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

EDITORIAL 1: The new techno-capitalism

Context

An important anniversary in India’s technological history passed largely unnoticed last week — the launch of the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) in 1975.

A collaboration

• A pioneering collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), SITE used the American ATS-6 satelliteto beam educational programmes in local languages to over 2,400 villages across six of India’s most underdeveloped states.
• The content included primary education, health awareness, agricultural practices, and national integration.
• SITE remains a landmark in the technological imagination of India’s developmental state.
• Following India’s 1974 nuclear test, Washington’s enthusiasm for technology cooperation gave way to non-proliferation anxieties. It would take three decades to overcome these disputes and rebuild bilateral trust.
• This effort culminated in the launch of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (ICET) under President Joe Biden in 2023, aimed at reinvigorating India-US cooperation in advanced technologies.
• Whether ICET can survive renewed political turbulence in the bilateral relationship — marked by differences on Russia, trade, and Pakistan — remains uncertain.
• Yet, a more structural challenge looms: The increasingly divergent trajectories of the Indian and American technology ecosystems.

The dynamic techno sector

• Over the past two decades, America’s dynamic technology sector has not only accelerated innovation but also given the US a strategic edge over its rivals.
• The US government continues to play a vital role — particularly in defence procurement and standard-setting— but increasingly acts as a catalyst rather than a controller.
• China, by contrast, has charted a different course. The Chinese state has pursued a centralised, mission-driven model of technological advancement.
• Despite starting later than India, China’s civilian space programme now competes with that of the USand is expanding its global footprint through initiatives like the Digital and Space Silk Roads.

India’s trajectory

• India’s own trajectory remains moored somewhere in between the American and Chinese models.
• Recent reforms have introduced greater dynamism into India’s space sector,but Delhi is still some distance from fully mobilising its private sector to secure a larger share of the global space economy or rejuvenating its higher education and scientific research establishments.
• While India finds its footing, the global tech landscape is being reshaped by dramatic developments in the US.In recent weeks, the Trump administration has unveiled two major initiatives — on AI and cryptocurrency — that symbolise a novel approach to techno-politics.

The Philosophy of techno-capitalism

• What emerges is a distinct philosophy of techno-capitalism: Unapologetically post-liberal, aggressively nationalist, fiercely deregulatory, and ambitiously expansionist.
• Trump’s 2025 AI policy prioritises dismantling regulatory barriers, building data infrastructure, promoting AI-led manufacturing, and mobilising hundreds of billions of dollars in public and private investment.
• Trump’s techno-capitalism also extends into financial innovation. The recently enacted “GENIUS Act” marks a decisive break from the Biden administration’s cautious approach to cryptocurrencies.
• The policy aims to reinforce the US dollar’s role as the world’s reserve currency and counter growing calls for “de-dollarisation,” including from BRICS nations.
• Today, we are witnessing the rise of a new state-capital compact—a “tech broligarchy” in which Silicon Valley elites and Washington collaborate to pursue technological supremacy not for utopian ends, but for strategic advantage.

The scenario in India

• India cannot remain untouched by these shifts.The celebrated Indian IT sector— long a symbol of the country’s global economic integration and a major contributor to its GDP—now faces serious vulnerabilities.
• As AI begins to automate many of the services that defined India’s IT outsourcing boom, traditional jobs may disappear or become obsolete.
• Add to this Trump’s growing hostility toward H-1B visas, and the threat to India’s digital workforce becomes even more acute.
• India’s ambition to be a major exporter of tech talent could also be undermined by the West’s rising techno-nationalism and hostility to immigration.
• The alliance between American populism and Silicon Valley could unravel over time due to internal contradictions or commercial rivalries.

Way forward

• For India, the imperatives are clear. There is an urgent need to overhaul the domestic tech sector, expand investment in scientific research, and better integrate private enterprise into national innovation strategies.
• The country must also prepare its industry, workforce, and regulatory institutions for a new era of technological transformation.

 

EDITORIAL 2: Heavy rainfall, rugged topography: What caused flash floods in Uttarkashi?

Context

At least four people died after flash floods and mudslides swept through Dharali village in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, recently. Several buildings, shops, and hotels were damaged.

Flash floods

• Flash floods are not uncommon in the upper hilly areas of Uttarakhand as they are often triggered by a cloudburst— a localised but intense rainfall activity.
• However, a cloudburst, in a technical sense, did not lead to flash floods on Tuesday, though most parts of the state received heavy rainfall over the past three days.
• The primary reason is the topography of the area, where heavy rainfall often results in landslides, sending mud and concrete into the rivers.
• These materials flow down with great force, accumulating momentum on the way, leading to flash floods downstream.

What is the topography of Uttarkashi?

• Uttarkashi district is located at a high elevation ranging between 800 and 6,900 metres above mean sea level.
• Large geographical areas are covered with snow throughout the year, and there are glaciers in many parts of the district.
• It has the upper reaches of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers,and contains their snowbound source region near Gangotri and Yamunotri respectively.
• There are also a series of high ridges, perennial rivers, and valleys in Uttarkashi.The rugged topography of the district features sharp undulations due to high mountains, narrow valleys, and deep gorges.
• The land slopes steadily towards the southwest, where the elevation in some valleys dips sharply — by as much as 800 metres.

How much rainfall does Uttarkashi receive annually?

• Since a large part of the district is situated on the southern slope of the Himalayas, monsoon currents generally penetrate through deeply trenched valleys.
• Rainfall is at its maximum during the southwest monsoon season (June to September),particularly in the southern part of the district.
• Uttarkashi receives about 1,289 mm of rain on average in a year. July is the district’s wettest month, during which it receives about 312 mm of rain on average.
• The district is prone to thunderstorms, which occur frequently in the hilly areas.

What led to flash floods?

• The topography, combined with the continuous rainfallover the past few days, probably created the perfect scenario for triggering mudslides, debris slides and flash floods as experienced on Tuesday.
• The increase in rainfall intensity owing to climate change has added to the pressure on glaciers and snow accumulated during the winter months. As a result, the deglaciation rate in the area has accelerated.
• Rainfall of any intensity, if continuous, recorded over such high altitudes where Uttarkashi is located, can be disastrous. That is because this region is built on layers of mudslides over the past several centuries.
• Uttarkashi district is situated along the southern Himalayan slope, where there is limited vegetation and no significant obstruction.
• Mild triggers such as rainfall or earthquakes can cause loose moraine and soil to easilyslither downhill, swallowing homes and roads along its path.

Why was this rain not a ‘cloudburst’?

• A cloudburst has a very specific definition: Rainfall of 100 mm or more in an hour over a roughly 10 km x 10 km area is classified as a cloudburst event, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• Rainfall across various meteorological stations in Uttarkashi was well below the threshold defined for a cloudburst, IMD data show.

Way forward

• The way forward involves adopting region-specific adaptation strategiesthat account for diverse factors such as topography and soil conditions, rather than focusing solely on extreme rainfall events.
• This approach can significantly improve early warning systems, enable targeted disaster preparedness, and support the development of long-term adaptation plans.