THE HINDU
Life elsewhere
The discovery of seven exoplanets makes the search for extraterrestrial life more exciting
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24th Feb 2017
The quest (इच्छा) to find life outside the solar system got a big boost with the discovery of seven Earth-size extrasolar planets, or exoplanets (एक ग्रह है जो सौर मंडल के बाहर एक स्टार की कक्षाओं), orbiting a dwarf (नाटा) star about 40
light years away. Unlike earlier discoveries of exoplanets, all seven planets could possibly have liquid water — a key
to life as we know it on Earth — with three planets having the greatest chance. This is by far the largest collection of
Earth-like planets in the habitable ‘Goldilocks’ zone of a star — neither too close nor too far from a star, which raises
the possibility of liquid water being present on the surface. Only Earth has liquid water in the solar system. Less than
a year after scientists announced the discovery of three planets orbiting (ग्रहपथ ) the dwarf star, the team found four
more through intense (अत्यन्त) searches using several ground-based telescopes, including a 20-day continuous
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monitoring using the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Spitzer Space Telescope. Since the dwarf
star is much cooler than the Sun, the dimming (मद्धिमन) of light each time a planet passes or transits before the star
could be easily recorded from Earth unlike in cases when planets transit a Sun-like bright star. Since the initial
discovery of three planets was made using the Chile-based Transiting Planets and Planetesimals (ग्रहाणु) Small
Telescope, the exoplanet system is called TRAPPIST-1. Unlike in the case of our solar system, the planets have
apparently formed far away from the star and gradually migrated (स्थानांतरण करना) towards it; they share a similar
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formation history with the Galilean moons, which migrated towards Jupiter after formation. Another major
difference in comparison with the solar system is the tight packing of the seven planets around the star. The closest
planet in the TRAPPIST-1 system takes just 1.5 days to complete an orbit and the farthest one takes 20 days; the
orbital period of the planets is also similar to the Galilean moons.
With a fair possibility of liquid water being present on at least three planets, the focus is now on deciphering
(समझाना) the climate and chemical composition of their atmosphere. As a first measure, scientists are keen to know
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if the planets are Earth-like, by ruling out the presence of hydrogen gas enveloping (घेरा रचना) them. Mass estimates
already suggest that the inner six planets might have a rocky composition, while the one with a low density may
have a volatile composition due to the presence of an ice layer or atmosphere. The composition of the atmosphere
can be identified by measuring the wavelength characteristics of light. Since the TRAPPIST-1 system is close by and
the star is cool enough, it would be easier to decipher the various critical features of the planets. If there is life on
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these planets, we would know this in about 10 years. The search for extraterrestrial (अलौककक) life has just become
more focussed.
1. Quest
an act or process of looking carefully or thoroughly for someone or something <the Holy Grail was the object of a
mystical quest by the knights of the Round Table>
Synonyms hunt, search
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Related Words shakedown; sweep; chase, pursuit; recon, reconnaissance, scout; canvass (also canvas), survey;
exploration, probe; forage
2. Dwarf
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a living thing much smaller than others of its kind <Shetland ponies are the dwarfs of the horse world>
Synonyms diminutive, midget, mite, peewee, pygmy (also pigmy), runt, scrub, shrimp, Tom Thumb
Related Words nubbin; mini, miniature; bantam; homunculus, hop-o'-my-thumb, manikin (also mannikin); half-pint
Near Antonyms whale, whopper
Antonyms behemoth, colossus, giant, jumbo, leviathan, mammoth, monster, titan
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers <Snow White and the seven dwarfs>
Synonyms brownie, fairy, elf, faerie (also faery), fay, gnome, goblin, gremlin, hobgoblin, kobold, leprechaun, pixie
(also pixy), puck, sprite, troll
Related Words little people; kelpie, nixie; changeling; imp; banshee, ghoul, hag, ogre
3. Intense
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extreme in degree, power, or effect <the intense cold of the polar regions>
Synonyms acute, almighty, blistering, deep, dreadful, excruciating, explosive, exquisite, fearful, fearsome, ferocious,
fierce, frightful, furious, ghastly, hard, heavy, heavy-duty, hellacious, intensive, keen, profound, terrible, vehement,
vicious, violent
Related Words accentuated, aggravated, concentrated, deepened; emphasized, enhanced, heightened, intensified,
magnified; stressed; exhaustive, thorough; harsh, rigorous, severe
Near Antonyms feeble, weak; shallow, superficial; moderated, qualified; alleviated, eased, lightened, toned (down);
abated, decreased, diminished, lessened, reduced, subdued
Antonyms light, moderate, soft
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4. Dimming
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having or expressing great depth of feeling <an intense actor who favors edgy film roles>
Synonyms ardent, blazing, burning, charged, demonstrative, emotional, fervid, feverish, fiery, flaming, glowing, hotblooded, impassioned, incandescent, fervent, passional, passionate, perfervid, red-hot, religious, superheated,
torrid, vehement, warm, warm-blooded
Related Words gushing, gushy, maudlin, mawkish, mushy, saccharine, sappy, schmaltzy, sentimental, sloppy, sugary;
histrionic, melodramatic; enthusiastic, gung ho, keen, zealous; enamored, infatuated, obsessed; uninhibited,
unreserved, unrestrained; frenzied, orgiastic, overemotional, overexcited, overheated
Near Antonyms detached, dry, impersonal, objective; reserved, undemonstrative
Antonyms cold, cool, dispassionate, emotionless, impassive, unemotional
Ab
being without light or without much light <a dim room in the basement that is very depressing>
Synonyms black, caliginous, darkened, darkish, darkling, darksome, dark, dimmed, dusk, dusky, gloomy, lightless,
murky, obscure, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, pitchy, rayless, somber (or sombre), stygian, tenebrific, tenebrous,
unlit
Related Words crepuscular, twilit; moonless, starless, sunless; cloudy, dull, dulled, lackluster; shadowlike, shadowy,
shady; gray (also grey), leaden, pale; beclouded, befogged, clouded, foggy, fuliginous, misty, smoggy, soupy
Near Antonyms ablaze, agleam, aglitter, alight, beaming, beamy, effulgent, glaring, glowing, incandescent, lambent,
radiant, relucent, resplendent, shining, sparkling; ultrabright; glossy, lustrous, shiny; floodlit (also floodlighted),
highlighted, spotlighted (or spotlit); moonlit, moony, starlit, sunlit
Antonyms bright, brightened, brilliant, illuminated, illumined, light, lit (or lighted), lightsome, lucent, lucid, luminous
5. Planetesimals
a minute planet; a body which could come together with many others under gravitation to form a planet
6. Migrated
(of an animal, typically a bird or fish) move from one region or habitat to another according to the seasons.
