THE HINDU EDITORIAL : JANUARY 22, 2019
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THE HINDU EDITORIAL : JANUARY 22, 2019
Dear Banking Aspirants,
THE HINDU EDITORIAL – January 22, 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.
A) Death by design: on jallikattu
Tighter regulations cannot eliminate the element of danger intrinsic to jallikattu
In situations involving humans and animals, Murphy’s law takes a strong hold: if things can go wrong, they most likely will. Jallikattu may have drawn the attention of animal rights activists for the innumerable accounts of cruelty to bulls, but the deaths fall mostly on the human side of the ledger. The animals suffer but generally survive the ordeal, while a few youth lose their lives. A tragedy as in Viralimalai in Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu, where two men were gored to death by bulls, was waiting to happen. Whatever the precautions taken, and there were many, one cannot prepare for the behaviour of a rampaging bull. Viralimalai jallikattu may not be as famed as the Alanganallur or Palamedu events, but this year it had the full weight of the government behind it. The event was organised by Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar, a bull-owner himself, in an attempt to create a ‘record’ for the largest number of bulls in a single arena. The event got a bigger profile with Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami in attendance. Multi-tier metal galleries were erected on either side of the arena to accommodate the thousands who had turned up to watch the contest. Double barricades were in place at the vaadivasal, the entry point for the bulls, but the tragedy happened at the exit point, the open area for collection of the bulls after the event. The contest was over, and the bull-tamers were no longer chasing the bulls. But how were the bulls to know? An owner trying to rein in his bull was gored to death by another behind him, and a spectator who wandered out of the protective cover at the scene of action bled to death on being pierced in the abdomen.
Could anything have been done differently? In keeping with the guidelines set by the Supreme Court to regulate the sport, the Health Department had also deployed teams of doctors from Pudukottai. Medical experts from Tiruchi and Thanjavur Medical Colleges were deployed to attend to emergency cases. A makeshift operation theatre was also set up at the venue. After Sunday’s tragedy, jallikattu events of the future might have barricades at the collection points too. But danger is in the very nature of the blood sport that is jallikattu. Unpredictability is intrinsic to the sport. Attempts to ban the sport have been opposed on the ground that it is an inseparable part of Tamil Nadu’s culture. The Tamil Nadu government in 2017 took the ordinance route to allow for the holding of jallikattu following a ban by the Supreme Court, and the Centre exempted bulls from the rules framed for ensuring the well-being of performing animals. After every loss of human life the regulations might get tighter, but the danger to the life and limb of participants, spectators, and bull-owners will remain in the conduct of jallikattu.
B) Summit 2.0: the second Trump-Kim meeting
A second Trump-Kim meeting could do with a Chinese nudge and a South Korean whisper
Even though there was little progress in achieving the goals set in the historic meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un of North Korea in June 2018, the announcement of a second summit next month is a step in the right direction. The fact that Pyongyang has ceased its nuclear muscle-flexing, and has not tested any nuclear- capable device or launched any missile for more than a year, is reason for continued patience and confidence in the dialogue. The Singapore meeting generated mutual goodwill and hopes of a breakthrough. But in the declaration the leaders had promised a denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula without indicating a timetable or the modalities of reaching that far-sighted end- goal. In the months since the meeting, Pyongyang’s anticipation of an easing of U.S. sanctions have not materialised, while information about the inventory of North Korean nuclear stockpiles that Washington had sought as a first step towards a verifiable dismantling of the North Korean arsenal, has not been forthcoming. Underscoring the stalemate, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence stated days before the announcement of the coming bilateral summit that Pyongyang had made little headway on its commitments. Similarly, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s persistent efforts since the Singapore meeting have come to nought. The concept of “complete denuclearisation” of the Korean Peninsula that formed the crux of the Singapore declaration has become a subject of conflicting interpretations. Pyongyang insists that the expression must have a wider meaning and include the U.S. military umbrella that extends across South Korea and Japan. It contends that North Korea will be the first target in the event of a pre-emptive U.S. strike. For nuclear hawks in Washington, the stalemate is at best a case of Mr. Trump’s diplomatic gambit having gone awry and at worst, an impasse that allows Pyongyang to prevaricate and give nothing away.
