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

Editorial 1: A reset in West Asia, a ‘de-escalation’ for the world

Context

The U.S.’s call for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran is a rare voice of reason, while the rest of the world remains focused solely on “de-escalation,” regardless of who is at fault.

Introduction

West Asia has undergone a dramatic reset following the bombing of Iran by Israel and the United States, carried out with the tacit or explicit approval of most regional and global powers. While European nations voiced contradictory and loud concerns, their reactions had little real impact on the unfolding events. Interestingly, even Russia and China, despite having signed high-profile Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreements with Iran—China in March 2021 and Russia as recently as January 2025—chose to remain passive observers. This silence was not out of helplessness; rather, it reflected a deliberate choice by these powers to stay disengaged as Iran and its allied networks were systematically targeted and weakened across the region.

Shift in Strategic Balance in West Asia

• The Iranian nuclear threat has been neutralized, leaving Israel as the sole dominant nuclear powerin West Asia.
• Around 40,000 U.S. troops, along with numerous air and naval assets, are deployed across the region, safeguarding Israel’s military superiority.
• West Asia must now adapt to this new regional security architecturewhere Israel faces no significant military counterweight.

Role of Iran and Strategic Realignment

• Initially, Gulf countries feared Iran and its proxiesas much as Israel, due to Iran’s deep political and military influence.
• Iran’s ideological vision and regional footprint(via state and non-state actors) positioned it as a major regional threat.
• This fear prompted Gulf nationsto:
  • Seek U.S. protection
  • Tolerate or compromiseon other regional concerns (e.g., Palestine)
  • Support Israeli effortsto weaken Iranian proxies in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza.

The Abraham Accords and Strategic Trade-offs

• Gulf countries shifted towards normalization with Israelthrough the Abraham Accords, supported by the U.S.
• In return, they offered economic and diplomatic incentivesto the Trump administration.
• However, with Iran weakened, Gulf nations now face an emboldened Israel without constraints, raising concerns.

 

Iranian Retaliation and Regional Escalation

Event	Details
Iranian retaliation	Missile strikes on U.S. bases in Qatar and Iraq
Scale of attack	Claimed as “proportional retaliation” to U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites
Violation	Breach of sovereignty of Qatar, a “brotherly” Arab nation
Impact	Dangerous escalation; threatens to spiral out of control

Iran’s Existential Crisis and U.S.-Israel Endgame

• For Iran’s leadership, especially Ayatollah Khamenei, this is an existential threat.
• Political surrender or silenceis not an option for regime survival.
• The S.-Israel axis seeks regime changein Iran to dismantle its:
  • Theocratic governance
  • Ideological export model
• However, unlike Syria or Libya, there is no viable regime-in-waitingto replace Iran’s current government.

The Dilemma and Responsibility of Gulf States

• Gulf countries must act swiftly and responsiblyto prevent:
  • Collapse of Iran, leading to regional instability
  • A vacuumthat might be filled by extremist forces (e.g., ISIS, al-Qaeda)
• Destabilizing Irancould recreate the post-Iraq and Libya chaos, fuelling:
  • Fundamentalist ideologies
  • Regional terrorism
  • Loss of control over West Asia’s strategic future

U.S. Ceasefire Initiative: A Surprising Shift

• The S. announcement of an immediate ceasefirebetween Israel and Iran marks a rare instance of strategic restraint.
• Comes at a time when reason and diplomacy have largely collapsedin West Asia.
• For Iran, this offers:
  • A face-saving exitafter retaliating for U.S. attacks.
  • A chance to reassert sovereigntywithout escalating further.
• Israel, though impacted, saw damage underreportedby Western media.
• Iran’s willingness to target U.S. bases in the Gulflikely forced Washington to pressure Israel into halting attacks.

Gulf States: Strategic Wake-up Call

• The missile exchange and ceasefire act as a reminder to Gulf nationsthat they are not insulated from fallout.
• The Gulf faces serious risks if:
  • Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil route.
  • Iran withdraws from the NPT, worsening nuclear tensions.

Return to Nuclear Diplomacy

Aspect	Current Status	Suggested Action
Iran Nuclear Deal	Fractured but salvageable	U.S. and Iran appear open to re-engagement
Gulf States’ Role	Passive or reactive	Must actively support diplomacy to prevent further crisis
Regional Stability	Fragile	Requires coordinated Gulf-Iran-U.S. engagement

Netanyahu’s Political Gain and Territorial Agenda

• Israeli PM Netanyahu sees the destruction of Iran’s nuclear capabilityas a major personal and political victory.
• Enabled by U.S. support under Trump, Netanyahu is now pushing for:
  • Realisation of “Eretz Israel”— a Greater Israel extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
  • Annexation of Gaza and the West Bank, long disputed territories.

