Editorial #022

THE HINDU EDITORIAL 

India’s most populous State finally goes to the polls today, beginning a seven-phase process that starts from the western fringe of Uttar Pradesh. In this first phase, 73 Assembly constituencies in 15 districts of western Uttar Pradesh will elect their legislators in what is clearly the most diversely contested region of the State, the only one in which all four parties/fronts, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Samajwadi Party-Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal, fancy their chances. That they all see themselves to be firmly in the hunt indicates the change in western U.P. since the 2014 general election when the BJP registered its biggest margins of leads in Assembly segments. Then, riots in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts in 2013 had resulted in communal polarisation in the BJP’s favour, supplementing the Narendra Modi wave in the State: the BJP alliance netted 73 of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats. But two years is a long time in politics, and issues such as the demonetisation, the performance of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, and BSP leader Mayawati’s reliance on a new samikaran (caste-religion arithmetic) have all changed the nature of the campaign.This time, reports suggest that many in the landed peasantry among Jats are looking again at the RLD, which till not long ago had been staring at a political decline, as a viable choice. Despite a relatively favourable monsoon and a better agrarian harvest, farmers are now less well-disposed towards the BJP following the demonetisation. The BSP has struck a chord with its traditional support base among Dalits and has fielded a large number of Muslim candidates to consolidate support among the minorities. The SP-Congress alliance seeks to ride a wave of positive support for Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav after his combat with party elders. The BJP has its task cut out to retain its support here, with the effects of the demonetisation hurting traders too. But Mr. Modi’s appeal is still strong, especially among the younger voters. The party has tried to use dog-whistle politics — talking of an “anti-Romeo campaign”, for example, as a softer version of its earlier “love jihad” mobilisation — as a polarising tactic, but it is not clear if that will pay off. A more sound strategy has been its reliance on the non-Yadav Other Backward Classes to take on the identity politics of the BSP and the SP. All said, the political landscape in western U.P. remains dynamic, making predictions risky. However, as in the past, the very specific issues of western U.P. may well influence the rest of the State.

VOCABULARY 

1. Fringe :- An ornamental border of threads left loose or formed into tassels or twists, used to edge clothing or material.
2. Constituencies :- A group of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body.
3. legislators :- A person who makes laws; a member of a legislative body.
4. Diversely :- Showing a great deal of variety; very different.
5. Contested :- An event in which people compete for supremacy in a sport or other activity, or in a quality.
6. Firmly :- With little possibility of movement; securely.
7. Riots :- A violent disturbance of the peace by a crowd.
8. Polarisation :- Division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs.
9. Reliance :- Dependence on or trust in someone or something.
10. Staring :- Look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something with one's eyes wide open.
11. Agrarian :- Relating to cultivated land or the cultivation of land.
12. Chord :- A group of (typically three or more) notes sounded together, as a basis of harmony.
13. Combat :- Non-violent conflict or opposition.
14. Dog-whistle :- A subtly aimed political message which is intended for, and can only be understood by, a particular demographic group.
15. Mobilization :- The action of a country or its government preparing and organizing troops for active service.
16. Tactic:- An action or strategy carefully planned to achieve a specific end.
17. Influence :- The capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself.

Editorial #021

THE HINDU EDITORIAL

It is a measured gambit  by Tamil Nadu. The State has taken the legislative route to grant itself exemption from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), a uniform examination that will decide admission to medical courses all over the country. The two Bills passed by the State Assembly seek to retain its present admission system for under-graduate and post-graduate medical courses based on marks obtained by students in their higher secondary school examination. The Bills are likely to displease the Supreme Court, which insists that NEET marks be the sole basis for admission. The Bills will also require the President’s assent; else they would be repugnant to the provisions of the Indian Medical Council Act and the Dentists Act that prescribe the entrance test. Tamil Nadu, which abolished entrance examinations to professional courses in 2006, argues that NEET would be traumatic for both parents and children, as it would be based on a syllabus different from the one taught in schools under the board for higher secondary education. The fear is that NEET would be insurmountable for students from rural areas and under-privileged backgrounds and those who cannot afford coaching centers. Its concern that urban students, especially those from streams such as the CBSE, would dominate admissions under NEET cannot be dismissed easily.

Regulations introducing NEET were struck down by a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court in 2013 by a two-one majority. Last year, a five-judge Bench recalled the verdict and NEET was back in place. Students all over the country were gripped by anxiety and tension following the sudden change in the admission method. The Centre promulgated an ordinance to grant relief for under-graduate medical admissions in 2016, but no such protection is available this year. There is now an inevitable conflict between the need for a fair and transparent admission system to curb rampant commercialization of medical education and the socio-economic goals of the State, which is worried about producing enough committed doctors ready to serve in rural areas. Both objectives are indeed laudable. However, a moot question is whether uniformity should be thrust on a country that has wide regional, economic and linguistic disparities. Normally it is the political leadership, and not the courts, that should harmonies such differences and evolve a viable admission policy. At the same time, States cannot remain forever insulated from the need to upgrade educational standards. It may be easy to advise the courts to keep out of the policy domain, but a more difficult task is for institutions in the government and the private sector to maintain standards and pass the court’s triple test of fairness, transparency and freedom from exploitation.

