The Hindu Editorial Analysis : 1st August 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.

Landslides devastate Wayanad villages, resulting in 122 deaths

• At least 122 people were killed and 197 injured after several landslides flattened three villages in Vythiri taluk, located in the hilly Wayanad district of Kerala, early on Tuesday.
• The death toll is anticipated to rise as more victims are feared dead. So far, 25 dismembered body parts have been recovered from the Chaliyar River near Pothukallu in Malappuram district, and four more from Chooralmala in Wayanad.
• The Kerala government announced a period of mourning for Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reported that a comprehensive rescue operation, involving both State and Central forces, is underway in the Mundakkai, Chooralmala, and Attamala areas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex gratia payment of ₹2 lakh for the families of those who have died and ₹50,000 for the injured.
• The government has pinpointed a waterlogged hillock, located 6 km from the villages and adjacent to the Iruvanipuzha River, as the source of the landslides.
• The first landslide happened at 2 a.m. while the residents were asleep. The massive wave of wet mud, boulders, and uprooted trees was at least two floors high, as indicated by the waterline on a nearby multi-storey school building. Images depicted a broad, muddy scar on the green, uninhabited hillside, with the mud sliding down to cover the villages thousands of meters below. The second landslide occurred at 4:10 a.m.
• A massive landslide altered the river’s course, causing flooding in surrounding areas and creating a new river alongside the original one, as reported by Mr. Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram.
• The subsequent landslide destroyed the Chooramala bridge over the Iruvanipuzha, isolating the disaster site from rescue teams and forcing hundreds of survivors to seek refuge in nearby hill resorts and schools while awaiting evacuation.
• He stated that revenue officials had mitigated the impact of the disaster by evacuating several settlements around the hill, including the sole tribal settlement at Chembra. Nevertheless, the landslide followed an unforeseen route.
• The villages affected by the disaster were not classified as disaster-prone zones by the government. Officials have identified 37 bodies recovered from the site and are accelerating forensic examinations and autopsies to return them to their families as soon as possible. The rescue operation will continue overnight.
• Many of the deceased were plantation workers from West Bengal and northeastern states, complicating identification efforts. Rescue teams, volunteers, and families are working through deep mud and continuous rain to search for potential survivors amidst the debris.
• The government has mobilized the State’s official machinery in preparation for heavy rain expected in eight districts over the next 24 hours.

Manu secures another bronze medal, joining Sarabjot to make it a pair

• Manu Bhaker will enter Indian sporting legend as the first multiple medallist at the Olympic Games, having won a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event on Tuesday. The history books will also note that her achievement would not have been possible without the outstanding support from her teammate, Sarabjot Singh.
• Approximately 15 minutes into the bronze medal match at Chateauroux on Tuesday, Indian coach Munkhbayor Dorjsuren called for a timeout.
• In a few minutes, Manu would be on the podium with her teammate Sarabjot, celebrating their victory over South Korea and earning her second bronze medal of the Games. She would be taking a selfie with the gold and silver medal winners, cementing her place in history.
• However, at that moment, Manu stood to the left of the firing line, trying to mask her disappointment as the digital scoreboard displayed a score of 8.3, the lowest she had achieved in the tournament.
• Mixed team events use a points-based format. Each team has a pair of shooters who each take one shot, and the team with the higher total score is awarded two points. The first team to reach 16 points wins.
• On Tuesday morning at the finals range in Châteauroux, she was not only keeping India in the competition but also leading ahead of a Korean team that included Oh Ye Jin, who had recently set a world record by winning the women’s individual title two days earlier.
• After seven series, Manu had outscored Sarabjot in five and tied with him in the sixth. Thanks to her efforts, India won five series compared to South Korea’s two, leading 10 to 4.
• As Manu entered the final, confident of having already secured a medal, Sarabjot had narrowly missed qualifying for the final of his individual event.
• Just when it seemed the Indians were on track for an easy victory thanks to Manu, she made a significant error, leading to a timeout. It was now Sarabjot’s moment to shine, and he did so brilliantly.
• He scored a 10.5 on his next attempt, his highest of the match. This improved Manu’s score of 10.0—her second lowest of the competition—and widened the lead over the Koreans. The Indians won the following series, taking a 14-6 lead, but the Koreans managed to narrow the gap to 14-10.
• Manu had another disappointing shot, scoring a 9.4, which usually would have left an opportunity for the Koreans to advance. However, they also had a weak series. All that was needed was for Sarabjot to deliver another subpar shot, given his score sheet was filled with them. But when it mattered most, he rose to the occasion and scored a 10.2. Although it wasn’t his best score, it was more than sufficient.
• Although he may have delivered the decisive blow, Sarabjot won’t claim credit for the victory. He describes the match as a blur but expresses gratitude for the effort he and Manu put in. “I don’t recall much of the match, but I remember that we both did what was necessary,” he says.

