India has increased the import duty on gold and silver from 6 percent to 15 percent, effective from Wednesday, according to a government order cited by Reuters. The move aims to reduce pressure on foreign exchange reserves and limit imports of the two precious metals. The new structure includes a 10 percent basic customs duty and a 5 percent agriculture infrastructure and development cess.

Experts said the higher duty could dampen demand in the world’s second-largest consumer of precious metals but may help narrow India’s trade deficit and support the rupee. However, they warned that the steep tariff could revive smuggling, which had declined after a previous duty cut in 2024. Surendra Mehta of the India Bullion and Jewellers Association noted that the government’s decision was expected as part of efforts to reduce the current account deficit, though it may affect demand amid already high prices.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently urged citizens to avoid buying gold for a year to protect foreign reserves. Bullion traders reported that banks had paused imports for over a month due to a 3 percent integrated goods and services tax, leading to a 30-year low in April imports. Imports may fall again following the latest duty hike.

The West Bengal government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari launched a demolition drive in Kolkata’s Tiljala area on Wednesday, following a deadly fire at an illegal leather factory in Topsia the previous day. Acting on Adhikari’s directive, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and KMDA jointly began demolishing unauthorized buildings, citing the state’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy against corruption. A large police, RAF, and central force presence was deployed to maintain order during the operation.

The fire at the four-storey building in Topsia had claimed two lives and injured five others. Investigations revealed that the building lacked a valid plan and basic fire safety measures. The chief minister’s office received the report on Wednesday morning and ordered the demolition within 24 hours. Two individuals, including the factory owner, were arrested in connection with the incident.

Adhikari warned that any building without a valid plan would face disconnection of electricity and water supply. The Tiljala operation is being viewed as a strong warning to illegal builders across the city.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered a 50 percent reduction in the number of vehicles in his official motorcade. The decision, announced amid a global energy crisis, aims to cut fuel consumption and promote the use of electric vehicles. The Special Protection Group responsible for Modi’s security has already begun implementing the directive.

The move comes as several Bharatiya Janata Party–ruled states follow suit. Chief Ministers Rekha Gupta of Delhi, Bhajan Lal Sharma of Rajasthan, and Mohan Yadav of Madhya Pradesh have also decided to reduce the size of their official fleets. The global energy shortage has been exacerbated by the ongoing United States–Iran war, which has driven up crude oil prices and disrupted supply chains.

Modi urged citizens to adopt a “nationally responsible” lifestyle, use local products, and avoid unnecessary gold purchases for one year to ease pressure on foreign currency reserves. He also advised against foreign travel and destination weddings abroad.

Suvendu Adhikari took oath on Wednesday as a member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. Although he won from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur constituencies, he was sworn in as the MLA from Bhabanipur. This seat had previously been represented by Mamata Banerjee, who won it three times and served as Chief Minister. According to legislative rules, Adhikari must resign from one of the two seats he won.

Adhikari has not yet resigned from the Nandigram seat but stated that he will continue to oversee the constituency while fulfilling his duties as Bhabanipur MLA. Several other newly elected legislators, including ministers Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Khudiram Tudu, Nisith Pramanik, and Ashok Kirtania, also took their oaths on Wednesday. Additional lawmakers are scheduled to be sworn in on Thursday.

On Tuesday, BJP legislator Tapas Roy was sworn in as the pro-tem speaker by Governor R.N. Ravi at Lok Bhavan, the former Raj Bhavan. The ceremony was attended by the new Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, following parliamentary tradition.

At least six people were killed and 14 others injured when a temple wall and tin roof collapsed during heavy rain and strong winds in Maharashtra, India. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening at the Margudevi Temple in Modewadi village of Sangli district. Police reported that around 350 devotees and visitors were present in the temple premises at the time of the collapse.

According to Sangli district police superintendent Tushar Doshi, the victims were trapped under the debris after a section of the boundary wall and the tin shed fell on them. The injured were quickly rescued and taken to a local hospital for treatment, where they are currently receiving medical care.

Authorities have not yet provided further details on the condition of the injured or the extent of the structural damage to the temple.

A political controversy erupted in India after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh claimed that Suvendu Adhikari had banned offering prayers on public roads. Singh made the statement in an interview with India Today TV, saying that during a cabinet meeting, the chief minister instructed that prayers should not be performed on roads, though there was no objection to prayers inside mosques. The report was published by BBC Bangla and later discussed widely across national media and social platforms.

