THE HINDU EDITORIAL : DECEMBER 27, 2018
Want to Become a Bank, Central / State Govt Officer in 2020?
Join the Most awarded Coaching Institute & Get your Dream Job
![bank-sbi-po-clerk-exam-coaching-rrb-ntpc-group-d-coaching-bank-po-clerk-exam-coaching-summer-classes-](http://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/bankersdaily/wp-content/uploads/20190415170239/bank-sbi-po-clerk-exam-coaching-rrb-ntpc-group-d-coaching-bank-po-clerk-exam-coaching-summer-classes-.png)
![BANK-SSC-TNPSC-competitive-exam-online-classes](https://racemedia1.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20200716183346/35-Discount-on-all-Products_final-300x300.jpg)
Now Prepare for Bank, SSC Exams from Home. Join Online Coure @ lowest fee
Lifetime validity Bank Exam Coaching | Bank PO / Clerk Coaching | Bank SO Exam Coaching | All-in-One SSC Exam Coaching | RRB Railway Exam Coaching | TNPSC Exam Coaching | KPSC Exam Coaching
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : DECEMBER 27, 2018
Dear Banking Aspirants,
THE HINDU EDITORIAL – December 27, 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.
A) No lessons learnt: on Meghalaya mining disaster
The Meghalaya mining disaster exposes a series of administrative lapses
The disaster that struck a coal mine at Ksan in Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills district on December 13, trapping at least 13 workers, is a shocking reminder that a fast-growing economy such as India continues to allow Dickensian mining practices. India being home to some of the worst mine disasters, such as Chasnala near Dhanbad in 1975 in which more than 370 people were killed, the full spectrum of mining activity should be tightly regulated. Yet, the Ksan mine, referred to as a rat hole, was allowed to function in violation of not just safety norms but a complete prohibition issued by the National Green Tribunal. Clearly, the administration did not act to stop unscrupulous operators of the illegal mine from exploiting desperate workers, some of them from Assam, who were willing to work the rat hole tunnels because that is the most remunerative employment available to them. Unscientific mining led to a collapse of the chamber and deadly flooding followed. After disaster struck, it was incumbent on the Meghalaya government to launch an immediate rescue effort. But it did not possess the equipment to dewater the stricken mine quickly, and did not show any urgency in requisitioning it from elsewhere, in spite of the involvement of the National Disaster Response Force. The families of the workers are now left hoping for a miracle. Meghalaya has no excuse for not closing down such dangerous mines. What it can and should do now, jointly with the Assam government where needed, is to offer adequate compensation and jobs for the next of kin of the workers without delay.
Official inquiries into flooding disasters at approved mines, including Chasnala, have shown serious shortcomings in safety management. Two years ago, a landslip at an open cast mine in Goda, Jharkhand, killed 23 people, raising questions about the rigour of the technical assessment done prior to expansion of extraction activity. A study on three big flooding accidents published in 2016 by the IIT-Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, concluded that the official approach of fixing responsibility on human error was flawed, since it did not try to identify the root cause. There is little evidence to show that pre-mining surveys and safety protocols are incorporating such advice. The case of illegal mines falls in a different category. Unapproved work, which appears to have led to the Meghalaya accident, cannot continue, and employment should be provided to those who are displaced. Illegal mining has been highlighted by activists, but they have become targets of violence by those operating the mines. In the glare of national attention, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has acknowledged that illegal mining does take place. His government has been remiss as it failed to act on the NGT’s directions. It must bear responsibility for what has happened at Ksan, and work to prevent such tragedies.
B) Winter bear hug: on weakening stocks
Stocks everywhere show signs of weakness as central banks tighten monetary policy
U.S. President Donald Trump probably did not have his best Christmas this year. American stocks suffered their worst Christmas-eve loss in market history with the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing a massive 650 points on Monday, a drop of almost 3% within a single trading session. Mr. Trump has been keen on projecting the stock market’s performance as a gauge of how well the U.S. economy is doing under his presidency. While U.S. and global stocks performed extremely well in the first year of Mr. Trump’s presidency, they haven’t lived up to his expectations this year. The Dow Jones, now down almost 19% from its peak in early October, is clearly teetering near bear market territory. The index is down about 12% since the beginning of the year. The S&P 500 is already more than 20% down from its intra-day peak during the year, thus meeting the common definition of a bear market. And the Japanese Nikkei index dropped 5% on Christmas day. The Christmas-eve slump in the U.S. came after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s statement on Sunday announcing the convening of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, colloquially known as the Plunge Protection Team, that last met in 2008 in the midst of the global financial crisis. Investors interpreted the statement as a sign of possible trouble brewing within the financial system, thus contributing to at least some of the panic in the markets on Monday.
