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

Editorial 1 : Faith for climate action

Context

Faith leaders can play a pivotal role in rekindling the sense of connection with the planet, with nature, and creating a sense of urgency in people for its preservation.

The Invisible thread

• Today, we speak of climate change, sustainability, and conservation. But we often overlook an invisible thread that binds all these efforts together — the human mind.
• A mind clouded with stress, fear, or greed cannot be sensitive to the needs of the planet.
• Any policy made without taking the mental health of people into account is unlikely to work.
• We can have sound policies in place but to implement those policies you need to build consensus and inspire people.  And here, faith-based organisationscan make a big difference.
• When people are mentally strong, when their hearts are open and they are spiritually awakened, they will naturally become more sensitive to the environment.
• Faith, spirituality, and inner peace are the foundations that can inspire climate action, and bring together millions of people towards this sacred cause.

Faith can inspire climate action

• Throughout history, faith has guided humanity to walk the path of righteousness.
• Ancient cultures across the world saw nature as sacred. Rivers were not just water bodies; they were goddesses.
• Trees were not just wood; they were sacred beings.Even mountains and the wind were revered as divine.
• People didn’t protect the environment because of some policybut they did it out of love and devotion. That spirit needs to be rekindled.
• Individually we may be able to do less, but when everyone comes together, communities can create a bigger impact in environmental conservation.

Inner Peace and Environmental Sensitivity

• A restless, agitated mind consumes more—more resources, more energy, more of the Earth. A calm mind lives in balance.
• True environmental change must begin within. An awakened heart cannot remain indifferent to suffering—whether of humans, animals, or ecosystems.
• When silence blossoms in the mind, we begin to hear the cry of the Earth.
• Mindfulness is not just a personal practice—it is a revolutionary act when it leads to conscious living.

Collective Power and Community Action

• One lamp may light a small space, but thousands together can light up the night. So it is with climate action rooted in faith.
• A single drop may seem insignificant, but when united, drops become an ocean of change.
• Communities of faith can be powerful forces for environmental transformation—not just preaching change, but embodying it.

Way forward

• We have to honour, respect and take utmost care of our planet.
• We must encourage chemical-free farming and ensure we don’t pollute the earth with plastic, poisonous fertilisers and chemicals.
• Taking steps so that we collectively become environmentally conscious will be our greatest offering.

 

Editorial 2 : Hydrology of the Brahmaputra

Context

The question lies that could the Chinese dams can affect Brahmaputra flow in India.

The Brahmaputra

• The Brahmaputra, lifeline of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, originates as Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet and enters India near Gelling in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The river, which is called Siang in Arunachal, is joined by many tributaries in Assam as it flows down the plains before entering Bangladesh, where it is called Jamuna.

What interventions does China plan?

• India has been monitoring Chinese infrastructure interventions on the river.
• A major concern is the planned Medog (or Motuo) Hydropower Project, a massive dam in Medog County near the ‘Great Bend’where the river makes a U-turn and plunges into a canyon before entering Arunachal Pradesh.
• According to reports, the planned 60,000-MW Medog project will be the world’s largest hydropower facility, with a generation capacity three times that of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, currently the world’s largest hydropower station.
• Concerns have also been raised over China’s massive, multi-decade South-North Water Diversion (SNWD) project, the Western Route of which apparently involves diverting water from the Yarlung Tsangpo to the country’s dry northern regions.

How much of the Brahmaputra’s water yield is generated in India?

• Although the portion in India constitutes only 34.2% of the total basin area, it contributes to more than 80% of the Brahmaputra’s yield,making the Tibet Autonomous Region a minor contributor to the basin’s overall yield.
• This is because the Tibetan Plateau is a region of scanty rainfall, and by contrast, the southern part of the river basin in India receives 2,371 mm of rain on average every year.
• Also, the Brahmaputra receives a number of tributaries at both its northern and southern banks.
• The yield of the river system is increased significantly by the annual monsoonfrom June to September. Many of the Brahmaputra’s tributaries also receive considerable contributions from snowmelt, mostly in the Indian catchment area.

The upstream interventions and the flow

• Changes in the river’s flow patterns can impact hydropower projectsplanned on the Siang during the lean period and during peak power production.
• As a mitigation strategy, India could plan storage on rivers of the Brahmaputra systemto absorb the variations in flows.
• The Upper Siang Project, for example, will not only generate power, its storage can also serve as a buffer against variations in flows
• Risks of flooding may also arise from intentional or unintentional operation of reservoirs in Tibet, as well as unforeseen events such as dam failure, landslides, or earthquakes.
• Upstream interventions have the potential to affect the river morphology,with consequences for riverine flora and fauna.

Using the water potential

• The Brahmaputra and its tributaries carry more than 30% of the country’s total water resources potential, and 41% of the total hydropower potential.
• The utilisation of hydropower potential in Arunachal Pradesh has been slowdue to difficulties of land acquisition and concern over the submergence of forest lands, etc.
• The National Water Development Authority has proposed two linksto connect the Brahmaputra and its tributaries to the Ganga basin with the aim of transferring surplus water to water-scarce regions.
• These are (i) the Manas-Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga Link, joining the Manas, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, to the Ganga via the Sankosh and Teesta;
• and (ii) the Jogighopa-Teesta-Farakka Link, joining the Brahmaputra at the planned Jogighopa Barrage to the Ganga at the Farakka Barrage.

Way forward

• It is important for India to assess the effects by conducting detailed multi-disciplinary scientific studies, and prepare an adaptive strategy.
• It needs to use diplomatic channelsto actively seek detailed hydrological and project-related data to continuously assess the downstream impact of Chinese infrastructure interventions.
• India should also work to develop comprehensive datasharing protocols with China for advance warning and disaster preparedness.