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.
India-China flights to restart after five years on October 26
- The Indian government has allowed direct flights between India and China again after five years, starting October 26, with IndiGo flying from Kolkata to Guangzhou.
- The Foreign Ministry said flights between selected Indian and Chinese cities will start in late October 2025 with the winter schedule, helping people travel and meet easily.
- IndiGo announced daily flights on the Kolkata–Guangzhou route, and later plans Delhi–Guangzhou flights once approved. Ticket sales begin Friday. Air India plans flights to Shanghai this year.
- In July, India again started giving tourist visas to Chinese citizens. Direct flights had stopped in March 2020 due to COVID-19 and also border tensions.
- IndiGo’s flights match the winter schedule starting the last Sunday of October. Chinese airlines applied late; Air China wants flights from Beijing to Delhi and later Mumbai.
- The stoppage of flights badly affected small traders, forcing them to travel through other countries. Tourism groups welcomed the move since Chinese visitors are important for Indian tourism.
- Subhash Goyal of STIC Travel Group said before COVID, India got 11.5 million foreign tourists, but now only 9.5 million, so direct flights are much needed.
Russian President to Visit India for Talks with Modi on December 5
- Vladimir Putin will visit India on December 5 for the 23rd India-Russia summit with Prime Minister Modi, his first trip since 2021.
- This comes after Russia’s 2022 Ukraine invasion, while India rethinks buying Russian oil because of U.S. penalties and pressure from European Union sanctions.
- India’s imports of Russian oil fell 16% in September 2025 compared to September 2024, after facing a 25% U.S. penalty tariff recently.
- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev came to Delhi last week, meeting Modi and discussing economy, farm trade, and progress on a Free Trade Agreement.
- Another Russian minister, possibly Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, may visit before the summit to finalize talks on trade, economy, and strategic cooperation with India.
- Modi and Putin already met this year, in Tianjin at the SCO Summit on September 1, and also spoke twice on the phone.
- The summit will cover defence deals, trade balance, Ukraine war, and transport projects, though U.S. pressure on oil imports may complicate decisions.
- Bloomberg said, using Kpler shipping data, India imported 1.61 million barrels of Russian oil per day in September, a 16% drop compared to 2024.
- Experts say the drop may be a trend, but it is not clear yet, since oil orders are placed weeks earlier. Future data will show the truth.
- India insists its oil decisions depend on market needs and energy security, just as it earlier cut oil imports from Iran and Venezuela when U.S. sanctions applied.
- Back in 2018, India fully stopped buying oil from Iran and Venezuela because of U.S. sanctions and instead increased purchases from the United States.
- Experts think rising OPEC+ production this week could help lower oil prices, giving India more supply options if it reduces Russian imports further.
- Sergey Lavrov accused the U.S. of pushing India to reduce Russian oil imports mainly to remove competition, saying India-Russia energy trade is their own matter.
Durga Puja in Bengal Concludes with Idol Immersion
- After a week of grand Durga Puja celebrations, idol immersion began on Vijayadashami or Dasara in West Bengal on Thursday, marking the festival’s closing ceremony.
- Under cloudy skies, Durga idols were carried to ghats in Kolkata and immersed in the Hooghly River, continuing the traditional ritual with strong faith and devotion.
- In the afternoon, immersions started with Bonedi Bari pujas (family pujas), followed by community pujas like Shobhabazar Rajbari and Kasimbazar Rajbari.
- Devotees, with emotions and joy, bid farewell to Goddess Durga, celebrating her victory over evil as the week-long festival ended with colourful rituals.
- The Kolkata Municipal Corporation made arrangements at five ghats—Dahighat, Babughat, Ahiritola Ghat, Kumortuli, and Bajekdamtala—with strict security for safe immersions.
- Mayor Firhad Hakim visited and checked the ghats, assuring proper steps were taken to face bad weather and ensure smooth idol immersions without problems.
- The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (earlier Kolkata Port Trust) has been helping with idol removal after immersions for Durga and Kali Puja for the past 15 years.
- All across Bengal, idols were immersed in rivers and ponds. In Taki, North 24 Parganas, immersions took place in the Ichamati river under strong border security.
- The Ichamati immersion was important since the river is along the India-Bangladesh border. Security forces kept watch to ensure peace during the ceremonies.
- Immersions will continue till Sunday, ending with a big Durga Puja carnival in Kolkata, where more than 100 major pujas will join the grand farewell.
Important Questions
- Why did the stoppage of direct flights between India and China for five years affect small Indian traders?
- What reason did the Ministry of External Affairs of India give for resuming direct flights between India and China under the winter schedule in October 2025?
- What subjects will the 23rd India–Russia summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin include?
- By what percentage did India’s imports of Russian oil fall in September 2025 compared to September 2024?
- What arrangements did the Kolkata Municipal Corporation make at five ghats for safe Durga idol immersions?
- Why was immersion in the Ichamati river during Durga Puja considered important?
Important Vocabulary
- Resumption – starting something again after it was stopped.
- Tensions – strained relations or conflict between groups or countries.
- Schedule – planned timetable for events, flights, or tasks.
- Inbound tourism – people traveling into a country as visitors.
- Summit – high-level meeting between leaders of countries.
- Sanctions – penalties placed by one country on another, usually trade restrictions.
- Diversification – spreading out investments or imports to reduce risk.
- Complicate – to make something more difficult or complex.
- Immersion – the act of dipping idols fully into water as a ritual.
- Ritual – a religious or cultural ceremony with fixed practices.
- Surveillance – close observation, usually by security forces.
- Ceremonies – formal public or religious events with traditions.
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