


{"id":55527,"date":"2025-07-18T12:24:50","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T06:54:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=55527"},"modified":"2025-10-07T16:20:59","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T10:50:59","slug":"daily-editorial-analysis-18-july-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/daily-editorial-analysis-18-july-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily Editorial Analysis 18 July 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"feed_item_title\"><strong>A Better Terror Fight With J&amp;K Police Under Elected Government Reins<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div class=\"feed_item_content\">\n<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>In June 2025, Jammu and Kashmir\u2019s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha reaffirmed the government&#8217;s focus on eliminating terrorism from the region.<\/li>\n<li>Addressing police cadets at Sher-e-Kashmir Police Academy, Udhampur, he urged the J&amp;K Police to combine modern technology, intelligence, community engagement, and inter-agency coordination with traditional beat policing methods.<\/li>\n<li>Against this backdrop, the present article highlights J&amp;K\u2019s evolving security strategy and counter-terrorism efforts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>The Central Role of Local Police in J&amp;K\u2019s Counter-Terror Efforts<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Lieutenant Governor of J&amp;K rightly stressed the importance of the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JAKP) in fighting terrorism.<\/li>\n<li>This highlights a well-established fact:\u00a0<u>local police are the backbone of counter-terror operations, while central forces can only play a supporting role<\/u>.<\/li>\n<li>The JAKP\u2019s strength lies in its deep familiarity with the region\u2019s terrain, demography, and strong community ties, which enable better human intelligence (HUMINT).<\/li>\n<li>The April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror strike, where attackers remain at large, underscores gaps in such local intelligence.<\/li>\n<li>Addressing these gaps is essential to prevent future attacks. For this, continuous functional improvement of the JAKP is necessary, including ensuring its command is accountable to an elected government.<\/li>\n<li>Local representatives\u2014sarpanches and MLAs\u2014are trusted by the community and often possess vital information about terrorist activities, making their involvement in the security framework crucial for long-term peace and stability in the region.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Restoring Democratic Structures for Stronger Security in J&amp;K<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Jammu and Kashmir has a strong tradition of democratic participation, especially in local body elections.<\/li>\n<li>However, due to prolonged security challenges, elected local representatives have rarely been given real authority as outlined in constitutional provisions.<\/li>\n<li>To strengthen counter-terrorism efforts,\u00a0<u>it is essential to restore and activate all levels of democratic governance<\/u>\u2014from panchayats and municipal bodies to MLAs and Members of Parliament\u2014making them accountable for security alongside the police.<\/li>\n<li>Without this, there is a risk of growing indifference among both leaders and the public, weakening local support against terrorism.<\/li>\n<li>Policymakers must promote structured dialogue between police forces and local leaders to share information, address community concerns, and enhance public safety.<\/li>\n<li>Given the region\u2019s varied challenges\u2014such as the mix of local and foreign terrorist elements\u2014solutions must be tailored locally rather than applying a uniform strategy.<\/li>\n<li>The JAKP, with its grassroots presence through local police stations, plays a crucial role in connecting governance with security, and this partnership needs to be reinforced for more effective outcomes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Empowering Elected Leaders for Inclusive Security in J&amp;K<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Keeping elected representatives outside Jammu and Kashmir\u2019s security framework weakens both governance and counter-terrorism efforts.<\/li>\n<li>Restoring the JAKP under the control of an elected government would enhance accountability and ensure policing strategies reflect community needs and concerns.<\/li>\n<li>Elected officials serve as a crucial link between the police and the public, helping build trust and cooperation essential for effective law enforcement.<\/li>\n<li>While holding Assembly and parliamentary elections acknowledges people\u2019s democratic rights, true participatory governance requires involving these leaders in security matters, moving beyond a top-down, elitist approach.<\/li>\n<li>Without this inclusion, Lieutenant Governor\u2019s vision of meaningful community engagement will remain incomplete.<\/li>\n<li>Strengthening local democratic involvement is key to improving both governance and the region\u2019s overall security situation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"feed_item_title\"><strong>The Parameters of \u2018Success\u2019 in Bihar\u2019s Poll Roll Revision<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"feed_item_content\">\n<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Success, whether individual or institutional, is an elusive concept<\/strong>\u00a0and measuring it requires more than tallying outputs; it demands an evaluation of outcomes, processes, and legitimacy.<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>distinction between the desire to be successful and the desperation to demonstrate success underscores the tension<\/strong>\u00a0many organisations face when their performance is under scrutiny.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nowhere is this truer than in democratic institutions,<\/strong>\u00a0where credibility is both a function of competence and perception.<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>recent controversy surrounding the Election Commission of India (ECI)\u00a0<\/strong>and its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar\u2019s electoral rolls\u00a0<strong>exemplifies the complexities of assessing success in governance.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Institutional Legacy of ECI, Expectations and The Complexity of Its Success Metrics<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Institutional Legacy of ECI and Expectations<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The ECI\u2019s\u00a0<strong>historical reputation\u00a0<\/strong>compounds the\u00a0<strong>current dilemma<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>From preparing the first electoral rolls in the nascent years of the republic to conducting elections for over a billion voters,\u00a0<strong>the ECI has earned global admiration as a gold standard.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Its\u00a0<strong>capacity to mobilise vast resources, standardise procedures,<\/strong>\u00a0and develop political consensus has strengthened its credibility.<\/li>\n<li>This\u00a0<strong>legacy creates high expectations<\/strong>: any perceived faltering is amplified in public discourse.<\/li>\n<li>Thus,\u00a0<strong>the ECI\u2019s decision to launch an extraordinary revision of Bihar\u2019s rolls is judged not only on procedural correctnes<\/strong>s but also against its storied record of efficiency and impartiality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Complexity of Success Metrics<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>For the ECI, the\u00a0<strong>challenge is not merely operational but normative.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Political parties,\u00a0<strong>the judiciary, civil society, and citizens each employ different yardsticks.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>For some,\u00a0<strong>success may mean the integrity of the electoral rolls; for others, it may be inclusivity and avoidance<\/strong>\u00a0of disenfranchisement.