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.
Commercial LPG and jet fuel prices go up due to war
- State-run oil companies increased the price of commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders by more than 10% in major metro cities on Wednesday. At the same time, aviation turbine fuel (ATF), which is used in airplanes, became much more expensive for international flights and chartered planes, with prices rising to more than double.
- However, people travelling within India saw a smaller increase in ATF prices, which went up by around 9%.
- The central government explained that oil companies are under pressure because global oil prices are rising. They also said that these companies are currently losing about ₹380 on every LPG cylinder.
- A big reason for this price rise is a 44% increase in Saudi Contract prices between March and April. This happened mainly because 20% to 30% of the world’s LPG supply is stuck in the Strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran in West Asia.
- Indian Oil Corporation increased the price of a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder in Delhi to ₹2,078.5, which is ₹195.5 more than the earlier price of ₹1,883 on March 7.
- Similarly, LPG cylinder prices increased by ₹196 in Mumbai, ₹203 in Chennai, and ₹218 in Kolkata, and this rise is expected to affect the whole country.
- Prices of LPG cylinders used in homes have not been increased, even though commercial cylinder prices have gone up.
- For domestic flights, ATF prices in Delhi increased by about 6% to ₹1,04,927 per kilolitre, and Mumbai saw a similar increase.
- For international flights and chartered aircraft, ATF prices rose sharply to a record ₹2.07 lakh per kilolitre, which is more than double the earlier price.
- IndiGo, which has a large share of the domestic flight market, increased its fuel surcharge by up to ₹950 for domestic flights and up to ₹10,000 for international flights.
- The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that only part of the price increase has been passed on to airlines, and oil companies are still bearing a big part of the losses caused by rising global oil prices due to the ongoing war.
- The Ministry also explained on social media that, along with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, only a 25% increase (₹15 per litre) has been passed on to airlines so that domestic travel does not become too expensive.
- This means that only about one-fourth of the actual price increase has been passed on to airlines when compared to international fuel prices.
- The Ministry further said that oil companies are currently losing about ₹380 per LPG cylinder, and total losses may reach around ₹40,484 crore by the end of May.
- It also repeated that the 44% increase in Saudi prices is because of supply problems in the Strait of Hormuz, where a large amount of LPG is stuck.
- In addition, government oil companies are losing about ₹24.4 per litre on petrol and ₹104.99 per litre on diesel under current conditions.
- According to Joint Secretary Sujata Sharma, ATF prices for regular domestic airlines have increased by ₹21 per litre, while for international and non-regular operators, the increase is more than ₹110 per litre.
- She also clarified that these numbers are retail prices, not the basic fuel prices.
- Even though the government called the ATF price increase “staggered” (gradual), it did not give any clear timeline for future changes and said decisions will be taken at the right time.
- Commercial LPG prices are not controlled by the government and are decided by market conditions, and they are updated every month.
- The Ministry also said that commercial LPG makes up less than 10% of total LPG use in India.
- It added that about 55,622 metric tonnes of commercial LPG have been used by States and Union Territories since March 14.
Centre delays FCRA Bill after protests in Lok Sabha
After strong protests by Opposition parties, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that the government does not plan to bring the FCRA Amendment Bill during the current Budget Session.
- He accused Opposition parties of misleading people in Kerala and other parts of the country, especially before the upcoming Assembly elections.
- He said that the Congress had already been informed a day earlier that although the Bill was listed for discussion, it would not be taken up on Wednesday.
- Protests started in the House as soon as Question Hour began at 11 a.m., with many Opposition members, especially from Kerala, shouting slogans against the Bill.
- Rijiju said the Bill is meant to protect national security and is not against any religion or organisation.
- He also said that the purpose of the Bill is to stop misuse of foreign funds.
- He further accused the Congress and Communist parties of spreading wrong information about the Bill because of the elections in Kerala.
- As protests increased and members came into the Well of the House, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the session till 12 noon.
- Even before the session started, Opposition members had already protested outside Parliament.
- Apart from Opposition pressure, the government may also have been influenced by pressure from the BJP’s Kerala unit, which did not want the Bill to affect its chances in the state.
- One important proposal in the Bill is to create a “Designated Authority” to handle and manage foreign funds and assets of NGOs whose licenses are cancelled, suspended, or not renewed.
- In Kerala, many people believe that these rules could be misused against minority institutions like churches that receive foreign funds.
- This issue is important because the BJP is trying to build support among the Christian community in Kerala after winning only 1 out of 20 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
- CPI(M) leader John Brittas said that the government is not allowing proper discussion or answers on questions related to FCRA in Parliament.
- He also said that normal questions about the issue are now being treated as “secret”.
NASA begins fueling rocket for first moon mission in 50 years
NASA started filling fuel into its moon rocket on Wednesday for the first human mission to the moon in more than 50 years, with a planned launch in the evening carrying four astronauts.
- There was some tension as hydrogen fuel was being filled, especially because earlier this year there were dangerous hydrogen leaks during a test, which caused delays.
- The launch team has to load more than 2.6 million litres of fuel into the 32-storey Space Launch System rocket before the astronauts can board.
- “It is time to fly,” said commander Reid Wiseman a day before the launch on social media, while the weather was expected to be good.
- The mission includes three American astronauts and one Canadian astronaut, who will travel around the moon without landing and then return directly to Earth, landing in the Pacific Ocean.
- During the mission, they will travel a record distance of about 6,400 km beyond the moon before turning back.
- The last time humans went to the moon was during Apollo 17 in 1972.
Important Questions
- Why did state-run oil marketing companies increase the price of commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders by more than 10% in major metro cities on Wednesday?
- How did the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict in West Asia lead to 20% to 30% of global LPG supplies stranded in the Strait of Hormuz and a 44% surge in benchmark Saudi Contract prices between March and April?
- Why did Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju inform the Lok Sabha that the government does not intend to bring the FCRA (Amendment) Bill during the ongoing Budget Session?
- What is the role of a “Designated Authority” to manage and dispose of foreign funds and assets of NGOs whose registration is suspended, cancelled, or not renewed?
- Why did dangerous hydrogen leaks during a countdown test earlier this year create tension as hydrogen fuel started flowing into the rocket before the scheduled Artemis II launch?
- What record will four astronauts travelling approximately 6,400 km beyond the moon before making a U-turn set during the mission?
Important Vocabulary
- Stranded – Stuck and unable to move from a place
- Benchmark – Standard used for comparison
- Deregulated – Not controlled by government rules
- Staggered – Spread out over a period of time
- Provisions – Specific rules or parts of a law
- Adjourned – Suspended or stopped for a time
- Narrative – A particular way of explaining or presenting events
- Misinformation – False or incorrect information
- Erupted – Suddenly broke out
- Countdown – Final steps before a launch
- Splashdown – Landing of a spacecraft in water
- Lift-off – The moment a rocket leaves the ground
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