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Date: 26th May, 2026
Not Every Marriage Is Worth Saving: In Twisha’s Tragedy, A Message For Indian Parents
The Fact: ‘A divorced daughter is better than a dead one,’ the MP government told the Supreme Court, in a strong message to Indian parents. A day after actor-model Twisha Sharma was cremated in Bhopal, the Supreme Court, hearing the matter on Monday, has backed a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. A three-judge bench comprising CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul Pancholi took notes of reports alleging a "situational bias" that interfered with the Bhopal Police's probe. The bench stated that they were pained by the narrative that the judiciary was shielding the accused, i.e., Twisha Sharma's mother-in-law Girbala Singh, who is a former judge, as well as her husband Samarth Singh.
The Context: Twisha Sharma was found hanging in her matrimonial home in Bhopal just six months after her marriage, allegedly due to dowry-related harassment. Since then, Twisha’s father has blamed the Bhopal police for shielding the in-laws from a fair investigation. The Madhya Pradesh High Court, too, had at first granted an interim protection to Girbala Singh from arrest, remarking. Subsequently, several lapses were also flagged in the investigation. The nylon belt that was allegedly used in the hanging was not initially produced by the doctors during the first autopsy. This prompted the MP High Court to order a second autopsy by doctors of AIIMS Delhi. Taking note of the same, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for the MP government, remarked that Girbala Singh had been “hopping from channel to channel” in an attempt to malign Twisha’s character. Mehta further made a striking observation. “One thing is clear. Whether it is suicide or anything else, for parents, it is better to have a divorced daughter than a dead one," he said.
The Peek Insight: The case has now come to represent the usual anxiety around influential families and how they are able to evade investigations differently from ordinary citizens. What has further added to the outrage are statements made by Girbala Singh. She had publicly called Twisha schizophrenic and alleged that she was under the influence of drugs. These remarks are deeply insensitive, especially coming just days after Twisha's death. It is precisely this public narrative-building that has intensified scrutiny around the case and prompted the Supreme Court to intervene. In India, such cases remain tragically common. Reportedly, every 90 minutes, a woman loses her life due to dowry-related harassment. And often, the narrative shifts toward questioning the victim’s mental health. Even if Twisha’s death were due to mental health struggles unrelated to dowry harassment, several troubling questions would remain unanswered, like the alleged delay and absconding by her husband, Samarth Singh, and the interim relief granted to Girbala Singh. As Solicitor General Tushar Mehta remarked, at the end of the day, a person has lost her life. Mehta’s remarks should also serve as a reality check for parents in India who continue to push daughters into “adjusting” within abusive marriages simply to avoid the taboo attached to divorce. More often than not, this adjustment comes at the cost of the woman’s life.
Government’s Fuel Hike In Instalments: Same Pain, Delayed Shock
The Fact: The public sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have hiked the prices of petrol and diesel by 7.35 rupees in less than a fortnight, following four gradual revisions within a short span. On Monday, May 25, came the latest development, with the price of petrol soaring to as high as Rs 102.12 per litre in Delhi and diesel rising to Rs 95.20 per litre, jumping by Rs 2.61 and Rs 2.71 respectively. Other cities have also witnessed a corresponding increase in fuel prices amid the West Asia crisis.
The Context: The prices of petrol and diesel first shot up on May 15 by Rs 3 per litre, followed by a 90 paise increase per litre for both fuels. On May 23, the price of petrol was further increased by 87 paise per litre, while diesel rose by 91 paise. The Government has provided three major reasons to justify the inflated prices. The first is that India imports most of its fuel and, with the West Asia crisis at hand, global prices are bound to increase. Ironically, fuel prices rose by 7% during a month that witnessed a 12% drop in crude oil prices worldwide. Secondly, BJP ministers have stated that India’s hike is the lowest among all countries. However, the third and most important factor remains that the upward curve in prices is an attempt to recover previous losses.
The Peek Insight: The conflict commenced on February 28 this year, but it took the government more than two months to impose the hike. Naturally, fingers point towards the ‘waiting game’ that the Central Government appeared to be playing with citizens, first to secure victory in the Assembly elections and then to subtly raise the prices. Another tactic that seems to have been employed was ensuring that the rise was not sudden, but instead a ‘slow-burn’ divided into four well-planned intervals. In 2014, during PM Modi’s first tenure, crude oil prices were around 108 dollars per barrel, while petrol prices in India stood at approximately 72 rupees per litre. Now, after 12 years, crude oil prices are 12% lower compared to 2014, yet petrol prices are nearly 30% higher. This raises questions over whether such measures are a strategy to gain the trust of citizens, only to later profit while ordinary people continue to bear the burden. At the end of the day, the pattern remains the same, the rich get richer, while the poor get poorer.
Neet And Repeat: India’s Top Testing Agency Learns Nothing
Image Courtesy: Economic Times
The Fact: The Supreme Court of India admonished NTA over the NEET paper leak. Justice PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe stated that the NTA has not learned anything from the 2024 NEET paper leak. They demanded a response to the pleas for replacing the agency with a robust, autonomous body. The bench expressed deep disappointment, noting that the matter had previously come before the court, a monitoring committee had been constituted, recommendations had been made and accepted, and yet nothing substantively changed. The NTA was directed to file an affidavit detailing its compliance with the court's 2024 directions. Notices were also served to the Ministry of Education and the CBI. Petitioners sought the appointment of a high-powered monitoring committee, to be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, alongside a cybersecurity expert and a forensic scientist, to oversee the re-examination process.
