THE HINDU EDITORIAL : NOVEMBER 28, 2018

Dear Banking Aspirants,

THE HINDU EDITORIAL – November 28, 2018, is one of the must-read section for the competitive exams like  IBPS Clerk 2018, Canara Bank PO – PGDBF 2018 and IBPS SO 2018. These topics are widely expected to be asked in the reading comprehension, Cloze Test or Error Detection in the forthcoming exams. So gear up your Exam preparation and learn new words daily.

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A) Trail of destruction: on damages caused by Cyclone Gaja

The extent of damage caused by Cyclone Gaja is much worse than what was believed earlier

It is now becoming clear that Cyclone Gaja is a major disaster, and its economic impact in Tamil Nadu is comparable to that of the tsunami of 2004. The devastation suffered by tens of thousands of people in several districts of the State has been severe, going well beyond the annual storm season losses. In the initial days after November 16, when the cyclone struck, the State heaved a sigh of relief since the death toll was relatively low. But it is now clear that the suffering, the loss, and the displacement in large parts of Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur and Pudukottai districts is of an enormous magnitude. Communities in the affected areas are distraught as houses have collapsed, farms lie ruined, water sources are contaminated and electricity supply remains disrupted. Many areas remain inaccessible because fallen trees have blocked roads. In its report to the Centre, the Tamil Nadu government has estimated the number of people rendered homeless at 3.7 lakh, and houses destroyed at 3.4 lakh. The cyclone has crippled agriculture and livelihoods in a fertile region, felling thousands of productive trees and killing livestock. Between 60% and 80% of the coconut trees in the region have fallen, hobbling Tamil Nadu’s farmers, who contribute a quarter of India’s coconuts with the highest unit yield. Unlike paddy or many other crops, bringing coconut plantations back to life will take years.

The top priority for the Tamil Nadu government should be to restore administrative systems and service delivery in the affected areas. Only with physical access, electricity connections and public health facilities can effective relief work be undertaken. Solar power can get public facilities running overnight. It is equally important to assure the large number of stricken farmers that there will be a moratorium on any agricultural loans that they have taken, while a fair compensation scheme is prepared. Many of them have invested in trees and livestock expecting long-term returns, but have been rendered paupers overnight. The Tamil Nadu government has given the Centre a memorandum seeking nearly ₹15,000 crore for restoration, rehabilitation and mitigation, besides ₹1,431 crore for immediate relief work. The State’s requirements should be met in full. It is also worth pointing out that farm insurance under the Centre’s Fasal Bima Yojana covers only food crops, oilseeds and annual horticultural crops, making extraordinary compensation for farmers important. The average citizen is also keen on contributing money and material to the relief effort, as the experience with the Kerala floods shows. What she wants to see is administrative efficiency in rebuilding the shattered districts. Officials should not wait for people to launch protests before coming up with a response. Cyclone Gaja has wrought terrible devastation, and the relief programme must match it in scale.

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B) Breathing space: on the strengthening rupee

Fall in oil prices gives the rupee and the Indian economy a much-needed boost

After falling consistently against the U.S. dollar for most of this year, the rupee has managed to gain some ground over the last few weeks. It has gained almost 5% from its lowest levels reached in October. The fortunes of the rupee, which even after the recent appreciation is down about 11% since the beginning of the year, have been tightly linked to the price of crude oil in the global markets. This is no surprise since imported oil meets about 80% of India’s total demand. The value of the rupee tanked amid the uptrend in oil prices this year which lasted till early October. Since then, the rupee has gained against the dollar in tandem with the fall in global crude prices. Brent Crude has dropped by a massive 30% since early October, when a barrel cost around $86, to around $60 today. This sharp fall has been the result of a dramatic change in mood in the oil market. Investors until a few weeks ago were worried about the lack of sufficient supply in the market due to disruptions in arrivals from major producers such as Iran and Venezuela. Now, however, the markets are worried about possible oversupply as the U.S. has softened its stance against Iran and turned into the largest crude oil producer in the world with the boom in shale production. Worries about a drop in global demand due to faltering growth in major economies like China may have also contributed to the fall in prices.

The fall in global crude oil prices comes as a big relief to the Central government, which has faced increasing macroeconomic and political pressure due to rising prices. According to UBS, a drop of $10 in the price of oil can improve India’s current account and fiscal deficits by 0.5% and 0.1% of GDP, respectively. The ruling party may be pleased with falling oil prices in the run-up to the general elections next year. Fuel prices across major Indian cities have fallen significantly in the last few weeks. The Reserve Bank of India will be relieved as it will have to worry less about the rupee and oil-induced inflation. Foreign investors, who have been net sellers this year, have turned net buyers this month. This points to an increase in investor confidence in the economy as the fundamentals improve. But amid rising global uncertainties, it may not be so easy to map what lies ahead for global crude oil prices and the rupee. The December 6 meeting of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will make clear the response of oil producers to the sharp fall in prices. Shale companies are also likely to respond to falling prices by cutting production; the profit break-even point for shale producers, however, is anyone’s guess. India should capitalise on the relief offered by the fall in oil prices to improve its preparedness for any future jump in oil prices.