VOCABULARY 

1. Gambit - An act or remark that is calculated to gain an advantage, especially at the outset of a situation
2. Legislative - Having the power to make laws
3. Exemption -The action of freeing or state of being free from an obligation or liability imposed on others:
4. Uniform -  Remaining the same in all cases and at all times; unchanging in form or character
5. Seek -  Attempt to find (something)
6. Retain - Continue to have (something); keep possession of
7. Displease - Make (someone) feel annoyed or upset
8. Sole - One and only
9. Insists - Demand something forcefully, not accepting refusal
10. Assent -The expression of approval or agreement
11. Repugnant - Extremely distasteful; unacceptable
12. Provisions  - The action of providing or supplying something for use
13. Abolished - Formally put an end to (a system, practice, or institution)
14. Traumatic - Deeply disturbing or distressing
15. Insurmountable - Too great to be overcome
16. Privileged  - Having special rights, advantages, or immunities
17. Concern  - Relate to; be about
18. Dominate  - Have power and influence over
19. Struck - Hit forcibly and deliberately with one's hand or a weapon or other implement
20. Recalled - Bring (a fact, event, or situation) back into one's mind; remember
21. Verdict  -A decision on an issue of fact in a civil or criminal case or an inquest
22. Anxiety - A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome
23. Promulgated - Promote or make widely known (an idea or cause)
24. Inevitable - Certain to happen; unavoidable
25. Rampant - (especially of something unwelcome) flourishing or spreading unchecked
26. Uniformity - The quality or state of being uniform
27. Disparities - A great difference
28. Harmonies - The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce a pleasing effect
29. Viable - Capable of working successfully; feasible
30. Exploitation - The action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work

Cloze test #07

SBI MAINS

Lately , the media seems to have gone berserk in  (1) everything that pertains to the New Economy . Behind the great bulk of the articles on the subjects are  (2)  assumptions . First, that the New Economy businesses are likely to push Old Economy industries all the way into oblivion. Second, that (3) about the new Economy is far superior to that of the Old Economy. Both those emphatic assumptions could be (4) flawed. Physical products the cornerstone of the old Economy are hardly likely to (5) out in important even in the age of the internet. After all, the consumption of physical goods is hardly going down . In everything from steel to automobiles (6) is only going up. But above and beyond all this the New Economy also needs Old Economy products to survive . You can sell goods on the internet after all, only if (7) is producing those goods. Besides which, people still want all those Old Economy goods.

As far as the second point is concerned, the on big weakness abut the New Economy is that it is (8) more volatile than the Old economy . The rate of evolution of products the crux of the Old Economy will (9) always be slower than the rate of the growth and proliferation of new ideas on any given subjects. And hence , the Old economy ( bossed on products) will always be relatively more (10) than the new economy ‘bossed largely on ideas’.

OPTIONS 

1. listening सुनना   advocating वकालत  ignoring अनदेखी adopting गॉड लेना   veiwing देखने के 
2. bold साहसिक  emphasizing पर बल  underlying आधारभूत overriding अधिभावी 
3. glitter चमक  everything सब कुछ  each-thing प्रत्येक चीज़   proceed बढ़ना  highlight मुख्य आकर्षण 
4. thinking विचारधारा  delibertely जान बूझकर  casually संयोग से  carelessly लापरवाही  seriously गम्भीरता से 
5. lose खोना  charm आकर्षण  iron लोहा  stand खड़ा  
6. trend प्रव्रत्ति movement आंदोलन  consumption सेवन  cost लागत  production उत्पादन 
7. mass सामूहिक  someone कोई व्यक्ति  none कोई नही  person व्यक्ति  marketing विपणन  
8. obviously जाहिर है  reportedly कथित तोर पर  naturally सहज रूप से  intrinsicallly आंतरिक रूप से  abysmally काफी 
9. subjectively आत्मगत  deliberatley जान बूझकर  according अनुसार   necessarily अनिवार्य रूप से 
10. stable स्थिर  dogmatic कट्टर  fragile नाज़ुक  volatile परिवर्तनशील  specific विशष्ट 

ANSWERS 

1. Advocating
2. Underlying
3. Everything
4. Seriously
5. Lose
6. Consumption
7. Someone
8. Obviously
9. Necessarily
10. Stable

