The Hindu Gist - 2nd September, 2026
1 . Endurance Test — India’s Economic Resilience
India’s economic growth in Q1 FY 2026-27 surprised on the upside, with real GDP growth at 7.8%, despite expectations of a slowdown to 6–7% due to the West Asia crisis. Growth was broad-based: manufacturing grew 9.2%, helped by the GST rate cut and cumulative 125-bps RBI rate cuts through 2025, while services remained robust. Companies also appear to have front-loaded production anticipating uncertainty over inflation and future rate hikes. Capital creation has picked up, though the respective government-private sector contribution remains unclear, suggesting a potential multiplier effect on the economy.
Sustaining this pace will be difficult. Hormuz uncertainty may keep crude above $80/barrel, significant for India as it imports 85–90% of its oil. Global economic disruption and rising AI-driven services could affect India’s services exports. Rural demand remains sluggish, while inflation, though within the RBI’s comfort zone, is expected to rise to 5.9% in Q3 FY2026-27. With front-loaded manufacturing likely to peter out, the coming quarters will provide a tougher test of India’s economic resilience.
2. Do Not Gamble — Russia Must Opt for Diplomatic Engagement with the West
Escalating Risk of NATO-Russia Confrontation
- Russia–Ukraine long-range attacks are escalating, raising the risk of the conflict spilling into Europe.
- Incidents indicating possible Russian “gray zone” attacks against NATO include explosive drones near a German airport, a drone shot down over Romania and a Russian projectile landing in Poland.
- European officials allege Russian foreign-agent recruitment, sabotage and cyberattacks.
- S. intelligence reportedly believes Putin could consider a cyberattack or limited land incursion into NATO territory.
- CIA chief John Ratcliffe warned Moscow against escalating the war into NATO states.
- Russian rhetoric has hardened: Moscow warned that British military facilities in Ukraine and beyond its borders could become “legitimate targets”, while Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin threatened regime change in Kyiv.
Stalemate and Risk of Wider War
- Russia controls over 20% of Ukraine’s pre-2014 territory, but its territorial gains have slowed.
- Ukraine’s long-range attacks, particularly against Russia’s energy sector, supply networks and military systems, are causing economic pain; around 20% of Russia’s refining capacity has reportedly been knocked out.
- Russia is struggling to counter Ukrainian drones and ballistic missiles, while Ukraine has withstood Russian strikes with continued European support.
- The stalemate is dangerous: Russia, under domestic pressure and stuck on the frontline, could exploit U.S. concerns over the Persian Gulf to escalate the conflict.
Need for Diplomatic Engagement
- Using wider geopolitical tensions to break the stalemate would be a major mistake, potentially triggering an all-out war between two nuclear-armed sides and worsening Russia’s own problems.
- Russia should instead pursue serious diplomatic engagement with Ukraine and the West, seek a middle ground, and work towards ending Europe’s longest war since the Second World War.
3 . Majority of India’s Gig Workers Remain Out of Govt’s Reach
Scale–Coverage Gap
- 2025-26 Budget announced healthcare coverage for gig workers registered on e-Shram, expected to benefit over 1 crore workers.
- Yet, only 58 lakh gig workers were registered on e-Shram as of January 2026.
- NITI Aayog estimates gig workers at 27 crore in 2024-25, projected to reach 2.35 crore by 2029-30; earlier estimate was 77 lakh in 2020-21.
- Gig workers account for about 2% of India’s total workforce.
Registration & Social-Security Gap
- The wide gap reflects difficulties in measuring and understanding the rapidly growing gig workforce; estimates have largely relied on NITI Aayog.
- e-Shram is an Aadhaar-seeded National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW), providing a unified platform for tracking gig workers and enabling benefits.
- Under the Code on Social Security, 2020, gig workers are recognised and provisions include accident insurance, maternity benefits and a dedicated social security fund, but most benefits are yet to materialise.
- Registrations have risen sharply since 2025 but remain uneven across States. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have the highest registrations, while Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala are not among the top 10.
Sectoral Pattern & Way Forward
- Gig workers are spread across 21 sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, education and retail.
- Among e-Shram registrations, the largest shares are in food industry (32.8%), automobile & transportation (25.4%), domestic & household workers (9.9%) and agriculture (3.4%).
- The key challenge is to expand registration and improve identification of gig workers, so that announced healthcare and social-security benefits reach the majority of the workforce.