The Context: This is not the first time the apex court has been forced to intervene. In July 2024, a bench led by then CJI DY Chandrachud had categorically observed that there was no doubt NEET 2024 was compromised. Earlier, the court had told NTA that as the agency conducting the examination, it must act with fairness, and that acknowledging mistakes openly was the only way to inspire public confidence. Despite these stern warnings, a Radhakrishnan committee was constituted, recommendations were accepted, and yet, the NEET-UG 2026 examination was cancelled amid fresh allegations of paper leak. A re-test for affected candidates is scheduled for June 21. The pattern is damning. Every year, a new leak. Every year, a new committee.
The Peek Insight: For India's medical aspirants, NEET has ceased to be merely an examination, but more like a trauma. For three consecutive years, over 20 lakh students have invested years of preparation, only to witness the process collapse around them. The deeper crisis is institutional paralysis. Courts admonish, committees are formed, affidavits are filed, and yet nothing structurally changes. The NTA continues to function, and accountability stays elusive. It is a slow, systemic erosion of trust in meritocracy itself. When the gateway to medicine becomes a symbol of dysfunction, it fundamentally shakes a young nation's faith in the very idea of fair competition.
Is The Government ‘Gas’lighting Citizens Already Running Low On Fuel?
The Fact: Speaking at the SIDBI's 37th Foundation Day celebration in Mumbai on Monday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that India "cannot afford fear-mongering" amid the ongoing West Asia crisis. She further asserted that the Central government's response to the crisis has been "very calibrated." "There is a section of Indians who very quickly want to decry the achievements of our own people. A pessimistic, cynical narrative is created, which is just not right. It is fear-mongering. India cannot afford fear-mongering," she said. Further, the Union Finance Minister said that the recent reduction in excise duty on fuel will cost a revenue loss of ₹1 lakh crore to the government. Despite this, she reiterated that India's economy is still "positive and resilient."
The Context: Sitharaman's remarks come at a time when India has been facing a mounting economic crisis due. Fuel prices have been hiked four times in the past 10 days, with petrol and diesel together increasing by more than Rs 7 per litre. Not just fuel, but other essentials like milk and oil are also seeing an inflated price. The Indian rupee too is under sustained pressure, crossing Rs 96 against the US dollar. In the midst of this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent directive on conserving foreign exchange was not received well by the masses. Defending his appeal, Sitharaman reasoned that such directives must be seen in the context of a volatile global price and supply chain disruptions. She further pointed out "three Fs" which are fuel, fertilisers, and foreign exchange, i.e., purchase of gold in this context. "All these payments will have to be in foreign exchange. There is no rupee trading there," she said.
The Peek Insight: It was always expected that the West Asia crisis would eventually disrupt India’s economy. But the government’s relentless attempts to defend its handling of the situation have been striking in themselves. The crisis began in February, yet for nearly two months, the government continued to project an “everything is under control” narrative. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman herself stood in Parliament and argued that the Indian rupee was performing better compared to several global currencies. In reality, it is the worst-performing currency in the whole of Asia. So, what Sitharaman calls a “calibrated approach” has felt more like a sudden economic shift for the average Indian. Had the government gradually adjusted prices earlier instead of holding them artificially for months, the shock perhaps would not have felt this severe. At the same time, the falling value of the rupee, retail inflation hovering at 3.48% year-on-year, food inflation remaining around 4.2%, and India slipping from the world’s fourth-largest economy to sixth in certain global rankings, paints a far more uncomfortable picture than the government is willing to acknowledge.
Image Courtesy: Britannica
When ‘Jihad’ Becomes Indian Primetime’s Favourite Suffix
The Fact: The News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has cautioned news channel NDTV for arbitrarily using the phrase "thook jihad" in one of their broadcasts. Allegedly, in the broadcast, NDTV had suggested that similar acts of "thook jihad" were being reported from other places as well. In a May 19 order, Justice (Retired) AK Sikri said that the broadcasting of the phrase amounts to a violation of the Code of Conduct against religious and racial stereotyping.
The Context: The complaint was filed by advocate Utkarsh Mishra against the channel's December 2024 broadcast. It showed a viral video of a man from Meerut allegedly spitting on rotis while preparing them. Mishra argued that the report communalised a single criminal act by linking it to the entire Muslim community. He also alleged that an interview of the alleged accused conducted by a private person was shown on the channel as a police enquiry. Responding to the allegations, NDTV stated that its coverage was based on materials that are already known and available in the public domain. Justice Sikri rejected all these arguments and added that the "terminology itself carried implicit meaning."
The Peek Insight: Over the last few years, terms such as “land jihad,” “UPSC jihad,” and even "beauty parlour jihad” have increasingly entered mainstream political and media discourse. Most of the time, they are without any legal or factual basis. Several governments, be it Pushkar Singh Dhami in Uttarakhand or Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam, have used these terms to craft policies that have had a direct impact on the livelihoods of many Muslims. That's why the NBDSA’s order is significant because it explicitly recognises that communal insinuation by a national news channel. News organisations like the NDTV have a responsibility. They shouldn't merely amplify public narratives, but also verify, contextualise, and avoid inflammatory framing.
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