FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI Stock market rallies due to steep fall in crude oil prices Page 10 Tuesday, 26 May 2026 SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS | ‘It’s very tough to leave a place like this’ Iran slams US on lack of progress in peace talks NATION They have not learnt their lesson: SC on NEET row Page 5 Page 9 Page 12 Indian economy resilient but West Asia crisis exerting pressure on forex, says Sitharaman STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Fuel prices rise again, petrol crosses the `100 mark in Delhi: New Delhi, 25 May D efending Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to conserve foreign exchange, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Indian economy is resilient but the West Asia crisis is exerting pressure on its foreign exchange outgo due to high crude oil, fertiliser and gold prices amid the ongoing conflict. Sitharaman said the statement must be viewed in the context of volatile global commodity markets and rising import costs. “It is because of high international crude prices and the high crude prices are ever-changing,” Sitharaman said. "India was also grappling with an unimaginable increase in international fertiliser and gold prices. To just put it in context, all these three payments will have to be in foreign exchange. There is no rupee trading there,” she said. “We should please understand the context of these three Fs: Fuel, fertiliser and foreign exchange,” Sitharaman said. Sitharaman further highlighted the stress on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), saying prolonged uncertainty made business planning difficult. “India cannot afford fear-mongering. We need to give confidence to the people with our words and with our action.” The Finance Minister said government’s policy response had been very calibrated and focused on supporting MSMEs, exporters and sectors facing working capital stress while preserving overall growth momentum. Crude oil prices slumped over 4 per cent on Monday, with Brent crude falling below the $100-per-barrel mark. The July contract of Brent on the Intercontinental Exchange was trading at $99.22 per barrel, down 4.17 per cent from its previous close. The July contract of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell 4.53 per centto $92.22 a barrel. Rubio calls talks with Iran ‘work in progress’, reaffirms support for Israel during India visit STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Agra/New Delhi, 25 May US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday described Washington’s ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran as “a work in progress” and said President Donald Trump was proceeding cautiously to avoid what he termed a “bad deal,” while also reiterating strong American backing for Israel amid continuing tensions in West Asia. As per reports, Rubio, while speaking to newsmen during his visit to Agra, said the US administration remained diplomatically engaged with Tehran but stressed that Washington would not rush the process. “The negotiations are a work in progress,” Rubio said, adding that Trump “is not in a hurry” and “won’t make a bad deal.” Rubio reaffirmed the longstanding US position supporting Israel’s security interests, stating that “Israel has a right to defend itself.” Rubio also underscored the growing strategic partnership between the United States and India, praising ties between the two countries and highlighting the rapport between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said Trump was a “big fan” of Modi and described India-US relations as increasingly important in the global strategic landscape. During his visit to the Taj Mahal, Rubio praised the iconic monument, calling it “beautiful” and describing it as “one of the wonders of the world.” He said visiting such cultural landmarks was an important gesture of respect toward the US, Iran agree to fully reopen Strait of Hormuz within 30 days: countries he visits. Rubio toured the monument along with his wife, Jeanette Rubio, and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. Following his stop in Agra, Rubio continued his diplomatic visit with a trip to Jaipur. Assam govt tables UCC Bill covering marriage, divorce and inheritance STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Guwahati, 25 May Assam Minister Arup Bora on Monday tabled the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Assam, 2026 Bill in the state Assembly, proposing a single civil legal framework governing marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships for all residents of the state, while excluding Scheduled Tribes to protect their constitutional safeguards. The proposed legislation seeks to replace religion-based personal laws with a common code aimed at ensuring gender justice, equality and legal uniformity across communities. Under the Bill, monogamy has been made mandatory, while the legal age for marriage has been standardised at 21 years for men and 18 years for women. At the same time, the legislation preserves cultural and religious diversity by allowing marriages to be solemnised through existing customs and ceremonies, including Vedic Bibah, Ahom Chaklong, Saptapadi, Nikah, Holy Union and Anand Karaj. The Bill also makes the registration of marriages and divorces compulsory across the state. Couples will be required to submit a marriage memorandum before the Sub-Registrar within 60 days of the ceremony. Uniform grounds for divorce, including cruelty, desertion and mutual consent, have been codified in the legislation. The Bill further provides that custody of children below five years of age will ordinarily remain with the mother. In matters of succession, the proposed law introduces a gender-equal inheritance structure for intestate succession, placing spouse, children and parents within the same Class-1 category of heirs. The legislation additionally introduces regulations for live-in relationships by making their registration compulsory within one month. Children born out of such relationships will be considered legitimate, while deserted partners will be entitled to seek financial maintenance through the courts. The Bill prescribes stringent penalties for violations. Bigamy and polygamy may attract imprisonment of up to seven years under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, while fraudulent marriages through coercion, force or concealment may also invite imprisonment of up to seven years along with fines. New Delhi: The United States and