4 . Untouchability and the Idea of ‘Purity’
Constitutional & Legal Framework
- Article 17 abolishes untouchability in all forms and makes its enforcement punishable by law; it is enforceable against non-State actors as well.
- The Untouchability (Offences) Act, 1955, later amended and renamed the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, penalises the preaching and practice of untouchability.
- Article 17 is not confined to physical exclusion: it covers practices such as denial of entry, social disabilities and discriminatory access to public facilities.
- Section 7(1)(d), PCR Act also penalises insulting or attempting to insult a person on the ground of “untouchability”; however, an act must be “on the ground of untouchability”.
- The SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 creates separate offences, e.g. intentional insult/intimidation of an SC/ST member with intent to humiliate them in a place within public view.
Supreme Court: Purity, Pollution & Untouchability
- In Sukanya Shantha v Union of India (2024), the Supreme Court struck down caste-discriminatory provisions in prison manuals.
- The Court linked untouchability to the caste system and interconnected ideas of “purity and pollution”, noting that such ideas have historically reinforced caste hierarchy and influenced how people associate with and treat others.
- Article 17 therefore cannot be restricted to a narrow definition, as discrimination can manifest through the “manifold complexities” of social life.
- The Court held: “There cannot be any stigma attached to the existence, touch or presence of any person.”
- In Hitesh Verma v State of Uttarakhand (2020), it clarified that not every insult to an SC/ST person attracts the SC/ST Act; the insult/intimidation must be connected to the victim’s caste/community.
- In Gunjam v State (NCT of Delhi) (2026), the Court reiterated that “public view” is an essential requirement for the relevant offence.
Purification Ritual & Legal Test
- In Surya Narayan Choudhary v State of Rajasthan (1988), the Rajasthan High Court considered discrimination against Dalit devotees at the Shri Shrinathji temple, Nathdwara.
- Dalit devotees were allowed entry only after undergoing purification; the Court held that imposing an additional purification condition specifically on Dalits was discriminatory and violative of Articles 14, 15 and 17.
- In the Haldwani case, whether the “shuddhikaran” ritual amounted to untouchability depends on its actual purpose and caste connection, not merely its name.
- If the venue was considered to require cleansing because pollution notions were attached to Mr. Kharge’s touch/presence, the reasoning in Sukanya Shantha becomes relevant.
- If the ritual had reasons unconnected with caste, the rally or the word “shuddhikaran” alone would not establish untouchability.
The Indian Express Gist - 2nd September, 2026
1 . INS Nipun: Key Boost to India’s Deep-Sea Abilities
INS Nipun, the second diving support vessel (DSV) of the Nistar class, strengthens India’s deep-sea diving, underwater intervention and submarine-rescue capabilities. A DSV enables sustained operations in deep/challenging waters, including inspection, repair, recovery and intervention, with specialised diving systems, medical facilities and support for recovering submarines, ships or aircraft lost at sea. It follows the commissioning of INS Nistar in July 2025, marking the Navy’s shift towards specialised purpose-built underwater capabilities.
INS Nipun also acts as a “mother ship” for Deep Submergence Rescue Vessels (DSRVs), which can evacuate submarine personnel during emergencies. Its remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) support underwater monitoring and surveys, while its diving systems enable prolonged underwater operations. Such capabilities are vital for maritime preparedness in the Indian Ocean Region, strengthening indigenous expertise and enabling India to provide submarine-rescue assistance to regional partners.
2. Indus Waters Treaty: India Rejects Hague Court Order
PCA Order & India’s Rejection
- The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), Hague ruled on Pakistan’s objections to India’s Kishenganga and Ratle hydropower projects, holding that India’s objections to its jurisdiction were not permissible.
- India rejected the proceedings, arguing that the PCA was constituted in violation of the IWT.
- The IWT provides a three-level dispute-resolution mechanism: Permanent Indus Commission → Neutral Expert → Court of Arbitration.
- India’s position is that the Neutral Expert should examine the matter and that the same issue cannot be simultaneously dealt with by the Court of Arbitration.
- The Court has no means to enforce its orders, but Pakistan can use the ruling for diplomatic pressure in international forums.
India’s Position & Options Ahead
- Pakistan may seek a UN Security Council resolution against India, though India’s position as a non-permanent member of the UNSC could complicate such an effort.
- Pakistan could also pursue other legal and diplomatic options, while India continues to reject the arbitration.
