Category: Editorial

A special Bench of the Supreme Court of India, headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, will begin hearing on December 12 a batch of petitions that question the validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, a law that freezes the status of places of worship in the country as on the day of its independence and bars suits that seek to alter such status. It is no exaggeration to say these petitions pose a virulent challenge to the survival of secularism. The outcome may well decide the trajectory of communal relations and the future of secular thought in the country. The 1991 Act does have some exemptions: it did not apply to what was then the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute, which ended in favour of the Ram temple. Nor does it apply to monuments, sites and remains covered by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. It will also not apply to any suit that has been finally settled or disposed of, any dispute that has been settled by the parties before the 1991 Act came into force, or to the conversion of any place that took place by acquiescence. The challenge has come in the backdrop of a renewed attempt through motivated litigation by some Hindu organisations and devotees to target mosques such as the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, the Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura and the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, among others. Any order that strikes down or dilutes the 1991 law is likely to have a malign influence on these proceedings.

The petitions highlight the demolition of temples by invaders in the past and contend that many mosques have been built on their ruins. The Places of Worship Act, they claim, legalises such depredations, and also violates the right of Hindus and other communities to reclaim their places of worship through legal proceedings. It also violates the right to practise and propagate religion and manage and administer places of worship. Ironically, they also contend that the Act goes against the principle of secularism, which would surely stand to be undermined if their attempts to reclaim these sites succeed. Fortunately, there are some clearly established principles in favour of the Act. In its Ayodhya judgment, a five-member Bench observed that the law “imposes a non-derogable obligation towards enforcing our commitment to secularism”. It also called it a “legislative intervention that preserves non-retrogression as an essential feature of our secular values”. For the present, it does not seem likely that the Court will depart from the Constitution’s secular vision and Parliament’s mandate against misusing judicial fora to remedy historical wrongs.

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
contingent	The term “contingent” has multiple meanings depending on the context.	Dependent Conditional Subject to Provisional	Independent Unconditional Certain Definite
disengagement	The term “disengagement” refers to the process of separating or withdrawing from a connection, activity, or involvement.	Separation Withdrawal Detachment Disconnection	Engagement Connection Involvement Attachment
expedite	The term “expedite” means to speed up or make a process happen more quickly and efficiently.	Accelerate Hasten Speed up Facilitate	Delay Procrastinate Hinder Obstruct

Title: A slow return: On border tensions and India-China ties

The government’s decision to offer statements on China, suo motu, in both Houses of Parliament and to brief a parliamentary panel are positive but long overdue steps. Since 2020, following the Chinese transgression along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the deadly Galwan clashes, it has avoided divulging details of the negotiations with China over the actions of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), only announcing agreements on disengagement at six points of friction, as they occurred in 2021, 2022 and 2024. In a democracy, the people must not be kept in the dark on matters of national interest. But the statements by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and the briefing by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri appear to have been substantial. Mr. Jaishankar focused on three aspects of the LAC negotiations. He said India has made it clear to China that “normal” engagement in other parts of the relationship were contingent on the LAC tensions being resolved. India has adopted a policy of “continuous engagement” and a step-by-step approach involving 17 meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs, 21 meetings of the Senior Highest Military Commanders meeting mechanism, and several meetings between the Foreign and Defence Ministers and Special Representatives of both countries. Finally, he said that with disengagement “fully achieved”, the next priorities would be troop de-escalation and de-induction, followed by a discussion on how to manage ties in the border areas, given the problems in the last few years. Mr. Jaishankar said that for Depsang and Demchok, “patrolling arrangements” had been agreed upon, but the resumption of patrols is still “underway”. For the other areas of North and South Pangong Tso lake, Gogra and Hot Springs, disengagement had been achieved through “steps of a temporary and limited nature” — a euphemism for LAC “buffer zones”.

