English Group "Only Achievers"

2021-10-07 06:10:46 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 7th OCTOBER

Sensing heat: On 2021 Nobel for Physiology or Medicine

This year’s Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine — awarded to the researchers, David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian from the University of California, San Francisco and Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, respectively — recognises their seminal work in identifying the gene and understanding the mechanism through which our body perceives temperature and pressure. Our ability to sense touch and temperature — particularly noxious temperature — is essential for our survival and determines how we interact with our internal and external environment; chronic pain results when the pain response goes awry. Dr. Julius utilised capsaicin, a key ingredient in hot chilli peppers that induces a burning sensation, to identify a sensor in the nerve endings of the skin and the cellular mechanism that responds to uncomfortably hot temperatures. The receptor for heat gets activated only above 40° C, which is close to the psychophysical threshold for thermal pain, thus allowing us to react to external heat. In 2002, five years after the heat sensor was discovered, the two laureates, and independently, used menthol to discover the receptor that senses cold temperatures. Recent studies have found that discrimination between warm and cool temperatures is possible only through simultaneous activation of warmth-sensing nerve fibres and inhibition of cold-sensing nerve fibres. Using pressure-sensitive cells, Dr. Patapoutian discovered a novel class of mechanical sensors that responds to pressure on the skin and internal organs, and the perception of touch and proprioception — the ability to feel the position and movement of our body parts. The cellular mechanism that senses touch also regulates important physiological processes. Besides laboratory work, insights have been gained by studying people carrying genetic mutations in the cellular mechanism of temperature, pain, touch and pressure sensation.

The discovery of pain receptors and the cellular mechanism have attracted pharmaceutical companies as these could be targets for novel medicines. Though there are challenges to be addressed before such drugs can be clinically meaningful, the hope is that newer approaches may one day bypass the hurdles. Further research will help in understanding the functions of the receptors in a “variety of physiological processes and to develop treatments for a wide range of disease conditions”. This year’s Prize once again underscores the great contributions refugees fleeing war-torn countries can make to science and other fields. Dr. Patapoutian, who is of Armenian origin, grew up in Lebanon during the country’s prolonged civil war and fled to the U.S. in 1986 as an 18-year-old. From being blissfully unaware about science as a career in Lebanon, he not only “fell in love doing basic research”, but has also excelled in it to produce path-breaking discoveries in medicine.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Noxious (Adj)- harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant. हानिकर

2. Awry (Adj)- away from the usual or expected course; amiss.

3. Threshold (N)- the level or point at which you start to experience something, or at which something starts to happen

4. Proprioception (N)- perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body.

5. Mutation (N)- a significant and basic alteration. परिवर्तन

6. Hurdle (N)- a difficulty or problem. अड़चन

7. Underscore (V)- to emphasize the importance something.

8. Blissfully (Adv)- in a way that shows a lack of knowledge or understanding of something bad.

9. Excel (V)- perform exceptionally well.

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2021-10-06 07:22:08 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 6th OCTOBER

With a bang: On southwest monsoon

The southwest monsoon has officially ended in India with 87.4 cm of rainfall between June and September, or just 0.7% short of the historical average of 88 cm. In many ways this was an exceptional year. By August end, India was staring at an all India monsoon rainfall deficit of nearly 9%. This was primarily due to monsoon rain in August, usually the second rainiest month, being short by 24%. Early in the monsoon, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast “normal” rains with “a tendency towards the positive side” and the August failure had it backtrack a little. It forecast — correctly in hindsight — strong rains in September but maintained that the overall monsoon rainfall while still “normal” would be towards the lower end. However, September rainfall — 35% more than the monthly normal — was so munificent that it completely closed the deficit and was well beyond the IMD’s expectations. Normally, India gets about 17 cm of rain in September, but at 22.9 cm this year, it was more than the 19 cm in August.

