The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Apr 15, 2021; Day 38

We hope that these editorial articles are helping you in your exam preparation. This series of  Editorials’ Difficult Words will help you to understand the editorials of The Hindu in a better way. Today we have come up with the explanation of difficult words/phrases of the below editorial. Have a look and update your word power & general awareness by going through this editorial.

Examination priorities: On annual exams amid the pandemic

Mass vaccination ahead of public examinations can reduce stress for students

The decision to put off (postpone something) the CBSE Class 12 public examination and cancel the Class 10 examination at the end of a disrupted academic year brings much-needed relief to anxious students caught on the crest of (If you say that you are on the crest of a wave, you mean that you are feeling very happy and confident because things are going well for you) the second COVID-19 wave. Unlike last year’s first phase of the pandemic, the ongoing wild spread covers young people as well. The age cohort (a group of individuals having a statistical factor (such as age or class membership) in common in a demographic study) of those infected now includes even 15-year-olds, according to the Health Ministry. It is a wise move on the Centre’s part to keep this risk group out of harm’s way, reducing the possibility of school-based clusters (a group of similar things or people positioned or occurring closely together) and onward spread to older age groups who have shielded themselves so far. The onus (used to refer to something that is one’s duty or responsibility) is now on State governments, some of which have already initiated the examination schedule, to similarly recognise the growing crisis and display flexibility in reconsidering dates. Kerala had, for instance, postponed its SSLC and higher secondary level examinations due to the State election, but these got under way immediately thereafter. Tamil Nadu, which too conducted an Assembly poll, has scheduled school public examinations throughout May. What State governments should be focusing on is enhancement of the efficiency of vaccination rollout (an occasion when a new product or service is gradually made available to more people after it has first been tested in a particular area) , using available vaccines and new ones in the pipeline (in the process of being planned or developed). This effort will be greatly helped if there is undivided attention devoted to covering all age groups at the earliest, using the enhanced supply.

With an unwavering (continuing in a strong and steady way) focus on providing vaccine protection to its entire population, the U.S. has advanced its target dates in almost all States to include all those above age 16. University leaders are also pursuing policies to normalise campus-based education that envisage (contemplate or conceive of as a possibility or a desirable future event) universal vaccination of all college students. Further, there is promise on the vaccine front for school-goers, with Pfizer-BioNTech, after trials on younger recipients, seeking regulatory (serving or intended to regulate something) permission to cover children aged 12 to 15 in the U.S. under emergency-use authorisation norms. Two other vaccine makers are due to report on trials on young recipients. If the results prove to be robust, this is a promising way forward to reopen campuses for children without major disease worries. Yet, while they may succeed with vaccination, where many countries are failing is in addressing the mental health challenges of freedom-constrained children and youth. The problem must be acknowledged, and they must be reassured through publicised talk therapy and counselling, a task that calls for a partnership between educational institutions and the public health system. Over the next few weeks, governments should prioritise vaccinations for the general population, and the resulting control over infections would make the public examination season smooth for students.

Hope you got to know some new words/phrases which will definitely be useful in the English section of upcoming competitive exams. Wishing you all the best for your preparation!

Want to improve your vocabulary further? Download the Lists of Word-Meanings of Previous Months here.

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