Supreme Court Suggests Adding Pending Traffic Fines to Electricity Bills - Cartoon

 

The cartoon takes a humorous look at a suggestion by the Supreme Court to explore linking unpaid traffic challans with electricity bills. The idea is presented through a simple but sharp visual joke: if different kinds of outstanding dues can be brought together, perhaps there is no end to the possibilities.

The cartoon extends the logic of adding traffic fines to electricity bills by humorously suggesting that other everyday payments could also find their way onto the same bill. The exaggerated idea creates the punchline while drawing attention to how an administrative solution can sound increasingly unusual when applied beyond its original purpose.

At the heart of the cartoon is the relationship between citizens and multiple government payments. Traffic fines and electricity bills normally belong to completely different systems, but bringing them together raises questions about how efficiently outstanding dues can be recovered and how far such mechanisms should go.

Rather than taking a technical position on the proposal, the cartoon uses exaggeration to make the viewer imagine what could happen if this approach keeps expanding. The humour lies in turning an unusual administrative suggestion into an apparently endless list of possible additions to a household bill.

Cartoon by : Kirtish Bhatt

Madras High Court Reminds Media That TRPs Aren’t Everything That Matters

 

This political cartoon satirizes the media’s obsession with Television Rating Points (TRPs) in the age of intense news competition. The cartoon refers to a Madras High Court observation urging the media to remember that there are things more important than TRPs.

The cartoon shows two television news anchors sitting at a news desk. One looks puzzled as the message from the court appears above them: “मद्रास हाई कोर्ट ने मीडिया से कहा, टीआरपी से ज़्यादा जरूरी चीज़ें भी होती हैं” — the Madras High Court told the media that things more important than TRPs also exist.

The anchor’s response delivers the punchline: “टीआरपी से ज़्यादा जरूरी भी कुछ होता है!! …क्या होता होगा?” — “There is something more important than TRP too!! …What could it be?”

The joke lies in the anchor’s apparent inability to think of anything more important than ratings. The cartoon suggests that when attracting viewers becomes the dominant priority, other responsibilities of journalism — such as accuracy, public interest, context and responsible reporting — can seem strangely unfamiliar.

The visual of the confused anchor scratching her head reinforces the satire. The question is deliberately simple, but the joke points toward a much larger debate about the role and responsibilities of television news.

By turning a judicial observation into an absurd question, the cartoon highlights the tension between news as a public service and news as a ratings-driven business. It asks whether chasing audience numbers can sometimes overshadow the wider purpose of journalism.

Cartoon by : Kirtish Bhatt

CJP Calls for Election Boycott, Cartoon Finds Common Ground With the Opposition

 

This political cartoon satirizes the reaction of a ruling-party leader to CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke’s call for opposition parties to boycott elections. Dipke had urged opposition parties to stop contesting elections if they believe the electoral process is being compromised.

The cartoon’s punchline comes from the unexpected enthusiasm of the ruling-party leader. When asked for his reaction, he says: “मैं पहली बार CJP से सहमत हूँ कि विपक्ष चुनाव ही न लड़े।” — “For the first time, I agree with CJP that the opposition should not contest elections.”

The irony becomes clear from the character’s identity. As a leader of the ruling party, he would potentially benefit enormously if opposition parties actually followed such advice and stayed away from elections. Instead of having to defeat political opponents at the ballot box, the ruling party could face little or no effective electoral competition in those constituencies.

That is what gives the cartoon its sharp political edge. The ruling-party leader appears to agree with Dipke’s argument about boycotting elections, but his enthusiasm comes from an entirely different motivation. For him, an opposition boycott would remove his electoral rivals rather than serve as a protest against the electoral system.

The phrase “पहली बार” — “for the first time” adds another layer to the joke. It suggests that the ruling-party leader normally disagrees with CJP, but is suddenly delighted to find himself on the same side of an argument when the proposed action could directly benefit his party.

The cartoon therefore highlights the political irony of an opposition boycott: while opposition parties might view non-participation as a form of protest, their absence could simultaneously make the ruling party’s electoral contest considerably easier.

Through a simple exchange between a journalist and a smiling politician, the cartoon turns a serious debate over elections, opposition participation and electoral credibility into a pointed piece of political satire.

Cartoon by - Kirtish Bhatt

Election Commissioners’ Disagreement Leaves Election Commission Itself in the Minority

 

This political cartoon satirizes reported differences among India’s Election Commissioners. The cartoon presents a journalist questioning a man outside the Election Commission, while another person reads a newspaper reporting a “case of disagreement among election commissioners.”

