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

Editorial 1: Practising compassion

Context

Chronic underestimation of shelter costs weakens their sustainability.

Introduction

The Supreme Court’s evolving stance on free-roaming dogs highlights the tension between compassion and public safety. India faces a severe rabies burden, weak sterilisation coverage, and fragmented policy implementation. While street dogs are part of the urban fabric, ensuring safe public spaces demands a humane yet effective approach combining sheltering, vaccination, and legal reform.

Supreme Court’s Directions and Course Correction

• August 11, 2025 order: Directed Municipal Corporation of Delhi to round up stray dogs and confine them in shelters.
• August 22, 2025 modification: Allowed release of dogs after vaccination and deworming, except for aggressive or rabid ones to be retained.
• Significance: Court recognised inadequacies in the existing Animal Birth Control (ABC) framework, especially in India’s densely populated settlements.

Public Health and Safety Concerns

• Rabies burden: India has one of the highest global rabies cases, causing death, repeated medical expenses, and restricting children’s daily movements.
• Disproportionate impact: Poor families, least able to navigate healthcare, suffer the most.
• Sterilisation gap: Without 70% coverage, ABC Rules (even after 2023 update) are ineffective; no major city has achieved this level.

Challenges of Sheltering Stray Dogs

• Objections raised: Risk of overcrowding, disease-ridden shelters, and ecological imbalance from permanent impoundment.
• Counterpoint: Properly resourced shelters with veterinary standards, space norms, and oversight are feasible.
• Comparable model: Large-scale cattle shelters already operate in India.
• Problem source: Administrative neglect and policy fragmentation across States, not the idea of shelters itself.

Social and Cultural Dimensions

• Street dogs in urban fabric: Offer companionship, especially to the homeless.
• Rights of citizens: Cultural compassion cannot override the human right to safe public spaces.
• Ethical handling: Strays must be compassionately rehomed, sheltered, or humanely euthanised if incurably aggressive/ill.

Need for Legal and Institutional Reform

• Outdated law: The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, no longer fits present realities.
• Proposed statute should:
  • Classify dogs as adoptable, shelter-bound, or unfit.
  • Mandate municipal shelters with minimum standards.
  • Ensure transparent counting of stray dogs across States.
  • Accurately assess the cost of maintaining shelters.

Supporting Infrastructure and Governance

• Veterinary support: Involvement of the national veterinary cadre for consistent implementation.
• Waste management: Essential to reduce food sources sustaining street dog populations.
• Accountability: Strict penalties for pet abandonment to prevent replenishment of strays.
• Long-term risk: Without reforms, India risks trading visible street dangers for hidden neglect in shelters.

Conclusion

A sustainable balance between animal welfare and human rights requires modern legislation, regulated shelters, effective waste management, and strict action against pet abandonment. Compassion must extend beyond streets into systemic solutions that protect both citizens and canines. Without reform, India risks perpetuating cycles of visible menace on roads and invisible neglect in shelters.

 

Editorial 2: ​​Nourish to flourish, the nutrition and cognition link

Context

The first 1,000 days are a child’s critical window for future growth, and India must do more.

Introduction

Just as catching a flight requires leaving home at the right time, a child’s growth also depends on acting within a crucial period. For instance, if your flight is at 2 p.m., you must leave home by 12 p.m., considering distance, traffic, and check-in requirements. The time between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. becomes your critical window to ensure you don’t miss the flight. In the same way, the first 1,000 days of a child’s life form a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build the foundation for future success. During this phase, both brain development and nutrition must take place. If this window is missed, the child may never reach their full potential.

What the science says

Parameter	Explanation
Brain Growth	By age two, the brain reaches 80% of adult weight; synapse density peaks by preschool age.
Frontal Lobes	Growth spurts in first two years enable planning, sequencing, and self-regulation.
Foundational Circuits	Early flaws in brain development limit later skills and cognitive growth.
Nutritional Deficiency	Deficits before age three may cause irreversible damage.
Stunting Prevalence	At current pace, 10% stunting may be achieved only by 2075; target needs acceleration to 2047.
Critical Window	First 1,000 days crucial for integrating nutrition and cognition.
Nutrition–Cognition Link	Adequate nutrition essential for brain function; lack can cause cognitive damage or disability.
Vellore Study	Iron deficiency reduced language skills, verbal performance, and processing speed.
Combined Programmes	Nutrition + stimulation more effective than standalone nutrition schemes.
Neuroplasticity	Early learning is fast and lasting—e.g., language acquisition and nursery rhymes memory.

Childcare programmes in India

• ICDS Programme: One of the largest childcare schemes worldwide, integrating nutrition and education as pillars of early childhood development.
• Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi: Initiative by Ministry of Women and Child Development to link nutrition with cognitive development.
• Navchetana Framework: National guideline for early childhood stimulationfrom birth to three years.
• Stimulation Activities: 140 age-specific activities structured in a 36-month calendarfor social and cognitive growth.
• Caregiver Role: Designed for use by parents, Anganwadi workers, and crèche staff, especially during home visits.
• Play-Based Learning: Encourages stimulation through play and caregiver interaction, rather than formal teaching.
• Home Visits: Opportunity to combine nutrition,timely feeding, and cognitive support for children under three.
• Holistic Development: Reduces risk of developmental delaysarising from nutritional deficits.

Areas that need improvement

• Frontline Workforce: 14 lakh Anganwadi centres and workers ensure child nutrition and stimulation in first 1,000 days.
• Coverage: ICDS must expand outreach to cover all target populations.
• Quality Services: Focus on high-quality delivery in health, nutrition, and early learning.
• Technology: Use digital tools for monitoring, efficiency, and service delivery.
• Urban Expansion: Strengthen ICDS presence in underserved urban areas.
• Pre-primary Education: Improve access, capacity, and delivery of early education.
• Evaluation: Regular assessment of child health, learning, and psychosocial well-being.
• Workforce Participation: Support women’s entry into the productive workforce.
• Crèche Models: Expand childcare through public, community, and PPP models.
• Human Potential: Early nutrition and stimulation empower both children and women.
• Irreversible Loss: Missed opportunities in early years cannot be regained.

Conclusion

Investing in early childhood development has become even more critical in today’s context of rapid automation, mechanisation, and technological advancement. As industries evolve, the demand for low-skilled and unskilled workers is expected to decline, creating fewer employment opportunities for them. Preparing individuals from a young age with strong cognitive, social, and technical skills can help them adapt better to this changing landscape and secure meaningful livelihoods.