Category: Editorial

Growth matrix: On the economy’s performance

Economic outlook is evenly poised but reforms need acceleration

The first official gauge of the economy’s performance so far in 2024-25 pegs real GDP growth at 6.7% between April and June, a five-quarter low and below the central bank’s projection. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which expects a 7.2% GDP growth through 2024-25 following last year’s 8.2% surge, had revised its estimate for Q1 from 7.2% to 7.1%, earlier this month. The actual numbers are underwhelming and mark a clear cooling in the economic momentum, although some base effects are in play. Growth in the Gross Value Added (GVA) in the economy came in higher at 6.8%, after a year of widening divergences with the GDP print. At the onset of this fiscal year, major hopes hinged on a normal monsoon boosting farm sector output and easing inflation, which could lift the weak rural demand and private consumption witnessed last year. Higher demand would bolster private firms’ propensity to invest in new capacities, and ease the pressure on public spending to prop up growth. That the government would still ramp up capital expenditure by 17% to ₹11.11 lakh crore this year, while it waited for this narrative to unfold, was the other pillar underpinning this year’s growth aspirations.

As things stand, this script is yet to fully play out. The stretched general election has sharply scuppered public capex, and the government will need to redouble efforts to meet its spending goals. The good news is that private consumption spends bounced to a six-quarter peak of 7.4%, partly thanks to easing headline inflation. But food prices remain elevated. The monsoon has been better than last year but a tad erratic and uneven, temporally as well as spatially. Farm GVA growth has moved up to a four-quarter high of 2% but the next few weeks will determine whether the sector rebounds in earnest (and food inflation cools). Projections of above normal downpours in September may well affect standing kharif crops. This is a key monitorable for the RBI, whose independent monetary policy panel members have flagged a 1% GDP growth loss this year and next, if interest rate cuts are delayed. India may still grow 6.5% to 7% this year, but most expect growth to slip to 6.5% in 2025-26, with the medium-term potential hovering around that number. This is too slow for comfort. As top IMF official Gita Gopinath pointed out recently, policymakers need to urgently pursue meaningful reforms across all aspects of the economy, and improve the efficiency of its institutions and the judiciary. This is critical to lift its growth potential and fulfil hopes of creating gainful employment for its young, fast enough for India’s demographics to yield a dividend.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Underwhelming	“Underwhelming” describes something that fails to meet expectations or does not impress as much as anticipated.	Disappointing Mediocre Unimpressive Average	Impressive Exciting Thrilling Remarkable
Divergences	“Divergences” refers to the state of moving apart, differing, or deviating from a common point or standard.	Differences Variations Deviations Contrasts	Convergence Agreement Similarity Consistency
Propensity	“Propensity” refers to a natural inclination or tendency to behave in a particular way or to have a particular condition. It describes a person’s or thing’s predisposition toward something.	Inclination Tendency Affinity Bias	Disinclination Resistance Indifference Reluctance
Scuppered	To cause something such as a plan or an opportunity to fail	Ruined Sabotaged Destroyed Defeated	Enabled Supported Promoted Advanced

Title: ​ Biotech enigma: On the BioE3 proposal and beyond

Earlier this week the Cabinet cleared a proposal, though without specifying a budget, called BioE3 or Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment. Its thrust is to boost manufacturing in the biotechnology sector. Since 1986, India has had a dedicated department for biotechnology, and which deserves substantial credit. For instance, the progress in vaccine development, diagnostics and biologicals, that has bolstered India’s reputation as a ‘vaccine factory’, is due to the initiatives of this department. However, biotechnology did not quite spawn the equivalent of the IT revolution. There is much more to an industrialised biotechnology sector beyond vaccines. There are billion-dollar conglomerates today that rest on high-value microbes, gene-modification technologies, bio-plastics, bio-materials, and high-precision medical devices. However, despite the know-how and human resource capital, only a few Indian biotechs have global resonance, as there are few local manufacturers who can supply Indian laboratories/startups with the ingredients and devices to make products. The reliance on imports means that India loses its international competitiveness. The BioE3 policy aims to correct this.

