English Group "Only Achievers"

2021-09-12 07:04:52 The Hindu Editorial Vocab - 12 SEPTEMBER

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

2. Limelight (N)- the focus of public attention.

3. Enunciate (V)- to express and explain a plan or principle clearly or formally. स्पष्ट रूप से कहना

4. Undeniable (Adj)- unable to be denied or disputed. निर्विवाद

5. Hitherto (Adv)- until now or until the point in time under discussion. अब तक

6. Oppression (N)- prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or exercise of authority. उत्पीड़न

7. Deter (V)- to slow the growth or progress of.

8. Subaltern (N)- an army officer whose rank is lower than captain.

9. Dire (Adj)- extremely serious or urgent. अत्यंत

10. Dwell (V)- to live in a place or in a particular way.

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2021-09-11 07:12:13 The Hindu Editorial Vocab - 11th SEPTEMBER

1. Reiterate (V)- say something again or a number of times, typically for emphasis or clarity. दोहराया

2. Repeal (V)- (of a government) to make a law no longer a law. रद्द करना

3. Oust (V)- to force someone to leave a position of power, job, place, or competition.

4. Retrieval (N)- the process of getting something back from somewhere. पुन्नर्निर्माण

5.Counter (V)- to oppose or act against. विरोध करना

6. Divisive (Adj)- tending to cause disagreement or hostility between people. बांटनेवाला

7. Convergence (N)- the fact that two or more things, ideas, etc. become similar or come together. समाभिरूपता

8. Hegemony (N)- leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others. नायकत्व, नेतृत्व, प्राधान्य

9. Polarisation (N)- division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs. ध्रुवीकरण

10. Fissure (N)- a state of incompatibility or disagreement.

11. Spectacularly (Adv)- in an impressive, dramatic, or eye-catching way. असाधारण रूप से

12. Timid (Adj)- showing a lack of courage or confidence; easily frightened.

13.Sway (V)- to influence (someone or something). प्रभाव

14. Divisiveness (N)- a tendency to cause disagreement or hostility between people. विभाजन

15. Vow (V) - solemnly promise to do a specified thing.

16. Conscious (Adj) - aware of and responding to one's surroundings. जागरूक

17. Agrarian (Adj) - relating to cultivated land or the cultivation of land. कृषि-संबंधी

18. Precariat (N) - the class of people who are poor and do not have secure jobs.

19. Chasm (N) - a profound difference between people, viewpoints, feelings, etc. गहरा मतभेद

20. Landowning (Adj) - used to refer to a person or group that owns land. ज़मींदार

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2021-09-10 07:36:01 Sorry for the inconveniences guys. Now onwards, Editorial will be posted on a daily basis. ओपन / कमेंट

2021-09-10 07:33:44 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 10th SEPTEMBER

Return of the Mullahs: On the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

The debate on whether the Taliban would form an “inclusive government” representing all sections of Afghan society was laid to rest by the Taliban themselves on September 7 when the group’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, announced the formation of the new administration of the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’. Of the 33 Cabinet Ministers named, 30 are Pashtun, two ethnic Tajiks, and one is Uzbek. The Taliban are predominantly Pashtun, who make up some 40% of Afghanistan’s ethnically diverse population of 40 million. Women and the Hazara Shia minority — both faced targeted harassment and discrimination when the Taliban were in power in the 1990s — were excluded completely. Seventeen Ministers are on the UN sanctions blacklist for terrorists, including the head of the government, Mullah Hassan Akhund, and Sirajuddin Haqqani, the head of the Haqqani Network. Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s reclusive emir, will be the ‘Amir ul-Momineen’ (commander of the faithful), a title Mullah Omar had assumed in the 1990s. With the Cabinet portfolios allocated to the Taliban’s core and the Haqqanis, and introducing a system that resembles the previous Islamic Emirate known for its disregard for basic human rights, the Taliban have sent a clear message that they care little about what the world thinks about them.

