What to Read in The Hindu Editorial( Topic and Syllabus wise)

Editorial 1: Socialism, secularism are the spirit of the Constitution

Context

The call to erase ‘socialism’ and ‘secularism’ from the Constitution is a calculated move to have an oppressive majoritarian state

Introduction

India’s Constitution is not just a legal document; it reflects the hopes and ideals of a nation born out of a long and hard anti-colonial struggle. Two of its most important values — socialism and secularism — are not limited to the Preamblealone. These principles are deeply embedded in the entire Constitution, visible in the Directive Principles of State Policy, the Fundamental Rights, and the very framework of our democratic system. Recently, leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have called for removing the words socialism and secularism from the Preamble. This is not simply about changing a few words. It amounts to a direct attack on the foundational vision and values on which the Indian republic stands.

• The Constitution of Indiais more than just a set of laws — it reflects the dreams, values, and goals of a nation shaped by the freedom struggle.
• Socialismand secularism are among its core values.
• These principles are not only mentioned in the Preamble, but are also present in the Directive Principles of State Policy, the Fundamental Rights, and the overall structure of the Constitution.
• The recent demand by RSS leadersto remove socialism and secularism from the Preamble is not just a word change.
• It is a serious challengeto the foundational values and the original vision of the Indian republic.

Socialism in the Indian Constitution

• Socialismreflects India’s commitment to social and economic justice, reducing inequality, and building a welfare state.
• The Preamblepromises “Justice – social, economic, and political” and “Equality of status and opportunity” to every citizen.
• Even before the 42nd Amendment (1976), the spirit of socialismwas already present in the Constitution.
• The Fundamental Rightssupport socialism by ensuring freedom and equality:
  • Article 14: Guarantees equality before the law.
  • Article 15: Prohibits discriminationbased on religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
  • Article 16: Ensures equal opportunity in public employment.
• The Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs)provide a clear roadmap for a socialist society:
  • Article 38 & 39: Ask the state to promote welfareand reduce income and status inequalities.
  • Articles 41, 42, 43: Talk about the right to work, just and humane conditions, and a living wage.
• These principles are not just ideals— they have shaped important laws and court decisions over time.

Secularism in the Indian Constitution

• Secularismin India means equal treatment of all religions, not just religious neutrality.
• The state must protect minority rightsand ensure no discrimination based on religion.
• Even before the word “secular” was added in 1976, the Preambleguaranteed:
  • Liberty of thought, belief, faith, and worship.
  • Fraternity, ensuring the dignity of every individual.
• Fundamental Rightsreinforce secularism:
  • Articles 25–28: Ensure freedom of religion.
  • Articles 29 & 30: Protect cultural and educational rightsof religious and linguistic minorities.
• These provisions ensure that:
  • The state does not favour or promote any religion.
  • All citizens, regardless of faith, enjoy equal rights and protectionunder the law.
• The Supreme Courthas confirmed that secularism is part of the Constitution’s basic structure.
• The Basic Structure Doctrine, laid down in the 1973 Kesavananda Bharati case, states that Parliament can amend the Constitution but cannot change its core principles.
• The 42nd Amendment(1976) added the words socialism and secularism in the Preamble because these already existed in spirit and did not violate the basic structure.

Socialist and Secular Values: Not New Additions

• It is wrong to saythat socialism and secularism were just added or imposed in the 1970s.
• These values were already present in the Objective Resolutionpassed by the Constituent Assembly.
• The freedom struggleand the debates of the Constitution makers clearly show that these were core values of the Indian Republic from the beginning.
• The idea of social justice, economic equality, and fraternityreflects the socialist spirit of the Constitution.
• The guarantee of religious freedom, equal treatment, and minority protectionreflects the secular character of the Constitution.
• The word “secular”already appeared in Article 25(2)(a), even before the 42nd Amendment (1976).

The Constitution’s Core Remains Intact

• Even if the words“socialist” and “secular” were removed from the Preamble, the spirit and structure of the Constitution would still reflect these values.
• The Constitution’s core philosophy, which includes equality, liberty, and justice, would remain unchanged.
• B.R. Ambedkar’s final speechin the Constituent Assembly (Nov 25, 1949) clearly expressed that equality is at the heart of the Constitution.
• His speech shows that the ideas of socialism and secularismare deeply embedded in the Constitution’s foundation.
• Ambedkar’s visioncontinues to guide India and serves as a warning against efforts to weaken these basic values.

The real agenda has been exposed

• The RSS wants to remove socialism and secularismfrom the Preamble of the Constitution.
• This is a deliberate attempt to weaken the core valuesof the Indian Republic.
• It shows the RSS’s long-term goalof replacing the Constitution with a version based on the Manusmriti.
• Their aim is to undermine India’s secular and democratic natureand turn it into a Hindu religious state (Hindu Rashtra).
• Removing these wordsfrom the Preamble is also an attempt to change history.
• It tries to dismiss the importance of India’s freedom struggleagainst colonialism.
• Ultimately, it opens the door for a majoritarian statewhere the rights of minorities may be suppressed.

Conclusion

The Constitution of India is a living document that aims to ensure justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity for everyone. Socialism and secularism are the main foundations of the Indian Republic. Attacking these values means attacking the core spirit of Indian democracy. All those who respect the values of the freedom movement — which the RSS did not join — must come together to protect the Constitution and oppose any effort to harm the idea of India.

