THE HINDU EDITORIAL: MAY 17, 2019
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THE HINDU EDITORIAL: MAY 17, 2019
Dear Aspirants,
THE HINDU EDITORIAL – May 17, 2018, is one of the must-read section for the competitive exams like SBI PO 2019, SBI CLERK 2019, LIC AAO 2019, FCI Prelims 2019 & CWC 2019 and other banking Exams. 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.
Slippery slope: on India and Iran developments
India must not be a mute spectator as tensions rise in the Gulf
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif was in New Delhi this week as part of a regional outreach that includes Russia, China, Turkmenistan and Iraq amid rising tensions in West Asia. The U.S. has followed withdrawal of its sanctions-waiver for Iranian oil with a series of actions that it claims are in response to the perceived threat from Iran. It has recalled all non-emergency diplomatic staff based in neighbouring Iraq; sent an aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, missile defence hardware and B-52 bombers to the Gulf; imposed fresh sanctions on various Iranian entities; and slapped a terror designation for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran has matched some of the rhetoric with threats that it would close off the Strait of Hormuz to trade and treat the U.S. carrier as a legitimate “target” if it came anywhere close to Iranian waters. Making matters worse, it is clear that the U.S. aims to pin on the Iranian government and military forces blame for attacks on two Saudi Arabian oil tankers over the weekend. U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton’s remark that “any attack on United States interests or those of [its] allies will be met with unrelenting force” gives the impression that the ground is being prepared by the U.S., aided by Saudi Arabia and Israel, for an escalation.
Given the signs of a gathering storm, India must consider not only its own interests in terms of its ties with Iran and with the U.S. and its allies, but also its position as a regional power. The External Affairs Ministry comment that the government would take a decision on Iranian oil imports after the elections appeared to be an attempt to buy time. The truth is that Indian oil importers have already stopped placing orders for Iranian oil in compliance with the U.S. diktat on “zeroing out” imports. India had been importing about 10% of its oil requirements from Iran, and the losses in terms of finding alternative suppliers in the face of rising oil prices are piling up. News reports also indicate that despite a U.S. waiver on the Chabahar port, banks in India and Afghanistan that planned to finance trade through the port are now being restricted by U.S. sanctions. Instead of being a mute spectator to the crisis that is building for India’s energy bill as well as for regional stability, New Delhi must take the challenge head-on. One immediate priority is to work more closely with European countries in ensuring that Iran does not feel compelled to walk out of the nuclear deal, and to jointly build a sanctions-immune financial infrastructure to facilitate Iranian trade. It is necessary that the countries affected in the region meet urgently, as well as unitedly express concerns over a possible U.S.-Iran clash.
West Bengal tango: on Election Commission of India
The Election Commission has junked even the pretence of neutrality
From pleading helplessness before the Supreme Court in enforcing the Model Code of Conduct a month ago, the Election Commission has come a long way in asserting its powers. On Wednesday it took the rare step of ordering that campaigning in West Bengal’s nine Lok Sabha constituencies that go to the polls on Sunday end earlier than scheduled. West Bengal had witnessed sporadic incidents of violence through the previous phases of polling, but on Tuesday tensions ran high after clashes during a roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah in Kolkata. The destruction of a bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the 19th century reformer and cultural icon of Bengal, by suspected BJP activists has put the party on the defensive in a State where it is making an all-out effort to expand its footprint. The EC may have had sufficient reasons to conclude that a ‘fear psychosis’ has gripped the State, and therefore campaigning must end prematurely. In TMC-ruled West Bengal, the entire government machinery, the district administration and the police, could quite possibly be at the service of the ruling party. However, the advanced deadline of 10 p.m. on Thursday to end campaigning was devoid of any logic or reason, other than being evidently partisan towards the BJP. The 10 p.m. deadline clearly accommodated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s last rallies in the State slated for Thursday evening. If in the EC’s assessment campaigning could have led to violence, why did it not order its curtailment on Wednesday or early in the day on Thursday? Since the announcement of the Lok Sabha poll schedule, the EC’s credibility has come under a cloud. The manifestly partisan decision on the campaigning deadline in West Bengal has further eroded trust in the institution.
Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been putting up a ferocious fight against Hindutva politics in the State, has expectedly found support from Opposition parties across the country. Most parties have been justifiably critical of the EC’s conduct through this election, and it was not surprising that the latest provocation has revived their complaints. The Congress pointed out that the EC had dismissed 11 complaints it had filed regarding Mr. Modi’s alleged violations of the MCC. The Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav said the decision went “against all norms of democratic fair play”, while DMK president M.K. Stalin said there was a “BJP pattern” in the destruction of the Vidyasagar statue, connecting it to the vandalisation of Periyar statues in Tamil Nadu last year. BSP chief Mayawati said Mr. Modi and “his stooges” were targeting Ms. Banerjee in a “dangerous and unjust trend”. The BJP’s assessment of West Bengal’s importance for its chances of returning to power is understandable, but its strategy is threatening the peace in the State. The EC’s action has only made matters worse, allowing Ms. Banerjee to play the angry victim in what is turning out to be the powder keg of India.
VOCABULARY
- outreach
Meaning: the extent or length of reaching out /
Tamil Meaning: எட்டிப் பிடி
Synonyms: Overdo, Overact, Overextend
Example Sentence: “the loving outreach of God to the world”
- amid
Meaning: surrounded by; in the middle of.
Tamil Meaning: மத்தியில் / இடையே
Synonyms: In the middle of, surrounded by, among, amongst, between
Antonyms: surrounding
Example Sentence: “our dream home, set amid magnificent rolling countryside”
- withdrawal
Meaning: the action of withdrawing something.
Tamil Meaning: திரும்ப / திரும்பப் பெற்றுக் கொள்ளுதல்
Synonyms: Removal, taking away; abolition, cancellation
Antonyms: Introduction
Example Sentence: “the withdrawal of legal aid”
- waiver
Meaning: an act or instance of waiving a right or claim.
Tamil Meaning: விலக்கு / தெரிந்து உரிமை விட்டுக் கொடுப்பு
Synonyms: Renunciation, surrender, repudiation, rejection, relinquishment
Antonyms: Sanction, Approval, Claim
Example Sentence: “their acquiescence could amount to a waiver”
- perceived
Meaning: become aware or conscious of (something); come to realize or understand.
Tamil Meaning: தெரிந்துகொள் / காண் /
Synonyms: Discern, recognize, become cognizant of, become aware of
Antonyms: Disbelieve, Disregard, Ignore
Example Sentence: “his mouth fell open as he perceived the truth”
- imposed
Meaning: force (an unwelcome decision or ruling) on someone.
Tamil Meaning: திணிக்கப்பட்ட
Synonyms: Foist, force, thrust, inflict, obtrude, press, urge
Antonyms: Disorder
Example Sentence: “the decision was theirs and was not imposed on them by others”
- rhetoric
Meaning: the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the exploitation of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.
Tamil Meaning: சொல்லாட்சி / அணியிலக்கணம் / வாக்கு வன்மை
Synonyms: Oratory, eloquence, power of speech, command of language
Antonyms: Quiet, Conciseness
Example Sentence: “he was considered to excel in this form of rhetoric”
- legitimate
Meaning: conforming to the law or to rules / (of a child) born of parents lawfully married to each other.
Tamil Meaning: முறையான / சட்டப்படியான / சட்ட சம்பந்தமான
Synonyms: legal, lawful, licit, legalized, authorized, permitted
Antonyms: illegal, illegitimate
Example Sentence: “his claims to legitimate authority”
- unrelenting
Meaning: not yielding in strength, severity, or determination.
Tamil Meaning: இடையறா / அசைவிலா ஊக்கம் உடைய
Synonyms: Implacable, inflexible, uncompromising, unyielding, unbending
Antonyms: Intermittent, spasmodic
Example Sentence: “the heat was unrelenting”
- compliance
Meaning: the action or fact of complying with a wish or command.
Tamil Meaning: இணக்கம் / உடன்பாடு / கீழ் படிதல்
Synonyms: acquiescence, agreement, assent, consent
Antonyms: defiance
Example Sentence: “the ways in which the state maintains order and compliance”
- diktat
Meaning: an order or decree imposed by someone in power without popular consent.
Tamil Meaning: உத்தரவு
Example Sentence: “a diktat from the Bundestag”
- zeroing out
Meaning: to reduce the amount of (something) to zero / to remove (something) completely
Example Sentence: Be sure to zero out the account before you switch banks.
