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.
CBSE Fixes Vulnerabilities in the Marking System
- CBSE has said that the security weaknesses found in its On-Screen Marking (OnMark) platform have been controlled and further checks are being carried out to make sure no other loopholes remain.
- After ethical hackers publicly pointed out security problems in the OnMark platform used for evaluating Class 12 answer sheets, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said on Sunday that the reported vulnerabilities had been contained. The Board also thanked alert citizens who brought these issues to its notice.
- In an official statement shared on X, CBSE said that it had been closely watching the vulnerabilities being discussed publicly in the OnMark portal, which is operated by its technology service provider.
- CBSE said that cybersecurity experts from different government agencies and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) had been brought in to strengthen the platform’s security.
- According to the Board, one of the major steps taken was shifting the system to a more secure setup.
- CBSE again stated that the identified vulnerabilities had been controlled and that investigations were continuing to ensure that no other security weaknesses could be exploited.
- The statement came after 19-year-old ethical hacker Nisarga Adhikary claimed that he had successfully gained access to CBSE’s digital evaluation system.
- Concerns had also been raised by students and parents regarding the evaluation process and technical issues in the portal.
- Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Adhikary said that he felt “happy and satisfied” that CBSE had finally accepted that vulnerabilities existed within its system.
- Adhikary said that he first informed CBSE about the security issues on February 25, after which the Board temporarily took the portal offline within a few days.
- However, he claimed that even after that action, six or seven vulnerabilities were still active and could be exploited.
- Adhikary alleged that CBSE did not respond to the later emails he sent regarding these security concerns.
- He further claimed that CBSE’s infrastructure had not been managed properly and that some passwords used within the system were easy to guess.
- Earlier, CBSE had denied claims that its evaluation platform had been compromised.
- Adhikary had publicly challenged that denial and presented arguments against it.
- On May 30, he claimed that he was able to access and hack the CBSE Principals’ Dashboard within the On-Screen Marking platform.
- He alleged that the dashboard contained around 9.3 million rows and columns of sensitive student-related data.
- According to him, this information included images of students’ answer sheets that were left unprotected and could easily be modified or tampered with.
- Adhikary also raised concerns about data sovereignty and questioned the way COEMPT Eduteck, CBSE’s technology vendor, handled important examination-related information.
- He alleged that an Amazon Web Services (AWS) storage bucket containing 2026 answer sheets and question papers could be accessed without any authentication.
- According to Mr. Adhikary, such highly sensitive data should ideally have been stored on the company’s own secure servers.
- Instead, he claimed that the company had taken what he called the “cheap and easy route” by storing answer sheets in publicly accessible AWS buckets without proper security measures.
- He further alleged that sensitive student information was being processed using Google Gemini through automation tools created by COEMPT’s quality assurance engineers.
- Adhikary described the situation as both “scary” and “sad” because sensitive student data was allegedly being handled without proper safeguards.
- He expressed concern that a third party was sending sensitive student information to the United States for processing.
- According to him, this process did not properly respect data privacy laws.
- He also argued that legal action should be taken against the company if student data was being processed without obtaining the consent of the students involved.
Mann Ki Baat: PM Commends Athletes, Changemakers
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised athletes, social contributors, environmental conservation efforts, and scientific learning initiatives during the 134th episode of Mann Ki Baat.
- In the programme aired on Sunday, the Prime Minister spoke about India’s achievements in sports, environmental protection, cultural heritage, and science. He encouraged citizens to continue helping in nation-building through innovation, community participation, and responsible action.
- A major part of the address focused on Indian sprinters Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur, who recently delivered outstanding performances at the Federation Cup in Ranchi.
- During a phone conversation with the athletes, Mr. Modi praised their hard work, dedication, and commitment. He also appreciated the spirit of healthy competition that is helping improve the standard of Indian athletics.
- The Prime Minister highlighted that Gurindervir Singh has become India’s fastest man after clocking 10.09 seconds in the 100-metre race, becoming the first Indian to run below 10.10 seconds.
- Speaking about the summer season, Mr. Modi said that mangoes are deeply connected to Indian homes, traditions, and culture.
- He appreciated the efforts of mango farmers and noted that Indian mangoes are gaining popularity in international markets.
- He said that mango growers are making an important contribution to strengthening India’s agricultural economy.
- Reflecting on his recent visit to the Netherlands, the Prime Minister described it as an important step towards improving cooperation and partnerships between the two countries.
- He also mentioned the return of rare Chola-era copper plates from the Netherlands.
- Modi called these copper plates priceless historical treasures that provide valuable information about the Chola Empire’s governance, trade, and international relations.
- Speaking about environmental conservation, he highlighted efforts being made to protect the endangered Ganga river dolphin.
- He stressed the need for continued action to protect the species and preserve biodiversity.
- The Prime Minister urged citizens to actively participate in protecting wildlife and natural ecosystems.
- He also asked both citizens and local authorities to stay alert during heatwave conditions and work together to reduce their impact.
- Modi appreciated grassroots efforts, especially the work of Saji Valasheril from Kerala.
- He praised Saji Valasheril for training thousands of people in swimming, including children with disabilities, promoting both inclusivity and skill development.
