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

 

Editorial 1 : US Foreign Policy Realignment

Context:

The US National Security Strategy (NSS) 2025 marks a shift from post-Cold War internationalism to an inward-looking “America First” approach, impacting global power dynamics and India’s strategic space.

Introduction:

The NSS 2025, guided by the MAGA agenda, prioritizes nationalism, economic security, selective engagement, and civilizational pluralism over liberal universalism. It reshapes US foreign policy priorities in the Western Hemisphere, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, emphasizing burden-sharing, managed competition with China, and redefining partnerships. For India, this represents both challenges and opportunities in trade, defence, and regional diplomacy.

Key Takeaways

• Shift in Regional Priorities – Western Hemisphere Focus:
  • NSSemphasizes Latin America and the reassertion of the Monroe Doctrine.
  • US aims to end decades of neglect in its near abroad.
  • Implications for India:Reduced US focus elsewhere may allow India more strategic freedom in Asia, Africa, and the Indian Ocean region.
• Selective Engagement in Eurasia:
  • US will act decisively only where core interests are at stake; it will no longer act as the “global policeman.”
  • Implications for India:Greater responsibility in regional security; encourages burden-sharing among regional powers, especially in the Indo-Pacific.
• Civilisational Pluralism Over Liberal Universalism:
  • Nations have sovereign rights to choose their own political and economic paths; America will not attempt to reshape other countries.
  • Aligns with India’s long-standing policy of non-interference and respect for sovereignty.
• Economic Nationalism and Security:
  • NSS prioritizes industrial revival, reshoring, trade balance, and protectionist measures like tariffs.
  • US evaluates partnerships primarily through economic advantage rather than geopolitical sentiment.
  • Implications for India:Impact on bilateral trade relations, investment flows, and strategic economic diplomacy.
• New Dynamics in Great-Power Relations:
  • Russia and China are no longer treated as existential threats.
  • Potential US-Russia rapprochement may be strategically beneficial for India.
  • US-China relations remain tense due to China’s rise as a “near-peer” competitor, creating both opportunities and challenges for India.
• Europe and Asia – Divergent Approaches:
  • Europe:Critique of liberal polities, support for right-wing movements, emphasis on national sovereignty, and challenge to EU supranationalism.
  • Asia:Indo-Pacific remains vital; US encourages allies like India, Japan, Australia to share security responsibilities; managed US-China competition recognized.
  • Implications for India:India’s strategic autonomy is enhanced; importance of Quad and engagement with ASEAN grows.
• Middle East and Emerging Domains:
  • Oil is no longer the primary driver of US engagement; focus shifts to nuclear energy, AI, and defence technologies.
  • Implications for India:Gulf energy security and technology collaborations remain strategically important.
• Opportunities and Challenges for India:
  • India retains greater freedom of action as a non-treaty partner of the US.
  • Must strengthen military deterrence, deepen diplomatic ties with US, Europe, Russia, China, and key Indo-Pacific partners.
  • Highlights India’s potential to assume a larger role in shaping Asian geopolitics and global strategic balance.

Way Forward:

• Strengthen military and strategic deterrenceto leverage increased regional autonomy.
• Deepen engagement with the US, Quad partners, ASEAN, and key Asian players while balancing China relations.
• Diversify diplomatic, trade, and technology partnerships to navigate economic nationalism.
• Enhance regional leadershipin Indo-Pacific and South Asia while maintaining stable ties with Europe and Russia.
• Proactively align India’s foreign policywith emerging global power shifts to safeguard national interests.

Conclusion:

The NSS 2025 reflects a decisive shift in American foreign policy, emphasizing nationalism, selective engagement, and economic security over liberal universalism. For India, it presents both opportunities and challenges: the need to take greater responsibility for regional security, strengthen military and economic capabilities, navigate US-China-Russia dynamics, and actively engage with global and regional partners. India’s strategic autonomy and diplomatic agility will be key to leveraging the new US strategy for national interest.

 

Editorial 2 : Small enterprises, big jobs

Context:

India’s employment challenge is not only about creating jobs but also about improving productivity and growth in its millions of small and unincorporated enterprises.

Introduction:
India’s employment landscape is dominated by small and unincorporated enterprises, which employ the majority of the workforce but operate with low productivity, limited capital, and minimal technological adoption. While policy discussions often emphasize large industries and government programmes as drivers of job creation, the real engine of employment lies in enabling these micro and small enterprises to grow, formalize, access credit, and adopt technology. Focusing on this segment is essential for sustainable, inclusive, and broad-based economic growth.

Key Insights:

• Employment Structure in India:
  • Over 12 crore workersare employed across 3 crore non-agricultural enterprises in 2023-24.
  • Own Account Enterprises (OAEs), which do not hire workers, form 87% of enterprises.
  • Hired Worker Enterprises (HWEs), though a small fraction, contribute disproportionately to Gross Value Added (GVA), highlighting that self-employment is often driven by necessity rather than entrepreneurial dynamism.
• Enterprise Growth and Employment Generation:
  • A 10% increase in GVAamong small enterprises correlates with a 5% rise in hired workers, showing that productivity growth directly drives job creation.
  • Upgrading OAEs into HWEs can significantly expand employment opportunities, given that nearly nine out of ten enterprises currently hire no workers.
• Challenges Faced by Small Enterprises:
  • Low formalisation:Many micro-enterprises avoid registration due to perceived costs outweighing benefits, limiting access to government schemes.
  • Limited access to credit:Only 10–12% of unincorporated enterprises have formal loans. Access to institutional credit can transform productivity—for medium-sized enterprises, GVA can rise by 72%, and for large enterprises, more than threefold.
  • Technology adoption:Use of ICT tools improves efficiency, with gains more pronounced for larger firms. Micro-enterprises adopting digital payments, online marketplaces, or basic IT tools can enhance growth.
• Policy Implications:
  • Enhancing ease of doing businessto encourage formalisation.
  • Providing differentiated and stage-appropriate creditbeyond microloans to working and growth capital.
  • Expanding digital inclusion programslike Digital MSME, ONDC, UDYAM, and DISHA, with skills training and local handholding support.
  • Integrating vocational training and skill developmentinto enterprise growth strategies to boost productivity.

Way Forward:

• Formalisation Drive:Reduce compliance costs, simplify registration, and incentivize enterprises to move from the informal to formal sector.
• Credit Expansion:Link credit to enterprise maturity stages, providing microcredit for subsistence, working capital for stabilization, and growth capital for expansion.
• Technology Adoption:Promote digital tools, e-commerce platforms, and digital payments for micro and small enterprises, with training and mentorship to maximize impact.
• Skill Development:Strengthen vocational education aligned with enterprise needs, including digital literacy, financial management, and market linkages.
• Monitoring and Evaluation:Regular data collection through surveys like ASUSE and impact assessment of schemes to ensure policies are results-oriented.
• Integrated Ecosystem Approach:Coordination between ministries (MSME, Skill Development, Finance, IT) to create an ecosystem that promotes enterprise growth, productivity, and employment simultaneously.

Conclusion:
India’s employment challenge lies not in creating more jobs alone, but in enhancing the productivity and formalisation of small enterprises. By focusing on credit access, technology adoption, skill development, and stage-appropriate support, OAEs can transition into HWEs, unlocking substantial employment potential and driving inclusive economic growth.