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

 

Article 1: We Need to Keep Children Safe from Social Media Harms

Why in News: Growing evidence of rising mental health problems among children and Australia’s ban on social media for those under 16 have renewed debate in India on regulating children’s access to social media.

Key Details

A tragic incident in Ghaziabad involving minors has highlighted the psychological risks of excessive online gaming and social media use.

Australia became the first country to ban social media for children below 16 years, placing legal responsibility on companies for age verification.

Research shows social-media algorithms promote addictive engagement, worsening anxiety, loneliness, and suicidal tendencies among children.

India faces an urgent policy choice as smartphone penetration and social media usage among adolescents rise rapidly.

Children’s Mental Health and Digital Exposure

Rising Psychological Distress: Studies across countries show increasing cases of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation among adolescents during the last decade, coinciding with mass adoption of smartphones and social media.

Loneliness Paradox: Despite being digitally connected, young people report higher levels of loneliness, as online interactions increasingly replace real-world friendships and family engagement.

Indian Context: Recent surveys indicate a rise in stress and behavioural disorders among Indian adolescents, especially in urban areas, linked to excessive screen time and online dependence.

Tragic Reminders: Incidents like the Ghaziabad case underline how unresolved conflicts over online addiction can escalate into severe mental health crises.

Neuroscience of Adolescence and Vulnerability

Developing Brain Structure: Adolescence is a critical phase of brain development, particularly in regions governing impulse control, emotions, and decision-making, making children more susceptible to addictive stimuli.

Reward Pathway Activation: Social media triggers dopamine-driven reward circuits similar to alcohol, tobacco, and gambling, increasing compulsive usage among children.

Peer Comparison Effect: Adolescents are biologically primed to seek peer approval, making algorithm-driven likes, shares, and curated images particularly harmful to self-esteem and body image.

Scientific Consensus: This neurological vulnerability explains why societies impose age limits on substances and activities that can lead to addiction and long-term harm.

Role of Social Media Algorithms

Profit over Protection: Social-media platforms use algorithms designed to maximise user engagement, often at the cost of mental well-being, especially for younger users.

Amplification of Harmful Content: Algorithms tend to push extreme, sensational, or appearance-focused content, intensifying anxiety, social comparison, and dissatisfaction.

Corporate Awareness: Evidence from global investigations and court filings suggests companies are aware of these harms but continue such practices to maximise profits.

Parallels with Tobacco Industry: Like tobacco companies in the past, tech firms have questioned scientific evidence and shifted responsibility onto users and parents.

Global Policy Responses

Australia’s Landmark Ban: Australia has banned social media for children under 16, mandating companies to verify users’ age and allowing parents to sue firms for violations.

Other Countries Moving Ahead: Nations such as the US, UK, Japan, and South Korea are considering stricter regulations due to worsening youth mental health indicators.

Failure of Self-Regulation: Existing platform age limits (often 13 years) are weakly enforced, with estimates showing nearly 40% of 8–12-year-olds using social media in some countries.

Shift in Accountability: Global trends increasingly place responsibility on tech companies rather than families alone.

India’s Case for Early Action

Demographic Advantage: ASER 2024 reports that only about one-third of rural adolescents below 16 own smartphones, making this an opportune moment for preventive regulation.

Protecting the Youth Dividend: India’s economic future depends on a healthy, productive youth population, which excessive digital addiction threatens.

Rising Mental Health Burden: Early signs of increased emotional and behavioural disorders among Indian youth demand policy intervention rather than delayed response.

State Responsibility: Child protection is a constitutional obligation under Articles 15(3), 39(f), and the Right to Life (Article 21).

Conclusion

India must adopt a child-centric digital safety framework, including age-based restrictions, mandatory age verification, algorithmic accountability, and digital literacy for parents and schools. Protecting children from social-media harms is not a denial of rights but an affirmation of the state’s duty to safeguard mental health, dignity, and future potential. A timely intervention will ensure that India’s demographic dividend is nurtured, not compromised, by unchecked technological exploitation.

EXPECTED QUESTIONS FOR UPSC CSE

Prelims MCQ

1. Adolescents are more vulnerable to social media addiction primarily because:

(a) They lack digital literacy

(b) Their brains are undergoing critical developmental changes

(c) Social media is universally harmful

(d) Parents do not regulate screen time

Answer: (b)

Descriptive Question

1. Discuss the impact of social media algorithms on children’s mental health. Examine the need for regulatory intervention in India. (GS 2&3; 150 Words, 10 Marks)

 

Article 2: Budget Makes Good Moves on the Textile Economy

Why in News: The Union Budget 2026 has repositioned the textile sector as a strategic engine of growth, employment, and exports through an integrated value-chain approach.