- Encouraging young people to develop scientific curiosity, the Prime Minister highlighted astronomy outreach programmes conducted by Astro Kerala, Bangalore Astronomical Society, and Big Bang Astronomy Club.
- He said that astronomy has fascinated Indians for generations and can inspire future scientists, researchers, and innovators.
- Concluding the programme, Mr. Modi shared the story of educator Girija Amma, whose students donated one rupee every day for soldiers and eventually raised nearly ₹40 lakh.
- He described the initiative as an inspiring example of patriotism, collective effort, and social responsibility.
Royal Challengers Retain Championship with a Majestic Performance
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) completed a dominant IPL 2026 season by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the final and winning their second consecutive title.
- RCB had been one of the strongest teams from the very beginning of the tournament and produced one of their best performances in the most important match of the season.
- Entering the final as favourites, they finished the campaign in style and successfully defended their championship.
- At the Narendra Modi Stadium, RCB’s bowlers took control early by consistently bowling disciplined hard lengths and preventing GT from building momentum.
- GT could only manage 155 for 8, a score that was never expected to seriously challenge RCB’s powerful batting line-up.
- The difference in intent between the two teams became clear immediately when Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer started attacking from the beginning, unlike GT’s cautious batting display.
- Kohli remained unbeaten on 75 runs off 42 balls, hitting nine fours and three sixes, while Venkatesh scored 32 runs from just 16 deliveries, including four fours and two sixes.
- The pair attacked Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada, helping RCB reach 70 for 2 in the PowerPlay.
- With the required run rate reduced to only 6.14 runs per over, GT quickly found themselves under pressure.
- Rashid Khan briefly brought GT back into the contest by dismissing Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya in the ninth over.
- However, RCB remained in complete control because Kohli was still at the crease.
- RCB comfortably reached the target with 12 balls remaining, completing a memorable championship-winning season.
- A crowd of around 90,000 spectators, most wearing RCB jerseys, erupted in celebration when Kohli lifted Arshad Khan over the field, effectively sealing the victory.
- Rajat Patidar’s decision to bowl first proved successful because GT never looked comfortable enough to play their natural attacking game.
- After RCB’s fast bowlers made early breakthroughs, left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya increased the pressure with clever changes in pace and flight.
- Washington Sundar was the only GT batter who managed to put up significant resistance, remaining unbeaten on 50 off 37 balls.
- His innings included five boundaries and stood out as the only major contribution from GT’s batting line-up.
- From the beginning, Shubman Gill’s team appeared cautious against RCB’s pace attack.
- That caution slowly turned into over-defensive batting and eventually resulted in complete loss of momentum.
- Josh Hazlewood dismissed Shubman Gill early, while Sai Sudharsan also fell within the first four overs, leaving GT in serious trouble.
- Gill was dismissed by a length delivery from Hazlewood, while Sudharsan top-edged a hook shot against Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
- With their two key batters back in the pavilion so early, GT became even more defensive.
- The promotion of Nishant Sindhu to number three reflected the team’s cautious approach.
- He was sent in to handle the new ball but failed to change the momentum, allowing RCB to tighten their grip further.
- GT then went nearly seven overs after the PowerPlay without hitting a single boundary.
- Jos Buttler, usually known for scoring quickly, struggled and scored at less than a run a ball.
- When he finally attempted to accelerate, Krunal Pandya deceived him with a quicker delivery and wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma completed the dismissal.
- GT found little relief even in the final overs.
- Washington Sundar continued to score runs while the rest of the batting order struggled.
- After being dropped on four runs by substitute fielder Jordan Cox, Washington made full use of the opportunity and carried GT to a somewhat competitive total.
- His innings gave GT a small hope of defending the score.
- However, that hope disappeared quickly once Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer launched an aggressive run chase and took complete control of the final.
Important Questions
- How did ethical hacker Nisarga Adhikary expose vulnerabilities in the CBSE On-Screen Marking (OnMark) platform, and what concerns were raised about sensitive student data?
- What measures did CBSE and cybersecurity professionals from government agencies and IITs take to strengthen the security of the OnMark portal after the reported vulnerabilities?
- Why did Prime Minister Narendra Modi commend Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur for performances at the Federation Cup held in Ranchi?
- How did educator Girija Amma’s campaign involving one rupee contributions from students become an example of patriotism and collective responsibility?
- How did Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer’s aggressive batting during the PowerPlay help Royal Challengers Bengaluru secure victory over Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final?
- How did disciplined bowling by Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Krunal Pandya restrict Gujarat Titans to 155 for eight in the championship match?
Important Vocabulary
- Vulnerabilities – Weak points that can be exploited.
- Contained – Brought under control.
- Authentication – Process of verifying identity before access.
- Sovereignty – Authority or control over something.
- Conservation – Protection of nature and wildlife.
- Biodiversity – Variety of living plants and animals.
- Inclusivity – Practice of including everyone equally.
- Astronomy – Scientific study of space and celestial objects.
- Dominant – Very powerful and successful.
- Momentum – Force that helps progress continue.
- Trajectory – Path followed by a moving object.
- Reprieve – Relief from a difficult situation.
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