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, EU Near Completion of Free Trade Agreement Talks
- Leaders from the European Union (EU), who are visiting India to attend the Republic Day parade on Monday, said that a “successful India” is important for the entire world. During the visit, officials confirmed that talks for the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) have been completed.
- Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that discussions at the official level have ended and that both India and the EU are ready to officially announce the successful completion of the FTA talks on Tuesday.
- Sources in the Commerce Ministry separately said that the negotiations were completed on Friday and that the agreement was approved by both sides on Saturday.
- The same sources said that the final version of the agreement will be prepared after legal teams from both sides carefully review and correct the text.
- The announcement of the FTA is expected to be part of several other agreements to be signed during the EU-India summit on Tuesday. These include agreements on security and defence cooperation, energy cooperation, and a mobility agreement.
- The EU-India summit will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and President of the European Council Antonio Costa.
- On Monday, the EU leaders watched the 77th Republic Day parade, which displayed India’s military equipment and marching units.
- Special attention during the parade was given to military units that took part in Operation Sindoor in May 2025 against Pakistan.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a social media post that the presence of the EU’s top leaders shows the growing strength of the partnership between India and the European Union and their shared commitment to common values.
- Ursula von der Leyen said in a social media post that a successful India helps make the world more stable, prosperous, and secure.
- She added that Europe and India, as the world’s largest democracies, are committed to shaping a “new global order.”
- Antonio Costa said on social media that the occasion was a chance to highlight the role of EU Naval Forces in improving maritime security and protecting freedom of navigation, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Costa did not make any controversial remarks about the ongoing war in Europe.
- Monday’s parade was also notable because it was the first time EU defence commanders took part in the event.
- Later in the day, the EU Presidents were hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
- An important point noted during the parade was that much of the military equipment seen by Ms. von der Leyen and Mr. Costa was either made in Russia or designed in Russia.
- This equipment has been placed under various EU sanctions since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
- The completion of the EU-India FTA ends a process that has lasted nearly 20 years, as talks first began in 2007.
- Over the years, the negotiations stopped several times, mainly because of disagreements that were considered very difficult to resolve.
- These included issues such as market access for sensitive European agricultural and dairy products, environmental rules, investment concerns, and immigration matters.
- After talks were frozen between 2014 and 2022, negotiations were restarted with more practical and realistic goals.
- Both sides reportedly agreed to leave out areas where they could not reach an agreement.
- Once the FTA is officially announced on Tuesday, officials will finish the legal review process.
- The agreement will then be translated and sent to all 27 EU member countries.
- After this, it will be placed before the European Parliament for approval.
Military might blends with the nation’s heritage on Kartavya Path
- India celebrated its 77th Republic Day on Monday with a grand display of military strength and cultural heritage, as missiles, armed forces units, and cultural performers attracted attention along Kartavya Path.
- The main theme of the celebrations was the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram. The event also highlighted India’s achievements during “Operation Sindoor” carried out last year.
- President Droupadi Murmu led the ceremony. The chief guests were European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed President Murmu and the chief guests at the main stage. They arrived in traditional horse-drawn carriages.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, other Union Ministers, senior military officers, foreign diplomats, and top government officials were present as spectators.
- The celebrations began with President Murmu awarding India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra, to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for becoming the first Indian to visit the International Space Station.
- More than 100 artists opened the event with performances based on the theme Vividata Mein Ekta (unity in diversity), using traditional musical instruments from different regions to show India’s cultural richness.
- The parade was led by Lieutenant-General Bhavnish Kumar, the General Officer Commanding of the Delhi Area, who is a second-generation army officer.
- A tri-services tableau displayed models of major weapon systems used by the armed forces during Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
- The parade also marked the first appearance of the newly formed Bhairav Battalion, a specialised assault infantry unit.
- A military group from the European Union joined the celebrations, marking the first time the EU has participated in such an event outside Europe.
