The Hindu Editorial : March 20,2019
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The Hindu Editorial : March 20,2019
Dear Banking Aspirants,
THE HINDU EDITORIAL – March 20, 2018, is one of the must-read section for the competitive exams like NIACL AO Prelims Exam, IBPS SO Mains Exam. 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) Goan roulette
The State needs political stability to be able to crack down on rent-seeking
When Pramod Sawant took office dramatically in the early hours of Tuesday as Chief Minister, it was the 23rd time that the regime in Goa changed since 1963, excluding five spells of President’s Rule. Mr. Sawant’s legislative majority is far from clear and the longevity of his government remains a subject of speculation. The State voted a hung Assembly in 2017, with the BJP winning fewer seats than the Congress. The machinations that led to the installation of a BJP-led government headed by Manohar Parrikar did not match up to any high standards of democracy. Parrikar’s image acted as a veneer for his party’s less than honourable pursuit of power. He was a moderate in the Hindutva party and reached out to Christians, who constitute 25% of the population. His return to the State after leaving the Union Cabinet was a condition set by parties and independents for supporting the BJP. He was able to considerably insulate himself from the afflictions of Goa’s politics. With his passing, politics in Goa could be less restrained. Its politicians should strive hard to prove the sceptics wrong. History, of course, does not counsel optimism.
Multiple social and economic factors contribute to the volatility. Goa’s population, as per Census 2011, is just 14.59 lakh, and it is one of the smallest States also in terms of area. There are 40 Assembly constituencies, relatively small in size; most have less than 30,000 voters. Besides the Congress and the BJP, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, the Goa Forward Party and the Nationalist Congress Party are represented in the current Assembly. The main political contest is between the BJP and the Congress, but given the small sizes of constituencies and the close contests, the scope for manipulation of the electoral process is very high. Seasoned political players have perfected the art of setting up multi-cornered contests by fielding independents and fringe political outfits that fragment the votes and turn the tide to their benefit. Goa is the place where the many ills of Indian democracy play out in a stark manner. Land is scarce, with tourism being the mainstay of the economy. Mining, which used to be the other major driver of the economy, has been stalled by the Supreme Court since February last year. There are numerous avenues for political patronage, rent-seeking and generation of dirty money. The political system, rather than acting as a counterweight to the hazardous forces that its economy and geography generate, often ends up accelerating them. A government with a wafer-thin majority is unlikely to address these systemic ills.
B) A fight for Kiev
The presidential campaign has been animated by the debate on Ukraine’s place in the world
The pro-West Ukrainian oligarch, President Petro Poroshenko, has a battle at hand in his re-election bid on March 31. Given the crowded arena, including former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a run-off cannot be ruled out. The President’s modest record in office, however, may not entirely be held against him, given the difficult geopolitical backdrop. The continuing conflict in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine exerts a heavy toll. Over 10,000 lives have been lost since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Millions have been displaced, with the resolution envisaged in the Minsk Accord proving elusive. The government has signed a free-trade pact and a separate association agreement with the European Union, and got strong economic and military backing from Washington and Brussels. Memberships of the EU and NATO are among the government’s long-term objectives. Ukraine has also been rewarded with an IMF aid package worth billions of dollars for improved governance and enacting anti-corruption legislation. But the increase in the price of household gas and other conditionalities stemming from IMF assistance have fuelled popular discontent.
Mr. Poroshenko has been especially concerned about not loosening his grip on power or political legitimacy since Moscow’s recognition of polls last year to the breakaway provinces of Ukraine. When tensions flared up in November after Russia seized three Ukrainian naval vessels on the disputed Azov Sea, Mr. Poroshenko imposed a national emergency. The move was criticised by the opposition as an attempt to capitalise on the conflict with an eye on elections. Opponents are anxious to tap into the popular frustration with the prevailing situation. For his part, the President has adopted an overtly nationalist posture in recent months. Billboards in support of Mr. Poroshenko extol the army’s role during the conflict, besides carrying invocations to the country’s faith and language. The reference to religion is evidently meant to celebrate the recognition the Ukrainian Orthodox Church won late last year as an autonomous establishment. Independence from the Russian Orthodox Church is a watershed after centuries within the larger fold. Similarly, importance is sought to be attached to asserting the separate identity of the Ukrainian language, predominantly spoken in the western part of the country, over Russian. An exaggerated sense of the distinctness of cultural symbols may at best prove politically expedient in a society with a long pluralist legacy. Mr. Poroshenko should exercise caution not to overplay these issues. His opponent Ms. Tymoshenko is expected to be the frontrunner in the first round of voting on March 31. While she favours engagement with the West, her populist stance, both on the domestic and foreign policy fronts, has not impressed observers in Brussels or in Washington. A close contest is in the offing. But whatever the choice the Ukrainian voters make, their problems are unlikely to disappear in a hurry.
VOCABULARY
1) regime
Meaning : a government, especially an authoritarian one.
Synonyms : reign
Antonyms : disorder
Example : “ideological opponents of the regime”
2) excluding
Meaning : not taking someone or something into account; except.
