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

Editorial 1: India’s aviation arbitration cases will still fly off overseas

Context

Arbitration reform is integral to completing the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024.

Introduction

In 1934, under British rule, India’s skies were governed by the Aircraft Act—created to control, not grow aviation. It restricted public access to air travel and couldn’t adapt to rising technology, passenger demand, or private players. Despite India’s booming aviation sector today, its legal framework remains rooted in a colonial past, lacking modern relevance and flexibility.

 

India’s Aviation Sector: From Colonial Laws to Modern Reforms – and the Road Ahead

• Legal inertia caused major problems for India’s aviation industry:
  1. Private and public airlines faced bureaucratic delays, limiting their growth.
  2. New ventures struggled due to a complex licensing system.
  3. Air traffic management remained inefficient.
  4. Basic issues like passenger compensation for delays or cancellations were not properly handled.
• These challenges made it clear that the Aircraft Act of 1934 was outdated and unsuitable for a rapidly evolving aviation sector.
• In 2024, India introduced the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, a landmark reform replacing the colonial-era Act.
  1. It marks a new beginning, aiming to make Indian aviation more modern, efficient, and globally competitive.
• However, one critical question remains, Will the new reforms also upgrade arbitration mechanisms to global standards?
• If not, commercial aviation disputes may continue to be resolved in Singapore, London, or Paris, instead of in India—posing a risk to India's ambition of becoming a global aviation hub.

 

What the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 Brings

• A modern update to India’s aviation laws, replacing the outdated Aircraft Act of 1934.
• Simplifies licensing for airlines and aviation businesses.
• Tackles inefficiencies in air traffic management, making skies safer and smoother.
• Improves passenger rights:
  1. Clearer compensation rules for flight delays and cancellations.
• Aims to make India a global aviation leader.

 

What’s Missing: Aviation Arbitration

Even with these reforms, one major area is left behind — arbitration.

Issue	Current Situation	Problem
Arbitration laws	Governed by the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996	Does not address aviation-specific issues
Nature of disputes	Often involve technical, cross-border, or treaty-based matters	Needs specialised expertise
Arbitration venues	Global hubs like Singapore, London, Paris are preferred	India is overlooked due to lack of credibility and expertise

 

Why This Matters

• Aviation disputes often cover:
  1. Airline contracts
  2. Aircraft leasing
  3. Safety standards
  4. Cross-border operations
• India lacks specialised arbitration centres and expert arbitrators for such complex topics.
• Without reform, India will continue to lose important aviation cases to international forums.

 

What India Needs Next

• Set up dedicated aviation arbitration centres.
• Train and appoint expert arbitrators in aviation law.
• Align arbitration practices with global standards.
• Build international confidence in India’s dispute resolution system.

 

Current Challenges in India’s Arbitration Ecosystem

• Despite institutional efforts, India has not become a major player in international arbitration.
• The Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) handles ~90% of Indian corporate arbitration cases.
• This highlights India's:
  1. Lack of specialised arbitration infrastructure.
  2. Absence of sector-specific institutional support (e.g., aviation).
• Generic arbitration frameworks are insufficient for complex sectors like aviation.
• Result: Aviation arbitration cases continue to be handled abroad.

 

Key Gaps in India’s Arbitration Ecosystem

Area	Issues
Institutional Support	Existing centres lack global competitiveness and sectoral specialisation.
Sectoral Infrastructure	No dedicated frameworks for sectors like aviation.
Human Resources	Shortage of experts in aviation law and technology.
International Perception	Seen as lacking capability to manage high-stakes disputes.
Legal Environment	Excessive judicial and executive interference in arbitration awards.
Arbitrator Neutrality	Lack of transparent and independent appointment mechanisms.

 

Need for a Specialised Aviation Arbitration Framework

• To emerge as a global aviation leader, India must:
  1. Develop specialised arbitration institutions for aviation.
  2. Establish expert panels in:
     • Aviation law
     • Aviation technology
     • International treaties
  3. Move beyond a generic dispute resolution system.

 

Global Models to Learn From

Jurisdiction	Best Practices
Singapore	Specialised arbitration panels; global credibility.
United Kingdom	Robust legal system with minimal state interference.

• India should replicate successful practices:
  1. Create sector-specific arbitration panels.
  2. Provide incentives for private sector and legal industry participation.
  3. Encourage law schools to specialise in aviation and arbitration law.

 

Impact of Arbitration Exodus

• Economic Losses: Loss of revenue for Indian arbitrators, law firms, and institutions.
• Policy Failure:
  1. Undermines India’s global reputation.
  2. Deters foreign investors and aviation companies.
• Signal of Weak Confidence: Indicates lack of preparedness for high-stakes disputes.