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VOCABULARY

1) devastation

Meaning : great destruction or damage(n).

Tamil Meaning : பேரழிவு

Synonyms : confusion

Antonyms : construction

Example : “the floods caused widespread devastation”

2) storm

Meaning : a tumultuous reaction; an uproar or controversy.(n),move angrily or forcefully in a specified direction.(v)

Tamil Meaning : புயல்

Synonyms : blizzard

Antonyms : calm

Example : “the book caused a storm in America”

3) heaved

Meaning : lift or haul (something heavy) with great effort.(v)

Tamil Meaning : இடப்பெயர்ச்சி

Synonyms : fling

Antonyms : depress

Example : “she heaved the sofa back into place”

4) toll

Meaning : a charge payable to use a bridge or road.(n)

Tamil Meaning : எண்ணிக்கை

Synonyms : expense

Antonyms : earn

Example : “motorway tolls”

5) displacement

Meaning : the action of moving something from its place or position.(n)

Synonyms : deracination

Antonyms : inaction

Example : “vertical displacement of the shoreline”

6) enormous

Meaning : very large in size, quantity, or extent.(adj)

Tamil Meaning : மகத்தான

Synonyms : excessive

Antonyms : common

Example : “enormous sums of money”

7) distraught

Meaning : very worried and upset(adj).

Tamil Meaning : கலக்கமடைந்த

Synonyms : agitated

Antonyms : balanced

Example : “a distraught woman sobbed and screamed for help”

8) ruined

Meaning : reduce (a building or place) to a state of decay, collapse, or disintegration.(v)

Tamil Meaning : பாழாக்கி

Synonyms : collapsed

Antonyms : sober

Example : “a ruined castle”

9) contaminated

Meaning : make (something) impure by exposure to or addition of a poisonous or polluting substance.(v)

Tamil Meaning : அசுத்தமான

Synonyms : corrupt

Antonyms : assist

Example : “the site was found to be contaminated by radioactivity”

10) disrupted

Meaning : interrupt (an event, activity, or process) by causing a disturbance or problem(v).

Tamil Meaning : பாதிக்கப்படும்

Synonyms : disturb

Antonyms : appease

Example : “flooding disrupted rail services”

11) estimated

Meaning : roughly calculate or judge the value, number, quantity, or extent of.(v)

Tamil Meaning : மதிப்பீட்டிலான

Synonyms : predicted

Antonyms : computed

Example : “the aim is to estimate the effects of macroeconomic policy on the economy”

12) rendered

Meaning : provide or give (a service, help, etc.).(v)

Tamil Meaning : காண்பிக்கப்பட்ட

Synonyms : accomplished

Example : “money serves as a reward for services rendered“

13) crippled

Meaning : (of a person) unable to walk or move properly; disabled(adj).

Tamil Meaning : முடமான

Synonyms : broken

Antonyms : fixed

Example : “a crippled old man”

14) fertile

Meaning : (of soil or land) producing or capable of producing abundant vegetation or crops.

Tamil Meaning : வளமான

Synonyms : abundant

Antonyms : impotent

Example : “the fertile coastal plain”

15) livestock

Meaning : farm animals regarded as an asset.

Tamil Meaning : கால்நடை

Synonyms : domestic

Antonyms : fact

Example : “markets for the trading of livestock”

16) hobbling

Meaning : walk in an awkward way, typically because of pain from an injury.

Synonyms : falter

Antonyms : continue

Example : “he was hobbling around on crutches”

17) contribute

Meaning : give (something, especially money) in order to help achieve or provide something.(v)

Tamil Meaning : பங்களிக்க

Synonyms : add

Antonyms : hold

Example : “taxpayers had contributed £141.8 million towards the cost of local services”

18) restore

Meaning : bring back or re-establish (a previous right, practice, or situation).

Tamil Meaning : மீட்க

Synonyms : improve

Antonyms : decline

Example : “the government restored confidence in the housing market”

19) stricken

Meaning : seriously affected by an undesirable condition or unpleasant feeling.

Tamil Meaning : வாடுகின்ற

Synonyms : harmed

Antonyms : unaffected

Example : “the pilot landed the stricken aircraft”

20) assure

Meaning : tell someone something positively to dispel any doubts.(V)

Tamil Meaning : உறுதி

Synonyms : persuade

Antonyms : discourage

Example : “Tony assured me that there was a supermarket in the village”

21) moratorium

Meaning : a temporary prohibition of an activity.

Tamil Meaning : நிறுத்திவைப்புக்கு

Synonyms : delay

Antonyms : continuation

Example : “a moratorium on the use of drift nets”

22) compensation

Meaning : something, typically money, awarded to someone in recognition of loss, suffering, or injury.(n)

Synonyms : earnings

Antonyms : debt

Example : “he is seeking compensation for injuries suffered at work”

23) invested

Meaning : provide or endow someone or something with (a particular quality or attribute(v).

