Table of Contents
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.
SC halts ‘unfair’ Waqf changes, keeps law in place
- The Supreme Court stopped some parts of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, calling them unfair, but did not stop the whole law.
- The Bench, led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice A.G. Masih, said Parliament’s laws are usually considered fair and made for people’s good, even if they have some special rules.
- Even then, the court stopped rules like asking anyone who creates a Waqf to prove they had followed Islam for five years before.
- The court agreed that checking someone’s practice of Islam was sensible since Waqfs were sometimes misused to escape paying loans under a religious cover, but said there was no proper way to check it.
- The Bench put this rule on hold until the government brings a clear system to confirm if a person has truly practised Islam for at least five years.
- Section 3C, which said a Waqf would lose its status if believed to be government property, was called unconstitutional because proper inquiry must happen before taking such a step.
- Chief Justice Gavai said property cannot stop being Waqf only on suspicion, unless a proper officer investigates and gives a final report.
- The court stopped parts of Section 3C that allowed officials or State governments to change records and take Waqf land as government property without a fair process.
- It said only courts can decide who owns a property, not the government, because taking away Waqf property without trial would break the balance of powers.
- The court ordered that no one should be removed from Waqf land or have its records changed until Waqf Tribunals under Section 83 give their decision, which can later be checked by High Courts.
- To keep both sides balanced, the managers (Mutawallis) of disputed Waqfs cannot sell or give rights to others on the property until tribunals give their final decision.
- The Supreme Court also reduced the number of non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council to four out of 22, and in State Waqf Boards to three out of 11.
- It said Chief Executive Officers of State Waqf Boards should preferably be Muslims, as these institutions are religious in nature.
- The Bench reminded that Waqfs have needed registration since 1923, and those that have not registered for over 102 years cannot keep working without following registration rules.
- Earlier, the Waqf Act, 1995 allowed registration without a formal document, but after so many years of delay, Mutawallis cannot say the new rules are unfair.
- The court also dismissed the claim that Waqf land would stop being Waqf automatically if it is declared a protected monument by the authorities.
PM in Bihar: Congress, RJD helping infiltrators
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that all infiltrators must leave India, as people in Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam are worried about the safety of their sisters and daughters.
- Modi spoke at a public meeting in Purnea, in Bihar’s Seemanchal area, where infiltration from Bangladesh has been a long-time problem and where many Muslims live.
- He said infiltrators will be removed, blaming Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal for protecting them, and added that the NDA is working to send them out of the country.
- Modi declared that only India’s law will apply, promising infiltrators will be expelled, while talking about people’s safety concerns in Bihar, Bengal, and Assam. He also announced a new demographic commission.
- On his seventh Bihar trip since January, Modi started or laid foundation stones for projects worth ₹36,000 crore in agriculture, energy, railways, housing, and women’s welfare.
- He opened the new terminal of Purnea airport, a long-awaited project, where flight services officially started on Monday, giving better air connectivity to the area.
- Modi said the NDA government always works for Bihar’s growth, indirectly targeting Rahul Gandhi by saying he didn’t even know about makhana despite his recent trip to voters.
- He announced a new makhana board in Seemanchal, where makhana is largely grown, promising this will help local farmers earn more.
- Modi said he won’t stop until every poor person gets a proper house, adding that four crore homes have already been given.
- He accused Congress-RJD of ignoring and using Bihar and Seemanchal for their benefit, while saying the NDA is truly working for the state’s progress and people’s welfare.
Three People Missing After Heavy Rains in Hyderabad
- Rescue teams continued searching on Monday in Hyderabad for three missing men — J. Dinesh Kumar, 24, Rama, 25, and Arjun, 26 — who were swept away by floodwaters.
- Even after a full day of search by Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), their bodies were not found after the heavy rains that hit the city on Sunday night.
- Dinesh went missing on Sunday when floodwater dragged him into a drain at Vinobha Nagar in Parsigutta after he stepped out around 8.20 p.m. to move his bike.
- A wall collapsed near him, sending sewage water rushing, which carried him into the strong flow; his bike was found hours later, but he was still missing.
- His elder brother Rakesh Kumar joined the police and NDRF in the search, saying Dinesh leaves behind a three-year-old son and a wife who has been unwell for three months.
- NDRF, Musheerabad Police, and GHMC are searching the nine-kilometre-long drain from Nallakunta to Moosarambagh, but so far, there is no sign of Dinesh.
- In another incident, Rama and Arjun slipped into a flooded drain beside their house in Mangaru Basti, Habeeb Nagar, when fast-moving water pulled them away.
- The road there slopes into the stream, making it more dangerous; officials said the two men lost balance and were swept away, leading rescue teams to extend Monday’s search operations to Gowlipura.
Important Questions
- Why did the Supreme Court stop the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 rule that required a person creating a Waqf to prove practising Islam for five years?
- How did the Supreme Court Bench explain that Section 3C of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 was unconstitutional regarding government claims on Waqf property?
- What did Prime Minister Narendra Modi say about infiltration from Bangladesh in Bihar’s Seemanchal area during the public meeting in Purnea?
- Why did Prime Minister Narendra Modi announce the formation of a new makhana board in Seemanchal during his Bihar visit?
- How was J. Dinesh Kumar swept away by floodwaters near Vinobha Nagar in Parsigutta, Hyderabad, after heavy rains on Sunday night?
- Why did rescue teams extend the search operation for Rama and Arjun to Gowlipura in Hyderabad after the flood incident in Habeeb Nagar?
Important Vocabulary
- Unconstitutional – Not allowed by the Constitution.
- Tribunal – A special court for resolving disputes.
- Mutawalli – A manager or caretaker of Waqf property.
- Suspicion – A feeling of doubt without full proof.
- Infiltrators – People who secretly enter or settle into a place, often illegally.
- Foundation stones – Ceremonial acts marking the start of building projects.
- Connectivity – The degree to which transport, communication, or services link places together.
- Demographic commission – A government body to study and decide on population-related issues.
- Floodwaters – Overflowing water from heavy rains or rivers.
- Sewage – Waste liquid carried away by drains.
- Operations – Organized actions, usually for rescue or search.
- Disaster Response – Emergency action taken to handle dangerous events like floods or earthquakes.
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