It is no surprise that stocks in the U.S. and around the world have shown signs of weakness just around the time the Federal Reserve and other major Western central banks have been keen on ending the era of easy money by tightening monetary policy. Many major indices have either broken their short-term uptrend or struggled to go past their most recent highs. Mr. Trump has expectedly been public about his criticism of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who has surprised many by sticking to his plan of gradual rate hikes despite U.S. inflation being comfortably below the Fed’s target rate of 2%. He fears that rising interest rates could derail economic growth that has been quite robust in recent times and affect his popularity. Historically, politicians have generally favoured easy money policies represented by low interest rates while central bankers have insisted on sticking to their primary mandate of controlling price inflation. So the battle between the President and the Federal Reserve Chairman is not completely surprising, except for Mr. Trump’s criticism of the Fed. What is important to observe is how markets, which have now clearly begun to price in the effects of tighter monetary policy around the world, will fare in the era of more normalised interest rates.
VOCABULARY
1) trapping
Meaning : trick or deceive (someone) into doing something contrary to their interests or intentions.
Synonyms : ambush
Antonyms : blessing
Example : “I hoped to trap him into an admission”
2) unscrupulous
Meaning : having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair.
Tamil Meaning : நேர்மையற்ற
Synonyms : dishonest
Antonyms : moral
Example : “unscrupulous landlords might be tempted to harass existing tenants”
3) exploiting
Meaning : make full use of and derive benefit from (a resource).(v)
Tamil Meaning : பயன்படுத்தி
Synonyms : using
Antonyms : wasting
Example : “500 companies sprang up to exploit this new technology”
4) desperate
Meaning : feeling or showing a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with.(adj)
Synonyms : daring
Antonyms : afraid
Example : “a desperate sadness enveloped Ruth”
5) remunerative
Meaning : pay (someone) for services rendered or work done.(v)
Synonyms : accord
Antonyms : deny
Example : “they should be remunerated fairly for their work”
6) tunnels
Meaning : dig or force a passage underground or through something.(v)
Synonyms : channel
Antonyms : bridges
Example : “he tunnelled under the fence”
7) incumbent
Meaning : necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility.(adj)
Tamil Meaning : பதவியில்
Synonyms : necessary
Antonyms : unnecessary
Example : “the government realized that it was incumbent on them to act”
8) rescue
Meaning : save (someone) from a dangerous or difficult situation(v).
Tamil Meaning : மீட்பு
Synonyms : delivery
Antonyms : failure
Example : “firemen rescued a man trapped in the river”
9) adequate
Meaning : satisfactory or acceptable in quality or quantity.(adj)
Tamil Meaning : போதுமான
Synonyms : capable
Antonyms : inappropriate
Example : “this office is perfectly adequate for my needs”
10) kin
Meaning : one’s family and relations.
Tamil Meaning : உறவினர்களின்
Synonyms : affinity
Antonyms : unrelated
Example : “many elderly people have no kin to turn to for assistance”
11) rigour
Meaning : the quality of being extremely thorough and careful.(n)
Tamil Meaning : கடுமை
Synonyms : harshness
Antonyms : agility
Example : “his analysis is lacking in rigour”
12) extraction
Meaning : the action of extracting something, especially using effort or force(n).
Tamil Meaning : பிரித்தெடுத்தல்
Synonyms : eradication
Antonyms : addition
Example : “mineral extraction”
13) flawed
Meaning : having or characterized by a fundamental weakness or imperfection.(adj)
Tamil Meaning : குற்றமுள்ள
Synonyms : erroneous
Antonyms : accurate
Example : “a fatally flawed strategy”
14) incorporating
Meaning : take in or contain (something) as part of a whole; include(v).
Tamil Meaning : சேர்த்துக்கொள்வதன்
Synonyms : absorb
Antonyms : disperse
Example : “he has incorporated in his proposals a number of measures”
15) displaced
Meaning : take over the place, position, or role of.(v)
Tamil Meaning : இடம்பெயர்ந்த
Synonyms : deranged
Antonyms : reinstated
Example : “he believes that books may be displaced by the electronic word”
16) remiss
Meaning : lacking care or attention to duty; negligent.
Synonyms : derelict
Antonyms : careful
Example : “it would be very remiss of me not to pass on that information”
17) massive
Meaning : large and heavy or solid.(adj)
Tamil Meaning : பாரிய
Synonyms : colossal
Antonyms : common
Example : “a massive rampart of stone”
18) keen
Meaning : having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm.(adj)
Tamil Meaning : முனைப்புடன்
Synonyms : anxious
Antonyms : apathetic
Example : “a keen gardener”
19) teetering
Meaning : move or balance unsteadily; sway back and forth.