But the government’s nearly 2,500 word statement gave no indication of the casus belli for the Chinese actions nor any reference to when the return to ‘status quo ante’, or to positions of 2020, can be expected. The statement laid stress on India’s “national security” interests being upheld, without mentioning India’s “territorial integrity” at any point. The government must now expedite efforts to build a common understanding of the LAC and to demarcate the boundary. It is important to tell the nation about the nearly 20 Modi-Xi meetings prior to 2020, in spite of which the PLA acted the way it did. The past few years should have demonstrated to the ‘doves and hawks’ in India’s establishment that such an intensive engagement is no guarantor of peace, nor can conflicts be resolved without the kind of intense and “continuous engagement” that New Delhi and Beijing have sustained in the past few years.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
contingent	A group representing a larger body, such as a delegation or a team.	Conditional Dependent Provisional Subject to	Unconditional Certain Independent Absolute
disengagement	Disengagement refers to the act of withdrawing, separating, or detaching from something.	Detachment Withdrawal Separation Disconnection	Engagement Connection Involvement Attachment
expedite	Expedite means to speed up or make a process happen more quickly and efficiently.	Accelerate Hasten Speed up Quicken	Delay Slow down Hinder Impede

Title: Preparing for the worst: On Cyclone Fengal, the future

It is not uncommon for the southern peninsula to experience heavy or very heavy rainfall during the northeast monsoon, which is also important for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. But when Cyclone Fengal crossed the coast, close to Puducherry, on the night of November 30, neither Tamil Nadu nor Puducherry expected the magnitude of devastation that occurred. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said nearly seven million families and 15 million individuals have been affected. Sixteen people, including four in Puducherry, lost their lives. A landslip in Tiruvannamalai claimed seven lives including five children. Unusually heavy rainfall (40 cm-50 cm) was recorded in many places in Puducherry and the northern and northwestern parts of Tamil Nadu on a single day. An initial estimate puts over 2.21 lakh hectares of farmland including 10,000 hectares in Puducherry to be under water. The cyclonic storm later weakened and crossed coastal Karnataka, adjoining east central Arabian Sea. Though many southern parts received rain, Puducherry and several districts in Tamil Nadu bore the brunt. What worsened the plight of people in some districts was the flood in the otherwise-dry South Pennai river; on Monday, it had a flow of 2.4 lakh cusecs. Mr. Stalin has sought an immediate release of ₹2,000 crore from the Centre. The Puducherry Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, has announced assistance of ₹210 crore.

It is time that the authorities concerned prepared themselves to face extreme weather events, given the rising frequency of very high rainfall. Last year, Kayalpattinam in Thoothukudi received 95 cm, whereas, this time, northern and northwestern districts faced a similar experience. A 2022 monograph by the India Meteorological Department concluded that, on an average, four depressions or cyclonic storms could be expected to affect the southern peninsula every season. The authorities should intensify their concrete and tangible long-term steps beyond the routine ways of providing relief and rehabilitation. Even though Chennai was not hit badly this time, the State government must make public the report of the Advisory Committee for Mitigation and Management of Flood Risk in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, led by former civil servant V. Thiruppugazh. Other measures such as a strengthening of bunds, regular removal of silt from water courses and a relentless drive against encroachment of water bodies must be carried out. Only such steps will be purposeful to the people; taking pride about age-old irrigation management is not enough.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Devastation	Refers to the act or state of causing extensive harm or ruin, often to physical structures, landscapes, or environments.	Destruction Ruin Desolation Havoc	Restoration Construction Renewal Rebuilding
Rehabilitation	The process of repairing, rebuilding, or restoring something (such as buildings, infrastructure, or ecosystems) to its original or better state after damage or neglect.	Restoration Recovery Renewal Reinstatement	Damage Decline Deterioration Destruction
Mitigation	Often used in the context of minimizing negative impacts, risks, or damages.	Alleviation Reduction Diminution Easing	Aggravation Intensification Exacerbation Escalation

