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.
India and New Zealand wrap up trade negotiations
- India and New Zealand on Monday finished talks on a free trade agreement. Under this deal, India will get duty-free access to New Zealand markets. The agreement is expected to bring investments worth about twenty billion dollars over the next fifteen years and also double trade between the two countries.
- The agreement aims to increase two-way trade to five billion dollars within five years. It is meant to strengthen long-term economic ties between India and the island nation through wide-ranging cuts and removal of tariffs.
- Under the deal, tariffs on about ninety five percent of New Zealand’s exports to India will be removed or reduced. These include products such as timber, forestry items, fruits and other agricultural goods.
- At the same time, India protected the interests of its politically sensitive farming and dairy sectors. India did not offer any concessions on imports of dairy products, onions, sugar, spices, edible oils and rubber.
- New Zealand will offer temporary work visas to Indian professionals in skilled fields. A quota of five thousand visas per year will be provided, allowing stays of up to three years.
- Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said the government remained careful to protect the interests of farmers and dairy producers while negotiating the free trade agreement with New Zealand.
- He clarified that rice, wheat, dairy, soya and many other agricultural products have not been opened for market access under the final agreement.
- Welcoming the agreement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the free trade pact would be signed in the first half of two thousand twenty six, calling it a historic achievement.
- Modi pointed out that the agreement was completed in just nine months, showing strong political commitment and a shared goal to deepen economic relations between India and New Zealand.
- Prime Minister Modi spoke with his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon over the phone before jointly announcing the conclusion of the free trade agreement.
- An official statement said the agreement would greatly strengthen economic cooperation and improve market access between the two countries across several sectors.
- The External Affairs Ministry said the pact would boost investment, strengthen strategic cooperation, and create new opportunities for innovators, entrepreneurs, farmers, MSMEs, students and young people.
- The agreement will help Indian exporters who were hit by fifty percent tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Indian goods, by helping them find new markets in the Oceania region.
- India already has a trade agreement with Australia, and the deal with New Zealand further increases India’s trade footprint in the wider Oceania region.
- Highlighting this, Mr. Goyal said the agreement would open new opportunities for all sections of India’s export community looking to diversify their products and markets.
- Speaking at a press conference, he said India remained careful to ensure that micro, small and medium enterprises, innovators and start-ups benefit significantly from access to the New Zealand market.
- Goyal said the agreement would give a boost to labour-intensive industries such as apparel, leather, textiles, rubber, footwear and home décor.
- It will also encourage exports of automobiles, auto parts, machinery, electronic goods, electrical equipment and pharmaceutical products from India to New Zealand.
- The temporary work visas will cover AYUSH practitioners, yoga teachers, Indian chefs and music instructors, among other professional categories.
- High-demand sectors included under the deal are information technology, engineering, healthcare, education and construction, helping improve movement of skilled workers and trade in services between the two countries.
- For New Zealand, Prime Minister Luxon said the benefits of the agreement are broad and meaningful, covering jobs, exports and overall economic growth.
- He described India as the world’s most populous country and the fastest-growing major economy, offering strong opportunities for employment and growth for New Zealand.
- Under the agreement, New Zealand will get duty-free access for sheep meat, wool, coal and more than ninety five percent of forestry and wood products.
- New Zealand will also receive tariff reductions on products such as kiwi fruit, wine, certain seafood items, cherries, avocados, persimmons and bulk infant formula.
- Other products getting concessions include Manuka honey and milk albumins, supporting New Zealand’s agriculture and food processing exports to India.
- However, the agreement does not include vegetable products such as onions, chana, peas, corn and almonds, ensuring protection for Indian farmers.
- Sugar, artificial honey, and animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils are also kept out of the agreement.
- Arms and ammunition, gems and jewellery, copper and its products, aluminium and aluminium articles are not covered under the free trade pact.
Another senior leader of the July uprising shot as Bangladesh faces turmoil
- As Bangladesh faces widespread unrest and growing demands for the resignation of the Home Affairs Adviser after the killing of July uprising leader Sharif Osman Hadi, another leader linked to the movement was shot on Monday.
- Motaleb Shikdar, a leader of Jatiya Sramik Shakti, the labour wing associated with the National Citizen Party, was shot by unknown attackers in broad daylight in Khulna city.
- The way Shikdar was attacked closely matched the earlier shooting of Sharif Osman Hadi, raising serious concerns and increasing fears of growing political violence across the country.
- The incident took place as Bangladesh continues to face instability, ongoing protests, and uncertainty about future elections and the overall political direction of the nation.
- Police said the bullet only grazed Shikdar’s head and exited without causing a fatal injury. He was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital in critical condition.
- Hospital officials later confirmed that Shikdar was out of danger, bringing some relief amid rising political tension and public fear following repeated attacks on leaders linked to the movement.
- According to initial information from the victim, the attackers arrived on a motorcycle, shot him and escaped. However, police initial findings suggested the shooting may have happened inside a house.