Key Details

Budget 2026 announced multiple initiatives such as the National Fibre Scheme, Textile Expansion and Employment Scheme, Text-ECON, and Samarth 2.0.

Focus has shifted from fragmented schemes to a value-chain based textile strategy.

Emphasis on mega textile parks, artisan inclusion, skill development, and export competitiveness.

Concerns remain regarding branding, design ownership, artisan income security, and global competition.

Strategic Importance of the Textile Sector

Employment Generator: Textiles employ over 45 million workers directly and around 100 million indirectly, making it the second-largest employer after agriculture.

Export Backbone: India is among the world’s top textile producers, contributing nearly 11% of total merchandise exports, spanning cotton, man-made fibres, garments, and handicrafts.

Cultural and Regional Spread: From handloom clusters in the Northeast to powerloom hubs in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, textiles support regional balance and inclusive growth.

Link with MSMEs: Over 80% of textile units are MSMEs, making the sector vital for decentralised industrialisation.

Budget 2026: Shift Towards a Value-Chain Approach

From Fragmentation to Integration: Earlier policies addressed isolated issues like subsidies or incentives; Budget 2026 links fibre, production, skills, artisans, and exports into one ecosystem.

National Fibre Scheme: Aims to ensure sustainable raw-material availability, including cotton, man-made fibres, and technical textiles, reducing import dependence.

Textile Expansion & Employment Scheme: Targets scale expansion and job creation, especially in labour-intensive garment manufacturing.

Text-ECON Initiative: Focuses on competitiveness through technology upgradation, compliance standards, and logistics efficiency.

Infrastructure Push: Mega Textile Parks & Clusters

Challenge Mode Textile Parks: New mega textile parks are proposed to consolidate spinning, weaving, processing, and garmenting at one location.

Cost Reduction & Efficiency: Integrated parks reduce logistics costs, power inefficiencies, and time delays, improving global competitiveness.

Attracting Investment: World-class infrastructure encourages FDI and private capital, especially in MMF and technical textiles.

Global Benchmarking: Such parks mirror successful models seen in Vietnam and Bangladesh, helping India compete on scale.

Artisan Economy & Gram Swaraj Initiative

Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj Initiative: Aims to strengthen khadi, handloom, and handicrafts through better branding, training, and market access.

Cultural Capital: India’s textile strength lies not only in factories but in its living craft traditions, supporting rural livelihoods.

Women & Informal Workers: Artisan sectors employ a high proportion of women and informal workers, advancing inclusive development.

Limitations: Despite focus, issues of pricing power, income security, and market intermediaries remain unresolved.

Skills & Samarth 2.0: Progress and Gaps

Operational Skill Focus: Samarth 2.0 prioritises training in machine operation, quality control, and factory productivity.

Need for Creative Skills: Global textile value increasingly lies in design, fashion forecasting, branding, and merchandising, which remain underdeveloped.

Managerial & Systems Skills: Absence of training in supply-chain management, sustainability compliance, and digital platforms limits competitiveness.

Design Leadership Deficit: Without nurturing creative authorship, India risks remaining a cost-based supplier, not a value-setter.

Global Trade Environment: Opportunities and Risks

Trade Agreements: FTAs can improve market access but also expose Indian producers to subsidised and low-cost imports.

Rising Competition: Countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam enjoy preferential trade terms and lower production costs.

Compliance Pressure: Global markets demand adherence to ESG norms, labour standards, and sustainability certifications.

Beyond Scale: Infrastructure alone is insufficient; brand creation, standards compliance, and design differentiation are critical.

Conclusion

Budget 2026 marks a turning point in textile policy, recognising the sector as central to India’s economic and social fabric. However, the next phase must move from producing more to valuing better. Strengthening design ecosystems, ensuring artisan income security, promoting brand ownership, and building creative and managerial skills will be essential for India to move up the global textile value chain. Only then can textiles become not just a manufacturing success, but a value-driven global industry for India.

EXPECTED QUESTION FOR UPSC CSE

Descriptive Question

1. Discuss how Budget 2026 marks a shift in India’s textile policy from fragmented schemes to a value-chain based approach. What gaps still need to be addressed? (GS 3; 150 Words, 10 Marks)

 

Article 3: Tax Cuts on Cancer Drugs: A Relief, But Not a Complete Solution

Why in News: The Union Budget 2026 announced customs duty exemption on 17 cancer therapies, aiming to improve affordability of high-cost targeted and immunotherapy drugs.

