Editorials/Opinions Analysis For UPSC 01 July 2025

Content :

1. Roll crunch
2. Sheer negligence
3. In a perilous world, India must read the tea leaves well

Roll crunch

Context and Significance

• Indian elections witness high participation from the poor and marginalised, offering them a key political outlet.
• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has a strong track record of expanding voter access through simplified registration processes.

Relevance : GS 2(Elections -Reforms)

Practice Question : In light of the recent Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, critically examine the challenges of ensuring both electoral integrity and inclusiveness in India’s voter registration process. Suggest measures to balance these objectives effectively.
(15 marks, 250 words)

Special Intensive Revision in Bihar

• The ECI initiated a “Special Intensive Revision” of electoral rolls in Bihar before the October 2025 Assembly elections.
• The stated goal is to ensure a clean electoral roll by adding eligible and deleting ineligible voters (dead, migrated, or non-citizens).

Timeline and Procedural Issues

• The revision process is compressed into a short timeline: one month for document submission and one month for claims/objections.
• This tight schedule raises the risk of voter exclusion, particularly among disadvantaged groups.

Scale and Attrition

• Draft electoral rolls list 7.96 crore electors.
• 4.96 crore were on the 2003 roll, but approximately 1.8 crore have likely died or migrated.
• Thus, only about 3.16 crore are eligible for simplified verification; nearly 4.74 crore need to submit fresh documentation.

Documentation Challenges

• The verification process allows only 11 specific documents, many of which are not widely held in Bihar.
• Low birth registration rates and lack of educational or government-issued documents are common.
• Exclusion of more accessible documents like Aadhaar and ration cards is both puzzling and problematic.

Risk of Exclusion

• A large number of genuine voters may be disenfranchised due to documentation and time constraints.
• The burden falls disproportionately on the poor, rural, and less educated populations.

Recommendations

• The ECI should extend the revision timeline and implement a nationwide, phased approach.
• The entire exercise should be completed before the 2029 general election to avoid rushed disenfranchisement.
• Documentation requirements must be broadened to reflect ground realities and uphold electoral inclusiveness.

Sheer negligence

Recent Tragedy at Puri

• On June 29, during the Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha, a stampede resulted in 3 deaths and over 50 injuries.
• This was the ninth stampede in India in the last 12 months, six of which occurred at religious events.

Relevance : GS 3(Disaster Management)

Practice Question : Discuss how India’s entrenched VIP culture undermines public safety and egalitarianism, particularly in the context of large public gatherings. In your opinion, what reforms are necessary to ensure inclusive and secure event management?
(15 marks, 250 words)

Rath Yatra Context

• The Rath Yatra is a centuries-old annual religious procession where Lord Jagannath and his siblings are taken to Gundicha temple.
• Over 5 lakh pilgrims gather in a 3 km radius during the event.

Administrative Missteps

• Chariot pulling was paused due to an ‘unprecedented rush’, and Lord Jagannath’s chariot movement was deferred.
• 750 devotees were hospitalised in the interim due to heat stress and dehydration, indicating lack of basic facilities.

Crowd Management Failures

• A VIP entry gate was created by closing a common exit, forcing large crowds to move in both directions through a single corridor.
• This bidirectional flow led to excessive congestion and mounting pressure in the crowd.
• Ritual material trucks entered the zone around 4:20 a.m., shattering makeshift stalls and creating panic.

Broader Pattern of Neglect

• India has a recurring pattern of poor crowd control at public events, whether religious, political, or celebratory.
• Events are often held without protocols for thermal comfort, hydration, or safe passage, especially in peak summer.

VIP Culture as a Structural Problem

• The VIP culture worsens public safety by disrupting standard arrangements and prioritizing access for a few over the many.
• Separate VIP gates create avoidable chokepoints for general pilgrims.
• It reflects a deeper issue of privilege overriding planning and accountability.

Way Forward

• Crowd management must be scientifically planned using data, simulation, and real-time monitoring.
• VIP access should be minimized or scheduled at off-peak hours to avoid disruption.
• Ending entrenched VIP privilege is essential to ensure equitable and safe public spaces.

In a perilous world, India must read the tea leaves well

India’s Foreign Policy Crossroads

• India’s current foreign policy is under strain due to shifting global alliances and regional threats.
• The second Trump administration’s unpredictability has disrupted India’s balancing efforts.
• The recent India-Pakistan conflict is a stark reminder of the fragile security landscape.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations)

Practice Question :  India’s traditional foreign policy of strategic autonomy and equidistance is being challenged by evolving geopolitical realities. Critically evaluate India’s current foreign policy dilemmas with reference to the China-Pakistan nexus and the West Asian conflict. Suggest a way forward.
(15 marks, 250 words)

China-Pakistan Nexus

• The deepening military collaboration between China and Pakistan is a growing threat.
• Chinese systems are being seamlessly integrated into Pakistan’s defence, including advanced jets (J-10C, JF-17) and precision strike capability.
• India needs to undertake a granular analysis of this defence alignment and its implications for a two-front war.

West Asia and Neutrality Dilemma

• India’s fence-sitting approach in the Israel-Iran conflict is becoming increasingly untenable.
• With the US deploying bunker buster bombs against Iran, neutrality is no longer a safe or effective option.
• India’s historical non-alignment and equidistance have failed to secure goodwill or strategic advantage in recent crises.

Diminishing Diplomatic Returns

• India’s Global South leadership and moral diplomacy have yielded little during key geopolitical moments.
• Pakistan’s endorsement by US leadership during the recent crisis and India’s muted response has weakened India’s position.
• India risks becoming diplomatically isolated if it continues on the current path of cautious hedging.

Shifting Global Security Paradigms

• Increasing emphasis on ‘hard power’ and strategic deterrence at global platforms (e.g. Shangri-La Dialogue).
• US-China tensions over Indo-Pacific, Taiwan, and South China Sea directly affect India’s strategic space.

Internal Strategic Readiness

• India must assess its own military capabilities and prepare for prolonged high-intensity conflicts.
• Drawing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war, India needs reforms in:
  • Ammunition stockpiles
  • Cyber and electronic warfare
  • AI, loitering munitions, drone defences
• There is a need for a new National Armament System and Cyber Command akin to the UK’s recent restructuring.

China’s Strategic Thinking

• China’s 2024 White Paper on National Security stresses security as integral to development.
• It emphasizes technological self-reliance, border threats, and security of supply chains.
• India must decode and respond to this evolving strategic vision.

Nuclear Imbalance

• China holds a 3:1 advantage over India in nuclear warheads; this becomes 5:1 when combined with Pakistan.
• With nuclear rhetoric becoming more explicit in global discourse, India must reassess its deterrence posture.

Way Forward

• India must recalibrate its foreign policy to be more proactive, assertive, and strategically aligned.
• This includes:
  • Reevaluating neutrality doctrines.
  • Prioritising military and technological modernisation.
  • Engaging with like-minded partners more assertively.

Disclaimer : The views and opinions expressed here are based on the original article published in THE HINDU and do not reflect the official stance of Legacy IAS Academy. This content is provided solely for Academic purposes.