The Hindu Editorial Analysis : 24th August 2026

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.

Pressure Builds on Bar Council Chairperson as Calls for Resignation Grow

• Pressure on the current Bar Council of India (BCI) chairperson, Manan Kumar Mishra, increased on Saturday when a demand for his resignation was officially raised during a meeting of the BCI General Council at its office in New Delhi.
• BCI member Manoj Kumar Narendran from Kerala asked Mr. Mishra to resign during the meeting and put the demand directly before the General Council. His demand was supported by another BCI member from Uttar Pradesh, advocate Srinath Tripathi.
• Narendran told The Hindu that Mr. Mishra did not agree to the demand for his resignation and that a decision about what to do next would be taken later.
• Narendran said that over the years, the working of the BCI has increasingly become linked to the power and decisions of its chairperson, instead of being seen as the result of the joint decisions of the entire council.
• Narendran also expressed serious concern about an amendment that increased the tenure of the BCI chairperson to five years.
• He said that serious questions could be raised about the legality of this amendment and the way it was brought in, especially because the change directly benefited the person already holding the post by allowing him to remain in office for a much longer period.
• The demand for Mr. Mishra’s resignation at the General Council meeting came soon after a letter written by BCI co-chairman Y.R. Sadasiva Reddy.
• In his letter on Saturday, Mr. Reddy asked Mr. Mishra to resign and called for an independent examination of several matters related to the working and financial management of the BCI.
• Reddy also alleged that the Bar Council of India Trust had become inactive or defunct and that the council’s money was being diverted to a newly created BCI Trust called PEARL-FIRST.
• On Thursday, more than 200 lawyers gathered outside the BCI office under the banner of the All India Young Advocates Association.
• The lawyers raised several demands, including changes and reforms in the BCI election system and more accountability in the way the council works.
• Mishra, who has been holding the post of BCI chairman for more than a decade, is also facing a new petition filed before the Supreme Court on Friday. The petition questions his long period in the post.
• The petition has not yet been listed for hearing by the Supreme Court.
• The controversy around the BCI chairperson, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), became more serious after the council took action against NALSAR University of Law’s 2026 graduating batch.
• On August 13, the BCI issued a circular telling State Bar Councils not to enrol graduates from NALSAR’s 2026 batch. This came after students objected to the participation of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant in their convocation.
• The BCI’s directive was withdrawn within a few hours after strong criticism and protests from people in the legal profession.
• After the directive was withdrawn, Mr. Mishra apologised to the students for what had happened.
• However, his apology did not stop the criticism against him or the BCI over the way the matter had been handled.
• On August 18, the Bombay Bar Association criticised the way the NALSAR matter was handled and called Mr. Mishra’s apology “belated”, meaning that it came too late.
• The Bombay Bar Association also said that Mr. Mishra should have already resigned, adding further pressure on him amid the growing criticism of his leadership of the BCI.

Centre Tightens Restrictions on Cold and Cough Medicines

• The Union Health Ministry has put restrictions on the manufacturing, sale, and distribution of all fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) containing chlorpheniramine maleate and phenylephrine hydrochloride.
• These medicines must clearly carry a warning saying that they should not be used to treat children below four years of age.
• Last year, the Centre had already placed restrictions on some FDCs containing these two ingredients, along with the same age-related warning.
• The latest notification has now extended this requirement to all medicines containing chlorpheniramine maleate and phenylephrine hydrochloride.
• The decision was taken on the recommendations of an expert committee and the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB).
• This step comes at a time when the government is keeping a closer watch on cough-and-cold medicines used for young children, because of concerns about their safety.
• Chlorpheniramine maleate is an antihistamine medicine that helps reduce symptoms such as a runny nose and sneezing.
• Phenylephrine hydrochloride is a decongestant medicine that is used to reduce or relieve a blocked nose.
• The combination of these two ingredients has been used for many years in medicines for colds and allergies.
• Young children are more likely to be affected by wrong doses and unwanted effects from medicines that contain several ingredients.
• Chlorpheniramine can cause strong sleepiness and, in some cases, it can have the opposite effect and make a child restless or unusually excited.
• Phenylephrine can affect a child’s heart rate and blood pressure, which can be a concern when the medicine is given to young children.
• The government has said that medicines containing chlorpheniramine maleate and phenylephrine hydrochloride may be risky for children below four years of age.
• The government has also pointed out that safer alternatives are available for children in this age group.
• At the same time, there is limited evidence that these combinations give major benefits in treating simple, uncomplicated colds in children.
• Manufacturers have been instructed to clearly and prominently print the warning: “Fixed Dose Combination shall not be used in children below four years of age,” on the medicine label, package insert, and promotional material related to these formulations.
• India had already made warnings compulsory for certain formulations in 2023 and had formally restricted the combination in 2025.
• The latest notification now extends the restriction to all FDC formulations containing these two ingredients when it comes to children below four years of age.
• Other countries have also taken similar safety measures. Countries such as the United States and Australia have introduced age restrictions or other safety measures for cough-and-cold medicines meant for children.

