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Interim signals: On BJP posing insurmountable challenge to Opposition

The BJP is posing a seemingly insurmountable challenge to a fragmented Opposition

The outcomes in three Lok Sabha constituencies, one in Punjab and two in Uttar Pradesh, make
significant political points, unusual for such routine bypolls. AAP faced a major setback in Punjab as it
lost its bastion Sangrur, which was vacated by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who had won it in 2014
and 2019. The party’s Assembly victory in Punjab was seen as validation of its national ambitions, but
Sunday’s setback must serve as a reality check. If anything, AAP’s performance in Punjab in the last
three months, far from proving its capacity to be a national party, has only raised several questions.
As it turned out, the Opposition — the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), SAD (Amritsar), the Congress and
the BJP — all fighting separately, made the point on the gap between AAP’s promise and delivery;
and between its claims and capacity. In Punjab, a State with its finances in a shambles and its
bureaucracy and the police a law unto themselves, the inexperienced band of activists that came to
power is caught in a bind. Mr. Mann also faces the charge of being remote-controlled from Delhi by
party chief Arvind Kejriwal. The winner, Simranjit Singh Mann of the SAD (Amritsar), made Sangrur as
significant as the loser did. He is a vociferous supporter of Khalistan and an ardent follower of
Bhindranwale, who spearheaded the violent, terrorist separatism of the 1980s. His victory, and the
complete emaciation of the Congress, the SAD and the BJP, signals the dangerous crossroads Punjab
is at.

In U.P., the BJP’s victories in Rampur and Azamgarh prove the continuing potency of the party in the
heartland. Azamgarh was vacated by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who chose to retain the Assembly seat
that he won while the party lost a second consecutive time. Rampur was vacated by senior party
leader Azam Khan, who will retain his Assembly seat. That such strongholds have slipped out of its
hands is further proof that the SP’s hopes of a return in U.P. may be unrealistic, and its style,
character and personnel are unacceptable to large sections of the voters. While the U.P. results make
the BJP’s position unassailable, they also open new possibilities in the Opposition space as the SP’s
slide continues. In the Atmakur Assembly segment in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan
Reddy’s YSRCP scored an impressive victory, while a victory each in Tripura and Jharkhand made the
day for the Congress. The CPI(M) continued to sink in Tripura, its former stronghold. In Delhi, AAP
retained the Rajinder Nagar Assembly seat, but that is little solace for the party that lost its
representation in the Lok Sabha entirely. Overall, the bypoll outcomes underscore the continuing
dominance of the BJP, and the continuing inability of the Opposition to rise to the challenge.
 Red/blue coloring of words in the sentence indicate subject verb relationship; where ‘red’ denotes
‘subject’ and ‘blue’ denotes ‘verb’. [Practice Exercise]

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Vocabulary
1. Interim (adjective) – temporary, short-
term, provisional, intervening
2. Pose (verb) – constitute, present, create,
( )
3. Insurmountable (adjective) – insuperable,
unconquerable, undefeatable, unassailable
12. If anything (phrase) – used when saying
that what people may believe is not true,
and the opposite may be true
13. Far from (phrase) – not, not at all, a long
way from, the opposite of
14. Turn out (phrasal verb) – happen, occur,
come about, emerge, ensue /

4. Seemingly (adverb) – apparently,

ostensibly, on the face of it , superficially 15. Make the point on (phrase) – put
emphasis on, to give one's attention to

16. Shamble (noun) – complete mess,

5. Fragmented (adjective) – Disintegrated,
confusion, disorder, disorganization,
divided, shattered, separated
disarray ,
6. Outcome (noun) – result, consequence,
17. Bureaucracy (noun) – civil service,
effect, aftermath
administration, government, directorate
7. Bypoll (noun) – An election held in a single
political constituency to fill a vacancy
18. A law unto oneself (phrase) – Behave in a
arising during a government's term of
manner that is not conventional or
office.
predictable( by ignoring laws)
8. Setback (noun) – problem, difficulty, issue,
19. Band (noun) – group, gang (activists)
hitch, hindrance
20. Activist (noun) – A person who campaigns
9. Bastion (noun) – stronghold, bulwark, fort, to bring about political or social change;
mainstay, campaigner, reformer