The man responds with a sharp observation: “कमाल है! आयोग ही अल्पमत में है!?” — “Amazing! The Commission itself is in the minority!?”

The joke plays on the word “minority.” In an ordinary political or institutional context, disagreements are expected to be resolved through discussion and formal decision-making. But when members of an electoral body itself disagree, the cartoon turns that internal division into a humorous paradox: if the commissioners are divided, can the institution itself be described as being “in the minority”?

The cartoon uses a simple visual setup to question how disagreements within an institution responsible for conducting elections can affect public perception of its functioning and authority. The newspaper provides the factual trigger, while the character’s reaction supplies the satire.

The humour comes from applying the language normally used to describe political disagreements to the institution that oversees elections. Rather than taking a position on which commissioner is right or wrong, the cartoon focuses on the unusual optics of disagreement within an organisation whose decisions carry significance for the electoral process.

With its short punchline and straightforward visual metaphor, the cartoon turns a procedural dispute into a broader commentary on institutional unity, credibility and public confidence.

Cartoon by Kirtish Bhatt

Kalkaji Gang-Rape Case Pushes Delhi’s Lady Shri Ram College Online | Cartoon

 

This cartoon comments on the decision by Delhi’s Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) to temporarily shift classes online following the alleged gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Mandir. The incident was followed by a police encounter with one of the accused near the college’s back gate, intensifying concerns about the safety of students in the surrounding area.

The cartoon presents a starkly ironic message through a roadside sign: “बेटी (ऑनलाइन) पढ़ाओ, बेटी बचाओ” — a satirical twist on the familiar “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” slogan.

A young woman riding a scooter passes the sign, creating a simple but powerful visual contrast. The original slogan promotes the education and protection of girls, while the cartoon questions what “protection” means when concerns about safety force an educational institution to move classes away from the physical campus.

The satire lies in the word “online.” Education continues, but the cartoon suggests that girls are being protected by keeping them away from the physical environment rather than making that environment safer.

LSR temporarily shifted classes online after the incident, while the college also sought increased police patrolling around the campus and advised students and staff to avoid gathering near the back gate.

The cartoon therefore turns a government slogan into a pointed question about women’s safety, public spaces and access to education. Its message is not that online education is inherently problematic, but that the need to retreat indoors to feel safe exposes a deeper problem.

Cartoon by - Kirtish Bhatt

Bihar Student Harassment Case Puts ‘Jungle Raj’ Rhetoric Under Cartoonist’s Lens

 This political cartoon comments on a reported sexual harassment case involving a student at a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Jamui, Bihar. The cartoon uses the phrase “Jungle Raj”, a politically charged expression historically used in Bihar’s political discourse, to create its central irony.

A reporter holds a microphone toward a politician, who appears visibly uncomfortable and says, “जंगलराज वाली बात डिलीट कर दो, मैं भूल गया था कि हमारी ही सरकार है” — roughly, “Delete the ‘Jungle Raj’ remark; I had forgotten that it is our government.”

The cartoon’s satire focuses on how political rhetoric can change depending on who is in power. A phrase that may be used to criticise an opposing government can become uncomfortable when a similar incident occurs under one’s own administration.

Rather than debating the political label itself, the cartoon highlights the inconsistency that can arise when political parties or leaders discuss law-and-order and public safety differently depending on their position in government.

The reported student harassment case provides the immediate context, while the cartoon expands the issue into a broader commentary on political accountability. Its punchline suggests that responsibility for incidents affecting citizens should not depend on which party happens to be governing.

The visual joke is deliberately uncomfortable: the politician's concern is not only about the reported incident but about the political language used to describe it. That contrast gives the cartoon its satirical edge.

Cartoon by - Kirtish Bhatt

Delhi SIR Notices Reach VIPs, Turning Voter Verification Into an Equalizer I Cartoon

 

Delhi’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has brought several prominent public figures into the voter-verification process. Notices have been issued to well-known names including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, L.K. Advani and other senior political and public figures over discrepancies or mismatches in electoral records. The Election Commission has clarified that receiving a notice does not automatically mean deletion from the voter list; it is part of the verification process.

The cartoon turns this development into a sharp joke. Two VIPs are travelling comfortably in a car marked “VIP”, but their speech bubble asks: “क्या फायदा VIP होने का? जब समस्याएं आम आदमी जैसी आएं!” — “What is the use of being a VIP when problems arrive just like they do for the common man?”

The humour comes from reversing the usual meaning of VIP status. Privilege may offer comfort and influence in many situations, but when an official verification notice arrives, even prominent citizens can find themselves dealing with paperwork and procedural requirements.