The West Bengal government held its first cabinet meeting on May 11, after which several executive orders were reportedly issued to police and district officials. However, a senior police officer, speaking anonymously, said that while such orders were indeed given, they did not specifically mention banning prayers. The issue follows earlier objections by BJP leaders to road prayers, including during Eid gatherings on Kolkata’s Red Road.

Human rights representative Sheikh Abdul Selim supported some of the government’s other directives, such as covering meat during sale and controlling noise levels, calling them reasonable.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Joseph Vijay, also known as Thalapathy Vijay, has ordered the immediate closure of 717 state-run liquor shops located within 500 meters of places of worship, educational institutions, and bus stands. The directive, issued through a government notification on Tuesday, instructs that the closures be completed within two weeks. The affected outlets are operated by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC).

According to the notification, a survey of 4,765 TASMAC shops found that 717 were situated too close to sensitive public areas—276 near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions, and 255 near bus stands. The government said the decision was taken in the public interest and directed officials to ensure full implementation within the set timeframe.

This move marks one of the first major administrative decisions by Vijay’s newly elected Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government. It fulfills a key campaign promise to reform liquor sales and signals a policy shift prioritizing public welfare over revenue, as TASMAC remains a major source of state income.

The Indian rupee fell to a historic low against the US dollar on Tuesday, pressured by sustained high crude oil prices, foreign investment withdrawals, and weak market sentiment. The currency opened trading at 95.50 per dollar, surpassing its previous record of 95.4325, and later weakened further to 95.6250. Since the start of the Iran-Israel war, the rupee has depreciated by about 5.2 percent. The Reserve Bank of India intervened in the market to stabilize the decline, but analysts noted that rising global oil prices continue to strain India’s import-dependent economy.

Brent crude prices have risen by nearly 46 percent, affecting other Asian currencies such as the Philippine peso and Indonesian rupiah. So far this year, the rupee has dropped around 6.5 percent, marking the worst performance among Asian currencies. Analysts warned that a prolonged US-Iran conflict could keep oil prices high, widening India’s current account deficit and further pressuring investment inflows.

ANZ Bank revised its December forecast for the rupee from 93 to 97.5, while BMI cautioned that the currency could approach 100 if conditions worsen. Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to reduce energy use, travel, and imports to conserve foreign reserves.

The newly formed BJP-led West Bengal government, headed by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has decided to hand over land to the Border Security Force (BSF) within 45 days to complete barbed-wire fencing along the Bangladesh border. The decision was taken at the first cabinet meeting held two days after the new government took office. Adhikari said the move was necessary to protect West Bengal’s security and prevent demographic changes in border areas.

Dhaka has strongly objected to the unilateral decision, warning that Bangladesh neither fears border fences nor will tolerate actions that could destabilize the country. Foreign affairs adviser Humayun Kabir stated that Bangladesh would discuss the matter with the appropriate Indian authorities and cautioned against any repeat of past border violence. According to international norms and the 1974 Mujib-Indira Agreement, no country may build permanent structures within 150 yards of the zero line without mutual consent.

The development has sparked debate in West Bengal, where critics argue that the new government is prioritizing divisive border politics over governance and development. The absence of ministerial portfolio allocations has further fueled concerns about internal discord within the ruling party.

In an unprecedented climate event, all of the world’s top 50 hottest cities were recorded in India on April 27, according to data from air quality monitoring agency AQI. The agency reported that this was the first time in modern history such a concentration of extreme heat occurred in one country. The ranking was based on 24-hour temperature, rainfall, wind, and humidity data, showing an average high of 112.5°F (44.7°C) across the cities. Banda in Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 115.16°F (46.2°C), the highest temperature on Earth that day.

Climate historian Maximiliano Herrera described the heatwave as one of the harshest Aprils on record, breaking hundreds of temperature records. Experts warned that rising heat levels could exceed human survivability thresholds by 2050, straining India’s agriculture, economy, and health systems. Outdoor workers, children, and the elderly face the greatest health risks.

The heatwave coincides with an energy shortage worsened by reduced oil supply due to the Iran conflict. The Indian Meteorological Department cautioned that above-normal temperatures may persist, while El Niño conditions could reduce monsoon rainfall, threatening agriculture and water resources.

