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.
Monsoon Deficit Reaches 40%; July Forecast Remains Unfavourable
- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that rainfall in July, which is the most important month of the southwest monsoon, is likely to be below normal. This means India may receive less than 94% of the normal rainfall during the month.
- IMD Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that India is currently facing a 40% shortage in monsoon rainfall.
- The IMD said that below-normal rainfall can create serious problems for farming, water resources, hydropower generation, the environment, and the supply of drinking water.
- The department also warned that less rainfall may increase heat stress and put more pressure on the water that is already available in many parts of the country.
- To reduce the impact of weak rainfall, the IMD advised government agencies and other concerned people to take timely steps, including:
- Conserving water.
- Managing available water resources properly.
- Using suitable backup plans for agriculture.
- The weak rainfall forecast for July comes after India received very poor rainfall in June, with nearly 40% less rain than normal.
- India received only 5 mm of rainfall in June, making it the fifth-lowest June rainfall since 1901 and the lowest June rainfall since 2014.
- Mrutyunjay Mohapatra explained that normally, two to three low-pressure systems form over the Bay of Bengal in June. These systems carry large amounts of moisture and usually bring good rainfall to many parts of India.
- This year, not even one low-pressure system formed over the Bay of Bengal, which was a major reason for the poor rainfall in June.
- He also said that the El Niño, which started in June, also had a negative effect on the monsoon.
- According to him, the first week of July is expected to receive good rainfall, which will help farmers start sowing their crops.
- However, the total rainfall for the whole month of July is still expected to remain below normal. Because of this, a senior IMD meteorologist described the overall situation as “bleak.”
- The meteorologist said that the last two monsoon seasons were good, so many reservoirs are still holding extra water.
- However, this stored water may get used up faster because high temperatures and low rainfall will increase the rate of evaporation in the coming weeks.
- According to the Agriculture Ministry, the area under Kharif crop cultivation has fallen by 22% compared to the same time last year.
- Many farmers are waiting for better and more reliable rainfall before sowing paddy crops.
- According to the latest data of the Central Water Commission (June 25), India’s major reservoirs have about 25% less water than they had in June 2025.
- However, when compared with the average water storage of the last 10 years, the current storage is still 5% higher than the normal level for June.
- The present monsoon deficit is especially important because weather experts around the world have warned that this year may experience a “Super El Niño.”
- A Super El Niño means that the central Pacific Ocean becomes much hotter than normal.
- The full effect of this warming is expected to be seen during winter, after the southwest monsoon ends in late September.
- Historical records show that six out of every ten El Niño years have resulted in weak southwest monsoon rainfall in India.
- Weather models from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology have suggested that the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) may develop during the second half of the monsoon season, in August and September.
- The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is a weather pattern caused by changes in sea surface temperatures between the western and eastern parts of the Indian Ocean.
- Depending on whether the IOD is in a favourable or unfavourable phase, it can either strengthen or weaken India’s monsoon.
- According to the Australian weather models, if the IOD develops, it may reduce some of the negative effects of El Niño on the Indian monsoon.
- However, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that the IMD’s own models and many other weather models show that the IOD is likely to remain neutral.
- A neutral IOD means that it will not give any major support to the monsoon this year.
- Explaining the relationship between these two weather systems, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, “El Niño is like the big brother, and the IOD cannot fully make up for its effect.”
- He also spoke about the 1997–98 El Niño, which was one of the strongest El Niño events ever recorded.
- Even during such a strong El Niño, India received 2% more rainfall than normal because the Indian Ocean Dipole was in a favourable phase.
- Mrutyunjay Mohapatra added that such a situation has happened only once in recorded history.
709 New Animal Species Added to India’s Fauna Database
- India added 709 new faunal (animal) species in 2025.
- 483 species were new to science.
- 226 species were recorded in India for the first time.
- India also added 353 plant taxa to its floral records.
- This includes 14 infraspecific taxa.
- The details of these new discoveries and new records were released in Kolkata on Tuesday by Bhupender Yadav.
- According to the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), India’s total faunal biodiversity has now reached 1,05,953 species.
- This further confirms India’s position as one of the world’s leading mega-diverse countries.
- State-wise analysis of new animal discoveries shows:
- Kerala recorded the highest number with 98 new animal species.
- West Bengal recorded 76 species.
- Karnataka recorded 67 species.
- Arunachal Pradesh recorded 65 species.
- Among the animal groups added to India’s fauna database:
- Hymenoptera contributed the highest number of additions (106 species).
- Lepidoptera contributed 65 species.
- Diptera contributed 64 species.
- Arachnida contributed 64 species.
- Coleoptera contributed 55 species.
- Pisces contributed 50 species.
