THE HINDU EDITORIAL: JANUARY 6, 2020

Dear Aspirants,

THE HINDU EDITORIAL – January 3, 2020 is one of the important sessions to read and to practice as english section is considered as the one which cannot be cracked. Break the Myth by preparing for the English Language section in various exams like SBI PO 2020, SBI Clerk 2020, IBPS PO 2020, IBPS CLERK 2020 and many others.

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.

Life of science: On Indian Science Congress

The Science Congress needs new ideas, and not a mix of myth and pseudoscience

The Indian Science Congress (ISC) — its 107th edition is underway in Bengaluru — has served as a reminder of the status accorded to science and technology in the early years of the Indian republic. Though the formation of the congress pre-dates the Indian republic, it was the intellectual nursery of modern science in the country. Early ideas of how science and technology could aid the development of the new nation were incubated at this coming together of scientists. It is for this reason that the congress, normally held in the first week of January, is inaugurated by the Prime Minister. The years since have seen the nature of the congress change: from one where scientists, in the era of postal communication, congregated to exchange scientific ideas to one today where it has become a ‘science mela’. The prime purpose of the ISC now is to draw school and science college students to hear Nobel Laureates and Indian-origin scientists from abroad to lecture about their work and the future prospects of science. The other draws are science projects and innovations by schoolchildren and stalls showcasing scientific work being done in key national laboratories and institutions.

But there is an unmistakable decay, a choreographed ennui, that has set in. In recent years, the congress often makes news for becoming a forum for pseudoscience and less for interesting scientific ideas or demonstrations. Speakers — some holding distinguished positions in leading universities — have tended to mix mythology and science and publicise far-fetched assertions: that the Kauravas were born from stem-cell technology and the Vedas discussed avionics. While this has eroded the congress’s public image, the government itself does not seem too keen to vitalise it. The exhibits at several scientific laboratories are re-runs from old congresses, or from similar and past science fairs. Many laboratories showcase their work as ‘posters’ rather than actually showing demonstrations or working inventions. Several luminaries of India’s science establishments — the Principal Scientific Adviser, secretaries from several ministries, the chiefs of major organisations such as ISRO or the Department of Atomic Energy, who have been fixtures, or have at least had their organisation present a dedicated talk or session, were absent this year. It is inevitable that traditions change over time and the relative importance accorded to institutions wax and wane. However this must make way for inspiring new ideas, or new models of taking science to the public. A rising trend in science displays, at museums or exhibitions in many places, is to mix science and art as well as make interactive displays that encourage audience engagement. A rebirth, and not a creeping requiem, is what the congress needs.

VOCABULARY

Under Way

Meaning: having started and in progress; being done or carried out.
Tamil Meaning:நடந்து கொண்டிருக்கிறது
Synonyms: Going, Happening , Undergoing
Antonyms: Latent, Prospective
Example Sentence: “recruitment is well under way”

accorded

Meaning: give or grant someone (power, status, or recognition) / give or grant someone (power, status, or recognition).
Tamil Meaning:ஒப்பந்தம்
Synonyms: Give, Grant, Approval
Antonyms: Take, Deny, Disagree
Example Sentence: “the powers accorded to the head of state”

intellectual

Meaning: relating to the intellect / appealing to or requiring use of the intellect / possessing a highly developed intellect.
Tamil Meaning:அறிவுசார்
Synonyms: Very Smart, Rational, Creative
Antonyms: Foolish, Ignorant
Example Sentence: “you are an intellectual girl, like your mother”.

aid

Meaning: help, typically of a practical nature / financial or material help given to a country or area in need / a source of help or assistance.
Tamil Meaning: உதவி
Synonyms: Assistance, Benefit, Help, Support
Antonyms: Damage, Hard, Hindrance
Example Sentence: “he saw the pilot slumped in his cockpit and went to his aid“

5.incubated

Meaning: give support and aid the development of (a new small business) / (of a bird) sit on (eggs) in order to keep them warm and bring them to hatching
Synonyms: Breed, Nurture
Example Sentence: “the samples were incubated at 80°C for 3 minutes”.

inaugurated

Meaning: begin or introduce (a system, policy, or period) / admit (someone) formally to office / mark the beginning or first public use of (an organization or project) with a special event or ceremony.
Tamil Meaning:தொடங்கி வைத்தார்
Synonyms: Begun, Initiated, Introduced
Example Sentence: “he inaugurated a new policy of trade and exploration”

congregated

Meaning: gather into a crowd or mass.
Tamil Meaning:சபை
Synonyms: Assemble, Come Together
Antonyms: Disperse, Divide
Example Sentence: “some 4,000 demonstrators had congregated at a border point”

prospects

Meaning: the possibility or likelihood of some future event occurring/ a mental picture of a future or anticipated event / chances or opportunities for success or wealth.
Tamil Meaning:வாய்ப்புக்கள்
Synonyms: Outlook for the future, Delve.
Antonyms: Ignore, Miss
Example Sentence: “the poor prospects for the steel industry”.

9.decay

Meaning: (of organic matter) rot or decompose through the action of bacteria and fungi.
Tamil Meaning:“the body had begun to decay”.
Synonyms: Breaking Down, Collapse
Antonyms: Brighten, Delay
Example Sentence: “the body had begun to decay”

10.ennui

Meaning: a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.
Tamil Meaning:(எதிலும் பற்றுதல் இன்மையால் ஏற்படும்) சலிப்பு
Synonyms: Boredom, Apathy
Antonyms: Cheer, Joy
Example Sentence: “he succumbed to ennui and despair”

11.far-fetched

Meaning: unlikely and unconvincing; implausible.
Tamil Meaning: தீவிர எடுக்கப்படவில்லை
Synonyms: Bizarre
Antonyms: Believable
Example Sentence: the theory sounded bizarre and far-fetched

assertions

Meaning: a confident and forceful statement of fact or belief.
Tamil Meaning: வலியுறுத்தல்களை
Synonyms: affirmation
Antonyms: Quite
Example Sentence: his assertion that his father had deserted the family

eroded

Meaning: gradually wear away
Tamil Meaning:அரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதோடு
Synonyms: corrode
Antonyms: Build
Example Sentence: the cliffs on this coast have been eroded by the sea

vitalise

Meaning: give strength and energy to.
Example Sentence: yoga calms and vitalizes body and mind

luminaries

Meaning: a person who inspires or influences others, especially one prominent in a particular sphere.
Tamil Meaning:அறிவுமேதைகளின்
Synonyms: Celebrity
Antonyms: Nobody
Example Sentence: one of the luminaries of child psychiatry

fixtures

Tamil Meaning: பொருத்தப்பட்ட
Synonyms: accessory

inevitable

Meaning: certain to happen; unavoidable.
Tamil Meaning: தவிர்க்க முடியாத
Synonyms: Imminent
Antonyms: avoidable
Example Sentence: war was inevitable

wane.

Meaning: undergo alternate increases and decreases.
Tamil Meaning: மதிப்பு குறைய
Synonyms:Abate
Antonyms: Brighten
Example Sentence: green sentiment has waxed and waned

creeping

Meaning: growing along the ground or other surface by means of extending stems or branches
Tamil Meaning: ஊடுருவி
Synonyms: Dragginmg
Antonyms: Standing
Example Sentence: creeping ivy can do damage to the wall surface