10. Validation (noun) – acceptance, 21. In a bind (phrase) – In a difficult situation

endorsement, recognition, confirmation
22. Charge (noun) – accusation, allegation,
indictment, imputation
11. Serve (verb) – Act as a, work as, function
23. Remote-controlled (adjective) – controlled
from distance

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24. Vociferous (adjective) –vehement,
outspoken, vocal, forthright, plain-spoken,
मख
ु र
25. Khalistan (noun) – The Khalistan
movement is a Sikh separatist movement
seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by
establishing a sovereign state, called
Khālistān, in the Punjab region.
26. Ardent (adjective) – passionate,
vehement, intense, fierce, fiery, flaming,
उत्साही, उत्कट
27. Spearhead (verb) – lead, head, front, be in
the vanguard of नेतत्ृ व करना
28. Separatism (noun) – The advocacy or
practice of separation of a certain group of
people from a larger body on the basis of
ethnicity, religion, or gender. अऱगाववाद
29. Emaciation (noun) – freeing, liberation,
liberating, setting free, release मक्ु तत
30. Crossroad (noun) – critical point, decisive
point, turning point
31. Potency (noun) – strength, powerfulness,
power; influence, dominance, energy,
potential शक्तत, बऱ
32. Heartland (noun) – the central part of
something (i.e. U.P)
33. Stronghold (noun) – bastion, centre,
refuge गढ़
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34. Slip out of hands (phrase) – it gets out of
control. हाथ से ननकऱ जाना
35. Unrealistic (adjective) – impractical,
impracticable, unworkable, unfeasible
अवास्तववक
36. Personnel (noun) – staff, employees,
workforce, कार्मिक
37. Unassailable (adjective) – invincible,
unconquerable, unattackable अजेय
38. Slide (noun) – fall, decline, drop, slump,
tumble ऩतन, अवननत
39. Score (verb) – get, gain, achieve, attain,
हार्सऱ करना
40. Make the day (phrase) – to make someone
feel very happy
41. Sink (verb) – fall, plunge, plummet, go
lower डूबना, ऺीण होना
42. Solace (noun) – comfort, consolation,
cheer, support, relief राहत
43. Entirely (adverb) – Completely ऩरू ी तरह से
44. Underscore (verb) – Emphasize जोर दे ना
45. Dominance (noun) – supremacy,
superiority, ascendancy, pre-eminence,
predominance, प्रभाव, प्रधानता
46. Rise to the challenge (phrase) – to perform
so as to succeed
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Practice Exercise
Direction (Q1 – Q3): Select the best express synonym of the given words [Editorial page]
1. The BJP is posing a seemingly insurmountable challenge to a fragmented Opposition
A. Intractable
B. Ignominy
C. Unassailable
D. Blatant
2. In Punjab, a State with its finances in a shambles and its bureaucracy and the police a law unto
themselves, the inexperienced band of activists that came to power is caught in a bind.
A. Paradigm
B. Disorder
C. Histrionic
D. Exacting
3. His victory, and the complete emaciation of the Congress, the SAD and the BJP, signals the
dangerous crossroads Punjab is at.
A. Amnesty
B. Proletariat
C. Fragility
D. Visionary
Direction (Q4 – Q5): select the appropriate antonym of the given words
4. While the U.P. results make the BJP’s position unassailable, they also open new possibilities in
the Opposition space as the SP’s slide continues.
A. Prepossess
B. Cliché
C. Conquerable
D. Deprecate
5. He is a vociferous supporter of Khalistan and an ardent follower of Bhindranwale, who
spearheaded the violent, terrorist separatism of the 1980s.
A. Perquisite
B. Avuncular
C. Dissipate
D. Quiet
Direction (Q6 – Q9): Read the given sentences to find out whether there is any grammatical
error in them
6. A. As they watched the football match the huge crowd chant in unison.
B. In the present guidelines, the bank are required to obtaining a photograph from any persons
who wishes to open an account
C. Seema's new office is close to her residence, so she will no longer have to travel by train.
D. The majority of the population believes that the stock market is recovering and that is it the
right time to buy shares
E. All are correct