Monsoon 2021 capped a rare three years of healthy rain. In 2020, India received 109% of the long period average (LPA) and in 2019, 110% of the LPA and not since 1996, 1997 and 1998 has India got three consecutive years of normal or above normal rain. Much of the rain was focused on southern India, with large parts of northeast and eastern India receiving below normal rainfall, but this is not concerning for two reasons: the base level of monsoon rains is higher in the northeastern regions than the rest of India and the region also gets the retreating monsoon which normally commences by October end. Three years of good rains have boosted storage in India’s key reservoirs. The monsoon, however, proved erratic for agriculture. The two key months for kharif crop sowing, July and August, were the ones when the monsoon failed and the excess September rains meant there are real fears of crop damage due to excessive moisture. The Government is expecting record crop output with kharif crops expected to yield 150.5 million tonnes until June 2022, which is slightly higher than the 149.56 million tonnes harvested last year. There are record surpluses expected for rice, pulses and oilseeds. While this could advantage exports it might also mean demands by farmers for more remunerative prices. These excess rains may be a rare event but the Government should capitalise on it and ensure adequate stocks for next year. The IMD should not be content that it got its overall prediction right but must analyse how its models could be improved to forecast shortfall as well as excess rains.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Deficit (N)- a lack or shortage. कमी

2. Forecast (V)- predict or estimate (a future event or trend). पूर्वानुमान

3. Hindsight (N)- the ability to understand an event or situation only after it has happened. पश्च दृष्टि

4. Munificent (Adj)- characterized by or displaying great generosity.

5. Cap (V)- provide a fitting climax or conclusion to.

6. Erratic (Adj )- not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable.

7. Remunerative (Adj)-producing a sizeable profit. लाभकारी

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2021-10-05 06:51:04 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 5th OCTOBER

Mamata’s march: On West Bengal CM's win

The Victory Of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur by-poll in West Bengal has come as no surprise but the margin of the victory and the little resistance put up by the Opposition parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party have come as a shot in the arm for the ruling Trinamool Congress. Ms Banerjee’s record winning margin of 58,832 votes is more than twice the margin of victory secured by the TMC candidate at the same constituency, located in the heart of Kolkata, five months ago in the State’s Assembly polls. The ruling party won all the three seats that went to the polls on September 30 in the State. In Jangipur, the margin of victory for the TMC candidate was over 92,000 votes and at Samserganj, the Trinamool Congress nominee won by over 26,000 votes. In two out of three seats, the BJP was the main opposition to the TMC but in Samserganj, the Congress nominee secured about 70,000 votes, pushing the BJP to the third position. Though Ms. Banerjee could not win the Nandigram seat in the Assembly election early this year, her decision to contest that seat considerably boosted her party. With her election as an MLA just in time to meet the six month deadline, Ms. Banerjee has capped her party’s impressive victory in May.

The outcomes also reinforce her positioning as a leader who has the gumption to confront the BJP that had left no stone unturned in its attempt to unseat her. The BJP stands further tamed after the by-poll outcomes. It put up a political greenhorn, Priyanka Tibrewal, to contest against the charismatic and popular Ms. Banerjee. The West Bengal BJP, which found it difficult to get the right candidates to contest against TMC nominees in the Assembly polls, continues to grapple with the same challenge five months later. The BJP central leadership stayed away from the campaign unlike earlier this year. The State leaders of the party were no match to the Trinamool Congress, in strategy or popularity. The State unit of the BJP was hoping that the Election Commission of India (ECI) may not announce the polls within the six-month deadline that the Chief Minister had to meet. Apparently taken by surprise, they spent time challenging the ECI decision in the courts rather than campaigning on the ground. The TMC government’s focus on cash transfer and other welfare schemes continues to draw the support of the electorate, while the issues of violence and corruption raised by the BJP did not strike a chord with them. The results also point to the continuing resistance to the BJP’s polarising tactics in West Bengal, and the party’s difficulty in tailoring a politics that is suitable for the region.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. By-Poll (N)- an election held in a single political constituency to fill a vacancy arising during a government's term of office.

2. A Shot In The Arm (Phrase)- something that has a sudden, strong, positive effect on something.

3. Gumption (N)- the strong will and determination to do something. साहस, तर्कशीलता, बुद्धिमानी

4. Left No Stone Unturned (Phrase)- try every possible course of action in order to achieve something.

5. Tame (V)- make less powerful and easier to control.

6. Greenhorn (N)- a person who is new to or inexperienced at a particular activity. नौसिखुआ

7. Grapple With (Phrasal Verb)- to try hard to understand a difficult idea or to solve a difficult problem.

8. On The Ground (Phrase)- among the general public.

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2021-10-04 06:02:28 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 4th OCTOBER