Two people have died after a train traveling from Howrah to Mumbai derailed in Jharkhand

• On Tuesday, two people were killed and five others were injured when 18 coaches of a train traveling between Howrah and Mumbai derailed near Chakradharpur in Jharkhand.
• The deceased were traveling in the B4 coach of train number 12810, which was headed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, according to Southeastern Railway spokesperson Om Prakash Charan.
• The Railways announced efforts to improve train movement on the route. Officials stated that an ex gratia payment of ₹10 lakh will be given to the families of the deceased, ₹5 lakh for those with serious injuries, and ₹1 lakh for minor injuries.
• Dilip Kumar, Executive Director (Info and Publicity) of the Railway Board, stated, “At 3:43 a.m. on Tuesday, the derailment occurred at Potobeda, situated between Rajkharswan and Barabamboo, in the Saraikela-Kharsawan area of Jharkhand, within the Chakradharapur division of the South-Eastern Railway.”
• A special bus service has been organized to transport passengers from the derailment site. Stranded passengers were relocated to Chakradharpur station by a relief train. Additionally, relief train 02810 Chakradharpur-CSMT Mumbai departed from Chakradharpur at 10 a.m.
• The injured passengers were transferred to the Chakradharpur Railway Hospital and CHC Khutpani.
• Former Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad criticized the Union government over the accident, stating that “the safety of passengers is being neglected in the Railways.”
• “In 13 days, there have been seven accidents! The serious concern is the frequent train accidents. Essential safety measures are being neglected by the government. So dangerous has Indian Railways become that passengers now pray before boarding, hoping their journey won’t be their last. Moving coffins have become the railway coaches,” Mr. Prasad posted on X in Hindi.
• In a social media post, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) stated, “The train accident has no involvement from Hemant Soren ji and the INDIA bloc.” They urged the Union government to direct the Railway Minister “to focus on the Railways instead of making reels.”
• The Railways and the district administration of Saraikela-Kharsawan have provided helpline numbers for those seeking information about the passengers.
• South-Eastern Railway officials reported that 17 trains were diverted following the accident. Canceled trains included: 08015/18019 Kharagpur-Jhargram-Dhanbad Express; 18109 Tatanagar-Itwari Express; 12021/12022 Howrah-Barbil-Howrah Jan Shatabdi Express; 18030 Shalimar-LTT Express; and 22861 Howrah-Titlagarh-Kantabanji Express.
• Among the trains that were short terminated were:
• The 18114 Bilaspur-Tatanagar Express, which began its journey on July 29, was halted at Rourkela.
• The 18190 Ernakulam-Tatanagar Express, which started on July 28, was short terminated at Chakradharpur.
• The 18011 Howrah-Chakradharpur Express, which started on July 30, was short terminated at Adra.
• The 18110 Itwari-Tatanagar Express, which began on July 30, was short terminated at Bilaspur.

Important questions

1. What specific measures has the Kerala government taken in response to the landslides, and what is the status of the ongoing rescue operations?
2. How have the landslides impacted the infrastructure and transportation in the affected areas, and what steps are being taken to address these issues?
3. What was the key moment in the bronze medal match that led to Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh’s victory over South Korea?
4. What measures have been announced by the Railways to assist the victims and their families following the train derailment?
5. How has former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad reacted to the recent train accidents, and what criticisms did he make about the current state of Indian Railways?

Important vocabulary

1. Dismembered: Severed into parts, often used to describe body parts that have been separated from the body.
2. Ex gratia: A payment made as a favor or as a gesture of goodwill, rather than as a legal obligation.
3. Forensic: Relating to scientific methods used in the investigation of crimes and the examination of evidence.
4. Mitigated: Made less severe or serious, often used in the context of reducing the impact of a disaster or problem.
5. Medallist – A person who has won a medal in a competition.
6. Subpar: Below the usual or expected standard or quality
7. Derailed: When a train leaves its tracks, often due to an accident or malfunction.
8. Helpline: A service provided to offer assistance and information to individuals in need, often through a phone number or online service.
9. Relief train: A train specifically dispatched to assist stranded passengers or deliver emergency supplies.
10. Short terminated: When a train service is cut short, ending at a station earlier than its final destination.

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