The Emerging “New Middle East” Map

Feature	Description
UNGA Presentation	Netanyahu unveiled a map excluding Gaza and West Bank
Timeline for Annexation	Likely to occur before U.S. elections in 2026; possibly within 2025
Domestic Support	Backed by ultra-right ministers like Ben-Gvir and Smotrich
Opposition	All potential challengers—state or non-state—have been neutralized
U.S. Position	Currently aligned with Israeli ambitions

Democratic Deficit or Ethno-State Reality?

• The key dilemma: What form will the Israeli state take post-annexation?

Israel’s Two Choices Post-Annexation

Option	Consequence
1. Ethno-religious state	Maintain Jewish exclusivity, keeping Palestinians as second-class citizens
2. True democracy	Grant equal rights and citizenship to Palestinians

• Historical precedentsuggests Israel will likely remain an apartheid state by design.

Gulf Silence and Palestinian Crisis

• Gulf leadership has abandoned assertive diplomacyon the Palestinian cause.
• Despite loud protests at the UN and international platforms, they have:
  • Accepted Israeli normalizationas a trade-off for stability.
  • Not pushed for a two-state solutionor halt to hostilities in Gaza.

Human Cost of Occupation and War

Region	Condition
Gaza	Over 56,000 killed, severe starvation, mass displacement
West Bank	Daily evictions, land grabs for Jewish settlements, growing unrest

Strategic Miscalculation?

• Gulf states may believe that annexation or status quowill bring peace and integration.
• However, the continued occupation and suppressionof Palestinians may only fuel:
  • Radicalisation
  • Regional backlash
  • Moral and diplomatic erosion

Conclusion: India’s stand

India has deliberately refrained from making any statements on the Israeli preemptive strikes on Iran or taking an active diplomatic position—much in line with its consistent approach of non-involvement in foreign conflicts. While Israel was among the few nations to support India during Operation Sindoor, India’s strategic engagements with Iran, particularly the development of the Chabahar Port, remain equally vital. With significant geopolitical and economic interests in the region, India is carefully navigating the situation to minimise adverse impacts. In a move laced with subtle irony, India has called for “de-escalation”, offering the same diplomatic counsel to both sides that it once received during its own military operations, when the international community had asked India and Pakistan to de-escalate—often without acknowledging who the aggressor was. This reflects a troubling global trend of moral equivalence, where the violation of international law or territorial sovereignty takes a backseat to a superficial emphasis on calming tensions, regardless of who initiated the conflict.

 

Editorial 2: The need for gender equity in urban bureaucracy

Context

In India, although women’s representation in grassroots politics has improved, the administrative cadres continue to reflect a significant gender imbalance.

Introduction

India is undergoing a major urban transformation, with its cities growing rapidly in size, economy, and population. By 2050, it is projected that over 800 million people—nearly half of the country’s population—will reside in urban areas, positioning India as the leading force behind global urban growth. This expansion is not just reshaping physical spaces, but also redefining the social contract of modern India and influencing the course of its democracy and development.

Gender Equity: Progress in Politics, Gap in Bureaucracy

• In the last 30 years, India has made constitutional reformsto promote gender equality in local governance.
• The 73rd and 74th Amendmentsmandated 33% reservation for women in PRIs and ULGs.
• 17 States and 1 Union Territoryhave increased this to 50% reservation.
• As of 2024, women form over 46%of all local elected representatives (Ministry of Panchayati Raj).
• There is a growing presence of women mayors and councillors, showing strong political representation.
• However, the administrative system remains male-dominated, especially in roles like:
  • City managers
  • Urban planners
  • Engineers
  • Police officials
• This bureaucratic imbalancerestricts cities from serving all citizens fairly, despite women’s political gains.
• India’s focus on highways, metros, and smart citiesoverlooks the need for gender balance in urban administration — a core part of inclusive development.

The bureaucratic gender gap

• Even though more women are joining civil services, urban administrative rolesare still dominated by men.
• The lack of gender balancein planning, engineering, policing, and governance leads to cities being designed without considering women’s everyday needs.

