The Hindu Editorial Analysis : 18th July 2024

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 delve into today’s editorial points along with practice questions and key vocabulary.

A policeman and four soldiers were killed in an encounter in Doda

The counter-terrorist operation in Jammu was ongoing as of the latest reports. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has spoken with the Army chief. It is believed that there are roughly 12 to 14 terrorists in the area. The Army, in coordination with the police, has been conducting operations to eliminate foreign terrorists who have infiltrated the Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar, and Bhaderwah regions.

• Four Army personnel, including a Captain, and a Jammu and Kashmir policeman were killed in a counter-terrorist operation in Doda, Jammu, which began on Monday night and continued late into Tuesday night. Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the situation Tuesday morning.
• The Army personnel who were killed have been identified as Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D. Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra, and Sepoy Ajay. This incident is the latest in a series of militant attacks in Jammu and Kashmir over the past few months. Terrorist activity has particularly shifted to the Jammu region, resulting in significant casualties among civilians and security forces.
• “The Army chief briefed the Minister on the ground situation and the ongoing counter-terrorist operation in Doda,” stated Mr. Singh’s office in a post on X. “The Indian Army stands solidly with the grieving families during this time of loss,” the Army said in its own post.
• “The Indian Army has been conducting a series of collaborative operations with the police to eliminate foreign terrorists who have entered and are operating in the higher areas of Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar, and Bhaderwah, and then into the Kashmir Valley,” said the Army’s Jammu spokesperson, Lt. Col. Suneel Bartwal, on Tuesday.
• Defence sources estimated that 12 to 14 terrorists were in the Doda area, divided into three groups. Based on intelligence inputs, the Army and Jammu & Kashmir Police launched a joint operation in the Urarbaggi area, approximately 10 km north of Doda.
• “At around 8:40 p.m. on July 15, the search party made contact with the terrorists hiding in the area, which is densely forested and mountainous with restricted visibility due to low clouds and rain,” said Lt. Col. Bartwal.
• The four Army personnel were injured in the initial burst of gunfire and later succumbed to their injuries, he said. Additional troops and equipment, including drones and other technical resources, were being deployed to flush out the terrorists.
• Similar operations were being carried out continuously in the Kathua area, he added. There has been a significant increase in terrorist violence south of the Pir Panjal in recent months, similar to the early 2000s when this area was a hotspot for terrorism.
• Since May of this year, 13 members of the security forces have been killed in the area, including nine Army personnel, along with one each from the Air Force, Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, and Jammu and Kashmir Police. Since November 2021, more than 30 Army personnel have lost their lives in terror incidents in the region, while over 40 terrorists have been neutralized.
• Defence sources stated that one of the main reasons for the high casualty rate is the lack of credible ground intelligence in the Jammu region south of the Pir Panjal.
• This situation is further exacerbated by the decreased number of security forces in the area in recent years. However, sources indicated that some additional troops have been deployed recently. Another challenge is the enhanced Chinese-made communication equipment used by the terrorists, which has made interception difficult.
• Suggesting Pakistan’s ongoing involvement in promoting terrorism in the region, Lt. Col. Bartwal stated that the analysis of a significant amount of weapons recovered from the deceased terrorists suggests the involvement of “hostile agencies” from across the border..

Six killed as heavy rains continue to batter Kerala

Fire and Rescue Services personnel in Palakkad rescued four individuals from Karnataka. The government has banned tourist entry to locations such as Marmala Waterfalls, Ilaveezhapoonjira, and Illikkal Kallu.