Today’s Taliban appear to be stronger than their last avatar. In the 1990s, only three countries recognised the Islamic Emirate; the Taliban also never controlled the whole of Afghanistan. But now, more regional powers are ready to engage with them, including China and Russia. The group has also claimed total control over the country, with Panjshir, the last holdout, overrun earlier this week. With the new government, a stronger Taliban are trying to tighten their grip, though it may not be easy. Ever since Afghanistan became a republic in 1973, no government in Kabul has managed to stabilise the country. The ethnic, religious and political contradictions are too deep to be glossed over by the Taliban’s divisive Islamist Pasthun nationalism. In Panjshir, the rebels may have withdrawn to the mountains, like the Taliban did in 2001, but they could regroup and hit back like the Taliban did after 2005. The total exclusion of Shias and marginalisation of other ethnicities could blow back in the near term. Afghanistan has also seen the emergence of a vibrant civil society, especially in its cities, which may not accept the Taliban’s rule of the Mullahs quietly. Already, the crackdown on women’s rights has sparked large-scale protests by women in Kabul and elsewhere, which was unimaginable in the 1990s. If the Taliban were wise, they would have focused on healing the wounds of the long war and rebuilding the ruptured state and society. But the Pashtun, Islamist, sectarian Taliban seem programmatically incapable of doing that.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Predominantly (Adv) - mainly, usually, mostly, in general. मुख्यतः

2. Ethnically (Adv) - with reference to birth, origins, or cultural background. जातीय आधार पर

3. Reclusive (Adj) - living alone and avoiding other people.

4. Divisive (Adj) - tending to cause disagreement or hostility between people. बांटनेवाला

5. Exclusion (N) - the act of forcing out someone or something. बहिष्करण

6. Marginalisation (N) - treatment of a person, group, or concept as insignificant or peripheral.

7. Blow Back (N)- the unintended adverse results of a political action or situation.

8. Crackdown (N) - a series of severe measures to restrict undesirable or illegal people or behaviour. कार्रवाई

9. Unimaginable (Adj)- difficult or impossible to imagine or comprehend. अकल्पनीय

10. Rupture (N) - a breach of peaceful or friendly relations.

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2021-09-07 05:48:35 12. Contingent (N) - a group of armed forces forming part of a larger force (सैन्‍य दल जो किसी वृहत्तर सैन्‍यदल का भाग हो)

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2021-09-07 05:48:34 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 7th SEPTEMBER

From fighters to rulers: on Taliban

After postponing the announcement twice, Taliban spokesmen have said that they expect to have a new government in Afghanistan this week. There has been some speculation over the delay, more than three weeks after Taliban gunmen walked into Kabul and President Ashraf Ghani fled. While some have said the Taliban were waiting to take control of the last hold-out province of Panjshir, and others even suggested there was some symbolism attached to timing it with the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the real reason appears to be differences within various Taliban factions over the government’s structure and composition. In particular, the differences between the Taliban leadership in Helmand, Kandahar, and the political office in Doha, seen as the more “moderate” face, as well as between the “original” Afghan Taliban leadership and the Pakistan-based Haqqani network, a designated terror entity. The jockeying is reportedly over cabinet portfolios, the appointment of governors in the 34 provinces, control of the cities and the possibility of including non-Taliban Afghan leaders. Reports of the differences have escalated and the appearance in Kabul of the Pakistan ISI chief, Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, is believed to have been an attempt to smooth over the cracks in government formation. At the base of the differences is the tussle between the Taliban’s push to consolidate their takeover of Afghanistan and implement an Islamist agenda, and the desire to receive recognition from the international community and its continued financial support.

The outcome holds the key not only to the future of Afghanistan but also to New Delhi’s engagement with the new regime. Any government that gives the Haqqani group key positions will make it difficult for India to have a role in either diplomacy or development projects in Afghanistan, given previous terror attacks. Any overt role for Pakistan, as well as China, will also raise red flags for New Delhi. The Modi government has announced that it is now engaging the Taliban, with the first publicly acknowledged meeting in Doha last week; the MEA says it conveyed concerns on the safety of Indians in Afghanistan and ensuring Afghan soil is not used for attacks in India. Any engagement with the Taliban beyond this is contingent on the composition of the new power structure and how much the new government in Afghanistan is amenable to international expectations of it, in terms of representation, rights, and in allowing UN agencies to monitor development. To this end, India must use its voice on the international stage forcefully. This includes blocking any move at the UNGA and UNSC to recognise the new regime, and stopping the delisting or exemptions to Taliban leaders at the 1988 sanctions committee, which India chairs, until the Taliban regime shows a willingness to comply.



CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU -------------------------------------------

1. Speculation (N)- the activity of guessing possible answers to a question without having enough information to be certain

2. Walk Into (Phrasal Verb)- achieve a state or position easily or undeservedly.

3. Flee (V)- run away from a place or situation of danger. भाग गए

4. Hold-Out (N)- (against someone or something) to continue one's defense against someone or something.

5. Faction (N)- a small organized dissenting group within a larger one, especially in politics. गुटों

6. Jockeying (N)- An attempt to obtain power or get into a more advantageous position than other.

7. Portfolio (N)- a collection of different investments that are owned by a particular person or organization.

8. Escalate (V) - (to cause something) to become stronger or more serious

9. Tussle (N)- a vigorous struggle or scuffle, typically in order to obtain or achieve something. खींचतान, संघर्ष

10. Takeover (N)- the act of seizing and taking control of something. कब्जाकरना

11. Raise Red Flag (Phrase)- Warn of trouble ahead. ओपन / कमेंट

2021-09-06 06:54:26 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 6th SEPTEMBER

True mettle: On India’s parathletes

India saw another fortnight of good tidings in sports from Tokyo. Close on the heels of the recent Olympics there, in which India claimed an overall tally of seven medals inclusive of a lone gold, the country’s differently-abled athletes extended this tale of excellence into the Paralympic Games. The quadrennial event, which concluded at the Japanese capital on Sunday, witnessed an exemplary show by these athletes representing 2.2% of India’s population, who are differently-abled. India finished 24th in the table with 19 medals that featured five golds, eight silvers and six bronzes. This was India’s finest outing at the Paralympics and eclipsed the previous best of four medals at the Rio de Janeiro edition in 2016. In a nation where sporting culture is sacrificed at the altar of academic excellence, any news about success on the turf has to be treated as a system-altering result. The challenges for the differently-abled are tougher, considering the body’s limitations that these athletes first cope with through sheer willpower, and then there is the secondary task of overcoming society’s innate scepticism. A simple access-audit of India’s urban buildings would reveal how even a ramp essential for the differently-abled is either missing or added as an after-thought. In 2016, an audit initiated by government agencies did not find a single building that was completely accessible to the differently-abled.

Seen in that context, what India’s paralympic contingent achieved is mind-boggling. This was a leap of faith mounted on endless hours at grounds and inside gymnasiums while sharpening muscle-memory. The Indian contingent reflected life’s vicissitudes with athletes having personal stories steeped in tragedy: accidents, polio-afflictions or genetic issues. Yet, they strove towards excellence with an effervescent smile in place. Be it athletics, where javelin throwers are the toast of the month, or badminton or shooting, India had its moments of splendour. The five gold medallists — Sumit Antil, Pramod Bhagat, Krishna Nagar, Manish Narwal and Avani Lekhara — led from the front, and the last named 19-year-old shooter also won a bronze. India drew a blank in shooting at the preceding Olympics, but the differently-abled added five medals. The coaches, the Paralympic Committee of India and Sports Ministry played their parts while India excelled in a championship held in the shadow of a pandemic. Since its first medal at the 1972 Paralympics, India was a marginal presence until now. A reflexive-rewards exercise is on from various governments, and the corporate sector. If a percentage of those riches are allocated to improve sports infrastructure for the differently-abled, India will have more reasons for cheer in the coming years.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Close On The Heels (Phrase)- happening soon after another event.

2. Quadrennial (Adj)- recurring every four years. प्रत्येक चौथे वर्ष होनेवाला

3. Scepticism (N)- a sceptical attitude; doubt as to the truth of something. संदेहवाद

4. Mind-Boggling (Adj)- mentally or emotionally exciting or overwhelming.

5. Leap Of Faith (N)- a belief in something uncertain.

6. Gymnasium (N)- a large hall or room with special equipment for doing physical exercises.

7. Vicissitude (N)- a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant. चढ़ाव-उतार

8. Strove (V)- make great efforts to achieve or obtain something. प्रयास किया

9. Effervescent (Adj)- vivacious and enthusiastic.

10. The Toast Of (Phrase)- to be very popular in a particular place or group.

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2021-09-04 06:44:38 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 4th September

An uneven uptick: On GST revenue trends

With gross revenues of ₹1.12-lakh crore in August, the GST has now yielded over ₹1-lakh crore a month for almost a full year. The only blip in the past 11 months came in June, when takings fell below ₹93,000 crore in the aftermath of the second COVID-19 wave that compelled mobility restrictions across States. Those curbs have been progressively easing up — just as they were a year ago when the country saw a phased unlocking from the national lockdown. Compared to those lows, the August collections are 30% higher and also 14% above the pre-pandemic levels of 2019-20, though one must remember India’s growth had stuttered sharply that year. While revenues from domestic transactions were up 27%, key industrial States saw faster growth, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Going forward, the Government expects such ‘robust’ GST revenues to persist. Most economists agree that may be the case, unless the fears of a third wave come true, triggering lockdowns.