U.S. Imposes 50% Import Tariffs on $20 Billion Worth of Canadian Products

• The United States imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products early Saturday. The decision came after the last round of talks between the two countries failed to solve the latest problems in their relations, even though they have been long-time allies.
• President Donald Trump’s new import taxes will affect around 5% of the products Canada sends to the United States every year. These products include a wide range of goods, from hockey sticks to tongue depressors.
• Canada immediately said that it would take similar action in response to the U.S. tariffs.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney said, “Canada will match those tariffs dollar for dollar to protect our workers and businesses.”
• Canada’s decision to retaliate has made the trade dispute between the two countries more serious. It has also raised doubts about the future of the North American trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico, which is very important for industries in all three countries.
• During the talks, Canada had asked the United States to reduce or make changes to tariffs on steel, aluminium, automobiles and lumber.
• S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that Canada had refused to complete the trade deal based on the terms that both sides had agreed to earlier that week.
• Greer said that the United States had offered Canada the most favourable treatment given to any major exporter to the U.S. market. However, according to him, Canada made new demands and went back on some of its earlier commitments. This disturbed the balance that the two sides had carefully reached during the previous few days.
• Carney blamed the Republican administration for the failure of the talks. He said that the last-minute changes made by the United States to its proposed terms were unfair and harmful to the economy, and they also made Canada question whether any agreement with the U.S. could be trusted.
• Carney said that he had stopped the negotiations and had instructed Canada’s negotiating team to return to Ottawa.
• He also said that the Canadian government would announce more support for Canadian workers and businesses in the coming days to help them deal with the effects of the trade conflict.
• Greer described the U.S. offer as forward-looking, meaning that it was meant to focus on future cooperation. He also said that the proposal included a historic economic and national security partnership between the two countries.
• No further talks are planned between the United States and Canada at present.
• The failure of the negotiations was a major change from the situation just two days earlier. At that time, officials from both countries had sounded hopeful and appeared to be moving towards reaching a compromise or mutually acceptable agreement.

Important Questions

1. What demand did BCI member Manoj Kumar Narendran raise during the meeting of the BCI General Council?
2. What led to increased criticism of the BCI chairperson after the council took action against NALSAR University of Law’s 2026 graduating batch?
3. What restrictions has the Union Health Ministry imposed on fixed-dose combinations containing chlorpheniramine maleate and phenylephrine hydrochloride?
4. Why has the government warned against using these medicines in children below four years of age?
5. What was the reason behind the United States imposing 50% tariffs on Canadian products?
6. What action did Canada announce in response to the U.S. tariffs?

Important Vocabulary

1. Resignation — the act of formally leaving a position or job.
2. Amendment — a change made to a law, rule, or document.
3. Defunct — no longer active, working, or functioning.
4. Accountability — responsibility for actions and decisions.
5. Restrictions — rules or measures that limit something.
6. Formulations — particular combinations or preparations of medicines.
7. Antihistamine — a medicine used to reduce allergy symptoms.
8. Decongestant — a medicine used to relieve a blocked nose.
9. Tariffs — taxes placed on goods brought into a country.
10. Retaliate — to take action against someone in response to an action.
11. Negotiations — discussions intended to reach an agreement.
12. Compromise — an agreement in which both sides accept less than they originally wanted.

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