THE HINDU EDITORIAL : JANUARY 14, 2019

Dear Banking Aspirants,

THE HINDU EDITORIAL – January 14, 2018, is one of the must-read section for the competitive exams like  IBPS Clerk 2018 Mains Exam, 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) Sharing, and not caring: on the SP, BSP tie up

The SP-BSP tie-up poses a challenge to the BJP, but does little for pre-poll opposition unity

Sometimes, it is impossible to make new friends without making new enemies. In reaching an early agreement on seat-sharing in Uttar Pradesh for this year’s Lok Sabha election, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have thrown a serious challenge to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in a State that could well determine which political formation forms the next Central government. In the process, however, they may have alienated the Congress, which, given its pan-Indian footprint, can be the only national-level force in an emerging anti-BJP coalition. The two biggest parties in U.P.’s opposition space have equally carved out 76 of the 80 seats between themselves, leaving four to the Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal, which has a support base in the western region of the State. Whether the seat sharing is final or just a bargaining tactic is difficult to say. But for now, the Congress has been pushed into a forlorn corner in India’s most populous State. The party may have to strike out on its own in sheer desperation at being denied a reasonable number of seats. It is doubtful, or at least by no means certain, whether it will be content with contesting in only a few seats to prevent a split in the anti-BJP vote in the others. It will be difficult for a party in revival mode in other parts of the Hindi heartland to give up U.P. without putting up a serious fight. As for the SP and BSP, it will be odd for them to be locked in a fight with the Congress in the State, while pushing for a Congress-led alternative at the national level.

The Congress does enjoy additional support in a Lok Sabha election; it demonstrated this in 2009, winning a surprise 21 seats in U.P. However, the SP and the BSP have probably calculated they are in a good space following the BJP’s poor showing in three Lok Sabha by-polls, one of them in Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s political backyard, Gorakhpur. They may well also be banking on the history of strategic voting in the State, which leaves little room for a third player. For all the talk of beating back the challenge of the BJP, regional parties know it is easier to do business with a weakened Congress than with a resurgent one. If the Congress is kept out of the alliance, then any alternative to the BJP will have to emerge from a post-poll coalition of disparate parties. This will hand a campaign point for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is already projecting the choice in 2019 as that between a strong government and a motley post-poll coalition united by no more than a shared aversion for the BJP. The strategy of the SP and the BSP and some other regional players to defeat the BJP without making the Congress win is high-risk, and tactically difficult to implement on the ground.

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B) Change in Congo

A contentious election may lead to the country’s first transfer of power via the ballot

After last month’s general election, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) is anxiously awaiting the first ever transfer of power via the ballot since gaining independence in 1960. President Joseph Kabila, who had already deferred the polls by two years, postponed them again by a week days before it was scheduled in December. He cited the Ebola outbreakin some provinces and the destruction of electronic voting machines in a fire in the capital Kinshasa as reasons for the latest delay. But Mr. Kabila’s critics dismissed these excuses as coming from a President in denial of his impending defeat after 17 years in power. Their suspicions appeared to be justified, as prominent opposition leaders were barred from the contest by partisan courts and the election commission. Meanwhile, the UN has voiced concerns over the quality of voting machines and the deployment of the state machinery to obstruct opposition campaigns, adding to the sense of uncertainty. Soon after polling closed on December 30, rival camps began to pronounce victory for their own sides. When the election commission last week announced Felix Tshisekedi, leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress as the winner, it predictably created a controversy. Mr. Kabila’s candidate, former Interior Minister Emmanuel Shadary, was expected to romp home. In the event, Mr. Shadary, who faces accusations of human rights abuses, was ranked third. The outcome triggered intense speculation that Mr. Kabila had cut a deal to back Mr. Tshisekedi, son of a deceased opposition leader. The candidate who came in second, Martin Fayulu, a political outsider, has challenged the results.

