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The Hindu Editorial Analysis
We understand the significance of reading The Hindu newspaper for enhancing reading skills, improving comprehension of passages, staying informed about current events, enhancing essay writing, and more, especially for banking aspirants who need to focus on editorials for vocabulary building. This article will explore today’s editorial points, along with practice questions and key vocabulary.
Vijay Likely To Become CM Today; Tamil Nadu Moving Towards Coalition Government
- Joseph Vijay, president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), is expected to take oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday.
- This development ends nearly 60 years of rule in the State by the two major Dravidian parties — Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
- Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Saturday named Mr. Vijay as the Chief Minister-designate after he got support from 120 MLAs in the 234-member Assembly.
- Vijay will take oath at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at 10 a.m. on Sunday.
- Along with him, nine other Ministers, including senior TVK leaders, will also take oath.
- Vijay will lead a coalition government with the Indian National Congress as an alliance partner.
- The Governor has asked Mr. Vijay to prove his majority in the Assembly by May 13 through a confidence vote.
- The political uncertainty in Tamil Nadu ended after Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) announced support for the TVK government.
- With support from VCK and IUML, the TVK alliance reached the magic number of 120 MLAs.
- Later, Mr. Vijay met the Governor at Lok Bhavan and submitted support letters from Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], VCK and IUML.
- Though Congress left its alliance with the DMK and joined hands with TVK after the election, the other supporting parties said they would still remain in the DMK-led alliance while supporting the TVK government.
- TVK workers celebrated the announcement by distributing sweets and bursting crackers at the party headquarters in Panaiyur and other places.
- TVK won 108 seats in the Assembly election, but its current strength became 107 because Mr. Vijay won from two seats and must leave one constituency.
- TVK received support from:
- Five Congress MLAs
- Two CPI MLAs
- Two CPI(M) MLAs
- Two VCK MLAs
- Two IUML MLAs
- All these MLAs had contested the election earlier as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance.
- CPI and CPI(M) had already announced support to TVK before the VCK officially took its decision.
- TVK leaders were waiting for the VCK’s final stand till Saturday afternoon.
- However, the official support letter from VCK was handed over only in the evening to TVK general secretary for election campaign management, Aadhav Arjuna.
- Speaking to reporters at the VCK headquarters, party founder-president Thol. Thirumavalavan said that the Left parties and the VCK had worked together for years based on common ideology.
- He said that during the present political crisis, the Left parties and VCK discussed the situation together and took a decision with a long-term political vision.
- Thirumavalavan said the VCK supported TVK mainly to stop the possibility of President’s Rule being imposed in Tamil Nadu.
- He also said the VCK did not want to create problems in the formation of the new TVK government.
- The VCK announced unconditional outside support to the TVK government.
- When asked about relations with the DMK, Mr. Thirumavalavan said the VCK would continue in the DMK-led alliance.
- He added that the VCK took this political decision independently and believed it would not affect relations with the DMK.
Suvendu Adhikari Becomes West Bengal’s First BJP Chief Minister
- Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal on Saturday.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi accompanied Mr. Adhikari to the stage where Governor R. N. Ravi administered the oath.
- Along with Mr. Adhikari, five other BJP leaders also took oath as Ministers.
- After the ceremony, Mr. Adhikari visited Jorasanko Thakurbari, the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore, and paid floral tribute before starting official work.
- Adhikari said he wanted to begin his duties only after paying respect to “Kaviguru” Rabindranath Tagore.
- Wearing a saffron kurta and dhoti, Mr. Adhikari took oath in Bengali at a grand ceremony held at Brigade Parade Ground.
- BJP supporters cheered loudly during the ceremony.
- Chief Ministers from nearly 20 BJP-ruled and NDA-ruled States attended the event.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and several Union Ministers were also present.
- Modi thanked the people for the strong mandate received by the BJP in the Assembly election.
- The BJP won 207 out of 293 seats, while the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) was reduced to 80 seats.
- Adhikari was elected leader of the BJP legislature party on Friday.
- The Ministers who took oath included:
- Dilip Ghosh
- Agnimitra Paul
- Ashok Kirtania
- Kshudiram Tudu
- Nisith Pramanik
- In a social media message, Prime Minister Modi wished Mr. Adhikari a successful tenure as Chief Minister.
