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

Editorial 1: Imagined righteousness

Context

Protecting citizens’ rights should be the courts’ priority, not empowering the state without limits.

Introduction

The Supreme Court’s push for guidelines to regulate social media speech highlights a tension between freedom of expression and state control. While aiming to curb derogatory or harmful content, such judicial encouragement risks empowering an executive already prone to weaponising regulations, potentially undermining constitutional rights and fostering a climate of censorship that stifles democracy, creativity, and open discourse.

Supreme Court and Social Media Regulation

• The Supreme Court of Indiahas urged the Union government to draft guidelines for regulating speech on social media.
• This move aims to empoweran executive that is already actively using legal limits on freedom of expression to its advantage.
• The Court’s instructionscame in response to a petition by a non-profit challenging derogatory online remarkstargeting disabled persons.
• Such judicial interventionsrisk encouraging the state to extend statutory restrictions into legally grey areas, potentially undermining constitutionally guaranteed rights.

Risks of Policing Speech

• Treating offensiveor distasteful humor as a problem to be solved by courts or executive rulemaking is misleading and potentially harmful.
• Expanding powersto police speech carries inherent risks:
  • Partisan authoritiesmay monitor and suppress art, political speech, or dissent they dislike.
  • Citizensmay self-censor, constantly checking what they can safely express.
• A climate of censored expressionstifles essential truths and ideas crucial for a functioning democracy.
• Creative professionals—filmmakers, directors, and journalists—face legaland regulatory pressures that limit their work and social progress.

Government Overreach and Legal Concerns

• The Union governmenthas increasingly expanded control over online speech through:
  • The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
  • Amendmentsallowing social media platforms to be held accountable for flagged user content.
• Recent Supreme Court instructions(August 25, 2025) could further extend these powers.
• Hate speechand incitement to violence against minorities are already criminalized, offering legal recourse for legitimate grievances.
• Giving an executivewith a history of weaponizing speech and media regulations even more power is highly risky.

Role of the Judiciary

• Judicial pronouncementsciting “misuse of freedom of speech” as a justification may misunderstand the Court’s institutional role.
• The judiciary’s dutyis to protect rights under a clear constitutional framework, not act as an unchecked authority.
• Empowering the state excessivelyunder the guise of regulating speech risks undermining the balance of rights and liberties that define a democracy.

Conclusion

Judicial and executive overreach in policing online speech threatens the core principles of democracy. Protecting freedom of expression while addressing legitimate grievances is crucial. Excessive control can suppress dissent, art, and journalism, eroding social progress. The judiciary must act as a guardian of rights, not an unchecked authority, ensuring a balanced framework for a free and open society.

 

Editorial 2: ​The gender angle to India’s economic vulnerabilities

Context

U.S. tariffs jeopardising millions of women in labour-intensive sectors highlight the urgent need to empower women as economic agents.

Introduction

India’s economic ascent, now valued at $4.19 trillion, has secured its firm place in the global growth story. The country is on track to become the world’s third-largest economy. However, this momentum faces a significant disruption with the proposed 50% tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump on Indian exports. Targeting $40 billion in trade, these tariffs could reduce India’s GDP by nearly 1%, hitting labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, gems, leather, and footwear—industries that disproportionately employ women and form a crucial part of the country’s economic backbone.

Tariffs and Women’s Workforce Imperative

• Unlike China, which has managed S. tariffsthrough its manufacturing scale and diversified exports, India remains vulnerable.
• The S.accounts for 18% of India’s exports; any increase in tariffs could impose a 30%-35% cost disadvantage against competitors like Vietnam, leaving Indian exporters exposed.
• In this context, the saying holds true: “The strength of a nationlies in the strength of its women.”
• India’s failure to economically empower womenis not only a social concern but a strategic liability.
• Tariffsthreaten employment for millions of Indian women, particularly in sectors like textiles, gems, leather, and footwear, which employ nearly 50 million people.
• These sectors face a projected export decline of up to 50%.
• India’s female labour force participation rate (FLFPR)remains low, between 37% and 41.7%, far below the global average and China’s 60%.
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF)estimates that closing the gender gap could boost India’s GDP by 27% in the long term.
• However, this potential is limited by cultural constraints, policy inertia, and systemic barriers to employment.

