The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Aug 4, 2021; Day 113

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.

Difficult Word/ Phrase	Contextual Sense
Circumscription	restriction of something within limits
Alienation	the state or experience of being isolated from a group or an activity to which one should belong or in which one should be involved
Prejudice	preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience
Detrimental	tending to cause harm
Legal recourse	an action that can be taken by an individual or a corporation to attempt to remedy a legal difficulty
Backdrop	the general situation in which particular events happen
Incongruous	not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something
Dampen	make less strong or intense
Usher in	to celebrate the beginning of (something)
Grassroots democracy	a tendency towards designing political processes that shift as much decision-making authority as practical to the organization’s lowest geographic or social level of organization

Circumscription (restriction of something within limits): on security clearances for passport or government jobs

Circular on using past protest record to deny jobs, passports risks further alienation (the state or experience of being isolated from a group or an activity to which one should belong or in which one should be involved) in J&K

Police verification and security clearances for passport or government job applicants are a matter of routine in most parts of the country. In Kashmir, where the police have now issued a circular aimed at gathering details and denying security clearance to those involved in throwing stones and joining street protests in the past, the exercise may not be out of the ordinary, but it could result in serious prejudice (preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience) to the aspirations of many young men and women. The circular, which asks CID Special Branch field units to ensure that any subject’s involvement in law-and-order incidents and related crimes be specifically looked into, and also to collect digital evidence from the records of police and security forces, suggests that the administration is quite serious about preventing those with a likely link to protests in the past from either entering government service or travelling abroad. Reports suggest that the official list of street protesters swelled between 2008 and 2017 to include nearly 20,000 people. On the face of it, the decision to subject applicants for passports and jobs to scrutiny is not illegal. Under Section 6(2) of the Passports Act, 1967, passports can be denied to applicants for various reasons, including their likelihood of engaging in activities prejudicial to the country’s sovereignty and integrity, or detrimental (tending to cause harm) to its security. Further, those convicted in the preceding five years, or against whom proceedings are pending before any criminal court, are also candidates for refusal. There is legal recourse (an action that can be taken by an individual or a corporation to attempt to remedy a legal difficulty) for those affected, as the Act allows them to approach the trial court for a ‘No Objection’ certificate to get a passport.

In the backdrop (the general situation in which particular events happen) of the Union government’s outreach to revive political activity preparatory to elections, it is quite incongruous (not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something) that such a far-reaching measure that would dampen the hopes and aspirations of thousands of people is being pursued. The Government’s position is that the alteration of the status of J&K in August 2019 has ushered in (to celebrate the beginning of (something)) a new era of development and prosperity, and that it is time to strengthen grassroots democracy (a tendency towards designing political processes that shift as much decision-making authority as practical to the organization’s lowest geographic or social level of organization). It was as a part of this process that Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited leaders of the Union Territory’s political parties in June for a discussion. Despite their obvious disappointment that the restoration of statehood is likely to be considered only after polls to the Legislative Assembly, the parley did create some cautious optimism about a fresh political process. Were the administration to pursue this circular zealously, there is a danger that it may revive the sort of alienation among the youth that led to the stone-pelting incidents in 2008 and 2010, and the wave of disaffection following the killing of militant leader Burhan Wani. When all efforts should be directed towards building on current gains, nothing ought to be done to make those still harbouring, for whatever reason, a sense of betrayal feel that some fresh collective punishment is in the offing.

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.