The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 26th March 2024

Preparing for government exams requires knowledge of vocabulary to face  English language and comprehension questions. Candidates preparing for government exams SBI Clerk, SBI PO, RBI Grade B, and IBPS PO/Clerk should have word power. We daily prepare a list of new words in The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 26th March 2024 for candidates to improve their vocab knowledge for government exams. 

The Hindu Editorial Vocab on Sordid scheme: On the electoral bond scheme, electoral financing

Following the Supreme Court of India-ordered release of the final tranche (one of several parts of a financial arrangement, payment, amount, etc) of data from the State Bank of India, it has now been possible to get a nearly complete picture of electoral financing, which was once an opaque (difficult to understand or know about, especially because things have been intentionally kept secret or made complicated) route. The SBI had to release data of the unique numbers for electoral bonds purchased by corporate and individual donors and later encashed (to exchange a cheque or a financial product such as a bond for money) by political parties. That the SBI had to be prodded twice by the Court to release these chunks of data — in the first instance they were without the unique numbers that could connect donors with parties — is an indictment (something that shows a policy, system, society, etc. is bad or wrong) of the bank which had initially sought an extension till June 30, 2024, well after the general election, to release the information. On the other hand, it took only a few hours for news organisations to perform a simple data-matching exercise to connect the two sets of information — on the companies that had purchased the bonds and on the parties that had encashed them. A cursory look at the data reveals the inefficacy (the failure, especially of a medicine or a method of achieving something, to produce the intended result) of the argument for the need for opacity of electoral bonds that had been propounded (to suggest a theory, belief, or opinion for other people to consider) by the Union government, but one soundly rejected (to refuse to accept, use, or believe something or someone) by the Court. For one, there seems to be a clear correlation (a connection or relationship between two or more facts, numbers, etc) between large donations being made to certain political parties and bond purchasers receiving high-value infrastructure contracts. In some cases, there is strong correlation between entities being subject to actions or facing probes by the Enforcement Directorate and the Income-Tax Department, and later these entities (something that exists apart from other things, having its own independent existence) or their representatives purchasing bonds. This is especially so for many donors who purchased these bonds that were later encashed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

That the top 19 firms — based on the cumulative (increasing by one addition after another)  size of donations made — went on to invariably fund the BJP, besides other parties, from mid-2019 to February 2024 (22 firms donated ₹100 crore or more in this period) also suggests that the bonds were a device used to curry favour with the establishment (a business or other organization, or the place where an organization operates). The presence of a unique identifier for these bonds in the hands of the SBI, which could allow it to keep an audit trail (Various pieces of information that together show where someone you are searching for has gone) of transactions (an occasion when someone buys or sells something, or when money is exchanged or the activity of buying or selling something), and that the Finance Ministry had allowed certain bonds to be encashed even after their expiry date (within 15 days of the purchase date) showed that the scheme had also created undue advantage for the ruling party. It is clear that the bonds had skewed campaign and party financing heavily in the favour of the ruling party, besides putting a veil over the unscrupulous (behaving in a way that is dishonest or unfair in order to get what you want) motivations for the donations. It is now incumbent (officially having the named position) upon civil society to enlighten (to provide someone with information and understanding, or to explain the true facts about something to someone) the electorate (all the people who are allowed to vote) about the scheme and to raise questions about the skewed nature of donations. This will just be the first step to cleansing the system.

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary Wordlist 26th March 2024

Improve your vocabulary with the list of new words provided in The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary on 26th March 2024. Our purpose is to guide you through new word lists to enhance your vocabulary targeting government exams. 

• Tranche: One of several parts of a financial arrangement, payment, amount, etc.
• Opaque: Difficult to understand or know about, especially because things have been intentionally kept secret or made complicated.
• Encashed: To exchange a cheque or a financial product such as a bond for money.
• Indictment: Something that shows a policy, system, society, etc. is bad or wrong.
• Inefficacy: The failure, especially of a medicine or a method of achieving something, to produce the intended result.
• Propounded: To suggest a theory, belief, or opinion for other people to consider.
• Rejected: To refuse to accept, use, or believe something or someone.
• Correlation: A connection or relationship between two or more facts, numbers, etc.
• Entities: Something that exists apart from other things, having its own independent existence.
• Cumulative: Increasing by one addition after another.
• Establishment: A business or other organization, or the place where an organization operates.
• Trail: Various pieces of information that together show where someone you are searching for has gone.
• Transactions: An occasion when someone buys or sells something, or when money is exchanged or the activity of buying or selling something.
• Unscrupulous: Behaving in a way that is dishonest or unfair in order to get what you want.
• Incumbent: Officially having the named position.
• Enlighten: To provide someone with information and understanding, or to explain the true facts about something to someone.
• Electorate: All the people who are allowed to vote.

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