The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 17th May 2024

Vocabulary Knowledge is important for competitive exams. Candidates get questions in the English Language section from Vocabulary topics. The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 17th May 2024 covers a list of difficult words, contextual meanings, synonyms, and antonyms.

The Hindu Vocab On India’s Merchandise Exports

India’s merchandise exports, which shrank over 3% in 2023-24 — a year marred by multiple geopolitical and logistical disruptions (the action of preventing something, especially a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected) to global trade — are off to a positive start this year, but only just. This April recorded outbound (travelling away from a particular point) shipments worth $34.99 billion, reflecting a meagre uptick of 1.07% or $370 million from a year ago. As many as 17 of India’s top 30 export items reported year-on-year contractions (the fact of something becoming smaller or shorter), compared with 13 in the previous month. Significantly, these declines (to gradually become less, worse, or lower) are over a weak base — in April 2023, goods exports had tanked 12.7% and 20 of the top 30 items had reported a fall in export values. The minor growth last month was largely driven by just four items, pharma, chemicals, electronics and, most importantly, petroleum products, which recovered from a 35% contraction in March, aided by the rise in global oil prices. On the flip side, the surge in oil and gold prices through April lifted the country’s goods import bill by 10.25% to over $54 billion. As a result, last month’s trade deficit was the highest in four months at $19.1 billion, and nearly 22.5% over March’s gap. If the OPEC+ club, which meets in early June, decides to extend output cuts, oil prices could well hit $100 a barrel. Moreover, a persistent (lasting for a long time or difficult to get rid of) global savings rush to gold as a safe haven, could keep pushing India’s favourite yellow metal’s prices higher. Apart from the deleterious (harmful) effects of such a scenario on the domestic front (through higher fuel prices, for one), the trade balance and the rupee would be under pressure.

Global trade volumes, after tanking 1.2% in 2023, are expected to rise 2.6% this year, as per the World Trade Organization. The government is hopeful that India’s key markets in the western world clock lower inflation (a general, continuous increase in prices) and improved growth rates, spurring a demand bounce. However, India needs to sharpen its approach to capitalise on such a bounce and ensure that any gains that may accrue will create wealth across the domestic economy. This requires addressing the challenges facing labour-intensive sectors such as garments and footwear, where the country has been losing out to rivals, including Bangladesh and Vietnam, in recent years. The downward trend for these sectors, as well as gems and jewellery, continued in April. Tackling concerns about product quality (in spices or drugs, for example) or allegations (a statement, made without giving proof, that someone has done something wrong or illegal) about labour or environmental concerns (aimed at booming shrimp exports) with greater vigour, is also critical. Moreover, agricultural exports, curbed in the battle against inflation, must be reinvigorated (to make someone feel healthier, and more energetic again) soon, given the healthy monsoon prospects (the possibility that something good might happen in the future). The next government must roll up its sleeves quickly to rev up the export growth engine and ensure trade balances do not turn unwieldy (An unwieldy system is slow and not effective, usually because it is too big, badly organized, or involves too many different organizations or people).

Hindu Editorial Vocab Wordlist 17th May 2024

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary regularly improves the word power of aspirants preparing for government exams. Candidates start learning a list of new words daily from Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 17th May 2024.

• Disruptions: The action of preventing something, especially a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected.
• Contractions: The fact of something becoming smaller or shorter.
• Decline: To gradually become less, worse, or lower.
• Persistent: Lasting for a long time or difficult to get rid of.
• Deleterious: Harmful
• Outbound: Travelling away from a particular point.
• Inflation: A General, continuous increase in prices.
• Allegation: A statement, made without giving proof, that someone has done something wrong or illegal.
• Reinvigorated: To make someone feel healthier, and more energetic again.
• Prospects: The possibility that something good might happen in the future.
• Unwieldy: An unwieldy system is slow and not effective, usually because it is too big, badly organized, or involves too many different organizations or people.

The Hindu Vocab Master 17th May with Synonyms & Antonyms

Know synonyms and antonyms of difficult words in Hindu Vocab Master on 17th May 2024.

• Sign Up on Practicemock for Updated Current Affairs, Free Topic Tests and Free Mini Mocks
• Sign Up Here to Download Free Study Material