EK DUM BASIC
5_6082139415914743577.pdf
💢💢The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 25th MAY
Serving those who serve: On WHO honour for ASHA workers
Recognition very often goes to those at the top of the pecking order, and stays there. Credit seldom trickles down to the worker at the bottom. The World Health Organization’s act of recognising India’s ASHA (accredited social health activists) and the polio workers of Afghanistan is an attempt to right that wrong. It is a rare, and commendable doffing of the hat for workers at the very bottom of the rung, and gives credit where it is due. When WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the names of six Global Health Leader awardees at the opening session of the World Health Assembly, over one million ASHAs and eight volunteer polio workers found themselves being counted amidst people leading from the front. The other awardees are Paul Farmer, co-founder of the NGO Partners in Health, Ahmed Hankir, a British-Lebanese psychiatrist, Ludmila Sofia Oliveira Varela, a youth sports advocate, and Yōhei Sasakawa, WHO’s Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination. Dr. Tedros who picks the awardees himself, said that the award recognises those who have made an outstanding contribution to protecting and promoting health around the world, at a time when the world is facing an unprecedented convergence of inequity, conflict, food insecurity, climate crisis and a pandemic.
The ASHAs were honoured for their “crucial role in linking the community with the health system, to ensure those living in rural poverty can access primary health care services....” These workers, all women, faced harassment and violence for their work during the pandemic, well documented in the media. While the pandemic rewrote the rules, creating danger where mere routine existed, it must be stressed that in general, their job, which takes them into difficult-to-reach places and hostile communities, confers a measure of privations. Even as they contribute to better health outcomes, this workforce continues to protest across the country, for better remuneration, health benefits and permanent posts. The eight volunteer polio workers of Afghanistan (four of them women) were shot and killed by gunmen in Takhar and Kunduz provinces in February 2022. Their work was crucial in a country where wild polio virus type 1 is still circulating, WHO recorded. Clearly, certain kinds of basic public health work are fraught with perils in several continents across the world. It is the duty of the governmental agencies that employ them to ensure their welfare, safety and security. While cheerleading about the award is rightfully reaching a crescendo, what matters is how the Indian government serves its last mile health workers who are its feet on the ground, once the dust raised by their unexpected recognition has settled down.
CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
-------------------------------------------
1. Trickle Down (Phrasal Verb)- to have an effect gradually or after a long time.
2. Doff Of The Hat (Phrase)- to show respect to someone or something.
3. Unprecedented (Adj)- never having happened or existed before. अभूतपूर्व
4. Hostile (Adj)- showing or feeling opposition or dislike; unfriendly. विरोधी
5. Remuneration (N)- money paid for work or a service. पारिश्रमिक
6. Peril (N)- serious and immediate danger. खतरों
7. Crescendo (N)- a gradual increase in something.
Serving those who serve: On WHO honour for ASHA workers
Recognition very often goes to those at the top of the pecking order, and stays there. Credit seldom trickles down to the worker at the bottom. The World Health Organization’s act of recognising India’s ASHA (accredited social health activists) and the polio workers of Afghanistan is an attempt to right that wrong. It is a rare, and commendable doffing of the hat for workers at the very bottom of the rung, and gives credit where it is due. When WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the names of six Global Health Leader awardees at the opening session of the World Health Assembly, over one million ASHAs and eight volunteer polio workers found themselves being counted amidst people leading from the front. The other awardees are Paul Farmer, co-founder of the NGO Partners in Health, Ahmed Hankir, a British-Lebanese psychiatrist, Ludmila Sofia Oliveira Varela, a youth sports advocate, and Yōhei Sasakawa, WHO’s Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination. Dr. Tedros who picks the awardees himself, said that the award recognises those who have made an outstanding contribution to protecting and promoting health around the world, at a time when the world is facing an unprecedented convergence of inequity, conflict, food insecurity, climate crisis and a pandemic.
The ASHAs were honoured for their “crucial role in linking the community with the health system, to ensure those living in rural poverty can access primary health care services....” These workers, all women, faced harassment and violence for their work during the pandemic, well documented in the media. While the pandemic rewrote the rules, creating danger where mere routine existed, it must be stressed that in general, their job, which takes them into difficult-to-reach places and hostile communities, confers a measure of privations. Even as they contribute to better health outcomes, this workforce continues to protest across the country, for better remuneration, health benefits and permanent posts. The eight volunteer polio workers of Afghanistan (four of them women) were shot and killed by gunmen in Takhar and Kunduz provinces in February 2022. Their work was crucial in a country where wild polio virus type 1 is still circulating, WHO recorded. Clearly, certain kinds of basic public health work are fraught with perils in several continents across the world. It is the duty of the governmental agencies that employ them to ensure their welfare, safety and security. While cheerleading about the award is rightfully reaching a crescendo, what matters is how the Indian government serves its last mile health workers who are its feet on the ground, once the dust raised by their unexpected recognition has settled down.
CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
-------------------------------------------
1. Trickle Down (Phrasal Verb)- to have an effect gradually or after a long time.
2. Doff Of The Hat (Phrase)- to show respect to someone or something.
3. Unprecedented (Adj)- never having happened or existed before. अभूतपूर्व
4. Hostile (Adj)- showing or feeling opposition or dislike; unfriendly. विरोधी
5. Remuneration (N)- money paid for work or a service. पारिश्रमिक
6. Peril (N)- serious and immediate danger. खतरों
7. Crescendo (N)- a gradual increase in something.
👍1
EK DUM BASIC
5_6086643015542113572.pdf
💢💢The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 26th MAY
Communal clouds in Kerala: The Hindu Editorial on hate slogans in SDPI rally
The slogans raised by a child at a rally in Kerala’s Alappuzha on May 21 were chilling not merely for the death threats that they make. The fact that an innocent child could be indoctrinated and tutored such that he could call for violence portends a communal storm that is making landfall in the State. Organisers of the rally, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), disowned the slogans, but not in any reassuring manner. The Islamist group’s claim that its rally was to save the Republic does not cut ice, considering its track record and the threatening posturing that it has engaged in, in recent years. It is merely using the democratic space and the prevailing environment of Hindutva upsurge to advance its dangerous, nihilistic communal agenda. At least five people have been killed in Kerala in SDPI-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) rivalry in the State in recent months. In April, in Palakkad, an SDPI worker and an RSS worker were killed within a span of one day; in December 2021, a State Secretary of the SDPI and a Bharatiya Janata Party OBC Morcha State Secretary were killed in Alappuzha in a similar pattern. This was preceded by the murder of an RSS worked in Palakkad, in November. All these killings were brutal in nature, and added an unmistakable communal hue to violence in Kerala unlike the occasional clashes between the RSS and the CPI(M).
The latest incident is not an isolated one. Muslim angst is being harnessed by extremist organisations that dismiss the Indian Union Muslim League, a constituent of the Congress-led United Democratic Front, as a futile political platform for the community. The BJP and the RSS are pushing hard to expand their presence in the State. A toxic cloud of communalism is enveloping the State, as Hindu, Christian, and Islamic groups, and devious politicians are trying to profit from disharmony. The Opposition Congress and the BJP have condemned the Alappuzha incident and criticised the ruling CPI(M) for its disturbing ambiguity on the issue. The Kerala police have filed an FIR in connection with the provocative slogans, but what is missing is a political message. Both in words and action, the Kerala government and the ruling Left Democratic Front led by the CPI(M) must make it clear that any call or mobilisation for violence is unacceptable in the State. Political expediency must not be a determinant in responses to communalism. Along with strong administrative measures, Kerala must shore up all its inherent strengths through popular mobilisation against communalism of all hues — Hindu, Christian or Muslim. The government must take the lead.
CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
-------------------------------------------
1. Nihilistic (Adj)- rejecting all religious and moral principles in the belief that life is meaningless. नाशवाद संबंधी
2. Hue (N)- a different type or group.
3. Angst (N)- a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity.
4.Futile (Adj)- incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. निरर्थक
5. Devious (Adj)- showing a skilful use of underhand tactics to achieve goals.
6. Disharmony (N)- lack of harmony or agreement. असामंजस्य
7. Ambiguity (N)- the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness. अस्पष्टता
8. Provocative (Adj)- causing anger or another strong reaction, especially deliberately. उत्तेजक
Communal clouds in Kerala: The Hindu Editorial on hate slogans in SDPI rally
The slogans raised by a child at a rally in Kerala’s Alappuzha on May 21 were chilling not merely for the death threats that they make. The fact that an innocent child could be indoctrinated and tutored such that he could call for violence portends a communal storm that is making landfall in the State. Organisers of the rally, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), disowned the slogans, but not in any reassuring manner. The Islamist group’s claim that its rally was to save the Republic does not cut ice, considering its track record and the threatening posturing that it has engaged in, in recent years. It is merely using the democratic space and the prevailing environment of Hindutva upsurge to advance its dangerous, nihilistic communal agenda. At least five people have been killed in Kerala in SDPI-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) rivalry in the State in recent months. In April, in Palakkad, an SDPI worker and an RSS worker were killed within a span of one day; in December 2021, a State Secretary of the SDPI and a Bharatiya Janata Party OBC Morcha State Secretary were killed in Alappuzha in a similar pattern. This was preceded by the murder of an RSS worked in Palakkad, in November. All these killings were brutal in nature, and added an unmistakable communal hue to violence in Kerala unlike the occasional clashes between the RSS and the CPI(M).