- Modi said the new Ministers would help speed up West Bengal’s development.
- Modi called the oath ceremony on Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary a “pleasant coincidence”.
- Referring to the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Mr. Adhikari used the words “Charaiveti, Charaiveti,” meaning “keep moving forward.”
- Adhikari called on people to work together and said, “Let us rebuild Bengal.”
- Adhikari became the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal and will lead the State’s 18th Legislative Assembly.
- He is also the first Chief Minister from rural Bengal in almost 50 years.
- He succeeded leaders like:
- Mamata Banerjee
- Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee
- Jyoti Basu
- Siddhartha Shankar Ray
Centre Implements Labour Codes Amid Trade Union Protests
- The Union government officially implemented all four Labour Codes through more than 30 gazette notifications issued on Friday and Saturday.
- Officials said the final Rules included only small changes from the draft Rules released in December 2025.
- The government had earlier announced that the Labour Codes would come into effect from November 21, 2025.
- The four Labour Codes will now replace 29 old labour laws dealing with:
- Wages
- Social security
- Working hours
- Retirement benefits
- Trade union rights
- Soon after the Rules were notified, members of 10 central trade unions protested across the country and burnt copies of the Rules.
- Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh said it was studying the Rules and would soon give its opinion.
- Opposition parties called the Labour Codes a direct attack on workers’ rights.
- A senior government official said all stakeholders had been given one month to send suggestions on the draft Rules.
- The official said the government reviewed the responses and accepted some suggestions, but only small amendments were made.
- On the issue of minimum wages, the Rules under the Code on Wages said the Union government would separately decide wage criteria through special or general orders.
- The Rules fixed one working day as eight hours.
- The Rules also said:
- Hourly wages would be calculated by dividing daily wages by eight.
- Monthly wages would be calculated by multiplying daily wages by twenty-six.
- Weekly working hours for employees must not go beyond 48 hours.
- For fixing floor wages, the Union government may consult a Central Advisory Board.
- The government will consider:
- Food
- Clothing
- Housing
- Minimum living standards
- Other necessary factors
- The Rules made it compulsory for employers to provide wage slips either electronically or in physical form.
- The Rules under the Code on Social Security changed 12 existing rules, including:
- Employees’ State Insurance Rules, 1950
- Employees’ Provident Funds Appellate Tribunal Rules, 1997
- The Industrial Relations Code stated that if only one registered trade union exists in an establishment and it has at least 30% membership of workers, the employer must recognise it as the sole negotiating union.
- Senior Centre of Indian Trade Unions leader R. Karumalaiyan said the Union government ignored suggestions made by trade unions.
- He said unions had asked for clarity on:
- Working hours
- Trade union rights
- Minimum wages
- Floor wages
- Social security protection
- Karumalaiyan alleged that the government ignored all major suggestions from trade unions, leading to protests.
- Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] accused the Union government of waiting until Assembly elections in four States and one Union Territory were over before notifying the Rules.
- The CPI(M) said the BJP-led government implemented the Labour Codes within four days of election results, calling it a “deceptive” move.
- CPI(M) also appealed to State governments to reject the Rules.
Important Questions
- Why did Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and Indian Union Muslim League extend support to the TVK government during the political crisis in Tamil Nadu?
- How did support from Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML help C. Joseph Vijay reach the majority mark in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly?
- Why did Suvendu Adhikari visit Jorasanko Thakurbari before starting official government work?
- How did the BJP victory of 207 seats change the political situation in West Bengal compared to the All India Trinamool Congress?
- Why did central trade unions stage protests after the Union government implemented the four Labour Codes?
- How will the new Labour Codes change rules related to wages, social security and working hours for workers in India?
Important Vocabulary
- Coalition — a government formed by different political parties working together.
- Uncertainty — a situation where the future is not clear or fixed.
- Ideology — a set of political or social beliefs.
- Constituencies — areas represented by elected members in an Assembly or Parliament.
- Ancestral — connected with family members from the past.
- Mandate — official public support given through an election.
- Coincidence — two events happening at the same time by chance.
- Legislature — the law-making body of a State or country.
- Operationalised — officially started and put into action.
- Controversial — causing disagreement or public debate.
- Compulsory — something that must be done by rule or law.
- Negotiating — discussing to reach an agreement.
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