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.
Government: 3 Terrorists Behind Pahalgam Attack Killed
- Three Pakistani terrorists who carried out the deadly attack in Pahalgam on April 22 have been killed in a gunfight in Dachigam, Srinagar. The Union government confirmed this news in the Lok Sabha.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that Operation Sindoor was a success during a discussion on the mission. He also questioned why the Opposition was criticizing the timing of the operation.
- Modi said he couldn’t believe some leaders were raising doubts, even though the three terrorists who had killed 26 people in Baisaran meadow during the Pahalgam attack were now dead.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament about “Operation Mahadev” and said the terrorists killed during this operation were the same ones behind the April 22 Pahalgam killings.
- Shah added that Pakistan is now sending terrorists from across the border because they’re not getting local support in Kashmir, but our security forces are catching them in time.
- He also said the three terrorists couldn’t run away to Pakistan because all the security agencies worked together to track them down and kill them within Indian territory.
- The terrorists were identified as Suleman, also called Faizal Jatt, Hamza Afghani, and Zibran. All three were from Pakistan and were members of the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
- Suleman, who was marked as a top-level terrorist, had earlier been involved in the Gagangir terror attacks in October 2024, showing he was a repeat offender.
- Officers from the Intelligence Bureau, Indian Army, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police used both human and technical clues to find these terrorists hiding in the Dachigam forest.
- Shah said forensic tests, bullet reports, and witness statements—especially from two people who helped hide the terrorists—proved they were the ones behind the Pahalgam killings.
- Pakistani voter ID cards and chocolates were found on two of the terrorists, further proving they were from Pakistan and had entered India to carry out terror acts.
- The dead terrorists were found with two AK-47 rifles and one M4 rifle. The bullets from these guns matched the ones found at the site of the Baisaran terror attack.
- These guns were sent by a special plane to the forensic lab in Chandigarh. Shah said he confirmed in an early morning video call with ballistic experts that the guns were used in the attack.
- The first clue about the terrorists being in Dachigam came on May 22. From that day till July 22, agencies kept watching their movements by monitoring all signals closely.
- The Army and Intelligence Bureau followed the signals on foot using special devices and patrols. On July 22, they confirmed their exact location and launched a joint operation.
- The joint team of 4 Para (Army), CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police killed the three Pakistani terrorists with the help of five people working as ground intelligence sources.
- Earlier, the NIA had arrested two local men who had given shelter and food to the terrorists just a day before the April 22 Pahalgam attack took place.
- Shah said that NIA has spoken to 1,055 people so far during the investigation. These include all the victims and eyewitnesses of the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
Countdown Begins: NISAR Satellite Set to Launch Today
- The 27.5-hour countdown for the NISAR satellite launch started at 2:10 p.m. on Tuesday. The satellite is planned to be launched on Wednesday from Sriharikota.
- The GSLV-F16 rocket is set to launch the 2,392-kg NISAR satellite from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 5:40 p.m.
- Around 19 minutes after liftoff, the rocket will deploy the satellite into an orbit 743 km above Earth, where it will continuously observe the planet.
- The NISAR satellite (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) can see the Earth clearly, day or night, and even in bad weather. It will scan the Earth every 12 days.
- This is the first time NASA and ISRO have made a satellite together. It shows a big step in working together between the two space agencies.
- Senior NASA officers said that working on NISAR brought NASA and ISRO closer, especially since they had to deal with many difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Karen St. Germain, NASA’s Earth Science Director, said building a satellite while living and working in different parts of the world during COVID-19 was tough but brought them closer.
- She said that both teams learned from each other and helped each other, which has created a strong base for future joint projects between NASA and ISRO.
- She also said that NISAR is a good example of how future satellites can be built together by two countries, with both technology and teamwork.
- India made the spacecraft base, the S-band radar, launch rocket, provided launch services, and will handle all operations once the satellite is in space.
- NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) made the L-band radar, the big radar reflector, and the long boom arm—all important parts of the satellite’s radar system.
- NASA also provided some other key parts like the strong communication system, GPS units, a solid-state recorder, and systems that store and send satellite data.
- Phil Barela, the NISAR project manager at NASA’s JPL, said both ISRO and NASA learned a lot from each other during their more than 10 years of working together.
- Barela mentioned that during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, about 65 ISRO engineers traveled to JPL to assist in assembling and testing the satellite.
- Over the past two and a half years, NASA has sent more than 175 engineers to ISRO’s facilities in India to carry on with the satellite’s assembly and testing for the launch.
- Barela said the whole journey has been wonderful, and he believes both India and the U.S. will feel proud and happy once the satellite is launched.
DGCA Audit Uncovers 51 Safety Issues in Air India Operations
- The aviation regulator DGCA found 51 safety problems in Air India during an audit done in July. These included not training pilots properly, using flight simulators without approval, and poor work planning.
- Air India, owned by the Tata Group, had already been warned earlier for flying planes without checking emergency tools, not changing engine parts on time, and even faking some records. They also didn’t manage pilot rest properly.
- The DGCA report, which is 11 pages long and confidential, said there were seven major safety violations called “Level I” problems. These must be fixed by Wednesday. The remaining 44 issues are expected to be resolved by August 23.
- The report said that some Boeing 787 and 777 pilots had training gaps and didn’t finish their required duties before their scheduled checks, which is a big safety concern.
- The audit was not related to last month’s Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives. However, its timing has increased the pressure on Air India to address its safety issues.
- According to the report, Air India didn’t properly check the flight routes for some difficult airports, known as Category C airports, which have tricky layouts or land around them.
- Also, the simulators used for pilot training for these hard airports didn’t meet the required standards. This could mean pilots were not fully prepared for landing in such places.
- The DGCA said this may have caused safety risks during landings at these challenging airports because pilots were not trained on the right equipment.
- Air India responded by saying it fully cooperated during the audit and will submit a detailed report to the DGCA within the deadline, outlining all the measures being taken to resolve the problems.
Important Questions
- How did the security agencies track the terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam attack before killing them in Dachigam?
- Why did PM Modi question the Opposition for criticizing the timing of Operation Sindoor?
- How does the NISAR satellite manage to scan the Earth even during bad weather or at night?
- What role did NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) play in building the NISAR satellite?
- What were the “Level I” problems found by DGCA in Air India’s July safety audit?
- How could simulators not meeting required standards pose risks for landing at Category C airports?
Important Vocabulary
- Forensic – Scientific tests used to solve crimes.
- Ballistic – Related to the study of bullets or weapons in motion.
- Patrols – Groups that move around to watch or guard an area.
- Eyewitnesses – People who saw an event happen and can describe it.
- Reflector – A device that sends back waves or signals.
- Solid-state recorder – An electronic device that stores digital data without moving parts.
- Orbit – The curved path of a satellite around a planet.
- Boom arm – A long structure extending out to hold equipment like antennas.
- Audit – A careful check or inspection, especially of procedures or systems.
- Simulator – A machine that mimics real-life situations for training.
- Confidential – Meant to be kept secret or private.
- Regulator – An official body that oversees and enforces rules in an industry.
Download Online Mock Test Mobile APP
3