Title: New crimes, old tools: On holding cyber fraudsters accountable 

At the Conference of Director Generals of Police last weekend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the growing menace of cybercrime in India, particularly digital frauds and non-consensual intimate deepfakes. Unlike traditional crimes like petty theft, organised digital frauds are not merely the work of financially desperate individuals; they represent a new class of criminals equipped with a variety of tools. Vulnerable telecom infrastructure — ill-prepared for the overwhelming volume of calls and messages from malicious fraudsters — creates fertile ground for cybercrime. These criminals also employ ingenious techniques that constantly stay a step ahead of underprepared law enforcement and security systems. More troubling is the strong network of relationships these fraudsters cultivate with local police in key hotspots, which enables them to carry out their activities with a sense of impunity. The consequences of this rampant cybercrime are grave. Thousands of ordinary citizens face the constant threat of losing their life savings after a single ill-advised phone call or message. It is therefore encouraging that the highest levels of government are addressing this critical issue and pushing for action from those most equipped to combat it.

But talk alone will not solve the problem. It is crucial to pursue aggressive prosecutions with integrity, transparency, and wide publicity. The growing number of these criminals is both a threat and an opportunity: while their continued operations reflect poorly on the law enforcement and public safety apparatus, it also provides a window for significant breakthroughs in investigations and successful convictions. Holding these fraudsters accountable sends an important message — this is not a simple “call centre job” with questionable ethics, but a serious crime that is not worth the risk. Public awareness is another powerful tool in combating cybercrime. Cyber fraudsters constantly evolve their methods and adopt new personas to deceive unsuspecting victims. Alerting the public — repeatedly, creatively, and patiently — that they are at risk of losing money to fraudsters is an essential policy intervention. A little healthy scepticism could prevent many people from falling prey to scams. As the government pushes for universal banking and greater access to digital services, it is critical that these advances do not become vulnerabilities for ordinary people. The issue of non-consensual intimate imagery is also pressing. With advances in artificial intelligence, criminals can now use deepfake technology to place ordinary individuals’ faces into pornographic content, causing great harm. But it is a matter of some comfort that though these crimes are new, the tools to combat them remain familiar: a mix of awareness and preventive measures.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
menace	Something or someone that poses a risk or danger to others.	Threat Danger Hazard Peril	Threaten Endanger Intimidate Frighten
Vulnerable	The word “vulnerable” refers to a state of being exposed to harm, danger, or emotional impact.	Susceptible Exposed Defenseless Fragile	Protected Secure Strong Resistant
unsuspecting	The word “unsuspecting” is an adjective that refers to someone who is unaware of potential danger, harm, or deceit.	Unaware Innocent Naive Trusting	Suspicious Aware Alert Wary

Title: Revanchist suits: On the Shahi Jama Masjid

Motivated litigation aimed at altering the status of a place of worship, a questionable ex parte court order, and the violent protest that it evoked, led to the killing of four persons in Sambhal district, Uttar Pradesh, recently. The Supreme Court of India’s order calling for preserving peace and harmony has provided some respite from the tension. The Court has also asked the trial judge not to proceed with a suit filed by Hindutva proponents until the Allahabad High Court hears the mosque committee on the validity of the survey order. It has also directed that the report, if any, prepared by an Advocate-Commissioner appointed by the civil court to survey the Shahi Jama Masjid at Chandausi be kept sealed. The incident is part of a baleful pattern of action by aggressive Hindutva proponents who claim that many mosques were built after destroying Hindu temples and seek to use the judicial process to alter the religious character of the structures. The lower court’s order was passed on the same day it was taken up and without hearing the mosque’s management committee. Local residents interpreted the survey as an attempt to convert the 16th century mosque, built during Babar’s reign, into a temple. Police say the four dead were shot by firearms used by the protesters; residents say it was police firing.

