What to Read in Indian Express Editorial( Topic and Syllabus wise)

EDITORIAL 1: Six years on, standing still

Context

It is now six years since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and the reorganisation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (UTs).

Politics: Back to representation, but with curtailed powers

• The return of democratic representation was seen as a major milestone in the Centre’s post-August 5 roadmap in J&K. But the political dynamics remain fraught with tensions and compromises.
• The National Conference (NC) leads a government with reduced powers. Just before the election, control over police and services was given to the Lieutenant Governor, limiting the authority of the elected dispensation.

Security: A mixed record marred by Pahalgam attack

• The Centre’s strongest argument for the 2019 decisions was that it would curb terrorism. Six years on, the data do show a significant decline in violence.
• Incidents of stone throwing, hartals, abductions, and the snatching of weapons are down to zero.
• The Jammu region, which saw cross-border incursions and frequent attacks on security forces over the past three years, now reports far fewer encounters.

Economy: Investments surge, but core challenges remain

• INVESTMENTS: The Centre launched a new industrial scheme in 2021 promising incentives to attract investments. The government says investment realisation in 2024-25 is 10 times more than the pre-2020 period.
• REVENUES: J&K has seen a sharp uptick in tax revenues: GST collection increased by 12%, excise by 39%, and overall non-tax revenues rose 25% between 2022 and 2024. The state’s GDP doubled from Rs 1.17 lakh crore in 2015-16 to Rs 2.45 lakh crore in 2023-24, and hit Rs 2.63 lakh crore in 2024-25.
• POWER: By December 2026, J&K administration sources said, power generation is expected to double.
• FINANCIAL HEALTH:J&K Bank went from a loss of Rs 1,139 crore in 2019-20 to a profit of Rs 1,700 crore in 2023-24. NPA levels have halved. However, the fiscal deficit remains high, the economy is heavily reliant on central grants,, and core sectors like agriculture and industry contribute far less than services.
• Tourism: Showcase now under shadow of security concerns. In 2023, a record 2.11 crore tourists visited J&K, and tourism contributed 7% to the GDP. The tourism boom was seen as evidence of the post-Article 370 normalcy. The Pahalgam attack and subsequent security lockdown of 50 tourist spots were a severe blow.
• Private investment in tourism remains sluggish despite incentives. Only five hotels have opted into the new industrial scheme.
• In response to the Pahalgam attack, the administration shut 50 destinations and initiated a comprehensive security review. Since then, 16 such destinations have been reopened for tourists.
• But adventure tourism may now be limited to areas with a significant presence of security forces.

Conclusion

The Pahalgam incident is a sobering reminder that despite the downward trend in militancy, the threat has not disappeared. Even so, the government sees tourism as a vital economic lever and a tool for youth engagement.

 

EDITORIAL 2: Attempt to save rhinos by giving them radioactive horns

Context

A South African university launched an anti-poaching campaign on Thursday (July 31) with a unique approach – injecting radioactive isotopes into rhino horns. It claimed that the method is harmless for the rhinos and allows customs agents to detect trafficked horns.

How the isotope tagging works

• After six years of intense research and testing, the University of the Witwatersrand, supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), formally launched the Rhisotope Project.
• The university hopes the initiative will mark the start of mass treatment of South Africa’s declining rhino population.
• According to the IAEA, radioactive isotopes or radioisotopes are the unstable form of an element that emit radiation to transforminto a more stable form. The radiation can be traced, and typically causes changes in the substance it falls upon.
• Through a non-invasive procedure, rhino horns are tagged with low doses of radioactive isotopes, allowing for their ready detection by radiation portal monitors (RPMs) already deployed at borders, ports, and airports worldwide to identify unauthorised nuclear materials.

The testing and the importance

• To test this system, the researchers used 3D-printed rhino horns with identical shielding properties to real keratin, which is the substance that makes up rhino horn.
• According to the university, the tests confirmed that individual horns could be detected inside full 40-foot shipping containers.
• The procedure, according to the researchers, hasproven to show no harm to the rhinos themselves, while making the horn “useless” and “poisonous” to humans.
• The process is completely safe for the animal and effective in making the horn detectable through international customs nuclear security systems.
• The team used the biological dosimetry technique to culture blood samples and examined the formation of micronuclei in white blood cells, which indicates cellular damage. They found no such damage to the 20 rhinos in the pilot phase.

The scale of the poaching crisis

• According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the global rhino population was estimated to be about 500,000 at the start of the 20th century.
• It has since dwindled to 27,000, owing to the burgeoning demand for rhino horns. These horns are trafficked to Asian markets where they are used in traditional medicine, and also as as a status symbol.
• South Africa, home to the world’s largest rhino population, had lost over 10,000 rhinos to poaching over the last decade.
• While the project itself is not a cure-all or silver bullet to curb poaching, the researchers hope it will prove to be a great deterrent.
• It would certainly prove to be less disruptive to rhino behaviour compared to dehorning, in which rhinos’ horns are removed to deter poaching.

Conclusion

• While a 2024 study published in the Science journal showed that dehorning rhinos reduced poaching by 78 per cent over seven years on eight reserves, another study the previous year established that this measure impacted their ability to socialise with their peers and noted reductions in the sizes of their home ranges.
• The researchers are now looking to recreate the success of this project in protecting other endangered species, such as elephants or pangolins.