What to read in The Hindu newspaper
21 November 2025
| Headline | Page No. | GS Paper & Topic | Theme / Issue | UPSC Relevance / Analytical Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judiciary cannot tie President, Governor to timelines, says SC | 1 | GS 2 – Polity / Executive & Judiciary | Separation of powers and constitutional propriety | SC ruling clarifies limits of judicial directions on the President’s and Governor’s discretionary functions. Reinforces constitutional autonomy of the executive, checks judicial overreach, and reaffirms basic structure balance. |
| 27-member new Nitish Cabinet takes charge; BJP gets 14 berths, JD(U) eight | 1 | GS 2 – State Legislature / Governance | Coalition governance & political stability | Case study on cabinet formation (Art. 164), collective responsibility, and power-sharing in coalitions. Illustrates federal political pragmatism in India. |
| Caste identity influences how teachers judge students in Bihar public schools: IIM-B study | 4 | GS 2 – Education / Social Justice | Discrimination & equity in education | Empirical evidence of caste bias in classrooms. Links to Article 15(2), Right to Education Act (2009), and inclusive pedagogy reforms. Useful for GS2 + Essay (Social equality in education). |
| Epstein exposure (Editorial) | 8 | GS 2 – IR / Global Groupings & Diplomacy | Global governance & ethical accountability | Commentary on international networks, corporate lobbying, and global moral diplomacy—contextualizes ethics in international relations. |
| New reckoning (Editorial) | 8 | GS 2 – State Legislature / Political Dynamics | Evolving nature of coalition politics | Analyses Bihar’s coalition experiment, governance challenges, and role of regional parties in India’s federal democracy. |
| The ‘game-changer’ in the Bihar election 2025 (Editorial) | 8 | GS 2 – State Legislature / Electoral Politics | Electoral strategies & social coalitions | Explains new voter alignments and rise of youth & women’s participation. Links to voter behaviour, democracy deepening, and political economy. |
| India’s fisheries and aquaculture, its promising course (Editorial) | 8 | GS 2 – Governance / Agriculture & Allied Sectors | Blue economy & sustainable livelihoods | Highlights policy interventions like PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, Deep Sea Mission, and Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund—crucial for GS3 Agriculture linkages too. |
| Is federalism in retreat under single-party hegemony? | 9 | GS 2 – Federalism / Centre-State Relations | Political centralisation & cooperative federalism | Analyses erosion of fiscal & legislative autonomy of States. Connects to Finance Commission, GST Council, 7th Schedule, and Articles 245–256. |
| Is air pollution a South Asian crisis? | 10 | GS 3 – Environment / Pollution & Regional Cooperation | Trans-boundary environmental challenges | Discusses cross-border air pollution in Indo-Gangetic plains; highlights need for SAARC-level environmental cooperation. Links to NCAP, GRAP, UNFCCC obligations. |
| NIA gets custody of four accused in Red Fort bomb blast case | 12 | GS 3 – Internal Security / Terrorism | Role of NIA & anti-terror law enforcement | Relates to UAPA (1967), NIA Act (2008), and inter-agency coordination. Reinforces theme of counter-terror institutional framework. |
| At COP, India seeks ‘just transition mechanism’ | 14 | GS 3 – Environment / Climate Change & Diplomacy | Equitable energy transition & climate finance | Advocates “Just Transition” framework for developing countries. Links to COP30 negotiations, CBDR principle, and India’s National Hydrogen Mission. |