synonyms: roam, wander, drift, rove, travel (around), voyage, journey, trek, hike, itinerate, globetrot
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move from one part of something to another.
synonyms: relocate, resettle, move, move house; emigrate, go abroad, go overseas, be posted, defect, trek; pull up
stakes; informalup sticks, flit; formalremove
7. Decipher
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to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language <we deciphered the hidden message to find out
when we were supposed to meet>
Synonyms break, crack, decode, decrypt
Related Words descramble, unscramble; render, translate; dope (out), figure out, puzzle (out), solve, unravel,
unriddle, work, work out
Near Antonyms garble, jumble (up), mix (up)
Antonyms cipher, code, encipher, encode, encrypt
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to have a clear idea of <a convoluted thriller, the plot of which I was never able to actually decipher>
Synonyms appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, behold, catch, catch on (to), cognize, compass, conceive, cotton (to or
on to), comprehend, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, grok, intuit, know, make, make out, perceive, recognize,
register, savvy, see, seize, sense, tumble (to), twig, understand
Related Words absorb, digest, take in; realize; fathom, penetrate, pierce
Near Antonyms misapprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misperceive, misread, mistake,
misunderstand
Antonyms miss
8. Enveloping
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to close or shut in by or as if by barriers <a chronic mistrust of outsiders envelops that neighborhood, cutting it off
from the rest of the city>
Synonyms box (in), cage, closet, coop (up), corral, encage, encase, enclose, fence (in), hedge, hem (in), house,
immure, include, mew (up), pen, wall (in)
Related Words bound, circumscribe, confine, contain, limit, restrict; encircle, encompass, enfold, enframe, enlace,
frame, ring, surround; armor, cocoon, encapsulate, encapsule, encyst, ensheathe, ensphere, enwomb
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to surround or cover closely <the truth of the presidential assassination is enveloped in a dense fog of myths and
conspiracy theories>
Synonyms bosom, bower, circumfuse, cocoon, embosom, embower, embrace, enclose (also inclose), encompass,
enshroud, enswathe, enfold, enwrap, invest, involve, lap, mantle, muffle, shroud, swathe, veil, wrap
Related Words curtain, drape; embed (also imbed), encase; swaddle; blanket, overlay, overspread; camouflage,
cloak, disguise, mask; circle, encircle, enlace, enwind
Near Antonyms bare, denude, expose, strip
9. Extraterrestrial
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of or from outside the earth or its atmosphere.
a hypothetical or fictional being from outer space.
Campus chill
There must be action against those behind the violence at Delhi’s Ramjas College
24th Feb 2017
A very uneasy calm was restored to the Delhi University’s North campus by Thursday, with anxiety still gripping
(दिलचस्प) colleges and hostels after two days of violence (उत्पात). Trouble started on Tuesday when members of the
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Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student organisation linked to the BJP, stormed Ramjas College to disrupt
(अस्त-व्यस्त करना) a seminar titled “Cultures of Protest” organised by its English department and the literary society
(सादहत्त्यक समाज). They focussed attention on the participation of Umar Khalid, a student leader from Jawaharlal
Nehru University (JNU) who had been controversially booked for sedition (विद्रोह) last year in a particularly fraught
(भरपूर) ideological stand-off between the establishment and the left-leaning JNU. They forced the cancellation of not
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just his session at Ramjas College but also what remained of the two-day event. A day later, as a protest against the
incident was organised on the DU campus, ABVP members again arrived at the gates of Ramjas College to prevent
students from participating in the march. In no time, clashes erupted, with students of the college alleging ( आरोप
लगाना) violence by the ABVP members and a hands-off response from the Delhi Police. Student politics in DU has
often been edgy (धचड़धचड़ा), but this week’s events mark a dark and worrying turn. Fearing trouble, many students
associated with the anti-ABVP protest who live around the campus left to stay elsewhere. Students are mobilising to
demand that the first information report make a distinction between those who disrupted the seminar and those
rallying in its defence. But the most grave consequence is the message that is being sent out about the possibility of
free debate.