Editorial #020

THE HINDU EDITORIAL 

Punjab and Goa go to the polls today, heralding घोषणा  a multi-phase election schedule, with three other States set to vote over the next month. Punjab and Goa, where a hectic व्यस्त  campaign अभियान has been running for the past month, are united by a common strand — the contest is not limited to the two national parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, or alliances गठबन्धनों with them, as has been the case for some years. In Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party has sought to build on its strong debut performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha election when it won four out of 13 seats and had leads in 33 of the total of 117 Assembly segments. The presence of the AAP has meant a three-way contest as the incumbent निर्भर Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance seeks to defend its record not just in the State but also at the Centre over the demonetisation policy and farmers’ issues. The AAP polled well in rural and semi-urban areas in Punjab in 2014, taking up issues that had been inadequately अपर्याप्त addressed by the Congress and the BJP, such as corruption, and drug consumption सेवन that has devastated तहस -नहस so many lives in the countryside. For the Congress, the stakes are high as it seeks to turn the tide after a string of losses in Assembly elections in major States since 2013. In former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh the Congress has perhaps its most capable regional leader today, but it remains to be seen how the anti-incumbency पदग्राही vote splits विभाजन .

Goa, on the other hand, is engaged व्यस्त in an electoral contest that is more dependent on local issues and variables than national ones. But here too, the entry of the AAP has made election forecasting भविष्यवाणी difficult. The BJP is projecting its record of providing a stable government in a State prone प्रव्रत्त to political volatility उतार - चढ़ाव , but its task has become more difficult with the loss of its alliance partner, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, to another right-wing front. The Congress has fielded its share of former chief ministers. With compact सघन and smaller constituencies विधानसभा छेत्रो — some of them have only about 25,000 voters — close contests are expected, with even minor parties and independents having the potential to influence प्रभाव the final result. It is no wonder that heavyweights दिग्गजों such as Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar have been deployed तैनात for local-level campaigning; the BJP wants to leave nothing to chance. The elections in Punjab and Goa go well beyond mundane सांस्कारिक identity politics. Securing a clean environment with regulations over mining in Goa, and tackling agrarian कृषि प्रधान problems and narcotics use in Punjab, give the vote immediacy, promising an electoral contest that has some focus on civic issues and is not confined to patronage संरक्षण or identity.

VOCABULARY 

1. Heralding                                        घोषणा
2. hectic                                               व्यस्त
3. Campaign                                        अभियान
4. Alliances                                         गठबन्धनों
5. Incumbent                                       निर्भर
6. Inadequately                                   अपर्याप्त
7. Devastated                                      तहस -नहस
8. Incumbency                                    पदग्राही
9. Splits                                               विभाजन
10. Engaged                                          व्यस्त
11. Volatility                                         उतार - चढ़ाव
12. Compact                                         सघन
13. Constituencies                                विधानसभा छेत्रो
14. Influence                                        प्रभाव
15. Heavyweights                                दिग्गजों
16. Deployed                                       तैनात
17. Mundane                                       सांस्कारिक
18. Agrarian                                        कृषि प्रधान
19. Patronage                                      संरक्षण

Cloze test #06

SBI MAINS 2015

Women have (1) made  (2) in the corporate workplace but certainly not as much as they had (3) . We have new laws, rules and (4) relating to women in the workplace , but what we have not changed much is male (5) . Women have fallen short in their goals because we (6) the potency of the male and feel the need to (7) their power. We can abide (8) by the laws and rules we crate in order to (9) women an equal opportunity in the corporate workplace and still not (10) the problems that afflicted and eventually capsized the women's raft. 

OPTIONS 

1. seldom कभी कभी  not नही  optimistically आशावादी  undoubtedly निश्चित रूप से  perhaps शायद 
2. attempts प्रयास को  progress प्रगति  decisions निर्णयों  efforts प्रयासों  automation स्वचालन 
3. prescribed निर्धारित  informed सूचित किया  encompassed घेर  predisposed संवेदनशील  expected अपेक्षित होना 
4. problem मुशीबत  revolutions क्रांतियों  polices नीतियों  cases मामलों  activities गतिविधियों 
5. behavior व्यवहार  populations आबादी  achievements उपलब्धियों  patterns नमूना  hatred घृणा 
6. risk जोखिम  minimize  छोटा  करना  respect आदर करना  retaliate प्रतिकार करना  underestimate कम आंकना 
7. know जानना  maintain रखना  evolve विकसित करना  absolve दोसमुक्त करना  diminish घटाना 
8. them उन्हें  partially आंशिक रूप से  occasionally कभी  न कभी  scrupulouslyराजनीति  excessively अधिकता से 
9. deprive वंचित   donate  दान करना  assure विश्वास दिलाता हु  deny मना  share हिस्सा 
10. emphasize जोर देना  explore का  पता लगाने  judge जज  mentioned उल्लेख किया  overcome पर काबू पाने 

Answers 

1. Undoubtedly 
2. progress 
3. Expected 
4. Polices 
5. Achievements 
6. Respect 
7. Maintain 
8. Scrupulously 
9. Assure 
10. Overcome 

1.