The Hindu Editorial (A strategic bulwark) – Dec 21, 2021

The third India-Central Asia Dialogue convened by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday is one in a series of timely connections to the region by New Delhi this year,… For further reading, visit “The Hindu”. Below is today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (A strategic bulwark) – Dec 21, 2021.

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The Hindu Editorial (A strategic bulwark) – Dec 21, 2021:

strategic (adjective) – relating to achieving long-term or overall goals.
bulwark (noun) – support; protection, guard.
third India-Central Asia Dalogue (India-CAD) (noun) – The 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue was held in New Delhi on 19 December 2021 under the chairmanship of the External Affairs Minister of India. Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Republic of Uzbekistan took part in the meeting. They emphasized that establishment of long-term relations between Central Asia and India is aimed at enhancing regional peace, security, stability, sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the region. They discussed further strengthening of the India-Central Asia Dialogue and agreed to hold regular annual meetings of the Dialogue.
dialogue (noun) – discussion, conversation, talk, exchange of views, discourse.
redouble (verb) – make something more intense/ stronger; to increase, strengthen, intensify something considerably.
counter (verb) – tackle, confront, stand up to, put up a fight against, oppose, resist.
the Great Game (phrase) – In general, it is a political and diplomatic rivalry/confrontation between major world powers (Originally, it was an intense rivalry between the British and Russian Empires in Central Asia, beginning in the nineteenth century wherein Britain sought to influence or control much of Central Asia).
rivalry (noun) – competition, opposition, conflict, discord, friction, enmity.
timely (adjective) – prompt, appropriate, opportune, well timed, at the right time.
spur (verb) – stimulate, encourage, prompt, galvanize.
in some measure (phrase) – to some degree specified.
Central Asian Republics (CARs) (noun) – the landlocked but geographically important Central Asian Republics (CARs) are as follows; Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The Third Regional Security Dialogue (noun) – The Third Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan was held on 10 November, 2021 in New Delhi in an expanded format. The National Security Advisers / Secretaries of the National Security Councils of the Republic of India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan participated in the meeting.
counterpart (noun) – someone or something that has the same job or purpose as another; equivalent, equal, fellow.
extend (verb) – offer, give, present.
humanitarian (adjective) – compassionate, humane socially concerned, welfare.
humanitarian assistance/humanitarian aid (noun) – it is intended to “save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain human dignity during and after man-made crises and disasters caused by natural hazards, as well as to prevent and strengthen preparedness for when such situations occur. It is given to meet the immediate needs of victims of disasters or violence. It can include food, money, medical supplies, and other things required by those affected; compensation.
indicator (noun) – sign, signal, criterion.
outreach (noun) – the level of reaching out/activity/effort; involvement.
neglected (adjective) – disregarded, forgotten, overlooked, ignored, unrecognized, unnoticed.
South & North Block (noun) – South Block is a metonym of the Prime Minister’s Office. North Block is a metonym of the Ministry of Finance, India. (The Secretariat Building (consists North & South Block) or Central Secretariat is where the Cabinet Secretariat is housed, which administers the Government of India. The South Block houses the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of External Affairs). The North Block primarily houses the Ministry of Finance and the Home Ministry). (Metonym is used as an alternative for something else with which it is closely related/associated).
decade (noun) – a period of ten years.
reciprocate (verb) – return the favour, give back; respond.
consensus (noun) – an idea or opinion that is shared by all the people in a group.
apt (adjective) – suitable, fitting, appropriate, relevant, applicable.
given (preposition) – considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.
neighbour (noun) – a country that is next to another country; (bordering) country.
radicalisation (noun) – the process of causing someone to follow radical (extreme) ways particularly in politics ( & society).
narcotics (noun) – illegal drugs.
refugee (noun) – displaced person, asylum seeker, exile, deportee, stateless person, émigré.
bilateral (adjective) – involving two groups or countries.
regime (noun) – government.
mission (noun) – a diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from one state or an organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving state.
languish (verb) – suffer, experience hardship; be abandoned, be neglected, be forgotten.
keen (adjective) – eager, enthusiastic, determined, desirous.
line of credit (noun) – another term for credit line; a source of funds that can readily be tapped/borrowed at the borrower’s discretion (choice).
International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) (noun) – It is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.
ties (noun) – association, relationship, bond, connection.
revival (noun) – comeback, reappearance, reintroduction, restoration.
much needed (adjective) – needed to a large extent.
geopolitical (adjective) – relating to (the study of) the geographical factors (a country’s position on the earth, size, climate, and natural resources &, etc.) in world politics and inter-state relations.
cross-current (noun) – conflicting tendency; conflicting process.
wield (verb) – have, exercise, exert, be possessed of.
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) (noun) – The Belt and Road Initiative, formerly known as One Belt One Road or OBOR for short, is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to invest in nearly 71 countries and international organizations. It is also referred to as “21st century silk road”. From South-east Asia to Eastern Europe and Africa, Belt and Road includes 71 countries that account for half the world’s population and a quarter of global GDP.
seek (verb) – try, aim, attempt.
foothold (noun) – grip, anchorage, purchase, support.
hamper (verb) – hinder, obstruct, impede.
Transit Trade (noun) – the business/trade that connected with the passage of goods through a country to their destination.
setback (noun) – problem, difficulty, issue.
takeover (noun) – seizure, occupation, capture; gaining of control, change of ownership.
sanctions (noun) – action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc (Courtesy: VOA Learning English).
play out (phrasal verb) – happen, occur, take place.
extremism (noun) – radicalism, fanaticism, dogmatism.