The cartoon therefore uses the SIR controversy to make a broader observation about the idea of equality before administrative procedures. For once, the VIP label offers no escape from an ordinary bureaucratic problem.

Cartoon by - Kirtish Bhatt

Bihar Floods: When Schools Go Underwater, So Does Education | Cartoon

 

When the School Goes Underwater, So Does the Mathematics

Floods have a peculiar way of exposing the difference between textbook mathematics and real life.

The cartoon captures that perfectly. A man looks at a school submerged in floodwater and asks a brutally simple question: if a school is nine feet high and three feet of it is underwater, how much is left above the water?

The answer, of course, is six feet.

But for the children who are supposed to study there, the problem is not really about subtraction. It is about whether there is a school left to walk into at all.

When floodwater enters classrooms, the blackboard becomes irrelevant, benches become floating furniture, and the morning assembly is replaced by the weather forecast. The biggest lesson of the day is no longer mathematics or science, but figuring out how to reach school without needing a boat.

The irony becomes sharper when we talk about education in areas repeatedly affected by floods. A school building may technically still exist, but if classrooms, playgrounds and access roads are underwater, education is effectively suspended. For children, every lost school day can mean another gap in learning.

And then comes the familiar Indian instinct: “At least the building is still standing.”

Perhaps. But a school is more than four walls and a roof. It needs teachers, students, books, electricity, safe access and an environment where children can actually sit down and learn.

The cartoon's little arithmetic problem therefore has a much bigger answer.

A Birthday Blessing: Cartoon on 'Ashirwad ka Diya Campaign'

 

A Birthday Blessing… and a Helicopter Tour!

A birthday is usually about cakes, candles and blessings. But in the world of politics, even a birthday can come with an official campaign, a little symbolism—and, apparently, an aerial survey.

The cartoon takes a cheeky look at the appeal to light an “Ashirwad Ka Diya” on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, juxtaposing it with the situation in flood-affected areas. While the message talks about blessings and service, the cartoon asks a rather uncomfortable question: When people are struggling with floods, will the leaders actually walk through the affected areas?
Cartoon by:  Kirtish Bhatt

UPI Charges on Transactions Above ₹2,000: सब माया है

 

About Cartoon:

We all love UPI because it is fast, easy, and completely free. It changed the way we buy everything from groceries to clothes. But lately, there has been a lot of talk about adding a 0.4% charge on merchant payments over ₹2,000. This has started a big debate across the country.

My cartoon, "सब माया है" (It's all an illusion), takes a funny look at this situation. First, everyone is told to stop using cash and switch to digital payments. But once everyone actually changes their habits, the rules start to change, and new fees get introduced.

Why this is a big deal for regular people:

• Small Businesses Suffer: While regular people can still send money to friends for free, shopkeepers have to pay the price. A 0.4% fee might sound small, but for a small business doing many transactions a day, it really cuts into their hard-earned daily profits.
• Cash Might Come Back: The main point of UPI was to get rid of cash. But if big digital bills start coming with extra fees, people and businesses might just go back to using paper money to save cash.
• The Extra Cost: If shopkeepers get tired of paying these fees, they will eventually pass the cost onto the customers by raising prices. In the end, the common man is the one who pays.

This cartoon is all about that awkward moment when a free service we all depend on starts turning into a regular business with hidden costs. It reminds us that in the digital world, "free" things don't stay free forever.

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Cartoon by Kirtish Bhatt.

UPI Charges: Pay Tum Karo... | Cartoon by Kirtish Bhatt

 

About the Cartoon

India’s UPI has made everyday payments incredibly simple—scan a QR code, enter the amount and you’re done. But the story gets a little less simple for merchants when transaction charges enter the picture. The debate over UPI charges, MDR and payments above ₹2,000 is really about who should pay for the convenience of digital payments. Customers want UPI to remain free, while businesses naturally don’t want payment costs eating into their margins. For a small shopkeeper, even a tiny charge can add up over hundreds of transactions. After making “cash nahi hai” almost irrelevant, UPI may have given shopkeepers a new headache: “Charge kitna lagega?”

Cartoon by Kirtish Bhatt

BRICS Summit and Slums: When Poverty Is Hidden Behind a Curtain | Cartoon

 

When Poverty Is Hidden Behind a Curtain, the Problem Doesn't Disappear

During an international summit, the world gets a carefully prepared view of a city. Roads are cleaned, buildings are decorated, security is tightened and everything possible is done to make the surroundings look presentable.