• A day after heavy rain fueled by strong westerly winds hit Kerala, the intensity of the rainfall decreased on Tuesday. However, some areas in north and central Kerala continued to experience heavy rain along with gusty winds.
• Six people lost their lives in the state on Tuesday due to rain-related incidents. Reji, 48, was electrocuted in Pathanamthitta after reportedly stepping on a live electric wire.
• In another incident, Kunjamina, 51, and Chandrashekharan, 63, died after falling into water bodies in Mattannur and Chokli, respectively, in Kannur.
• In Palakkad, a woman and her son were killed when the wall of their house collapsed due to heavy rain on Monday night. The deceased have been identified as Sulochana, 54, and her son Ranjith, 33.
• In another incident, Sudhan, 32, from the Ezhuathimoonnu hamlet in Cheeyambam, was electrocuted after stepping on a live electric wire.
• Fire and Rescue Services personnel in Palakkad rescued four people, including an elderly woman, who were trapped in the Chitturpuzha after the water level suddenly rose due to heavy discharge from the Moolathara regulator. The group, from Mysuru in Karnataka, had sought refuge on a rock and was stranded for two hours before being rescued.
• Heavy rain in the catchment areas of the Aliyar dam in Tamil Nadu prompted authorities to release 808 cusecs of water in the morning, leading to the raising of the shutters of the Moolathara regulator after issuing a warning.
• Authorities have prohibited tourist entry to locations such as Marmala Waterfalls, Ilaveezhapoonjira, and Illikkal Kallu until further notice. Additionally, night traffic on the high-range road from Erattupetta to Wagamon has been banned until July 18.
• In Pathanamthitta, 27 houses were damaged, while initial estimates indicate that 16 houses were affected in Kottayam.
• The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for five districts from Malappuram to Kasaragod, warning of very heavy rain on Wednesday. A yellow alert has been issued for the remaining districts, excluding Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, forecasting heavy rain.
• A bulletin from the IMD states that rain is expected to continue across the state for the next five days. Additionally, a new low-pressure area is likely to develop in the Bay of Bengal on July 19.

Five killed as bus carrying pilgrims collides with a tractor on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway at midnight

• Five people were killed and 43 injured in an accident involving a bus and a tractor near Panvel in Navi Mumbai on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway shortly after midnight on Monday.
• The bus was transporting 54 pilgrims from their hometown Dombivli in Thane district to Pandharpur to celebrate Ashadi Ekadashi.
• Vivek Pansare, Deputy Commissioner of Police in Navi Mumbai, stated that the tractor suddenly changed lanes, causing the bus to collide with it, crash into a barricade, and plunge into a 20-foot-deep gorge.
• The driver and a passenger on the tractor, along with three warkaris (devotees of Lord Vitthal), including one woman, were killed. Pansare noted that five of the injured are in serious condition.
• The bus was hoisted out of the gorge with a crane, and the injured were quickly taken to a nearby private hospital. A case has been filed by the Panvel city police.

Important questions

1. What factors have contributed to the recent increase in terrorist activity in the Jammu region, particularly in relation to the casualties among security forces?
2. How has the Indian Army adapted its operations to address the challenges posed by the infiltration of foreign terrorists and the use of advanced communication equipment by these groups?
3. What precautions have authorities taken in response to the heavy rains in Kerala, particularly regarding tourism and traffic?
4. How many people have lost their lives due to rain-related incidents in Kerala, and what were the circumstances of these fatalities?
5. What circumstances led to the collision between the bus and the tractor on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway?

Important vocabulary

1. Counter-terrorist – Referring to operations aimed at combating terrorism.
2. Infiltrated – Entered or pierced a place or group secretly and gradually, often for harmful purposes.
3. Casualties – Individuals who are killed or injured in a particular event, especially in military contexts.
4. Intelligence – Information gathered for military or strategic purposes, often related to threats or operations.
5. Electrocuted – Killed or injured by electric shock.
6. Discharge – The release or flow of water, particularly from a dam or reservoir.
7. Regulator – A device or structure that controls the flow or level of water.
8. Prohibited – Formally forbidden or banned from being done or allowed.
9. Collide – To come into conflict or crash with force.
10. Warkaris – Devotees of Lord Vitthal, often participating in religious pilgrimages.

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