In the last four decades, India has funded biotech research institutions but now sees that it needs to be going beyond and setting up companies, in public private partnership mode, to bolster biotechnology manufacturing. There are six verticals that this initiative envisages: bio-based chemicals and enzymes; functional foods and smart proteins; precision biotherapeutics; climate-resilient agriculture; carbon capture, and futuristic marine and space research. Futurists have been saying that the era of fossil-fuel industrialisation is over and humanity will have to rely on the natural world — for food and for making consumer products. This is to solve the global problem of non-biodegradable waste and carbon emissions. Future industries must be grounded in environmentally benign products, and this is impossible without sophisticated biotechnology. By setting up bio-foundries and bio-artificial intelligence hubs, the policy hopes there will be avenues for a variety of biotechnologists to congregate. Well intentioned this may be, but India’s woes with manufacturing have chronic causes. Without establishing enabling grounds for long-term capital investment — and these have little to do with biotechnology per se — top-down initiatives will have limited impact. The BioE3 policy must be a deeply collaborative effort between Centre and States. Rather than expect quick returns, the government must provide financial and infrastructural support over the long term.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Envisages	“Envisages” means to imagine or conceive of something as a future possibility. It involves forming a mental image or plan of what something might be like or how it might turn out.	Imagines Foresees Visualizes Conceives	Dismisses Ignores Overlooks Underestimates
Sophisticated	In a social or cultural sense, it describes someone or something that is elegant, polished, and well-informed, often due to experience or education.	Refined Elegant Complex Advanced	Unsophisticated Primitive Simple Rough

Title: ​ ​ ​War And Peace: On India And A Russia-Ukraine Peace Initiative

Just days after his visit to Kyiv, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s telephonic conversations with U.S. President Joseph Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have raised hopes that New Delhi is ready to take the plunge and attempt peacemaking in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Mr. Modi’s travel to the UN in September, where he will meet U.S. and European leaders and possibly Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again, and another visit to Russia in October for the BRICS summit, have fuelled those hopes. However, those who are boosting speculation of an Indian role may benefit from a careful consideration of the circumstances, and India’s position thus far. Since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, India has remained distant from the outcomes of what External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had once called “Europe’s war” and any peace process that does not involve bringing Russia and Ukraine to the table for talks. It had even disassociated itself from the Swiss peace summit. While Mr. Modi has consistently said that India is “on the side of peace” alone, New Delhi has been seen to be partial to Moscow, given its historical ties and military and energy dependencies. It will need to recast itself in a more unbiased image. Meanwhile, the war continues without pause, indicating the belief in both parties of there still being military gains to be made. That Russia launched deadly attacks on Ukraine just before the Modi Moscow visit in July, and Ukraine carried out operations into Russia’s Kursk Oblast just before his visit to Kyiv last week, demonstrate the dangerous power play and messaging Mr. Zelenskyy and Mr. Putin can indulge in, regardless of their guest’s sensitivities.

With such entrenched positions, New Delhi must proceed with care if it indeed seeks to join the ranks of others wanting involvement in conflict resolution. Successful efforts have been few, and have required focused agendas — the Black Sea Grain Initiative; the IAEA effort, on nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhia power plant; and the latest exchange of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners. India must also articulate its own principles for a ceasefire compromise and lasting peace. The Modi government may well benefit from studying India’s own history: In the 1950s, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, at the instance of Vienna, mediated with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev on troops withdrawal from the north-east zone of Austria post-war, in return for promises of Austrian neutrality. An Indian peace initiative will be further complicated by the proposals Ukraine and Russia have themselves put forth: Mr. Zelenskyy insists on a full military withdrawal from Ukraine by Russia first, and Mr. Putin has called for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from regions now occupied by Russia, and for Kyiv to formally give up any efforts to join NATO.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Speculation	“Speculation” refers to the act of forming theories or guesses about something without having all the necessary information or evidence. It often involves making predictions or assumptions based on incomplete data.	Guesswork Conjecture Assumption Theorizing	Certainty Fact Proof Evidence
Indulge	means to allow oneself to enjoy something, often something that is considered a luxury or a pleasure. It can also mean to give in to a desire or craving.	Pamper Spoil Satiate Gratify	Resist Deprive Restrict Abstain
Articulate	As a verb: To articulate means to express or convey thoughts, ideas, or feelings clearly and effectively. For example, if someone articulates their point well, they are able to communicate their ideas in a way that is easy for others to understand. As an adjective: When used to describe a person, articulate means that they are able to speak clearly and express themselves well. For instance, an articulate speaker is someone who communicates their message in a clear and effective manner.	Eloquent Clear Expressive Well-spoken	Inarticulate Unclear Mumbled Tongue-tied

