The Hindu Editorial Analysis : 27th July 2024

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 delve into today’s editorial points along with practice questions and key vocabulary.

Six dead as heavy rain lashes Maharashtra; train and flight services in Mumbai disrupted

• Incessant rain caused chaos in several parts of Maharashtra on Thursday, resulting in at least six deaths and 12 injuries, and flooding houses in low-lying areas. Three individuals are feared trapped after a landslide in Lavasa, as officials evacuated hundreds of people to safety zones across the state.
• According to the State Disaster Situation report, two people were killed by a lightning strike in Chandrapur, three died from electrocution in Pune’s Deccan Gymkhana area, and one person died in a landslide in Pune’s Maval tehsil. Pune district administration authorities confirmed that the landslide victim in Maval was a restaurant worker.
• From May 15 to July 25, at least 94 people lost their lives across various parts of Maharashtra due to monsoon-related incidents, including lightning strikes, landslides, tree falls, and building collapses.
• Across the state, four people are missing, and 145 have been injured. Approximately 241 individuals have been evacuated, and at least 306 animals are dead.
• In Pune, nearly 160 individuals stranded in houses and buildings in low-lying areas were moved to safety zones by fire and rescue teams. Over 200 personnel were involved in these operations. Authorities reported that they responded to 16 incidents of flooding in residential and commercial buildings since Wednesday at midnight.
• Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that rain-hit residents would be airlifted if necessary, following severe downpours in Pune that resulted in four deaths and the flooding of residential areas on Thursday.
• Shinde has coordinated with the Pune Collector, civic officials, and authorities from Pimpri Chinchwad, as well as sought assistance from the Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for evacuation efforts.
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai experienced major disruptions in its flight operations. Due to poor visibility, flight operations were briefly suspended from 10:36 a.m. to 10:55 a.m.
• Airlines have issued travel advisories, and Air India has announced that customers with bookings confirmed for travel on Thursday are eligible for a full refund or a one-time complimentary rescheduling.
• Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar stated that the Shinde government should promptly announce a financial package for farmers who have suffered crop losses due to the heavy rains affecting the State.
• The Department of Education has announced a holiday for schools and colleges in Thane, Raigad, Pune, Palghar, Navi Mumbai, and Mumbai. Civic officials have issued a public advisory urging residents to remain indoors.
• Local trains in Mumbai faced delays and slower speeds because of poor visibility. The railway tracks in Kurla and Ghatkopar were observed to be flooded.

The Income Tax portal has been fixed; the deadline of July 31 for filing returns is unlikely to be extended

• The July 31 deadline for filing income tax (I-T) returns is expected to remain unchanged.
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has addressed recent issues and outages reported on the I-T portal by enhancing its back-end capacity to handle the increased workload this year.
• CBDT Chairperson Ravi Agarwal informed The Hindu that 2.8 million tax returns were filed on Wednesday, with no downtime reported.
• Addressing taxpayers’ concerns regarding the delays in generating TDS (Tax Deduction at Source) and Form 16 certificates, as well as the slow performance of the I-T portal, Mr. Agarwal stated that these issues have now been resolved.
• “Hourly filings have reached an all-time high. Therefore, we can confidently say that we should be able to address the situation within the next six days.”
• “Most of the issues have been resolved, and yesterday there were no reports of any problems such as downtime. Even today, there have been no issues so far,” he stated late Thursday afternoon.
• Agarwal noted that the Income Tax department has witnessed a significant increase in the number of reported transactions this year. Additionally, some government officials responsible for issuing deduction certificates were engaged in election duties, which led to delays in the issuance of these certificates.
• “The website experienced some slowness, making it difficult for users. We have since implemented corrective measures by upgrading the hardware and applying the necessary solutions,” assured the CBDT chief.
• TDS transactions grew by 15% and third-party transactions by about 30%, requiring updates to pre-filled income tax forms and the issuance of corresponding TDS certificates.
• Delays occurred due to government deductors being occupied with election duties, resulting in a sudden bulk filing of TDS statements.
• Agarwal stated, “Handling and converting those statements into TDS certificates was time-consuming and required significant data management. However, we have resolved the problem and are now up-to-date on ensuring that TDS certificates are both downloadable and accessible.”

Two halls in Rashtrapati Bhavan have been named to reflect republican values

• President Droupadi Murmu has renamed two key halls at the Rashtrapati Bhavan: Durbar Hall will now be known as Ganatantra Mandap, meaning Republic Hall, while Ashok Hall will be renamed Ashok Mandap.
• The Durbar Hall serves as the venue for important ceremonies and celebrations, including the presentation of national awards.
• A statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan clarified that the term “Durbar” originally denoted the courts and assemblies of both Indian rulers and the British. It became less relevant after India became a Republic, or ‘Ganatantra’. The concept of ‘Ganatantra’ has been deeply rooted in Indian society since ancient times, making ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ a fitting name for the venue.”
• Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra commented on the move, saying, “There is no concept of ‘Durbar’, only that of ‘Shahenshah’.” Ms. Vadra has previously criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him a Shahenshah, a term meaning ‘king of kings’ historically used by emperors.
• The Rashtrapati Bhavan statement explained that Ashok Hall was originally a ballroom, and the name “Ashok” signifies someone who is “free from all sufferings” and also refers to Emperor Ashok, a symbol of unity and peaceful coexistence.
• The National Emblem of India features the lion capital of Ashok from Sarnath, reinforcing the connection to the name.
• Renaming the halls aims to standardize the language used and eliminate traces of anglicization, while maintaining the core values associated with the term “Ashok.”

Important questions

1. What specific measures is the Maharashtra government taking to assist residents affected by the heavy rain and flooding, including evacuation and financial support for farmers?
2. How have the heavy rains impacted transportation services in Mumbai, including train and flight operations?
3. What specific measures did the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) implement to resolve the issues with the Income Tax portal and ensure timely filing of returns?
4. How did the involvement of government officials in election duties contribute to the delays in issuing TDS certificates and processing income tax returns?
5. What is the reason for renaming Durbar Hall to Ganatantra Mandap at Rashtrapati Bhavan?

Important vocabulary

1. Incessant: Continuing without interruption; unending.
2. Electrocution: Death or serious injury resulting from an electric shock.
3. Evacuated: Removed from a dangerous place to a safer location.
4. Disruptions: Interruptions that cause disorder or confusion, especially affecting services or operations.
5. Enhancing: Improving or increasing something to make it better or more effective.
6. Downtime: A period when a system or service is not operational or functioning.
7. Slowness: The state of being slow; lack of speed or efficiency.
8. Corrective: Aimed at addressing or resolving a problem or issue.
9. Renamed: Given a new name or title.
10. Anglicization: The process of making something more English in character or adapting it to English norms.

Download Online Mock Test Mobile APP

• Join Official Telegram Channel
• Join Official Whatsapp Group

Recommended PDF’s for 2024:

• Computer Capsule 2024 : Download PDF
• Banking Awareness (Theory+MCQ’s) Complete PDF : Download Now
• Get FREE Study Materials & PDFs for IBPS , RBI, SBI, LIC AAO , LIC Assistant, NIACL & Other Exams Over the mail and Whatsapp