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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.
Supreme Court Questions Election Commission on Voter Deletion and Citizenship
- The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Election Commission (EC) an important question: if an Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) removes a person’s name from the voter list after checking their citizenship during the special intensive revision (SIR) process, can the Central government then use this decision to start an investigation into whether that person can stay in India or should be deported.
- Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who is part of the two-judge Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, questioned whether EROs have the power to remove a person’s name from the voter list even before the Central government takes a final decision on whether the person is no longer a citizen of India.
- These questions became very important because draft voter lists released in nine States and three Union Territories, including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, showed that around 6.5 crore names were removed during the second phase of the special intensive revision exercise.
- The Bench raised these concerns after hearing arguments from senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi. He said that Article 326 of the Constitution, which gives adult Indian citizens the right to vote, along with the Representation of the People Act and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, give the Election Commission the authority, through EROs, to carry out a detailed enquiry into citizenship for certain purposes.
- Dwivedi explained that the Election Commission has the right to check whether a person is a citizen only for deciding if their name should be included in the voter list. However, the final decision about whether a person can stay in India or be deported lies only with the Central government.
- Justice Bagchi pointed out that while an ERO can examine a person’s citizenship, the real issue is whether, after making such a finding, the Citizenship Act requires that decision to be sent to the Central government for further action.
- Justice Bagchi also asked whether an ERO can take away a person’s right to vote before the Central government officially decides to remove that person’s citizenship status.
- Replying to this, Mr. Dwivedi said that a decision must be taken immediately and cannot be delayed. He argued that if the ERO finds that a person is not a citizen, and no action is taken right away, that person would continue to remain on the voter list and would be allowed to vote.
- Dwivedi said that once serious doubt is raised about a person’s citizenship, and if the ERO’s decision is not unreasonable or unfair, then the person should be removed from the voter list. He added that while no system is perfect, authorities must try to make the election process as accurate and fair as possible.
- The senior lawyer also stressed that people whose names are removed from the voter list during the special intensive revision have the right to appeal against the ERO’s decision.
- He said that such problems are bound to happen in large exercises like elections and that the entire election process cannot be stopped or changed just because some individuals are affected.
- Dwivedi clarified that if an ERO’s order is clearly wrong in a particular case, it can be cancelled. He further said that the Election Commission does not need to wait for the final decision of the Central government, which may take time, before removing a person’s name from the voter list.
- According to him, there are enough safeguards in place, such as the right to appeal. If the appeal succeeds, the person’s name can be added back to the voter list. He said these are normal legal procedures.
- Chief Justice Surya Kant then asked whether this argument meant that non-citizens cannot be included in the voter list.
- In response, the Election Commission’s lawyer explained that a decision taken by the EC does not automatically lead to deportation. He said that any deportation process, if required, is the responsibility of the Central government.
- The EC’s lawyer also said that citizenship and constituency boundaries are the basic foundations of the election system.
- Dwivedi also referred to other laws, including the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, to support his argument that citizenship is a compulsory requirement in many areas. He said that even to get a mining lease, a person must be an Indian citizen, and authorities have the right to verify citizenship claims in such cases.
10-Minute Delivery Services Stopped by Quick Commerce Platforms
- Delivery companies like Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato, and Swiggy have reportedly decided to stop promoting their 10-minute delivery service after the intervention of Union Labour Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya.
- Gig and platform workers had gone on a one-day strike on December 31, and one of their main demands was to end the 10-minute delivery system. They said it was causing frequent road accidents and serious health problems due to pressure and stress.
- A senior government official said that Mr. Mandaviya raised this issue during a meeting with delivery companies held last week.
- Sources in the Ministry told The Hindu that Blinkit has already removed the 10-minute delivery promise from its advertisements, and other platforms are likely to do the same in the coming days.
- During the meeting, the companies explained to the Minister that fast deliveries were possible because of nearby warehouses and not because delivery workers were being forced to rush.