The latest incident is not an isolated one. Muslim angst is being harnessed by extremist organisations that dismiss the Indian Union Muslim League, a constituent of the Congress-led United Democratic Front, as a futile political platform for the community. The BJP and the RSS are pushing hard to expand their presence in the State. A toxic cloud of communalism is enveloping the State, as Hindu, Christian, and Islamic groups, and devious politicians are trying to profit from disharmony. The Opposition Congress and the BJP have condemned the Alappuzha incident and criticised the ruling CPI(M) for its disturbing ambiguity on the issue. The Kerala police have filed an FIR in connection with the provocative slogans, but what is missing is a political message. Both in words and action, the Kerala government and the ruling Left Democratic Front led by the CPI(M) must make it clear that any call or mobilisation for violence is unacceptable in the State. Political expediency must not be a determinant in responses to communalism. Along with strong administrative measures, Kerala must shore up all its inherent strengths through popular mobilisation against communalism of all hues — Hindu, Christian or Muslim. The government must take the lead.
CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
-------------------------------------------
1. Nihilistic (Adj)- rejecting all religious and moral principles in the belief that life is meaningless. नाशवाद संबंधी
2. Hue (N)- a different type or group.
3. Angst (N)- a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity.
4.Futile (Adj)- incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. निरर्थक
5. Devious (Adj)- showing a skilful use of underhand tactics to achieve goals.
6. Disharmony (N)- lack of harmony or agreement. असामंजस्य
7. Ambiguity (N)- the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness. अस्पष्टता
8. Provocative (Adj)- causing anger or another strong reaction, especially deliberately. उत्तेजक
EK DUM BASIC
5_6098107082119054916.pdf
💢💢The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 30th MAY
Paying a price: On monkeypox outbreak
In three weeks since the first case of monkeypox infection was confirmed on May 7 in the U.K. in a person who had just arrived from Nigeria (where the outbreak has been continuing since September 2017) the virus has spread to at least 21 countries and infected 226 people, mainly in Europe and North America. The U.K., which is the hardest hit, has reported 106 lab-confirmed cases as of May 26. As per WHO, more cases can be expected as surveillance expands; scientists believe the virus has been spreading under the radar for some time. For instance, a person in Canada had symptoms of monkeypox on April 29, though it was not tested at that time. Similarly, the monkeypox genome sequence first shared by Portugal was from a sample collected on May 4 but was not tested for monkeypox till the U.K. reported the first case. All the 21 countries that have reported at least one case are non-endemic for monkeypox, raising concerns about the fast spread of the virus, by far the largest outbreak in humans outside Africa. Two rave parties in Spain and Belgium have been super-spreader events. Nigeria has reported 231 confirmed cases and eight deaths since 2017, with 15 cases reported this year till April 30. There have been a few instances of exportation to non-endemic countries from Nigeria since 2017, and eight such instances in all from the endemic countries in Central and West Africa. However, human-to-human transmission in non-endemic countries has been very limited, if at all, in the past.
Despite the first case in humans being reported in 1970, and the virus becoming endemic in about a dozen countries in Africa, very little attention has been paid to study the virus characteristics, the host animal, and the modes of transmission. However, in September 2019, the FDA approved a vaccine, and two antivirals approved for treating smallpox have shown promise in animal studies. It is unclear how long it would take to contain the outbreak. Meanwhile, there is a potential risk of the virus jumping from humans to animals, which may make it endemic in these countries. While China was rightly criticised for keeping the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak a secret for weeks, the developed countries have paid scant attention to stop the outbreak in Nigeria. The low mortality rate of about 1% for the virus clade now in circulation in Europe and North America, the slow rate of mutation, the relative ease of stopping the virus spread, and the availability of vaccines should not be a reason once more to ignore the virus spread in Nigeria. Instead, it should spur more research on the virus and make vaccines and antivirals available in Nigeria and other endemic countries in Africa.
CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
------------------------------------------
1. Genome (N)- the complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism.
2. Exportation (N)- the act of sending something to another country for sale.
3. Outbreak (N)- a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease.
4. Scant (Adj)- barely sufficient or adequate.
5. Clade (N)- a group of organisms believed to comprise all the evolutionary descendants of a common ancestor.
6. Mutation (N)- the way in which genes change and produce permanent differences. परिवर्तन
Paying a price: On monkeypox outbreak
In three weeks since the first case of monkeypox infection was confirmed on May 7 in the U.K. in a person who had just arrived from Nigeria (where the outbreak has been continuing since September 2017) the virus has spread to at least 21 countries and infected 226 people, mainly in Europe and North America. The U.K., which is the hardest hit, has reported 106 lab-confirmed cases as of May 26. As per WHO, more cases can be expected as surveillance expands; scientists believe the virus has been spreading under the radar for some time. For instance, a person in Canada had symptoms of monkeypox on April 29, though it was not tested at that time. Similarly, the monkeypox genome sequence first shared by Portugal was from a sample collected on May 4 but was not tested for monkeypox till the U.K. reported the first case. All the 21 countries that have reported at least one case are non-endemic for monkeypox, raising concerns about the fast spread of the virus, by far the largest outbreak in humans outside Africa. Two rave parties in Spain and Belgium have been super-spreader events. Nigeria has reported 231 confirmed cases and eight deaths since 2017, with 15 cases reported this year till April 30. There have been a few instances of exportation to non-endemic countries from Nigeria since 2017, and eight such instances in all from the endemic countries in Central and West Africa. However, human-to-human transmission in non-endemic countries has been very limited, if at all, in the past.
Despite the first case in humans being reported in 1970, and the virus becoming endemic in about a dozen countries in Africa, very little attention has been paid to study the virus characteristics, the host animal, and the modes of transmission. However, in September 2019, the FDA approved a vaccine, and two antivirals approved for treating smallpox have shown promise in animal studies. It is unclear how long it would take to contain the outbreak. Meanwhile, there is a potential risk of the virus jumping from humans to animals, which may make it endemic in these countries. While China was rightly criticised for keeping the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak a secret for weeks, the developed countries have paid scant attention to stop the outbreak in Nigeria. The low mortality rate of about 1% for the virus clade now in circulation in Europe and North America, the slow rate of mutation, the relative ease of stopping the virus spread, and the availability of vaccines should not be a reason once more to ignore the virus spread in Nigeria. Instead, it should spur more research on the virus and make vaccines and antivirals available in Nigeria and other endemic countries in Africa.
CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
------------------------------------------
1. Genome (N)- the complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism.
2. Exportation (N)- the act of sending something to another country for sale.
3. Outbreak (N)- a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease.
4. Scant (Adj)- barely sufficient or adequate.
5. Clade (N)- a group of organisms believed to comprise all the evolutionary descendants of a common ancestor.
6. Mutation (N)- the way in which genes change and produce permanent differences. परिवर्तन
EK DUM BASIC
5_6102910874190611995.pdf
💢💢The Hindu Editorial with Vocab - 31st MAY
Born to win: On Gujarat Titans’ maiden win at IPL 2022
A debutant team winning a trophy is a unique sporting high. Gujarat Titans did precisely that while clinching the Indian Premier League (IPL) title through a clinical display against Rajasthan Royals during Sunday’s final in front of a delirious home crowd at Ahmedabad. Summit clashes, except in rare episodes, can be tepid affairs despite all the hype and the IPL climax dished out a low-scoring tussle on a dry surface. But credit is due to the Titans for remaining the stand-out unit through the tournament that remained anchored in Mumbai and Pune before shifting base to Kolkata and Ahmedabad in the concluding stretch. The league also offered some redemption for all-rounder Hardik Pandya, the Titans’ captain. Often weighed down by injuries and the comparisons with Kapil Dev, Pandya finally turned the corner, leading Titans with finesse, scoring brisk runs and prising out valuable wickets like he did in the final — scalping Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer and Royals’ skipper Sanju Samson. Through the IPL’s long summer, Titans always had consistent performers chipping in without fail. In the final too, players cutting across skill-sets and nationalities excelled, be it spinner Rashid Khan or batters Shubman Gill and David Miller while Hardik too etched a 34. For Royals, there were expectations about the team wresting the cup as a tribute to its first captain, the late Shane Warne.
