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.
Industrial Output Growth Reaches Five-Month High of 5.1%
- Industrial activity grew by 5.1% in May, which is the highest growth recorded in the last five months. This growth was mainly supported by better performance in manufacturing, electricity, capital goods, and consumer goods. According to the latest government data, these sectors helped improve overall industrial production.
- Along with releasing the latest data, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) also announced some more changes in the new Index of Industrial Production (IIP) series, which was first released on June 1, 2026. The revised series uses 2022–23 as the base year and includes new sources of data.
- The Ministry has stopped using the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for measuring certain value-based outputs in the IIP and has started using the Producer Price Index (PPI) instead.
- The official statement also said that the new PPI-based IIP 2022–23 series has now replaced the earlier WPI-based IIP 2022–23 series that was released on June 1, 2026.
- The Ministry has advised everyone to use the new PPI-based IIP series for research, analysis, and policy-related work.
- According to Rahul Agrawal, Principal Economist at ICRA, changing from WPI to PPI has led to major changes in growth estimates, especially in manufacturing, and it is also likely to result in revisions to India’s GDP data.
- The manufacturing sector recorded a growth of 5.5% in May. Although this was lower than 1% in April, it was higher than the 4.2% growth recorded in May last year.
- According to Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist at Bank of Baroda, the 5.5% growth in manufacturing was mainly due to an increase in consumer demand and spending.
- Within the consumer goods category, consumer durables grew by 7.2%, while consumer non-durables recorded a growth of 3.6%.
- Sabnavis also said that within the consumer durables segment, the automobile industry contributed the most to growth, followed by the computers and other electronic goods sector.
- The electricity and gas supply sector recorded a growth of 9.9%, the highest in the last two years. This was mainly because the monsoon arrived late and temperatures remained higher than usual.
- The mining and quarrying sector recorded a contraction of 1.6%, marking its fifth consecutive month of decline.
New Mobile App Helps Children Master Their Mother Tongue Through Fun Learning
- The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is investigating the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak, has found that the case appears to be connected to an inter-State racket.
- Out of the three people arrested, two are from Bihar, while the third accused, Dheeraj Kumar, is from Haryana.
- As the investigation is expanding, police teams have been sent to Bihar, Haryana, and Delhi to continue the probe.
- All three accused are currently in police custody.
- The authorities are also checking whether the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) can be applied against those found guilty.
- On the morning of June 27, the police received information that someone was trying to sell the TET question paper in
- Based on this information, the police laid a trap in the Kongaon area and arrested Rajiv Shah, Akash Kumar, and Dheeraj Kumar.
- During the operation, the police seized mobile phones, debit cards, credit cards, cash, and four printed copies of the TET question paper meant for the June 28 examination.
- Later, officials of the Maharashtra State Council of Examinations (MSCE) confirmed that the seized question papers were exactly the same as the original examination papers.
- A case was registered at Kongaon Police Station under the Thane City Police Commissionerate.
- The accused have been booked under Sections 318(4), 316(5), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
- They have also been charged under Sections 11(1), 11(2), 11(3), 12(1), and 12(2) of the Maharashtra Competitive Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
- In addition, Sections 6 and 8 of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at Universities, Boards and Other Specified Examinations Act, 1982, have also been applied against them.
- Priya Shinde, Deputy Commissioner of the Maharashtra State Council of Examinations (MSCE), said that when the TET examination is conducted again, candidates will not have to register again or pay any examination fee.
- School Education Minister Dada Bhuse is facing demands from Opposition parties to resign over the TET paper leak.
- The Minister has announced that a committee headed by the Chief Secretary will be formed to prepare a plan for conducting the TET and other State-level examinations in online mode.
CBSE Eases Three-Language Policy for Classes 7, 8, and 9
- The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has changed its language rules for students studying in Classes 7, 8, and 9.
- Students who have already chosen two foreign languages can continue studying those languages. However, they must also study one additional Indian language (Bharatiya Bhasha).
- In a circular released in May, CBSE had earlier said that students in Class 9 would have to follow the three-language policy, under which two of the three languages must be Indian languages.
- After the May circular was released, many parents of students studying foreign languages objected to the sudden change in language rules.
- Last week, Dharmendra Pradhan clarified that students who are currently studying in Classes 7, 8, and 9 and had already chosen foreign languages will be allowed to continue with their existing language choices.
- CBSE has said that the current batch of Class 10 students will not have to follow the new three-language policy. They will continue under the existing system of studying two languages.
- The Board has also clarified that students who are currently in Classes 7, 8, and 9 will not have to appear for a Board examination in the third language when they reach Class 10.
- For students who are currently in Class 9, the third language (R3) will be assessed through an internal examination conducted by their school.
- The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommends that students learn three languages, with at least two of them being Indian languages.
- In its press statement released on Monday, CBSE explained that introducing the third language (R3) in Classes 9 and 10 is a continuation of the language learning that begins in Classes 6 to 8.
- CBSE also clarified that students studying in Class 10 during the academic session 2026–27 will not be required to study a third language.
- Every student studying in Class 9 will study three languages, and at least two of those languages must be Bharatiya Bhashas (Indian languages).
- To make the language combinations for Class 9 easier to understand, CBSE gave the following examples.
- If a student is already studying two Indian languages, such as Hindi and Tamil, the student can choose either another Indian language or a non-Indian language, such as English or French, as the third language (R3).
- If a student is studying one Indian language and one non-Indian language, for example Tamil and English, the student must choose any Indian language as the third language (R3).
- If a student is studying two non-Indian languages, such as English and French, then as a special one-time relaxation, the student can continue studying those two languages but must add one Indian language as the third language (R3).
- CBSE and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) will provide learning material suitable for each class to help students learn the third language.
- The R3 textbooks for Class 6 in all 22 Scheduled Bharatiya Bhashas are being made available on the NCERT website.
- Some students are exempted from the three-language policy. These include children with special needs, students studying in CBSE schools outside India, and foreign students returning to India.
- If the parents or guardians of a student move to another State, the student will be allowed to continue studying the same language combination.
Important Questions
- Which manufacturing, electricity, capital goods, and consumer goods sectors mainly supported the 5.1% industrial activity growth in May?
- Why did the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) replace the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) with the Producer Price Index (PPI) in the new Index of Industrial Production (IIP) 2022–23 series?
- Which States and accused persons are connected to the inter-State racket in the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak investigation?
- Which Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Maharashtra Acts were applied against the accused persons in the Maharashtra TET paper leak case?
- What special one-time relaxation has CBSE given to students already studying two non-Indian languages under the three-language policy?
- Which categories of students are exempted from the CBSE three-language policy according to the CBSE press statement?
Important Vocabulary
- Contraction – A decrease or reduction in size or activity.
- Consecutive – Following one after another without interruption.
- Revisions – Official changes or corrections made to data.
- Quarrying – The process of extracting stone or minerals from the earth.
- Racket – An organized illegal activity.
- Probe – An official investigation.
- Seized – Officially took possession of something.
- Custody – The state of being held by the police.
- Exempted – Officially freed from a requirement.
- Clarified – Made something easier to understand.
- Continuation – The act of carrying on without stopping.
- Guardians – People legally responsible for a child.
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