Locked in a stalemate: On need to restore normalcy along India-China border

In the coming week, military commanders from India and China are expected to hold the 13th round of talks to continue the effort to find a way out of the LAC crisis. Sharp exchanges between Beijing and New Delhi have served as a reminder that relations are undoubtedly at their lowest since 1988. On September 24, the Chinese Foreign Ministry, while responding to a question about new border management protocols, laid the blame for last year’s border crisis entirely on India’s doorstep, saying India’s “illegal trespass” caused the dispute. The Foreign Ministry repeated this charge in even stronger language, describing, on September 29, India’s actions last year as a “forward policy”, implicitly invoking the 1962 war. New Delhi in turn reminded Beijing that it was its “provocative behaviour”, and amassing of troops in April 2020 following annual military exercises, that led to the flashpoints. The envoys of both countries have also made statements, at a virtual dialogue, that suggest a gulf in the state of relations. The Chinese envoy to India, Sun Weidong, called on both countries to “place the border issue in an appropriate position” and said “it is not the whole story of bilateral relations”. His Indian counterpart, Vikram Misri, said the Chinese side was “shifting goalposts” in how both countries have, for three decades, managed the border areas peacefully. This, he said, was predicated on “a well-understood distinction” between managing the border areas and resolving the boundary question.

It is clear that this understanding, along with the four border agreements, has now broken down on account of China’s actions last year to unilaterally re-draw the LAC in Ladakh in the Western Sector. This week’s military commanders talks will take up disputes in Hot Springs, while disputes in Demchok and Depsang remain unresolved. Since the crisis last year, both sides have set up buffer zones in Galwan Valley and on the north bank of Pangong Lake, and have disengaged on the south bank and in Gogra. This temporary arrangement has helped prevent the recurrence of clashes, but with past agreements in disarray, a longer term understanding to keep the peace still eludes both sides. Recent incidents in Uttarakhand, and a continued military build-up in the Eastern Sector, underline the pressing need for reaching one. Mr. Misri suggested a way out of this stalemate, saying “it cannot be that only one side’s concerns are of relevance...” and acknowledging that “safeguarding territorial integrity and national security holds equal value for both sides.” He maintained both sides still had the space to cooperate on issues including tackling the pandemic, concerns about terrorism in the region and the situation in Afghanistan. Doing so will certainly build trust. Finding that space, however, will hinge on first restoring normalcy along the border.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Way Out (N)- a way of dealing with a problem.

2. Trespass (N)- entering someone's land or property without permission. अनधिकार प्रवेश करना

3. Provocative (Adj)- causing anger or another strong reaction, especially deliberately.

4. Flashpoint (N)- a place, event, or time at which violence or hostility flares up. चरम बिंदु

5. Re-Draw (V)- to change something, especially the borders between countries or regions.

6. Take Up (Phrasal Verb)-continue dealing with something.

7. Buffer Zone (N)- an area intended to separate two armies that are fighting.

8. Hinge On (Phrasal Verb)- to depend on (something).

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2021-10-02 08:36:02 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 2nd OCTOBER

No clean sweep: On a Swachh Bharat and urban India

Seven years after launching his government’s marquee programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the second phase of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), with a fresh promise to make India’s cities clean. For all the attention it has received, the goal of scientific waste management and full sanitation that Mahatma Gandhi emphasised even a century ago remains largely aspirational today, and the recent lament of Principal Economic Adviser Sanjeev Sanyal on dirty, dysfunctional cities drives home the point. That urban India, in his view, is unable to match cities in Vietnam that has a comparable per capita income is a telling commentary on a lack of urban management capacities in spite of the Swachh Bharat programme enjoying tremendous support. SBM-U 2.0, with a ₹1.41-lakh crore outlay, aims to focus on garbage-free cities and urban grey and black water management in places not covered by AMRUT. In its first phase, the Mission had an outstanding balance of ₹3,532 crore, since the total allocation was ₹14,622 crore while cumulative releases came to ₹11,090 crore. The issue of capability and governance underscores the challenge — of being able to process only about one lakh tonnes of solid waste per day against 1.4 lakh tonnes generated — to transition to a circular economy that treats solid and liquid waste as a resource.

