{"id":112829,"date":"2026-07-13T07:47:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T02:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=112829"},"modified":"2026-07-13T10:36:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T05:06:44","slug":"daily-editorial-analysis-13-july-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/daily-editorial-analysis-13-july-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily Editorial Analysis 13 July 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Five Crore Indians Wait When the Courts Take a Break<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The Indian judiciary is the guardian of the <strong>Constitution<\/strong>, <strong>rule of law<\/strong>, and <strong>fundamental rights<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Yet, it faces a severe <strong>judicial backlog<\/strong>, with over <strong>39 crore pending cases<\/strong> and millions of <strong>under trial prisoners<\/strong> awaiting justice.<\/li>\n<li>While judges deserve adequate rest due to their demanding workload, prolonged court vacations reduce judicial capacity when timely justice is most needed.<\/li>\n<li>Ensuring <strong>continuous court functioning<\/strong> is essential for strengthening public trust and improving access to justice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>The Challenge of Judicial Delays<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Human Cost of Delayed Justice<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The impact of delayed justice extends beyond statistics. Many under trial prisoners spend years in jail despite the <strong>presumption of innocence<\/strong>, often remaining incarcerated longer than the punishment they might have received after conviction.<\/li>\n<li>Such delays undermine individual liberty and weaken public faith in the justice system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Growing Case Backlog<\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>India&#8217;s courts continue to struggle with an enormous backlog that could take centuries to clear at the present disposal rate.<\/li>\n<li>Every pending case represents uncertainty for individuals, businesses, and society.<\/li>\n<li>The growing pendency has transformed judicial delay into both a legal and socio-economic challenge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Court Vacations: Balancing Rest and Responsibility<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Need for Judicial Rest<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Indian judges are among the most overworked in the world, managing heavy daily workloads while using vacation periods to write judgments and prepare pending matters.<\/li>\n<li>Adequate rest is therefore necessary to maintain judicial quality and independence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Institutional Continuity<\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>The concern lies not with judicial leave but with the simultaneous reduction in court functioning.<\/li>\n<li>Essential public services such as hospitals, police stations, and government offices continue operating through rotational staffing.<\/li>\n<li>Similarly, courts can ensure uninterrupted justice through staggered vacations, allowing judges to rest without significantly reducing judicial capacity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Structural Reforms for an Efficient Judiciary<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ending the Colonial Legacy<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Long court vacations are a <strong>colonial legacy<\/strong>, originally designed for British judges working in India&#8217;s climate.<\/li>\n<li>Although circumstances have changed, the practice largely continues.<\/li>\n<li>Merely renaming vacations as <strong>partial court working days<\/strong> without increasing effective sitting days does little to reduce pendency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Filling Judicial Vacancies<\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>A large number of <strong>judicial vacancies<\/strong>, particularly in the High Courts, further increases delays. Filling these positions would strengthen judicial capacity and improve case disposal.<\/li>\n<li>While appointments require coordination between the judiciary and the executive, improving the court calendar remains an immediate administrative reform.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Beyond Courts: Alternative Solutions<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Reducing the burden on courts requires greater use of <strong>Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)<\/strong> mechanisms such as <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/lok-adalats\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lok Adalats<\/strong><\/a>, <strong>mediation<\/strong>, and <strong>arbitration<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>These methods provide quicker, cost-effective, and less adversarial resolution of disputes, allowing courts to focus on complex constitutional and criminal matters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Leveraging the Expertise of Retired Judges<\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>The experience of <strong>retired judges<\/strong> remains a valuable national resource.<\/li>\n<li>Their expertise can support <strong>case management<\/strong>, identify procedural bottlenecks, monitor institutional reforms, and improve disposal rates without requiring them to resume regular judicial duties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>An effective judiciary depends on both <strong>judicial independence<\/strong> and <strong>institutional efficiency<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>The objective is not to eliminate judicial vacations but to ensure uninterrupted access to justice through staggered leave, filling judicial vacancies, expanding ADR mechanisms, improving case management, and utilising the expertise of retired judges.<\/li>\n<li>These reforms can reduce delays, strengthen <strong>public confidence<\/strong>, and uphold the constitutional promise of <strong>timely justice<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>In a constitutional democracy, justice must remain continuously accessible because <strong>justice delayed is justice denied<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Five Crore Indians Wait When the Courts Take a Break FAQs<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Q1. <\/strong>What is the main challenge facing the Indian judiciary?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> The Indian judiciary faces a massive judicial backlog and delays in delivering justice.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2.<\/strong> Why are long court vacations criticised?<br \/>\n<strong>Ans.<\/strong> They reduce court functioning and slow the disposal of pending cases.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3.<\/strong> What is meant by staggered vacations?<br \/>\n<strong>Ans.<\/strong> Staggered vacations allow judges to take leave in turns while courts continue functioning.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4.<\/strong> How can Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) help the judiciary?<br \/>\n<strong>Ans.<\/strong> ADR resolves disputes outside courts, reducing the burden on judges and speeding up justice.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5.<\/strong> Why should retired judges be involved in judicial reforms?<br \/>\n<strong>Ans.<\/strong> Retired judges can use their experience to improve case management and reduce delays.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/lead\/five-crore-indians-wait-when-the-courts-take-a-break\/article71214475.ece#:~:text=As%20of%20the%20last%20day,load%20in%20over%2030%20years.