THE HINDU

EDITORIAL
6th 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. Nebulous: अस्प ट
Definition: Something that is unclear.
Synonyms: Vague, Ambiguous, Obscure, Murky.
Antonyms: Distinct, Precise, Unambiguous, Clear.
Used in a sentence: The instructions were nebulous,
leaving us unsure of what to do next.
2. Disillusionment: नराशा
Definition: A feeling of disappointment.
Synonyms: Disenchantment, Dismay, Despondency,
Frustration.
Antonyms: Delight, Elation, Contentment, Fulfillment.
Used in a sentence: Emma’s disillusionment with love
deepened after her heart was broken for the third
time.
 VOCABULARY

3. Repression: दमन
Definition: The act of suppressing something.
Synonyms: Inhibition, Oppression, Repudiation,
Subjugation.
Antonyms: Liberation, Emancipation, Unleashing,
Freedom.
Used in a sentence: After experiencing trauma, she
struggled with repression of her memories.
4. Rejig: बदलाव
Definition: To reorganize or rearrange something.
Synonyms: Restructure, Reshuffle, Redesign,
Overhaul.
Antonyms: Preserve, Maintain, Keep in place.
Used in a sentence: We need to rejig our schedule
to accommodate the new project deadline.
 VOCABULARY

5. Abrogation: नराकरण
Definition: The act of abolishing a law, agreement or custom.
Synonyms: Annulment, Revocation, Rescindment,
Nullification.
Antonyms: Establishment, Reinforcement, Enactment,
Endorsement.
Used in a sentence: The abrogation of the treaty led to
increased tensions between the two nations.
6. Ostensibly: जा हरा तौर पर
Definition: Something is presented as true or genuine, but
there may be reasons to doubt it.
Synonyms: Apparently, Seemingly, Purportedly, Supposedly.
Antonyms: Certainly, Actually, Clearly, Definitely.
Used in a sentence: He was ostensibly focused on his work,
but his mind seemed elsewhere.
 VOCABULARY

7. Replete: प रपूणर्ण
Definition: Filled or well-supplied with something.
Synonyms: Abundant, Brimming, Loaded, Laden.
Antonyms: Sparse, Scant, Lacking, Deficient.
Used in a sentence: The buffet was replete with a
variety of delicious dishes.
8. Corroborated: पुि ट
Definition: Confirmed or supported by additional
evidence.
Synonyms: Verified, Substantiated, Authenticated,
Proven.
Antonyms: Refuted, Disproved, Invalidated,
Challenged.
Used in a sentence: The witness’ testimony was
corroborated by security camera footage.
 VOCABULARY

9. Bizarrely: असामान्य ढं ग से
Definition: Something that is strange.
Synonyms: Unusually, Abnormally, Oddly, Weirdly.
Antonyms: Traditionally, Normally, Typically,
Standardly.
Used in a sentence: Bizarrely, the cat started dancing
to the music.
10. Reconciliation: सुलह
Definition: Restoration of friendly relations.
Synonyms: Harmony, Resolution, Agreement,
Settlement.
Antonyms: Dissension, Discord, Alienation, Conflict.
Used in a sentence: The reconciliation between two
nations brought hope for lasting peace.
 VOCABULARY

IDIOMS AND PHRASES

1. An uphill task (Idiom)
Meaning: A difficult or challenging endeavor
that requires significant effort to accomplish.

2. Apples and Oranges (Idiom)

Meaning: A situation where two things are
fundamentally different and therefore cannot
be compared directly.

3. To open a can of worms (Idiom)

Meaning: To uncover a complicated situation
while searching for something else.
 VOCABULARY

4. Come across (Phrasal verb)

Meaning: To find or encounter something
or someone by chance.

