All Editorials Snapshot: 13-August-2025

The Hindu Editorials snapshot

Editorial 1

​​Dogs and Laws – Supreme Court’s Order on Street Dogs

The Supreme Court has ordered Delhi and nearby cities to capture all street dogs within eight weeks, keep them permanently in shelters, and quickly expand shelter facilities. This comes after high numbers of dog bite cases—about 30,000 a year in Delhi—and deaths from rabies among poor residents. The move conflicts with the Animal Birth Control Rules 2023, which require dogs to be caught, sterilised, vaccinated, and released, allowing long-term confinement only for aggressive, rabid, or incurably ill dogs. These rules have failed to control the street dog population because sterilisation coverage rarely reaches the 70% needed to stop population growth, leading to large packs in crowded areas. This clash puts municipal authorities in a difficult position—obeying the court could break the rules; following the rules could lead to contempt charges. Experts say the outdated 1960 law on animal control needs reform to suit today’s crowded cities. Revised rules should separate friendly, adoptable dogs, aggressive or chronically ill ones needing euthanasia, and the rest to be housed safely in shelters, with no street dogs left in public spaces. Cities should have clear duties, minimum standards for pounds, and funding linked to reducing dog bite cases. Shelter building, large-scale sterilisation, trained veterinary staff, and National Centre for Disease Control support are essential. Without proper resources, Delhi risks replacing its street dog problem with overcrowded, poorly funded shelter problems that are equally cruel.

Editorial 2

 ​Justice and Equality: On Organ Transplantation, Gender Skew

The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) recently issued a guideline to give priority to women patients and close relatives of deceased organ donors during organ allocation, to address the long-standing gender disparity in receiving transplants. Data from 2013 to 2023 show that while women make up the majority of living organ donors, they receive far fewer transplants compared to men, particularly for heart, lung, kidney, liver, and pancreas transplants. The new guideline aims to award additional points in organ allocation criteria to women and the near relatives of previous donors. This is intended to make the transplant system more equitable and encourage donations. However, the current legal framework does not allow prioritizing recipients except based on medical urgency, and there are concerns about defining “near relatives” and avoiding favoritism or misuse. It is important that NOTTO implements this move inclusively and transparently, ensuring that transplant decisions continue to honor medical needs above all, while expanding access fairly in a society influenced by patriarchal norms.

The Indian Express Editorials snapshot

Editorial 3

​SC’s Verdict on Street Dogs – More Questions than Solutions

The Supreme Court has ordered Delhi’s civic authorities to remove around eight lakh street dogs and set up shelters for 5,000–6,000 dogs within six to eight weeks, following a rabies-related child death in Delhi. This ambitious plan has sparked debate because the city lacks the resources, land, and trained staff to implement it. The order dismisses the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, which require stray dogs to be caught, sterilised, vaccinated, and returned to their original locations, except when they are rabid, aggressive, or incurably ill. While the ABC approach has failed to control dog populations due to poor implementation, critics fear that the Court has bypassed a balanced discussion, ignored data gaps in rabies statistics, and risked triggering legal conflicts between following its order and existing laws. Animal welfare supporters and public safety advocates remain divided, and without proper funding, capacity building, and modernised laws, the order may lead to more problems than it solves, highlighting the urgent need for a practical and humane street dog policy

Editorial 4

 ​​How to Be Indiana Jones — and a Viking

Many childhood dreams fade with time, but for some like archaeologist Greer Jarrett, they come true in unexpected ways. From 2021 to 2024, Jarrett combined adventurous exploration with serious scientific study by retracing Viking maritime journeys using small, historically accurate sailing boats. Rather than focusing on famous Viking longships or warriors, Jarrett’s research aimed to understand the lives of ordinary Viking traders and fishermen. He completed over 26 voyages in small, 30-foot vessels modeled on Viking boats, sailing rough seas, facing storms, capsized boats, and limited supplies—just like the Vikings did a thousand years ago. His journeys revealed lost harbours and showed that Vikings used smaller boats to travel far out into the open ocean. This experimental archaeology approach helps fill gaps in historical knowledge about Viking life, teaching us that the best way to understand how people lived long ago is to safely follow their footsteps—sometimes literally sailing their routes.

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