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hindu<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Judging Graduates, Not Entrance Scores<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The IITs remain among India&#8217;s most sought-after institutions, and admission through JEE ranks and GATE scores has long been seen as a mark of a student&#8217;s ability.<\/li>\n<li>Recruiters, too, have traditionally treated these entrance credentials as proxies for competence.<\/li>\n<li>Recently, however, the All IITs Placement Committee decided to exclude JEE ranks, GATE scores, and percentiles from standard placement resumes, a move that experts argue deserves wide support.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Why Entrance Rank Is Not Enough<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>An entrance exam captures performance on a single day, while a degree reflects years of learning, growth, and experience.<\/li>\n<li>Between JEE and placement lie classrooms, laboratories, projects, internships, teamwork, failures, and personal development.<\/li>\n<li>Continuing to privilege entrance rank at recruitment reduces the entire IIT experience to a mere interlude between JEE and employment, an unfair simplification for both student and institution.<\/li>\n<li>A meaningful assessment should instead examine whether a student has solved real problems, built prototypes, written code, contributed to research, and demonstrated workplace maturity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Alignment with NEP 2020<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The Committee&#8217;s decision aligns with the National Education Policy 2020, which calls for moving beyond an examination-dominated system toward developing critical thinking, creativity, ethical judgment, and holistic growth.<\/li>\n<li>If institutions are expected to build these capabilities, placement systems should recognise them too, rather than reverting to a single entrance score.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>The Bias Concern<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Entrance ranks can inadvertently reveal a student&#8217;s social category or admission route, since programme-level opening and closing ranks are often compared.<\/li>\n<li>Such inference, even if unintentional, can shape recruiter perception. The focus should shift to what a student can do now, not how they entered the institution.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Better Tools Already Exist<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Removing entrance ranks does not leave recruiters without filters.<\/li>\n<li>Employers already use more relevant instruments: CGPA\/CPI thresholds, technical interviews, coding tests, case discussions, design tasks, project reviews, research contributions, and behavioural assessments.<\/li>\n<li>It has long been recognised that JEE or GATE scores fail to reliably capture these workplace-relevant skills.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Protecting Student Well-Being<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Many IIT students are first-generation learners, from rural, non-English-medium, or economically disadvantaged backgrounds, who may need time to adjust but grow significantly over their years at the institution.<\/li>\n<li>When entrance ranks become embedded in recruitment hierarchies, they create anxiety and constant comparison among students.<\/li>\n<li>A fair placement process should let students showcase what they achieved years after their entrance score, not be defined by it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Distinguishing Admission from Recruitment<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Admission and recruitment serve different purposes: one decides entry into a programme, the other assesses current professional readiness.<\/li>\n<li>Conflating the two weakens both processes and unfairly extends the shadow of a single exam over a student&#8217;s entire career trajectory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Rethinking Salary Metrics<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The Committee&#8217;s related move away from publicising only the highest salary packages is also significant.<\/li>\n<li>Headline-grabbing top packages create a misleading impression, since they are often outliers.<\/li>\n<li>Median salary offers a more accurate picture of how the broader graduating cohort has fared, encouraging a healthier, more mature public conversation on campus placements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>This reform signals institutional maturity, judging students by what they became, not how they entered.<\/li>\n<li>A fair placement process values present competence over past rank, easing student anxiety while encouraging genuine growth.<\/li>\n<li>Other institutions should adopt this humane, evidence-based approach to campus recruitment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Judging Graduates, Not Entrance Scores FAQs<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Q1.<\/strong> Why have the IITs decided to remove JEE and GATE scores from placement resumes?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans:<\/strong> The decision ensures recruiters evaluate students on their current skills, academic achievements, projects and professional readiness rather than historical entrance examination performance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2.<\/strong> How does this reform align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans:<\/strong> It supports NEP 2020&#8217;s emphasis on holistic development, critical thinking, creativity and competency-based assessment instead of relying solely on examination scores.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3.<\/strong> Why can entrance ranks create bias during recruitment?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans:<\/strong> Entrance ranks may indirectly reveal social category or admission route, influencing recruiter perceptions instead of objectively evaluating a candidate&#8217;s present capabilities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4.<\/strong> What alternatives can employers use to assess IIT graduates?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans:<\/strong> Employers can rely on CGPA, technical interviews, coding assessments, project portfolios, research work, internships, case discussions and behavioural evaluations to judge professional competence.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5.<\/strong> Why is reporting median salary considered a better practice than highlighting the highest package?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans:<\/strong> Median salary reflects the placement outcomes of the broader graduating cohort, providing a more balanced and realistic picture than exceptional high-value offers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/judging-graduates-not-entrance-scores\/article71213818.ece#:~:text=Preparing%20oneself%20for%20work%20requires,Highest%20packages%20create%20headlines.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daily Editorial Analysis 13 July 2026 by Vajiram &#038; Ravi covers key editorials from The Hindu &#038; Indian Express with UPSC-focused insights and relevance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":86373,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[141,882,909],"class_list":["post-112829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-daily-editorial-analysis","tag-daily-editorial-analysis","tag-the-hindu-editorial-analysis","tag-the-indian-express-analysis","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112829"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112844,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112829\/revisions\/112844"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}