Coordinated attacks: On Pakistan and the Baloch conflict  

Pakistan cannot take a militaristic approach to the Baloch conflict 

Ever since the Taliban, hosted by Pakistan’s security forces, recaptured Kabul in August 2021, Pakistan, especially in its Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces neighbouring Afghanistan, has seen a surge in terrorist attacks. In 2023 alone, there were over 650 recorded attacks, with 23% occurring in Balochistan, which is Pakistan’s largest province by landmass and a hotbed of separatist insurgency. But even in this new normal, Monday was one of the bloodiest days for Balochistan and Pakistan. On the 18th death anniversary of Nawab Akbar Bugti, a Baloch nationalist leader killed by the Pakistani military in 2006, separatists carried out coordinated attacks across the province. The Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the many deaths. According to security officials, the separatists damaged infrastructure and executed migrant labourers from Punjab. That the attacks occurred in different parts of Balochistan show the growing reach and capability of the insurgency. Bugti’s death anniversaries have seen violent incidents in the past, but Pakistan’s military and intelligence services were caught off guard on August 26.

Historically, Pakistan has taken a ruthless, militarist approach towards the Baloch problem. Balochistan, despite its wealth of natural resources, is the country’s most impoverished region. Pakistan has historically neglected the province. Punjab, on the other hand, grew to be influential in national politics and economically prosperous, leading to strong anti-Punjab tendencies within sections of the Baloch community. This, along with the poor living conditions, was exploited by the separatists to drum up support for their cause. They often attack the federal government “for extracting” resources without offering any help to the local economy. Baloch separatists have cited the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which goes through the province, as an example of this exploitation, and targeted Chinese interests. The Pakistani establishment has also failed to engage with the civil rights movements in Balochistan, such as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, which organised several sit-ins in Islamabad and Baloch cities this year to draw the attention of the federal authorities to widespread human rights abuses in the province. Such activists were often painted as “enemies of Pakistan”, which left the military with the only option of using force against the separatists. But state violence has only strengthened the separatists — as the latest attacks underscore. If Pakistan is serious about stability and security in its largest province, it should take measures to address the developmental concerns of the locals, stop the rights violations and engage with the peaceful civil rights voices to reset ties with the Balochis.

Word	Meaning	Symons	Antonym
Insurgency	“Insurgency” refers to a rebellion or uprising against a recognized authority or government, often involving armed conflict.	Revolt Rebellion Uprising Mutiny	Loyalty Compliance Obedience Support
Impoverished	“Impoverished” refers to a state of extreme poverty or lacking in essential resources.	Poor Destitute Needy Deprived	Wealthy Rich Comfortable  Affluent
Prosperous	“Prosperous” describes a state of success, wealth, or thriving well-being, often characterized by financial success, growth, and overall well-being.	Wealthy Successful Rich Well-off	Poor Struggling Needy Failing

No more delays: On holding the Census

Caste enumeration should not hold the Census from being undertaken quickly

In what can only be a case of muddying the waters, the Union government is reportedly mulling the expansion of data collection in the long-delayed Census to include caste enumeration. That caste may be one of the variables in the Census could be an outcome of the strident demand for a caste census by several political parties. But considering the incomplete and poorly constructed nature of the Socio-Economic and Caste Census of 2011, which resulted in data that were unwieldy, inaccurate, and hence unusable, the government must not hurry into utilising the office of the Registrar General and other agencies to tabulate caste. There must first be a definite time frame to conduct the Census on a war footing. If the delay is deliberate, in order to allow for delimitation to be conducted first in 2026, this will be harmful not just to public policy but also to relations with States. As of June 2024, out of 233 countries, India was one of 44 not to have conducted the Census this decade. The ostensible reason provided by the Union Home Ministry was delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but 143 other countries conducted the Census after March 2020, which marked the onset of the pandemic. India shares this dubious distinction of not having a Census with countries affected by conflict, economic crises or turmoil such as Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Sri Lanka and in sub-Saharan Africa.

