THE HINDU

EDITORIAL
13th May, 2024

PREPARE FOR BANK (PO/ CLERK), SSC,UPSC, State PSC,

CAT,CTET,RAILWAY EXAMS,CDS, TET, NDA/AIRFORCE, NET
and all Govt. Exams
 VOCABULARY

1. Threadbare: घसा हु आ
Definition: Something that is worn out.
Synonyms: Tattered, Frayed, Ragged, Shabby.
Antonyms: Pristine, Immaculate, Spotless, Intact.
Used in a sentence: The old rug was so threadbare that
you could see the floor beneath it.

2. Reiterate: बार बार दुहराना

Definition: Repeating something that has already been
said or done.
Synonyms: Restate, Reaffirm, Recap, Reassert.
Antonyms: Revise, Amend, Redefine, Reframe.
Used in a sentence: I will reiterate the plan one more
time before we proceed.
 VOCABULARY
3. Ascribing: वणर्णन करना
Definition: Assigning or giving credit for a particular
trait or action.
Synonyms: Attributing, Accrediting, Associating,
Crediting.
Antonyms: Disclaiming, Renouncing, Disowning,
Refusing.
Used in a sentence: He was ascribing his recent
achievements to his mentor’s guidance.

4. Prosaic: नीरस
Definition: Something that is dull or ordinary.
Synonyms: Mundane, Boring, Routine, Pedestrian.
Antonyms: Eccentric, Extraordinary, Exotic, Unique.
Used in a sentence: The meeting was rather prosaic,
lacking any exciting or innovative idea.
 VOCABULARY

5. Perplexing: उलझन में डालने वाला

Definition: Something that is confusing or difficult to
understand.
Synonyms: Puzzling, Baffling, Bewildering, Disconcerting.
Antonyms: Obvious, Lucid, Intelligible, Straightforward.
Used in a sentence: The mysterious disappearance of the
keys was perplexing.

6. Rebound: फराव
Definition: A recovery or resurgence following a decline.
Synonyms: Revival, Upturn, Renewal, Improvement.
Antonyms: Downturn, Recession, Contraction, Reduction.
Used in a sentence: The rebound in consumer spending
boosted confidence in the economy.
 VOCABULARY
7. Benevolent: परोपकारी
Definition: Someone or something that is kind.
Synonyms: Generous, Charitable, Philanthropic,
Altruistic.
Antonyms: Malevolent, Miserly, Callous, Stingy.
Used in a sentence: She had a benevolent smile that
warmed everyone’s hearts.

8. Reluctant: अ नच्छुक
Definition: Someone who is unwilling to do something.
Synonyms: Hesitant, Resistant, Wary, Averse.
Antonyms: Enthusiastic, Amenable, Eager, Accepting.
Used in a sentence: Despite her reluctance, she
eventually agreed to attend the party with her friends.
 VOCABULARY

9. Flagging: कम होना
Definition: Becoming less energetic or enthusiastic.
Synonyms: Waning, Ebbing, Tapering, Slacking.
Antonyms: Energizing, Strengthening, Reviving,
Invigorating.
Used in a sentence: The flagging energy of the team
affected their performance in the second half.

10. Reticent: मौन रहने वाला

Definition: Someone who is reserved or hesitant to
speak.
Synonyms: Taciturn, Quiet, Silent, Introverted.
Antonyms: Talkative, Garrulous, Loquacious, Vocal.
Used in a sentence: She was reticent about sharing
her personal experiences with strangers.
 VOCABULARY

IDIOMS AND PHRASES

1. Uphill task (Idiom)

Meaning: something that is very difficult.

2. Without any ifs and buts (Idiom)

Meaning: Being straightforward or decisive
without any hesitation.

3. Silver lining (Idiom)

Meaning: a ray of hope or positive aspect in
a difficult situation.
 VOCABULARY

4. Ramp up(Phrasal verb)

Meaning: To increase or raise something.