- Inspector Animesh Mondol of Sonadanga Model Police Station said the shooting occurred before noon, Shikdar was immediately taken to hospital, and police were deployed at both the crime scene and the hospital.
- Mondol added that more details would be shared after preliminary investigations were completed, as authorities worked to resolve differing accounts about where and how the shooting occurred.
- The shooting happened at a time when pressure is increasing on the interim government after the killing of Hadi, who was the convener and spokesperson of Inqilab Manch and a key figure of the July uprising.
- Earlier on Monday, Inqilab Manch again demanded the immediate resignation of Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, his special assistant, and the Law Adviser.
- At a midday press conference, member secretary Abdullah Al Jaber demanded the arrest and trial of Hadi’s killers before the upcoming parliamentary elections, blaming authorities for failing to stop the violence.
- Later, a protest march began at Shahbagh intersection and ended at Central Shaheed Minar, with protesters raising slogans demanding freedom, rejecting foreign influence, and repeatedly invoking Hadi’s name.
- Protest leaders declared that no elections should be held until justice is delivered, warning against rushed polls without accountability and insisting that Hadi’s killers be arrested and tried first.
- Law Adviser Asif Nazrul announced that Hadi’s murder would be tried by a fast-track tribunal, but Inqilab Manch still organised another protest march in Dhaka on Monday afternoon.
Protests erupt across Rajasthan to protect the Aravalis
- Several organisations, including the Congress party and Karni Sena, held protests across different parts of Rajasthan on Monday, demanding protection of the Aravalis, an important mountain range in the State.
- Protests turned tense outside the Udaipur Collectorate, where clashes broke out between protesters and police, and several demonstrators were detained.
- The Supreme Court on November twenty accepted recommendations from a committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to redefine the Aravali hills and mountain ranges.
- Under the new definition, an Aravali hill is described as any landform in specified Aravali districts that rises one hundred metres or more above the surrounding area.
- The definition also states that an Aravali range is made up of two or more such hills located within five hundred metres of each other.
- The Supreme Court’s order sparked strong criticism, with environmental experts and political leaders warning that the lack of clear legal protection could lead to the destruction of ninety percent of one of India’s oldest mountain systems.
- In Udaipur, protesters gathered outside the Collectorate, raised slogans, and the situation worsened when demonstrators clashed with police personnel deployed to maintain order.
- Karni Sena and local community groups demanded that the Supreme Court order redefining the Aravalis be withdrawn, warning of stronger protests if their demands were not met.
- Peaceful protests were also held at Harsh Parvat in Sikar, while NSUI workers demonstrated in Jodhpur, where some protesters climbed barricades during clashes with police.
- In Alwar, Leader of the Opposition Tikaram Jully said the Congress would intensify its protests and spread the movement across the entire State.
- Amid rising protests, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said his government would not allow any interference or damage to the Aravali mountain range under any circumstances.
- Speaking at an event in Jhalawar district, Bhajanlal Sharma firmly stated that no tampering with the Aravali region would be permitted.
- Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot strongly criticised the Central Government, accusing it of deliberately weakening environmental protections for the ecologically sensitive Aravali range.
- Ashok Gehlot claimed that redefining the Aravalis using the one hundred metre rule was aimed at opening the door for mining activities in the fragile mountain area.
- He said the government’s move should not be seen in isolation, calling it part of a larger plan to hand over the Aravalis to mining interests.
- Ashok Gehlot also rejected Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav’s claim that only zero point nineteen percent of the Aravalis would be opened for mining, calling the statement misleading.
Important Questions
- How will the free trade agreement concluded between India and New Zealand help Indian exporters affected by fifty percent tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Indian goods?
- Why did India, while concluding the free trade agreement with New Zealand, safeguard the interests of agricultural and dairy farmers by making no concessions on dairy products, onions, sugar, spices, edible oils and rubber?
- How did the shooting of Motaleb Shikdar in Khulna city, during nationwide unrest in Bangladesh, resemble the earlier killing of July uprising leader Sharif Osman Hadi?
- Why did Inqilab Manch, amid sustained protests and political instability, demand the resignation of the Home Affairs Adviser following the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi?
- Why did the Supreme Court’s redefinition of the Aravali hills spark major controversy?
- How did Ashok Gehlot link the one hundred metre criterion to mining activities in the Aravalis?
Important Vocabulary
- tariff liberalisation – reduction or removal of taxes on imported goods
- bilateral – involving two countries
- concessions – special relaxations or benefits given
- diversification – spreading trade or products to reduce risk
- turmoil – a state of confusion or disorder
- interim – temporary or for a short period
- tribunal – a special court for quick justice
- assailants – people who attack others
- ecologically – related to the natural environment
- tampering – unwanted interference or damage
- fragile – easily damaged or harmed
- conspiracy – a secret plan to do harm
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