Tamil Meaning : முதலீடு

Synonyms : devote

Antonyms : take

Example : “the passage of time has invested the words with an unintended humour”

24) paupers

Meaning : a very poor person.

Tamil Meaning :

Synonyms : supplicant

Antonyms : rich

Example : “he died a pauper”

25) rehabilitation

Meaning : the action of restoring someone to health or normal life through training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction, or illness(n).

Tamil Meaning : புனர்வாழ்வு

Synonyms : improvement

Antonyms : damage

Example : “she underwent rehabilitation and was walking within three weeks”

26) relief

Meaning : a feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress.

Tamil Meaning : நிவாரண

Synonyms : alleviation

Antonyms : hindrance

Example : “much to her relief, she saw the door open”

27) mitigation

Meaning : the action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something.

Tamil Meaning : மட்டுப்படுத்தல்

Synonyms : cure

Antonyms : increase

Example : “the identification and mitigation of pollution”

28) wrought

Meaning : made or fashioned in the specified way(Adj).

Tamil Meaning : செய்யப்பட்ட

Synonyms : constructed

Example : “well-wrought pop music”

29) consistently

Meaning : in every case or on every occasion; invariably.

Tamil Meaning : தொடர்ந்து

Synonyms : constantly

Antonyms : never

Example : “the vehicle consistently outperforms some of the best competitors”

30) fortunes

Meaning : chance or luck as an arbitrary force affecting human affairs.

Synonyms : affluence

Antonyms : poverty

Example : “some malicious act of fortune keeps them separate”

31) appreciation

Meaning : recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something.

Tamil Meaning : பாராட்டு

Synonyms : recognition

Antonyms : decrease

Example : “I smiled in appreciation”

32) uptrend

Meaning : an upward tendency, especially a rise in economic value.

Tamil Meaning : உயர்வில்

Synonyms : rise

Antonyms : decline

Example : “the uptrend in sales and profits is expected to be sustained in the October-March period”

33) tandem

Meaning : having two things arranged one in front of the other.

Tamil Meaning : இணைந்து

Synonyms : unit

Antonyms : individual

Example : “a tandem trailer”

34) dramatic

Meaning : (of an event or circumstance) sudden and striking.

Tamil Meaning : வியத்தகு

Synonyms : comic

Antonyms : ineffective

Example : “a dramatic increase in recorded crime”

35) disruptions

Meaning : disturbance or problems which interrupt an event, activity, or process(n).

Tamil Meaning : தடைகள்

Synonyms : interruption

Example : “the scheme was planned to minimize disruption”

36) stance

Meaning : the way in which someone stands, especially when deliberately adopted (as in cricket, golf, and other sports); a person’s posture.

Tamil Meaning : நிலைப்பாடு

Synonyms : attitude

Antonyms : unsteadiness

Example : “she altered her stance, resting all her weight on one leg”

37) contributed

Meaning : give (something, especially money) in order to help achieve or provide something.(v)

Tamil Meaning : பங்களிப்பு

Synonyms : commit

Antonyms : keep

Example : “taxpayers had contributed £141.8 million towards the cost of local services”

38) relieved

Meaning : no longer feeling distressed or anxious; reassured.

Tamil Meaning : நிம்மதியாக

Synonyms : reassured

Antonyms : distraught

Example : “relieved parents who had waited anxiously for news”

39) deficits

Meaning : an excess of expenditure or liabilities over income or assets in a given period(n)

Tamil Meaning : பற்றாக்குறைகள்

Synonyms : loss

Antonyms : adequacy

Example : “an annual operating deficit”

40) fiscal

Meaning : relating to government revenue, especially taxes.(adj)

Tamil Meaning : நிதி

Synonyms : budgetary

Antonyms : exempt

Example : “monetary and fiscal policy”

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Aspirants can check the Whole planner of IBPS CLERK Prelims Exam 2018 from the below given link. 

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IBPS CLERK prelims Exam 2018 – Planner 

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THE HINDU EDITORIAL : NOVEMBER 27, 2018

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Aspirants can find the other important THE HINDU EDITORIAL topics from the link that is mentioned below, to score more in the English section, THE HINDU EDITORIAL is vital and considered as the best source to learn more. Learning THE HINDU EDITORIAL provides you with an added advantage for the aspirants as this assist in their bank exam preparations.

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Check the other important THE HINDU EDITORIAL from the previous months that are available in our Bankersdaily website through the links that are mentioned below.

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THE HINDU EDITORIAL –  JUNE

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THE HINDU EDITORIAL – JULY 

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Other Important Notification: Released In October 2018

TNPSC Group II Prelims 2018 – Expected Cutoff Marks

ESIC SSO Prelims Score Card 2018 Released

TNSPSC Group II 2018 Answer Key – General English & General Tamil

Canara Bank PO PGDBF Manipal Recruitment 2018 – 800 Vacancies

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