The Hindu Editorial Analysis : 4th 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.

SC Allows Green Crackers in Delhi-NCR for Two Days

• The Supreme Court on Monday said that bursting firecrackers during Deepavali is a religious practice. However, it also pointed out that if people are allowed to burst firecrackers without proper restrictions, it can cause serious harm to the environment and people’s health. Keeping this in mind, the court allowed people to burst firecrackers under certain conditions in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) during the festival.
• A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale said that although bursting firecrackers is considered a religious practice to celebrate Deepavali, it also causes serious pollution. This includes air pollution, noise pollution and the creation of solid waste.
• The court also pointed out that children, persons with disabilities and elderly people are the most affected by pollution caused by firecrackers. These groups are more likely to suffer from its harmful effects.
• The Supreme Court allowed people to burst only certified green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR during the following time periods:
• From 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.
• From 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
• This permission will apply only on November 7 and November 8.
• The court ordered that nobody should burst firecrackers within 300 metres of hospitals, nursing homes, primary health centres, district health centres, old age homes and officially declared silence zones.
• These places will be marked as ‘No-Cracker Zones’. The authorities must put up proper markings in these areas and also make the information public so that everyone knows where bursting firecrackers is not allowed.
• The same rule will also apply to educational institutions. People will not be allowed to burst firecrackers within 300 metres of schools and other educational institutions.
• The Supreme Court said that Deepavali is not only a religious festival but also has social, emotional and psychological importance for people. The festival brings happiness and creates feelings of hope, well-being and prosperity among people.
• However, the court explained that allowing pollution to increase and putting the health of people and other living beings at risk goes against the actual purpose of celebrating the festival. If the celebrations damage the environment and people’s health, then the real meaning and happiness of the festival are lost.
• The court also said that Deepavali has now become a national festival and is even celebrated at an international level. People from different castes, communities and religions take part in its celebrations.
• The festival has been bringing happiness and prosperity to people for hundreds of years. However, the court pointed out that ancient Hindu religious books, including the Skandapurana and the Padmapurana, mentioned the use of lamps as a ritual during Deepavali.
• The court explained that bursting firecrackers was not part of the original way of celebrating Deepavali. This practice started much later, after gunpowder was introduced in India a few centuries ago. With time, people started using firecrackers during the festival, and this practice continued to grow over the years.
• The Supreme Court said that the uncontrolled use of firecrackers during present-day Diwali celebrations has regularly caused a sharp rise in the Air Quality Index (AQI) and overall pollution levels.
• Firecrackers release harmful substances into the air, including very tiny particles known as particulate matter. These particles are so small that they can enter the human body and cause serious health problems.
• The Bench explained how these tiny harmful particles enter the human body and damage it. Even though the human body has its own natural protection system, these particles can get past its defences and cause serious harm to different parts of the body.
• The court also discussed Article 25(1) of the Indian Constitution, which gives every person the right to follow, practise and spread their religion.
• However, the Bench made it clear that this religious freedom does not mean that people can do anything in the name of religion. This right is subject to certain conditions, including public order, morality and health.
• The court further explained that the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution does not simply mean being alive. It also includes the right to live in a healthy and safe environment, free from pollution.
• The Supreme Court said that if a person follows a particular practice in the name of religion, that right is not unlimited. A person cannot continue such a practice if it goes against the restrictions and rules laid down by the Constitution.
• The Bench strongly criticised the authorities and said that the government had completely failed to properly follow the Supreme Court’s orders issued since 2015. These orders were meant to control the use of firecrackers and reduce the pollution caused by them.
• The court also pointed out that the pollution situation had not improved even after the complete ban on firecrackers was brought back.
• The Bench mentioned that a major rise in AQI levels was seen on the day of the Dasara festival and also on the following day. This showed that firecrackers were still adding to the pollution problem.
• The Supreme Court explained that the complete ban on firecrackers had also created other problems. It encouraged the illegal sale of firecrackers in the market and stopped people from buying legally approved green firecrackers.
• Keeping these problems in mind, the court decided to allow the controlled use of certified green firecrackers instead of allowing people to burst all kinds of firecrackers freely or depending only on a complete ban.
• The Supreme Court issued several instructions to control the manufacturing and sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR.
• The court ordered that only those manufacturers who had received approval from CSIR-NEERI (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) and PESO (Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation) would be allowed to manufacture green firecrackers.
• The manufacturing of these approved green firecrackers would be allowed only from November 2 to November 6.
• The court also ordered that boxes containing green firecrackers must be properly sealed. These approved green firecrackers must not be mixed with unauthorised firecrackers or ordinary firecrackers.
• The manufacturing and sale of firecrackers joined together in long series, commonly known as ‘ladis’ or garlands, would not be allowed.
• Only those firecrackers that have their own product-specific QR codes would be allowed to be sold. These QR codes would help identify each product and check whether it is approved or not.
• The court also allowed the temporary return of licences of firecracker traders whose licences had earlier been cancelled. These licences would be valid again only from November 4 to November 6.
• The Supreme Court further ordered that all manufacturers and traders dealing in firecrackers in Delhi-NCR must deposit a security amount with the authorities.
• The court said that this security amount should be a ‘handsome amount’, which means a sufficiently large amount of money. The concerned authorities would decide how much money the manufacturers and traders would have to deposit.