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7. A. The noise was so faintly that one had to strain one’s ears to hear it.
B. She is one of the best mothers that have ever lived
C. John, Hari and I have finished our studies.
D. Both A & B are incorrect
E. All are correct
8. A public safety advertising (A)/campaign in Russia (B)/ hope to draw attention (C)/ of
pedestrians crossing the road. (D)/ No Error. (E)
9. A cash prize was (A)/ award to the most (B)/successful salesman of the (C)/ year by the
President of the company. (D)/ No Error. (E)
10. Find out the misspelt word
A. Reference
B. Relevent
C. Repetition
D. Religious
11. Direction: Six statements are given below, which are jumbled in any random order. These
statements will form a coherent and meaningful paragraph, when arranged in the correct
sequence. Arrange the sentences in the right order and answer the questions that follow.
The monsoon landed early in Kerala, three days ahead of the normal date of June 1. The
journey upward of its western branch has since then been timely but lacking in vigour.
(Monsoon jitters – The Hindu: 21 June, 2022)
P. The northwest of India, where the monsoon is yet to arrive, and reeling under a series of
heatwaves, is battling a rainfall deficit of 33%.
Q. The monsoon rainfall is critical to kharif sowing and so a faltering June has raised concerns
in several quarters
R. The latest IMD figures suggest that the monsoon is running an 8% deficit
S. Central India, which has the largest swathe of land dependent on rainfed agriculture, has
only got 52% of the rain that is due; the southern peninsula has a 22% deficit.
T. Only India’s east and north-eastern parts are battling the diametrically opposite problem of
too much rain, with floods in Assam and Meghalaya submerging entire villages.
U. However, there is little to be worried about at this juncture. June rainfall, particularly in the
first fortnight, is historically patchy and contributes less than 18% of the monsoon rainfall.
Which among the following will be the Second sentence of the paragraph after the
rearrangement?
A. P B.T C.U D.Q E.S
Direction (Q12 – Q15): Cloze test based on Editorial (Monsoon jitters – The Hindu: 21 June, 2022)
In fact, the real worry that ______12_______ over the horizon is rainfall in July and August. On May
31, as part of its updated forecast, the IMD gave an _______13_______ picture. The June to
September rainfall over the country was likely to be 103% of the Long Period Average, and central
India was likely to get “above normal” rainfall as was the southern peninsula. The monsoon core zone,
which consists of most of the rainfed agriculture regions, too is expected to receive “above normal”

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rain. In previous years, there has been a pattern of ‘normal’ and ‘above normal’ rains being forecast
only for them to dry up for large periods in July and August, followed by a sudden surge in September.
This pattern may help deliver the numbers but is not always beneficial for kharif sowing. The
expectations of a good monsoon are premised on the ______14_______ of a La Niña, the converse of
the El Niño and characterised by a cooling of the Central Pacific waters. However, the Indian Ocean
Dipole (IOD), another index of significance to the monsoon, is expected to be negative. Whether the
La Niña can compensate for the ______15________ of the IOD remains to be seen.

12. A. Tentative B. Lingers C. Felicity D. Derides

13. A. Saccharine B. Compendium C. Optimistic D. Ambiguous

14. A. Persistence B. Complacent C. Fervor D. Vacillate

15. A. Repercussion B. Slandering C. Staunch D. Dampening

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Answers
1. C 2.B 3.C 4. C 5. D 6. A 7. A 8. C 9. B 10. B 11.E 12.B
13. C 14.A 15.D [Practice Exercise]
Explanations
6. ‘chant’ ‘chanted’ ‘watched’ past tense औ sequence of
tense main clause past tense

 'chanted' will be used instead of 'chant' because 'watched' is in past tense and on the
basis of the rule of sequence of tense, past tense should also be used in main clause.

7. ‘faintly’ ‘faint’ ‘faintly’ adverb ‘faint’ adjective

औ noun ‘noise’ adjective , adverb.