- walk out
Meaning: the action of leaving a meeting or organization as an expression of disapproval / depart or leave suddenly or angrily.
Tamil Meaning: வெளிநடப்பு
Synonyms: Leave suddenly, make a sudden departure
Antonyms: Arrive, Come, Face
Example Sentence: “he had walked out in a temper”
- pleading
Meaning: the action of making an emotional or earnest appeal to someone.
Tamil Meaning: இறைஞ்சுவதும் / வாதாடுதல்
Synonyms: Beg, entreat, beseech, implore, appeal to, petition, supplicate
Antonyms: refuse, Answer, Decide, Punish
Example Sentence: “he ignored her pleading”
- enforcing
Meaning: compel observance of or compliance with (a law, rule, or obligation).
Tamil Meaning: செயல்படுத்துவதில் / செயலாக்கு
Synonyms: Impose, apply, carry out, administer, implement, bring to bear
Antonyms: Voluntary
Example Sentence: “the role of the police is to enforce the law”
- asserting
Meaning: state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully.
Tamil Meaning: உறுதிப்படுத்தும் / உறுதியாக்ககூறு
Synonyms: declare, maintain, contend, argue, state, claim.
Antonyms: Abandon, Deny, Conceal, Desert
Example Sentence: “the company asserts that the cuts will not affect development”
- sporadic
Meaning: occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated.
Tamil Meaning: இங்கும் அங்கும் நிகழ்கிற / சிதறலான
Synonyms: Occasional, infrequent, irregular, periodical, periodic
Antonyms: Frequent, regular, steady, continuous
Example Sentence: “sporadic fighting broke out”
- suspected
Meaning: have an idea or impression of the existence, presence, or truth of (something) without certain proof.
Tamil Meaning: சந்தேக / ஐயப்படு / ஐயப்படுவதற்குரிய
Synonyms: Have a suspicion, have a feeling, feel, be inclined to think
Antonyms: know
Example Sentence: “if you suspect a gas leak, do not turn on an electric light”
- psychosis
Meaning: a severe mental disorder in which thought, and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality.
Tamil Meaning: மனநோய்
Example Sentence: “they were suffering from a psychosis”
- prematurely
Meaning: before the due time; ahead of time.
Tamil Meaning: உரிய காலத்திற்கு முன்னரே
Synonyms: Too soon, too early, before the usual time, ahead of time, before one’s time
Example Sentence: “his son died prematurely”
- partisan
Meaning: a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person.
Tamil Meaning: பாகுபாடற்ற / கட்சி (அ) குழுவிடம் பெரிதும் ஈடுபாடு உடையவர்
Synonyms: supporter, follower, adherent, devotee, champion
Antonyms: Fair, Unbiased, Disinterested
Example Sentence: “partisans of the exiled Stuarts”
- curtailment
Meaning: the action or fact of reducing or restricting something.
Tamil Meaning: துண்டித்தல்
Synonyms: Reduction, cut, cutback, decrease, lessening, diminution
Antonyms: Increase, expansion
Example Sentence: “the curtailment of human rights”
- ferocious
Meaning: savagely fierce, cruel, or violent.
Tamil Meaning: “a ferocious beast”
Synonyms: Fierce, savage, wild, feral, untamed; predatory, rapacious
Antonyms: Tame, gentle
Example Sentence: “a ferocious beast”
- provocation
Meaning: action or speech that makes someone angry, especially deliberately.
Tamil Meaning: ஆத்திரமூட்டல் / கோபத்தின் காரணம் / கோபமூட்டுதல்
Synonyms: Goading, prodding, egging on, incitement, rousing
Antonyms: Compliment, Discouragement
Example Sentence: “you should remain calm and not respond to provocation”
- vandalization
Meaning: the act of deliberately destroying or damaging public or private property.
Tamil Meaning: அழிக்க
Synonyms: Deface, demolish
Antonyms: Build, Fix, Construct
Example Sentence: “due to vandalization in the past, a security system has been installed in the house”
Check the other – THE HINDU EDITORIAL vocabulary words from previous days in THE HINDU EDITORIAL section which has bilingual meanings.
THE HINDU EDITORIAL – VOCABULARY WORDS
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