Tamil Meaning : தள்ளாடி
Synonyms : falter
Antonyms : stabilize
Example : “she teetered after him in her high-heeled sandals”
20) slump
Meaning : sit, lean, or fall heavily and limply.(v)
Tamil Meaning : சரிவு
Synonyms : collapse
Antonyms : increase
Example : “she slumped against the cushions”
21) convening
Meaning : come or bring together for a meeting or activity; assemble.(v)
Tamil Meaning : கூட்டு
Synonyms : gather
Antonyms : disperse
Example : “he had convened a secret meeting of military personnel”
22) interpreted
Meaning : explain the meaning of (information or actions).
Tamil Meaning : விளக்கம்
Synonyms : explained
Example : “the evidence is difficult to interpret”
23) brewing
Meaning : make (beer) by soaking, boiling, and fermentation.
Tamil Meaning : காய்ச்சு
Synonyms : boil
Antonyms : dehydrate
Example : “within five years the company will brew as much beer in China as in Australia”
24) contributing
Meaning : give (something, especially money) in order to help achieve or provide something(v).
Tamil Meaning : பங்களிப்பு
Synonyms : commit
Antonyms : hold
Example : “taxpayers had contributed £141.8 million towards the cost of local services”
25) panic
Meaning : sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behaviour.(n)
Tamil Meaning :
Synonyms : confusion
Antonyms : bravery
Example : “she hit him in panic”
26) indices
Meaning : in a book or set of books) an alphabetical list of names, subjects, etc. with reference to the pages on which they are mentioned.
Synonyms : ratio
Example : “clear cross references supplemented by a thorough index
27) 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”
28) despite
Meaning : without being affected by; in spite of.
Tamil Meaning : போதிலும்
Synonyms : against
Example : “he remains a great leader despite age and infirmity”
29) comfortably
Meaning : in a physically relaxed way that is free from constraint.(adv)
Tamil Meaning : வசதியாக
Synonyms : easily
Antonyms : insufficiently
Example : “he lounges comfortably in an armchair”
30) midst
Meaning : the middle part or point.(n)
Tamil Meaning : நடுவில்
Synonyms : bosom
Antonyms : exterior
Example : “he left his flat in the midst of a rainstorm”
31) gauge
Meaning : estimate or determine the amount, level, or volume of.(v)
Synonyms : indicator
Antonyms : extreme
Example : “astronomers can gauge the star’s intrinsic brightness”
32) colloquially
Meaning : (of language) used in ordinary or familiar conversation; not formal or literary.
Tamil Meaning : பேச்சுவழக்கு
Synonyms : vernacular
Antonyms : formal
Example : “colloquial and everyday language”
33) gradual
Meaning : taking place or progressing slowly or by degrees.(adj)
Tamil Meaning : படிப்படியாக
Synonyms : creeping
Antonyms : intermittent
Example : “the gradual introduction of new methods”
34) struggled
Meaning : make forceful or violent efforts to get free of restraint or constriction.(v)
Tamil Meaning : போராடி
Synonyms : cope
Antonyms : forget
Example : “before she could struggle, he lifted her up”
35) derail
Meaning : obstruct (a process) by diverting it from its intended course.
Synonyms : crash
Antonyms : aid
Example : “the plot is seen by some as an attempt to derail the negotiations”
36) robust
Meaning : strong and healthy; vigorous.
Tamil Meaning : வலுவான
Synonyms : booming
Antonyms : fragile
Example : “the Caplan family are a robust lot”
37) insisted
Meaning : demand something forcefully, not accepting refusal.(v)
Tamil Meaning : வலியுறுத்தினார்
Synonyms : assert
Antonyms : abandon
Example : “she insisted on carrying her own bag”
38) mandate
Meaning : an official order or commission to do something.(n)
Tamil Meaning : ஆணை
Synonyms : decree
Antonyms : breach
Example : “a mandate to seek the release of political prisoners”
39) era
Meaning : a long and distinct period of history(n)
Tamil Meaning : சகாப்தம்
Synonyms : generation
Example : “his death marked the end of an era”
40) normalised
Meaning : bring or return to a normal or standard condition or state.(v)
Synonyms : assign
Antonyms : disorder
Example : “the two countries normalized diplomatic relations in 1995”
#1 TRENDING VIDEO in Race YOUTUBE CHANNEL