 'faint' will be used instead of 'faintly' because 'faintly' is an adverb whereas 'faint' is an adjective
and will serve to characterize the noun 'noise' as an adjective and not an adverb.

8. (C) 'hope' के बदऱे 'hopes' का प्रयोग होगा तयोंकक वातय का Subject 'campaign' Singular है ।

(C) 'hopes' will be used instead of 'hope' because the subject 'campaign' of the sentence is
singular.

9. (B) 'award' के बदऱे 'awarded' का प्रयोग होगा तयोंकक वातय का Subject 'A cash prize'
(receiver) Passive Subject है । अत: Verb भी Passive (was + V3) होना चाहहए।

(B) 'awarded' will be used instead of 'award' because the subject of the sentence is 'A cash
prize' (receiver) Passive Subject. Therefore, Verb should also be Passive (was + V3).

10. Relevant (adjective) – Closely connected/ appropriate to what is being done or considered.

11. RSTPQU
The monsoon landed early in Kerala, three days ahead of the normal date of June 1. The
journey upward of its western branch has since then been timely but lacking in vigour. The
latest IMD figures suggest that the monsoon is running an 8% deficit. Central India, which has
the largest swathe of land dependent on rainfed agriculture, has only got 52% of the rain that
is due; the southern peninsula has a 22% deficit. Only India’s east and north-eastern parts are
battling the diametrically opposite problem of too much rain, with floods in Assam and
Meghalaya submerging entire villages. The northwest of India, where the monsoon is yet to
arrive, and reeling under a series of heatwaves, is battling a rainfall deficit of 33%. The

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monsoon rainfall is critical to kharif sowing and so a faltering June has raised concerns in
several quarters. However, there is little to be worried about at this juncture. June rainfall,
particularly in the first fortnight, is historically patchy and contributes less than 18% of the
monsoon rainfall.
12. Linger (verb) – persist, continue, remain, stay
13. Optimistic (adjective) – encouraging, promising, hopeful, bright, favourable आशावान
14. Persistence (noun) – constancy, continuance, continuity, immortality, indestructibility, अटऱता
15. Dampening (noun) – reduction, lessening, drop, decline, diminution कमी

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Explanation of other important words

Sr.NO Words Meanings
Q1 Intractable adjective Uncontrollable; stubborn; disobedient

Ignominy noun Deep disgrace ,

Blatant adjective Unpleasantly or offensively noisy; ,

glaring
,
Q2 Paradigm noun A model or example

Histrionic adjective Overly dramatic; theatrical

Exacting adjective Extremely demanding; difficult; ;

requiring great skill or care
,

Q3 Amnesty noun An official pardon for a group of People , ,

who have violated a law or policy

Proletariat noun The industrial working class

Visionary noun Dreamer; someone with impractical

goals or ideas about the future

Q4 Prepossess verb To preoccupy; to influence beforehand

or prejudice; to make a good
impression on beforehand
Cliché noun An overused saying or idea ,

Deprecate verb To express disapproval of

Q5 Perquisite noun A privilege that goes along with a job; a

perk
Avuncular adjective Like an uncle, especially a nice uncle

Dissipate verb To thin out, drift away, or dissolve; to

cause to thin out, drift away, or
dissolve; to waste or squander.

Q12 Tentative adjective Experimental; temporary; uncertain ;

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Felicity noun Happiness; skillfulness, especially at ,

expressing thing; adeptness

Deride verb To ridicule; to laugh at contemptuously ,

Q13 Saccharine adjective Sweet; excessively or disgustingly sweet ,

Compendium noun A summary; an abridgment

Ambiguous adjective Unclear in meaning; confusing; capable

of being interpreted in different way.

Q14 Complacent adjective Self-satisfied; overly pleased with

oneself; contented to fault

Fervor noun Great warmth or earnestness; ardor; ,

zeal
Vacillate verb to be indecisive; to waver ,

Q15 Repercussion noun A consequence; an indirect effect ,

Slander verb To speak badly about someone publicly;

to defame; to spread malicious rumor

Staunch adjective Firmly committed; firmly in favor of;

steadfast

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