 

Recommendations for Reform

Reform Area	Recommendations
Institutional Development	Establish aviation-specific arbitration institutions and expert panels.
Legal Reforms	Reduce judicial and executive interference in arbitration outcomes.
Arbitrator Appointments	Ensure appointments are neutral, either by mutual agreement or independent bodies.
Legal Education	Equip law schools to produce specialists in aviation arbitration.
Investor Confidence	Build a stable, predictable arbitration environment to attract global players.

 

Way forward: Key areas to focus on

• India needs to focus on neutrality, transparency, and strong institutions in dispute resolution.
• It should adopt global best practices and remove any rules that seem biased.
• The Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024 is a major move forward but not enough without arbitration reforms.
• The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 offers a broad structure, but aviation disputes need expert handling.

 Conclusion

Unless India creates a proper system for handling aviation-related disputes—with trained arbitrators, special institutions, and international trust—these disputes will continue to be settled in other countries. This could also drive away potential investments. The time to make these changes is now.

Editorial 2: Shaping a future-ready workforce

Context

The Future of Jobs Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum and the QS World Future Skills Index highlight the urgent need to match education plans with the changing needs of the global economy.

 

Introduction

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 and the QS World Future Skills Index give important insights into the current state of India’s workforce and how prepared it is for the future. These reports act as a guidefor the government and universities to address key challenges and build a future-ready workforce. They also highlight the urgent need to align education strategies with the rapidly changing global economy.

 

Key Global Job Market Trends by 2030 (Based on the Future of Jobs Report)

• The global labour market is being reshaped by:
  1. Technological advancements
  2. Demographic changes
  3. Geo-economic fragmentation
  4. Economic uncertainties
  5. The green transition
• Technology and digital access:
  1. Seen as major drivers of change by 60% of employers.
• Economic factors (like job loss and shifting industries):
  1. Expected to affect 50% of employers.
• Climate change:
  1. Creates new jobs in renewable energy and environmental sectors.
  2. Forces businesses to adapt due to global tensions.

 

Labour Market Forecast by 2030

Category	Projection
New jobs created	170 million
Jobs displaced	92 million

 

How Employers Are Responding

• Focus on:
  1. Workforce training
  2. Higher wages
  3. Employee well-being
• Skills training needs:
  1. 59 out of 100 workers will need reskilling in:
     • Analytical thinking
     • Resilience
     • Tech literacy
• In-demand roles:
  1. Big Data specialists
  2. AI engineers
• Soft skills are becoming equally important:
  1. Emotional intelligence
  2. Adaptability
  3. Leadership

 

Role of Educational Institutions

• Must prepare students for a fast-changing job market
• Need to offer:
  1. Technical training
  2. Cognitive skill development
  3. Soft skills integration in learning

 

India's Position – QS World Future Skills Index

Category	India's Score/Rank
AI and Green Skills Preparedness	2nd globally
Future of Work (identifying skills)	Score: 99.1
Skills Fit (meeting demand)	Score: 59.1
Academic Readiness	Rank: 26th
Innovation & Sustainability	Score: 15.6 / 100

 

Key Gaps for India

• Mismatch between identified skills and actual workforce ability
• Weaknesses in:
  1. Entrepreneurship
  2. Innovation mindsets
  3. Sustainability readiness
• Low R&D investment affecting:
  1. Global competitiveness
  2. Progress in renewable energy and green innovations

 

An opportunity

• India has a key opportunity to align its education system with global trends and future workforce needs.
• To close the skill gaps, both the government and educational institutions must act together.

 

Multi-Pronged Strategy for Educational Reform

1. Curriculum Innovation
   • Update learning models to focus on:
   • Creativity
   • Critical thinking
   • Resilience
   • Problem-solving
   • Entrepreneurial mindset
   • Embed skills through:
   • Interdisciplinary courses
   • Experiential learning
   • Problem-based learning (PBL)

Innovation Methods	Purpose
Hackathons	Encourage creativity and real-world problem solving
Startup incubators	Promote entrepreneurial thinking
Design-thinking labs	Build user-focused innovation skills

 

2. Green Curriculum and Sustainability
   • Develop a green curriculum that supports environmental goals:
   • Set up centres for sustainability research
   • Introduce courses on green technologies
   • Promote student-led projects on local environmental issues
3. Strengthening Industry-Academia Collaboration
   • Build strong ties between universities and industry to bridge the education-to-employment gap:

Stakeholder	Role in Partnership
Universities	Co-create curriculum, offer internships
Industry	Fund skill centres, mentor students, provide market insights

 

4. Improving Faculty Capacity
   • Faculty development is essential to support the new curriculum and approaches:
   • Run training workshops
   • Offer certification programmes
   • Facilitate global exchange opportunities

 

Conclusion

The government needs to lead the way in bringing major reforms by increasing investments in skill development, research, and innovation. A key priority should be building strong digital infrastructure in rural and semi-urban areas, which will help reduce the gap between urban and rural regions. At the same time, India’s higher education system must go through a significant transformation to stay flexible and future-ready. To support this shift, the government must create a policy environment that encourages growth, innovation, and adaptability.