Similar debates have also surfaced in Tamil Nadu and Kerala over the song's use in official ceremonies.

The United States is increasing its energy exports to India as the South Asian nation seeks to diversify its energy supply sources. U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said in an interview with Bloomberg News that India has shown a positive attitude toward diversification, which translates into greater purchases of American energy. He added that Washington is pleased with India’s growing interest in buying from the United States.

The ambassador’s remarks come just days before U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s scheduled visit to India. The trip is expected to focus on strengthening cooperation in energy, regional security, and trade relations between the two countries.

The timing of the statement suggests that energy collaboration will be a key agenda item during Rubio’s visit, potentially deepening bilateral economic and strategic ties.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced the implementation of India’s 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the state. The declaration came after a meeting with Border Security Force (BSF) officials at Nabanna on Wednesday. According to the announcement, anyone entering India after December 31, 2024, will be considered an illegal immigrant. Such individuals will first be detained by West Bengal Police, handed over to the BSF, and then transferred to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

Adhikari stated that the move follows central government directives that the previous state administration had not enforced. He explained that the CAA provides citizenship benefits to certain religious groups but excludes those entering after the specified cutoff date. The Chief Minister also said that identified illegal entrants would be arrested and handed to the BSF.

Additionally, the West Bengal government has initiated the process of transferring land over a 27-kilometer area to strengthen border security, according to Adhikari.