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Umar Khalid was to have spoken in a session on “Unveiling the state: Regions in conflict — the war in Adivasi areas”,
reportedly based on his research on Bastar. It was part of a programme cleared by the college authorities. If they are
so quickly intimidated (िमकाया) into cancelling the seminar, if the police do not rally sufficiently to protect debate
on the campus, the signal goes out that students and faculty are on their own in defending the right to free debate.
The Ramjas College incident also comes a year after the events at JNU when the ABVP led the Sangh’s charge against
what they deemed to be “anti-national”. Then too an impression was created that the police were too easily led to
heed the ABVP’s agenda; the reverberations (प्रततध्ितन ) of that episode are still being felt. Universities are arenas for
intellectual evolution, they are meant to be spaces where discussion and debate push boundaries, where students
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learn not only the art of provocation (उकसाना) but also the argumentative skills to defend and oppose such
provocation. Certainly, there are necessary curbs such as a bar on speech that incites violence and hate. But when a
students’ organisation uses violence to have a seminar cancelled, and when the authorities succumb (झक
ु जाना) so
1. Gripping
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easily, Indian academia stands diminished.
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holding the attention or provoking interest <I found the exhibit on the Holocaust intensely gripping and quite
moving>
Synonyms absorbing, arresting, consuming, engaging, engrossing, enthralling, fascinating, interesting, immersing,
intriguing, involving, riveting
Related Words breathtaking, electric, electrifying, exciting, exhilarating, galvanizing, inspiring, rousing, stimulating,
stirring, thrilling; provocative, tantalizing; emphatic, showy, splashy, striking; alluring, attractive, bewitching,
captivating, charming, enchanting, spellbinding; hypnotizing, mesmerizing; curious, odd, unusual, weird; amazing,
astonishing, astounding, eventful, eye-opening, fabulous, marvelous (or marvellous), surprising, wonderful,
wondrous; amusing, entertaining
Near Antonyms operose, tiresome, tiring, wearisome, wearying; sterile, unexciting; dreary, humdrum, pedantic,
pedestrian; demoralizing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting
Antonyms boring, drab, dry, dull, heavy, monotonous, tedious, uninteresting
2. Violence
the use of brute strength to cause harm to a person or property <the police believe that the woman died of natural
causes rather than as a result of violence>
Synonyms force, foul play
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Related Words coercion, compulsion, constraint, duress, pressure; barbarity, brutality, savagery; damage, detriment,
harm, hurt, impairment, injury; crippling, maiming, mayhem, mutilation; assault, attack, bashing, battering, battery,
batting, beating, belting, bludgeoning, buffeting, clubbing, cudgeling (or cudgelling), drubbing, flogging, hammering,
lacing, licking, mauling, paddling, pelting, pommeling (or pommelling), pounding, pummeling (also pummelling),
smashing, socking, thrashing, thumping, tromping, walloping, whaling, whipping; frenzy, fury, onslaught, outbreak,
outrage, paroxysm, rage, rampage, revolt, riot, rupture, shock, storm, terror, threat, tumult, turbulence, upheaval,
uproar; browbeating, bulldozing, bullying, hectoring, strong-arming
Near Antonyms pacificism, pacifism
Antonyms nonviolence
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depth of feeling <some people were taken aback by the violence with which the magazine's art critic attacked the
exhibition>
Synonyms ardency, emotion, enthusiasm, fervency, fervidness, fervor, fire, heat, intenseness, intensity, passion,
passionateness, vehemence, ardor, warmth, white heat
Related Words cathexis; emotionalism, emotionality, histrionics, mawkishness, melodrama, sappiness,
sentimentality; eagerness, earnestness, excitement, gusto, keenness, zest; fanaticism, fever, hot-bloodedness,
infatuation, mania, obsession, zeal; compassion, responsiveness, sentiment, sympathy, tenderness; torridity,
torridness
Near Antonyms aloofness, calmness, collectedness, composure, detachedness, dryness, phlegm, reserve,
reservedness, reticence, taciturnity; apathy, indifference, stoicism, stoniness, unconcern; stiffness, woodenness;
chilliness, coldness, coolness, frigidity, frigidness
Antonyms impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, insensibleness, insensitiveness, insensitivity
3. Disrupt
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to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly <an earthquake that had disrupted the elevated
highway in several places>
Synonyms break up, bust, distintegrate, dismember, break, fracture, fragment, rive
Related Words atomize, crush, grind, powder, pulverize, reduce; blast, blow up, burst, detonate, explode; crack, pop,
shatter, shiver, smash; chip, sliver, splinter, split; implode; destroy, ruin, wreck
Near Antonyms doctor, fix, heal, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair
4. Sedition
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to undo the proper order or arrangement of <the arrival of a baby in the household would totally disrupt their
established routine>
Synonyms confuse, derange, disarrange, disarray, discompose, dishevel, disjoint, dislocate, disorganize, disorder,
disturb, hash, jumble, mess (up), mix (up), muddle, muss, rumple, scramble, shuffle, tousle, tumble, upset
Related Words embroil, entangle, snarl, tangle; agitate, perturb, stir (up), unsettle; clutter
Near Antonyms align (also aline), line, line up, queue; classify, codify, methodize, systematize, systemize; adjust, fix;
groom, make up, spruce (up); unscramble
Antonyms arrange, array, dispose, draw up, marshal (also marshall), order, organize, range, regulate, straighten (up),
tidy
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conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.