Raising community involvement in resource recovery, which the rules governing municipal, plastic and electronic waste provide for, calls for a partnership that gives a tangible incentive to households. The current model of issuing mega contracts to big corporations — as opposed to decentralised community-level operations for instance — has left segregation of waste at source a non-starter. In the absence of a scaling up of operations, which can provide large-scale employment, and creation of matching facilities for material recovery, SBM-U 2.0 cannot keep pace with the tide of waste in a growing economy. On sanitation, the impressive claim of exceeding the targets for household, community and public toilets thus far obscures the reality that without water connections, many of them are unusable, and in public places, left in decrepitude. State and municipal governments, which do the heavy lifting on waste and sanitation issues, should work to increase community ownership of the system. As things stand, it is a long road to Open Defecation Free plus (ODF+) status for urban India, since that requires no recorded case of open defecation and for all public toilets to be maintained and functioning. Equally, the high ambition of achieving 100% tap water supply in about 4,700 urban local bodies and sewerage and septage in 500 AMRUT cities depends crucially on making at least good public rental housing accessible to millions of people.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Marquee (Adj)- most important.

2. Lament (N)- an expression of regret or disappointment about something. दुखी होना, शोक प्रकट करना

3. Cumulative (Adj)- growing in amount, strength, or effect by small steps.

4. Underscore (V)- to emphasize the importance of something.

5. Tangible (Adj)- important and noticeable. 

6. Scale Up (Phrasal Verb)- to increase the size, extent, or effect of. बढ़ाना

7. Decrepitude (N)- a state of deterioration due to old age or long use. जराजीर्णता

8. Sewerage (N)- waste and used water that is carried away from buildings through passages and pipes.

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2021-10-01 09:43:23 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 1st OCTOBER

Failing on food: on child malnutrition and mid-day meals

The approval of the PM POSHAN scheme by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs until 2025-26 comes at a critical time when real income declines and the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the ability of families to ensure good nutrition. The findings in Phase I of the NFHS-5 for 22 States and Union Territories in December 2020 were shocking: childhood stunting rose in 13 States, there was high prevalence of anaemia among children and women, and wasting was a serious concern in 12 States. The slippage over the previous survey period exposes the worsening scourge of malnutrition, threatening to deprive millions of children of a fully productive adult life. It will take a serious effort to address this hidden crisis, backed by strong budgetary commitment. The centrally supported hot meal programme in Government and Government-aided schools, covering 11.8 crore children, will be supplemented with nutritional elements in identified aspirational districts and areas with high anaemia. The scheme, which is proposed to be extended to pre-primary children, provides for social audit, creation of school nutritional gardens to source fresh produce, involvement of farmer-producer organisations as providers, and lays emphasis on local food traditions. While these are positive features, momentum towards eradicating malnutrition hinges crucially on annual budgetary outlays and proof of POSHAN’s working will lie in measurable outcomes.

Support for the PM POSHAN, which the Government says has been approved over the five-year period at ₹1,30,794 crore, including ₹31,733 crore from States and UTs, must remain elastic. While some child growth metrics such as stunting require a longer window to measure, problems such as anaemia and low weight lend themselves to speedy amelioration. The Government must demonstrate that Saksham Anganwadi-Mission POSHAN 2.0, which amalgamates the POSHAN Abhiyan and schemes covering anganwadis, crèches and adolescent girls, is fiscally stronger than its erstwhile component parts. There must be a meaningful increase in the current Budget estimate over the combined past outlay for the subsumed individual schemes. On nutritional planning, the renewed plan should introduce a greater diversity of diets that compensates for micronutrient and protein deficiency. Strong supplementation of nutrition at school, in the community, and at childcare centres is critical at a time when criticism of food inflation has met with a tone-deaf response, and pandemic-induced income declines have depressed essential consumption. The lower offtake of foodgrains for the noon meal scheme during the pandemic over the previous year and patchy food distribution mechanisms in many States should set alarm bells ringing. The future of a generation of Indians is at stake.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Stunting (N)- a check in growth. विकसित होने से रोक देना, बढ़ने न देना

2. Scourge (N)- something or someone that causes great suffering or a lot of trouble. कष्ट, विपत्ति

3. Aspirational (Adj)- having or showing a desire to achieve a high level of success or social status. आकांक्षापूर्ण

4. Amelioration (N)- the act of making something better; improvement. सुधार

5. Crèches (N)- a place where babies and small children are looked after while their parents are busy. शिशुसदन

6. Tone-Deaf (Adj)- insensitive to the nuances or sensitivities of a situation or issue.

7. Offtake (N)- the amount of goods purchased during a given period.

8. Set Alarm Bells Ringing (Phrase)- to make someone feel worried or concerned about something.

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2021-09-30 05:22:31 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 30th SEPTEMBER

