Your PEEK Into The Day: 5 Stories That Deserve The Front Page

The Fact: The newly formed BJP government in West Bengal, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has appointed Manoj Agarwal as the Chief Secretary. Agarwal, who previously served as the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), replaces Dushyant Nariala and is an IAS officer from the 1990 batch. Former Election Commission observer Subrata Gupta has also been appointed as an advisor to the CM.

The Context: Agarwal’s tenure as CEO was defined by the "Special Intensive Revision" (SIR) exercise, which resulted in the removal of 9.1 million (91 lakh) voters, of whom 27 lakh were under adjudication even during the elections and therefore could not vote. The TMC has repeatedly claimed that the exercise was aimed at deleting its voters. During the 2026 elections, the party also lodged multiple complaints against Agarwal for "partisan conduct." While the TMC accused Agarwal of being biased towards the BJP as the state’s top election officer, Agarwal was also in the crosshairs of the Mamata government after pushing for an investigation into ration (PDS) scams, which eventually led to the arrest of a TMC minister in 2023. While the optics are controversial, and former top Election Commission officials we spoke to say these appointments set a bad precedent, there is no legal bar preventing a CEO from being appointed Chief Secretary.

The Peek Insight: These appointments raise serious questions about the neutrality of the Election Commission at a time when it is facing one of its worst-ever credibility crises. With the opposition saying that Agarwal has been appointed to “reward” his alleged role in favouring the BJP and targeting the TMC, the allegations are not limited to just an unfair SIR exercise. There were also questions over the use of central forces, the appointment of police observers, and the Election Commission allegedly turning a blind eye to hate speeches and violations of the Model Code of Conduct. Taken together, these allegations reflect a growing lack of trust in the election umpire of the world’s largest democracy.

The Fact: Within two days of urging citizens to adopt a series of measures to cut imports amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, the PM held three roadshows and attended an air show in Gujarat. The events came a day after PM Modi urged citizens to revive COVID-like practices, framing these lifestyle changes as a patriotic responsibility. However, with “business as usual” for the Prime Minister, the opposition accused him of not leading by example.

The Context: Since his austerity appeal to citizens, the PM has held several roadshows in Vadodara, Gir, Somnath, and Jamnagar. In videos posted online, the PM could be seen arriving with his usual motorcade and security while urging citizens to cut fuel use by working from home, carpooling, and avoiding foreign travel. The PM is also set to begin a tour of five nations, including the UAE and Italy, on May 15. The events come shortly after the PM suggested measures like avoiding gold purchases for a year, schools shifting to online education, cutting cooking oil consumption, and working from home, among others. The measures were announced to preserve India’s forex reserves amid rising global crude oil prices, as India is heavily dependent on imports for commodities like oil and gold. According to recent reports, gold imports alone touched nearly $72 billion in 2025–26, while foreign investors have pulled out a record-high amount of $22 billion in 2026, depleting our forex reserves further.

The Peek Insight: The larger debate now is not just about economic preparedness but also about public trust and leadership by example. While it is true that countries need collective responsibility and temporary sacrifices in such crises, such messages can only become more effective when leaders and institutions visibly follow the same spirit of restraint. If even non-essential events continue for top ministers, there is a question of whether only common citizens are being pushed to make sacrifices to show their patriotism. Add to that, given that the PM’s austerity appeal to citizens came only after the elections, while other countries issued similar directives back in March, many experts say that the delayed action and acknowledgment of the crisis could have worsened the situation. If all of this is coupled with continued extravagant events by ministers, many ordinary citizens are bound to feel that they are being asked to sacrifice while those in power shrug off responsibility.

The Fact: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has cancelled NEET-UG 2026, held on May 3, after a paper leak originating in Rajasthan. Over 22.7 lakh students who attempted the exam will now have to reappear for it. The date for the re-examination will be notified later. A handwritten "guess paper" circulating on WhatsApp has been found to match at least 120 of the actual questions. As of now, over a dozen suspects, including students and career counsellors, have been detained across states. The Centre has, meanwhile, ordered a CBI inquiry into the leak.

The Context: This is the first time in a decade that the NEET-UG exam has been cancelled nationwide after being conducted. But this is the third consecutive year that the central medical entrance exam has been mired in controversy, following the 2024 paper leak controversy that even reached the Supreme Court, and alleged irregularities in 2025 as well. Despite the NTA sitting on a ₹500 crore surplus and introducing enhanced security measures this year, such as GPS tracking of vehicles carrying question papers, the system seems to have failed again. Many students who spent years preparing for the exam say they feel the NTA is playing with their futures, and taking the exam all over again brings back the pressure and anxiety attached to the highly competitive test.