synonyms: incitement (to riot/rebellion), agitation, rabble-rousing, fomentation (of discontent), troublemaking,
provocation, inflaming; rebellion, revolt, insurrection, rioting, mutiny, insurgence, insurgency, subversion, civil
disorder, insubordination, disobedience, resistance, defiance
5. Fraught
possessing or covered with great numbers or amounts of something specified <every room in my childhood home is
fraught with memories>
Synonyms abounding, abundant, awash, flush, rife, lousy, replete, swarming, teeming, thick, thronging
Related Words brimming, bulging, bursting, chock-full (or chockful), crammed, crowded, fat, filled, full, jammed, jampacked, loaded, packed, saturated, stuffed; clogged, congested, overcrowded, overfilled, overflowing, overfull,
overladen, overloaded, overstuffed, surfeited; alive, animated, astir, bustling, busy, buzzing, humming, lively
Near Antonyms bare, barren, blank, devoid, empty, stark, vacant, void; depleted, drained, exhausted; deficient,
incomplete, insufficient, short
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marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings <had a fraught meeting with his estranged wife to discuss
a divorce settlement>
Synonyms agitating, anxious, creepy, disquieting, distressful, distressing, disturbing, nervous, hairy, nail-biting,
nerve-racking (or nerve-wracking), restless, tense, uneasy, unnerving, unsettling, worrisome
Related Words bothersome, troublesome; foreboding, misgiving; discouraging, disheartening, strained; restive,
restless, unrestful; awkward, embarrassing
Near Antonyms restful; pacific
Antonyms calming, comfortable, easy, peaceful, quiet, quieting, tranquil
6. Allege
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to state as a fact usually forcefully <alleged that the restaurant chain was engaging in discriminatory hiring practices>
Synonyms affirm, claim, assert, aver, avouch, avow, contend, declare, insist, maintain, profess, protest, purport,
warrant
Related Words announce, broadcast, proclaim; argue, rationalize, reason; confirm, justify, vindicate; defend,
persevere, support, uphold; reaffirm, reassert
Near Antonyms abandon; disavow, disclaim, disown, negate, negative, reject, repudiate; challenge, dispute,
question; confute, disprove, rebut, refute; contradict, counter
Antonyms deny, gainsay
7. Edgy
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feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty <with an edgy voice the spelling-bee contestant started to
spell the tongue twister>
Synonyms aflutter, antsy, anxious, atwitter, dithery, nervous, goosey, het up, hinky [slang], hung up, ill at ease,
insecure, jittery, jumpy, nervy, perturbed, queasy (also queazy), tense, troubled, uneasy, unquiet, upset, uptight,
worried
Related Words aggrieved, bothered, concerned, disquieted, distraught, distressed, disturbed, freaked, freaked-out,
shook-up; apprehensive, foreboding, hesitant, misgiving; fretful, fretting, stewing, vexed; qualmish, qualmy;
flustered, twittered, undone, unnerved, unstrung; obsessed, preoccupied, restless; fidgety, flighty, fluttery, highstrung, hypertense, skittish, spooky
Near Antonyms confident, self-assured, self-confident, sure; controlled, self-controlled
Antonyms calm, collected, cool, easy, happy-go-lucky, nerveless, relaxed
8. Intimate
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to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats <refusing to be intimidated by the manager's harsh stare, I demanded
my money back>
Synonyms blackjack, bogart, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, bullyrag, cow, hector, mau-mau, strong-arm
Related Words bluster, trash-talk; affright, alarm (also alarum), frighten, horrify, scare, shock, spook, startle, terrify;
menace, terrorize, threaten; badger, harass, hound; bludgeon, coerce, compel, constrain, dragoon, force, make,
oblige, press, pressure, push around; demoralize, psych (out), unman, unnerve; discompose, disconcert, disquiet,
distress, disturb, perturb, upset
Phrases pick on
Near Antonyms cheer, comfort, console, reassure, solace, soothe; embolden, encourage, hearten, steel; convince,
persuade
9. Reverberations
marked by conspicuously full and rich sounds or tones <the pastor's reverberant voice could be heard all over the
cemetery as he read the final prayers for the deceased>
Synonyms golden, orotund, plangent, resounding, resonant, reverberating, reverberative, ringing, rotund, round,
sonorous, vibrant
Related Words deep, full, mellifluent, mellifluous, mellow, plummy, rich; loud, powerful, stentorian, thundering,
thunderous
Near Antonyms cavernous, hollow; faint, low, murmurous, muted, smothered, soft, weak; thin, tinny
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10.Provocation
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something that arouses a strong response from another <a patient man who gets angry only from the greatest of
provocations>
Synonyms excitement, incitation, incitement, instigation
Related Words encouragement, galvanization, goad, incentive, inducement, jog, prod, spur, stimulant, stimulation,
stimulus; enticement, lure; induction, inspiration, motivation; aggravation, annoyance, bother, exasperation,
frustration, hassle, headache, irritant, nuisance, peeve, pest
Near Antonyms subduing
something that arouses action or activity <ready to retaliate at the slightest provocation>
Synonyms boost, encouragement, goad, impetus, incentive, incitation, incitement, instigation, momentum,
motivation, impulse, spur, stimulant, stimulus, yeast
Related Words inducement, invitation; antecedent, cause, consideration, grounds, motive, occasion, reason;
catalyst, catalyzer, fuel, spark
Antonyms counterincentive, disincentive
11.Succumb
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to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control) <he finally succumbed and let his wife get rid of
his dilapidated easy chair>
Synonyms blink, bow, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit, relent, submit, yield, surrender
Related Words acquiesce; defer
Near Antonyms contend, fight, hold off; battle, breast, combat, confront, counter, defy, face, meet, object, oppose,
repel; thwart, withstand
Antonyms resist
Source :- THE HINDU
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to stop living <the patient lay so still and pale that everyone thought he had succumbed, and then he opened his
eyes>
Synonyms check out, conk (out), croak [slang], decease, demise, depart, drop, end, exit, expire, fall, flatline, go, kick
in [slang], kick off [slang], pass (on), pass away, part, peg out [chiefly British], perish, pop off, step out, die
Related Words predecease; consume, disappear, dry up, fade, fail
Near Antonyms come to, revive; linger; be, exist, subsist; flourish, prosper, thrive
Antonyms breathe, live
Ab
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/
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THE ECONOMIC TIMES
Snapdeal is right to attempt a course correction
24th Feb 2017
Snapdeal has done itself and the entire startup ecosystem a big favour by admitting overreach (आगे बढ़ जाना) and
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taking decisive (सोचा समझा) action to downsize. Companies that are given oodles (ढे रों/ अधिक संख्या) of capital and a
variable burn rate rather than a target rate of return within a reasonable time horizon run the risk of not knowing
when to take the foot off the pedal, slow down and change course. It is welcome that Snapdeal has extricated (मुक्त
करना) itself from a spending spree that was not taking it anywhere in particular.
