The Hindu Editorial (Subaltern, secular) – Feb 28, 2023

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The Hindu Editorial (Subaltern, secular) – Feb 28, 2023

subaltern (adjective) – relating to the lower status/ranking (people) in a social or political hierarchy.
secular (adjective) – non-religious.
plenary (noun) – assembly, conference, meeting (attended by all participants).
campaign (noun) – an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group.
align (verb) – give support to a cause/vision.
outline (verb) – define, indicate, summarize.
strategy (noun) – plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).
besides (preposition) – apart from.
reinforce (verb) – support, uphold, bolster, underpin, strengthen.
authority (noun) – control, charge, domination, influence.
expression (noun) – declaration, announcement, disclosure, revelation, indication.
willingness (noun) – eagerness, preparedness, disposition, readiness.
like-minded (adjective) – compatible, closely connected, well suited.
resolve (verb) – determine, decide firmly on.
pursue (verb) – engage in, conduct, take part in (an activity).
social justice (noun) – the equal access to wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.
paradigm shift (noun) – a fundamental and important change with new ideas/thinking.
welfare (noun) – social security, government/state benefit, public assistance.
accommodate (verb) – adjust, adapt, attune, get accustomed, come to terms with, come to accept.
aspiration (noun) – aim, ambition, objective, goal, target.
subaltern (noun) – the lower status/ranking (people) in a social or political hierarchy; subordinate, second in command, assistant.
increasingly (adverb) – more and more, steadily more, continuously more, gradually more.
resolution (noun) – solution, settlement.
empowerment (noun) – authorization, accreditation; capacity-building, inclusiveness.
council (noun) – committee, panel, commission, advisory group/body.
on the lines of (phrase) – in a similar way/method to.
Economic Survey (noun) – Economic Survey, presented in the Parliament ahead of the Union Budget, is the Ministry of Finance’s flagship document. The Economic Survey detailed information about the Indian economy over the past year. The Economic Survey also offers glimpses into the current state of the economy, and occasional insights into the economic outlook. Although the Constitution does not bind (impose a legal obligation on) the government to present the Economic Survey, over the years, it has become common practice for every government to present the Economic Survey before the Union Budget.
reservation (noun) – a system of affirmative action in India that provides historically disadvantaged groups representation in education, employment, and politics.
judiciary (noun) – a branch of government in which judicial power is vested; judges collectively.
Rohit Vemula Act (noun) – The Congress promised to bring in a special legislation called the “Rohith Vemula Act” to redress the discrimination faced by students from SC, ST, and OBC. it will be enacted “to safeguard the right to education and dignity” for the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) and minorities.
disadvantaged (adjective) – deprived, underprivileged, poor, poverty-stricken.
lose out (phrasal verb) – be defeated, be unsuccessful, suffer defeat, be bested by, fail.
post-Mandal (adjective) – post Mandal Commission recommendations, which sanctioned 27 per cent reservations in education and government jobs to categories officially listed as Other Backward Castes (OBC).
era (noun) – period, time.
woo (verb) – pursue, tempt, coax, persuade, seek the support of, try to win, try to attract.
fold (noun) – community, company, body, group.
pious (adjective) – (of a hope) dedicated, dutiful, faithful; steadfast, righteous (but unlikely to be fulfilled).
Chintan Shivir or Udaipur declaration (noun) – The Congress’ three-day ‘Chintan Shivir’, a brainstorming session occurred in Udaipur, Rajasthan, from May 13 to 15, 2022. The conclave would focus on the time-bound restructuring of the Congress, finding ways to combat the politics of polarisation and getting battle-ready for upcoming electoral challenges.
adherence (noun) – allegiance, faithfulness, obedience.
Sampoorna Samajik Suraksha (noun) – a social security framework promised by the Congress that it will have legal guarantees for minimum income and social security for the poor.
social security (noun) – Social security is the protection that a society/government provides to individuals and households to ensure access to health care and to guarantee income security, particularly in cases of old age, unemployment, sickness, invalidity, work injury, maternity or loss of a breadwinner; welfare, government/state benefit, public assistance
framework (noun) – structure, system organization.
universal (adjective) – allembracing, comprehensive, complete, thorough.
basket (noun) – a group of something.
entitlement (noun) – advantage, right, benefit, prerogative.
namely (adverb) – specifically.
Nyuntam Aay Yojana/Minimum Income Support Programme (NYAY) (noun) – a proposed social welfare program by the Indian National Congress in its 2019 general election manifesto. It promised that the party, if voted to power in the 2019 Indian general election, would enact a law under which it would distribute cash to the bottom 20 percent of India’s families in terms of wealth, as a minimum guarantee programme.
comprehensive (adjective) – all-inclusive, broad-based; all-embracing, complete, thorough.
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) (noun) – a government programme/scheme in India which provides food, preschool education, primary healthcare, immunization, health check-up and referral services to children under 6 years of age and their mothers.
in line with (phrase) – in alignment with; in accordance with.
food security (noun) – food security is a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013 (noun) – An Act to provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. It provides subsidised food grains to 75% of India’s rural population and 50% of its urban population. NFSA 2013 includes almost two-thirds of the Indian population in its entirety.
maternity (adjective) – motherhood; the state of being a mother.
mitigate (verb) – reduce, diminish, lessen.
growing (adjective) – increasing.
inequity (noun) – prejudice, bias, bigotry, intolerance
underemployment (noun) – it occurs when a person does not work full time and when a job does not use the worker’s skills fully.
spur (verb) – stimulate, encourage, prompt, galvanize.
informed (adjective) – knowledgeable, cultured, literate.
bank on (phrasal verb) – rely on, depend on; anticipate, expect.
dividend (noun) – benefit, advantage, reward, gain.
account for (phrasal verb) – constitute, make up, comprise, form, compose, represent.
counter (verb) – hit back at, answer, respond to, contradict, negate.
acknowledge (verb) – admit, accept, confess, recognize, realize.
merely (adverb) – only, just.
material (adjective) – matter, substance, medium.
discrimination (noun) – prejudice, bias/bigotry, intolerance/inequity.
line (noun) – way, method, approach, policy.
binary (noun) – something having two parts.
robust (adjective) – strong, powerful.
break away from (phrasal verb) – leave, separate from, split with.
characteristic (adjective) – illustrative, indicative, paradigmatic, exemplary.
timidity (noun) – lack of courage, lack of confidence, uncertainty.