CJI likens some unemployed youth to roaches, parasites Likening unemployed youngsters to cockroaches, CJI Surya Kant said Friday they go on to “become” social media activists and attack the system. The comments came while a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was pulling up a lawyer for “pursuing” senior advocate designation. It said there were “parasites” in society who attack the system. “The entire world may be eligible to become senior (advocate), but you are not entitled,” the SC said | P11 bengaluru l saturday l may 16, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 22 l late city EDITION CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Pay `3 a litre more for petrol, diesel Freight rates set to jump, analysts see 15-25 basis points hike in retail inflation R a k e s h K u m a r @ New Delhi The inevitable finally happened on Friday with oil marketing companies , (OMCs) raising petrol and diesel prices by `3 per litre, while compressed natural gas (CNG) prices for automobiles were increased by `2 per kg. This is the first hike in petrol and diesel prices ever since state-run refiners suspended daily fuel price revisions in April 2022. The last revision came in March 2024, when prices were cut by `2 per litre ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Friday’s announcement comes amid disruptions in global oil and gas supplies following the escalation of conflict in West Asia. The impact of the price hike is expected to be felt across logistics, transportation, freight and e-commerce sectors, as well as other industries. “We expect freight rates across sectors to increase by approximately 2.53% immediately,” said Ashok Goyal, National President of the All India Transporters Welfare Association. Economists expect the price hike to result in a 15-25 basis points increase in retail inflation. The full impact of the hike is likely to be reflected in June inflation numbers. “The pass-through effect of the hikes is likely to increase CPI inflation by 15 basis points,” said Megha Arora, Director at India Ratings and Research. She added that the diesel price hike would have a wider impact because of its extensive use in transportation, coastal fishing boats, tourism, e-commerce operations and by aqua farmers for running aerators. Transporters will partially pass on the burden to customers. We expect freight rates to increase by about 2.5-3% Ashok Goyal, prez, All India Transporters Welfare Association Petrol at `106.21 in K’taka Petrol in Karnataka will now cost `106.21 a litre against `102.9 earlier. In Delhi, it will now cost `97.77 a litre, up from `94.77. New cost of diesel is `90.67, up from from `87.67 BRICS FM meet fails to issue joint statement J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Foreign ministers of the BRICS grouping failed to issue a joint communique after a two-day meeting in New Delhi on Friday, with sharp divisions over the Iran and Gaza wars exposing geopolitical fault lines within the expanded bloc that now includes both Iran and the UAE. The breakdown in consensus was driven primarily by objections raised by Iran to key paragraphs in the draft outcome document dealing with West Asia, Gaza and maritime security sources said. , According to sources, Tehran opposed paragraph 26, which addressed the Gaza and Palestine issue, and paragraph 29, which referenced the importance of ensuring “the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms of vessels of all states in the Red Sea and Bab AlMandab Strait, in accordance with international law”. As a result, host India was forced to issue a chair’s statement and outcome document that mentioned “a member had reservations on some aspects of this paragraph,” without naming any country . Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi suggested that the UAE had blocked consensus language due to its alignment with Israel and the US. NEET re-exam on June 21, online test from next year express news service @ New Delhi EDUCATION Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday announced that the the re-examin at i o n fo r t h e N at i o n a l Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) Undergraduate 2026 will be held on June 21. The fresh exam comes after the original test was cancelled on May 12 following question paper leak. The re-examination will be conducted in the conventional pen-and-paper (offline) mode and will be available in 13 languages. The exam fee for the cancelled test will be fully refunded, and no additional fee will be charged for the re-test. Starting next year, the NEETUG exam will shift to computer-based test mode, the National Testing Agency said. Briefing the media, Pradhan said, “The decision to cancel the NEETUG exam was announced on May 12 only in the interest of meritorious students. We do not want any wrong candidate to take up the seat, which rightfully belongs to a genuine candidate, with the help of the machinations of education mafia.” In a significant change, the duration of the exam has been extended by 15 minutes. It will now be held from 2 pm to 5.15 pm.Admit cards, centre intimation slips, and other details will be released by June 14. Students can update their present address and select examination cities from May 15 to May 21 (up to 11.50 pm). Candidates can indicate their first and second choice of examination cities during this period. No corrections in other particulars will be permitted except for the present address and choice of centre. Requests for changes will be entertained till the May 21 deadline. UAE announces $5bn investment j aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reiterated India’s support for the United Arab Emirates amid instability in West Asia, declaring that New Delhi stands “shoulder-toshoulder” with Abu Dhabi as the two countries signed a series of major agreements spanning energy, defence, trade, shipping and advanced technology, while the Gulf nation also announced investments worth USD 5 billion in India. During wide-ranging talks in Abu Dhabi with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Modi strongly condemned PM Narendra Modi with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan | PTI attacks targeting UAE and stressed that ensuring stability in the Gulf, particularly the security of the Strait of Hormuz, was a shared strategic priority . “The way the UAE has been targeted is unacceptable in any way,” Modi said during the meeting, held against the back- drop of rising tensions linked to the Iran conflict and growing threats to regional shipping and energy infrastructure. A major focus of the visit, the first leg of Modi’s five-nation tour, was energy security . Among agreements signed was a strategic pact with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company to expand cooperation on India’s strategic petroleum reserves and exploring collaboration in LNG and LPG infrastructure. The agreement will increase UAE’s participation in India’s petroleum reserves to 30 million barrels while also supporting the development of strategic gas reserves. 6 die as tanker rams tractor near TB Dam K i ra n Ba l a n n a n ava r @ Hosapete/Koppal In a tragic road accident near the Tungabhadra Dam on the Hosapete-Koppal border in Koppal district on Friday six persons, including a , one-year-old child, were killed and 10 others sustained serious injuries after a tanker rammed into a tractor carrying devotees. The victims were travelling in the tractor to offer prayers at the Huligemma temple when the speeding tanker hit the vehicle from behind, overturning the tractor on the roadside. The police said 16 persons were in the tractor. The deceased were identified as Gouramma (33), Geetha (32), Mahantesh (18), Manjamma (35), Kenchappa (35) and Bharat (1). The victims hailed from Marlayanahalli in Kudligi taluk and Yashwant Nagar in Sandur taluk of Ballari district. P5  4 die in roof collapse: P5