It is to be hoped that other Indian startups, too, would learn similar lessons and emerge from the delusion (कपट /
छल) that subsidising customers in the name of customer acquisition (अधिग्राहण) will take them to business nirvana. It
is a lesson, too, for investors who take the ‘spray and pray’ approach to investing in startups. Should we commend
the founders for their decision to take a 100 per cent pay cut? Well, it is a token of empathy (सहानभ
ु ूतत) for the staff
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losing their jobs or in line for a serious drop in their salary. It is a welcome show of decency (सभ्यता).
What about the 600 or so employees who would reportedly have to go? Joining a startup is always a risk, for which
you expect to receive a premium in cash and/or kind: you get high salaries and/or experience of a kind that you
would not in an established company.
Presumably (संभाव्यतः), those who joined the startup came in with their eyes wide open. They would leave richer for
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their experience, if not for high salaries. Even if a particular e-commerce company is not expanding fast, the industry
in general would, particularly if the government goes ahead with the reported relaxation of investment
conditionality, and should be able to absorb experienced hands.
It is important that investors and customers do not draw the extreme conclusions about either Snapdeal or Indian
startups in general. India has enormous potential in wide-ranging commercial possibilities waiting to be explored and
developed (पता लगाया और विकससत). That would call for large doses of risk capital. How much is needed in any
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particular line of activity and how much would lead to excess is something that investors need to have a sense
about.
1. Overreach
Ab
to get the better of through cleverness <a real estate developer who is always trying to overreach his competitors,
fair means or foul>
Synonyms fox, outfox, outmaneuver, outslick, outsmart, outthink, outwit
Related Words outguess, second-guess; baffle, balk, circumvent, foil, frustrate, thwart; cozen, deceive, dupe, fool,
gull, trick; conquer, defeat, lick, overcome; bar, block, hinder, impede, obstruct
to go beyond the limit of <the mountain climbers overreached their abilities and paid for it dearly>
Synonyms break, outreach, outrun, overpass, exceed, overrun, overshoot, overstep, surpass, transcend
Related Words encroach, entrench (also intrench), infringe, invade, trespass; overdo, overuse, overutilize, overwork
2. Decisive
fully committed to achieving a goal <only a team with a decisive attitude is going to win a state championship>
Synonyms bent (on or upon), bound, determined, do-or-die, firm, hell-bent (on or upon), intent, out, purposeful,
resolute, resolved, set, single-minded
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Related Words bitter, vehement; certain, cocksure, confident, positive, sure; earnest, serious; steady, unfaltering,
unhesitating, unswerving, unwavering; adamant, adamantine, dogged, hard, hardened, hardheaded, headstrong,
immovable, implacable, inflexible, mulish, obdurate, persistent, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, rigid, self-willed,
stubborn, tenacious, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful (or wilful)
Near Antonyms distrustful, doubtful, dubious, mistrustful, skeptical, suspicious, uncertain, unconvinced, undecided,
unsettled, unsure; disinclined, indisposed, loath (also loth or loathe), reluctant
Antonyms faltering, hesitant, indecisive, irresolute, undetermined, unresolved, vacillating, wavering, weak-kneed
ing
h
having the power to persuade <a lawyer who knows how to construct the kind of decisive argument that sways a
jury>
Synonyms compelling, conclusive, convincing, cogent, effective, forceful, persuasive, satisfying, strong, telling
Related Words authoritative, definitive; sound, valid, well-founded; important, significant, weighty; material,
pertinent, relevant
Near Antonyms groundless, invalid, shaky, unfounded, unsound; inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant;
immaterial, irrelevant; feeble, weak
Antonyms inconclusive, indecisive, ineffective, uncompelling, unconvincing, unpersuasive
3. Oodles
4. Extricated
ee
tS
a considerable amount <the neighbors let us know that they bought oodles of candy for Halloween this year>
Synonyms abundance, barrel, basketful, boatload, bucket, bunch, bundle, bushel, carload, chunk, deal, dozen, fistful,
gobs, good deal, heap, hundred, lashings (also lashins) [chiefly British], loads, mass, mess, mountain, much,
multiplicity, myriad, lot, pack, passel, peck, pile, plateful, plenitude, plentitude, plenty, pot, potful, profusion,
quantity, raft, reams, scads, sheaf, shipload, sight, slew, spate, stack, store, ton, truckload, volume, wad, wealth,
yard
Related Words epidemic, plague, rash; bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overkill,
overmuch, oversupply, plethora, redundancy, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus; deluge, flood, overflow;
army, bevy, cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host, legion, mob, multitude, press, score, sea, swarm,
throng; gazillion, jillion, kazillion, million, thousands, trillion, zillion
Near Antonyms atom, crumb, dot, fleck, flyspeck, fragment, grain, granule, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, mote,
