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

Editorial 1: Déjà vu

Context

Preparedness must go beyond relief—India must tackle monsoon vulnerabilities at the root.

Introduction

Heavy rainfall has unleashed widespread destruction across North India, exposing the growing unpredictability of the monsoon. From submerged villages in Punjab to breached rivers in Jammu & Kashmir and collapsing slopes in Himachal Pradesh, the impacts underline fragile infrastructure and weak preparedness. Labeling such disasters as “unprecedented” distracts from lessons, as recurring climate extremes demand urgent preventive strategies.

Widespread Destruction from Heavy Rainfall in North India

• Torrential rains have wreaked havoc across multiple states.
• Himachal Pradesh: Several districts cut off.
• Jammu & Kashmir: Over 40 deaths; swollen rivers breached flood marks in Srinagar and Anantnag.
• Punjab: Entire villages submerged; farmland destroyed.
• Delhi: Excessive rainfall caused Yamuna to surge.

Erratic Monsoon Patterns

• Southwest monsoon showing sharp swings in intensity and volume.
• August rainsarrived in concentrated bursts, causing:
  • Fragile Himalayan slopes to collapse.
  • Rivers to overflow in the plains.
  • Low-lying areas to flood.
• Pattern signals increasing unpredictabilityof monsoons.

Beyond Immediate Damage

• Short, intense spells of rain intensify:
  • Local erosion.
  • Destabilisation of mountain slopes.
  • Risks for settlements, even far from rainfall zones.
• Relief efforts must go beyond reactive measures.
• Recognition needed that concentrated, destructive rainfall is recurring, not rare.

Misguided Framing as “Unprecedented”

• Labeling each disaster as “unprecedented” prevents learning.
• Himalayan states continue:
  • Forest clearance.
  • Road wideningwithout slope-safe engineering.
• Shrinking catchments reduce natural buffers, raising:
  • Slope failure risk.
  • Silt buildup in rivers/dams → heavier flood loads.

Gaps in Preparedness and Warning Systems

• Despite disasters, early-warning & evacuation systems remain weak.
• Improvements in rain forecasting not effectively converted to ground-level alerts.
• Relief agencies act only after damage, with:
  • Inadequate drills.
  • Poorly pre-positioned supplies.
  • Limited community preparedness.

Development vs. Safety

• Governments pursue:
  • Strategic road projects.
  • Urban expansionin unstable landscapes.
• Climate-resilient infrastructure lags.
• Compensatory afforestation and rehabilitation fail to match original ecological quality.

Cumulative Impact

• Results visible as:
  • Denuded mountain slopes.
  • Shrinking catchment areas.
  • Populations exposed to higher risks.
• Relief operations dominate headlines and budgets, but:
  • Without sustainable infrastructure,
  • Landslide mitigation, and
  • Early-warning systems, the next monsoon will repeat the cycle of devastation.

Way Forward

• Shift needed from praising resilience after disastersto systematically reducing vulnerabilities beforehand.
• Priority: Sustainable planning, climate-resilient infrastructure, and disaster preparedness.

Conclusion

The escalating vulnerability of Himalayan states and flood-prone plains calls for stronger resilience planning. Mere relief operations after damage cannot suffice; instead, climate-resilient infrastructure, robust early-warning systems, and sustainable development must be prioritized. Shifting from reactive responses to systematic prevention is essential. Without urgent course correction, the next monsoon cycle will inevitably repeat the same cycle of loss and destruction.

 

Editorial 2: Building health for 1.4 billion Indians

Context

India’s health care is at a turning point — it must evolve from a privilege into a guaranteed right for every citizen.

Introduction

India’s health-care system is at a critical crossroads, with the dual challenge of expanding access for underserved populations while keeping care affordable amid rising costs. Meeting this goal requires a comprehensive and integrated framework—one that strengthens insurance coverage, leverages scale, embeds prevention within primary care, accelerates digital adoption, ensures regulatory clarity, and attracts sustained investment. By pursuing such a systemic and interconnected approach, India has the opportunity to design a health-care model that is not only inclusive and financially sustainable but also a global benchmark for innovation and equity.