The civil court order came on an application in a suit filed by eight parties. The violence took place during a second survey of the mosque. It is unfortunate that precedents arising from similar claims against mosques in Varanasi and Mathura have rendered it normal for courts to pass perfunctory orders in favour of surveying disputed property even before establishing whether such suits were permissible in law. In the process, courts have been routinely allowing the wilful violation of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which freezes the status of places of worship as on August 15, 1947, and bars suits aimed at changing their status. Former Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud’s observation that the Act does not bar ascertaining the religious character of a place of worship on that day may have emboldened many an ill-motivated claimant. Independent of this Act, this masjid is a place of worship protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, and there is a prohibition against it being put to any use inconsistent with its character. The lesson is not merely that courts should be wary of entertaining revanchist suits. There should also be sufficient recognition that such developments stoke communal tension, and have undesirable consequences for peace and harmony.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
litigation	Litigation refers to the process of taking a dispute or legal case through the court system for resolution. It involves formal legal proceedings where parties (plaintiffs and defendants) present their cases before a judge or jury to resolve issues such as breaches of law, contracts, or rights.	Lawsuit Legal proceedings Court case Judicial process	Agreement Mediation Arbitration Reconciliation
proponents	Proponents are individuals or groups who advocate, support, or promote a particular idea, proposal, or cause. They actively work to persuade others of the merits of their viewpoint or to advance their cause.	Advocates Supporters Promoters Champions	Opponents Critics Detractors Adversaries
precedents	Precedents are previous decisions or actions that serve as an example or rule to guide future situations.	Example Model Standard Template	Novelty Innovation Originality Anomaly

Title: ONOS bitten: On India’s ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ plan

While generally undesirable, centralisation promised to be a boon vis-à-vis public access to research through India’s ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ (ONOS) plan. ONOS was first proposed in the country’s fifth draft National Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (2020) in response to the hefty fees research journals charged — and still do — for scholars and the people at large to access the papers they published. In this revenue model, journals accept and publish papers submitted by scholars and charge those who want to read them a fee. Research institutes also subscribe to these journals, so scholars can avail all the papers through their libraries. As these fees climbed over time, librarians banded up in consortia to increase their bargaining power at negotiations. ONOS, which the Union Cabinet approved on November 25, replaces these consortia with the national government and obliges journals to provide a single fee to access them. The upshot is expensive journals will now become available at underfunded government institutes as well.

However, ONOS will be limited to publicly funded institutes; and it allows the stranglehold of commercial publishers on scholarly publishing to continue. Many journals subsist on publicly funded research while also charging people money to access it. ONOS may reduce these sums but the government’s willingness to allocate ₹6,000 crore for three calendar years for 30 major publishers must be seen against the backdrop of the gross expenditure on research and development as a fraction of the GDP having become stagnant. The government could have promoted the adoption of ‘green’ and/or ‘diamond’ open-access models that guarantee public access by default or have supported, as a matter of policy, home-grown journals sensitive to Indian scholars’ circumstances while enhancing the discoverability of their research. The decision to instead channel a large sum of money to publishers abroad does not factor in India’s potential to influence research access modalities in the developing world. The lack of transparency is also perturbing, including over whether the list of journals will be monitored to cull titles that have become irrelevant or predatory, or to add those that have gained currency in recent years. Most of all, at a time when many journals have switched to ‘gold’ open-access — where researchers pay to have a paper published that is then available for free — and preprint papers are gaining in popularity as a means of communicating research, the government’s justification for adopting the ONOS strategy in its present form is weak. Add to this the absence of consultation with the institutes on their specific needs, and any celebration of ONOS will have to be deemed premature.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Consortia	The term “consortia” (plural of consortium) refers to groups or associations formed by multiple entities (such as companies, organizations, or individuals) that collaborate to achieve a common goal, share resources, or undertake a joint project.	Alliances Associations Coalitions Partnerships	Disunion Division Separation Isolation
Negotiations	Negotiations refer to discussions between two or more parties aimed at reaching an agreement or resolving a conflict.	Talks Discussions Bargaining Deliberations	Disagreement Refusal Impasse Stalemate
Stranglehold	Stranglehold refers to a situation where one party has complete control or dominance over another, often to the extent that it severely limits freedom, progress, or competition. It can be used literally or metaphorically.	Grip Chokehold Domination Suppression	Freedom Liberation Release Autonomy