Key Details

Customs duty was removed on 17 advanced cancer medicines, including targeted therapies and immunotherapies.

Similar exemptions were announced in previous budgets and GST Council decisions for cancer and rare disease drugs.

Despite tax cuts, monthly treatment costs remain extremely high, often ₹2–3 lakh per patient.

Limited insurance coverage and high out-of-pocket expenditure continue to burden households.

Rising Cancer Burden in India

Growing Disease Load: India reports nearly 14–15 lakh new cancer cases annually, with late-stage diagnosis common due to poor screening and awareness.

Shift Towards Advanced Therapies: Modern cancer care increasingly relies on targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and CAR-T treatments, which improve survival but are cost-intensive.

Chronic Nature of Treatment: Many cancers now require long-term or lifelong medication, converting cancer into a chronic financial burden.

Urban–Rural Divide: Access to advanced oncology care remains concentrated in urban tertiary hospitals, increasing travel and non-medical expenses.

Measure: Customs Duty Exemption on Cancer Drugs

Scope of the Announcement: Customs duty was removed on 17 high-end cancer drugs, including Venetoclax, Ribociclib, CAR-T therapy agents, and immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Policy Continuity: The move builds on earlier steps—custom duty exemption on 37 medicines (2025), interim budget reliefs, and GST removal on 36 therapies.

Expected Price Impact: Experts estimate monthly savings of ₹20,000–₹25,000 per patient, depending on dosage and therapy duration.

Government’s Intent: The policy aligns with the objective of making life-saving drugs accessible and reducing the cost of imports for patented medicines.

Limited Relief for Patients: Ground Reality

High Absolute Costs Persist: Even after duty cuts, drugs like Venetoclax cost ₹75,000–₹1 lakh per month, while total monthly treatment often reaches ₹3 lakh.

Marginal Relative Savings: When expenses run into lakhs, small reductions do not substantially change affordability for middle- and low-income families.

Delay in Relief Funds: Government relief schemes such as PM or CM relief funds are often slow, uncertain, and time-consuming for rapidly progressing diseases like cancer.

Emotional and Economic Stress: Families frequently face job loss, asset sales, and debt due to prolonged treatment cycles.

Insurance Coverage Gaps in Cancer Care

Low Insurance Penetration: Only about 20% of Indians are covered by social health schemes, while 30% have no health cover at all.

Ayushman Bharat Limitations: Although Ayushman Bharat covers around 50% of the population, many advanced therapies fall outside standard package rates.

Sub-limits on Advanced Therapies: Immunotherapy and targeted treatments are often capped at ₹2 lakh or 50% of sum insured, despite costs of ₹2–6 lakh per cycle.

Rapid Exhaustion of Coverage: Insurance amounts like ₹10 lakh may last only 3–4 months for patients on high-cost regimens.

Patent Protection and Drug Pricing Structure

Monopoly Pricing: Many exempted drugs are under patent protection, with only one global manufacturer, keeping prices high.

Role of Generics: Prices are expected to fall significantly once patents expire and Indian generic manufacturers enter the market.

Dosage Dependency: Higher dosage requirements (e.g., 400 mg/day vs 100 mg/day) sharply raise costs, limiting the real benefit of duty exemptions.

Insurance Advantage: Lower drug prices help insured patients by allowing coverage to stretch longer, improving treatment adherence.

India’s Healthcare Financing Challenge

High Out-of-Pocket Expenditure: Around 60–70% of healthcare spending in India is borne directly by households.

Health Spending Levels: India spends about 2.1% of GDP on public health, lower than many comparable economies.

Catastrophic Health Expenditure: Cancer remains a leading cause of medical impoverishment, pushing families below the poverty line.

Equity Concerns: Advanced treatments risk becoming accessible only to a small, affluent section of society.

Conclusion

Customs duty exemptions on cancer drugs are a positive but insufficient step. A sustainable solution requires expanding insurance coverage for advanced therapies, faster disbursal of public relief funds, promotion of domestic manufacturing of patented drugs, and higher public investment in health. Without structural reforms, tax cuts alone cannot ensure equitable access to life-saving cancer treatments.

EXPECTED QUESTIONS FOR UPSC CSE

Prelims MCQ

1. Customs duty exemption on cancer drugs primarily aims to:

(a) Promote exports

(b) Reduce treatment costs of advanced therapies

(c) Encourage private hospitals

(d) Replace insurance schemes

Answer: (b)

Descriptive Question

1. Critically examine the effectiveness of tax exemptions on cancer drugs in improving healthcare affordability in India. (GS 2&3; 150 Words, 10 Marks)