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

Editorial 1 : Not A Zero Sum Game

Context: Delimitation debate: It’s not democracy vs federalism

 

Introduction: The principle of democracy based on universal adult franchise lies at the foundation of the Union of India’s constitutional scheme. It is in the service of this principle that, until 1976, the number of seats in legislatures across the country was readjusted after every Census in independent India. During the Emergency, the number of seats in Parliament was frozen till 2001 so that population control measures could be implemented. Subsequent extensions delayed delimitation to 2026, creating a backlog.

 

Current Controversy

• Recent exchanges between Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin and Union Home Minister Amit Shah revived debates on delimitation.
• Delayed 2021 Census (now overdue by 5 years) adds urgency, as it is critical for delimitation and women’s reservation.
• Narrow Narratives
  1. North vs. South: Fears of Southern states losing political clout due to lower population growth.
  2. Gains vs. Losses: Perception that populous northern states will dominate post-delimitation.
  3. Subsidies Debate: Claims that economically developed southern states subsidize others.

 

Key Issues in the Delimitation Debate

• Democratic Representation vs. Federal Equity
  1. One Person, One Vote
     • Current disparities: A vote in Uttar Pradesh (high population) holds less weight than in Tamil Nadu (smaller constituencies).
     • Delimitation is necessary to uphold electoral equality.
  2. Federalism Concerns
     • Southern states argue delimitation would penalize success in population control and economic development.
     • Fear of reduced parliamentary representation despite higher fiscal contributions.
• Development & Demographic Divides
  1. Southern states’ progress linked to historical, political, and social factors, not just recent policies.
  2. Capital-rich vs. labour-rich states: Northern states supply labour, which is as critical as capital from the South.
• Political Trust & Central-State Relations
  1. States accuse the Centre of undermining federalism (e.g. through Governor interventions).
  2. Delimitation seen as another tool to centralize power.

 

Political & Cultural Concerns

• Anxieties of Marginalization
  1. Southern states worry about diminished influence in national policymaking.
  2. Cultural identity concerns tied to political representation.
• Women’s Reservation: Implementation of 33% reservation for women in legislatures is stalled, linked to delimitation and Census delays.

 

Way Forward and Conclusion

• Avoid Zero-Sum Framing: Representation and federalism must coexist; neither should dominate at the expense of the other.
• Census Urgency: Expedite delayed Census to provide data clarity for delimitation and women’s reservation.
• Rise Above Partisanship
  1. Parties must prioritize national cohesion over short-term electoral gains.
  2. Collaborative federalism needed to balance democratic equality and regional equity.

 

 

Editorial 2 : The India-EU Partnership

Context: Why India-Europe partnership matter

 

Introduction: At a time when ties between Europe and the United States are facing great pressure, a large delegation of European Commission College of Commissioners is in New Delhi for a two-day visit. The visit of the College of Commissioners marks a significant new phase in bilateral relations, as India and the EU enter the third decade of their Strategic Partnership.

 

A Deepening Relationship

1. India established diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community back in 1962.
2. The Joint Political Statement signed in 1993 and the Cooperation Agreement of 1994 paved the way for the strengthening of ties between India and Europe.
3. India-EU Summits: 15 held so far, the first Summit was held in Lisbon in June 2000, and the bilateral relationship was upgraded to a Strategic Partnership at the 5th Summit in The Hague in 2004.

 

Meetings and Initiatives

1. The India-EU Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025, was adopted at the last India-EU Summit in July 2020.
2. At the Leaders’ Meeting in May 2021, the two sides announced the resumption of negotiations for a comprehensive free trade and investment agreement, and an agreement on Geographical Indications. They also launched an ambitious Connectivity Partnership.
3. India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC)
   1. In 2022, Modi and von der Leyen announced the establishment of an India-EU TTC as a strategic coordination mechanism to tackle challenges at the nexus of trade, trusted technology, and security.
   2. It represents three significant pillars of India-EU cooperation:
      • Digital and Strategic Technologies
      • Clean and Green Technologies
      • Trade, Investments and Resilient Supply Chains

 

Trade and Investments

1. India and the EU have been negotiating a Free Trade Agreement for the last decade and a half.
2. Economic Argument: The EU is India’s largest trading partner in goods, and bilateral trade has increased 90% over the past decade.
3. Trade in Goods and Service

1. Bilateral trade in goods was $135 billion in FY 2023-24, with Indian exports to the EU accounting for $76 billion and imports for $59 billion.
2. Bilateral trade in services in 2023 stood at $53 billion, comprising Indian exports of $30 billion and imports of $23 billion.
   1. Investments
3. Cumulative Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows from the EU during the period April 2000 to September 2024 was $117.4 billion, which represented 16.6% of the total FDI equity inflow.
4. Indian FDI outflows to the EU are valued at approximately $40.04 billion for the period April 2000 to March 2024.

 

Technology cooperation

1. The technology partnership between India and the EU has assumed greater significance and urgency in view of China’s advancements in this field.
2. Bilateral science and technology cooperation is carried out within the framework of the Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement of 2007.
3. The India-EU Intent of Cooperation in High Performance Computing (HPC) was signed in November 2022, and in November 2023, the two sides signed a MoU on semiconductor R&D cooperation.

 

Green energy solutions

1. Under the India-EU Green Hydrogen Cooperation initiative, India was the exclusive partner country at the European Hydrogen Week in Brussels in November 2024.
2. The EU was a major partner in the International Conference on Green Hydrogen in Delhi that September.
3. European Investment Bank has committed to supporting Indian hydrogen projects with funding of 1 billion euros.

 

People-to-people ties

1. The growing Indian diaspora in the EU contains large numbers of students, researchers, and skilled professionals.
2. Indian professionals received the largest share — more than 20% — of EU Blue Cards issued in 2023-24.

 

Defence and Space

1. India and the EU are strengthening their defence cooperation, specially in maritime security and the Indo-Pacific region under ESIWA+ security programme.
2. The first joint naval exercises were held in October 2023 in the Gulf of Guinea. The two sides have stepped up cooperation on global security, natural disasters, piracy, and counter-terrorism.
3. Space
   1. Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO’s) PSLV successfully launched the EU’s PROBA-3 mission in December 2024.
   2. ISRO and the European Space Agency (ESA) have cooperated on the Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions, and signed an MoU for cooperation on Gaganyaan, India’s human spaceflight mission.

 

Conclusion: The India-EU partnership stands as a dynamic and evolving strategic alliance, marked by deepening economic, technological, and security ties. With robust trade, advanced technological collaborations, and initiatives in green energy, both sides are poised to drive mutual growth and innovation.