The Hindu Editorial Analysis : 24th September 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.

Trade Deal Unlikely as U.S. Probes India’s Competitors Over Excess Capacity

• India and the U.S. are unlikely to sign a trade deal until the U.S. starts a new series of Section 301 investigations, completes them, and puts tariffs on countries that compete with India, such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.
• According to a person familiar with the matter, it was a “strategic mistake” that Pakistan was not included in the list of countries investigated in the ‘excess capacity’ Section 301 investigations that were started in March 2026.
• An announcement about new Section 301 investigations against some of India’s competitor countries is likely to be made soon, according to information obtained by The Hindu. However, the timing and subjects of these new investigations have not yet been decided.
• Because of this, it is very unlikely that the India-U.S. trade deal will be completed during the upcoming visit of Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to the U.S. for the G-20 trade ministerial, which begins on September 30.
• These developments seem to match the remarks made by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal at the Global Fintech Fest 2026 earlier this month.
• Agrawal said that India mainly follows MFN (Most Favoured Nation) tariff rates, while the U.S. mainly uses tariffs decided through executive action.
• He said that a trade agreement would therefore need a different tariff structure and preferential market access for India, meaning India would need some special advantages in accessing the U.S. market.
• The Section 301 investigations are one of the ways the U.S. government is dealing with the situation created by the February 2026 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The court ruled that President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs were an unlawful use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
• Before this Supreme Court ruling, India and the U.S. had reached an Interim Agreement on trade. This agreement was announced through an India-U.S. joint statement issued on February 6.
• Under this interim agreement, the general tariff on Indian goods entering the U.S. was to be 18%. This would have given India an advantage over its main competing countries.
• These competing countries include Pakistan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Philippines. The tariff rates mentioned for them were 19% for Pakistan, 20% for Vietnam, 20% for Sri Lanka, 19% for Bangladesh and 19% for the Philippines.
• After these tariffs were removed, these countries started trading with the U.S. under MFN tariff rates.
• One of the main difficulties in completing the India-U.S. trade deal is that Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines were investigated under Section 301 for forced labour, but they were not included in the Section 301 investigation into excess capacity, unlike India.
• Both types of investigations were started in March 2026.
• Pakistan, for example, currently faces a 10% tariff because of the forced-labour Section 301 investigation.
• At present, there are no similar legal measures that could be used to increase the tariff rates on Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines back to their earlier levels. At the same time, India is likely to face an additional 8% tariff under the excess-capacity investigation.
• This additional 8% tariff would bring the total tariff rate on Indian goods back to 18%.
• The situation became more complicated because, last Friday, President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act into law.
• This law gives the U.S. government the power to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five biggest importers of Russian oil.
• India and China are among these five biggest importers of Russian oil.
• New Delhi is the second-largest market for Russian crude oil.
• There has been reporting that the bill, which was originally planned to be considered after the U.S. midterm elections, was brought forward and passed quickly so that it would be in place before the September 24 meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.

India to Be Freed from Drug Trade by End of 2029: Shah

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday fixed December 31, 2029 as the target date to “uproot” the drug trade from India.
• He said that for the last five years, the government has been taking one step after another to achieve the difficult goal of making India free from drugs.
• He said that the time has now come to take strong and final action against narcotics, which have become one of the most serious threats to the country and the world, and to achieve success through joint efforts.
• Shah said that by December 31, 2029, everyone together would succeed in removing the drug trade from India.
• He said that India’s strategy against drugs should not be limited to seizing drugs. Instead, the authorities should focus on breaking the networks that are involved in the drug trade.
• He directed the agencies to start a campaign to send foreign nationals involved in drug trafficking back to their countries and to stop them from entering India again.
• He also said that drug traffickers who are wanted by Indian authorities and are operating from other countries should be caught and brought before Indian courts.
• While addressing the third National Conference of Heads of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of States and Union Territories in Delhi, Mr. Shah said that enforcement agencies must focus on breaking the complete chain through which drugs are trafficked.
• He stressed the need to use financial investigations, follow digital connections, and target the money earned by drug cartels in order to break their trafficking networks.
• Shah said that instead of following an approach focused mainly on drug seizures, the authorities should work towards breaking the complete drug-trafficking networks.
• He said that drug cartels should be targeted at three levels: the point where drugs enter the country, the system through which drugs are moved from one State to another, and the local networks that sell drugs within districts.
• To make enforcement stronger, districts will be divided into three categories: districts where drugs are made or enter the country, districts that are used as routes for transporting drugs, and districts where drug consumption takes place.
• Shah also called for greater use of the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
• He stressed the need for a complete plan covering every stage from investigation to conviction, with proper coordination with public prosecutors.
• He said that all loopholes along the borders and at places where drugs are produced must be closed so that drug trafficking can be prevented.
• He asked the Anti-Narcotics Task Forces (ANTFs) to make sure that information is properly turned into actionable intelligence, meaning useful information that can lead to actual action, and make this an important part of policing in their respective States.
• Shah said that the conference showed a change “from meeting to mission, from reporting to results, from seizure to dismantling networks, and from case to conviction.”
• The two-day conference, organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), is being attended by the heads of ANTFs from 36 States and Union Territories.