Change of guard: On Japan’s new PM

The election of Fumio Kishida as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader opens a new chapter in Japan’s otherwise status-quoist politics at a time when its geopolitical prominence is growing amid China’s rapid rise and the United States’ pivot to the region. Mr. Kishida, a former Foreign Minister, is certain to be elected the next Prime Minister when Parliament convenes next week, as the LDP controls the legislature. Japan was thrown into a leadership contest after the unpopular Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga, announced his resignation earlier this month amid mounting public anger over his government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated economic woes. The traditionally conservative, pro-business LDP, which has dominated Japan’s post-war politics, was apparently not confident of going to the parliamentary polls in November under the leadership of Mr. Suga; his approval rating had plunged from 60% in January to below 30% in August. In the initial round of the voting on Wednesday among four candidates to lead the party, Mr. Kishida was neck-and-neck with Taro Kono, a serving Minister in the Suga government, who enjoyed higher popularity among the party’s rank and file. But in the run-off, most legislators supported Mr. Kishida, who had the backing of the LDP establishment.

Mr. Kishida’s most immediate big task is leading the party to the parliamentary elections within weeks. With the COVID situation easing, the LDP appears to be confident of victory under the new leadership. But winning elections would only be the first of a host of key challenges awaiting Mr. Kishida. He needs to come up with a programme to lift the world’s third largest economy out of its sluggishness. Even when the U.S. and China had surged back to growth after COVID lockdowns, Japan’s economy continued to falter under the long national emergency declared to fight the virus. Despite the LDP’s conservative past, Mr. Kishida had taken a centre-left position on the economy during the campaign. He promised increased spending to revive the economy and asked corporations to distribute more of their profits to middle-class workers. What is to be seen is whether these were instances of mere election-time rhetoric or if Mr. Kishida would turn them into policies to address Japan’s economic woes and widening inequality. A tougher challenge would be in the realm of foreign policy. After announcing the AUKUS alliance with the U.K. and Australia, under which Australia would be supplied nuclear submarines, the U.S. has made it clear that the Indo-Pacific is the new theatre of great power rivalry. Japan, an American ally in the Pacific with deep economic ties with China, would find it difficult to sit on the fence for long. Mr. Kishida, who called Taiwan “a frontline in the struggle by democracies against authoritarianism” and supported building Japan’s missile-strike capability, has already indicated which direction he would be taking on China. If he walks the talk, tensions are going to rise in East Asia.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Throw Into (Phrasal Verb)- to do something actively and enthusiastically.

2. Mounting (Adj)- gradually increasing. बढ़ता हुआ

3. Woes (N)- big problems or troubles. संकट

4. Plunge (V)- to become lower in value or level very suddenly and quickly.

5. Neck-And-Neck (Adj)- very close or equal.

6. Run-Off (N)- an extra competition or election to decide the winner, because the leading competitors have finished equal.

7. Falter (V)- lose strength or momentum. लड़खड़ाना

8. Rhetoric (N)- speech or writing intended to be effective and influence people. वक्रपटुता

9. Rivalry (N)- competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field. प्रतिद्वंद्विता

10. Sit On The Fence (Phrase)- to refuse to support either side in an argument.

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2021-09-29 16:39:00 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 29th SEPTEMBER

No clear winner: On post-Merkel Germany

The German elections are known to be a predictable exercise largely dominated by the Conservatives. But this time, even after the preliminary results are out, there is no clarity about which party would form the coalition and who would succeed Angela Merkel, who had announced her retirement well before the polls. There are now two wannabe Chancellors and two kingmakers, and coalition talks are expected to drag on. The centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) took a narrow lead with 25.7% of the vote, followed by the bloc led by Ms. Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), with 24.1%, their lowest vote share. The Greens won 14.8%, their best performance in a national poll, while the liberal, pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) took 11.5%. Olaf Scholz, who put the trailing Socialists in the lead, has claimed victory and shown interest in working with the Greens. Armin Laschet, the Conservative leader, has also promised to put “every effort” to ensure a CDU-led government. That leaves the Greens and the Liberals as kingmakers. Since the Socialists and the Conservatives, currently coalition partners in the Merkel government, will not be together again, the next government is set to be a three-way coalition.

