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RAS Editorial Analysis — 9 July 2026

Topic-shaped analysis of the day's editorials for the RPSC RAS Mains, dated 9 July 2026.

Governance / Welfare EconomicsRAS Mains · Governance; welfare schemes & fiscal sustainability; women & public transport (Rajasthan relevance)

A crisis on wheels: when a free-ride scheme meets a debt-ridden transport corporation

Kerala's 'Priyadarshini' free bus-ride scheme for women on State-owned buses, launched months ago, is turning out to be financially unviable — with the already debt-ridden Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bearing a cost of about Rs 2 crore a day, and private operators threatening to strike. It is a sharp illustration of the tension every State faces: welfare that empowers versus welfare a treasury cannot sustain.

Priyadarshini / KSRTCwelfare vs fiscal sustainabilityuniversal vs targeted subsidyviability-gap fundingprivate operators' livelihoodopportunity costA.K. Antony 1996 precedentRSRTC parallel

Mains question (10 marks): 'A welfare scheme that bankrupts the institution delivering it defeats its own purpose.' In the light of free public-transport schemes for women, examine the tension between welfare and fiscal sustainability, and suggest a viable design.

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Polity / Digital RightsRAS Mains · Fundamental rights; right to privacy; data protection & the judiciary

The right to be forgotten: balancing privacy against open justice and free speech

A recent Delhi High Court ruling has, for the first time, laid down a coherent framework for the 'right to be forgotten' in India — the right to have information erased or de-indexed from the digital environment when its continued accessibility is harmful and serves no public interest. The judgment recognises the right as part of the fundamental right to privacy under Article 21, while trying to balance it against open justice and free speech.

right to be forgottenPuttaswamy (2017) & Article 21Mario Costeja / GDPR Article 17structured proportionalitymask names not factsopen justice vs privacyDPDP Act Section 12 & Data Protection Boardtiered decision system

Mains question (10 marks): The 'right to be forgotten' seeks to reconcile informational privacy with open justice and free speech. Discuss its constitutional basis in India and critically examine the challenges in operationalising it.

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International RelationsRAS Mains · International relations; West Asia; energy security & the Strait of Hormuz (India's stakes)

Trading blows amid talks: the US, Iran and the fragile future of the Strait of Hormuz

The US President has declared the interim ceasefire with Iran 'over' even as he leaves room for negotiations — a familiar cycle of escalation that threatens the shaky truce and keeps the Strait of Hormuz on edge. With Iran striking US targets in Bahrain and Kuwait and US forces hitting Iranian targets, the world's most important oil chokepoint has become both a bargaining chip and a flashpoint.

Strait of Hormuz chokepointUNCLOS transit passage (Art 38/26/43)Oman-Iran joint administrationPMF in Iraq / Hizbollah in LebanonGulf-Iran reconciliationNorth Field/South Pars interdependenceIndia's energy security & Chabaharmanaged rivalry

Mains question (10 marks): The Strait of Hormuz has become both a bargaining chip and a flashpoint in US-Iran relations. Discuss its strategic significance and examine the implications of West Asian instability for India's energy security and foreign policy.

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