 Title : First moves: On the World chess championship

The World chess championship, which resumes in Singapore on Friday after a break, promises plenty of excitement and the possibility of a historic feat. The match between Ding Liren, the defending champion from China, and D. Gukesh, the 18-year-old challenger from Chennai, is tied 1.5-1.5 after three games. It is played over 14 games and the player who scores 7.5 points will become the champion. If Gukesh wins, he will become the youngest World champion in history, which dates back to 1886 when Wilhelm Steinitz won the title after beating Johannes Zukertort. The current record belongs to Garry Kasparov, who was 22 when he emerged as the World champion in 1985 after conquering fellow-Soviet Anatoly Karpov in an epic battle that lasted over a year. Gukesh had begun the World championship as the overwhelming favourite: he had been in sparkling form going into the match while Ding had to battle not just poor form but, according to his own admission, mental issues as well. Some of the world’s top Grandmasters had even predicted that Gukesh would win rather easily. But, sport has a habit of proving predictions wrong, and Gukesh’s campaign got off to a disastrous start, as he was outplayed in the first game. Ding’s win was his first in classical chess in 304 days.

He played solidly to draw the second game, but in the third, Gukesh showed why he is rated so highly by many. He played exceptional chess to post what was his first ever win in classical chess in six meetings with Ding. The chess witnessed thus far has been fascinating and there is much to look forward to in the remaining 11 games (and the tie-breaks, if required). The match has generated huge interest, not just because of Gukesh’s potential to break Kasparov’s record. This is the first ever World championship between two Asians. The first Asian to win the World title was Viswanathan Anand, who is now a mentor to Gukesh and to other exciting young talents of Indian chess. It is also a battle between India and China, the world’s two most populous nations, neighbours and the continent’s superpowers. India is ranked second in world chess and China third, while among women, China is ranked first and India second. But a couple of months ago, India won the gold at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest in both the sections. Gukesh had played a key role at the Olympiad, and now he has another opportunity to underline India’s supremacy in the mind game that is rapidly growing in popularity, especially in India.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Conquering	generally refers to the act of gaining control over something, often through force, effort, or skill.	Overcoming Defeating Subduing   Vanquishing	Submitting Retreating Giving up   Resigning
Supremacy	It can be used in various contexts, including political, social, or competitive situations, to describe the highest level of power or influence.	Power Leadership Preeminence Ascendancy	Subordination Inferiority Weakness   Subjugation
Overwhelming	It   refers to feelings, forces, or situations that are so strong or intense that they may feel difficult to cope with or control.	Overpowering Crushing Intense   Staggering	Mild Unremarkable Manageable Controllable

Title: ​ Fair share: On Big Tech and media content 

In a speech on the occasion of National Press Day last week, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw called attention to the issue of fair compensation to media companies for the use of their content by big technology platforms. The Internet’s rapid growth has created a power imbalance between news publishers and large online enterprises which now set the financial terms for their use of content created by others. Many countries are grappling with this issue, and new regulations are taking shape. In Australia and France, Google and Meta are increasingly required to negotiate fairer revenue-sharing agreements and licensing deals with publishers. A similar push in India will be an essential step to ensure the continued vibrancy and financial sustainability of news organisations, which are under threat in their traditional and online formats. The government’s affirmation of support for fair revenue sharing in favour of news publishers — first expressed last year — is more important than ever. As Artificial Intelligence makes stealthy, large-scale appropriation of content easier and when new business models are built on that technological capacity, fair compensation for original creators is an urgent question. The time has come to rapidly act to give force to these pronouncements through law. The pushback that these steps will likely face from Big Tech platforms make it that much more important to start the work quickly, and with resolve.