5. Scaling down (Phrasal verb)

Meaning: the action of reducing the size
or scope of something.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Article for Reading

Modest rebound
The small rise in industrial
output holds some
worrying portents
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

India’s factory output growth slowed to 4.9% in

March from a downgraded 5.6% uptick in February,
despite benevolent base effects from the previous
year when the Index of Industrial Production (IIP)
had shrunk 1.9%. Output from mines slid to a
19-month low growth of 1.2%, while manufacturing
growth picked up from 4.9% in February to 5.2%,
still marking a five month-high. Electricity
generation rose 8.6% but over a contraction in
March 2023. The National Statistical Office, which
will release fresh GDP growth estimates for 2023-24
this month end, will thus factor in a 5.8% uptick in
industrial output through FY2023-24, moderately
higher than the 5.2% rise recorded in the previous
year. Most of this annual increase came from
mining, up 7.5%,
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

while manufacturing saw a milder pick up to 5.5%

from 4.7% in 2022-23 and electricity generation
growth eased to 7.1%. Production growth was
strongest for capital goods as well as infrastructure
and construction goods for the second straight year
— not surprising given the ramp up in government
infrastructure spends to pump prime the economy
till private capex recovers. However, for private
investments to take over the economy’s growth
engine, household consumption signals are critical
and there is little comfort here for the second year in
a row. Production of consumer durables and
non-durables rose just 3.6% and 4%, respectively,
on top of a meagre 0.6% and 0.7% uptick in 2022-23.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

This matches with the 3% growth estimated in

private consumption spends over last year, and
their production this March was still below
pre-COVID levels. Hopes of an above-normal
monsoon may prop up rural demand dented by last
year’s erratic rainfall, although tight credit
conditions could impair urban consumption. As
some economists have stressed, consumption
recovery since the pandemic has been uneven,
driven by demand for higher-end goods and
services from upper-income households, while
lower-income homes have turned reluctant
spenders even for fastmoving consumer goods.
Job creation and real wage growth for those
already employed are imperative for a broad-based
demand recovery that triggers private capex.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

The concern here is that employment-intensive

manufacturing segments such as apparel,
computers and electronics, furniture and leather
products, have contracted in 2023-24, with weaker
exports only explaining part of this downturn. The
latest IIP data also reflect flagging momentum —
growth slid to a three-quarter low of 4.9% between
January and March. The next government must
prioritise addressing the broader challenges
haunting hesitant consumers and reviving
platforms for reticent investors to voice their
concerns freely.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Summary:
India's industrial output growth slowed in March, with
manufacturing at a five-month high of 5.2%, while mining hit a
19-month low at 1.2%. Despite a projected 5.8% increase in
industrial output for FY2023-24, driven mainly by government
infrastructure spending, private consumption remains weak.
Consumer goods production saw minimal growth, reflecting
subdued consumer spending, particularly among
lower-income households. Uneven consumption recovery
post-pandemic highlights the need for broader demand revival
through job creation and real wage growth. The next
government must prioritize addressing these challenges to
stimulate both consumer confidence and investor sentiment.
The tone of the passage is analytical and cautious.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Article for Skimming

Clickbait paper
Linking demographic
shifts directly to state
actions is problematic
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

A recent ‘working paper’ titled the ‘Share of Religious

Minorities: a Cross-Country Analysis (1950-2015)’, by
Shamika Ravi, a credentialed economist and member
of the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) to the Prime
Minister, and two co-authors, has sparked a political
firestorm, dredging familiar anxieties of a decline in
the proportion of Hindus in India’s population. Freely
accessible, the paper draws on a dataset, Religious
Characteristics of States Dataset, 2017 (RCS-Dem),
where two U.S.-affiliated researchers have compiled
an extensive dataset of religio-demographic changes
in 167 countries. By defining ‘majority’ and ‘minority’
religions based on countries’ official census data, the
RCS-Dem quantifies changes in the population of
those professing a country’s major religion.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

There is no discussion on the causes or factors

driving these changes. The current paper does little
other than reproduce this data set, explain it, and
highlight — what has been known since 2011 in
India and discussed threadbare since — that the
share of Hindus as a proportion of India’s
population declined from 84.68% to 78%
(1950-2015). Muslim proportion meanwhile has
risen from 9.84% to 14%. They underline how most
countries have seen their majority-religion
adherents decline. They note that the Indian
experience, vis-à-vis the proportional decline of
Hindus, is unexceptional in the light of broad trends
globally. They reiterate that they make no “...causal
links between a specific state action and
demographic shifts..”
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