- These discoveries reflect the rich diversity of India’s wildlife and the continued scientific discoveries, especially among invertebrate animals.
- Some of the important animal species discovered in 2025 include:
- Myotis himalaicus, a new species of Himalayan bat.
- Ptyctolaemus mamdaphaensis and Ptyctolaemus siangensis, two newly discovered species of green fan-throated lizards.
- Lycodon irwini, a new species commonly known as Irwin’s wolf snake.
- Out of the 353 plant taxa added to India’s floral database:
- 221 taxa were new to science.
- 132 taxa were new distributional records for India.
- These new plant records have expanded the known geographical distribution of many plant groups and enriched India’s floral inventory.
- State-wise analysis of plant discoveries shows:
- Arunachal Pradesh recorded the highest number with 49 discoveries.
- Uttarakhand recorded 39 discoveries.
- Kerala recorded 37 discoveries.
- Plant Discoveries, 2025 documents:
- 154 angiosperms.
- 3 pteridophytes.
- 13 bryophytes.
- 62 lichens.
- 93 fungi.
- 22 algae.
- 6 microbes.
- Among the most important plant discoveries are several wild relatives of economically and ecologically important plant groups, including:
- Begonia.
- Impatiens (balsams).
- Legumes.
- Orchids.
- According to the Botanical Survey of India (BSI):
- Around 43% of the newly described taxa belong to vascular plants.
- The remaining discoveries consist of a wide range of non-vascular organisms.
- This highlights the increasing scientific focus on these ecologically important groups.
- Some of the important plant discoveries include:
- Polystichum siangense, a new fern species belonging to the Dryopteridaceae family, discovered in Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
- Miliusa beddomei, a new wild member of the custard apple family, discovered in the Western Ghats.
- Hericium indicum, a newly discovered species of wild edible tooth fungus.
Court Rejects Trump’s Attempt to Limit Birthright Citizenship
- The U.S. Supreme Court gave President Donald Trump a major setback by rejecting his attempt to limit birthright citizenship in the United States.
- The Court said that birthright citizenship has been an important right in America for a very long time.
- Because of this decision, one of Mr. Trump’s biggest immigration plans was stopped.
- The judgment was given by a 6–3 majority of the Supreme Court judges.
- This was the second time in the same year that the Supreme Court cancelled one of Mr. Trump’s major policies.
- Earlier, in February, the Court had also cancelled his large global tariff policy.
- The Supreme Court supported the decision of a lower court, which had already stopped Mr. Trump’s executive order.
- The executive order told U.S. government agencies not to give citizenship to children born in the United States if both parents were neither American citizens nor legal permanent residents (Green Card holders).
- People who challenged this executive order said that it went against the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
- They argued that the 14th Amendment clearly says that people born in the United States who are “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” are U.S. citizens.
- Trump has often tried to use the full powers of the President in both U.S. and foreign matters.
- He signed this executive order on the very first day after returning to office last year.
- The order was part of a larger group of policies that aimed to take stronger action against both legal and illegal immigration.
- Many critics accused the Republican President of following immigration policies that were unfair to people because of their race and religion.
- The Supreme Court gave its decision just before the July 4 holiday, when the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding.
- Before the judgment, some experts believed that Trump’s executive order could have affected the legal status of around 250,000 babies born every year in the United States.
- Experts also warned that the order could have forced millions of families to show proof that their newborn babies were U.S. citizens.
Important Questions
- Why is July below-normal rainfall forecast considered a serious concern for Indian farming, water resources, and hydropower generation?
- How can the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) reduce the negative effects of El Niño on India’s southwest monsoon?
- Which Indian states recorded the highest number of new animal species and plant discoveries during 2025?
- How have the newly discovered animal species and plant taxa strengthened India’s biodiversity records and floral inventory?
- Why did the U.S. Supreme Court reject President Donald Trump’s executive order to limit birthright citizenship?
- How could President Donald Trump’s executive order have affected the legal status of babies born in the United States each year?
Important Vocabulary
- Deficit – A shortage compared to the required or expected amount.
- Evaporation – The process by which water changes into vapour.
- Reservoirs – Large natural or artificial lakes used to store water.
- Neutral – Neither favourable nor unfavourable; having no significant effect.
- Faunal – Related to the animals of a particular region.
- Taxa – Groups of organisms used in scientific classification.
- Biodiversity – The variety of living plants, animals, and other organisms in an area.
- Invertebrate – An animal without a backbone.
- Citizenship – The legal status of being a citizen of a country.
- Executive – Relating to the authority or decisions of the government or President.
- Jurisdiction – The legal authority or power to make and enforce laws.
- Immigration – The process of people entering another country to live there.
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