The Hindu Editorial (Present imperfect) – May 04, 2023

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The Hindu Editorial (Present imperfect) – May 04, 2023:

(present) imperfect (adjective) – (of a grammatical tense) it describes a present action in progress but not completed.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) (noun) – USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission. USCIRF’s principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress.
irrespective (adjective) – regardless, disregarding, notwithstanding, without consideration of.
consecutive (adjective) – successive, in a row, continuous, back to back, straight.
outrage (noun) – affront, offence, injustice, atrocity, act of brutality, inhumane act; anger, fury, wrath, indignation, rage, resentment.
biased (verb) – partial, one-sided, discriminative.
motivated (adjective) – provoked, triggered, induced, incited.
independent (adjective) – impartial, unbiased, neutral.
congressional (adjective) – relating to the Congress (legislative assembly in the U.S).
Congress (noun) – legislative assembly, parliament; The United States Congress is the bicameral (two chambers) legislature of the federal government of the United States, and consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Congressional body/committee (noun) – A congressional body/committee is a legislative sub-organization in the United States Congress that handles a specific duty (rather than the general duties of Congress). Committee membership enables members to develop specialized knowledge of the matters under their jurisdiction.
call for (phrasal verb) – require, publicly ask/necessitate, demand.
designate (verb) – identify, recognize, classify.
Country of Particular Concern (CPC) (noun) – as per the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), it is the category of governments performing most poorly on religious freedom criteria.
discriminatory (adjective) – biased, unfair/unjust, inequitable, one-sided, partisan.
conversion (noun) – new belief; a method of convincing/inducing a person to change his/her religious faith.
faith (noun) – religion, religious belief, belief/ideology.
inter- (prefix) – between.
inter-faith (adjective) – between different religions; relating to members of different religions.
hijab (noun) – a head covering, generally a veil or a scarf, worn in public by some Muslim women.
slaughter (noun) – killing of animals (for food).
Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) (noun) – The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 seeks to grant citizenship to religious minorities of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, who had to flee their homeland facing persecution. The six minority groups that have been specifically identified are Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, and Parsis.
National Register of Citizens (NRC) (noun) – It is a register that includes demographic information about all those individuals who qualify as citizens of India as per the Citizenship Act, 1955.
allege (verb) – claim, state, profess, purport, report, argue.
indigenous (adjective) – native, original, aboriginal, ancient, primeval.
negatively (adverb) – adversely. badly.
catalogue (verb) – classify, categorize, systematize, list, record, registor.
vilification (noun) – criticism, censure, condemnation, abuse, defamation, verbal onslaught, verbal attack, tirade, tongue-lashing.
suppression (noun) – repression, crackdown, clampdown, stifling, crushing, quelling.
critical (adjective) – criticizing, condemning, fault-finding, disapproving, unfavourable.
intimidation (noun) – threatening, frightening, menacing, terrifying, scaring, domineering, browbeating, bullying, pressurizing, coercion, harassment, tormenting
surveillance (noun) – monitoring, observation, scrutiny, inspection.
detention (noun) – imprisonment, confinement/incarceration, captivity, custody.
non-governmental organization (NGO) (noun) – it is generally defined as nonprofit entities independent of governmental influence (although they may receive government funding). A not-for profit, voluntary citizen’s group that is organized on a local, national or international level to address issues in support of the public good.
curtail (verb) – reduce, diminish, decrease, cut, lower, lessen.
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.
sanction (noun) – ban, prohibition, restriction, embargo, penalty, punishment.
revoke (verb) – cancel, repeal, reverse, abrogate.
desist from (verb) – refrain from, stop oneself, abstain, hold back.
stern (adjective) – strict, stringent, firm, strong, severe.
in line with (phrase) – in accordance with, in agreement with.
decade (noun) – a period of ten years.
findings (noun) – conclusion arrived at (as a result of an inquiry).
non-inclusive (adjective) – not inclusive; excluding something/someone.
the fact that (phrase) – used to refer to a specific situation under consideration/discussion.
state (noun) – condition.
double standard (noun) – contradictory standard, two sets of rules, doublespeak, double-dealing, hypocrisy, duplicity.
hold sway (phrase) – hold power, have the greatest influence, have control, have the upper hand.
deliberate on (verb) – consider carefully, think about, give thought to, reflect about, contemplate, reflect on.
utility (noun) – usefulness, advantage, benefit, value, helpfulness, profitability, convenience, practicality, effectiveness, efficacy.
secular (adjective) – non-religious.
inclusive (adjective) – including everyone; all-encompassing, all-embracing, all together.
pluralistic (adjective) – relating to a system in which people of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, or social groups coexist in harmony irrespective of their various differences.
given (preposition) – considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.
pointed (adjective) – cutting, acute, biting, penetrating, sharp.
accusation (noun) – allegation, charge, indictment.
conduct (noun) – behaviour, actions, deeds.
run (verb) – do, carry out, perform, organize.
burnish (verb) – improve, enhance, augment/make better.
equality (noun) – equal rights, equal opportunities, non-discrimination.
back home (phrase) – in one’s (own) country/hometown.