5. Go over (Phrasal verb)

Meaning: To review or examine
something carefully.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Article for Reading

It is time to
operationalise the
Indian Defence
University
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

The Greek thinker Thucydides is said to have remarked

that a nation which makes a distinction between its
scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by
cowards and its fighting done by fools. It is no surprise
that several nations have established ‘defence
universities’ to promote academic rigour and enhance
strategic thinking in their armed forces. In India’s own
neighbourhood, it is reported that Pakistan has created
two universities for its armed forces, while China has
three, although a report of the Australian Strategic
Policy Institute lists more than 60 Chinese universities
with military and security links. In this context, the
absence of the long overdue Indian Defence University
(IDU) is concerning. While the nature of war remains
constant, its changing character imposes a premium
on military education and the academic preparation
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

required to cope with current and future security

challenges. The dynamic and chaotic character of warfare
currently on display in Europe and West Asia means that
military officers are expected to produce results in the
face of nebulous initial information and rapidly changing
circumstances. To meet complex challenges, officers are
empowered through a well-constructed Professional
Military Education (PME) continuum that augments their
abilities to correspond with changing assignments and
increasing responsibilities over long career spans. The
evolution of PME in the U.S. is of interest to us, since it
has parallels with Indian theaterisation aims. While the
Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization Act, 1986
brought wide-ranging structural reforms, the U.S.
military’s professionalism is perhaps owed in large
measure to ‘Ike’ Skelton, whose report to the U.S.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Congress significantly reformed military education in

the U.S. armed forces. This report advised the
Department of Defense to focus educational
institutions on specified learning objectives, enhance
the quality of both civilian and military faculty,
establish a two-phased system for the education of
joint officers, and form an Institute for National
Strategic Studies at National Defense University,
among other things. The Indian armed forces, like
others, need a broad-based education system, founded
upon academic rigour. The realisation of the IDU is
long overdue. Some experts have suggested that after
the establishment of the Rashtriya Raksha University
(RRU) in Gujarat, there may not be a need for IDU. This
argument is awed, because comparing the IDU and
RRU is like comparing apples and oranges.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Neither does the RRU Act specify education related

to ‘defence’ in its objectives, nor is its curriculum
focused solely on military requirements for
management of war and execution of plans. The
IDU as an idea has come and delays attached in its
commissioning come at the cost of defence
preparedness, strategic culture, and inter-service
integration. The need of the hour is to
operationalise the IDU at the earliest, so that the
first building-blocks of joint warfighting can be put
in place through a well-calibrated and futuristic
military education curriculum.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Summary:
The passage discusses the absence of the Indian
Defence University (IDU) despite the establishment
of defense universities in neighboring countries. It
emphasizes the importance of Professional Military
Education (PME) to cope with evolving security
challenges. Despite initiatives dating back to 1967
and 'in principle' approval in 2010, progress on the
IDU has been slow. The IDU is deemed essential
for enhancing defense preparedness, strategic
culture, and inter-service integration. Its
establishment is urged for joint warfighting
readiness and a comprehensive military education
curriculum.
The tone of the passage is informative and urgent.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Article for Skimming

Where does ‘us

versus them’ bias in
the brain come
from?
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

That all humans are equal is a scientic fact

established by modern genetics. However, the history
of humankind is replete with people from one cultural
or social group treating those from others as if they
are less than human — a phenomenon called
pseudo-speciation. The basis of this deep-seated
tendency in people continues to be the focus of
intense research efforts in psychology and
neuroscience. Many recent studies have found that
our brains process information about in-groups (i.e.
“us”) and out-groups (“them”) differently. In
particular, a study published on March 18, 2024, in
Frontiers in Psychology reported that, bizarrely, the
criteria our brains use to categorise others as “us” or
“them” shift constantly. Researchers asked half of a
group of young, white participants to describe how
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

they — as white people — differed from black

individuals. They asked the other half to describe
how they differed from old persons. In this way, the
researchers drew the participants’ attention to
specific aspects of their own social identity
(“white” or “young”) and to perceived differences
from the respective outgroups. Assessing the
participant responses using a psychological test
called an implicit association test (IAT), the
researchers found that directing participants’
attention to different facets of their in-group identity
was sufficient to change their intergroup bias. That
is, the participants’ preferences changed depending
on whether their brains used age or race to classify
others.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Neuroimaging studies have corroborated such

findings from psychology research, and have
clarified that information-processing in the brain is
different depending on whether it pertains to “us”
or to “them”. Brain regions that activate in
response to the direct experience of pain as well as
empathy for the pain of others include parts of the
anterior cingulate cortex and insula. The first report
showing this selective processing was published
more than a decade ago. Participants were shown
images of others in distress (e.g. people affected by
natural disasters) and non-painful situations (e.g.
people out on a picnic). Images of their brains
showed lower activation in these brain regions
when those in distress belonged to racial groups
different from the participants.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Since then, several other studies have substantiated these