nubbin, particle, ray, scintilla, scrap, shred, tittle, whit; smatter, smattering; dash, drop, morsel, shot; piece, portion,
section; absence, dearth, famine, lack, paucity, poverty, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, undersupply, want;
deficiency, deficit, inadequacy, insufficiency, meagerness, scantiness, scantness, skimpiness
Ab
5. Delusion
hij
to set free from entanglement or difficulty <you've woven such a web of lies that it's hard to see how you can
extricate yourself now>
Synonyms clear, disembarrass, disengage, disentangle, free, liberate, release, untangle
Related Words deliver, redeem, rescue, save; disburden, disencumber, unburden; unravel, unsnarl, untie, untwine
Phrases cut loose
Near Antonyms block, hamper, hinder, impede, obstruct; burden, encumber, load, weigh
Antonyms embroil, entangle
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality <her idea that her new man is a
long lost prince is surely just a delusion>
Synonyms chimera, conceit, daydream, fantasy, dream, fancy, figment, hallucination, illusion, nonentity, phantasm
(also fantasm), pipe dream, unreality, vision
a false idea or belief <he appears to suffer from the delusion that he's the best reporter in the business>
Synonyms fallacy, error, falsehood, falsity, hallucination, illusion, misbelief, misconception, myth, old wives' tale,
untruth
Related Words factoid; superstition; fiction, pretense (or pretence); distortion, inaccuracy, misapprehension,
miscomprehension, misinterpretation, misjudgment, misperception, misunderstanding; misinformation,
misknowledge, misreport, misrepresentation, misstatement; sophism, sophistry; fib, half-truth, lie, story, tale
Antonyms truth, verity
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6. Acquisition
something added to an existing supply <every vacation trip inevitably resulted in new acquisitions to our array of
bric-a-brac>
Synonyms accession, obtainment
Related Words accomplishment, acquirement, attainment
8. Decency
ing
h
7. Empathy
the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
tS
socially acceptable behavior <the standards of basic decency demanded that they help the old lady with her
groceries>
Synonyms decorum, form, propriety
Related Words etiquette; civility, courteousness, courtesy, gentilesse, gentility, graciousness, mannerliness,
politeness, politesse; dignity, grace, refinement; discretion, prudence; appropriateness, correctitude, correctness,
virtuousness
Near Antonyms coarseness, crudeness, gracelessness; discourtesy, impoliteness, incivility, vulgarity; imprudence,
indiscretion; badness, evil, immorality, wickedness; debauchery, degeneracy, degradation, depravity, perversion;
crookedness, dishonesty, underhandedness, unscrupulousness
Antonyms impropriety, indecency, indecorum
9. Presumably
ee
conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong <expected all of the scouts in his troop to be
models of decency>
Synonyms character, morality, goodness, honesty, integrity, probity, rectitude, righteousness, rightness, uprightness,
virtue, virtuousness
Near Antonyms impropriety, indecency, indecorum, indiscretion; debauchery, degeneracy, degradation, depravity,
perversion, pervertedness, sinfulness; crookedness, dishonesty, underhandedness, unscrupulousness; lowness,
meanness, viciousness, vileness; corruption
Antonyms badness, evil, evildoing, immorality, iniquity, sin, villainy, wickedness
hij
to all outward appearances <presumably he's going on the trip for business reasons, but we have our doubts>
Synonyms evidently, ostensibly, ostensively, apparently, putatively, seemingly, supposedly
Related Words externally, outwardly, visibly; believably, credibly; assumably, likely, presumedly, probably;
conceivably, maybe, mayhap, perchance, perhaps, possibly, professedly, supposably; allegedly, purportedly,
reportedly, reputedly; clearly, distinctly, manifestly, obviously, plainly, self-evidently; assuredly, positively, surely
Near Antonyms implausibly, impossibly, improbably, incredibly
Ab
by reasonable assumption <presumably he'll come later>
Synonyms assumably, doubtless, likely, probably
Related Words maybe, mayhap, perchance, perhaps, possibly; conceivably, imaginably, plausibly, practically,
reasonably; potentially; assuredly, certainly, clearly, conclusively, decisively, definitely, definitively, indisputably,
indubitably, positively, really, surely, truly, undeniably, undoubtedly, unquestionably; presumedly, supposably,
supposedly
Near Antonyms implausibly, inconceivably, incredibly, unbelievably, unthinkably
Antonyms improbably
Source:- THE ECONOMIC TIMES
http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-editorials/snapdeal-is-right-to-attempt-a-course-correction/
[email protected]
THE FINANCIAL EXPRESS
GST: Here’s why legal terms must reflect ‘fundamentals’ agreed by GST Council
24th Feb 2017
ing
h
In India, the goods & services tax (GST) cannot be activated without the efforts and recommendations of the GST
Council. A body constituted in September 2016 by the president of India, under the Constitution, it is chaired by the
Union finance minister and clutched (पकड़ना) by various ministers in charge of finance or taxation for each state
government. According to its mandate (जनािे श) under the Constitution, the GST Council shall be guided by the need
for a harmonised structure of GST (जीएसटी की संरचना सामंजस्य) and for the development of a harmonised national
market for goods and services.