- A total of 30 tableaux moved along Kartavya Path, including 17 from States and Union Territories and 13 from different Ministries and Departments.
- Kerala’s tableau showcased India’s first Water Metro and highlighted the State’s success in achieving 100% digital literacy and promoting eco-friendly transport.
- Chhattisgarh’s tableau, themed “The Mantra of Freedom, Vande Mataram,” honoured tribal freedom fighters.
- Gujarat’s tableau focused on Vande Mataram and paid tribute to Bhikaji Cama, highlighting the State’s role in the freedom struggle.
- This year, the seating enclosures for the Republic Day parade were named after India’s rivers.
Opposition intensifies against new UGC equity regulations
- Opposition to the University Grants Commission (UGC)’s new rules on promoting equity in higher education campuses grew stronger on Monday. Critics questioned how the 2026 regulations define “caste-based discrimination” and claimed that the rules unfairly target “general category” students because they do not include safeguards against false complaints.
- A petition challenging the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 has been filed in the Supreme Court by Mrityunjay Tiwari, a post-doctoral researcher at Banaras Hindu University in Uttar Pradesh.
- Political opposition has also increased. Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi posted on social media, demanding that the regulations be “withdrawn or amended as necessary.”
- Uttar Pradesh BJP MLC Devendra Pratap Singh wrote to the UGC, saying it should focus on protecting Dalit and backward class students from discrimination, instead of “making general category students feel unsafe”.
- Student organisations have also raised objections. The students’ union of Kumaun University in Nainital, Uttarakhand, submitted a letter to the UGC through the university’s Vice-Chancellor.
- In the letter, the union said the regulations go against the “principle of natural justice.”
- The union also warned that the rules could disturb the balance on university campuses and create an atmosphere of fear and mistrust, which could lead to misuse of the regulations.
- As criticism increased, BJP MP from Jharkhand Nishikant Dubey said on social media that “all misunderstandings” related to the new regulations would soon be clarified.
- The UGC officially notified the 2026 regulations on January 13, updating the earlier 2012 rules on the same issue.
- The revised regulations define “caste-based discrimination” as discrimination “only on the basis of caste or tribe” against students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.
- The new rules also removed a provision that punished false complaints, which had been included in a draft shared in 2025.
- Opponents say these changes are serious problems, arguing that the definition leaves out students from the general category.
- Critics also claim that the rules create an assumption that general category students are guilty.
- At the same time, some anti-caste activists argue that the new regulations still do not provide enough protection to SC, ST, and OBC students.
- Nethrapal, a serving Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, shared this view in a post on X, saying that the 2026 regulations fail to address specific types of discrimination faced by SC, ST, and OBC students.
- He pointed out that such discrimination often happens during admissions, interviews, and oral examinations.
- He also said that broad equity committees may not be effective in dealing with the specific problems faced by SC and ST students.
Important Questions
- Why did Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal say that official-level negotiations for the EU-India Free Trade Agreement have been concluded?
- How does the conclusion of the EU-India FTA mark the end of a two-decades-old process that began in 2007?
- How did the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path showcase both military strength and cultural heritage?
- Why was the participation of a military contingent from the European Union significant during the Republic Day parade?
- Why have critics and student organisations opposed the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, particularly the definition of “caste-based discrimination”?
- How did the removal of punishment for false complaints from the 2026 UGC regulations, notified on January 13, intensify political and legal opposition?
Important Vocabulary
- Negotiations – formal discussions to reach an agreement
- Scrubbed – carefully checked and corrected
- Sanctions – official restrictions imposed by countries
- Ratification – formal approval by a governing body
- Tableau – a decorated display representing a theme
- Tri-services – involving the Army, Navy, and Air Force
- Gallantry – bravery shown in action
- Contingent – a group of soldiers representing a unit
- Regulations – official rules or laws
- Writ petition – a formal legal request to a court
- Presumption – an assumption accepted as true
- Omnibus – broad and covering many issues
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