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

Editorial 1: Realities behind the global experiment of ‘remote work’

Context

Once seen as the future of work, ‘Work from Home’ has turned out to be much more complex than expected.

Introduction

The rise of remote work, once seen as the future of jobs, has turned out to be more complex than expected. Around the world, many workers hope for the freedom and flexibility that working from home can offer. But in truth, only a smaller number actually get to enjoy it. This difference between what people want and what really happens is due to many reasons—such as social habits, managers being unsure, weak infrastructure, and the unseen difficulties of working away from a regular office.

Survey findings, gender issues

• The “Global Survey of Working Arrangements”(2024–2025), by the Ifo Institute and Stanford University, surveyed over 16,000 college-educated workers in 40 countries.
• Key finding: Regardless of location, workers express a strong desire for more remote workdays.
• United States, United Kingdom, Canada: Average 6 remote days per week.
• Much of Asia: Only 1 days on average, despite employees desiring significantly more.
• Africa and Latin America: Fall somewhere in betweenthe above regions.

Why Is Asia Lagging?

• In countries like India, China, Japan, South Korea:
  • Physical presencestill signals loyalty, discipline, and seriousness.
  • The culture of ‘presenteeism’remains strong.
• Practical barriersalso persist:
  • Cramped living conditions,
  • Shared households,
  • Unreliable Internet,
  • All make remote work unattractive or unfeasiblefor many.

Gender Dynamics

• In most regions, women, especially mothers, work remotely more often and desire it more stronglythan men.
• Remote work helps them balance paid jobs and caregiving roles.
• Survey Data (Ideal Remote Days per Week):
  • Mothers: 2.66 days
  • Childless women: 2.53 days
  • Fathers: Lower than mothers
• Only in Europedo men report slightly more actual remote days than women.

Empowerment or Necessity?

• Raises a key question:
  • Is women’s preference for remote work a sign of empowermentor a result of unequal household responsibilities?
• For many, remote work is not a choice, but a necessary survival toolto manage two full-time roles: employee and caregiver.

Men’s Changing Attitudes

• Many childless menprefer remote work for:
  • Personal freedom,
  • Time for health, hobbies, creativity,
  • Relief from office stress.
• The COVID-19 pandemicproved that productivity is possible without the office.
• Having experienced autonomy, many workers are now reluctant to give it up.

Reality vs. Desire

• Global idealfor remote work: 6 days per week.
• Actual average in 2024: 27 days— down from 1.33 days in 2023, and 1.61 in 2022.
• This reveals a growing gapbetween worker expectations and employer policies.

The unease of employers, health concerns

• Why the retreat from remote work?
  • Many employers remain uneasyabout the model.
  • Concerns include:
    • Decline in team spirit,
    • Loss of oversight and accountability,
    • Potential drop in innovation.
  • Some industries lack the tools or systemsto support remote success.
  • Deeply rooted office culture habitsstill influence decisions.
• But that’s only part of the picture:
  • The health risksof working from home are becoming more visible.
  • According to Statista Consumer Insights (2023):
    • Remote workers report more physical ailments—backaches, headaches, eye strain, and joint pain—compared to office or factory workers.
  • The mental tollis also serious:
    • Isolation,
    • Blurred work-life boundaries,
    • Constant digital connectivityall contribute to stress and fatigue.
  • Home environmentsoften:
    • Lack ergonomic design,
    • Are unsuited for sustained focus or mental well-being.
  • These hidden costs may explain why some companies are quietly reducing remote work options.
  • However, completely abandoning remote workwould mean ignoring its real benefits:
    • Greater autonomy,
    • Improved work-life balance,
    • Reduced commuting stress,
    • Higher job satisfaction.

Possible alternatives

• Workers, employers, and policymakersnow face a critical moment that calls for imagination and honesty.
• Hybrid work—a thoughtful mix of home and office time—offers the most balanced path for many roles.
• However, hybrid models alone are not enoughto address deeper challenges.
• Companies must:
  • Invest in making home offices safer and more productive,
  • Encourage healthy routines and regular breaks,
  • Set clear digital boundariesto protect employees from burnout.
• Governments must also adapt, especially in developing countries:
  • Ensure universal broadband access,
  • Provide stipendsfor home-office upgrades,
  • Enforce health and safety standardsfor remote work.
• These steps are urgently needed, particularly where infrastructure is weakand inequality risks growing.

Conclusion

Moreover, beneath the surface of remote work lies a deeper social reflection. The fact that women continue to shoulder most caregiving responsibilities even while working from home raises serious questions about the true state of gender equality. Can we genuinely claim progress if traditional roles persist under modern arrangements? At the same time, the increasing preference among men for remote work—often driven more by the desire for personal freedom than for family engagement—signals a shift in male workplace identities. Clearly, the global shift to working from home is not just about technological ease or flexibility. It acts as a mirror, exposing the lingering tensions between autonomy and isolation, trust and doubt, and freedom and control that define our evolving social fabric.

 

Editorial 2: ​China, India and the conflict over Buddhism

Context

The Himalayas are the real frontline in the rivalry between India and China, shaping borderland loyalties.

Introduction

While news headlines focus on China’s naval expansion in the Indo-Pacific and India’s responses, there is a quieter but deeper contest happening in the Himalayas. This high-altitude rivalry is slowly reshaping Asia’s future. The real geopolitical frontier between India and China isn’t in the sea, but in the mountains. And the core issue isn’t about oil, trade, or weapons — it is about faith.

