Daily Vocab for Various Competitive Exams

INDIA’S DIRTY DOZEN

The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) may have adequate reasons to work up lather over a WHO report that lists Patiala among the world’s 20 worst polluted cities. The PPCB’s (1) beef is that the WHO picked on just one measure of air pollutant concentrations-particulate matter pollution (PPM) of 2.5- and it may well be correct. But there can’t be any argument with the rising trend of deaths due to pollution estimated at 6 lakh every year in India due to fine PPM in the air. Some years back, Khanna from Punjab was among the 20 cities in the WHO’s hall of (2) infamy.

Pollution knows no state boundaries. The country needs to first admit that urban pollution is beyond all liveable (3) norms. It needs no (4) iteration that the high concentration of suspended matter in the air leads to allergies and cardiovascular diseases, ultimately contributing to erosion of household income and loss of crores of workdays. The standard fare of tougher emission standards for industry and automobiles have prevented the problem from taking a turn for the worse. But millions of Indians are heading for premature death or avoidable illness because of a host of reasons of which high PPM is one.

The promise of 100 smart cities had raised visions of a (5) comprehensive effort at unitedly tackling pollution’s multiple sources. That vision has since suffered a (6) meltdown. It is encouraging that Punjab is taking serious steps to (7) curb (8) stubble burning. Like all states, its pollution control board has a wide remit: from controlling modified silencers on bikes to thermal plant pollution. Regulators from the (9) apex court to state PCBs have been actively engaged in checking pollution from all possible sources. But for the longer term, the Centre needs to implement its targets for green energy. India must move beyond (10) rhetorical flourishes to actually give a good quality of life to its citizens.

1. BEEF (noun) : उलाहना
Meaning: an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment.
Synonyms: bleat, carp, complaint, fuss, grievance, gripe, grouch, grumble, lament, moan, squawk, wail, whimper.
Antonyms: commendation, compliment, plaudit, acclaim, applause, praise, approval, endorsement.

2. INFAMY (noun) : बदनामी
Meaning: the state of being well known for some bad quality or deed.
Synonyms: notoriety, ill repute, ill fame, disgrace, discredit, shame, dishonor, ignominy, scandal, censure, blame, disapprobation, condemnation, contempt.
Antonyms: admiration, appreciation, estimation, regard, reverence, fame, glory, renown, repute, esteem, honor, respect.

3. NORM (noun) : आदर्श
Meaning: something that is usual, typical, or standard.
Synonyms: standard, usual, normal, typical, average, the rule, predictable, unexceptional.
Antonyms: abnormality, anomaly, deviation, exception, rarity.

4. ITERATION (noun) : पुनरावृत्ति
Meaning: the action or a process of repeating.
Synonyms: duplication, redo, reduplication, reiteration, renewal, repetition, replay, replication, reprise.

5. COMPREHENSIVE (adjective) : सविस्तार
Meaning: covering everything or all important points.
Synonyms: inclusive, complete, thorough, extensive, overarching, exhaustive, in-depth, far-reaching, radical, compendious, omnibus.
Antonyms: circumscribed, limited, narrow, restricted, specialized, exact, precise, incomplete, patchy.

6. MELTDOWN (noun) : मंदी
Meaning: a disastrous collapse or breakdown.
Synonyms: fiasco, catastrophe, debacle, fusion, tragedy, decay, adversity, exigency,
Antonyms: advantage, aid, benefit, blessing, boon, cause, delight, favor, fortune, gain, happiness, help, joy, luck, miracle.

7. CURB (verb) : वश में रखना
Meaning: restrain or keep in check.
Synonyms: repress, suppress, bridle, tame, subdue, stifle, muzzle, limit, retard, restrict, constrain, deter, impede, trammel.
Antonyms: liberate, loosen, unleash, express, vent, permit, liberate, assist, encourage, aid.

8. STUBBLE (noun) : खूंटी
Meaning: the cut stalks of cereal plants left sticking out of the ground after the grain is harvested.
Synonyms: straw, husk, debris, shuck, dregs, residue, orts, stalk.

9. APEX (noun) : सिरा
Meaning: the top or highest part of something, especially one forming a point.
Synonyms: acme, apogee, capstone, climax, crescendo, crest, culmination, peak, pinnacle, summit, top, zenith.
Antonyms: abyss, base, minimum, bottom, nadir, perigee, trough.

10. RHETORICAL (adjective) : शब्दाडंबरपूर्ण
Meaning: marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases.
Synonyms: extravagant, grandiloquent, magniloquent, lofty, orotund, grandiose, pompous, pretentious, oratorical, declamatory, epideictic, fustian.
Antonyms: eloquent, well-spoken, direct, matter-of-fact, plain, plainspoken, simple, stark, straightforward, unadorned, unaffected, unpretentious.