Before meeting in Udaipur recently, the GST Council had coxed nine meetings in Delhi to fulfil this mandate, while
clearing the maze (चक्र-व्यह
ू ) around the proposed threshold (िहलीज़), sharing of administrative powers between the
Centre and states, multi-tier rate structure for goods, model GST laws and compensation laws, among others.
The GST Council is a legislative (व्यिस्थापक) body. The Council, in its previous meetings, had approved GST laws. So,
tS
the ‘fundamentals’ were all agreed upon. However, the language needed a legal vetting (पन
ु रीक्षण) and, accordingly,
GST laws were forwarded to the legal committee. The legal vetted draft was placed before the GST Council in
Udaipur. This gave birth to further issues that required clarifications in areas like constitution of appellate tribunals
(अपीलीय न्यायाधिकरणों), definition of agriculture, exemptions to be given during the transition phase, delegation
(प्रतततनधित्ि) of powers, treatment of works contracts, and issues around composition scheme for taxpayers. During
ee
the day-long meet, all the issues were discussed and a consensus (सिवसम्मतत) reached upon.
Since GST laws would be the basis and foundation for tax treatment in the GST era, it is crucial that the legal
terminologies reflect the actual ‘fundamentals’ agreed by the GST Council. A critical aspect while drafting any statute
is that the language should be simple. The importance of punctuation cannot be undermined. We all are aware that
currently the vast basket of tax litigation in India is largely due to interpretation issues arising out of the statute. So,
the endeavour (प्रयत्न) indeed should to be take care of these aspects at the outset itself. Although as much as any
hij
lawmaker can try, issues on interpretation would remain, albeit reduced.
Post the legal vetting, the GST Council has formally approved the Compensation Law and the same would now be
tabled before the Cabinet for approval.
Ab
With regard to other GST laws (CGST, SGST and IGST), the same would be presented in the next meeting of the GST
Council scheduled to be held on March 4-5 in New Delhi.
Post that, a major meeting would be held where fitment of rates for various goods would be presented before the
GST Council and approved. This is a very important aspect that industry is eagerly awaiting. Although the rates for
goods have been announced, the categorisation of goods would help the trade to determine the impact of GST on
their business.
Another area that the industry is keenly following relates to the ‘anti-profiteering’ clause. The November 2016
version of the draft GST law has an enabling provision, which states that if due to increased credits or reduced tax
rates a benefit accrues, such a benefit should be passed on by way of reduced prices of goods/services. However,
the mechanism has to be prescribed. Unfortunately, the GST Council meeting did not address this aspect.
[email protected]
The finance minister noted that July 1, 2017, would be the GST implementation date, and the same looks like a
strong possibility now. Major steps have been taken by the government. For a successful transition from the current
regime (हुकूमत) to GST, it is important that all the pending tasks are completed at a fast pace; for example, detailed
methodology (कायव-प्रणाली) be prescribed under the rules, and sharing of such draft rules with trade and industry to
take inputs on the practical aspects. In a statement made by the Revenue Secretary earlier this month, by March, the
rules will be ready. The GST rate for services has still not been announced. The services sector is sceptical (संिेहिािी)
ing
h
as to whether abatements (मन्िापन) will also be prevalent as they are under the service tax laws. Clearly, much
information is needed on the anti-profiteering measure provisions, the governance of such a clause, the agency who
will be assigned the job of administering it, etc.
The direction and movement is positive for the GST to be implemented with effect from July this year. Industry has
enough and more to do if they are to be GST-ready, as it has only a few months before the D-Day.
Rastogi is partner (indirect tax) and Singh is consultant (indirect tax), PwC. Views are personal
tS
Anita Rastogi & Preetam Singh.