- However, the Minister still asked the companies to stop highlighting the 10-minute delivery promise, keeping in mind the safety and well-being of delivery workers. The companies agreed with this suggestion.
- A government source said that this decision is meant to improve safety, security, and working conditions for gig workers across all platforms.
- As part of this change, Blinkit informed the Ministry that it has changed its main tagline from “10,000+ products delivered in 10 minutes” to “30,000+ products delivered at your doorstep.”
- In their written request to Mr. Mandaviya, gig workers had asked for immediate action to stop the 10–20 minute delivery target, saying that worker safety should come first.
- Workers’ unions have long argued that the 10-minute delivery system puts extreme pressure on delivery workers and creates unsafe working conditions. They had also asked the Minister to help regulate how platform-based companies operate.
- Shaik Salauddin, General Secretary of the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers, welcomed the government’s action and the decision taken by the companies.
- He said that the 10-minute delivery model pushed delivery workers into dangerous driving, high stress, and unsafe situations.
- He thanked Mr. Mandaviya for listening to the concerns of workers and taking strong steps to protect their safety.
- He also called the Minister’s intervention a victory for all gig and platform workers, especially after the nationwide strikes and protests held between December 25 and 31 to highlight unsafe work practices.
- Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha, who had raised the problems faced by gig workers in Parliament last month, also responded to the development.
- In a post on his X account, Mr. Chadha wrote, “Satyamev Jayate. Together, we have won…”
Two suspected Nipah infection cases critical in West Bengal
- Two patients suspected of being infected with the Nipah virus in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal were in a critical condition on Tuesday.
- They are being treated at a private hospital in Barasat city, which is the same hospital where both patients were working.
- Sources told The Hindu on Tuesday that one of the patients has tested positive for the Nipah virus, while the test result of the second patient is still awaited.
- Both patients showed symptoms similar to Nipah when their samples were first tested at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Kalyani.
- After the initial tests, the samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for confirmation.
- One of the patients has reportedly gone into a coma.
- The other patient was on ventilator support on Tuesday.
- Reports said that both patients had continued working at the hospital for several days while suffering from fever, before they were finally admitted.
- Both private and government hospitals across West Bengal are getting ready in case the number of Nipah cases increases.
- The Infectious Diseases and Beleghata General Hospital (IDBGH) in Kolkata has prepared a special ward for Nipah patients, officials said on Tuesday.
- An expert committee has been formed to handle the situation.
- Helpline numbers have been started to help the public.
- A standard operating procedure (SOP) has been prepared for all hospitals.
- West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty said on Monday, “Do not panic but stay alert.”
- She also said that contact tracing has already begun and that the SOP has been prepared and put into use.
- Contact tracing is being carried out in North 24 Parganas, Purba Bardhaman, and Nadia districts.
- This is because the two patients had recently returned from Katwa town in Bardhaman district.
Important Questions
- Why did the Supreme Court ask whether an Electoral Registration Officer could remove a person’s name from the electoral rolls before the Central government took a final decision on citizenship?
- How did senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi justify the Election Commission’s power to conduct an inquisitorial enquiry into citizenship during the special intensive revision exercise?
- Why did gig and platform workers demand an end to the 10-minute delivery model during the one-day strike on December 31?
- What change did Blinkit make to its tagline after the intervention of Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya?
- Why were the samples of the suspected Nipah patients sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for reconfirmation?
- What steps were taken by the West Bengal government after the two patients showed Nipah-like symptoms?
Important Vocabulary
- Inquisitorial – involving detailed questioning to find facts
- Perverse – clearly unreasonable or against facts
- Deportation – removal of a person from a country
- Safeguards – measures taken for protection
- Intervention – action taken to change a situation
- Branding – promotion of a company or service
- Memorandum – written request or statement
- Regulating – controlling through rules
- Critical – very serious condition
- Ventilator – machine that helps breathing
- Reconfirmation – checking again to be sure
- Contact tracing – identifying people who were exposed
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