Insurance as the foundation of affordability

• Pooling riskremains the most effective way to make costly care affordable. Even modest premiums of ₹5,000–₹20,000 (individuals) or ₹10,000–₹50,000 (families) can unlock coverage worth several lakhs, protecting households from catastrophic financial shocks.
• Despite this, penetration is low — only 15%–18% of Indiansare insured, with a premium-to-GDP ratio of 3.7%, far below the global average of 7%. Yet, opportunity is rising as gross written premiums stand at $15 billion (2024), projected to grow at 20%+ CAGR till 2030.
• Affordabilitycannot rely on insurance alone. True impact comes when payers, providers, and patients partner to expand coverage, promote prevention, and position insurance as a tool for everyday health security, not just emergencies.
• India has developed unmatched efficiency in care delivery— for example, MRI machines in India perform several times more scans daily than in the West, enabled by doctor-patient ratios, workflow design, and infrastructure use.
• The next challenge is to extend this efficiency to tier-2 and tier-3 cities, closing access gaps and setting a global benchmarkfor scale, innovation, and inclusion.
• Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY)has transformed access, covering nearly 500 million people with ₹5 lakh per family for advanced care. Its impact is evident, with timely cancer treatments rising nearly 90% for beneficiaries.
• To reach the next 500 million, expanding private hospital participationin government-backed schemes is crucial. Success depends on fair reimbursements and transparent processes, ensuring both provider viability and patient value.

Prevention as the most powerful cost-saver

• A study in Punjab revealed that even insured familiesfaced catastrophic expenses for outpatient care of diabetes, hypertension, and other NCDs.
• The solution lies in redesigning insuranceto cover outpatient and diagnostics, alongside a nationwide prevention campaign.
• Public participationis essential — people must adopt a preventive mindset, control risks, stay alert, and spread awareness. Every rupee invested in healthier lifestyles saves multiples in treatment costs, especially if schools, employers, communities, and citizens work together.
• India, an early adopter of telemedicine, is now leveraging Artificial Intelligencefor detecting early signs of illness, triaging diagnostic reports, and enabling remote consultations — improving outcomes and enhancing the productivity of medical staff.
• Digital healthis bridging access gaps: a specialist in metros can guide treatment for patients in distant villages.
• When combined with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, these innovations can ensure universal health recordsand continuity of care across the country, paving the way for inclusive, resilient health care.

Regulation and trust as the missing link

• Health-care innovations in India show promise, but challenges persist.
• Insurers in New Delhi are considering a 10–15% premium hikedue to pollution-driven respiratory illnesses, showing how environmental factors raise health-care costs.
• Without safeguards, rising costs could erode affordabilityfor millions.
• The Finance Ministryhas urged IRDAI to strengthen claims settlement and grievance redressal, recognising that trust drives insurance penetration.
• Without confidence in fair and transparent claims, households will not prioritise health insurance.
• Robust regulation, paired with fair pricing, is essential to deepen coverage and build confidence.
• In 2023, India’s health sector attracted $5.5 billionin private equity and venture capital, fuelling digital health, pharmacy networks, and hospitals.
• However, capital remains skewed toward metros, leaving smaller cities underserved.
• The true test lies in directing investment toward tier-2 and tier-3 cities, building primary networks, and training specialists, ensuring that growth leads to inclusive health care access.

Conclusion

India’s health care system stands at a crucial turning point. To truly serve its people, insurance must extend beyond hospitalization and cover everyday care, while providers scale their services more efficiently. A stronger focus on prevention can reduce long-term costs, and technology must be harnessed to expand equitable access. With coordinated investment and bold public–private partnerships, India can build a system that is not fragmented or exclusionary but universal, resilient, and sustainable. Health care must no longer be seen as a privilege; it should be secured as the right of every Indian.