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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 Allows Sale of Green Fireworks in Delhi
- Before Deepavali, the Supreme Court relaxed Delhi-NCR’s complete ban on firecrackers. It allowed the sale of green fireworks approved by NEERI and PESO from October 18 to 20.
- The Bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran said people can burst these crackers only on October 19 and 20, between 6–7 a.m. and 8–10 p.m.
- The Court called this decision a “test case”, to check if a controlled system for using firecrackers can work along with pollution control efforts. The judges made it clear this permission is temporary and will be closely watched.
- The Court told the CPCB and State Pollution Boards to check air and water quality from October 14 to 25 and give daily Air Quality Index reports.
- The Bench said a balanced approach is needed — allowing limited celebration while also protecting the environment — instead of a full ban during festivals.
- The Bench said that a total ban had actually made things worse, leading to smuggling and the use of old, more harmful fireworks instead of newer, cleaner ones.
- Referring to the 2018 Arjun Gopal v. Union of India case, the Court said green fireworks have helped reduce emissions in recent years.
- The Court also said the Delhi government’s 2024 order, which banned making, selling, and using fireworks for the whole year, should be reconsidered because cleaner options are now available.
- Amicus curiae Uttara Babbar said the AQI levels did not show any big change between 2018, when green fireworks began, and 2024, even though there was a full ban.
- The Court noted that air quality improved only during COVID-19 lockdowns, not because of the ban on firecrackers.
- Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and NCR States, strongly asked the Court to lift the ban for Deepavali, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve celebrations.
- He had earlier suggested a strict plan — only licensed traders can sell fireworks, and online sites like Amazon and Flipkart must not sell them.
- The Court noted that both the Delhi and Central governments now agree that limited relaxation of the ban should be allowed during festivals, under strict control.
- Haryana said that 14 of its 22 districts fall under NCR, meaning almost 70% of the State is covered by the blanket ban.
- Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan also asked for similar relief, saying the NCR-wide ban unfairly affects their areas during festivals.
- The Bench warned about the harmful effects of free and unrestricted firecracker production but agreed to allow it in a limited and supervised way.
- To keep things safe, the Court said only licensed sellers can sell fireworks made by NEERI-approved and PESO-licensed companies.
- This system aims to let people celebrate festivals while still protecting the environment, and to test if controlled regulation can work effectively through proper data monitoring.
Trade Deficit Rises 93% in September Due to Weak Services Sector
- India’s trade deficit went up by 93% in September 2025, as imports grew faster than exports, though the total trade deficit from April to September 2025 got 2.3% smaller overall.
- According to Commerce Ministry data, India’s total exports in September 2025 were $67.2 billion, up just 0.8% from September 2024. But imports rose 11.3% to $83.8 billion.
- Because of this, India’s trade deficit almost doubled to $16.6 billion in September 2025, compared to $8.6 billion a year earlier.
- The weaker export performance happened mainly because of lower service exports, even though goods exports did better, rising 6.7% to $36.4 billion in September 2025.
- This growth in goods exports came even after the U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods — September was the first full month under those tariffs.
- However, service exports, which had been India’s strong point, fell 5.5% to $30.8 billion in September 2025, which affected the total exports.
- India’s exports to the U.S. rose 13.4% during April–September 2025 compared to last year, but they have been slowly falling in recent months.
- Exports to the U.S. were $8.8 billion in May 2025, but dropped to $5.5 billion by September 2025, showing this downward trend.
- Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal praised the steady performance of goods exports, saying Indian industries have kept supply chains running and handled extra costs despite global challenges.
- He said the September spike in trade deficit was not a big concern, as global trade changes every year, and India’s overall performance is still better than in 2024.
- Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal added that both tariffed and non-tariffed exports were rising, proving that India’s exports have not fallen, even with higher duties and other global issues.
- From April to September 2025, India’s total exports went up 4.45% to $413.3 billion, while imports increased 3.55% to $472.8 billion in the same period.
- As a result, India’s trade deficit for the first half of FY2025 narrowed by 2.3%, showing a small but steady improvement in trade balance.
Stalin Defends Handling of Stampede as EPS Blames Government for Karur Incident
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin explained the steps taken by his government after the stampede in Karur on September 27, during actor Vijay’s TVK event, which caused 41 deaths.
- Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) blamed the DMK government for negligence, saying they failed to take steps that could have prevented the tragic crowd crush.
- Stalin told the Assembly that the State is preparing a standard operating procedure (SOP) to stop such incidents in the future and is waiting for the Supreme Court’s final judgment before taking further action.
- Expressing deep sorrow, Stalin offered condolences to the victims’ families and said the government will make sure such tragedies never happen again.
- He said organisers had told the police that the meeting would be from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., but TVK’s general secretary announced through the media that Vijay would come at noon.
- People gathered early expecting Vijay’s noon arrival, but he came only at 7 p.m., and the seven-hour delay led to severe overcrowding at the venue.
- Stalin said the government reacted immediately, sending Health Minister Ma. Subramanian and senior officials to Karur to manage rescue and relief work on-site.
- He also said he personally visited Karur that night, met the grieving families, comforted them, inspected hospitals, spoke to doctors, and gave urgent medical instructions.
- During a special motion in the Assembly, Palaniswami said the government and intelligence failed to learn from the huge crowds seen at Vijay’s earlier rallies in four other districts.
- He said that better police arrangements and precautionary steps could have stopped the tragedy, calling it a case of administrative failure and poor planning.
- Palaniswami then walked out of the Assembly, accusing Speaker M. Appavu of bias, and later led a short sit-in protest with AIADMK MLAs inside the hall.
- Meanwhile, a Karur court on Wednesday refused to extend judicial custody of TVK leaders V.P. Mathiyazhagan and C. Pounraj, who had been arrested in connection with the September 27 stampede case.
Important Questions
- During the Deepavali festival, what exact time slots did the Supreme Court allow people in Delhi-NCR to use green fireworks?
- Why did the Supreme Court call its decision to relax the firecracker ban a “test case” for checking if celebrations and pollution control can go together?
- According to the Commerce Ministry, which sector was mainly responsible for India’s trade deficit rising sharply in September 2025?
- How did the new 50% import tariffs imposed by the United States affect India’s goods exports during September 2025?
- What explanation did Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin give for the massive overcrowding and stampede at actor Vijay’s political event in Karur?
- What did Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami accuse the DMK government of after the tragic stampede during the TVK rally in Karur?
Important Questions
- Amicus curiae – A legal expert appointed by the court to give impartial advice.
- Relaxation – Temporary easing of a strict rule or ban.
- Smuggling – Secretly bringing in or taking out goods illegally.
- Supervision – Careful monitoring or control over an activity.
- Deficit – The amount by which spending or imports exceed income or exports.
- Tariffs – Taxes imposed on goods imported from another country.
- Resilience – The ability to recover quickly from difficulties.
- Cumulative – Increasing or growing by adding one result after another.
- Negligence – Failure to take proper care or precaution.
- Condolences – Expressions of sympathy after someone’s death.
- Overcrowding – When too many people gather in one place, making it unsafe.
- Administrative lapse – A mistake or failure in management or planning.
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