Daily Editorials Snapshot & FREE Vocabulary PDF – 19 November 2025 | MTO

The Hindu Editorials snapshot

Editorial 1

Excessive dependence: On India’s external trade landscape

India’s goods trade deficit hit a record $41.68 billion in October 2025, sharply worsening from $32.15 billion in September. This reflects a troubling shift in India’s trade dynamics, largely due to the US imposing a 50% tariff on Indian goods in August—India’s biggest export market since 2018-19. Exports declined 11.8% year-on-year to $34.38 billion, while imports surged 16.6% to a historic $76.06 billion, driven mainly by a nearly threefold increase in gold imports and a fivefold rise in silver imports. This bullion rush signals hedging against economic uncertainty, further compounded by the rupee weakening from ₹85.6 to ₹88.4 against the dollar. Labour-intensive export sectors such as textiles and engineering goods have been hit hard, especially in the US market where exports dropped 9% year-on-year. Imports also reveal increased reliance on cheaper intermediate goods from abroad to maintain export competitiveness rather than domestic sourcing. The government has launched ₹25,060 crore export-promotion plans and the Reserve Bank of India has offered relief to exporters struggling with tariffs. While some effects may be short-term, a structural realignment of India’s trade portfolio seems necessary to reduce its heavy dependence on the US and better manage diplomatic and economic vulnerabilities.

Editorial 2

Bad tidings: On India’s quarries and mining

Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh, part of a mineral-rich but human development-challenged region, recently witnessed a tragic stone quarry collapse killing numerous workers. Despite investigations underway and FIRs filed against quarry owners for safety violations, deeper structural issues persist throughout India’s mining sector. Small-scale quarry operators often neglect vital micro geological studies that identify weak slopes and fracture lines vital for safe mining. Safety protocols, like scientifically designed blasting procedures and benched quarrying to create horizontal plateaus for stability, are frequently ignored or applied only by rule of thumb. Stone quarries generally operate with minimal safety awareness, increasing the likelihood of disasters. While premier institutions like IIT (ISM) Dhanbad possess advanced expertise and technology for mine safety, lack of political will and enforcement hinders their effective utilisation. Data from 2020 to early 2025 highlights approximately 60 to 80 fatal mining accidents annually, mainly in coal mines, underscoring persistent risks and the urgent need for stringent reforms and rigorous safety enforcement to protect workers’ lives and livelihoods.

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Editorial 3

​A Gaza resolution cannot exclude Israel

Following the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza on October 10, which ended nearly two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas, discussions about an independent Palestinian state have intensified. The UN General Assembly, during its 80th session on September 12, adopted a declaration urging concrete and irreversible steps toward a two-state solution, a move the US opposed. Recently, the UN Security Council passed a resolution—with a 13-0 vote—supporting US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, which includes a 20-point proposal and envisions an International Stabilisation Force and a new governing body for Gaza operating independently of both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The resolution acknowledges that reform in the Palestinian Authority and Gaza’s reconstruction could pave the way for Palestinian self-determination and statehood. However, both Israel and Hamas have rejected the resolution, the former opposing any Palestinian state and the latter resisting disarmament. Implementation depends on cooperation from both, underscoring that any lasting peace must include Israel’s engagement.

Editorial 4

The strange comforts of being parasocial

Modern parasocial relationships describe one-sided emotional bonds people form with celebrities, content creators, and social media influencers, where intimacy is felt but not reciprocated. Coined in the 1950s by sociologists Horton and Wohl, the term captures how viewers develop attachments that resemble real-life interactions despite no actual connection. Today, followers emotionally invest in the lives of distant stars—feelings of joy or heartbreak triggered by events such as engagements or breakups far outstrip responses to local interactions. Parasocial bonds provide a unique comfort because they require no mutual effort, allowing individuals to experience connection without vulnerability. However, in a hyper-connected world marked by loneliness and fragmented social ties, these weightless, often virtual relationships with AI, chatbots, or curated social media personas fill emotional voids left by challenges in forming real-world, reciprocal relationships. They reflect the pressing modern need “to follow the spark, to hold on and to hang in when nothing makes sense, until it does.”

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