The Hindu Editorial (At the high table) – Feb 26, 2024

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The Hindu Editorial (At the high table) – Feb 26, 2024:

high table (noun) – a group with most important people. It exactly means (particularly in a dining hall of a college) a table put on a raised platform for most important people.
Raisina Dialogue (noun) – It is India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. Every year, leaders in politics, business, media, and civil society converge in New Delhi to discuss the state of the world and explore opportunities for cooperation on a wide range of contemporary matters.
lack (verb) – be without, require, not have enough of, be short of.
diversity (noun) – existence/presence of different people (from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives ranging from race to age to gender to hometown to educational experience) within group; variety, variance, difference.
conversation (noun) – discussion, talk, dialogue, parley, conference.
seek (verb) – try, aim, attempt.
common ground (noun phrase) – shared opinions, beliefs (or interests).
“multi-vector” policy (noun) – it means a friendly & pragmatic foreign policy towards all key states.
play a part/role (phrase) – contribute to, be instrumental in, be a factor in.
lofty (adjective) – tall, high, giant, imposing, magnificent.
engage (verb) – participate in, take part in, take part in, join in, become involved in, involve (a talk/discussion).
corridor (noun) – a strip/swathe of land linking two areas (particularly by a road).
Economic Corridor (noun) – Economic corridors connect economic agents along a defined geography and region. They are integrated networks of infrastructure within a geographical area designed to stimulate economic development. They may be developed within a country or between countries.
inequality (noun) – Inequality is simply defined as “the state of not being equal, especially in status, rights and opportunities; imbalance, unevenness, disproportion, disparity.
UN Security Council (UNSC) (noun) – it is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, charged with ensuring international peace and security.
rightful (adjective) – fair, impartial, unbiased, proper.
rather than (phrase) – instead of.
repeatedly (adverb) – frequently, again and again, invariably, constantly, regularly, consistently.
host (verb) – conduct, organize, arrange (an event).
G-20 (noun) – The G20, formed in 1999, is a group of twenty of the world’s largest economies that meets regularly to coordinate global policy on trade, health, climate, and other issues. It brings together the world’s major advanced and emerging economies. The G20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, EU, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, UK and USA. The G20 Countries together represent around 90% of global GDP, 80% of global trade, and two thirds of the world’s population.
due to (phrase) – because of, owing to, on account of, as a result of.
P-5 nations (noun) – the Security Council has five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – collectively known as the P5.
G-7 or Group of Seven (noun) – a multilateral forum made up of the world’s seven largest so-called developed countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. They meet annually to discuss and exchange ideas on a broad range of issues, including global economy, security and energy.
BRICS countries (plural noun) – the acronym coined to associate five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on regional affairs. It has expanded its membership by inducting five new full members—Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
contingent (noun) – group, body, unit, delegation.
Nordic-Baltic cooperation (NB8) (noun) – it is a regional cooperation format which as of 1992 has brought together five Nordic countries and three Baltic countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) in order to discuss important regional and international issues.
diplomatic (adjective) – tactful, sensitive, subtle, delicate; consular, foreign-policy.
outreach (noun) – the level of reaching out/activity/effort; involvement.
ties (noun) – association, relationship, bond, connection.
oft- (prefix) – short for often.
overlooked (adjective) – neglected, forgotten, ignored, unnoticed, unheeded. disregarded.
competitive (adjective) – ambitious, driven, keen, zealous, aggressive.
conflict (noun) – war, warfare, armed conflict, military action, armed clash.
dignitary (noun) – important/notable person, VIP, leader.
turn the spotlight on (phrase) – to call attention to something.
panel (noun) – committee, council, advisory body.
naval (adjective) – relating to a navy.
strategy (noun) – plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).
aggressive (adjective) – hostile, belligerent, bellicose, hawkish, combative.
strive (verb) – try, try hard, aim, aspire, seek, struggle, make every effort.
balance (noun) – equilibrium, evenness, parity, symmetry.
variegated (adjective) – multicoloured, multicolour, colourful, rainbow-like; diverse, various, mixed, diversified, varied, sundry.
shed/cast/throw light on (phrase) – to explain something by providing more information; explain, elucidate, interpret, simplify, make clear, clarify, clear up.
democracy (noun) – a system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through fairly & freely elected representatives.
understandably (adverb) – agreeably, fairly, honestly, logically, understandably, reasonably, obviously, comprehensibly.
steer clear of (phrase) – avoid, shun, evade, dodge, eschew, sidestep, elude, circumvent, forgo, stay away from, keep away from.
vibrant (adjective) – spirited, lively, high-spirited, energetic, vigorous, dynamic, exciting, passionate, fiery, determined.
lack of (noun) – absence, non-existence, unavailability; deficiency, scarcity, dearth.
civil society organization (CSO) (noun) – non-governmental organizaiton (NGO); any non-profit, voluntary citizens’ group which is organized on a local, national or international level.
discourse (noun) – discussion, conversation, communication, expression.
narrow (adjective) – narrow-minded, intolerant, illiberal, partisan, sectarian, discriminatory.
notably (adverb) – particularly, especially, markedly, significantly.
focus on (phrasal verb) – emphasize, give emphasis to, highlight, accentuate, call attention to, pay attention to, draw attention to, zero in on, spotlight, give prominence to, bring to the fore.
Gaza (noun) – a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip. Gaza Strip is a self-governing Palestinian territory surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Israel and Egypt.
omission (noun) – deletion, elimination, exclusion, erasure, non-inclusion, negligence, neglect, oversight.
premier (adjective) – top, highest, main, leading, foremost, primary.
take something away (phrasal verb) – remove something; to reduce the value/ importance of (something).
sound (adjective) – well founded, reasonable, logical, credible, convincing.
observation (noun) – remark, comment, statement, pronouncement,
Global Public Square (noun) – A place to public interaction and discussion on international issues and foreign affairs.