The Hindu Editorial Analysis : 3rd November 2026

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.

Andhra Pradesh Prepares for Second Cyclone in a Week, Five Districts on Red Alert

• Just a week after facing the severe damage caused by “very severe” Cyclone Arnab, Andhra Pradesh is getting ready for another cyclone, named Cyclone Murasu, which is expected to hit the coast on Tuesday. Five districts of the State have been put on red alert.
• The weather system over the Bay of Bengal became a cyclonic storm and was located around 350 km east of Chennai on Sunday night.
• The storm is also expected to bring heavy rain to several districts of Tamil Nadu. It is likely to move towards the west-northwest and become a severe cyclonic storm by Monday morning.
• Between Monday night and the early hours of Tuesday, the cyclone is likely to reach the Andhra Pradesh coast. At that time, wind speeds may go up to 120 km per hour in the coastal area between Nellore and Narsapur.
• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu cancelled his visit to Delhi and held a meeting on Sunday to review the situation. He asked government officials to make stronger preparations and take all necessary steps to deal with the possible damage caused by the cyclone.
• Odisha is also preparing for the possible impact of Cyclone Murasu. The State faced several landslides during Cyclone Arnab, and officials have said that heavy rain is likely in the southern districts of Odisha this time too.
• Cyclone Murasu is coming at a time when Andhra Pradesh has only just started recovering from Cyclone Arnab. The earlier cyclone killed five people and flooded crops spread over more than 3.5 lakh hectares of land.
• Cyclone Arnab also damaged around 2,425 km of roads and caused nearly 15,000 electric poles to fall in Andhra Pradesh.
• The State government has estimated the total loss caused by Cyclone Arnab at ₹4,600 crore. Government officials now have very little time to prepare for the next cyclone while the State is still dealing with the damage caused by the previous one.
• According to a post shared by the Chief Minister’s Office on X, 1,688 medical teams and 116 relief camps have been arranged in the Andhra Pradesh districts that may be affected by Cyclone Murasu.
• Last week, the northern parts of Andhra Pradesh suffered the most damage from Cyclone Arnab. But according to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, the central and southern coastal areas of the State are more likely to be affected by Cyclone Murasu this time.
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for November 2 in five districts of Andhra Pradesh. These districts are SPSR Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur, Bapatla and Krishna.
• In Tamil Nadu, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at some places in Chennai and Tiruvallur districts during the 24-hour period starting at 8:30 a.m. on Monday.
• Heavy rain is also expected at some places in Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Vellore and Nilgiris districts of Tamil Nadu.
• In Odisha, the State government has identified 150 places in Gajapati district alone where landslides may happen.
• During Cyclone Arnab, five people lost their lives in separate landslides in Odisha. Keeping this in mind, the authorities are taking steps to protect people from further loss of life and damage.
• Speaking at a press conference, Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil warned that the situation could become worse because the ground is already full of water from earlier rainfall, and heavy rain is expected in southern Odisha.
• He also said that district collectors had been asked to move people living in areas at risk of landslides and other dangers to safer places so that they could be protected from the possible impact of the cyclone.

Festive Demand Drives 23% Rise in Gross GST Collections to Over ₹2.31 Lakh Crore in October

• Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections increased by 23% compared to October last year and crossed ₹2.31 lakh crore in October. This was the second-highest GST collection ever recorded. The main reason behind this increase was that people spent more money on shopping and other purchases during the festive season. This information was given in the government data released on Sunday.
• October was the second month in a row when monthly gross GST collections crossed ₹2 lakh crore. The collection was the second-highest ever recorded, with the highest collection being around ₹2.43 lakh crore in April.
• Gross GST collections increased by 22.9% compared to the same month last year. This was the fastest growth in GST collections recorded during the current financial year.
• GST collected from the sale of goods and services within the country increased by 16% to over ₹1.59 lakh crore. At the same time, GST collected on imported goods increased by 42% to ₹72,246 crore.
• The total GST collection of ₹2.31 lakh crore included the following amounts:
• Central GST (CGST): ₹42,935 crore.
• State GST (SGST): ₹51,340 crore.
• Integrated GST (IGST): Over ₹1.37 lakh crore.
• GST refunds increased by 6.5% compared to October last year and reached ₹27,934 crore in October. GST refunds are the amounts returned by the government to taxpayers and businesses when they are eligible to receive them.
• After subtracting the GST refunds from the total collection, net GST collections increased by 26% to over ₹2.03 lakh crore in October.
• During the period from April to October, total gross GST collections increased by 13.2% to over ₹14.77 lakh crore.
• Similarly, net GST collections during the April–October period increased by 13% to over ₹12.69 lakh crore.
• Manoj Mishra, Partner and Tax Controversy Management Leader at Grant Thornton Bharat, said that the GST collections in October show the increase in people’s spending during the festive season.
• He explained that during the festive season, people usually spend more money on shopping and other purchases. This increases business activities in shops and markets and also leads to more movement of goods from one place to another across different sectors.
• Mishra further said that the main focus should now be on keeping domestic GST collections growing. He also said that the benefits of GST 2.0 should help people and businesses follow tax rules properly, make it easier for businesses to claim Input Tax Credit (ITC) and ensure that businesses receive their GST refunds more quickly.
• Saurabh Agarwal, Tax Partner at EY India, said that the latest GST collection figures show that the Indian economy continues to remain strong despite the difficulties and challenges in the global economy.