Over the last 16 years, Ms. Merkel has been the undisputed face of the CDU and one of Germany’s most popular leaders. Her decision to retire has left a vacuum both in the CDU leadership and in German politics. Under the uncharismatic conservative Armin Laschet, the CDU, which ruled 52 of the 72 post-war years of Germany, looked like a pale shadow of itself, while Mr. Scholz, who belongs to the pro-business sections of the Social Democrats, led a campaign focused on social justice, by promising to increase the minimum wage, build affordable houses and raise taxes on the rich. This campaign allowed the Social Democrats to eat into the traditional vote base of the Conservatives. The growing awareness of climate politics led to the rapid and visible rise of the Greens. Mr. Scholz will now seek to bring together the Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals, the so-called ‘traffic light’ coalition that will have 416 seats, well beyond the 368 needed for majority. But a lot would depend on coalition talks and reaching common ground, as the CDU has also thrown its hat into the ring. When Ms. Merkel took over the reins of Germany in 2005, Europe’s largest economy was stalled with high unemployment. She overcame crises, strengthening Germany’s economic prowess and transforming its role in Europe. But she also saw German politics getting fragmented and the rise of the neo-Nazi AfD, which got a 10.3% vote share in Sunday’s poll. Whoever succeeds Ms. Merkel has their task cut out to offer stable governance, address growing social disquiet and strengthen the EU. And a bigger challenge is to take up this ambitious agenda while leading a three-way coalition.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Drag On (Phrasal Verb)- (of a process or situation) continue at tedious and unnecessary length.

2. Coalition (N)- a temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming a government. गठबंधन

3. Uncharismatic (Adj)- lacking the charm and attractiveness that can inspire enthusiasm in others. गैर करिश्माई

4. Pale Shadow (N)- less impressive or not as good as before or when compared.

5. Eat into (Phrasal verb)- to use or take away a large part of something valuable, such as money or time

6. Throw Its Hat Into- The Ring (Idiom)-to announce that one is going to try to win a contest such as an election.

7. Stall (V)- stop or cause to stop making progress.

8. Prowess (N)- skill or expertise in a particular activity or field.

9. Disquiet (N)- a feeling of worry or unease.

10. Take Up (Phrasal Verb)- become interested or engaged in a pursuit. विचार करना,  शुरू करना

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2021-09-27 06:07:06 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 27th SEPTEMBER

Back in the game: Quad and India-U.S. ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s summit meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, and his first in-person meet of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue mark an important step forward in India’s engagement with major global powers as it seeks to revive its economy and strategic role in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis. At the heart of the two leaders’ meeting was the issue of vaccine availability — and a critical victory for the Biden administration as it received Mr. Modi’s assurance that as the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, India would resume supplies to the global COVAX pool under its ‘Vaccine Maitri’ programme. The breakthrough comes after turmoil in this space earlier this year, when India halted exports after facing criticism for domestic supply bottlenecks as it contended with a devastating second wave of COVID-19. Around the same time the U.S. also invoked its Defense Production Act, effectively preventing the export of raw materials for vaccine manufacture in a bid to prioritise domestic production. With both countries now moving forward on their domestic vaccination programmes, albeit with the U.S. still struggling to overcome vaccine hesitancy in certain States, the summit provided them a timely opportunity to take up long-pending conversations on trade, defence ties and more. At the confluence of those two areas was the reaffirmation by Mr. Biden that India remained a ‘Major Defence Partner’, making it a key nation with which Washington could share information and strengthen cooperation in advanced military technologies, including, for example, a recent project to co-develop air-launched unmanned aerial vehicles.