However, sport does not entirely ride on emotion and Royals stumbled at the last step. But there was no shame as the squad did remarkably well until the final with Buttler leading the run charts, scoring tons almost at will. Royals last won the title during the 2008 inaugural edition and the latest comeback augurs well for Samson’s men. Another debutant unit, Lucknow Super Giants, also performed fine to book a last-four slot. That Titans and Giants stayed the course allayed those fears about a bloated league with 10 teams, throwing up forgettable cricket. Instead it was the established behemoths, former champion Mumbai Indians and defending champion Chennai Super Kings, that ate humble pie and reiterated the surprise factor in sport. India’s blue-chip batters — skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — had a horror run while the success of rookie speedster Umran Malik, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and veteran Dinesh Karthik, who blitzed with a strike-rate of 183.33, revealed that hope is intrinsic to the league. In a year that will witness the ICC Twenty20 World Cup, the league was a selection-primer. But a few worries remain and those are centred on the IPL’s commercial heft. The drop in TRPs hints at saturation with the event and the organisers need to find ways to get back viewership. Other than that, the league is here to stay with 10 teams to boot.
CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
-------------------------------------------
1. Delirious (Adj)- marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion. उन्मादी
2. Hype (N)- the use of a lot of advertisements and other publicity to influence or interest people.
3. Redemption (N)- the act of purchasing back something previously sold.
4. Weigh Down (Phrasal Verb)- to cause problems for someone or something, or to make someone worried.
5. Ride On (Phrasal Verb)- depend on something.
6. Stumble (V)- trip or momentarily lose one's balance; almost fall.
7. Behemoth (N)- something enormous, especially a large and powerful organization.
8. Ate Humble Pie (Phrase)- to admit that you were wrong about something.
Born to win: On Gujarat Titans’ maiden win at IPL 2022
A debutant team winning a trophy is a unique sporting high. Gujarat Titans did precisely that while clinching the Indian Premier League (IPL) title through a clinical display against Rajasthan Royals during Sunday’s final in front of a delirious home crowd at Ahmedabad. Summit clashes, except in rare episodes, can be tepid affairs despite all the hype and the IPL climax dished out a low-scoring tussle on a dry surface. But credit is due to the Titans for remaining the stand-out unit through the tournament that remained anchored in Mumbai and Pune before shifting base to Kolkata and Ahmedabad in the concluding stretch. The league also offered some redemption for all-rounder Hardik Pandya, the Titans’ captain. Often weighed down by injuries and the comparisons with Kapil Dev, Pandya finally turned the corner, leading Titans with finesse, scoring brisk runs and prising out valuable wickets like he did in the final — scalping Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer and Royals’ skipper Sanju Samson. Through the IPL’s long summer, Titans always had consistent performers chipping in without fail. In the final too, players cutting across skill-sets and nationalities excelled, be it spinner Rashid Khan or batters Shubman Gill and David Miller while Hardik too etched a 34. For Royals, there were expectations about the team wresting the cup as a tribute to its first captain, the late Shane Warne.
However, sport does not entirely ride on emotion and Royals stumbled at the last step. But there was no shame as the squad did remarkably well until the final with Buttler leading the run charts, scoring tons almost at will. Royals last won the title during the 2008 inaugural edition and the latest comeback augurs well for Samson’s men. Another debutant unit, Lucknow Super Giants, also performed fine to book a last-four slot. That Titans and Giants stayed the course allayed those fears about a bloated league with 10 teams, throwing up forgettable cricket. Instead it was the established behemoths, former champion Mumbai Indians and defending champion Chennai Super Kings, that ate humble pie and reiterated the surprise factor in sport. India’s blue-chip batters — skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — had a horror run while the success of rookie speedster Umran Malik, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and veteran Dinesh Karthik, who blitzed with a strike-rate of 183.33, revealed that hope is intrinsic to the league. In a year that will witness the ICC Twenty20 World Cup, the league was a selection-primer. But a few worries remain and those are centred on the IPL’s commercial heft. The drop in TRPs hints at saturation with the event and the organisers need to find ways to get back viewership. Other than that, the league is here to stay with 10 teams to boot.
CREDIT SOURCE - THE HINDU
-------------------------------------------
1. Delirious (Adj)- marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion. उन्मादी
2. Hype (N)- the use of a lot of advertisements and other publicity to influence or interest people.
3. Redemption (N)- the act of purchasing back something previously sold.
4. Weigh Down (Phrasal Verb)- to cause problems for someone or something, or to make someone worried.
5. Ride On (Phrasal Verb)- depend on something.
6. Stumble (V)- trip or momentarily lose one's balance; almost fall.
7. Behemoth (N)- something enormous, especially a large and powerful organization.
8. Ate Humble Pie (Phrase)- to admit that you were wrong about something.