Navy to Begin ₹80,000-Crore Warship Project

• The government has taken an important step to strengthen the Indian Navy’s next-generation destroyer programme at a time when India is facing growing threats at sea from China and Pakistan. Both countries are also improving their ability to fight underwater using advanced submarines and other military equipment.
• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has recently given its initial approval for the development of advanced warships under Project 18A.
• The delivery of these warships is expected to start within five to ten years after the contract is signed. This is because building these warships is a large and complicated project that will require a lot of time.
• A senior official of the Defence Ministry has confirmed this development.
• The proposed project is expected to cost around ₹80,000 crore. Under this programme, the government plans to build a new generation of stealth-guided missile destroyers. These warships will have advanced weapons, sensors and modern technologies to make them more powerful and effective.
• Around 75% of the parts and technology used in these warships are expected to be made in India. This will help increase the use of Indian-made products and reduce dependence on other countries.
• Both government-owned defence companies, known as Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), and private companies will be allowed to take part in the competition to get the contract for building these warships.
• This project is important because China is continuously increasing its naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region and adding more submarines to its fleet. Pakistan is also improving its underwater warfare strength by bringing advanced submarines into its Navy.
• These growing security threats have made it necessary for India to strengthen its fleet of warships that operate on the surface of the sea. This will also help India maintain a strong defence presence and prevent possible threats in the Indian Ocean Region.
• Several destroyers currently serving in the Indian Navy are expected to be removed from active service in the coming years. Therefore, the Navy needs to add new and advanced warships to its fleet so that it can maintain its strength and continue carrying out its operations without any problem.
• The Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau will be responsible for designing these new destroyers. These warships are expected to have much more advanced weapons and other systems than the existing Visakhapatnam-class destroyers.
• These new destroyers are expected to have more powerful weapons, better systems to detect and keep an eye on possible threats, stronger protection against air attacks and improved equipment to find and deal with enemy submarines.
• These advanced features will give the Indian Navy more freedom and flexibility to carry out different military operations. They will also help the Navy deal with new and changing threats at sea more effectively.
• At present, the Indian Navy has around 12 to 13 relatively new guided-missile destroyers. These warships are an important part of its fleet and play a major role in protecting against air attacks, fighting enemy ships and dealing with enemy submarines.
• The Indian Navy’s existing guided-missile destroyers include the Visakhapatnam-class, Kolkata-class and Delhi-class destroyers.
• These existing warships are fitted with several advanced weapons and defence systems, which help them carry out different military operations. These include:
• BrahMos Missiles: These are very fast cruise missiles used to attack enemy targets.
• Surface-to-Air Missiles: These missiles are used to protect warships from attacks coming from the air, such as enemy aircraft and incoming missiles.
• Naval Guns: These guns are fitted on warships and are used to attack enemy ships and other targets.
• Close-in Weapon Systems: These are special weapons used to protect warships from incoming missiles and other threats that come very close to them.
• Anti-Submarine Warfare Equipment: This equipment helps the Navy find, track and deal with enemy submarines operating underwater.

Important Questions

1. Which five districts of Andhra Pradesh have been placed on red alert due to the approaching Cyclone Murasu?
2. How much damage did Cyclone Arnab cause to crops, roads and electric poles in Andhra Pradesh?
3. What were the total gross GST collections in India in October, and what percentage increase was recorded compared to October last year?
4. How did festive demand contribute to the increase in India’s GST collections in October?
5. What is Project 18A of the Indian Navy, and what is its estimated cost for developing next-generation stealth-guided missile destroyers?
6. Why does the Indian Navy need to develop advanced destroyers amid the growing naval presence of China and Pakistan in the Indian Ocean Region?

Important Vocabulary

1. Cyclonic – Related to a powerful storm with strong winds.
2. Landslides – The sudden movement of rocks and soil down a slope.
3. Vulnerable – Easily harmed or affected by danger.
4. Relief Camps – Temporary places providing shelter and help to affected people.
5. Collections – Money received or gathered by the government.
6. Integrated – Combined or brought together as one.
7. Controversy – A disagreement or discussion involving different opinions.
8. Exemptions – Special permissions to avoid paying a tax or following a rule.
9. Destroyers – Powerful warships designed to protect naval fleets and attack enemy targets.
10. Stealth – The ability to avoid being detected by enemy systems.
11. Submarines – Military vessels designed to operate underwater.
12. Flexibility – The ability to adjust or change according to different situations.