The Minister has also expressed concern on the issue of misinformation and fake news. It is important for the government to establish trust as a good faith broker and avoid the temptation to act as a regulator or censor of content. Trust comes, for instance, by taking steps to improve the public’s media literacy in general. The government’s desire, now stalled by the judiciary — to act as a fact-checker — in fact, to be the final authority over what is or is not true about the Union government, is not helpful. Trust is established by empowering a strong press to pursue and verify falsehoods vigorously; and not by state regulation and censorship. The partisan application of existing rules by authorities that go after the Opposition parties on charges of misinformation while turning a blind eye towards violations by the ruling party must also stop. Only an even-handed application of laws against misinformation will act as a deterrent for bad actors. India’s news industry has always suffered from fundamental financial and political challenges. The Internet age offers the opportunity to work on remedies. The firms that control the Internet must be more effectively regulated, and government interventions, which are necessary, must not result in state high-handedness.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
grappling	Its  describe struggling or dealing with a difficult situation or problem.	Wrestling Struggling Fighting        Tussling	Surrendering          Yielding           Releasing           Avoiding
negotiate	It means to discuss or bargain over terms in order to reach an agreement, usually involving compromises.	Talk Confer Deal        Mediate	Ignore Reject Refuse         Avoid
Stealthy	It   refers to moving, acting, or behaving in a way that is secretive, sneaky, or hidden, often with the intention of avoiding detection.	Discreet Surreptitious Hidden       Silent	Obvious Open Transparent Loud

Title: ​ Timely reiteration: On the Preamble and the Supreme Court’s order  

The Supreme Court of India has done well to rebuff an attempt to question the characterisation of the country as ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ in the amended Preamble to the Constitution. Sections of the right wing have been uneasy for long about the identification of secularism as one of the attributes of India. This opposition has acquired traction among those who see the combination of the state not favouring or opposing any religion and the constitutional protection for minorities as something that renders the polity “pseudo-secular”. The original assumption of the makers of the Constitution was that the Constitution — with its emphasis on equality before law and equal treatment of all sections, besides the incorporation of the right to profess, practise and propagate any religion and freedom of belief and conscience in the fundamental rights chapter — is inherently secular. In terms of economic policy, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar opposed amendments to include the word ‘socialist’ by arguing that the Constituent Assembly should not tie down future generations to any particular form of economy. Therefore, the words did not form part of the Preamble adopted along with the Constitution in 1949, but were controversially added through the 42nd Amendment enacted during the Emergency. However, that may not be reason enough for the courts to strike down their inclusion based on writ petitions filed in 2020, about 44 years after the amendment.

The Court, in S.R. Bommai (1994), ruled that secularism is a basic feature of the Constitution. In another case, it said: “Secularism essentially represents the nation’s commitment to treat persons of all faiths equally and without discrimination.” Regarding the term ‘socialist’, it is clear that its presence in the Preamble has not been an impediment to adoption of laws or policies and practices that open up sectors of the economy to open market competition. As the Bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar has pointed out, India has developed its own interpretation of secularism, “wherein the State neither supports any religion nor penalises the profession and practice of any faith”. Similarly, the term ‘socialism’ embodies “the principle of economic and social justice, wherein the State ensures that no citizen is disadvantaged due to economic or social circumstances”. The Court has not countenanced the argument that the inclusion of these words came during the Emergency, when Parliament’s term was extended, noting that this aspect was debated in Parliament in 1978 when the 44th Amendment Act was considered. As the Constitution completes 75 years of existence, the verdict upholding the inclusion of the terms ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ amounts to a timely reiteration of these fundamental attributes.

                                                                            Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
secular	Its   refers to  that government does not make laws based on religious doctrines, and people of all faiths or no faith are treated equally.	Non-religious Worldly Temporal Lay	Religious Theocratic Spiritual Sacred
propagate	It generally conveys the idea of making something grow, spread, or expand.	Spread Distribute Promote Disseminate	Suppress Stifle Contain Hinder
Preamble	It   refers to an introductory statement or preface, often found at the beginning of formal documents, laws, or constitutions.	Introduction Preface Prologue Opening statement	Conclusion Epilogue Postscript Afterword