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

Editorial 1 : Aspiration, choice, demography

Context

India’s real fertility crisis is about choice, not numbers.

The report

• The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)has released its State of the World Population Report 2025, which focuses on “Real fertility crises:
• The pursuit of reproductive agency in a changing world”.As fertility rates decline worldwide, the crisis lies not in population numbers but in unmet reproductive aspirations of women and couples.
• It specifically refers to the gap between an individual’s or couple’s desires regarding children and family size and the social, cultural, or policy-driven expectations placed on them.
• Concerns about population shifts are driving demographic anxiety that is undermining the reproductive autonomy of women globally, including in India.

The transforming trends – Globally

• Global demographics are transforming at a whirlwind pace. Fertility rates are declining, and the world’s population is projected to peak this century.
• The global fertility rate has decreased from around 5 in 1960 to 3.3 in 1990 and 2.2 in 2024,though significant regional variations exist.
• Fertility rates less than 2 are becoming the norm, with more than half of the world’s countries — accounting for more than two-thirds of the global population — having a fertility rate below 2.1 births per woman (World Fertility Report 2024).
• Globally, it is projected that all countries will have a fertility level less than 4 by 2054.

In India – the challenges

• In India, the national fertility rate declined from 2.9 in 2005 to 2.0 in 2020 (SRS, 2020) although large inter-state variations exist.
• The overall population of children under five peaked in 2004, followed by a peak in the number of children and adolescents under 15 in 2009.
• As per the UNFPA and YouGov survey, a central finding was widespread unmet reproductive aspirations.
• Many individuals face obstacles both in avoiding unintended pregnancies and in having children when they want to.
• These are compounded by social norms and unequal relationship dynamics.Increasingly, women report difficulty in finding a suitable partner and negotiating equitable division of household and caregiving responsibilities.
• Marriage in India continues to place a burden on women, who are expected to manage cooking, child-rearing, and other domestic duties.
• The lack of supportive workplace policies such as paid parental leave, flexible hours, and childcare facilities further discourages women from balancing careers with family life.
• For many women in the informal sector, these supportive policies do not exist. A growing number of women and couples are also expressing hesitation about raising children in a difficult global environment.
• It is important to address infertility, an issue stigmatised in India, where marriage is often equated with childbearing.
• Despite advances in healthcare, many women still face barriers in accessing maternal care and reproductive health information.
• For couples struggling with infertility, the options are often limited, expensive, or poorly regulated.
• Treatments are dominated by private players, and high costs, combined with lack of insurance coverage, make the experience prohibitively expensive for most.
• Another challenge lies in changing patterns of childbearing. Early childbearing is on the decline, with more women choosing to have children later in life (World Fertility Report, 2024).
• According to NFHS-5, 4 per cent of currently married women aged 15–49 report unmet needs for spacing. This is shaped by social norms that discourage contraceptive use and a preference for male children. These factors undermine women’s reproductive autonomy.

Way forward

• The moment calls for a proactive perspective to engage women, families and communities around their reproductive autonomy through informed choices.
• The future lies in building a country’s capacity to anticipate, adapt to, and take advantage of demographic changeswithin a human rights framework.

 

Editorial 2 : The past is an inspiration

Context

Celebrating those who resisted invasions is not chauvinism — it’s reclaiming history.

The unparalleled journey

• India’s civilisational journey is one of unparalleled continuity — its roots run deep, nourished by thousands of years of spiritual inquiry, scientific advancement, and cultural sophistication.
• Yet, the collective memory of Hindu empires that upheld this tradition seems to have faded from mainstream consciousness.
• For a country that takes justifiable pride in its freedom fighters, why do we not celebrate the heroes who defended this land centuries ago
• Why are names like Ghori, Babur, or Aurangzeb more familiar to students than Lalitaditya Muktapida, Vikramaditya, or Krishnadevaraya
• What became of the festivals that once commemorated Hindu sovereignty, cultural flourishing, and spiritual freedom

Not Accidental

• The erasure of India’s ancient heroes and heritage was not accidental. Between the 8th and 16th centuries, India faced relentless invasions.
• Glorious temples—from Mathura to Kashi, Somnath to Vijayanagara—were primary targets.
• Over 12,000 temples were desecrated or destroyed. Libraries were burned, idols mutilated, and scriptures lost.
• The intent went beyond conquest: it was to dismantle India’s sacred geography and replace it with a new narrative.
• Yet India did not surrender. With each invader, a defender of dharma rose. Resistance was sustained by cultural and spiritual duty.
• The Vijayanagara Empire became a southern stronghold. Under rulers like Harihara, Bukka, and Krishnadevaraya, it flourished in temple building, Sanskrit learning, and inclusive governance.
• Its capital, Hampi, rivalled the world’s great cities. Its fall in 1565 at Talikota was a civilisational rupture, not just a military defeat.
• But the fire endured. In Maharashtra, it reignited with Shivaji Maharaj— a warrior, visionary, and dharmic king.
• Shivaji proclaimed swaraj— not just political freedom, but a cultural awakening. He fought to restore temples, protect women, ensure justice, and revive Hindu pride.
• His 1674 coronation was a civilisational declaration: the sanatan spirit lived on.
• Shivaji’s rule blended pluralism, merit, and spirituality. He appointed Muslims, protected mosques, rebuilt temples, and promoted Sanskrit.
• To him, Hindu Rashtra meant not a theocracy, but a just, ethical society rooted in dharma. His legacy reminds us: freedom is sacred, and defending it is a sacred duty.

Echoes of a Forgotten Glory

• If Shivaji was the sword of resistance; Swami Vivekananda,its voice. In the 19th century, India faced mental colonisation — taught to forget its gods, texts, and pride.
• In 1893, Vivekananda stood in Chicago and declared pride in a faith of tolerance and universal acceptance. His message was clear: India must rediscover herself — her strength, her soul, her civilisation.
• He urged the youth to rise, serve the motherland, and awaken a new India — rooted in dharma, not imitation.
• Today, as we advance in science and tech, we must also reclaim our cultural memory — not with hate, but gratitude.
• Before colonisation, India was sovereign, sacred, and wise. It’s time to remember.

Conclusion

Let us walk forward — empowered not only by economic progress but by civilisational consciousness. Let Shivaji’s sword and Vivekananda’s voice guide us in tandem.