<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>ECI, therefore, operates in a trilemma,\u00a0<\/strong>balancing legality, feasibility, and legitimacy under public gaze.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>The Bihar Imbroglio: Intentions and Contradictions<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>On June 24, 2025,\u00a0<strong>the ECI announced its decision to undertake a large-scale cleansing of Bihar\u2019s electoral rolls,<\/strong>\u00a0an initiative framed as necessary to ensure purity of the rolls by excluding ineligible and including all eligible voters.<\/li>\n<li><strong>At first glance, this appears unassailable<\/strong>: who could object to clean rolls?<\/li>\n<li>Yet,\u00a0<strong>the timing and execution sparked opposition<\/strong>\u00a0from political parties and civil society, raising fears of disenfranchisement.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Critics likened the demand for proof of eligibility<\/strong>\u00a0to requiring a marriage certificate decade into a settled marriage,\u00a0<strong>technically defensible but socially disruptive.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>ECI\u2019s subsequent relaxations,<\/strong>\u00a0accepting parent-based credentials for post-2003 voters and allowing forms without supporting documents,\u00a0<strong>further complicated the narrative.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>While\u00a0<strong>these adjustments were intended to ease compliance, they also raised operational ambiguities:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>How will officials verify eligibility without documentation? Will such flexibility withstand judicial scrutiny?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Ultimately,\u00a0<strong>the ECI risks replacing one controversy<\/strong>\u00a0(stringent requirements) with another (perceived arbitrariness).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Defining Success of ECI\u2019s Action and The Citizenship Conundrum<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Defining Success of ECI\u2019s Action: Inclusion, Exclusion, or Optics?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Should the ECI measure its achievement\u00a0<strong>by the sheer volume of duly filled forms, or by the number of ineligible names removed?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>If\u00a0<strong>success hinges on the latter<\/strong>, was an extraordinary exercise necessary when routine revisions could have addressed issues like duplicate entries or migration?<\/li>\n<li>Moreover,\u00a0<strong>the reliance on presumptions, such as assuming the 2003 rolls as a citizenship baseline,<\/strong>\u00a0raises legal and ethical concerns.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can the ECI guarantee that post-revision, all names on the rolls are indisputably linked to Indian citizenship?<\/strong>\u00a0If not, is the exercise more symbolic than substantive?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Citizenship Conundrum<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Perhaps the\u00a0<strong>most profound implication lies in conflating electoral registration\u00a0<\/strong>with proof of citizenship.<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>Representation of the People Act authorises the ECI to maintain accurate rolls<\/strong>\u00a0but does not make it the final arbiter of citizenship, a role vested in other legal frameworks.<\/li>\n<li>By operationalising presumptions of citizenship,\u00a0<strong>the ECI risks venturing into contested legal territory.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>No individual chooses their birthplace or documentation<\/strong>; it is the state\u2019s responsibility to ensure reliable systems.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Burdening citizens with retrospective documentary obligations<\/strong>, especially in a state like Bihar with high migration and socio-economic vulnerability,\u00a0<strong>could undermine democratic participation.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>ECI\u2019s Bihar initiative underscores the paradox of institutional success:<\/strong>\u00a0actions taken to enhance credibility can, if poorly timed or inadequately communicated, erode trust.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Success, in this context, cannot be reduced to procedural compliance<\/strong>\u00a0or statistical milestones.<\/li>\n<li>It must\u00a0<strong>encompass fairness, transparency, and sensitivity\u00a0<\/strong>to citizens\u2019 lived realities.<\/li>\n<li>Ultimately,\u00a0<strong>the question for whom the bell tolls, resonates beyond Bihar<\/strong>, it tolls for every democratic institution grappling with the dual imperatives of integrity and inclusion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>The Parameters of \u2018Success\u2019 in Bihar\u2019s Poll Roll Revision FAQs<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><b>Q1. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why did the ECI announce a Special Intensive Revision in Bihar?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ans. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Election Commission of India announced the Special Intensive Revision to purify the electoral rolls by ensuring that all eligible voters are included and all ineligible names are removed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Q2. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What controversy arose from the Bihar exercise?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ans. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The exercise sparked controversy because critics feared mass disenfranchisement of genuine voters and questioned both the timing and the feasibility of implementing such a large-scale revision.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Q3. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the main dilemma for the ECI?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ans. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ECI faces a dilemma in balancing legal compliance, operational efficiency, and maintaining public trust while addressing the concerns of multiple stakeholders such as political parties, the judiciary, and civil society.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Q4. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does inclusion in electoral rolls prove citizenship?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ans.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> No, inclusion in electoral rolls does not prove citizenship because the ECI is not the legal authority to determine citizenship under Indian law; that responsibility lies with other designated authorities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Q5. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the larger question raised by this episode?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ans.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The larger question is how institutional success should be measured, whether by strict procedural adherence, tangible outcomes, or the ability to sustain public confidence and democratic inclusiveness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/lead\/the-parameters-of-success-in-bihars-poll-roll-revision\/article69824332.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hindu<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daily Editorial Analysis 18 July 2025 by Vajiram &#038; Ravi covers key editorials from The Hindu &#038; Indian Express with UPSC-focused insights and relevance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":50653,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[141,882,909],"class_list":{"0":"post-55527","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-daily-editorial-analysis","8":"tag-daily-editorial-analysis","9":"tag-the-hindu-editorial-analysis","10":"tag-the-indian-express-analysis","11":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55527","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\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}