The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– June 3, 2021; Day 76

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.

Difficult Word/ Phrase	Contextual Sense
Modality	a particular mode in which something exists or is experienced or expressed
Fete	honor or entertain (someone) lavishly
Lie down	formulate and enforce or insist on a rule or principle
Trafficking	the act of buying or selling people, or of making money from work they are forced to do, such as sex work
Dawdle	waste time; be slow
Wrought	caused (something to happen)
Go the extra mile	try very hard to achieve something. to do more than expected
Bounty	a large amount
Cornerstone	an important quality or feature on which a particular thing depends or is based
Onslaught	a fierce or destructive attack

Embracing children: On children orphaned by COVID-19

Speedy implementation of relief schemes for children orphaned by COVID-19 is essential

Well begun is not always half done, and, in any case, half done is never good enough. The Centre’s response to the Supreme Court that the modalities (a particular mode in which something exists or is experienced or expressed) of the expansive assistance programme for children orphaned by COVID-19, announced by the Prime Minister, were yet to be formulated comes as a disappointment. While rightly feted (honor or entertain (someone) lavishly) for its announcement of a comprehensive programme for the most vulnerable section of the population during this COVID-19 pandemic, children, the Centre did not lay down (formulate and enforce or insist on a rule or principle) procedural formalities for implementation. It is clear from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights’ submission in the Supreme Court that nearly 10,000 children are in need of immediate care and protection. They include children aged between zero and 17 years orphaned or abandoned during the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020. The total was 9,346 children who have been affected, including 1,742 children who lost both parents, 7,464 who have lost one parent, and 140 who have been abandoned from March 2020 to May 29, 2021. It further told the apex court that these children run a high risk of being pushed into trafficking (the act of buying or selling people, or of making money from work they are forced to do, such as sex work) and the flesh trade. There is thus no doubt that time is of the essence here.

Given the urgency of rescuing these children, the Government cannot dawdle (waste time; be slow) over figuring out implementation strategies. A swift laying down of processes and monitoring mechanisms to kick start rescue and relief, besides undertaking the continuing process of estimating beneficiaries is needed. Children have little or no agency of their own and are still dependent on adults to get by, and the disruption that COVID-19 has wrought (caused (something to happen)) on their lives is devastating. The experience of States that sprang to the assistance of children orphaned by the Indian Ocean tsunami can be factored in — they were embraced into the safety net of the social security system, and funds were placed in a trust for them for use when they reach a certain age. While the plans announced under the PM CARES Fund include this, and are far more expansive looking at funding schooling, higher education, even health insurance, a promise is nothing if not fulfilled. The responsibility of the Government now is to go the full mile (go the extra mile means to try very hard to achieve something. to do more than expected) to ensure that these benefits reach every child fitting the criteria, besides making sure that the children are not exploited with an eye on the eventual bounty (a large amount). Several States have announced their child-care packages on similar lines too, with some setting up monitoring committees to ensure implementation. Sincere implementation through committed staff, and using existing systems such as 1098 for periodic identification of children in need would be the cornerstones (an important quality or feature on which a particular thing depends or is based) of such a project, especially at a time when the onslaught (a fierce or destructive attack) of COVID-19 is far from over.

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.