The Hindu Editorial (False dichotomy) – Jan 24, 2022

Editorial Words

3 years ago

The Hindu Editorial (False dichotomy) – Jan 24, 2022

The Supreme Court has once again addressed the ‘merit versus reservation’ debate, a misleading binary that has engaged public and judicial discourse for years. For further reading, visit “The Hindu”. Below is today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (False dichotomy) – Jan 24, 2022.

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The Hindu Editorial (False dichotomy) – Jan 24, 2022:

dichotomy (noun) – a division/separation/partition of something (ideas, things, groups, or etc.) into two parts that are either entirely different from each other or completely opposite to each other; duality, polarity.
merit (noun) – grade, level, excellence, distinction (awarded as per performance/score in an examination).
reservation (noun) – a system of affirmative action in India that provides historically disadvantaged groups representation in education, employment, and politics.
blow (noun) – shock, surprise; setback/misfortune.
affirmative action (noun) – it means positive steps taken to increase the representation of (women and) minorities in areas of employment, education, and culture from which they have been historically excluded.
address (verb) – tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out.
misleading (adjective) – deceptive, confusing, ambiguous, false.
binary (noun) – something having two parts.
discourse (noun) – discussion, conversation, communication, expression.
in favour of (phrase) – in support of, to the advantage of, approve of.
extend (verb) – give, grant, bestow, offer, present, confer, impart.
Other Backward Class (OBC) (noun) – In the Indian Constitution, OBCs are described as socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC), and the Government of India is enjoined to ensure their social and educational development.
All-India Quota (AIQ) (noun) – The All India Quota (AIQ) Scheme was introduced in 1986 under the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court to provide for domicile-free merit based opportunities to students from any State to aspire to study in a good medical college located in another State. All India Quota consists of 15% of total available UG seats and 50% of total available PG seats in government medical colleges. Initially, there was no reservation in AIQ Scheme up to 2007. In 2007, the Hon’ble Supreme Court introduced reservation of 15% for SCs and 7.5% for STs in the AIQ Scheme.
superfluous (adjective) – unnecessary, needless, inessential; (extra, surplus, excess).
substantive equality (noun) – It goes beyond the basics (i.e. all are equal & be treated alike) and identifies underlying structural or characteristic differences. It is concerned with equitable outcomes and equal opportunities for disadvantaged and marginalized people and groups in society. “Substantive equality of opportunity” prevails with respect to some desirable position or ranked order of positions just in case all members of society are eligible to apply for the position, applications are fairly judged on their merits and the most meritorious are selected, and sufficient opportunity to develop the qualifications needed for successful application is available to all.
equality (noun) – equal rights, equal opportunities, non-discrimination.
exception (noun) – anomaly, abnormality, inconsistency, special case; deviation, departure.
facet (noun) – aspect, feature, characteristic/nuance.
norm (noun) – standard, convention, rule, criterion.
formal equality (noun) – it is a belief that, for fairness, a person must be consistent or equal in treatment at all times. Formal Equality of Opportunity is the view that formal rules should not exclude individuals from achieving certain goals by making reference to personal characteristics that are arbitrary, such as race, socio-economic class, gender, religion and sexuality. Put simply “it dictates the equal treatment of all people”.
footing (noun) – standing, status, state, position, rank, grade.
inequality (noun) – Inequality is simply defined as “the state of not being equal, especially in status, rights and opportunities; imbalance, unevenness, disproportion, disparity.
inherent (adjective) – implicit, intrinsic, fundamental, basic.
necessitate (verb) – make necessary, require, need, demand, call for.
less advanced (adjective) – low-level.
provision (noun) – clause, (legal) term, stipulation, requirement, condition.
advanced (adjective) – high-level.
enable (verb) – allow, warrant, empower, give the resources to, facilitate.
aid (noun) – assistance, support, help.
cultural capital (noun) – cultural capital in sociology comprises an individual’s social assets (education, intellect, style of speech, dress, etc.) that “promote social mobility within a stratified society“. The term was coined by 1970s French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, who developed the idea as a way to explain how power in society was transferred and social classes maintained. In simple terms, it can be defined as the skills and knowledge which an individual can draw on to give them an advantage in social life.
inherited (adjective) – derived, obtained (from the previous holder).
schooling (noun) – education; coaching, training, preparation.
reflect (verb) – indicate, show, display, demonstrate, reveal, exhibit.
solely (adverb) – only, simply, merely.
of one’s own making (phrase) – brought about by one’s own actions.
rhetoric (noun) – the art of speaking or writing effectively & persuasively or impressively (but, often lacking substance); bombast, loftiness, hyperbole/extravagant language.
surround (verb) – be associated with, be connected with.
obscure (verb) – hide, conceal, cover, overshadow.
fortune (noun) – wealth, riches, resources, means; (luck, fate, destiny, karma).
advancement (noun) – growth, progress; development, improvement.
gauge (noun) – measure, indicator, basis, criterion,
seen in this light (phrase) – to provide a different viewpoint/perspective to something.
avail (verb) – use, utilize, take advantage of (an opportunity/resources).
evade (verb) – avoid, dodge, elude, escape, sidestep.
structural (adjective) – organizational, systemic, formational.
barrier (noun) – blockade, bar, hurdle, barricade.
envisage (verb) – expect, intend, propose, envision, contemplate.
domicile (noun) – a person’s permanent residence. In law, domicile is the status of being a lawful permanent resident in a particular jurisdiction (territory/region).
surrender (verb) – give up, hand over, transfer, grant.
pool (noun) – group.
decade (noun) – a period of ten years.
discrimination (noun) – prejudice, intolerance, inequity, unfairness (against an individual or group of individuals by society and its institutions (basically in the procedures, policies or objectives) as a whole.
imprimatur (noun) – authorization, approval, a seal of approval, endorsement.
backwardness (noun) – the condition/state of not developed.
parity (noun) – equality, equivalence, uniformity, sameness, levelness, evenness.
mark (verb) – indicate, represent, signify, identify.
body (noun) – the main or central part of something; core, heart.
jurisprudence (noun) – legal system.