some difficult words from editorials , which is important and very helpful for IBPS PO/CLERK/LIC AAO/RRB & SSC CGL EXAM and other exams !!!
The Hindu: Virtue of reticence: on Bipin Rawat’s comment about illegal immigration in Northeast
Army chief General Bipin Rawat’s comments about an “inversion in demographics” and a “planned migration” from Bangladesh into the Northeast are unusual by any standards. India’s service chiefs have a long and healthy tradition of keeping away from political subjects in their public comments. But at a seminar in Delhi this week, General Rawat strayed into political commentary when he talked about issues of religious identity, demographics, and India’s relations with its neighbours. He said that migration from Bangladesh into India is driven by two factors. The first is the acute pressure on land in Bangladesh. “The other issue,” he said, “is planned immigration which is taking place because of our western neighbour… It is the proxy dimension of warfare.” This strategy, he went on, is supported by “our northern neighbour”. The references were clearly to Pakistan and China. Such departures from a tradition of being reticent, if not totally silent, are rare. But it is exactly this self-restraint that has served both Indian democracy and the military well. India’s success in keeping the Army out of politics, compared to most other countries that gained independence from colonial rule in the mid-20th century, has in fact been the subject of scholarly research.
In turn, the neat separation has allowed the Army to maintain its professionalism and retain public trust even as it is frequently called upon to assist the administration in times of communal strife and subregional insurgencies. This arrangement has also inhibited governments from bidding the Army to do their politically expedient tasks. It is a balance that must hold, and this is why General Rawat’s possibly off-the-cuff observations on foreign policy and domestic politics were unfortunate. There is a risk of hostile rejoinders from India’s regional rivals. It also risks reactions from home, which have already come in the form of a sharp response from the All India United Democratic Front. Its chief Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, who was reacting to General Rawat’s comment that the AIUDF in Assam was growing at a faster clip than the Bharatiya Janata Party did, charged him with straying from his constitutional remit. The head of another political party tweeted that it is not the job of the Army to comment on political matters. This is not the first time that General Rawat’s comments have evoked a response from political quarters. Last month, the Jammu and Kashmir education minister reacted when General Rawat criticised government schools in the State for mounting two maps, “one of India and the other of J&K”. Even if such remarks were made in good faith, the point is that they can result in needless controversies that do nothing to promote the Army’s strong and fully deserving image of an institution that is above politics.
1. Acute (adjective) : तीव्र
Meaning : (of an unpleasant or unwelcome situation or phenomenon) present or experienced to a severe or intense degree.
Synonyms : severe, critical, drastic, dire, dreadful, terrible, awful, grave, bad, serious, profound; urgent, pressing, desperate; all-important, vital, dangerous, hazardous, perilous, precarious; life-threatening, life-and-death; archaicparlous; rareegregious.
Antonyms : dense, imperceptive, insensitive, obtuse, slow, stupid.
Usage : the acute food shortages of post-war England.
2. Proxy (noun) : प्रतिनिधि
Meaning : the authority to represent someone else, especially in voting.
Synonyms : deputy, representative, substitute, delegate, agent, surrogate, stand-in, attorney, ambassador, emissary, go-between, envoy, frontman; rarefactor, procurator.
Antonyms : necessity.
Usage : any member is entitled to appoint another person as his proxy to attend and vote instead of him.
3. References (noun) : संदर्भ
Meaning : the action of mentioning or alluding to something.
Synonyms : mention of, allusion to, comment on, remark about; citation of, instance of.
Antonyms : disinterest, unconcern.
Usage : his journal contains many references to railways.
4. Reticent (adjective) : अल्पभाषी
Meaning : not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily.
Synonyms : reserved, withdrawn, introverted, restrained, inhibited, diffident, shy, modest, unassuming, shrinking, distant, undemonstrative, wouldn’t say boo to a goose; uncommunicative, unforthcoming, unresponsive, tight-lipped, close-mouthed, close-lipped, quiet, taciturn.
Antonyms : communicative, forward, unrestrained.
Usage : she was extremely reticent about her personal affairs.
5. Retain (verb) : बनाए रखने के
Meaning : continue to have (something); keep possession of.
Synonyms : keep, keep possession of, keep hold of, hold on to, hold fast to, keep back, hang on to, cling to; literarycleave to.
Antonyms : free, let go, lose, release, spend.
Usage : the government retained a minority share in the privatized industries.
6. Strife (noun) : कलह
Meaning : angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict.
Synonyms : conflict, friction, discord, disagreement, dissension, variance, dispute, argument, quarrelling, wrangling, bickering, controversy, contention; disharmony, ill feeling, bad feeling, bad blood, hostility, animosity; informalfalling-out.
Antonyms : success, victory.
Usage : strife within the community.
7. Bidding (noun) : बोली लगाने
Meaning : a person or thing competing with another for the same objective or for superiority in the same field of activity.
Synonyms : bid to combat, gauntlet, glove, mobilize, open hostilities, rally, take up arms.
Antonyms : arrive, come in, enter, go in.
Usage : other companies in the bidding include General Electric.
8. Rivals (noun) : प्रतिद्वंद्वियों
Meaning : a person or thing competing with another for the same objective or for superiority in the same field of activity.
Synonyms : competitor, opponent, contestant, contender, challenger; adversary, antagonist, enemy, foe, nemesis; rarecorrival, vier.
Antonyms : assisting, associate, supporting.
Usage : he has no serious rival for the job.
9. Evoked (verb) : पैदा की
Meaning : bring or recall (a feeling, memory, or image) to the conscious mind.
Synonyms : bring to mind, call to mind, put one in mind of, call up, conjure up, summon up, summon, invoke, give rise to, bring forth, elicit, induce, kindle, stimulate, stir up, awaken, arouse, excite.
Antonyms : halt,quell,repress,silence,stifle,stop,suppress.
Usage : the sight evoked pleasant memories of his childhood.
10. Promote (verb) : को बढ़ावा देना
Meaning : support or actively encourage (a cause, venture, etc.); further the progress of.
Synonyms : encourage, further, advance, assist, aid, help, contribute to, foster, nurture, develop, boost, stimulate, forward; advocate, recommend, urge, support, back, endorse, champion, speak for, proselytize, sponsor, espouse.
Antonyms : condemn, discredit, dishonor, hurt.
Usage : some regulation is still required to promote competition.