But what happens when the people living in poverty are part of the scenery?

The cartoon takes a sharp look at the controversy over slums being screened from view during the BRICS Summit. Instead of showing the reality of urban poverty, the uncomfortable parts of the city can simply be covered up—quite literally.

In the cartoon, a child is struggling beneath a huge covering while the conversation above it continues as if everything is perfectly normal. The visual irony is hard to miss: the poor may be hidden from the visitors, but they haven't disappeared.

There is something almost magical about the idea. If a problem looks unpleasant, put a curtain in front of it. If the poverty isn't visible, perhaps the city can appear prosperous. And if the international guests don't see it, maybe nobody needs to talk about it.

Except, of course, the people underneath the curtain can still see it very clearly.

Cities hosting major international events naturally want to present their best face. Infrastructure, cleanliness and civic improvements are legitimate priorities. But there is a difference between improving living conditions and simply improving the view.

A screen can hide a slum for a few hours. It cannot hide the reasons why the slum exists.

And that is where the cartoon's humour turns into a more uncomfortable question: Are we trying to remove poverty—or merely remove it from the frame?

Perhaps the real achievement would not be making poverty invisible during an international summit. It would be making poverty unnecessary in the first place.

Until then, a curtain is just a curtain.

It doesn't solve the problem.

It only makes sure that the problem doesn't appear in the photograph.

Cartoon by : Kirtish Bhatt

If Women Have to Step Aside, What Happens to the Statue of Liberty? l Cartoon

 

If Women Have to Step Aside, What Happens to the Statue of Liberty?

The Eiffel Tower is usually a symbol of Paris, romance and the universal appeal of France. But during a recent visit by a Hindu religious delegation, it found itself at the centre of a very different conversation.

The controversy arose after female employees at the Eiffel Tower were reportedly asked to leave their workstations or stay out of sight during a private visit by a BAPS Hindu delegation. Some women were reportedly replaced by male colleagues. The incident led to a staff protest and an investigation by Paris authorities. BAPS later apologised for any pain or inconvenience caused.

The cartoon takes that episode and gives it an international punchline.

The Statue of Liberty looks rather worried and asks, in effect: “Thank goodness they didn't visit me. Otherwise, where would I go?”

It is the kind of question only a cartoon can ask without needing a diplomatic briefing.

After all, Lady Liberty is one of the world's most recognisable symbols of freedom. She has been standing there for generations, holding her torch high and welcoming people from across the globe.

So imagine her concern when another landmark suddenly finds itself having to explain why its female employees were asked to step aside.

The irony is almost too perfect.

Religious traditions may have their own rules and practices, but when those practices affect workers in a public institution, the question inevitably becomes bigger than one private visit: Where does accommodation end and discrimination begin?

Perhaps the Statue of Liberty is simply relieved that nobody has asked her to move out of the frame.

After all, she has been standing there for more than a century.

And she probably intends to stay.

Cartoon by : Kirtish Bhatt

7.8% GDP Growth Sparks Confusion Over Whether Ordinary Indians Will Benefit

 

This cartoon takes a humorous look at the debate surrounding India’s reported 7.8% GDP growth. While the headline number appears impressive, the cartoon questions whether such growth automatically translates into visible benefits for ordinary people.

A man speaking to a reporter confidently acknowledges that 7.8% growth must be beneficial, but then admits that he is “कन्फ्यूज़्ड” about exactly what the benefit will be. His uncertainty is the cartoon’s central punchline.

The satire highlights the difference between macroeconomic statistics and people’s everyday economic experience. GDP growth measures the expansion of economic activity, but for ordinary households, the more immediate questions are whether incomes are rising, employment opportunities are improving and the cost of living is manageable.

By placing the character in front of a modest-looking neighbourhood, the cartoon creates a visual contrast with the impressive economic figure being discussed. The message is not that GDP growth has no value, but that headline growth figures can leave people wondering how the benefits reach them in practical terms.

Cartoon by : Kirtish Bhatt

Delhi Bus Turns Into a Question of Safety After Molestation Case - Cartoon

 

This cartoon uses dark humour to comment on a disturbing reality surrounding women’s safety in public transport. The cartoon refers to a reported molestation case in a Delhi bus, while presenting an exaggerated and ironic solution from the perspective of a woman passenger.

A woman is shown sitting on the roof of a bus while a man stands at the open door below. When asked about her unusual choice of seating, she says, “ऊपर ही ठीक हूँ भैया, नीचे ज़्यादा रिस्क है” — essentially, “I’m fine up here, brother; there is more risk down below.”