There remains little excuse to continually delay the decennial Census, an exercise that has been conducted without fail from 1881 to 2011. Yet, the deadline to freeze administrative boundaries of districts, tehsils, towns and municipal bodies — a prerequisite before the conduct of the Census — lapsed on June 30 this year. This deadline has been extended 10 times since 2019. Several public schemes such as the National Food Security Act, the National Social Assistance Programme and the delimitation of constituencies are dependent upon the Census being conducted. Besides, statistical surveys that go into setting policy such as those related to household and social consumption, the National Family Health Survey, the Periodic Labour Force Survey, and the Sample Registration System, among others, use the Census to set their sampling frames. With the 2011 Census data getting increasingly out-dated and phenomena such as migration across and within States, the urbanisation of Indian societies, and the suburbanisation of cities becoming increasingly prominent in recent years, the lack of a Census is telling. The reliance on a bevy of sample surveys to fill in the gap is only resulting in debates over methodology and conclusions based on cherry-picking according to one’s political choice. Clearly, the Union government must stop being derelict in its duties and should proceed with the Census quickly.

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Mulling	“Mulling” refers to the process of thinking deeply or carefully about something, often to make a decision or understand it better.	Considering Meditating Reflecting Pondering	Ignoring Rushing Overlooking  Disregarding
Enumeration	“Enumeration” refers to the action of listing or mentioning items one by one. It involves counting or detailing elements in a systematic manner.	Cataloging Itemization Counting Listing	Omission Summarization Abstracting Neglect
Delimitation	“Delimitation” refers to the process of defining or marking the boundaries or limits of something.	Boundaries Demarcation Specification Limitations	Generalization Expansion Indefiniteness Vagueness
Ostensible	Seeming or stated to be real or true, but not necessarily real or true.	Apparent Seeming Professed Surface	Actual Genuine True Substantive
Prerequisite	The term “prerequisite” refers to something that is required as a prior condition for something else to happen or be done.	Requirement Condition Necessity Essential	Optional Nonessential Unnecessary Superfluous
Derelict	The term “derelict” refers abandoned especially by the owner or occupant	Neglected Abandoned Forsaken Rundown	Maintained Pristine Well-kept Tidy

Catalyst for change: On the Hema Committee report and Malayalam film industry

The Hema Committee report should help reform the film industry 

At different points of time, come events that have the potential to shape the future. Whether these catalysts fulfil that potential to the fullest extent or not is in the hands of the people in their vortex. The Justice K. Hema Committee report that studied the issues faced by women in cinema, could well be one such catalyst. The three-member committee was constituted in 2017, based on a petition submitted by the Kerala-based Women in Cinema Collective, and submitted its report two years later. It was released last week, several paragraphs redacted, and contains unsurprising and yet disturbing revelations about the state of affairs in the film industry — discrimination, exploitation and sexual harassment of women. The term ‘casting couch’, hatched in Hollywood, has become repugnantly accepted as a euphemism for sexual favours in exchange for a role in films. Justice Hema points out that making the exchange of sexual favours the passkey for entry into the field itself, and normalising it and conflating it with consensual sexual activity, makes the industry inherently exploitative. The report deals also with other inequities that disadvantage women in the industry, including the lack of essential facilities such as toilets, changing rooms, safe transportation, and accommodation at the shooting spot which are violative of the right to privacy; and discrimination in remuneration, and a lack of binding contractual agreements. These affect the range of women across the industry — actors, technicians, make-up artists, dancers, support staff, and particularly so, women lower in the pecking order.

The way ahead is not as murky as the hole that the film industry, here Malayalam, seems to find itself in. The government has decided to constitute a special investigation team to go into the accusations of harassment. While the government would do well to ignore the committee’s recommendation on doing away with internal complaints committees for each film project, it must act on suggestions that call for provision of essential facilities and for structural reforms within the film industry, including professionalising it. Nothing will change unless the state gets involved meaningfully in creating an equitable work space for men and women, in an industry dominated by people with great power and money, who have so far refuted the existence of such a power cartel or have remained silent. Each of the issues raised must be taken cognisance of, and acted upon. As with the #MeToo movement, Justice Hema’s report has the potential of being a catalyst to enable scores of women to speak up. It behoves the state to ensure that their complaints are not ignored, or worse still, used against them.