Andhra Pradesh Prepares for Cyclone Murasu’s Landfall

• The Andhra Pradesh government issued an alert on Monday in five districts — Bapatla, Palnadu, Markapuram, SPSR Nellore and Prakasam — as the coastal areas prepared for Cyclone Murasu to reach the land between Ongole and Nellore.
• The severe cyclone is expected to bring very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall to these five districts. These areas had already received less rainfall than normal during the southwest monsoon season.
• According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone is expected to move with wind speeds reaching up to 120 km per hour and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast early on Tuesday.
• The IMD also warned that sea water may rise above its normal level due to the strong cyclone winds. This rise in sea level is expected in the coastal areas to the north of the place where the cyclone will reach the land.
• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)’s 10th Battalion has sent 14 teams to different parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. These teams will work together with local officials and help in emergency situations, rescue operations and other relief work.
• Due to the approaching cyclone, heavy rainfall started in the northern districts of Tamil Nadu on Sunday evening. Some areas of north Chennai also faced waterlogging because of the rain.
• In Odisha, rainfall caused by Cyclone Arnab had already resulted in widespread damage. To protect people from the danger, the State government evacuated 1.6 lakh people from five districts — Ganjam, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput and Kandhamal.
• According to the IMD, Cyclone Murasu was located at different distances from several important places:
• About 80 km east-northeast of Nellore.
• About 80 km east-southeast of Kavali.
• About 110 km southeast of Ongole.
• About 140 km south of Bapatla.
• About 170 km south-southwest of Machilipatnam.
• About 170 km northeast of Tirupati.
• About 190 km north-northeast of Nungambakkam in Chennai.
• The cyclone was moving towards the Andhra Pradesh coast at a speed of 12 km per hour. Strong winds were blowing along the Andhra Pradesh coast at speeds of 70–90 km per hour, with some wind gusts reaching up to 100 km per hour.
• Although the cyclone was getting closer to the coast, there was no major rainfall in Andhra Pradesh on Monday.
• However, northern Andhra Pradesh, where no weather alerts had been issued, received light to moderate rainfall. Strong winds, with speeds reaching up to 100 km per hour in some gusts, were also reported along the coast and in nearby sea areas.
• The damage expected from Cyclone Murasu is likely to be less serious than that caused by Cyclone Arnab, which was a very severe cyclonic storm that had recently hit the coast.
• The IMD centre in Amaravati issued a red alert for Palnadu, Tirupati and Nandyal districts for Tuesday. An orange alert was also issued for 12 other districts, asking people and local authorities to remain careful and prepared for heavy rainfall and strong winds.
• As the outer parts of Cyclone Murasu reached the northern coast of Tamil Nadu, the Regional Meteorological Centre increased the level of weather warnings for northern districts, including Chennai and Tiruvallur, on Monday.
• The weather department warned that strong and rough winds, with speeds reaching up to 75 km per hour, could blow in several northern districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai and Kancheepuram, until Tuesday morning.
• Around 8,000 electricity poles are expected to be damaged by the cyclone. To prepare for possible damage and make sure that electricity supply can be restored quickly, 31,000 electricity poles have been sent from Srikakulam to Krishna district.
• In addition, 1,000 electricity department workers are expected to arrive from Chennai. They will help repair damaged electricity lines and restore the power supply after the cyclone.

