The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Aug 16, 2021; Day 119

The importance of reading editorials of reputed newspapers is not hidden from anybody. What causes obstruction are difficult words which act like speed-breakers forcing you to either refer to a dictionary for its meaning or simply guess it. While getting the meaning from the dictionary is the best way to understand it, sometimes a dictionary is not within your reach. Also, a number of aspirants get confused when they see more than one meaning next to a word in a dictionary. It becomes a difficult process for them to pick the relevant meaning.

We at PracticeMock understand this and that’s why we have come up with a series of Editorials’ Difficult Words where we shortlist the important editorials of the day and pick the difficult words/ phrases therein. Next to the word, we put only the contextual sense of the word/ phrase so that you don’t get confused. Now let’s go through today’s editorial.

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Black and white (A black-and-white subject or situation is one in which it is easy to understand what is right and wrong:): On the White Paper on Tamil Nadu’s finances

Tamil Nadu needs to combine pragmatism (thinking about solving problems in a practical and sensible way rather than by having fixed ideas and theories), political vision while working on its financial health

By bringing out a White Paper (a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body’s philosophy on the matter) on Tamil Nadu’s finances, the DMK government has made a good start to right the loss of fiscal discipline. Subsequently, the government, in its maiden (being or involving the first attempt or act of its kind) Budget, lowered the retail price of petrol by ₹3 a litre. Even though it only partly fulfils one of the DMK’s important poll promises, it deserves praise for being implemented at a time of financial stress. That TN’s fiscal indicators have not been in great shape, post 2013-14, is well known and even indicated in certain documents of the Union and State governments. The State’s perennially (lasting or existing for a long time) loss-making power, water and transport utilities have only aggravated (make (a problem, injury, or offense) worse or more serious) the situation. A serious financial crisis is waiting to unfold unless corrective steps are taken. This is what has been encapsulated (to show or express the main idea or quality of (something) in a brief way) in the White Paper, which has rightly identified the decline in the ratios of the State’s Own Tax Revenue (SOTR) to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and overall tax-GSDP as two key areas of concern, in view of the SOTR constituting around two-thirds of the State’s total revenue receipts. With ballooning (to become bigger quickly) revenue and fiscal deficits, the State has become overreliant on debt, estimated to be ₹2,63,976 per family. The White Paper has cited a lack of proper governance as the reason behind most of the problems.

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By highlighting the crisis in the water, power and transport sectors, the document has already triggered a question on whether the government will hike taxes and user charges. As it also talks of “profound structural reforms” and “re-orientation of subsidies”, it has signalled that the government favours a targeted approach in subsidy provision. The Budget echoes (to repeat details that are similar to, and make you think of, something else) this by spelling out that the proposed scheme of ₹1,000 a month to women heads of families is for “the genuinely poor”. But, in a set-up characterised by the tradition of competitive populism and a close relationship between economic decisions and considerations of electoral politics, it remains to be seen how far the new government can pursue such an approach. After having blamed the previous government for the fiscal situation, the government, through the Budget, could have made a beginning in fiscal consolidation. The explanation for not going for it is that the economy is still recovering from the impact of COVID-19. But an increase in a few taxes and expenditure reduction in some areas would have shown that the government means business. As and when the government chooses to increase utility tariffs, it should ensure that such measures are matched by an improvement in service quality and a simplified and reasonable tax structure. This is where Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s re-assurance, in a recent interview to The Hindu, assumes significance — of not going back on electoral promises for welfare. A rational approach with a human touch would help improve TN’s financial health. The DMK government has time on its side (used to say that a person will have a good chance of success because he or she can wait until a situation improves) to turn around the fortunes of the State.

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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