1. Clutched
ee
a number of things considered as a unit <a clutch of medals adorned the general's chest>
Synonyms array, assemblage, band, bank, batch, battery, block, bunch, clot, clump, cluster, clutch, collection,
constellation, grouping, huddle, knot, lot, muster, package, parcel, passel, set, suite
Related Words accumulation, aggregate, aggregation, conglomeration; agglomeration, assortment, hodgepodge,
jumble, miscellany, mixture, odds and ends, sundries, variety; cycle, run, series, suit
Near Antonyms entity, item, single, unit
2. Mandate
hij
a usually small number of persons considered as a unit <a clutch of people traveling together>
Synonyms array, band, batch, battery, body, boodle, bunch, cluster, clutch, consort, constellation, crop, grouping,
huddle, knot, lot, parcel, party, passel
Related Words assembly, collective, congregation, gathering, muster, organization; circle, clan, clique, coterie,
fellowship, gang, ring, round, set; faction, guild (also gild), order, school, sect; brigade, crew, outfit, phalanx, platoon,
posse, task force, team; alliance, bloc, coalition, confederacy, confederation, federation, league, union; battalion,
squadron; bevy, brood, covey
Near Antonyms individual, single
Ab
the granting of power to perform various acts or duties <the committee has been given a mandate to reform the
process for admitting applicants to the university>
Synonyms accreditation, authorization, delegation, empowerment, license (or licence), commission
Related Words commendation, consignment, entrustment; facilitation, fostering, promotion; commanding,
directing, ordering
3. Maze
a confusing and complicated arrangement of passages <the mansion had a beautifully landscaped maze that was
constructed of tall cypresses>
Synonyms labyrinth, rabbit warren, warren
Related Words meander; jungle, quagmire; catacomb, cat's cradle, knot, snarl, tangle, web; entanglement,
entrapment, snare, trap
a state of mental uncertainty <she's been walking around in a maze ever since her husband walked out on her>
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Synonyms bafflement, bamboozlement, befuddlement, bemusement, bewilderedness, bewilderment, confusedness,
discombobulation, distraction, fog, head-scratching, confusion [chiefly dialect], muddle, mystification, perplexity,
puzzlement, tangle, whirl
Related Words abashment, discomfiture, disconcertment, embarrassment, mortification; agitation, chagrin,
discomfort, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturbance, perturbation, upset; bother, commotion, dither, flurry, fluster,
fuss, stew, turmoil
Near Antonyms assurance, certainty, certitude, confidence, conviction, positiveness, sureness
ing
h
4. Threshold
an interval of time just before the onset of something <on the threshold of a new age of green technology>
Synonyms brink, cusp, edge, point, verge
Related Words nick
tS
the point at which something begins <at the threshold of the new year, it's time to look back and make resolutions
for the future>
Synonyms alpha, baseline, birth, commencement, dawn, day one, genesis, get-go (also git-go), inception, incipience,
incipiency, kickoff, launch, morning, nascence, nascency, onset, outset, start, beginning
Related Words drawing board, first base, ground zero, square one; creation, founding, inauguration, initiation,
institution, origination; cradle, fountain, fountainhead, germ, origin, root, seedbed, source, spring, well, wellspring;
dawning, opening; advent, appearance, arrival, debut (also début), emergence; childhood, infancy, youth
Near Antonyms cessation, closing, closure, completion, finale, finish, period, stop, termination, windup
Antonyms close, conclusion, end, ending, omega
5. Vetting
6. Delegation
ee
make a careful and critical examination of (something).
synonyms: screen, assess, evaluate, appraise, weigh up, examine, look over, review, consider, scrutinize, study,
inspect; investigate, censor, check, redact, check out, check up on; probe, research, look into, delve into, dig into,
search into; informalgive something a/the once-over, size up
a body of persons chosen as representatives of a larger group <a delegation from the local scout troop is being sent
to the national jamboree>
Synonyms delegacy, contingent
Related Words embassy, legation, mission; band, company, crew, detachment, gang, outfit, party, squad, team
hij
the granting of power to perform various acts or duties <the delegation by the president to the secretary of state of
complete control of the nation's foreign policy>
Synonyms accreditation, authorization, commission, empowerment, license (or licence), mandate
Related Words commendation, consignment, entrustment; facilitation, fostering, promotion; commanding,
directing, ordering
7. Consensus
Ab
the state of being of one opinion about something <finally reached a consensus on how to spend the money that the
club had raised>
Synonyms accord, concurrence, concurrency, agreement, unanimity, unison
Related Words accession, adhesion, assent, assentation, consent; acceptance, acquiescence, concession, embrace,
embracement; approbation, approval, favor; alliance, collaboration, collusion, complicity, conspiracy; compliance,
concert, concertedness, concord, concordance, conformity, consonance, harmony, oneness, solidarity,
understanding, union; empathy, rapport, sympathy
Near Antonyms discord, dissension (also dissention); dissent, opposition, resistance; disapprobation, disapproval,
disfavor
Antonyms conflict, disagreement, dissensus
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8. Endeavour
ing
h
an effort to do or accomplish something <the hope that this latest endeavor will yield much information about the
atmosphere of the planet>
Synonyms assay [archaic], bash [chiefly British], bid, crack, attempt, essay, fling, go, offer, pass, shot, stab, trial, try,
whack, whirl
Related Words striving, struggle, throes, undertaking; trial and error
9. Sceptical
not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations.
synonyms: dubious, doubtful, having reservations, taking something with a pinch of salt, doubting, questioning;
cynical, distrustful, mistrustful, suspicious, disbelieving, misbelieving, unconvinced, incredulous, hesitant, scoffing;
pessimistic, defeatist; informaliffy; rarePyrrhonist, minimifidian
10.Abatement
tS
something that is or may be subtracted <entitled to a tax abatement for child care expenses>
Synonyms deduction, discount, reduction
Related Words giveback, kickback, rebate; dent, depreciation; decline, decrement, diminishment, diminution, drop,
fall, loss; forfeit, forfeiture, penalty
Near Antonyms accretion, accrual, augmentation, boost, gain, increase, increment, raise, rise; appreciation
Antonyms accession, addition
hij
Source :- THE FINANCIAL EXPRESS
ee
the amount by which something is lessened <there's been a significant abatement in noise from the floor above
since the upstairs neighbors installed carpets>
Synonyms decrease, decline, decrement, dent, depletion, depression, diminishment, diminution, drop, drop-off, fall,
falloff, loss, reduction, shrinkage, step-down
Related Words deduction, subtraction; downturn, slip, slump; curtailment, cut, cutback, retrenchment, shortening
Near Antonyms accretion, accrual, accumulation, addition, supplement; continuation, extension; upswing, uptrend,
upturn
Antonyms boost, enlargement, gain, increase, increment, raise, rise, step-up, uptick
Ab
http://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/gst-heres-why-legal-terms-must-reflect-fundamentals-agreed-by-gstcouncil/564675/
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