Kimi Antonelli Becomes the Youngest-Ever Champion

• Kimi Antonelli made history by becoming the youngest Formula One World Champion at the age of 20 years and 68 days on Sunday.
• He won the championship after finishing third for Mercedes in the Mexico City Grand Prix. The race was stopped because of a red flag and was started again later.
• Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the race, while Antonelli’s third-place finish was enough to make him the world champion.
• Antonelli became the first Italian driver to win the Formula One championship since Alberto Ascari, who won it in 1953.
• After securing the championship, Antonelli became emotional and started crying with happiness while speaking to his team over the radio.
• He crossed the finish line and received the chequered flag at the high-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit, where he celebrated his historic achievement.
• With this victory, Antonelli took an unbeatable lead of 119 points in the overall championship standings. This meant that no other driver could overtake him, even if they won the remaining races.
• Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton started the race from the first position, known as pole position, and finished in second place, just behind the race winner. During the race, he also had a close clash with his teammate Charles Leclerc.
• The race was full of exciting and difficult moments. There were two safety car periods, several crashes and a long stoppage of 33 minutes.
• The race had to be stopped when only 25 laps were left out of the total 71 laps. After a break, the race was started again.
• Before Antonelli, Germany’s Sebastian Vettel held the record for being the youngest Formula One World Champion.
• Vettel won the first of his four world championships with Red Bull in 2010, when he was 23 years and 134 days old.
• After the Mexico City Grand Prix, Max Verstappen moved up to second place in the overall championship standings, while Lewis Hamilton secured third place.
• George Russell, who was considered one of the strongest favourites to win the championship before the season began, dropped to fourth place in the standings.
• Russell was now 130 points behind Antonelli, which left him far behind in the championship race.

Important Questions

1. What restrictions did the Supreme Court impose on bursting green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR during Deepavali on November 7 and 8?
2. What directions did the Supreme Court issue regarding the manufacturing and sale of certified green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR?
3. Which five districts of Andhra Pradesh were placed on alert ahead of Cyclone Murasu’s expected landfall in November 2026?
4. What wind speed and rainfall warnings did the India Meteorological Department issue for Andhra Pradesh ahead of Cyclone Murasu?
5. At what age did Kimi Antonelli become the youngest Formula One World Champion, and which Grand Prix secured his championship?
6. Whose record did Kimi Antonelli break to become the youngest-ever Formula One World Champion, and at what age was the previous record achieved?

Important Vocabulary

1. Certified – Officially approved or recognised.
2. Uncontrolled – Not properly managed or restricted.
3. Particulate – Made up of very tiny particles.
4. Prohibited – Officially not allowed.
5. Landfall – The time when a cyclone reaches the land from the sea.
6. Evacuated – Moved people away from a dangerous place.
7. Gusts – Sudden short bursts of strong wind.
8. Restored – Brought something back to its normal condition.
9. Unbeatable – Impossible to defeat or overcome.
10. Championship – A competition to decide the overall winner.
11. Chequered – Having a pattern of alternating squares.
12. Stoppage – A temporary break or halt in an activity.