Against this backdrop, the prospects for any meaningful progress appear to hinge on mediation by Beijing and Seoul. Moon Jae-in, South Korea’s President, favours rapprochement with the neighbour, and a lasting resolution of the Washington-Pyongyang nuclear imbroglio, advocating dialogue. After his recent meeting with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Mr. Kim reinforced his pledge to rid the region of nuclear arms and expressed a willingness for another summit with Mr. Trump. But he emphasised Pyongyang’s need for security guarantees, replacing the decades-long armistice with a formal peace treaty to mark the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War. Toning down his rhetoric, President Trump has displayed a readiness to wait and watch. It is not certain if the sober mood will translate into tangible outcomes. But that would be a credible offer that can lure Mr. Kim to reciprocate on the nuclear front.
VOCABULARY
1) innumerable
Meaning : too many to be counted (often used hyperbolically).
Tamil Meaning : கணக்கில்லாத
Synonyms : countless
Antonyms : limited
Example : “innumerable flags of all colours”
2) cruelty
Meaning : cruel behaviour or attitudes.
Synonyms : barbarity
Antonyms : kindness
Example : “he has treated her with extreme cruelty”
3) ledger
Meaning : a book or other collection of financial accounts.
Synonyms : register
Example : “the total balance of the purchases ledger”
4) gored
Meaning : shaped with a gore or gores.
Synonyms : impale
Example : “a gored skirt”
5) rampaging
Meaning : (especially of a large group of people) move through a place in a violent and uncontrollable manner.
Synonyms : tear
Antonyms : be calm
Example : “several thousand demonstrators rampaged through the city”
6) famed
Meaning : known about by many people; renowned.
Synonyms : renowned
Antonyms : unknown
Example : “he is famed for his eccentricities”
7) accommodate
Meaning : (of a building or other area) provide lodging or sufficient space for.
Tamil Meaning : இடமளிக்க
Synonyms : entertain
Antonyms : reject
Example : “the cottages accommodate up to six people”
8) erected
Meaning : put together and set upright (a building, wall, or other structure).
Tamil Meaning : அமைத்தது
Synonyms : elevated
Antonyms : lowered
Example : “the guest house was erected in the eighteenth century”
9) barricades
Meaning : an improvised barrier erected across a street or other thoroughfare to prevent or delay the movement of opposing forces.
Tamil Meaning : தடுப்புக்களை
Synonyms : barrier
Antonyms : opening
Example : “the police action led to riots, with hundreds of demonstrators building barricades and burning vehicles”
10) rein
Meaning : check or guide (a horse) by pulling on its reins.
Synonyms : curb
Antonyms : release
Example : “he reined in his horse and waited”
11) pierced
Meaning : (of the ears, nose, or other part of the body) having had a hole made so as to wear jewellery.
Tamil Meaning : துளையிட்ட
Synonyms : break
Antonyms : close
Example : “a punk with a pierced nose”
12) deployed
Meaning : move (troops or equipment) into position for military action.
Tamil Meaning : நிறுத்தி
Synonyms : expand
Antonyms : conclude
Example : “forces were deployed at strategic locations”
13) Unpredictability
Meaning : inability to be predicted; changeability.
Tamil Meaning : கணிக்க முடியாத
Synonyms : anxiety
Antonyms : constancy
Example : “the unpredictability of the British weather”
14) intrinsic
Meaning : belonging naturally; essential.
Tamil Meaning : உள்ளார்ந்த
Synonyms : inherent
Antonyms : acquired
Example : “access to the arts is intrinsic to a high quality of life”
15) ensuring
Meaning : make certain that (something) will occur or be the case.
Tamil Meaning : உறுதி
Synonyms : establish
Antonyms : endanger
Example : “the client must ensure that accurate records are kept”
16) exempted
Meaning : free (a person or organization) from an obligation or liability imposed on others.
Tamil Meaning : விலக்கு
Synonyms : immune
Antonyms : hindered
Example : “they were exempted from paying the tax”
17) ceased
Meaning : come or bring to an end.
Synonyms : desist
Antonyms : begin
Example : “the hostilities ceased and normal life was resumed”
18) indicating
Meaning : suggest as a desirable or necessary course of action.
Tamil Meaning : குறிக்கும்
Synonyms : announce
Antonyms : conceal
Example : “treatment for shock may be indicated”
19) inventory
Meaning : make a complete list of.