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Redacted	The term “redacted” refers to the process of editing or obscuring portions of a document or text to protect sensitive information or to comply with legal, security, or privacy requirements.	Censored Obscured Edited Concealed	Revealed Disclosed Published Unredacted
Revelations	The term “revelations” refers to the act of making something previously hidden or unknown known, often bringing to light important, surprising, or profound information.	Anticipated Foreseen Projected Viewed	Ignored Overlooked Neglected Dismissed
Pecking order	“Pecking order” describes the relative positions of individuals within a hierarchy, often indicating levels of status, power, or authority.	Hierarchy Ranking Stratification	Equality Flat Anarchy
Refuted	The term “refuted” means to prove that something is false or incorrect by presenting evidence or argument against it.	Disproved Countered Rejected Contradicted	Confirmed ValidatedSupported Proven

Not taking sides: On Prime Minister Modi’s Ukraine visit

Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine was more a balancing act than a peace effort 

Six weeks after his visit to Moscow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Kyiv and meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday (August 23, 2024) was largely seen as an exercise in balancing India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war. Since Russia first invaded Ukraine in February 2022, India has maintained a uniquely distant position from the war: abstaining from all resolutions at the United Nations that dealt with the conflict and were critical of Russia. India also ignored western sanctions, particularly on payments for oil imports and defence hardware from Russia, and did not accept Mr. Zelenskyy’s requests to include Ukraine in the G-20 summit last year or to send a high-level political participation to the Swiss peace summit in June this year. India’s disapproval of Russia’s actions was instead couched in the language of peace, all of cold comfort for Ukraine, which was seeking a clear alignment with its cause, and deeply critical of Mr. Modi’s Moscow visit. That Mr. Modi made the visit at all, the first by any Indian Prime Minister since Ukraine’s independence in 1991, is significant, and is being watched for signals of any major change in India’s policy on the war. During his short visit, the two leaders discussed the conflict, and later visited a memorial for children killed in the war. Unlike other international leaders visiting Kyiv since 2022, Mr. Modi did not meet with any war casualties or injured soldiers and civilians. The two sides signed agreements on cooperation in agriculture, culture, medical products and assistance for community development projects. The leaders did not, however, speak of progress on other outlooked issues, including a strategic partnership, or supplies of telecom and medical infrastructure, and construction equipment that Ukraine has requested.

The broader question around the visit was whether India would now play a larger role in resolving the conflict which includes an idea propounded by Kyiv for another summit in November. Mr. Modi has also become one of a handful of world leaders, from Indonesia, Türkiye, South Africa and Hungary, to have visited Kyiv and Moscow, and, hence, in a position to reach out to both with peace initiatives. As a leader of the Global South, India has a stake in ensuring that the impact of the war in Europe and sanctions do not continue to imperil the developing and under-developed nations. However, New Delhi has thus far not shown an interest in more than passing messages when required, sending officials to Doha and Bürgenstock when invited to attend peace dialogues, and encouraging the two parties to deal directly with each other. Unless that understanding of India’s interest changes, it would seem Mr. Modi’s visit followed form, but did not fundamentally move the needle on the global peace effort. Nor did the substance greatly outweigh the symbolism of the much-awaited visit.

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Couched	“Couched” can be used in a few different contexts, often relating to the way something is expressed or phrased	Framed Formulated Expressed Presented	Unclear Direct Blunt Explicit
Outlooked	Have anticipated or considered a situation from a particular perspective.	Anticipated Foreseen Projected Viewed	Ignored Overlooked Neglected Dismissed
Propounded	Put forward (an idea or theory) for consideration by others.	Proposed Presented Submitted Advocated	Repressed Withheld Rejected Opposed
Imperil	The verb “imperil” means to put something or someone in danger or at risk.	Endanger Jeopardize Threaten Compromise	Protect Safeguard Preserve Secure

A safety audit is essential to prevent industrial accidents

The blast at pharma company Escientia’s plant in the Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Anakapalli district, Andhra Pradesh, is the worst industrial accident in the region in recent times. Seventeen workers have died and many have been injured. On the same day, about 10 workers suffered injuries in a fire accident at a chemical factory in the same SEZ. Last year, on June 30, a massive explosion rocked a pharma plant, at the same SEZ, leading to deaths and injuries. The Atchutapuram SEZ, among the State’s largest SEZs, is home to the factories of more than 100 companies. The rash of accidents revives memories of another deadly accident on May 7, 2020 — 12 people died after a styrene monomer vapour leak from a polymers unit at Venkatapuram village on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam. These accidents raise serious questions about the state of industrial safety in Andhra Pradesh, more specifically in the SEZ. State Home Minister V. Anitha has said that at Escientia, workers had tried to plug a solvent leak of the chemical/solvent MTBE (Methyl tert-butyl ether). Before the leak could be plugged, it fell on an electrical panel, leading to a fire and blast, she said. Meanwhile, the typical safety data sheet of MTBE — that operating personnel should have been familiar with — says that it is highly flammable and its vapour can also cause skin and eye irritation. In case of accidental release, it specifically cautions against the serious risk of fire and explosion and lays down the use of explosion-proof electrical/ventilating/lighting equipment.