Synonyms : refuse
Antonyms : accept
Example : “the holiday cost £180, excluding accommodation”
3) fewer
Meaning : used to emphasize how small a number of people or things is.
Synonyms : scattering
Antonyms : useful
Example : “he had few friends”
4) pursuit
Meaning : the action of pursuing someone or something.
Synonyms : hunt
Antonyms : retreat
Example : “the cat crouched in the grass in pursuit of a bird”
5) afflictions
Meaning : a cause of pain or harm.
Synonyms : disorder
Antonyms : benefit
Example : “a crippling affliction of the nervous system”
6) insulate
Meaning : protect (something) by interposing material that prevents the loss of heat or the intrusion of sound.
Synonyms : seclude
Antonyms : mingle
Example : “insulate and draught-proof your home”
7) restrained
Meaning : characterized by reserve or moderation; unemotional or dispassionate.
Tamil Meaning : கட்டுப்படுத்தும்
Synonyms : discreet
Antonyms : extroverted
Example : “his restrained, gentlemanly voice”
8) sceptics
Meaning : a person inclined to question or doubt accepted opinions.
Synonyms : dissenter
Antonyms : believer
9) contribute
Meaning : give (something, especially money) in order to help achieve or provide something.
Synonyms : devote
Antonyms : hold
Example : “taxpayers had contributed £141.8 million towards the cost of local services”
10) contest
Meaning : an event in which people compete for supremacy in a sport or other activity, or in a quality.
Tamil Meaning : போட்டி
Synonyms : match
Antonyms : agreement
Example : “a tennis contest”
11) outfits
Meaning : provide with a set of clothes.
Synonyms : apparatus
Antonyms : individuals
Example : “warders outfitted in special suits”
12) stark
Meaning : severe or bare in appearance or outline.
Tamil Meaning : முற்றிலும்
Synonyms : blunt
Antonyms : covered
Example : “the ridge formed a stark silhouette against the sky”
13) scarce
Meaning : (especially of food, money, or some other resource) insufficient for the demand.
Tamil Meaning : பற்றாக்குறை
Synonyms : deficient
Antonyms : adequate
Example : “as raw materials became scarce, synthetics were developed”
14) stalled
Meaning : stop or cause to stop making progress.
Synonyms : interrupt
Antonyms : aid
Example : “his career had stalled, hers taken off”
15) patronage
Meaning : the support given by a patron
Tamil Meaning :
Synonyms : auspices
Antonyms : blockage
Example : “the arts could no longer depend on private patronage”
16) accelerating
Meaning : increase in rate, amount, or extent.
Tamil Meaning : முடுக்கி
Synonyms : advance
Antonyms : block
Example : “inflation started to accelerate”
17) backdrop
Meaning : lie behind or beyond; serve as a background to.
Tamil Meaning : பின்னணியில்
Synonyms : scenery
Example : “the rolling hills that backdropped our camp”
18) conflict
Meaning : be incompatible or at variance; clash.
Tamil Meaning : மோதல்
Synonyms : clash
Antonyms : truce
Example : “parents’ and children’s interests sometimes conflict”
19) envisaged
Meaning : contemplate or conceive of as a possibility or a desirable future event.
Synonyms : conceive
Example : “the Rome Treaty envisaged free movement across frontiers”
20) elusive
Meaning : difficult to find, catch, or achieve.
Synonyms : subtle
Antonyms : definite
Example : “success will become ever more elusive”
21) enacting
Meaning : make (a bill or other proposal) law.
Tamil Meaning : மேம்படுத்தியது
Synonyms : execute
Antonyms : hinder
Example : “legislation was enacted to attract international companies”
22) concerned
Meaning : worried, troubled, or anxious.
Synonyms : distressed
Antonyms : composed
Example : “the villagers are concerned about burglaries”
23) disputed
Meaning : argue about (something).
Tamil Meaning : பிரச்சினைக்குரிய
Synonyms : contend
Antonyms : agree
Example : “the point has been much disputed”
24) imposed
Meaning : force (an unwelcome decision or ruling) on someone.
Tamil Meaning : திணிக்கப்பட்ட
Synonyms : establish
Antonyms : disorder
Example : “the decision was theirs and was not imposed on them by others”
25) 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 : posture
Antonyms : truancy
Example : “she altered her stance, resting all her weight on one leg”
26) prevailing
Meaning : existing at a particular time; current.
Tamil Meaning : நிலவும்
Synonyms : prevalent
Antonyms : limited
Example : “the unfavourable prevailing economic conditions”
27) posture
Meaning : the position in which someone holds their body when standing or sitting.
Synonyms : aspect
Example : “I got out of the car in an alert posture”
28) invocations
Meaning : the action of invoking someone or something.
Synonyms : appeal
Antonyms : revocation
Example : “his invocation of the ancient powers of Callanish”
29) sought
Meaning : attempt to find (something).
Tamil Meaning : முயன்று
Synonyms : desired
Example : “they came here to seek shelter from biting winter winds”
30) distinct
Meaning : readily distinguishable by the senses.
Synonyms : definite
Antonyms : indistinct
Example : “a distinct smell of nicotine”
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : MARCH 19, 2019
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