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.
National Intelligence Grid connected to NPR, holds details of 119 crore residents: Government
- NATGRID, which is a secure intelligence system, has now been linked with the National Population Register. This allows police and investigation agencies to check government and private databases in real time, including family details of around 119 crore people living in India.
- Government officials said the Union Home Ministry wants State police and central agencies to use NATGRID more often so that intelligence gathering improves and criminal cases can be solved faster.
- On December 9, the Home Ministry told the Lok Sabha that an Organised Crime Network Database is being created on the NATGRID platform. This database will help the NIA and State ATS units share data safely with each other.
- The Ministry said that improved NATGRID tools, especially Gandiva, are helping agencies collect information from many sources and study data properly during difficult investigations.
- As per a report dated December 7, NATGRID handles nearly 45,000 requests every month. Only authorised security agencies across the country can access it, and it is used strictly for official intelligence work.
- The platform became functional last year, though it was first planned in 2009 after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks exposed major weaknesses in coordination among intelligence agencies.
- Information for the National Population Register was first collected in 2010 during the first phase of the 2011 Census. It was last updated in 2015 through door-to-door data collection.
- The NPR data was expected to be updated during the 2021 Census, but the process was delayed because of problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic across India.
- On December 12, the Union Cabinet approved Census 2027 with a total budget of ₹11,718 crore. However, no separate amount was set aside for updating the National Population Register.
- Earlier, on July 29, the government informed the Lok Sabha that no final decision had been taken on whether the NPR would be updated during the upcoming Census.
- Officials explained that the NPR is the first step towards creating a National Register of Citizens, which makes it a sensitive and important database for future government work.
- A State police officer said Gandiva helps agencies access family details of suspects from the NPR. It can also be used for facial recognition and to find links between different people or organisations.
- To address privacy concerns, officials said that every NATGRID search is recorded. Officers must mention the reason for each search, senior officials monitor usage, and several checks are built into the system.
- The Union Home Ministry has advised States to make wider use of NATGRID to improve intelligence sharing and strengthen coordination among law enforcement agencies.
Six killed after bus catches fire following collision in Karnataka
- Six people, including a five-year-old girl, died after a truck crashed into a private sleeper bus on National Highway 48 in Hiriyur taluk.
- The accident happened early Thursday morning in Chitradurga district of Karnataka and shocked both passengers and local residents because of its sudden and severe nature.
- More than twenty-five passengers travelling from Bengaluru to the temple town of Gokarna were injured in the serious highway accident.
- Among the injured, one person was said to be in critical condition and was immediately taken for emergency medical treatment.
- The accident occurred around 2 a.m., when most passengers inside the sleeper bus were sleeping during the night journey.
- The truck involved in the crash was carrying beverages from Supa in Maharashtra to Nelamangala near Bengaluru.
- The truck driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, crossed the road divider, and collided head-on with the sleeper bus.
- Because of the strong impact, the truck damaged the bus’s fuel tank, which caused a fire that spread very quickly.
- Some passengers woke up in time, jumped out of the bus, and survived, though many of them were injured.
- Five passengers, including a five-year-old child, could not escape from the burning bus and died at the spot.
- The victims were identified by Chitradurga district police as Bindu, her daughter Greya, Manasa, Navya, and Rashmi Mahale.
- The truck driver, Kuldeep, who was from Uttar Pradesh, also died due to injuries suffered in the accident.
- Chitradurga Police registered a case and started an investigation to find the exact cause of the tragic crash.
- The case was registered by Hiriyur Rural Police based on the statement of an eyewitness named Sachin.
- Sachin was driving a private bus carrying school children on the same highway and saw the accident happen.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sadness over the incident and announced ex gratia compensation for the families of those who died.
- Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also expressed condolences and announced financial help for the affected families.
PM inaugurates Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow on Thursday to honour former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and BJP ideologues Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Shyama Prasad Mookerjee.
- The memorial is spread over 65 acres near the Gomti river on Hardoi Road. It is shaped like a lotus, the BJP symbol, and has three tall bronze statues of the national leaders.
- On the occasion of Vajpayee’s 101st birth anniversary, Mr. Modi called the event historic. He said Lucknow saw a special moment as the birth anniversaries of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Madan Mohan Malaviya were observed on the same day.
- He said both leaders made strong contributions to building the nation and described the Prerna Sthal as a memorial dedicated to the ideals, values, and rich heritage of India’s great leaders.
- Modi said inaugurating the memorial on Good Governance Day gave him pride and inner satisfaction, adding that Vajpayee’s birth anniversary stands for good governance followed by the BJP-led NDA government.
- He said the Prerna Sthal reflects India’s values of self-respect, unity, and service, and that the statues remind people to remain committed to serving the nation.
- The Prime Minister said the modern lotus-shaped museum highlights selfless leadership and good governance, and will continue to inspire future generations across the country.
- Modi also mentioned that the land was used as a garbage dumping site for decades. It was cleaned over the last three years and developed into the memorial complex.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India’s progress in the last ten years came from pride in leadership, heritage, and values, which the Prime Minister has strongly promoted.
- He said Mukherjee, Upadhyay, and Vajpayee played a major role in shaping India’s identity, self-respect, and national purpose after independence.
- Singh added that the removal of Article 370 fulfilled Dr. Mukherjee’s long-standing views on Jammu and Kashmir and showed commitment to national unity and sovereignty.
- Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the three leaders gave India a new direction and praised Mr. Modi’s Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat vision along with his focus on Antyodaya and good governance.
Important Questions
- How does linking NATGRID with the National Population Register help police and investigating agencies in intelligence collection and criminal investigations?
- Why did the Union Home Ministry describe NPR as a sensitive database while explaining its role towards creating a National Register of Citizens?
- What circumstances led to the truck crossing the median and colliding with the sleeper bus on National Highway 48?
- How did the damage to the fuel tank contribute to the deaths of passengers in the Karnataka highway accident?
- Why did Prime Minister Narendra Modi call the inauguration of Rashtra Prerna Sthal a historic occasion in Lucknow?
- How does the lotus-shaped memorial of Rashtra Prerna Sthal, reflect the ideals and values associated with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and other leaders?
Important Vocabulary
- Enumeration – process of counting people and collecting details
- Ideologues – people who strongly follow certain ideas or beliefs
- Abrogation – official removal or cancellation of a law
- Coordination – working together in an organised manner
- Collision – crash between two vehicles
- Critical – very serious condition
- Eyewitness – person who saw the incident happen
- Condolences – expression of sympathy after death
- Inaugurated – formally opened
- Memorial – structure built to honour people
- Heritage – cultural values passed down
- Sovereignty – supreme authority of a nation
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