The Peek Insight: The NTA was formed nearly a decade ago specifically to safeguard such high-stakes national examinations. Three years of failure suggest that the problem is structural and not incidental. Students are already burdened with severe exam stress, with several cases of NEET-related suicides being reported year after year. Such negligence worsens the mental stress that NEET aspirants go through every year. And it’s not just about NEET; several other national-level exams, such as UGC NET, CUET-UG, SSC CGL, and several state public service exams, have faced controversies around paper leaks, delays, and technical glitches. All of this combined raises a deeply troubling question: can the world’s fastest-growing economy not even conduct one national test that is fully fair, credible, and free of controversy?

The Fact: A day before his party's floor test in the state assembly, Tamil Nadu's new Chief Minister, Vijay, banned his party workers from putting up any banners or posters in the state. The superstar-turned-politician also ordered the shutdown of all 717 state-run liquor shops that are within 500 meters of any school, bus stand, or place of worship. Vijay has also appointed his personal astrologer, Radhan Pandit, as the Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister. His other initial decisions as Chief Minister include setting up a special anti-drug task force for a state that has the highest drug overdose deaths in the country, and announcing freebies ranging from monthly allowances for women to eight grams of gold and silk sarees for the weddings of women from economically weaker families.

The Context: While several decisions by the superstar align with his “Gen-Z” popularity, many raise questions about whether he is continuing some time-tested bad economic policies. While Vijay’s poster and banner ban is being appreciated by his young follower base, the appointment of his astrologer to one of the top positions in the state has also been criticized by many. Even TVK’s own allies, like the Congress, VCK, and CPM, have called the move “unacceptable in a secular government,” while stressing the government’s responsibility to promote a scientific outlook. Additionally, Vijay carrying forward Tamil Nadu’s freebie culture also raises questions. While Tamil Nadu was one of India’s fastest-growing states with double-digit growth under the DMK, it is also the state with the highest outstanding debt in India at ₹9.6 lakh crore, a concern that Vijay himself has flagged. Despite this, Vijay has announced freebies that are expected to cost the state almost ₹1 lakh crore, nearly one-third of the state’s total revenue receipts. While debt can be beneficial if it is spent on investments that multiply growth in the future, debt spent on freebies that generate no returns is a recipe for bad economics.

The Peek Insight: Vijay’s decision to ban banners and posters could be seen as an effort to distance his administration from the culture of political excess that has often been associated with Tamil Nadu politics. His order also holds importance because just last year, at a TVK rally in Karur, at least 39 people lost their lives during a massive gathering. On one side, Vijay is trying to balance reformist politics, and on the other, he is encouraging his personal belief systems and resorting to measures like freebies that quickly gain voter support while straining the state’s finances. In the end, it remains to be seen whether Vijay’s “Gen-Z” outlook is limited only to measures like banning posters, or whether it extends to steps that tackle the state’s legacy policies and issues that might often be too uncomfortable for a mass-favorite politician to address.

The Fact: Cautioning the United States, Iran said on Tuesday that it could enrich its uranium stockpile to 90% purity, which is weapon-grade, if the country is attacked again. This statement comes a day after US President Donald Trump said that the ceasefire mediated between the two countries was on "life support".

The Context: Last week, Iran had a set of demands from the US, which it claimed were the country's "legitimate rights." As per the Iranian foreign ministry’s spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei, the demands included an end to the war as well as the end of US’s naval blockade in the region, along with the release of assets that belonged to the Iranian people. Responding to these, Trump called the proposal "totally unacceptable." In the midst of this, Iran's warning is notable as the country’s alleged nuclear development was the stated reason for the US and Israel’s joint attack. Throughout multiple peace proposals, the US has demanded that Iran give up its uranium enrichment.

The Peek Insight: On one hand, Iran maintains that it has the sovereign right to defend its territory. On the other hand, Washington also recognises that a prolonged conflict could trigger economic pressure not only domestically, but also among its allied nations. Meanwhile, Iran has still not fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. But Iran’s latest statement raises a question on whether the Islamic State’s retaliation against the US and Israel’s joint attack is now going beyond counterstrikes and Hormuz’s restrictions.

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