Issues of global concern, including the ongoing pandemic, climate change, technology cooperation, supply chains and security, and preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific were themes that came up at the Quad gathering. Following on the heels of the first virtual summit of the four leaders in March 2021, this meeting builds upon the intention of the Quad member nations — India, the U.S., Australia, and Japan — to ensure an Indo-Pacific region “free from coercion and disputes... solved in accordance with international law”. While India has sought to disassociate its role as a member of the Quad from the recently announced Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) partnership, there is little doubt that the creation of a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines for Australia under the AUKUS framework will have significant and positive implications on India’s strategic calculus regarding the Indo-Pacific region. From New Delhi’s perspective, health concerns and economic revival remain at the very apex of the policy agenda. This is a time for India to rapidly deepen cooperative initiatives with the U.S. regarding vaccines and trade and continue engaging vigorously with the Quad for regional stability. That is the optimal strategy to navigate the uncertain global ecosystem that it now finds itself in.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Turmoil (N)- a state of great disturbance, confusion, or uncertainty.

2. Halt (V)- bring or come to an abrupt stop.

3. Bottleneck (N)- a problem that delays progress. बाधाओं

4. Take Up (Phrasal Verb)- to start doing something. शुरू करना

5. Reaffirmation (N)- a reassertion or confirmation of a fact or belief. पुन: पुष्टि

6. On The Heel Of (Phrase)- Following close behind or soon after someone or something.

7. Coercion (N)- the practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats. दबाव

8. Perspective (N)- a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something; a point of view.

9. Apex (N)- the top or highest part of something, especially one forming a point.

10. Optimal (Adj.)- best or most favourable; optimum.

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2021-09-25 05:37:22 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 25th SEPTEMBER

Complex count: On caste census

The idea of a national caste census might be abhorrent when the stated policy is to strive for a casteless society, but it will be useful to establish statistical justification for preserving caste-based affirmative action programmes. It may also be a legal imperative, considering that courts want ‘quantifiable data’ to support the existing levels of reservation. Political parties with their base in particular social groups may find a caste enumeration useful, if their favoured groups are established as dominant in specific geographies; or they may find the outcome inconvenient, if the precise count turns out to be lower and has a negative bearing on perceptions about their electoral importance. In this backdrop, the Union government’s assertion in the Supreme Court that a census of the backward castes is “administratively difficult and cumbersome” may evoke varying responses. There are two components to the government’s stand. First, it asserts that it is a policy decision not to have caste as part of the regular census and that, administratively, the enumeration would be rendered so complex that it may jeopardise the decennial census itself. Second, it cites the difficulties and complexities inherent in getting an accurate count of castes, given the mind-boggling numbers of castes and sub-castes, with phonetic variations and similarities, that people returned as their caste in the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) conducted in 2011.

The Government has said data from the 2011 SECC were not acted upon because of “several infirmities” that rendered them unusable. Even in the Censuses up to 1931, when caste details were collected, they were wanting in completeness and accuracy. Further, the data contained 46 lakh different caste names, and if subcastes were considered, the ultimate number may be exponentially high. These points do merit consideration, and even those clamouring for a caste census cannot easily brush them aside. However, these need not mean that an enumeration of the social groups in the country is impossible. A caste census need not necessarily mean caste in the census. It may be an independent exercise, but one that needs adequate thought and preparation, if its ultimate goal is not for political or electoral purposes, but for equity in distribution of opportunities. A preliminary socio-anthropological study can be done at the State and district levels to establish all sects and sub-castes present in the population. These can be tabulated under caste names that have wider recognition based on synonymity and equivalence among the appellations that people use to denote themselves. Thereafter, it may be possible to do a field enumeration that can mark any group under castes found in the available OBC/BC lists. A caste census may not sit well with the goal of a casteless society, but it may serve, in the interim, as a useful, even if not entirely flawless, means of addressing inequities in society.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Abhorrent (Adj)- feeling or showing strong dislike or hatred. घृणित

2. Affirmative (Adj)- agreeing with or consenting to a statement or request. सकारात्मक

3. Imperative (N)- an essential or urgent thing. अनिवार्य, अवश्यकरणीय

4. Enumeration (N)- the action of mentioning a number of things one by one. गणना

5. Bearing On (Phrasal Verb)- to have an effect on (something). पर प्रभाव डालना

6. Cumbersome (Adj)- slow or complicated and therefore inefficient. बोझिल, दुष्कर

7. Jeopardise (V)- to put (something) at risk.

8. Decennial (Adj)- recurring every ten years. दशवार्षिक

9. Infirmity (N)- an imperfection or blemish.

10. Clamouring (N)- a demand for something.

11. Anthropological (Adj)- relating to the study of humankind. मानव-विज्ञान संबंधी

12. Appellation (N)- a name or title.

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