Synonyms : reserve
Antonyms : debt
Example : “I inventoried his collection of drawings”
20) sought
Meaning : attempt to find (something).
Tamil Meaning : முயன்று
Synonyms : hunted
Example : “they came here to seek shelter from biting winter winds”
21) dismantling
Meaning : take (a machine or structure) to pieces.
Tamil Meaning : நீக்குவதற்கான
Synonyms : demolish
Antonyms : construct
Example : “the engines were dismantled and the bits piled into a heap”
22) persistent
Meaning : continuing firmly or obstinately in an opinion or course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.
Tamil Meaning : தொடர்ந்து
Synonyms : continual
Antonyms : ceasing
Example : “one of the government’s most persistent critics”
23) conflicting
Meaning : incompatible or at variance; contradictory.
Tamil Meaning : முரண்பட்ட
Synonyms : contrary
Antonyms : consonant
Example : “there are conflicting accounts of what occurred”
24) interpretations
Meaning : the action of explaining the meaning of something.
Synonyms : analysis
Antonyms : complication
Example : “the interpretation of data”
25) pre-emptive
Meaning : serving or intended to pre-empt or forestall something, especially to prevent attack by disabling the enemy.
Tamil Meaning : முன்கூட்டிய
Synonyms : preventative
Antonyms : permissive
Example : “a pre-emptive strike”
26) stalemate
Meaning : a position counting as a draw, in which a player is not in check but cannot move except into check.
Synonyms : delay
Antonyms : advance
Example : “last time I played him it ended up in stalemate”
27) impasse
Meaning : a situation in which no progress is possible, especially because of disagreement; a deadlock.
Synonyms : predicament
Antonyms : solution
Example : “the current political impasse”
28) prevaricate
Meaning : speak or act in an evasive way.
Synonyms : belie
Antonyms : confront
Example : “he seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions”
29) hinge
Meaning : attach or join with or as if with a hinge.
Synonyms : butt
Example : “the ironing board was set into the wall and hinged at the bottom”
30) anticipation
Meaning : the action of anticipating something; expectation or prediction.
Tamil Meaning : எதிர்பார்ப்பு
Synonyms : prospect
Antonyms : ignorance
Example : “her eyes sparkled with anticipation”
31) stated
Meaning : clearly expressed or identified; specified.
Tamil Meaning : கூறினார்
Synonyms : certain
Antonyms : unfixed
Example : “the stated aim of the programme”
32) certain
Meaning : able to be firmly relied on to happen or be the case.
Synonyms : convinced
Antonyms : doubtful
Example : “it’s certain that more changes are in the offing”
33) reinforced
Meaning : strengthen or support (an object or substance), especially with additional material.
Tamil Meaning : வலுப்படுத்தியது
Synonyms : assisted
Antonyms : impaired
Example : “the helmet has been reinforced with a double layer of cork”
34) emphasised
Meaning : give special importance or value to (something) in speaking or writing.
Tamil Meaning : வலியுறுத்தினார்
Synonyms : insistence
Antonyms : lethargy
Example : “they emphasize the need for daily, one-to-one contact between parent and child”
35) replacing
Meaning : take the place of.
Synonyms : renewal
Antonyms : depleting
Example : “Ian’s smile was replaced by a frown”
36) armistice
Meaning : an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce.
Synonyms : truce
Antonyms : dispute
Example : “the Italian government signed an armistice with the Allies”
37) displayed
Meaning : (of information) shown on a computer screen or other device.
Synonyms : visible
Example : “a utility designed to allow you to cut up pieces of displayed graphics”
38) tangible
Meaning : perceptible by touch.
Tamil Meaning : உறுதியான
Synonyms : palpable
Antonyms : abstract
Example : “the atmosphere of neglect and abandonment was almost tangible“
39) lure
Meaning : tempt (a person or animal) to do something or to go somewhere, especially by offering some form of reward.
Tamil Meaning : கவரும்
Synonyms : appeal
Antonyms : certainty
Example : “the child was lured into a car but managed to escape”
40) reciprocate
Meaning : respond to (a gesture or action) by making a corresponding one.
Tamil Meaning : கைம்மாறு
Synonyms : repay
Antonyms : disagree
Example : “the favour was reciprocated”
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : JANUARY 21, 2019