President Murmu Calls for Avoiding Harmful Products

• President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday asked popular film artistes not to promote products that are harmful to people’s health. She said that a “true star” spreads light, not darkness, and pointed out that the words and actions of celebrities have a strong effect on young minds.
• Murmu presented the 72nd National Film Awards for 2024 in different categories of cinema at Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), near the Statue of Unity, during a grand ceremony.
• She said that when successful artistes talk about the benefits of a disciplined lifestyle, millions of children and young people follow their example. She asked popular artistes not to promote products that are harmful to people’s health and said that a true star is one who spreads light, not darkness.
• The President said that highly popular artistes have great power to influence people, especially young people.
• Murmu also called for more women to be included in the juries that select films for the National Film Awards.
• She asked the film industry to provide respect and social security to workers, small-scale artistes, assistants and others who contribute to the creative economy but struggle to establish themselves.
• Murmu recalled that at the previous National Film Awards ceremony, she had asked the industry to make respect and sensitivity towards every member of the film crew an important part of its work culture.
• She said that she hoped the film industry was following these requests.
• Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honour in cinema, for his contribution to Indian cinema and his long and successful journey in films, which has inspired many generations.
• Yami Gautam, Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan received Best Actor awards in the male and female categories.
• The Hindi film Article 370, directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, received the Best Feature Film
• Mammootty’s win for Bramayugam was his fourth win, matching the record held by veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan.
• In the supernatural drama Bramayugam, directed by Rahul Sadasivan, Mammootty played Kodumon Potty, a powerful and harmful spirit.
• Yami Gautam received the Best Actor award for her role in Article 370, while Kartik Aaryan received the award for playing Paralympian gold medallist Murlikant Petkar in Chandu Champion.
• Tamil actor Dhanush received a Special Mention for his performance in the period drama Captain Miller.
• Actor-turned-director Randeep Hooda received the Best Debut Film of a Director award for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.
• Rajkumar Periasamy received the Best Direction award for the Tamil film Amaran.
• Bhangaar, directed and produced by Sumira Roy, received the Best Non-Feature Film
• Sanjeev Shrivastava received the Best Film Critic award in Hindi.
• Sachana Namidass received the Best Actress in a Supporting Role award for the Tamil film Maharaja, while Ropashree Varkady received the second Best Actress in a Supporting Role award for the Kannada film Mithya.
• The Telugu film Pushpa: The Rule received the Best Costume Design award, while Sukumar received the Best Screenplay award for the film.
• Kalaivannan received the Best Editing award for the Tamil film Amaran.
• Shashwat Sachdev, known for Dhurandhar, received the Best Music Direction award for the songs in Article 370, while V. Prakash Kumar was honoured for the background music of Amaran.

Important Questions

1. Which three India’s competitor countries were not included in the U.S. Section 301 investigation into excess capacity?
2. What additional tariff is India likely to face under the U.S. excess-capacity Section 301 investigation?
3. What target date did Union Home Minister Amit Shah fix to “uproot” the drug trade from India?
4. What three levels did Amit Shah say drug cartels should be targeted at to break drug-trafficking networks?
5. What did President Droupadi Murmu ask popular film artistes not to promote because of their strong influence on young minds?
6. Who received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 72nd National Film Awards for contribution to Indian cinema?

Important Vocabulary

1. Excess capacity — Production capacity that is more than the market demand.
2. Preferential — Giving special advantage or treatment.
3. Reciprocal — Given or done in return for something similar.
4. Impose — To officially introduce or enforce something.
5. Narcotics — Drugs that can cause addiction or harmful effects.
6. Trafficking — Illegal buying, selling or movement of goods or people.
7. Actionable — Useful information that can lead to actual action.
8. Loopholes — Gaps or weaknesses that can be used to avoid rules.
9. Artistes — People who perform or create art professionally.
10. Prestigious — Highly respected and admired.
11. Juries — Groups of people who judge or select winners.
12. Social security — Support or protection provided to people against social and financial difficulties.