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Topic-shaped analysis of the day's editorials for the RPSC RAS Mains, dated 11 July 2026.
A distinguished former newspaper editor recently found his passport renewal stalled — because his name had been deleted from the electoral roll during a Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and a clerk treated 'not on the voters' list' as a reason to doubt his very existence. The episode crystallises a growing worry: that deletion from the electoral roll, meant only to decide who may vote, is quietly beginning to influence who may receive welfare, banking and travel documents. The Election Commission has assured the Supreme Court that SIR carries no consequence beyond the right to vote — but on the ground, that wall is starting to erode.
Mains question (10 marks): 'The electoral roll is meant to decide who may vote, not who may exist.' In the light of large-scale deletions during electoral-roll revision, examine the distinction between the right to vote and citizenship/entitlements, and suggest safeguards.
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The Prime Minister's state visit to Australia (8-10 July 2026) produced a dense package of outcomes spanning defence, civil nuclear energy, critical minerals, education and technology, and a decision to fast-track the two countries' trade agreement. Once a distant, episodic relationship, the India-Australia partnership is maturing into one of India's most consequential Indo-Pacific ties — driven by shared democratic values, complementary economies and a common wariness of an assertive China.
Mains question (10 marks): 'The India-Australia partnership is a case of complementary strengths meeting a shared strategic concern.' Discuss the key pillars of this relationship and examine its significance for India's energy security and Indo-Pacific strategy.
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At the Australia-India summit, the Prime Minister praised Australia's world-first law barring under-16s from social media and said India was 'learning a lot'. At home, the IT Ministry is in talks on age-based safeguards, some states have floated their own limits, and the Allahabad High Court is hearing a petition to restrict minors' access to online gaming platforms. The question is no longer whether to protect children online, but how — and whether a blunt legal ban is the right instrument for a country of India's scale and digital diversity.
Mains question (10 marks): 'Protecting children online requires learning the intent, not copying the instrument.' Critically examine the case for legally restricting minors' access to social media in India, and suggest a balanced regulatory approach.
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