DR Congo’s Catholic church, which runs an independent poll observation mission, has questioned the official result and has even threatened to legally challenge it. It is but natural that DR Congo’s vibrant civil society groups should expect the judiciary to assert its independence, as did the court in Kenya following that country’s disputed 2017 elections. There are real fears that without genuine attempts to uphold the rule of law, the central African nation could slip into protracted political uncertainty and social unrest. The U.S. has cautioned Mr. Kabila against attempting to doctor the popular mandate. But with an eye on the country’s lucrative mineral wealth, which is needed to power electric cars and the robotics revolution, there are limits to the pressure Western nations will want to exert on Kinshasa in the months ahead. The role of Mr. Kabila, who is just 47 years old, in the coming days will be important to watch. He has emphasised that by stepping down, he is merely respecting the constitutional mandate. The intent behind that assertion will be tested in the ensuing months.

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VOCABULARY

1) determine

Meaning : cause (something) to occur in a particular way or to have a particular nature(v)

Tamil Meaning : தீர்மானிக்க

Synonyms : complete

Antonyms : bear

Example : “it will be her mental attitude that determines her future”

2) alienated

Meaning : experiencing or inducing feelings of isolation or estrangement(adj).

Tamil Meaning : பிரித்துவிடக்கூடியதாக

Synonyms : alone

Antonyms : united

Example : “an alienated, angst-ridden twenty-two-year-old”

3) coalition

Meaning : a temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming a government(n).

Synonyms : affiliation

Antonyms : detachment

Example : “a coalition between Liberals and Conservatives”

4) carved

Meaning : (of a hard material) cut or engraved to produce an object, design, or inscription.

Synonyms : engraved

Antonyms : concatenation

Example : “bookcases of carved oak”

5) forlorn

Meaning : pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely.:

Synonyms : depressed

Antonyms : elated

Example : “forlorn figures at bus stops”

6) tactic

Meaning : an action or strategy carefully planned to achieve a specific end.

Synonyms : gambit

Antonyms : chance

Example : “the minority attempted to control the Council by a delaying tactic”

7) prevent

Meaning : keep (something) from happening.

Tamil Meaning : தடுக்க

Synonyms : avoid

Antonyms : advance

Example : “action must be taken to prevent further accidents”

8) revival

Meaning : an improvement in the condition, strength, or fortunes of someone or something.

Tamil Meaning : மறுமலர்ச்சி

Synonyms : recovery

Antonyms : destruction

Example : “a revival in the fortunes of the party”

9) probably

Meaning : almost certainly; as far as one knows or can tell.

Synonyms : possibly

Antonyms : uncertain

Example : “she would probably never see him again”

10) emerge

Meaning : move out of or away from something and become visible.

Tamil Meaning : வெளிப்பட

Synonyms : appear

Antonyms : abandon

Example : “black ravens emerged from the fog”

11) resurgent

Meaning : increasing or reviving after a period of little activity, popularity, or occurrence.

Synonyms : renascent

Antonyms : dormant

Example : “resurgent nationalism”

12) disparate

Meaning : essentially different in kind; not able to be compared.

Tamil Meaning : முற்றிலும் வேறான

Synonyms : contrasting

Antonyms : agreeing

Example : “they inhabit disparate worlds of thought”

13) aversion

Meaning : a strong dislike or disinclination.

Tamil Meaning : வெறுப்பு

Synonyms : allergy

Antonyms : like

Example : “they made plain their aversion to the use of force”

14) implement

Meaning : a tool, utensil, or other piece of equipment that is used for a particular purpose.

Tamil Meaning : செயல்படுத்த

Synonyms : utensil

Antonyms : exempt

Example : “garden implements”

15) anxiously

Meaning : in a manner resulting from or revealing anxiety.

Tamil Meaning : ஆர்வத்துடன்

Synonyms : excitedly

Antonyms : calmly

Example : “we are all waiting anxiously for any news”

16) cited

Meaning : refer to (a passage, book, or author) as evidence for or justification of an argument or statement, especially in a scholarly work.

Tamil Meaning : மேற்கோள்

Synonyms : allude to

Antonyms : conceal

Example : “authors who are highly regarded by their peers tend to be cited”

17) outbreak

Meaning : a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease.

Synonyms : disruption

Antonyms : calm

Example : “the outbreak of World War II”

18) denial

Meaning : the action of denying something.

Tamil Meaning : மறுப்பு

Synonyms : disapproval

Antonyms : allowance

Example : “she shook her head in denial“

19) impending

Meaning : be about to happen.