- India’s immediate focus is on expediting completion of projects that allow limited use of the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — allocated to Pakistan under the Treaty.
- India has historically maintained that keeping the Treaty in “abeyance” does not mean suspension of all Treaty obligations; it cannot simply stop water flowing to Pakistan.
- The continuing disagreement over the interpretation of the Treaty is therefore likely to keep India-Pakistan water relations under strain.
Sharing Without a Treaty
- The deadlock is particularly difficult because the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab are transboundary rivers: they flow through India and then into Pakistan, making cooperation essential for their management.
- There have been hundreds of instances across the world of transboundary rivers not being governed by water-sharing agreements, showing the difficulty of managing shared rivers without institutional cooperation.
- India continues to share hydrological data with Pakistan, but the dispute over the Treaty has put this cooperation under pressure.
- Climate change and changing river flows further complicate the situation, making water availability and river management less predictable.
- The larger challenge is therefore “sharing without a Treaty” — ensuring sustainable management of shared rivers when the institutional mechanism designed for cooperation is itself under strain.
3 . Distinguished Jurist: Unused Route to Appoint an SC Judge
Constitutional Provision & Three Routes
- Article 124(3) provides three routes for appointment as a Supreme Court judge:
- A citizen who has been a High Court judge for 5 years.
- A person who has been an advocate of a High Court for 10 years.
- A “distinguished jurist”, in the opinion of the President.
- The first two routes have traditionally been used; the distinguished-jurist route has never been used.
- The provision was inserted during the Constituent Assembly debates on May 24, 1949, after V. Kamath moved an amendment.
- The article notes that appointing a distinguished jurist could diversify the Bench, bring people with expertise in public law, and increase the participation of legal academics and scholars in shaping judicial functioning.
Who is a Distinguished Jurist & Why Unused?
- A “distinguished jurist” is generally understood as someone engaged in serious work in legal practice, teaching or research, including persons without courtroom experience.
- Justice Ujjal Bhuyan argued that the pool should not necessarily be confined to judges or advocates and could include persons with outstanding legal and juristic learning.
- He cited the International Court of Justice at The Hague, where judges are chosen on similar terms; R. Ambedkar had also not objected to the idea.
- Two possible reasons for the clause remaining unused:
- Earlier governments and the collegium may have felt that Indian legal academia lacked sufficient depth for elevation to the Supreme Court.
- Neither the Central government nor the collegium has seriously explored the provision.
- The provision presents a practical difficulty because Bar Council rules generally prevent full-time law teachers from practising law, limiting their courtroom experience.
Appointment Process & Way Forward
- Supreme Court appointments are currently initiated through the collegium; therefore, even a distinguished jurist would first have to be recommended by the Supreme Court collegium before appointment by the government.
- The recent discussion revived the possibility of using this “unused mandate” to broaden the composition of the Bench.
- A possible candidate need not necessarily be a practising lawyer if they possess outstanding legal scholarship or juristic expertise.
- The provision has remained effectively a “dead issue” despite being part of the Constitution since its inception; using it could bring greater diversity of expertise to the Supreme Court.
4 . Wy risk monitoring in the Himalayas is like looking for ‘needle in haystacks’
The Nepal floods were likely triggered by a glacial detachment/bedrock failure on the northern slopes of Langtang Lirung, followed by a tipping point. The glacier swept into the Lhende River, carrying ice, rock and sediment and forming a temporary dam. Its failure sent a major flood pulse downstream, reaching the China border in roughly nine minutes and destroying dams, hydropower projects and villages. The flood extended beyond the 100- and 500-year floodplains, indicating an exceptionally rare event. Such cascading hazards are becoming more frequent and intense, as seen in Chamoli, Sikkim, South Lhonak GLOF and Melamchi.
Risk-monitoring across the Himalayas is like “looking for needles in haystacks”: vulnerable sites may remain unidentified for years, while the region lacks the long datasets available for the Alps and Norway. Remote sensing/satellite imagery is important for identifying where to look, but must be combined with fixed hydromet and seismic stations and localised monitoring. Yak herders, fishermen and local communities can provide valuable observations of changing rivers, glaciers and glacial lakes. India therefore needs better hazard mapping, continuous monitoring, hazard zoning and modelling, with local governments, disaster managers and Community Disaster Management Committees collecting data and reporting hazards. The key is to combine different monitoring systems and local knowledge to separate genuine warning signals from environmental “noise.”