Trade unions and activists are calling for stringent punishment to lax managements. They also complain of abysmal safety standards. Their demand is for an immediate and thorough safety audit of all units at the SEZs and elsewhere in Andhra Pradesh. A key complaint is exemption from government inspection given to units in SEZs and Export Processing Zones in a 2016 order that brought into force the system of online inspections. This exemption will apparently apply to high-risk ones also, such as pharma and chemicals, in SEZs. Another is exemption from inspections given to medium-risk industries which can self-certify, based on third party audits, regarding compliance with safety norms. Such government moves are intended to facilitate ease-of-doing business as frequent inspections by government staff may only lead to bribes and harassment without necessarily improving safety. While the intent is a well worked out practice across the world, the series of accidents calls for a broader probe including in SEZs in Andhra Pradesh so that any loopholes present can be fixed. Swift delivery of justice by punishing non-compliance of norms and the award of punitive damages will be a deterrent against ignoring safety.

Meaning of words:

WORD	MEANINGS	SYNONYMS	ANTONYMS
Outskirts	“Outskirts” refers to the outer areas or edges of a city or town, typically away from the central or more developed parts.	·       Periphery      ·       Edge      ·       Fringe      ·      Border	·       Center        ·       Core        ·       Inner city        ·      Central area
Flammable	“Flammable” refers to something that can easily catch fire and burn.	·      Combustible      ·      Ignitable      ·      Burnable      ·      Inflammable	·   Non-flammable      ·    Fire-resistant      ·    Incombustible      ·    Flame-retardant
Stringent	Not allowing any exceptions or loosening of standards.	·      Strict      ·      Rigorous      ·      Severe      ·      Harsh	·      Lenient      ·      Relaxed      ·      Permissive      ·      Flexible
Abysmal	“Abysmal” describes something that is extremely bad or unpleasant, often to the point of being profound or bottomless in its negative quality.	·       Terrible      ·       Awful      ·       Dreadful      ·      Horrible	·       Excellent      ·       Wonderful      ·       Superb      ·      Outstanding
Punitive	“Punitive” refers to something that is intended to punish or impose a penalty, often in a legal or disciplinary context.	·       Penal      ·       Disciplinary      ·       Retributive      ·      Corrective	·       Rewarding      ·       Rehabilitative      ·       Forgiving      ·      Lenient

 

​ Double brake: On the contest in the Haryana Assembly elections

Struggling with anti-incumbency, the BJP faces a resurgent Congress in Haryana 

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana is leaving no stone unturned to fight back a resurgent Congress, as the State is scheduled to have a single-phase Assembly election on October 1 for all 90 seats. The attempts of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) to retain its position as a third player, and of the Aam Aadmi Party to emerge as one, continue, though a sharp polarisation between the two national parties appears likely. The BJP has to tackle double anti-incumbency as it has been in power in both the State and the Centre for the last 10 years. Cognisant of the headwinds, the BJP replaced then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar with Nayab Singh Saini, in March ahead of the general election. Mr. Saini has been trying to pacify various interest groups, by reversing many decisions of his predecessor and announcing new schemes. Sarpanches who are up in arms over the curtailing of their rights have got their expenditure limit increased for the gram panchayats from ₹5 lakh to ₹21 lakh. He has organised special camps, or ‘Samadhan Shivirs’, to address people’s grievances; and 1.20 lakh contractual employees have been ensured job security until the age of superannuation. The creamy layer annual income for Other Backward Classes, that was reduced to ₹6 lakh by Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar, has been restored to its level of ₹8 lakh. A 10% horizontal reservation for Agniveers in various State government posts, and an expanded minimum support price regime for crops have been promised.