The ticking clock

• India is nearing the peak of its demographic dividend, a period when the working-age populationfar exceeds dependents.
• This window of opportunity, likely closing by 2045, previously drove growth in China, Japan, and the U.S., which are now past their prime demographic advantageand experiencing flattening growth curves.
• To convert this fleeting dividendinto sustained prosperity, India must fully integrate women into the workforce.
• Rural women’s labour participationhas risen, but mostly in unpaid and low-productivity family work.
• In urban India, female workforce participationremains largely stagnant.
• Challenges such as safety concerns, unreliable public transport, poor sanitation, and the heavy load of unpaid care workcontinue to push women out of schools and jobs.
• India risks replicating the experience of Southern European economieslike Italy and Greece, where low female labour force participation (FLFPR) has caused a long-term drag on growth.
• The situation is urgent: this is a now-or-never momentfor inclusive economic action.

Lessons from abroad, solutions at home

• Global superpowersprovide a clear road map for women’s economic empowerment:
  • The S.leveraged women’s labour during World War II with equal pay and childcare support.
  • China’s post-1978 reformsincreased female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) to 60% through state-backed care and education initiatives.
  • Japanraised its FLFPR from 63% to 70%, boosting GDP per capita by 4%.
  • The Netherlandsimplemented a part-time work model with equal benefits, suitable for India where many women prefer flexible roles.
  • These countries invested in legal protections, care infrastructure, and skills training—areas where India currently lags.
• India’s focusshould shift from short-term populism or blanket cash transfers to structural reforms that empower women as economic agents.
• Karnataka’s Shakti schemeillustrates effective intervention:
  • Offers free public bus travelto women.
  • Since 2023, female ridershiphas risen by over 40%.
  • Enhances women’s mobilityfor work, education, and enterprise, especially in rural and peri-urban areas.
  • Improves access to job markets, reduces dependence on male family members, and increases autonomy.
• Targeted programmescan provide sustainable gains:
  • Tax incentivesfor female entrepreneurs.
  • Digital inclusion drives.
  • Gender-focused skilling platforms.
  • Formalising gig and part-time workvia updated labour codes and social protections can integrate millions of women into the formal economy.
• Urban Company, a leading gig platform, demonstrates empowerment through gig work:
  • Onboarded over 15,000 women service providers.
  • Monthly earnings of ₹18,000–₹25,000with accident insurance, maternity benefits, and skill development.
  • Emphasis on safety, training, and transparent payshows how semi-skilled urban women can benefit.
• Public sector initiativeslike Rajasthan’s Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme:
  • Generated over four crore person-days of work, with 65% of jobs going to women.
  • Offers flexible, neighbourhood-based jobsin sanitation, greening, and care work.
  • Enables first-time workers, particularly those restricted by domestic duties, to enter the workforce.
  • Demonstrates that state recognition and supportfor non-traditional work can unlock massive economic value.

Conclusion

The looming U.S. tariff shock should act as a stark wake-up call for India. The country’s economic vulnerabilities are not solely the result of external threats; they also arise from internal neglect, particularly in harnessing the potential of working-age women. Empowering women is far more than a social gesture—it is a growth imperative. It serves as the linchpin for demographic dividend utilisation, export competitiveness, and equitable development. For India to emerge as a true global powerhouse, its progress must be grounded on the contributions of both men and women. The nation stands at a crossroads: it can advance by investing in women, or it can stumble by ignoring them. One path promises resilience and inclusive growth, while the other risks missed opportunities and economic fragility.