They note however that in the “immediate South

Asian neighbourhood”, this 7% relative decline was
second only to Myanmar’s 10% decline of the
majority Theravada Buddhists. From here the
authors make, without analysis or data, a
deduction. That the rise in Muslim numbers proved
media reports and UN human rights reports (which
they cite) of discrimination and violence against
Muslims in India were false. They single out
Pakistan and Bangladesh to underline that
“demographic shocks” reduced the proportion of
the largest minorities, Hindus, there. The authors
thus break their own rule of not having a causative
explanation of demographic change by ascribing
rising Muslim numbers in India to “progressive
policies and inclusive institutions.”
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

The authors would then have to explain if India’s

Parsi and Jain populations (whose numbers they
reference) are declining due to hostile state
policies. Given that prosaic explanations of
declining fertility rates across religions and
economic migration explain some of these known
India trends, it is perplexing why the EAC would
lend its sanction to a work that is at best
incomplete, and at worst disingenuous.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Today's Descriptive Question

Write an essay of 200 words on Advantages and

Disadvantages of Privatization of Banks.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Privatization is the process of transferring ownership

of a business, enterprise, or public service from the
government to private ownership and control. This
can involve selling shares of a state-owned company
to private investors, outsourcing government
functions to private companies, or outright
transferring ownership of assets from the public
sector to the private sector. Privatization of banks can
bring several advantages, such as increased
efficiency and competitiveness in the banking sector.
Private banks are often more profit-driven, leading
to a focus on customer service and innovation to
attract and retain customers. Privatization can also
lead to improved access to capital markets, enabling
banks to raise funds more easily for expansion and
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

investment in new technologies. Additionally, private

ownership can reduce government interference in
banking operations, potentially leading to better risk
management practices.
However, privatization also carries risks and
disadvantages. One concern is the potential for
reduced access to banking services, especially in rural
or underserved areas, as private banks may prioritize
profitable markets. There's also the risk of increased
inequality if privatization leads to higher fees and
charges for banking services. Furthermore, private
ownership may prioritize short-term profits over
long-term stability, potentially increasing the
likelihood of risky behavior and financial instability.
Additionally, there could be job losses and labor
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

disputes as private banks seek to streamline

operations and reduce costs. Overall, while
privatization can bring benefits, careful regulation
and oversight are crucial to mitigate potential
drawbacks and ensure a fair and stable banking
system.
In conclusion, while privatization of banks offers
advantages such as efficiency and innovation, it also
poses risks including reduced access to services,
increased inequality, and potential financial
instability. Effective regulation and oversight are
essential to harness the benefits of privatization
while minimizing its negative impacts on society and
the economy.
Write A letter to the Bank Manager of XYZ bank for applying education loan.

[Your Address]
[City, State, PIN Code]
Date
To,
The Manager
[XYZ bank ]
[City, State, PIN Code]
Subject: Applying education loan in the bank.
Dear Sir/ Ma’am
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to apply
for an education loan to pursue my higher studies. I
have recently been accepted into [Name of
University/College] for [Name of Program/Course],
which I believe will greatly contribute to my personal
and professional development.
As a dedicated and motivated individual, I am
committed to excelling in my chosen field and
making a positive impact in society. However, due to
financial constraints, I am unable to fund my
education independently. Therefore, I am seeking
financial assistance through an education loan from
your esteemed bank.
I have attached all the necessary documents, including
my admission letter, academic transcripts, and proof of
identity and address, for your perusal. I assure you of my
sincerity in repaying the loan amount in a timely manner,
as I understand the importance of fulfilling my financial
obligations.
I kindly request your favorable consideration of my loan
application and would be grateful for any assistance or
guidance you can provide throughout the process. Thank
you for considering my request, and I look forward to a
positive response from your end.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Match the words with their meanings.

Column A Column B

1. Prosaic A. Someone who is hesitant to speak.

2. Reticent B. Someone or something that is kind or generous.

3. Ascribing C. Something that is dull.

4. Threadbare D. Giving credit for a particular trait or action.

5. Benevolent E. Something that is worn out or shabby.

c
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

VOCABULARY FOR ALL

1. Perplexing
2. Reluctant
3. Flagging
4. Prosaic
5. Threadbare
6. Benevolent
7. Reticent
8. Ascribing