Editorial 2: Opening new doors for Parliament’s library service

Context

Upgrading LARRDIS into a research hub will enhance legislative quality and promote informed, evidence-based policymaking.

Introduction

In recent years, disruptions have become the defining feature of India’s parliamentary proceedings. This often overshadows the fact that Parliament is not merely a political arena—it is the space where policies are crafted and scrutinized, and where the government is held accountable by the elected representatives of the people.

Legislative Capacity and Research Support in Parliament

• Complex Legislative Agenda: Legislating on diverse and intricate issueslike economic reforms, climate change, national security, and emerging technologies demands extensive expertise.
  • MPs require access to world-class research and referral services for informed lawmaking.
• Underutilisation of Parliamentary Resources: The Parliament Libraryis among the finest institutional libraries in India.
  • Despite its capabilities, very few MPsuse it regularly — a concern echoed by both current and former MPs.
• Role of LARRDIS: The Library and Reference, Research, Documentation and Information Service (LARRDIS)provides prompt and efficient responses to MP queries.
  • Example: A request for a 15-year compilation of another MP’s speeches was fulfilled in three days.
    However, its scope is limited to digitised parliamentary records; it is not a research bodyor academic institution.
• External Research Support – PRS and LAMP: PRS Legislative Researchand its LAMP Fellowship (Legislative Assistants to Members of Parliament)bridge the research gap.
  • Yet, only 40–50 MPs at a timehave access to LAMP fellows due to resource constraints and short fellowship durations.
• Dependence on Partisan or Informal Sources
  • In absence of formal support, many MPs rely on political aides, external consultants, or party-supplied talking points.
  • Such inputs may be partisan, non-expert, or factually inadequate, often leading to superficial and polarised debatesin the House.

The good, the bad and the ugly of LARRDIS

Aspect	Details
Digitisation Initiatives	LARRDIS has digitised Lok Sabha proceedings, committee reports, and rare books. In 2023, it also launched a service to share MPs’ articles with others.
Nature of Service	Services remain largely reactive—MPs must place requisitions either physically or online to receive inputs.
Rising Demand	Information requests have surged from 150 in 1950 to over 8,000 in 2019, reflecting the increasing information needs of MPs.
Operational Limitation	LARRDIS functions in a silo, with minimal collaboration with universities, think tanks, or consulting firms.
Impact of Isolation	This isolation restricts LARRDIS from offering proactive policy analysis, trend forecasting, and building in-house research capacity.
Need for Reform	LARRDIS must transform into a more agile, forward-looking, and inclusive research hub that partners with top academic institutions.
Broader Significance	A reformed LARRDIS can enrich India’s legislative process, enabling MPs to make more informed, evidence-based decisions.

Other parliamentary research services

• Dedicated Research Units: Established democracies maintain units to provide objective, timely, and expert inputfor legislative functions.
• IFLA-IPU Guidelines: Parliamentary research must ensure confidentiality, neutrality, and institutional memoryto serve lawmakers effectively.
• European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS): Works with think tanksand academic partners to build a knowledge repository; provides impact assessments, trend analyses, and “Cost of Non-Europe” reports.
• OCAL – Argentina: Offers Parliament scientific and technological advice; collaborates with external institutions, conducts social studies, and links MPs with experts and citizens.
• OPECST – France: Evaluates scientific and technological optionsfor Parliament through structured assessments and expert networks.
• INCyTU – Mexico: Acts as the science and tech information officefor Congress; mirrors OPECST’s knowledge-bridging function.
• LARRDIS Reform Potential: Can evolve into a 360-degree knowledge hubthrough institutional partnershipswith top universities for policy-relevant research on AI, climate change, etc.
• Benin and Colombia (IPU): Embedded scholarsin Parliament co-author technical policy papers to improve research quality.
• Egypt’s Model: Attaches specialists and research fellowsdirectly to parliamentary committees for expert guidance.
• Sweden’s RIFO: Hosts the Association of MPs and Researchers, enabling ongoing dialogue and policy-science integration.

Building an institutional asset

• Approach: Phased and Consultative: A gradual and inclusive strategy, aligned with global best practices, is ideal for restructuring LARRDISto ensure effectiveness and stakeholder buy-in.
• Mandate Clarity: LARRDIS needs a clearly defined scope of work, including research responsibilities, advisory functions, and analytical supportto MPs.
• Eligible Users: The framework should identify who can access its services— primarily Members of Parliament, but potentially also citizens, journalists, and researchers under defined protocols.
• Turnaround Timelines: Establish clear service delivery standards, specifying response timesfor various types of requests, ensuring timely support to legislative work.
• Confidentiality Protocols: Robust confidentiality mechanismsmust be laid out to protect the privacy of MP queries and the integrity of sensitive research data.
• Expertise Infusion: Involve talent from think tanks, universities, consulting firms, and multilateral bodies like the World Bank, OECD, and UNDPto bring global insights and domain-specific expertise into legislative research.

Conclusion

This is more than just an administrative reform—it represents a strategic investment in effective lawmaking, accountability, and good governance. In a diverse and complex nation like India, the consequences of poorly informed policies can be immense. Establishing a cutting-edge legislative research service would help bridge the information gap between the legislature and executive, improve the depth and quality of parliamentary debates, and boost public trust in the parliamentary system.