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

Editorial 1: Ensuring Emotional Safety in Schools

Context:

A recent student suicide highlights the urgent need to prioritise emotional safety and mental health support over academic pressure in schools.

Introduction:

The tragic case of a child ending their life underlines the urgent need to address children’s emotional and mental wellbeing in our schools and homes. The article rightly argues for a culture “where a child feels heard and seen,” emphasising emotional safety over mere academic excellence.

Key Issues:

• Rising mental health burden among children and adolescents
  • Studies show that around 23.33% of children and teenagers in India face mental health issues.
  • A UNICEF / India report indicates large service gaps in child and adolescent mental health, with children often undiagnosed and untreated.
  • The article highlights how children apologise for breaking parental expectations or not meeting standards—the emotional load of high-stakes performance and internalised pressure.
• Systemic and structural gaps
  • Schools often lack uniform protocols for mental health emergencies or grievance redressal, as pointed out by the article.
  • According to the Curriculum on Health and Wellness of School‑Going Children (NHM / Education) children must acquire socio-emotional skills early, yet many do not receive adequate support.
  • The mental health workforce in India is severely inadequate (e.g., 0.75 psychiatrists per 100,000) and affects access.
• School culture and emotional safety
  • The article emphasises the shift from “academic excellence and discipline” toward “emotional safety and pastoral care.”
  • Evidence from schools (see the Safeguarding adolescent mental health in India (SAMA) study) shows whole-school, multi-component interventions improve well-being and reduce anxiety and depression among adolescents.

Policy Responses & Best Practices:

• Adoption of a whole-school mental health programmeguided by assessment, teacher & parent training, monitoring.
• Implementation of national frameworks like the NHM “Curriculum on Health and Wellness of School-Going Children” to embed socio-emotional learning in school curriculum.
• Strengthening family–school partnerships, early identification of distress signals, and peer-support mechanisms (as per UNICEF module “Look, Listen, Link”for adolescents).
• Increase investment in child-adolescent mental health, reduce stigma, enhance workforce and counselling infrastructure across schools.

Recommendations for Schools & Educators:

• Promote listening culturesteachers should create safe spaces where children can articulate feelings without fear of judgement.
• Integrate emotional literacyand wellbeing activities alongside academic content, making emotional safety as important as academic achievement.
• Embed screening and referral systemswithin schools, detect warning signs early, collaborate with trained counsellors, set up grievance processes.
• Encourage parent engagement and awarenesseducate parents about anxiety, high performance pressure, behavioural changes; ensure open lines of communication at home.
• Monitor teacher wellbeingand capacity teachers too must be trained and supported to recognise emotional distress and work in a calm, patient, empathic manner (keywords: reliability, patience, calmness).

Conclusion:

In a society driven by aspiration and performance, the emotional well-being of children must not become collateral damage. As the article reminds us, “the time for fault-finding is over.” It is time for systemic reform in our schools, parents, and communities to ensure every child feels seen, heard and supported. The shift from academic metrics to emotional anchoring is not only humane—it is essential for healthier young minds, stronger citizens, and a resilient nation.

 

Editorial 2: Labour Codes Implementation

Context:

Recently, India implemented the four Labour Codes, consolidating 29 labour laws to simplify compliance, expand social security, and boost formal job creation. Success depends on effective state-level implementation.

Introduction:

Labour reforms are a critical step toward modernising India’s workforce ecosystem. By streamlining laws, enhancing transparency, and including previously unprotected segments like gig and platform workers, the codes aim to create a more formal, inclusive, and future-ready labour market. Effective enforcement, awareness, and digitisation are key to realising the full potential of these transformative measures.

Significance of the Labour Codes:

• Accelerating Formal Job Creation
  • The new codes reduce regulatory complexity and enable easier compliance, allowing businesses, particularly in MSMEs, IT, and service sectors, to hire more employees formally. A simplified legal framework encourages flexible and structured employment, fostering a future-ready workforce.
• Expanding Social Security Coverage
  • The reforms extend social security benefits to previously excluded segments, including gig and platform workers, and strengthen protections for fixed-term employeesby ensuring gratuity and health benefits. Mandatory annual health checks and digitized social security registration are key features enhancing worker welfare.
• Improving Wage Clarity and Workplace Safety
  • The uniform definition of wages, timely wage disbursement, and clear guidelines for occupational safety standardize employment practices across sectors. Structured grievance redressal mechanisms aim to reduce disputes and provide employees with legal protection and clarity.
• Promoting Ease of Doing Business
  • Digital compliance and unified procedures reduce administrative burden, multiple inspections, and litigation, fostering a predictable and transparent business environment that attracts domestic and foreign investment.

Key Challenges in Implementation:

• State-Level Enforcement
  • While the codes are notified centrally, implementation is the responsibility of state governments. Variations in enforcement could lead to inconsistencies, affecting worker protection and business compliance.
• Risk of Misclassification and Bypassing Rules
  • Experts warn that without strict monitoring, employers may misuse contract structures, misclassify employees as consultants, or manipulate fixed-term employment to evade obligations.
• Protection of Trade Union Rights
  • Trade union representation remains essential for workers, especially in IT and gig sectors, to ensure they can assert entitlements, grievance redressal, and collective bargaining.

Way Forward:

• Strengthening State Machinery
  • States must enhance labour departments’ capacity for effective inspection, monitoring, and enforcementto ensure uniform application of the codes.
• Awareness and Capacity Building
  • Employers and workers should be educated on new provisions through training programs, workshops, and digital platforms.
• Leveraging Digitisation and Technology
  • Digital systems for wage disbursement, social security registration, and grievance trackingcan improve transparency, reduce delays, and facilitate real-time monitoring.
• Inclusive Workforce Participation
  • Ensuring that all segments of the workforce, including informal, gig, and platform workers, benefit from social security and legal protections is critical to building an equitable labour ecosystem.

Conclusion:

The implementation of India’s Labour Codes represents a transformative step in modernising labour laws, balancing economic growth with worker welfare. Effective enforcement, state cooperation, and active awareness campaigns are essential for the reforms to achieve their intended outcomes. When fully operational, these codes will foster a future-ready, formal, and inclusive workforce, strengthen social security, and support India’s position as a hub for high-value industries.