findings. Depending on the context, this differential
processing could be harmless, lead to subtle forms of
in-group favouritism or, in extreme cases, to intergroup
violence. Bias doesn’t exist at birth. It is a learned response
built on cultural associations together with the brain’s
biology. Yet preferential bias towards in-group members
doesn’t mean an individual will be hostile towards
out-group members. Factors that lead to hostility include
the notion of associating an out-group with a threat.
Uncertain circumstances — such as those we witnessed
during the pandemic — can also heighten mistrust towards
the outgroup. Neuroimaging studies that have explored the
basis of intergroup threats have highlighted the role of a
specific brain region called the amygdala. An
almond-shaped region situated deep in the brain,
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

the amygdala is central to detecting threats and

fear-based learning. Imaging studies have shown the
amygdala activates to a greater degree when the source
of threat is from an out-group member. We need more
research to better understand neural processing,
particularly the extent to which these results are
generalisable. A better understanding of the human
brain in the context of intergroup threats can also shed
light on ways to improve reconciliation. Whenever you
hear social and/or cultural narratives presented as a
“fact of life” — that, say, “they are bad people” — and
find yourself getting sucked into it, remember that
somewhere behind this statement is a misappropriated
bit of brain biology. Being aware of our own biology can
make us more informed, especially when faced with
narratives that arouse rather than inform.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Today's Descriptive Question

Write an essay of 200 words on Non-performing

assets and their impact.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Non-performing assets (NPAs) are loans or advances

where the borrower has stopped making interest or
principal repayments for a specified period, usually 90
days. NPAs have a detrimental impact on financial
institutions, borrowers, and the overall economy.
Firstly, NPAs weaken the financial health of banks and
financial institutions. When loans turn into NPAs,
banks suffer from a loss of interest income and may
need to set aside provisions, affecting their
profitability and capital adequacy. This can constrain
their ability to lend, hampering economic growth.
Secondly, NPAs indicate inefficiencies in credit
allocation and risk management practices.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

Lending to borrowers with weak creditworthiness or

inadequate due diligence can lead to a higher
incidence of NPAs. This erodes investor confidence
and can trigger financial instability. Moreover, NPAs
burden borrowers with additional financial stress.
Defaulting on loans can lead to legal proceedings,
asset seizures, and damage to creditworthiness,
making it harder for borrowers to access credit in the
future. Overall, NPAs impede economic progress by
restricting credit flow, distorting resource allocation,
and undermining financial stability.
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

To mitigate their impact, it's crucial for financial

institutions to adopt prudent lending practices,
enhance risk management frameworks, and
collaborate with regulators to address systemic
issues.
Write A letter to the Bank Manager for a loan to have higher studies in USA.

[Your Address]
[City, State, PIN Code]
Date
To,
The Manager
[XYZ bank ]
[City, State, PIN Code]
Subject: Request for Educational Loan for Higher Studies in the USA.
Dear Sir/ Ma’am
I hope this letter finds you in good health and
spirits. I am writing to request your esteemed
bank's assistance in obtaining an educational
loan to pursue higher studies in the United
States. As an aspiring student, I have been
offered admission to a reputable institution in the
USA, where I aim to pursue [mention your field of
study or degree program]. However, to realize this
academic endeavor, I require financial support to
cover tuition fees, accommodation, and other
associated expenses.
I assure you of my commitment to academic
excellence and my determination to repay the
loan in a timely manner.
I am willing to provide any necessary
documentation and adhere to the terms and
conditions set forth by the bank. Your favorable
consideration of my request would be greatly
appreciated, and I am eager to discuss this matter
further at your convenience.

Thank you for considering my application.

Sincerely,

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

Match the words with their meanings.

Column A Column B

1. Rejig A. Restoration of friendly relations.

2. Nebulous B. Filled or well-supplied with something.

3. Replete C. The act of abolishing a law or custom.

4. Abrogation D. To reorganize or rearrange something.

5. Reconciliation E. Something that is unclear.

c
 THE HINDU EDITORIAL LIVE DAILY @ 7 AM

VOCABULARY FOR ALL

1. Corroborated
2. Disillusionment
3. Ostensibly
4. Repression
5. Nebulous
6. Reconciliation
7. Abrogation
8. Rejig
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