But it is unclear if the economy is recovering ‘fast’ in tandem with the easing out of COVID-related restrictions. The GST collected in August pertains largely to economic activity in July and the mobility restrictions in most States had been eased further that month compared to June, including in the southern States. GST e-way bills generated in July surged to an average of 2.1 million from 1.8 million in June. Yet, on a sequential basis, GST revenues in August are almost 4% lower than the ₹1.16-lakh crore collected in July. This recovery appears choppy rather than ‘fast’. Similarly, the Government’s claims of higher compliance levels reiterated over the past several months need to be matched with accompanying numbers. At the start of the GST regime four years ago, it had 6.6 million taxpayers. On GST Day this July, the Finance Minister said this had risen to 12.8 million. But how many of them are filing returns each month is no longer known since the Government stopped disclosing that number from February 2021. This makes it virtually impossible to distil the effects of compliance and growth on GST revenues. Deviating from standard data points spikes suspicions about what they strive to hide. The Government would do well to restore and enhance its quality of data disclosures — even State-wise revenues have been selectively shared recently. As the Reserve Bank of India Governor has highlighted, the economy is still delicately poised — manufacturing recovery has stumbled in August, services remain stressed, exports stay strong but have slipped on a month-on-month basis just like GST collections. There is surely a need to talk things up when the chips are down, but ultimately only facts and figures can invest words with meaning.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Blip(N): A blip in a situation is a sudden but temporary change or interruption in it.

2. Stutter (V): pause, halt;

3. In tandem (Phrase): at the same time:

4. Pertain (v): be appropriate, related, or applicable to.(संबंधित)

5. Choppy (adj.): interrupted by ups and downs

6. Reiterate (v): repeat, restate

7. Delicately (adverb): in a very careful or finely judged manner; gently.

8. Poised (adj.): assured, composed;

9. Stumble (v): encounter by chance, stagger;

10. When the chips are down(phrase): when a very serious situation arises.

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2021-09-03 06:26:38 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 3rd September

Breakthrough challenge: On vaccines and the virus variants

With over 66 crore vaccine doses administered since the vaccination drive commenced in January, India has now inoculated at least half its adult population with at least one dose, and 16% with two. There is a small, discernible rise in the number of new infections. Kerala, which contributes the bulk of infections, also has among the highest proportions of the population who are double vaccinated. This apparent paradox underlies concerns about the rise in ‘breakthrough infections’, or confirmed infections in those who took the second dose at least two weeks earlier. A recent study by CSIR scientists found that nearly a quarter of 600 fully vaccinated care workers were reinfected. Earlier studies from the CMC Vellore, and PGIMER, Chandigarh, too have reported between 1%-10% of fully vaccinated health-care workers as having been infected. However, less than 5% of them have required hospitalisation and no deaths have been confirmed, indicating the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing severe sickness and death. Internationally too, the trend is clear. Israel and the U.S. in spite of high vaccination coverage, continue to report new cases; though here too, the infection rate is much higher in the unvaccinated. The prime suspects, internationally as well as in India, are the Delta variants and related sub-lineages that are believed to form the bulk of coronavirus infections. The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) that tracks mutations in coronavirus strains has said that the breakthrough infections reported so far are within “expected” numbers. That is, vaccines in large, controlled clinical trials had demonstrated 70%-90% efficacy but lost considerable ability to reduce symptomatic infections when confronted with the Delta variants, and so a certain fraction of those fully vaccinated would continue to be vulnerable.