Key Data on Women’s Representation

Sector	Women’s Representation (2022–23)	Remarks
Indian Administrative Service (IAS)	20% (IndiaSpend, 2022)	Still heavily male-dominated
Urban Planning, Engineering, Transport	Even lower than IAS levels	Critical gaps in technical decision-making
Policing (National Level)	11.7% (BPRD, 2023)	Mostly assigned to desk roles, not field duties

Why This Gender Gap Matters

• Women’s travel and city-use patterns differfrom men:
  • More dependent on public/shared transport.
  • Often make multi-stop journeys(e.g., work, childcare, groceries).
  • Rely on local infrastructurelike safe streets and lighting.

Supporting Data: Women’s Urban Mobility

Finding	Source
84% of women in Delhi & Mumbai use public/shared transport	Institute for Transportation and Development Policy & Safetipin
Only 63% of men use the same
Over 60% of public spaces are poorly lit in 50 Indian cities	Safetipin Audit, 2019

Consequences of Poor Representation

• Safety and mobilityconcerns for women are often ignored in city planning.
• With fewer women in policing, community safety programmesoften fail to address real fears women face.
• Urban designstill favours large projects (metros, flyovers) over small, everyday needs like well-lit paths, safe bus stops, or childcare near workplaces.

What Women Officials Bring to the Table

• Women administrators often prioritise basic needssuch as:
  • Water supply
  • Public health
  • Community safety
• According to studies (ICRIER & UN Women):
  • Female officials build public trustthrough empathetic enforcement.
  • Gender-diverse leadership leads to more inclusive and effective governance.
• Achieving gender equity in bureaucracyis not just a fairness issue—it’s essential for creating cities that work for all citizens.
• Gender-sensitive designand policy-making can only emerge from gender-diverse institutions.

Missed opportunity in gender budgeting

Aspect	Details
What is GRB?	Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) ensures that public funds are allocated with gender equity in mind. It was introduced globally in the 1990s.
India’s Efforts	– GRB adopted in 2005-06 via a Gender Budget Statement. – Delhi: Funded women-only buses, public lighting. – Tamil Nadu: GRB in 64 departments (2022–23). – Kerala: Integrated GRB into the People’s Plan Campaign.
Challenges in India	– Weak monitoring and limited capacity, especially in small cities. – Often tokenistic, missing real needs like pedestrian safety and childcare.
Global Best Practices	– Philippines: 5% of local budgets for gender programmes. – Rwanda: GRB integrated in national plans, with oversight bodies. – Uganda: Gender equity certificates for fund approvals. – Mexico: Links GRB to results-based budgeting. – South Africa: Uses participatory planning to root GRB in community needs.
Need for Inclusive Bureaucracy	– Move beyond political reservations. – Ensure systemic reforms in recruitment, retention, and promotion of women. – Use quotas and scholarships in technical fields like planning and engineering.
Examples of Gender-Balanced Impact	– Rwanda: More spending on maternal health and education. – Brazil: Focus on sanitation and primary healthcare. – South Korea: Transit and public space redesign via gender impact assessments. – Tunisia: Parity laws brought more women into technical roles. – Philippines: Funds shelters and childcare via gender-tagged budgeting.
Why It Matters	Gender-balanced bureaucracies create safer, more responsive, and equitable cities. This is not just about fairness, but about effective urban governance.

The cities we deserve

• As India aims to become a $5 trillion economy, its cities must aim for more than just economic growth.
• Cities should become inclusive and fair spacesfor everyone.
• Gender concernsshould be part of all city planning and execution through:
  • Mandatory gender audits
  • Participatory budgeting
  • Regular evaluations
• Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB)should be made a standard practice in Urban Local Governments (ULGs), with proper training and support.
• Representationshould lead to real power and decision-making, not just token presence.
• Local councils for gender equityand models like Kudumbashree can guide smaller or developing cities.
• Women are already changing governance as elected leaders.
• Now, they should also have a say in how cities are designed and managed.
• When cities are built considering women’s real-life experiences, they work better for everyone.
• To truly make cities for women, we must also include women in building them.

Conclusion

India’s urban future must be built on gender-equitable foundations. While political representation has improved, true inclusion demands a diverse, gender-sensitive bureaucracy. Empowering women in administrative roles, strengthening gender budgeting, and mainstreaming gender in urban planning are essential. Cities that reflect women’s needs foster equity, safety, and sustainability — creating inclusive spaces where democracy and development can thrive together.