The Hindu Editorial break down 21 January 2025

 

1. Constitutional Concerns over UGC Draft Regulations

Editorial Focus:

  • Critiques the draft UGC regulations of 2024 and 2025, particularly their impact on state autonomy and federalism.
  • Discusses provisions such as:
    • Centralized entrance exams.
    • Appointments of Vice-Chancellors without state involvement.
    • MEME (Multiple Entry and Exit) system.

UPSC Relevance:

  • GS2 - Polity and Governance:
    • Discuss federalism and the balance of power between Centre and State.
    • Examine reforms in the education sector and their alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP).
  • Mains Perspective Question: "Examine the implications of centralizing higher education governance on state autonomy in India."

2. Balancing Justice and Public Expectations

Editorial Focus:

  • The judgment in the R.G. Kar Medical College case is highlighted, where life imprisonment was given instead of the death penalty.
  • Emphasis on judicial ethics, the "rarest of rare" doctrine, and the importance of reformative justice.

UPSC Relevance:

  • GS2 - Governance and Judiciary:
    • Role of judiciary in balancing justice with public expectations.
  • GS4 - Ethics:
    • Ethical considerations in judicial decisions and the debate over capital punishment.
  • Mains Perspective Question: "Should India continue with the death penalty or move towards complete abolition? Critically analyze."

3. Farmers’ Protest and the MSP Debate

Editorial Focus:

  • Analyzes the persistent demand for a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP).
  • Highlights challenges in implementing MSP nationwide and its economic implications.
  • Advocates for structural agricultural reforms.

UPSC Relevance:

  • GS3 - Agriculture:
    • Agricultural pricing policies and the role of MSP in ensuring farmer welfare.
    • Challenges of rural indebtedness and agricultural sustainability.
  • Mains Perspective Question: "Evaluate the role of MSP in ensuring agricultural sustainability and the challenges in its implementation."

4. Environmental Concerns Over Parandur Airport

Editorial Focus:

  • Discusses the environmental and ecological trade-offs of constructing a second airport in Chennai.
  • Highlights the loss of wetlands, disruption of local livelihoods, and potential urban flooding.

UPSC Relevance:

  • GS3 - Environment and Disaster Management:
    • Role of wetlands in flood control and biodiversity conservation.
    • Urban planning challenges in balancing development with sustainability.
  • Mains Perspective Question: "Urban development often comes at the cost of ecological balance. Discuss with reference to recent projects in India."

5. America’s New Policy Direction

Editorial Focus:

  • Examines Donald Trump’s second-term agenda, focusing on immigration, trade, and foreign relations.
  • Implications of the “America First” policy for global geopolitics and India.

UPSC Relevance:

  • GS2 - International Relations:
    • Analyze the implications of U.S. domestic policies on India-U.S. relations.
    • Discuss the impact of shifting U.S. global strategies on the Indo-Pacific.
  • Mains Perspective Question: "How should India navigate its relationship with the U.S. amidst rising protectionist and nationalistic policies?"

Key Takeaways from the Editorial Section for UPSC:

  • Analytical Skills: Use editorials to develop a nuanced understanding of complex issues and enhance your answer-writing.
  • Linkage with Syllabus: Connect editorials to UPSC topics like governance, international relations, environment, and ethics.
  • Critical Thinking: Editorials encourage weighing pros and cons, a skill essential for essay and mains answers.
  • Practice Questions: Use editorial themes to frame and practice UPSC-relevant questions.

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