MTO - All Editorials Snapshot: 23-October-2025

The Hindu Editorials snapshot

Editorial 1

Deportation of Francesca Orsini – A Blow to India’s Academic Openness

India’s decision to deport Francesca Orsini, a renowned scholar of Hindi and South Asian literature from SOAS, London, exposes an increasingly contradictory stance: one that welcomes global capital and technology but restricts intellectual and academic exchange. Professor Orsini, who arrived with a valid five-year e-tourist visa, was denied entry and blacklisted over alleged violation of visa conditions during a 2024 visit, where she reportedly engaged in academic discussions. While the procedural explanation may hold, the arbitrariness of such decisions raises larger concerns about India’s openness to the global research community.

Orsini’s work, particularly The Hindi Public Sphere 1920–1940, has been foundational to understanding Indian literary modernity and nationalism. Her deportation, thus, symbolizes a retreat from free intellectual engagement. At a time when influential foreign business figures are welcomed for political comments, punitive actions against academics seem both inconsistent and insecure. The government’s growing tendency to view external scholarship through the lens of ideological suspicion weakens India’s intellectual standing. True national confidence lies in the ability to engage critically — not in exclusion. For India to realise its full potential as a global knowledge leader, it must make visa and collaboration policies more scholar-friendly. Closing its academic and intellectual borders would only isolate India and hinder the progress that thrives on freedom, exchange, and critical inquiry.

Editorial 2

Solar Industry 2025 – India’s Chance to Shine Globally

India’s booming solar energy sector stands among its most promising industrial successes. Having surpassed Japan to become the world’s third-largest solar energy producer in 2024–25, India generated over 1,08,000 GWh of solar power, behind only the U.S. and China. The country’s solar module manufacturing capacity has expanded from just 2 GW in 2014 to around 100 GW in 2025, even if operational output is closer to 85 GW. As part of its climate commitments, India aims to derive half of its total electricity from non-fossil sources by 2030 — with solar expected to contribute at least 250 GW. However, achieving this will require adding 30 GW annually, significantly more than its current pace of 17–23 GW per year.

The challenge lies in the economics. Indian-made solar modules are 1.5–2 times more expensive than China’s, which dominates the global market due to scale, supply-chain control, and cost efficiency. To sustain its growing manufacturing base, India must expand into export markets. Joining hands with African nations through the International Solar Alliance offers a compelling opportunity. Schemes such as PM-KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar, though still gaining traction domestically, can serve as replicable models for addressing Africa’s rural electrification gaps. With Africa’s limited irrigation powered by solar pumpsets, India can position itself as a reliable alternative to China’s solar dominance. By pursuing strategic South-South cooperation and scaling efficiency at home, India’s solar success can evolve beyond self-reliance into global leadership — illuminating not just its own future, but others across the Global South.

The Indian Express Editorials snapshot

Editorial 3

The Toll Plaza Protest – A Diwali Lesson in Collective Power

In an age where workplace discontent often manifests as silent withdrawal — from “quiet quitting” to disengaged labour — the toll plaza protest on the Agra-Lucknow highway stands out as an act of sharp, creative defiance. When 21 workers, unhappy with their meagre Diwali bonus, raised the barriers and allowed over 5,000 vehicles to pass toll-free, their action hit the management where it hurt most — in revenue. Rather than a token act of resistance, it was a well-aimed protest that forced immediate results: the company hiked their pay the same night.

This rare and spontaneous victory offers a larger moral. In a time when individuals often feel powerless before exploitative systems, collective, strategic action still holds transformative potential. Quiet resignation may preserve energy, but coordinated dissent, even by ordinary workers, can prompt accountability and fairness. The “free toll plaza” moment in Uttar Pradesh serves as more than a quirky Diwali headline — it’s a reminder that the spirit of protest need not fade into fatigue, and that sometimes, thoughtful disruption is the most effective gift of all.

Top Vocabulary Picks from Today’s Editorials

Word	Simple Meaning	Synonym	Antonym
Deportation	Official removal of a foreign national from a country	Expulsion, banishment	Admission, inclusion
Integral	Essential and necessary part of something	Fundamental, vital	Optional, secondary
Arbitrariness	Based on personal discretion rather than fairness or law	Unpredictability, capriciousness	Consistency, fairness
Blacklisted	Banned or prohibited officially	Barred, excluded	Cleared, permitted
Ideological	Based on a system of beliefs or ideals	Doctrinal, political	Neutral, pragmatic