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.
Jagdeep Dhankhar Steps Down as Vice-President, Leaving Unanswered Questions Behind
- The Union Home Ministry confirmed that Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down from his role as Vice-President of India. His resignation was submitted to President Droupadi Murmu and accepted within a day. While the official reason given was related to health concerns, no specific details were shared.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged Dhankhar’s resignation in a brief message on the social media platform X, where he praised Dhankhar’s service in various positions, including his time as Vice-President, and extended his best wishes.
- However, the government didn’t clearly explain what health issues Dhankhar had. Many people believe the resignation was actually related to a recent political event. Dhankhar had accepted a formal request (called a notice) from 63 Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) who wanted to remove Justice Yashwant Varma from his post.
- The move shocked the government. According to sources, the government wanted any such step against the judge to come from both ruling and opposition parties together, and preferably from the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament), not just from the Opposition.
- Reports suggest that this issue led to a tense exchange between officials from Dhankhar’s office—since he also served as the Rajya Sabha Chairperson—and senior members of the government. It further damaged an already uneasy relationship between him and the ruling leadership.
- This wasn’t the first time Dhankhar and the government disagreed; past incidents had already shown signs of friction between them. For example, he openly criticized Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and told him to begin talks with protesting farmers.
- Opposition parties are questioning the timing and reason for the sudden resignation. They pointed out that when Dhankhar chaired a recent meeting of the Rajya Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee, many important ministers didn’t show up.
- Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said there might be deeper political reasons behind the resignation, even though Dhankhar mentioned health concerns when he stepped down on Monday evening.
Supreme Court Tells Restaurants on Kanwar Yatra Route to Share Food Information
- The Supreme Court has said that people taking part in the Kanwar Yatra (a Hindu religious journey) should be allowed to eat the food of their choice. At the same time, restaurants and food stalls along the route must clearly show their valid licences and registration papers, as required by law.
- Justices Sundresh and Kotiswar Singh, who were presiding over the case, mentioned Karl Marx’s famous quote describing religion as “the opium of the people.” They noted that although eating habits can create divisions in society, every pilgrim has the right to choose what they wish to eat.
- The case was about a rule that asked restaurants along the Kanwar Yatra route to show QR code stickers and put up banners outside with the owner’s name. This was said to be for the sake of transparency.
- Those who challenged the rule included Apoorvanand Jha, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra. The rule was being enforced in states like Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
- Senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, speaking for one of the states, said the rule was based on a central law and wasn’t unfair. He said the rule helped regulate the food business during the Yatra.
- Justice Sundresh asked if some restaurants had temporarily become fully vegetarian during the Kanwar Yatra just to make more money, even though they usually serve non-vegetarian food.
- He said that people should be informed if a restaurant does this. However, if a restaurant is always vegetarian, the name doesn’t matter much.
- The court stressed that customers have the right to choose their food and must be given proper information. “The customer is the king,” the judges said.
- The Bench also made it clear that the court’s goal is to give a fair judgment that respects everyone’s feelings in a diverse country like India. They said they didn’t want to create divisions.
- Senior lawyer A.M. Singhvi said that while people have the right to choose their food, that should not be used to unfairly target some restaurants. He said the government seemed to be using its power to go after places owned by people from minority communities, even when those places were following the rules.
- Another senior lawyer, Huzefa Ahmadi, agreed that serving vegetarian food during the Yatra is fine, but said there’s no need to reveal personal details about who owns or works at the restaurant.
- He said people’s food choices and public safety can be managed without digging into personal matters like past menus or the religion of restaurant owners.
- Ahmadi asked the court to find a balance between what customers need to know and the privacy of business owners. He warned that one set of rights should not be used to ignore other civil liberties.
- The court noted that the Kanwar Yatra officially ended on Tuesday, and chose not to go deeper into the issue for now. So the bigger legal questions remain unanswered for the time being.
Indian Air Force to Retire MiG-21 Fighter Jets in September After 60 Years of Service
- After serving for more than 60 years, the Indian Air Force’s MiG-21 Bison fighter jets will finally be retired in September. This brings a significant era in India’s aviation journey to a close.
- According to a senior defence official, the Indian Air Force will hold a farewell event for the MiG-21 fighter jets at the Chandigarh airbase in September.
- The event will be attended by veteran pilots who flew these Russian-made jets during their careers and helped build their legacy in the Indian Air Force.
- Sources say the MiG-21s will be replaced by the home-built Tejas Mk1A fighter planes, which are part of India’s move to rely more on its own defence technology.
- The MiG-21 is a fast, single-engine fighter jet that was first bought by India in 1963. For many decades, it was the mainstay of India’s air combat strength.
- The MiG-21 has had a long and active history, taking part in major conflicts such as the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan, the Kargil War in 1999, and the Balakot air strikes in 2019.
- During the Balakot air strikes, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman made headlines by downing a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet using his MiG-21 aircraft. Over the years, however, his own plane was also shot down and he was briefly taken prisoner by Pakistan before being returned.
- Over the years, India bought more than 700 MiG-21 jets, many of which were built locally by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
- Right now, only two MiG-21 squadrons remain active — the 23 Squadron (called Panthers) and No. 3 Squadron (called Cobras) — both based at the Nal airbase in Rajasthan.
- MiG-21 has been part of numerous mishaps, which have tragically claimed the lives of 170 pilots and 40 civilians. Due to this troubling record, the aircraft earned the grim label “Flying Coffin.”
- With the retirement of the remaining two MiG-21 squadrons, the Indian Air Force’s total number of operational combat squadrons will decrease to 29. This has raised concerns about the country’s air defence capacity going forward.
Important questions
- What formal notice accepted by Jagdeep Dhankhar reportedly surprised the government and involved the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma?
- Which past disagreement between Jagdeep Dhankhar and the government involved Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan?
- What did the Supreme Court say about restaurants displaying valid licences and QR code stickers during the Kanwar Yatra?
- What quote by Karl Marx did Justices Sundresh and Kotiswar Singh mention while delivering their judgment on food choice and restaurant transparency during the Kanwar Yatra?
- Which aircraft is set to replace the MiG-21 jets as part of India’s move towards self-reliant defence?
- Why was the MiG-21 nicknamed the “Flying Coffin” over the years?
Important vocabulary
- Citing – Referring to or mentioning something officially or as evidence.
- Speculated – Formed an opinion or theory without solid evidence.
- Bipartisan – Supported by two political parties that usually oppose each other.
- Rebuked – Criticized someone sharply or formally.
- Alienation – The feeling of being isolated or excluded, often socially or emotionally.
- Mandated – Required or commanded by authority or law.
- Polarisation – Division into two sharply contrasting groups or opinions.
- Selective enforcement – Applying laws or rules to some people or groups and not others, often unfairly.
- Interceptor – A combat aircraft built to detect and take down enemy planes.
- Indigenously – Originating or produced within a particular country; locally made.
Procured – Secured or acquired something, often through effort or planning. - Squadrons – Military units of aircraft grouped together for operations.
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