The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 21st November 2024

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 21st November 2024 is an effective tool for regularly learning new words and their contextual meanings. Candidates can utilize this free resource daily to improve their vocabulary knowledge, especially those preparing for government exams like the IBPS PO, SBI Clerk, SSC, and Others.

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Turning tide: On the export rebound

October’s export rebound is heartening but fresh headwinds (challenges or difficulties) loom large

From a reasonably healthy show at the onset of this financial year, India’s goods exports had stumbled sharply in the second quarter, shrinking an average 5.8% over the first two months and rising a mere 0.5% in September. With half the year gone by, exports were up just 1%. In this backdrop, the 17.25% surge in merchandise shipments to overseas markets through October is a positive surprise, with the year’s second-highest tally of $39.2 billion. Trade mandarins (high-ranking officials or experts) have attributed the uptick to stronger demand for the Christmas season in developed markets. If this festive demand holds, at least the next couple of months should see healthy numbers. With services exports rising 14.6% by September, official hopes of cumulative exports through 2024-25 crossing a record $800 billion may yet be attained. Non-petroleum exports led the way in October with a 25.6% rise, and such shipments have now hit the highest ever tally for the first seven months of a year, at $211.3 billion.

The petroleum story, however, is starkly different and a tad puzzling (confusing or difficult to understand). India’s oil imports rose 13.2% in October to $18.3 billion (almost 46.4% over September), while exports tanked (dropped sharply) for the fifth straight month, by over 22% to $4.6 billion, the lowest in almost three years. The oil trade deficit has hit a record $13.7 billion. While one can attribute the export slide to significantly lower global oil prices vis-à-vis (in comparison with) last year, the same should have held true at least partly for the import bill as well, even if higher domestic demand is factored in. The oil influx spike has also lifted the overall import bill to a fresh high of $66.3 billion, breaking this August’s tally of $64.3 billion, which was fuelled by gold imports. Over the past three months, the trade deficit has widened to its second- and third-highest level. While gold imports are likely to stay high till the wedding season ends, oil trends and the widening import bill warrant closer monitoring even if the foreign exchange reserves situation is comfortable, and adequate to cover about a year’s imports. The World Trade Organization has pegged global trade growth at 3% in 2025, relative to a 2.7% estimate for this year. Apart from the slowdown in China and festering conflicts around the world, the biggest fly in the ointment (an obstacle or problem in an otherwise positive situation) for all such hopes is likely to be the incoming United States administration, with Donald Trump expected to prioritise the elevation of import tariffs and sops for domestic production. India must avoid any policy gestures such as the updated laptop import management system — it is in the works, with possible curbs — that could draw the U.S. government’s focus away from Mr. Trump’s primary trade target — China.

Hindu Vocab Wordlist 21st November 2024

Upskill yourself and enhance your vocabulary knowledge. Candidates should begin learning new words daily with Hindu Editorial Vocabulary on 21st November 2024.

1. Headwinds: Difficult conditions that make progress or success harder.
2. Mandarins: A member of a powerful group of people in government or business.
3. Puzzling: Difficult to understand or solve.
4. Tanked: To fail or become worse in value.
5. Vis-à-vis: In relation to or compared with.
6. Fly in the ointment: A small problem or flaw in something that is otherwise good or satisfactory.
7. Warrant: To make a particular activity or situation seem acceptable or necessary.
8. Pegged: To fix a value or amount at a particular level.
9. Sops: Something given to someone, often in a way that is intended to satisfy them but is not a real solution.

Hindu Vocab Master 21st November 2024 with Synonyms & Antonyms

Here are the synonyms and antonyms of all the difficult words in Hindu Vocab Master for 21st November 2024:

Word	Synonyms	Antonyms
Headwinds	Challenges, obstacles, difficulties, hindrances	Tailwinds, advantages, support, ease
Mandarins	Officials, experts, authorities, leaders	Subordinates, followers, workers, employees
Puzzling	Confusing, perplexing, bewildering, baffling	Clear, straightforward, simple, obvious
Tanked	Collapsed, plummeted, dropped, declined	Soared, surged, increased, rose
Vis-à-vis	In relation to, compared with, regarding, with respect to	Irrelevant to, unrelated to, apart from, disconnected from
Fly in the ointment	Setback, flaw, problem, obstacle	Perfection, advantage, blessing, asset
Warrant	Justify, authorize, validate, confirm	Deny, revoke, invalidate, contradict
Pegged	Fixed, set, determined, established	Uncertain, variable, fluctuating, flexible
Sops	Bribes, incentives, concessions, appeasements	Punishments, penalties, reprimands, deterrents
Curbs	Restrictions, limits, controls, constraints	Freedom, allowances, openness, liberality