Buddhism: From Sacred Tradition to Strategic Terrain

• What appears to be a spiritual tradition rooted in non-violence and mysticismhas, in today’s world, become a geopolitical battleground.
• Monasteries, once dedicated to meditation and scholarly learning, now stand at the frontlines of national and regional power contests.
• The reincarnation of lamasis no longer just a religious affair, but a question of political sovereignty and territorial influence.
• In sensitive regions like Ladakh, Tawang, and even Bhutan, Buddhist identityis now shaped by both the sacred and the strategic.
• The lines between spiritual allegianceand national loyalty are increasingly blurred, turning faith into a soft power tool in regional diplomacy.

China vs India: Competing Strategies Over Himalayan Buddhism

• Buddhism shapes identity, especially in Himalayan borderlands where national boundaries are unclear.
• China views Buddhism as a tool of statecraft— using religion to strengthen political control and territorial claims.
• Since the 1950s, China has:
  • Exiled independent lamasand undermined religious autonomy.
  • Co-opted monasteriesand institutions across Tibet.
  • Claimed the sole authority to approve reincarnationsof Tibetan spiritual leaders.
• In 2007, China declared all “Living Buddhas” must be state-approved, asserting that political authority defines spiritual legitimacy.
• China has expanded this approach by:
  • Creating a database of reincarnated lamas.
  • Monitoring monasteriesacross Tibetan regions.
  • Repurposing sacred sitesinto tools of soft power.
  • Hosting Buddhist diplomacy eventsto influence Himalayan monks’ loyalties.
• Meanwhile, India’s approach has been slower and more fragmented:
  • Hosting the Dalai Lama and Tibetan exile governmentsince 1959 gave India moral prestige, but not strategic gains.
  • In the last decade, India began promoting Buddha’s birthplaceand pilgrimage tourism.
  • However, India’s efforts lack the coherence and scaleof China’s.
  • Scholars note: India uses Buddhist diplomacy, whereas China uses Buddhist statecraft.

The Coming Succession Crisis and Its Geopolitical Ripples

• The current 14th Dalai Lama, now 90, has signaled he will reincarnate outside Chinese control, likely in India.
• In response, China will appoint its own Dalai Lamausing the “Golden Urn” method.
• This will result in two rival Dalai Lamas:
  • One backed by the Tibetan exile community and global Buddhists.
  • One installed in Lhasa, backed by Beijingand guarded closely.
• The schism will force Buddhist communities across the Himalayas— in:
  • Ladakh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nepal, and Bhutan— to choose sides.
• These spiritual choices will have strategic consequences:
  • If the Dalai Lama is in India, it strengthens New Delhi’s influence.
  • If he is based in Lhasa, China’s cultural and political pull may deepen.
• Already, the tug-of-war is visible:
  • In Arunachal Pradesh, China claims Tawang, the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama, using cultural logicto justify territorial claims.
  • In Nepal, China invests in Buddhist infrastructure, especially near Lumbini.
  • In Bhutan, Beijing courts monastic networks, even while Bhutan’s government maintains tight religious control.

Working on internal disagreements

• Buddhist Disputes as Strategic Opportunities:
  • Internal divisions within Tibetan Buddhismare increasingly being used for geopolitical purposes.
  • Example: The Karma Kagyu schoolhas two rival Karmapas, both claiming legitimate leadership.
    • China and Indiahave aligned with different factions, turning a spiritual rift into a proxy conflict.
  • The Dorje Shugden sect, rejected by the Dalai Lama, has found support from Chinese authoritiesaiming to undermine the Tibetan exile leadership.
• More Than a Religious Dispute:
  • This is not just about doctrinal differences— it’s about control over legitimacy.
  • Whoever defines religious legitimacy also influences loyalties of border communities, especially in sensitive areas like Ladakh.
  • India’s challenge: Prevent spiritual allegiance from shifting toward foreign-backed Buddhist factions, particularly those across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• Soft Power as Hard Power in the Himalayas:
  • While these dynamics may seem like mere religious symbolism, they have strategic impact.
  • In the Himalayas, where access is limited and infrastructure sparse:
    • A monastery switching allegianceis a strategic loss.
    • A high lama pledging loyalty to Chinacan tilt influence in entire valleys or districts.
  • The High-Stakes Future After the Dalai Lama:
    • The issue of successionwill become a global concern.
    • Countries with large Buddhist populations — Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Bhutan— may be pressured to take sides.
    • For India, hosting the next Dalai Lamawill bring both:
      • A chance to strengthen spiritual and regional influence,
      • And the risk of intense diplomatic pressure from China.

Conclusion

In this ongoing story, the Himalayas are not just a remote region—they are the main stage. The monasteries in the clouds, the chanting monks, and the spinning prayer wheels are not just old traditions, but now act as tools of influence in a changing world. This is where India and China are already in competition—not with missiles, but over a spiritual leadership battle. That’s why, even as the world focuses on possible clashes in the Indo-Pacific seas, the real battlefield may be much higher—among the mountains, where spiritual beliefs and geopolitics come together. The next major contest between Asia’s two powers might not involve submarines or fighter jets, but rather prayer beads (threngwas) and the question of reincarnations.