The Hindu Morning Digest: May 12, 2026

PM repeats call for saving fuel, cutting gold buy; bats for work from home

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (May 11, 2026) reiterated his call for reduced fuel consumption, greater use of public transport and electric vehicles by citizens and urged people to defer gold purchases amid the West Asia crisis, which has caused large-scale disruptions. PM Modi appealed to people to opt for work from home, a pandemic-era practice, wherever possible and reduce foreign travel.

U.S.-Iran ceasefire on ‘life support’, says Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday (May 11, 2026) said the ceasefire with Iran was at its “weakest” and on “massive life support”, a day after he rejected Tehran’s proposal to end the months-long war. “It is at its weakest… After reading that piece of garbage they sent us… It’s on life support, massive life support,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the Oval Office in response to a question on the ceasefire with Iran in the wake of the rejection of the peace proposal.

Himanta to be Assam’s first non-Congress CM twice in a row

Himanta Biswa Sarma will become the first non-Congress Chief Minister of Assam for the second straight term when he is sworn in on Tuesday (May 12, 2026). The only other non-Congress Chief Minister who served two terms is Prafulla Kumar Mahanta of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), but his tenures were separated by five years. Since the end of his second term in 2001, the AGP has been a minor partner of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr. Sarma’s party.

Will hear Trinamool pleas on victory margins being less than deleted votes in SIR, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court assured Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee on Monday (May 11, 2026) that it would examine her claims that the lakhs of deletions made during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls “materially affected” results in the recently concluded Assembly election in West Bengal. This is the first Supreme Court hearing in the West Bengal SIR case after the election, which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party trounce the Trinamool to assume power for the first time.

ECI set to roll out phase III of SIR in ‘coming days’ to cover 22 States, UTs

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to roll out phase three of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list in the next “coming days”, officials said on Monday (May 11, 2026), adding that it could cover the remaining 22 States and Union Territories (UTs) covering nearly 40 crore electors. The poll authority had held back its rollout due to Assembly elections in Kerala, Assam, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal held last month.

TCS Nashik case: NCW flags ‘toxic work culture’, ‘zero POSH compliance’

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday (May 11, 2026) slammed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for its alleged failure to comply with the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, observing that there was pervasive harassment, religious denigration, systemic bullying and exertion of fear and pressure imposed by toxic leadership at its Nashik office. Many victims who wanted to complain could not do so due to “complete absence of any formal complaint mechanism and a trustworthy environment”, the NCW’s fact-finding committee said, adding Gen Z employees were more susceptible to anti-religious discourse.

Split wide open in AIADMK, MLAs are divided over support to Palaniswami

All is not well in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam after the recent election drubbing in Tamil Nadu, with the newly elected legislators sharply divided on electing their Legislature Party leader. While one group supports party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, a larger group is throwing its weight behind former Minister S.P. Velumani. On Monday, after the swearing-in of all the legislators was over, a letter, purportedly signed by a group of legislators of the AIADMK stating that Mr. Palaniswami had been elected the Leader of the Legislature Party, was submitted to the Pro-tem Speaker M.V. Karuppaiah at his chamber. As per media reports, the general secretary got the backing of 17 of the 47 MLAs belonging to the AIADMK, though a member of the Palaniswami camp claimed it was 24.

CPI(M) defends Vijayan, says leadership is collective after Kerala defeat

Pinarayi Vijayan alone need not take “moral responsibility” for the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) defeat in Kerala, CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby said, emphasising that the party functions as a collective entity and that Mr. Vijayan led the campaign as its senior-most member. Mr. Baby also did not clarify who within the LDF will occupy the Leader of the Opposition position amid widespread speculation over whether Mr. Vijayan will do so. The CPI have demanded the post of Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Baby’s remarks come in the backdrop of comments by CPI State secretary Binoy Viswam at the conclusion of his party’s two-day national council meeting in New Delhi, where he said the electoral defeat was a warning that communist organisations must give priority to the people.

PM Modi to meet Iran FM, other BRICS Ministers before UAE visit

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will travel to New Delhi this week to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting on May 14 to 15 and is expected to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the latter’s visit to the UAE, diplomatic sources confirmed to The Hindu. Mr. Araghchi, who will arrive on Wednesday (May 13, 2026), is expected to meet the Prime Minister in a joint call-on along with other BRICS Ministers from Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Indonesia on Thursday (May 14, 2026).

India secure, no fuel shortage amid West Asia crisis: Rajnath Singh

Reviewing the evolving West Asia conflict, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday (May 11, 2026) chaired the fifth meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) at Kartavya Bhawan-2 in New Delhi. The IGoM was informed that the country is secure and there is no shortage of any petroleum products, even as most other nations have taken emergency measures to dramatically reduce domestic consumption.

U.K. PM Starmer told by Interior Minister to consider departure

​British Prime ‌Minister Keir Starmer has ​been ⁠told by Interior Minister ‌Shabana Mahmood ‌and other ‌senior ⁠cabinet Ministers ⁠to consider setting out ​a timeline ‌for his departure, The Times newspaper ‌reported ​on Monday (May 11, 2026). (Inputs taken from Sriram copy) Earlier, in response to calls for his resignation after the Labour Party’s poor subnational election performance, Mr. Starmer stated he would remain in his position, taking responsibility and acknowledging that a “bigger response” was needed.

Published – May 12, 2026 07:00 am IST