Iran have agreed, as part of a preliminary deal, to reopen the Strait of Hormuz fully within 30 days, The Washington Post reported, citing an unnamed diplomat. Preliminary US-Iran peace agreement also envisages postponing nuclear talks until a later date, the publication said, citing an unnamed Iranian official. The preliminary framework agreement between Iran and the US has not yet been approved by the Iranian side, it noted, citing an unnamed diplomat. According to the newspaper, the parties agreed to extend the ceasefire for 60 days to reach the final settlement. The US-Iran framework agreement is "95 per cent there," although negotiators are still debating over the wording regarding the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran's nuclear stockpile. US President Donald Trump previously stated that the deal with Iran was largely agreed upon, and the final aspects and details were being discussed and would be announced soon. Unnamed US officials confirmed that Iran had agreed in principle to the framework."We are 95 per cent there," one official said. "We have a deal on the nuclear stockpile and the Strait of Hormuz, but are negotiating language." New Delhi: Petrol and diesel prices were increased once again across the country on Monday, marking the fourth hike in less than two weeks amid rising global crude oil prices and continued tensions in West Asia. Oil marketing companies raised petrol prices by Rs 2.61 per litre and diesel prices by Rs 2.71 per litre. Following the latest revision, petrol prices in Delhi crossed the Rs 100-per-litre mark to reach Rs 102.12 per litre, while diesel prices climbed to Rs 95.20 per litre. The latest increase comes after a series of fuel price hikes earlier this month. Prices were first raised by around Rs 3 per litre on May 15, followed by another increase of nearly 90 paise on May 19 and around 91 paise on May 23. With Monday’s revision, cumulative hikes in petrol and diesel prices have crossed Rs 7.5 per litre within just two weeks. Even after the price hike on petrol and diesel, the state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) continue to lose around Rs 600 crore a day. The repeated hikes have been attributed to volatility in global crude oil markets due to escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia and concerns over disruptions in international oil supply routes. Rising import costs and pressure on oil marketing companies have also contributed to the increase in domestic fuel prices. The latest hike is expected to push up transportation and logistics costs, adding further pressure on household budgets and raising concerns about inflation in the coming weeks. Suvendu to visit Delhi again amid speculation over formation of Bengal cabinet next week MEENAKSHI BHATTACHARYA New Delhi, 25 May The Central BJP leadership has called West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to Delhi again amid speculations over the expansion of his Council of Ministers. More than two weeks have passed since the BJP government was sworn in in West Bengal. However, uncertainty remains over the formation of a full new cabinet sparking widespread discussions in political circles. According to BJP sources, the Chief Minister might attend a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the capital on Thursday, preceding Shah’s planned border inspection in Bengal. The key focus of this visit is reportedly the outline of the state's new cabinet, which is expected to be finalised during the discussion. BJP insiders stated that deliberations regarding the formation of the second phase of the cabinet are now in their final stages. Suvendu is likely to engage in direct talks with the party's Central leadership regarding the list of prospective ministers. According to sources, a crucial meeting took place at the BJP headquarters in Delhi last week and lasted about two and a half hours. The attendees included the party's state president, Shamik Bhattacharya, Suvendu Adhikari, all-India president Nitin Navin, Bengal in-charge Bhupendra Yadav, and Sunil Bansal. This discussion reportedly centred on the final blueprint for Bengal's cabinet formation. The meeting with Amit Shah is also deemed highly significant. President Droupadi Murmu confers Padma awards NIKHIL VYAS New Delhi, 25 May President Droupadi Murmu on Monday conferred Padma Awards on 66 distinguished personalities at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Among the top honours, the President conferred India’s second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, posthumously on legendary Indian cinema icon and former Member of Parliament Dharmendra Singh Deol, as well as on renowned violinist Dr. N. Rajam. Dharmendra was honoured for his exceptional and distinguished contribution to the field of arts. The veteran actor passed away at the age of 89 on November 24, 2025. Veteran actress and politician Hema Malini received the Padma Vibhushan on behalf of her late husband from President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The moment turned emotional for the actress, who managed to hold back tears during the solemn ceremony conducted under strict protocol. President Murmu presented the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards for the year 2026 during the ceremony. The Padma Awards are among the country’s highest civilian honours. Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among the dignitaries present on the occasion. Former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and noted banker Uday Kotak were conferred with the Padma Bhushan. Advertising legend late Piyush Pandey was also awarded the Padma Bhushan posthumously, which was received by his wife, Neeta Joshi. At the ceremony, Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur received the Padma Shri following a landmark year for Indian women’s cricket. In 2025, she led India to its maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title on home soil with a historic victory over South Africa in the final at Navi Mumbai. Veteran Bengali cinema actor Prosenjit Chatterjee (photo) was also honoured with the Padma Shri. Earlier this year, the Union Government announced a total of 131 Padma Awards, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri honours. During Monday’s Civil Investiture Ceremony-I, President Murmu conferred 66 awards, including two Padma Vibhushan, six Padma Bhushan, and 58 Padma Shri awards. The remaining awards will be presented during Civil Investiture Ceremony-II at a later date.