The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 5th July 2025 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

 A deliberate strategy to usher in a communal order

Why in News?

 The right-wing assault on the Constitution must be countered through public awareness, legal action, political mobilisation, and democratic resistance. 

Introduction

Just before the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution, the Supreme Court of India strongly confirmed that "secular" and "socialist" are important parts of the Constitution's Preamble. These words were added in 1976 during the Emergency, under Indira Gandhi’s government, through the 42nd Amendment. Over the years, some right-wing groups have tried to challenge and remove these words through legal and political efforts. However, the Supreme Court recently rejected several petitions that questioned their inclusion. The Court said that just because these words were not in the original Preamble of 1949, it does not mean they are invalid or unconstitutional now.

Judiciary's Stand vs. RSS-BJP's Ideological Offensive

• The judiciary’s reaffirmation of secularism and socialism in the Constitution was a clear and powerful signal upholding India’s foundational values.
• In response, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — the ideological nucleus of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — launched a renewed attack on the very idea of India enshrined in the Constitution.
• RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale openly called for the removal of the terms “secular” and “socialist” from the Preamble, claiming they were not part of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s original constitutional vision.
• Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar escalated the rhetoric by calling the inclusion of these terms a “sacrilege to the spirit of Sanatan”.
• The timing and status of these statements — emerging from top constitutional offices — are not accidental. They reflect a coordinated political narrative.
• This is not a scholarly or legal debate — it is a deliberate political strategy aimed at delegitimising the vision of a modern, plural, democratic India and replacing it with a communal, hierarchical, and exclusionary order.

Constitutional Consensus on Secularism

• When the Constitution was being framed, the Constituent Assembly stood united and unequivocal in its endorsement of a secular state.
• There was not a single voice advocating for a theocratic polity.
• This overwhelming consensus reflected the founding vision of India as a nation rooted in unity in diversity — a decisive rejection of colonial divide-and-rule tactics, communal politics, and caste and religious supremacy.

Present Challenge: From Consensus to Crisis

• Today, this foundational consensus is under sustained attack.
• The RSS-BJP establishment is actively pursuing a Hindu Rashtra agenda — one that seeks to reshape India’s constitutional identity.
• What was once considered fringe rhetoric has now entered the political mainstream.
• On the day of the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a symbolic and provocative assertion: “Ram is Rashtra, Dev is Desh”
• This statement blurs the line between religion and state — something the Constitution explicitly sought to prevent.

What the Framers Intended vs. Today’s Fusion of Faith and State

Historical Warnings and Enduring Relevance

The cautionary voices of India’s founding leaders echo louder today than ever before. Their emphasis on secularism, constitutional morality, and social justice was not mere idealism — it was a safeguard against the very threats we face in contemporary politics.

Key Historical Assertions: Secularism as Constitutional Core

Constituent Assembly Debates: Voices for a Secular Republic

Socialism: Economic Justice Rooted in the Constitution

Aspect

• Ambedkar’s Vision. Part IV’s Directive Principles reflect socialist ideals – not imported theories, but homegrown visions of justice.
• Supreme Court Verdict. Interpreted “socialist” in the Preamble as advocating a welfare state, ensuring equality, justice, and economic dignity.
• Real Goals of Socialism. End caste exploitation, abolish landlessness, tackle poverty, ensure non-discrimination.

Ambedkar’s Final Warning and Contemporary Crisis

• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar warned against the establishment of Hindu Raj, foreseeing it as a great calamity for India.
• Today, the campaign to remove “secular” and “socialist” from the Constitution is part of a strategy to dismantle the modern constitutional republic.
• This campaign aims to promote religious supremacy, caste hierarchy, market fundamentalism, and authoritarian political structures.

The need for resistance

• The threat to the Constitution and its values must be resisted through public awareness, legal action, political mobilisation, and democratic movements.
• The Constitution is a political, social, and moral pact, reflecting the sacrifices and struggles of many for an India that belongs to all its citizens.

Conclusion

• Defending secularism and socialism is essential for protecting democracy, ensuring the rights and dignity of all Indians, and upholding equality, freedom, and justice.
• The Republic requires protection and nurturing, especially from internal threats, and this responsibility must be met with courage and determination.

Cease the cess

 Why in News?

 The Goods and Services Tax (GST) was meant to create a unified tax system in India. However, after eight years, its growth has been slow, and there are structural problems. Important items like fuel and alcohol are still not included, which shows the GST's limitations. To make "one nation, one tax" a reality, urgent policy changes are needed. 

 Weak GST Growth: Indicators of Structural Problems 

•  GST collections in June 2025 were ₹1.85 lakh crore, the lowest in four months. 
•  The growth rate was only 6.2% compared to June 2024, marking the slowest growth in four years. 
•  Net revenue, after refunds, increased by just 3.3%, indicating weak fiscal returns. 
•  Revenue from domestic transactions, excluding imports, grew by only 4.6%, barely above the average inflation rate. 
•  As a consumption-based tax, low GST collections reflect both a slowdown in economic activity and systemic inefficiencies. 

 Inclusion of Fuel and Alcohol: A Pending Reform 

•  Fuel and alcohol are still outside the GST framework, despite the promise of "one nation, one tax." 
•  State governments resist including these items because they are crucial for their revenue. 
•  Permanent exclusion of fuel and alcohol weakens the GST's integrity and comprehensiveness. 
•  To offset potential revenue losses, the Centre should increase States' share in central taxes. 
•  States should avoid using the additional revenue for untargeted election-time freebies. 

 Rationalization of GST Rates and Removal of Cess 

•  The simplification of GST rate slabs is overdue, with committees currently reviewing the structure. 
•  The GST Compensation Cess, levied over the 28% slab, was extended till March 2026 to repay pandemic-related loans. 
•  The cess should be removed, rather than absorbed into the main GST structure, as its purpose is fulfilled. 
•  Removing outdated cesses can rebuild public trust and stimulate urban consumption. 

 Restoring Trust and Efficiency 

•  After eight years, GST needs structural reforms, not just slogans. 
•  The system should be inclusive, efficient, and based on mutual trust. 
•  Genuine reform requires cooperation between the Centre and States, along with transparent and citizen-friendly taxation. 

 Conclusion 

 India’s GST framework is at a critical point. For long-term efficiency and fairness, the government should focus on simplifying rates, removing cesses, and broadening the tax base. Strengthening fiscal relations between the Centre and States, curbing untargeted spending, and fostering cooperative federalism will help restore trust. It’s time to evolve GST from a mere reform into a genuinely inclusive tax system.