Haryana’s fundamental social cleft between Jats and non-Jats had worked to the BJP’s advantage in the last two Assembly elections. But the multi-caste alliance behind the BJP had begun to weaken by the 2019 Assembly election, with the farmers’ agitation and the Agnipath scheme undermining it further in the last five years. Additionally, the party is caught in numerous rivalries within the tent. The party’s majority in the Assembly itself is questionable. The Congress hopes to cash in on all this and turn around its own fortunes. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is helming the Congress campaign, appears to have consolidated the party behind him. His focus is on unemployment and the crisis in the agricultural sector. The Congress still has the task of ensuring that its factional leaders remain united until the end. Communal polarisation, though at its lowest in the last 10 years, can still wreck the party’s plans. Despite a decline, the BJP managed to avoid a total rout in the Lok Sabha election. The Congress and the BJP shared the 10 Lok Sabha seats equally, while the Congress increased its vote share across the State. The outcome in Haryana will have implications for the Congress and the BJP at the national level.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Resurgent	Resurgent describes something that is experiencing a revival or comeback, particularly after a period of decline or inactivity.	Renewed Resurrected Revival Reemerging	Declining Fading Diminishing Stagnant
Predecessor	A predecessor is a person who held a position or role before someone else, or something that came before another in a sequence or development.	Forerunner Antecedent Forebear Precursor	Successor Follower Replacement Contender
Helming	Helming refers to the act of steering or directing, particularly in the context of managing or leading a project, organization, or ship.	Leading Directing Steering Guiding	Following Subordinating Neglecting Mismanaging
Implications	The effect that something will have on something else in the future.	Consequences  Effects Outcomes Results	Causes Relaxed Preconditions Solutions

​Regressive move: On minimising night duty for women

Reducing work hours of women is not the way to ensure their safety 

The last thing that a rape and murder need are platitudes, and a predictably tiresome one is being peddled after the brutal killing of a woman doctor on duty at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Hospital on August 9. One of the guidelines issued by the West Bengal government calls for minimising night duty for women. How will this dictum — “wherever possible, night duty may be avoided for women to the extent possible” — secure safety at the workplace? This regressive move will only end up removing women from the workforce, instead of ensuring a stop to violence. With the labour force participation rate for urban women in India, ages 15 and above, pegged at an abysmal 25.2% in April-June 2024, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey’s quarterly bulletin, the governments at the Centre and States must ensure that women, employed as health-care professionals, gig and factory workers, call centre staff, auto drivers, hotel duties and journalists, are able to work safely, anywhere, and at anytime. Reducing their time at work will only lead to women losing jobs and their financial independence. The other guidelines, as part of the programme called ‘Rattirer Shaathi (helpers of the night)’, include the call for separate rest rooms and toilets for women, creating safe zones with CCTVs, and a special mobile phone app — measures which should have been already in place.

The Supreme Court, taking suo motu cognisance of the Kolkata case, in its hearing on Tuesday announced a national task force to look into the safety of doctors and medical professionals. Gender violence should be a matter of serious concern in every sphere, not least the informal sector, where women are employed in large numbers. The sweeping changes brought into the system after the 2012 Delhi rape, such as harsher laws and stringent punishment, have not been enough. The National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) annual report of 2022, the latest one available, shows that 4.45 lakh cases of crimes against women were registered, which is equivalent to nearly 51 FIRs every hour. Protocols cannot be just on paper, the Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said. In 2017, when the Court was confirming the death penalty of four men, who were accused in the 2012 Delhi rape, Justice R. Banumathi had said that apart from effective implementation of laws, a change in the mindset of the society at large and creating awareness in the public on gender justice would go a long way to combat violence against women. Campaigns led by women after the R.G. Kar rape, to “reclaim the night” in Kolkata and other parts of the country, should serve as wake-up calls to governments, and society, to do it right by women.

Meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Platitudes	An idea or expression that has been used by many people	Cliché Truism Overused expression Commonplace remark	Insight Novelty Profundity Depth
Pegged	To arrange or assign according to type	Position Attitude Viewpoint Posture	Indifference Neutrality Uncertainty Disinterest
Cognisance	“Cognisance” refers to awareness or knowledge of something. It can denote the state of being aware or the acknowledgment of a fact or situation.	Awareness Understanding Recognition Realization	Ignorance Neglect Overlook Unawareness
Stringent	Not allowing for any exceptions or loosening of standards	Strict Rigorous Severe Harsh	Lenient Relaxed Permissive Flexible