While it is a fact of evolution that viruses would mutate to be able to avoid antibodies, and vaccines, therefore, would have to keep being upgraded, it seems that the moment appears to have come too soon. A country like India, in spite of being a major vaccine producer in the pre-pandemic era, has only now managed to get production lines to deliver one crore vaccines a day. While other vaccines are in the pipeline, all of them are designed on the Wuhan-virus platform and although companies claim that the strength of m-RNA and DNA-based vaccine platforms lies in the ability to quickly tweak them to accommodate new variants, there are no reports yet, anywhere in the world, of vaccine makers specifying a timeline for vaccines that are tuned to the Delta variants. Vaccine makers who may have got emergency-use authorisations but are a while away from launch, should ideally move to making vaccines for the Delta variants and not rely on their existing pipeline.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Inoculate (V) - treat with a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease; vaccinate.

2. Discernible (Adj)- able to be seen, noticed, or understood.

3. Paradox (N)- something that deviates from the normal.

4. Mutation (N)- a permanent change in an organism, or the changed organism itself. परिवर्तन

5. Vulnerable (Adj)- able to be easily hurt, influenced, or attacked.

6. Evolution (N)- the gradual development of something. उद्भव

7. In The Pipeline (Phrase)- in the process of being planned or developed. प्रक्रिया में है

8. Tweak (V)- to make a minor alteration.

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2021-09-02 05:50:48 The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 2nd September

For a bona fide press: On weeding out ‘fake journalists’

In directing the State government to establish a ‘Press Council of Tamil Nadu’ within three months, the Madras High Court has come close to formulating policy and legislation. Its direction amounts to creating a body and clothing it with powers and functions, something that is normally done by law and after wider consultations. There is no doubt that it is a well-intentioned order that seeks to address problems arising from the dubious activities of ‘fake journalists’. In fact, the directives may constitute a remedy to the maladies highlighted by the Division Bench in its recent verdict, but it is quite surprising that such a far-reaching measure has sought to be created by judicial direction while disposing of public interest litigation somewhat unrelated to the case at hand. The original case initiated by a man claiming to be a journalist contained some allegations against the special team investigating theft of idols from various temples. It was disposed of with a direction to the Idol Wing CID to proceed with the investigation in accordance with the law. As there was suspicion over the petitioner’s credentials, the Bench has proceeded to address the larger problem of imposters masquerading as journalists for personal enrichment.

The issues highlighted by the Bench are quite real and need remedial measures. Some people claiming to be journalists do run letter-pad publications, or even print some copies of obscure journals, but devote much of their time to using “connections” to wangle benefits and gifts, try and swing transfers and postings; or be fronts for vested interests. Broadly, the court wants a State-level ‘Press Council’ to weed out ‘fake journalists’, regulate the distribution of identity and accreditation cards and the recognition of media bodies, besides receiving and disposing of complaints about the media. As of now, the Press Council of India performs the watchdog role about public complaints, but without any substantive enforcement powers. Accreditation and dealing with journalist bodies are now the functions of the respective governments. A powerful body that will identify and accredit journalists, decide their entitlements to bus and rail passes and welfare measures, as well as act as a complaints authority will surely need a statutory framework. Besides, a separate body created by executive order may act over-zealously and end up eliminating bona fide journalists. As ‘newspapers, books and printing presses’ are in the Concurrent List, the State government needs to examine if the field is occupied by central legislation, and whether it can create a watchdog body, as suggested by the court, encompassing all forms of media. It may have to weigh its options carefully, including an appeal.


CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
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1. Malady (N)- a serious problem. विकृतियों

2. Verdict (N)- an official judgment made in a court. निर्णय, फैसला

3. Dispose Of (Phrasal Verb)- to get rid of someone or something or deal with something so that the matter is finished.

4. Litigation (N)- the process of taking legal action in a court of law (न्‍यायालय में मुक़दमा लड़ने की प्रक्रिया; मुक़दमा, वाद)

5. At Hand (Phrase)- close in time; about to happen.

6. Imposter (N)- a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others. धोखेबाजों

7. Masquerading (V)- pretend to be someone one is not.

8. Obscure (Adj)- not clearly expressed or easily understood. अस्पष्ट

9. Accreditation (N)- an acknowledgement of a person's responsibility for or achievement of something.

10. Vested Interest (N)- a strong and often secret reason for doing something that will bring you an advantage of some kind, for example more money or power

11. Entitlement (N)- the fact of having a right to something. अधिकार

12. Statutory (Adj)- controlled by a law or statute. संवैधानिक

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