The Hindu Editorial

10-October-2023

1. Israeli occupation of Palestine territories must end for lasting peace

Topic: GS3 – International events

List of events in Israel Palestine conflict:

• Hamas Attack: Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, resulting in approximately 700 casualties, highlighting the volatile situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.
• Tensions in West Bank: Tensions had been escalating in the West Bank for months, with daily violence leading to casualties on both sides.
• Indifference of Netanyahu Government: The Israeli government under Benjamin Netanyahu largely ignored the violence while pursuing its policy preferences, including judicial reforms.
• The Israeli military had described the situation in Gaza as “stable instability” before the Hamas attack, but the attack changed the dynamics significantly.
• Hamas’s indiscriminate violence against Israeli civilians is condemned, but the long-standing occupation has fueled anger and radicalism among Palestinians.
• No Peace Process: There is no active peace process, and Israel continues to build settlements in the West Bank, contributing to the volatile situation.
• Military Response: Israel has declared war in response to the attack, but past attacks have not significantly weakened Hamas.
• Geopolitical Realignments: Recent geopolitical changes in the region have not addressed the Palestine issue, allowing the status quo to persist.
• Focus on Palestine: To achieve lasting peace and stability in the region, Israel and international players must prioritize finding a solution to the Palestinian question, as military operations alone are unlikely to bring lasting peace.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/original-sin-on-the-attack-on-israel-and-the-occupation-of-palestine/article67400015.ece

2. The silence around the state’s seizure of India’s press.

Topic: GS3 – Indian polity.

Context:

• The article discusses the legacy of the ADM Jabalpur case, the recognition of privacy rights in the Puttaswamy case, and the challenges to privacy and media freedom in India’s digital age.

Legacy of ADM Jabalpur and Justice Khanna’s Dissent:

• Over 50 years ago, Supreme Court’s ADM Jabalpur case limited individuals’ ability to challenge illegal detentions during an Emergency.
• Justice H.R. Khanna’s courageous dissent upheld human rights values.

Puttaswamy Case and Recognition of Privacy Rights:

• Recent Justice K.S. Puttaswamy case recognized the right to privacy and rejected ADM Jabalpur’s stance.
• Despite this milestone, concerns about the actual enforcement of privacy rights persist.

Aggressive Executive Actions and Media Freedom:

• The Union executive’s aggressive actions against NewsClick, including accusations of terrorism, reflect broader issues.
• India ranks 161 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, citing “legal interference” in journalism.

Digital Data Seizures and Privacy Threats:

• Seizures of digital devices during investigations raise significant concerns about media freedom and personal data security.
• Suggested legal reforms, akin to D.K. Basu guidelines, are needed to protect against invasive searches and seizures.

Outdated Legal Framework and Technological Advances:

• India’s criminal justice process, guided by outdated legislation, struggles to address modern technological advances.
• Chapter 8 of the Code of Criminal Procedure governs search and seizure powers but is often disregarded.

Clash with Fundamental Rights and Constitution:

• Police actions often infringe upon fundamental rights, including the right to privacy and protection against self-incrimination, as guaranteed by the Constitution.
• Specific laws further erode safeguards, exacerbating the problem.

Coercion to Unlock Smartphones and Privacy Violations:

• The Karnataka High Court’s ruling allows law enforcement to coerce individuals to unlock their smartphones, granting unrestricted access to personal data.
• Such rulings undermine privacy rights and endorse mass searches and stop-and-frisk tactics.

Slow Judicial Response and Protective Measures:

• The judiciary’s slow response to cases involving digital device seizures and privacy violations raises concerns.
• Protective measures, including compulsory warrants, seizure specificity, and secured evidence, are advocated to secure fundamental rights and journalistic freedom in India’s evolving digital landscape.

Question: What are the key challenges to media freedom and individual privacy in the digital age, and what measures can be taken to protect these fundamental rights in India?

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-silence-around-the-states-seizure-of-indias-press/article67400634.ece

3. Mental health and the floundering informal worker.

Topic: GS3 – social Security

Context:

Informal workers:

• Informal workers often operate without regulatory protection, work in unsafe working environments, endure long hours, have little access to social or financial protections, suffer high uncertainty and deep precarity, and face discrimination.
• All of these factors undermine mental health and limit access to mental health care.
• Gender disparities are also stark, with over 95% of India’s working women engaged in informal, low-paying, and precarious employment.
• Youth unemployment is one of the highest in India, which, along with the stigma around unemployment, significantly impacts their mental health.
• India will also become an aging society in 20 years, with no apparent social security road map for this rapidly growing group that is especially vulnerable to poor mental health.

On social security:

• Informal workers face mental distress due to accumulating debt and rising health-care costs.
• A relook at the Code on Social Security 2020 shows how glaring issues concerning the social security of India’s informal workforce still remain unheeded.
• While India should universalise social security, the current Code does not state this as a goal.

Care needs drastic improvement:

• Informal workers, despite their significant contribution to national income, are perennially exposed to various economic, physical, and mental vulnerabilities.
• India’s budgetary allocation for mental health (currently under 1% of the total health budget) has over-focused on the digital mental health programme.
• As the World Mental Health Report 2022 observed, addressing mental health involves strengthening community-based care, and people-centred, recovery-oriented and human rights-oriented care.
• There is an urgent need for proactive policies to improve mental health recognition and action.

Question: Examine the challenges faced by informal workers in India in terms of mental health and suggest measures to improve their mental well-being. 

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/mental-health-and-the-floundering-informal-worker/article67400700.ece

For Enquiry

Phone


Whatsapp


Mail

Search


10 October 2023 : The Hindu Editorial Notes PDF



9 Oct 2023 : Daily Quiz



9 Oct 2023 : Daily Answer Writing



9 Oct 2023 : Indian Express



9 Oct 2023 : PIB



9 October 2023 : Daily Current Affair



9 October 2023 : The Hindu Editorial Notes PDF



7 Oct 2023 : Daily Quiz



7 Oct 2023 : Daily Answer Writing



7 Oct 2023 : Indian Express

October 2023 The Hindu 10 October 2023 : The Hindu Editorial Notes PDF The Hindu Editorial
9-October-2023
1. A census for a new deal.
Topic: GS2 – Indian polity
Context:
Caste…
Daily Quiz 9 Oct 2023 : Daily Quiz 9 Oct 2023 : Daily Quiz…
mains answer writing 9 Oct 2023 : Daily Answer Writing Mains Answer Writing
9-october-2023
Q1) In light of the recent demands to amend the Indus Waters Treaty,…
Indian Express 9 Oct 2023 : Indian Express Indian Express
9-October-2023
1) Israel-Palestine Conflict
Context:
On the morning of Saturday, October…
October 2023 PIB 9 Oct 2023 : PIB PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU
9-Oct -2023
1. Government of India has taken several steps to strengthen all…
Daily Current Affairs 9 October 2023 : Daily Current Affair Daily Current Affairs
9-October-2023
1. Israeli air strikes pound Gaza as death toll climbs.
Topic: GS2…
October 2023 The Hindu 9 October 2023 : The Hindu Editorial Notes PDF The Hindu Editorial
9-October-2023
1. A census for a new deal.
Topic: GS2 – Indian polity
Context:
Caste…
Daily Quiz 7 Oct 2023 : Daily Quiz 7 Oct 2023 : Daily Quiz…
mains answer writing 7 Oct 2023 : Daily Answer Writing Mains Answer Writing
7-october-2023
Q1) The collective strength of BRICS nations allows for meaningful…
Indian Express 7 Oct 2023 : Indian Express Indian Express
7-October-2023
1) RBI’s MPC Meet
Context:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released…