Tamil Meaning : வரவிருக்கும்

Synonyms : brewing

Antonyms : past

Example : “my impending departure”

20) suspicions

Meaning : a feeling or thought that something is possible, likely, or true.

Tamil Meaning :சந்தேகத்தை

Synonyms : distrust

Antonyms : certainty

Example : “she had a sneaking suspicion that he was laughing at her”

21) critics

Meaning : a person who expresses an unfavourable opinion of something.

Synonyms : expert

Antonyms : amateur

Example : “critics of the new legislation say it is too broad”

22) barred

Meaning : closed or secured with a long rigid piece of wood, metal, or similar material.

Tamil Meaning : தடை

Synonyms : block

Antonyms : free

Example : “he sits by a barred window”

23) contest

Meaning : an event in which people compete for supremacy in a sport or other activity, or in a quality.

Tamil Meaning : போட்டியில்

Synonyms : discussion

Antonyms : agreement

Example : “a tennis contest”

24) concerns

Meaning : relate to; be about.

Tamil Meaning : கவலை

Synonyms : interest

Antonyms : pastime

Example : “the story concerns a friend of mine”

25) deployment

Meaning : the movement of troops or equipment to a place or position for military action.

Tamil Meaning : பயன்படுத்தல்

Synonyms : formation

Example : “the authorities announced deployment of extra security forces in towns and cities to prevent violence”

26) predictably

Meaning : in a way that can be predicted; as expected.

Tamil Meaning : முன்னூகிக்கூடிய

Synonyms : envision

Antonyms : ignore

Example : “so far the markets have behaved predictably”

27) controversy

Meaning : prolonged public disagreement or heated discussion.

Tamil Meaning : சர்ச்சை

Synonyms : argument

Antonyms : agreement

Example : “the design of the building has caused controversy”

28) romp

Meaning : (especially of a child or animal) play roughly and energetically.

Synonyms : lark

Antonyms : work

Example : “the noisy pack of children romped around the gardens”

29) intense

Meaning : of extreme force, degree, or strength.

Tamil Meaning : தீவிர

Synonyms : acute

Antonyms : bland

Example : “the job demands intense concentration”

30) assert

Meaning : state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully.

Tamil Meaning : வலியுறுத்தும்

Synonyms : affirm

Antonyms : conceal

Example : “the company asserts that the cuts will not affect development”

31) disputed

Meaning : argue about (something).

Tamil Meaning : பிரச்சினைக்குரிய

Synonyms : challenge

Antonyms : agree

Example : “the point has been much disputed”

32) lucrative

Meaning : producing a great deal of profit.

Synonyms : good

Antonyms : unprofitable

Example : “a lucrative career as a stand-up comedian”

33) exert

Meaning : apply or bring to bear (a force, influence, or quality).

Tamil Meaning : செலுத்த

Synonyms : exercise

Antonyms : conceal

Example : “the moon exerts a force on the Earth”

34) contest

Meaning : engage in competition to attain (a position of power).

Tamil Meaning : போட்டியில்

Synonyms : challenge

Antonyms : agreement

Example : “she declared her intention to contest the presidency”

35) destruction

Meaning : the action or process of causing so much damage to something that it no longer exists or cannot be repaired.

Tamil Meaning : அழிவு

Synonyms : elimination

Antonyms : creation

Example : “the destruction of the rainforest”

36) merely

Meaning : just; only.

Synonyms : hardly

Antonyms : indefinitely

Example : “Gary, a silent boy, merely nodded”

37) emphasised

Meaning : give special importance or value to (something) in speaking or writing.

Tamil Meaning : வலியுறுத்தினார்

Synonyms : attention

Antonyms : ignorance

Example : “they emphasize the need for daily, one-to-one contact between parent and child”

38) assertion

Meaning : a confident and forceful statement of fact or belief.

Synonyms : allegation

Antonyms : desertion

Example : “his assertion that his father had deserted the family”

39) intent

Meaning : intention or purpose.

Tamil Meaning : நோக்கம்

Synonyms : decided

Antonyms : flexible

Example : “with alarm she realized his intent”

40) ensuing

Meaning : occurring afterwards or as a result.

Tamil Meaning : தொடர்ந்த

Synonyms : coming

Antonyms : antecedent

Example : “there were repeated clashes in the ensuing days”

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