India’s financial markets faced a sharp downturn on Monday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to reduce energy consumption, limit non-essential imports, and cut gold purchases. Following his remarks, the rupee fell steeply against the US dollar, reaching 95.31 per dollar, one of its largest single-day declines. The NSE Nifty-50 index dropped 1.5 percent to 23,815 points, while the BSE Sensex lost 1,276 points to close at 76,015.

Analysts attributed the pressure to rising global crude oil prices, which have strained India’s foreign exchange reserves. Brent crude climbed to 104 dollars per barrel after US President Donald Trump rejected a peace proposal from Iran. Market analyst Arun Kejriwal said Modi’s comments triggered immediate investor concern, warning that sustained high oil prices could prolong market stress.

Most sectors saw losses, particularly small- and mid-cap stocks. Shares of state-run oil firms and major companies like Reliance Industries fell sharply, while travel, hospitality, and jewelry sectors also declined. However, Hyundai Motor India and agrochemical firm UPL recorded gains amid the broader slump.

Muslim representation in India’s state assemblies has declined sharply during the decade of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule. According to data cited in the report, the number of Muslim legislators across the country fell from about 339 in 2013 to around 255 in 2026. The steepest declines occurred in major states such as Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, and Rajasthan. Uttar Pradesh, where Muslims make up roughly 19 percent of the population, now has only 31 Muslim legislators in its 403-member assembly, down from 63 previously.

Analysts attribute the decline to the BJP’s rise since 2014 and the resulting shifts in electoral strategies across states. Opposition parties have also adjusted candidate selection based on caste and social equations, which has affected Muslim representation. The report notes that the BJP fielded no Muslim candidates in recent elections in West Bengal and Assam, unlike in 2021. After losses in Assam, the party even dissolved its minority cell there.

The report highlights that seven states currently have no Muslim legislators, while a few states such as Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Meghalaya have seen slight increases.

A report by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) has revealed widespread violence across West Bengal following the announcement of the state assembly election results. According to the report, between May 4 and May 7, at least 34 Muslim-owned properties were attacked in eight districts, including Cooch Behar, Howrah, Barasat, Murshidabad, Malda, Birbhum, North and South 24 Parganas, and the Kolkata metropolitan area. The attacks targeted mosques, homes, businesses, and hotels, damaging around 54 properties in total.

The report stated that at least two people were killed in the violence, including one man in Cooch Behar’s Gosainimari who died while trying to protect a mosque. Attackers reportedly used provocative slogans to spread fear, while threats forced many minorities to leave their neighborhoods. Muslim-owned businesses were deliberately targeted to weaken their financial base, with incidents of hotels being burned, meat shops pressured to close, and cattle markets attacked.

The report also mentioned that bulldozer processions were organized to intimidate residents, and attempts were made to rename places with Muslim names. Offices and homes of Trinamool Congress workers were also vandalized.

Shovandeb Chatterjee has been appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured 80 seats in the state election, becoming the principal opposition party. Chatterjee, a long-time loyalist of TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee, was chosen to lead the party in the assembly.

Chatterjee won from the Ballygunge constituency, defeating BJP candidate Satarupa Chatterjee by 61,476 votes, marking his tenth consecutive legislative victory—a record in West Bengal’s political history. Despite his close association with Mamata Banerjee, he had earlier lost in Bhabanipur to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Born in 1944, Chatterjee began his political career with the Congress before joining TMC in 1998 and has remained active in labor organizations, including serving as president of the Kolkata Auto-Rickshaw Drivers’ Union.

His appointment underscores TMC’s continued influence in state politics even from the opposition benches, with Chatterjee’s long experience and organizational ties expected to shape the party’s legislative strategy.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to visit India this week to attend the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled for May 14 in New Delhi. According to Indian media reports, the meeting is being viewed as a preparatory session for the 18th BRICS summit to be held in September in the Indian capital. India currently holds the presidency of the group.

The BRICS bloc, now comprising 11 member countries, has expanded beyond its five founding members—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It is increasingly seen as a key platform for economic and diplomatic cooperation among Global South nations. The upcoming meeting is expected to discuss trade expansion, alternative financial systems, regional security, energy cooperation, and ongoing international crises. Developments in the Middle East and global economic uncertainty may also feature in the discussions.

Analysts suggest that bilateral issues between Iran and India, including energy cooperation, regional connectivity, and strategic projects such as the Chabahar Port, could receive special attention during the visit.