The humour comes from the absurdity of the situation. Travelling on the roof of a moving bus is obviously dangerous, yet the cartoon presents it as the safer alternative to being inside the bus. This reversal makes the underlying criticism sharper: when women do not feel safe in ordinary public spaces, even an obviously hazardous option can become the punchline.

The cartoon also highlights the contradiction between the basic purpose of public transport and the experience of passengers who face harassment or fear of harassment. A bus should provide a routine means of getting from one place to another, not force passengers to think about where they might be safest inside it.

By placing the woman literally above the bus, the cartoon turns a serious concern into a simple visual metaphor. The higher she goes, the more ridiculous the situation becomes — while the reason behind her choice remains deeply troubling.

Rather than focusing on the mechanics of the reported incident, the cartoon uses it to raise a broader question about safety, harassment and the everyday experience of women using public transportation.

The joke may make the viewer smile, but its message is uncomfortable: when the inside of a bus is portrayed as more dangerous than its roof, something is seriously wrong with the sense of security passengers should be able to expect.

Cartoon by - Kirtish Bhatt

A Mother Runs for Her Daughters’ School Fees to Keep India Moving Forward - Cartoon

 

Education is often described as the foundation of a country’s future, but this cartoon looks at the effort required to turn that idea into reality.

The cartoon features a mother running with determination, carrying what appears to be a school-related item, while a sign beside her proudly declares: “पढ़ेगा इंडिया तभी तो आगे बढ़ेगा इंडिया” — India will move forward only when India gets educated. Above her, the caption points to the familiar reality of mothers running around to arrange school fees for their daughters.

The humour comes from taking the popular slogan literally. If educating India means India will progress, then someone has to make sure children actually get the opportunity to study. Here, that responsibility is represented by a mother who is literally running to make it possible for her daughters to attend school.

Behind the joke lies a serious observation about the financial pressures associated with education. Schooling involves fees, books, uniforms, transportation and many other expenses. For families managing tight budgets, keeping children in school can require considerable effort and sacrifice. The cartoon particularly highlights the role of mothers, who often manage the practical details of their children’s education while also handling household responsibilities.

The reference to daughters is also significant. Girls’ education has long been connected with broader discussions about social development, economic opportunity and equality. Giving girls access to education can influence not only their individual futures but also the wellbeing of their families and communities.

The cartoon creates an amusing contrast between a grand national slogan and one very personal struggle. Politicians, advertisements and public campaigns can easily say that an educated population will make India progress. But for the mother in this cartoon, progress begins with something much more immediate: finding the money for her daughters’ school fees.

The running mother therefore becomes a humorous symbol of the distance between an inspiring slogan and the everyday effort required to achieve it.

The message is simple: if India wants to move forward through education, families need the means to keep their children in school.

Cartoon by - Kirtish Bhatt

Cartoon on GDP Growth - Can It Make Everyday Essentials Cheaper?

 

This cartoon takes a humorous look at the gap between impressive economic growth figures and the everyday concerns of ordinary households.

The cartoon refers to the reported 7.8% real GDP growth in the first quarter, presenting the figure as something worth celebrating. But instead of celebrating with grand speeches, fireworks or champagne, the cartoon puts the spotlight on something much more familiar: sugar and homemade halwa.

A woman standing in her kitchen suggests that if sugar could be made cheaper for just 24 hours, she could prepare halwa and “sweeten the mouth” to celebrate the strong GDP numbers. The joke works because it brings a complicated economic statistic down to the level of a basic kitchen ingredient.

GDP growth is an important measure of economic activity, but for an ordinary consumer, economic progress is often experienced through much simpler questions: Are groceries affordable? Are household expenses manageable? Can families buy the things they need without constantly worrying about prices?

The cartoon therefore plays on the contrast between headline economic numbers and household economics. A 7.8% growth figure may sound impressive at the national level, but the cartoon asks what such growth means to someone standing in a kitchen, thinking about the price of sugar.

There is also a gentle irony in the woman's suggestion. She isn't asking for a permanent reduction in prices or a major economic reform. She only wants sugar to become cheaper for 24 hours—just long enough to make a traditional sweet dish and celebrate.

That exaggeration gives the cartoon its punch. It suggests that when economic achievements are announced, people may also want to see some tangible benefit in their everyday lives.

Ultimately, the cartoon isn't dismissing GDP growth. Instead, it uses humour to ask an important question: How does impressive economic growth translate into something ordinary people can actually feel in their daily lives?

Sometimes, a bowl of halwa can explain economics more effectively than a long speech.