Daily English Vocab
PDF 5th Jan 2017
Secularising The Election
The Supreme Court has grappled with the question whether a provision (नियम/प्रावधाि) in electoral
law that makes it a corrupt practice to use religion, race, caste or language as a ground for
canvassing (प्रचार करिा/पक्ष प्रचार करिा) votes in an election is a bar limited to the groups to which
candidates or their rivals belong, or whether it is a general prohibition on sectarian appeals. Section
123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, as amended in 1961, gave rise to this doubt.
By a four-three majority, a seven-member Bench has ruled that it is a general prohibition on the
use of religion or any other communal or sectarian value in the electoral arena(काययक्षेत्र). The
minority favored limiting the ambit(पररनध/सीमा) of the sub-section to cover only candidates who
sought votes on such grounds, or the rivals they wanted the voters not to back on similar grounds.
That secularism is the bedrock of our democracy is undisputed. That the electoral process ought
not to permit appeals to the electorate on these narrow grounds is equally beyond doubt. Against
this backdrop, it is only logical that the Supreme Court should decide that it is a “corrupt practice”
for candidates to use any caste or communal parameters to canvass for votes or to discredit a rival,
regardless of whether the candidates themselves belong to such religious, communal or linguistic
groups.
It is interesting that the dispute turned on a single pronoun, ‘his’, that was introduced in the 1961
amendment(सश
ु ार). The majority opinion favors a ‘purposive interpretation’, holding that it
ं ोधि/सध
covered the candidates as well as the voter. It finds support in legislative history and our
constitutional ethos (चररत्र/प्रकृनि). The purpose of the amendment was to widen the scope of the
particular corrupt practice. Given that secularism is a basic feature of the Constitution, it has been
interpreted in the light of Parliament’s intention to prohibit any religious or sectarian appeal for
votes. There is a justifiable worry that a wider interpretation may lead to eliminating from the poll
discourse political issues that turn on religion, caste or language. After all, this is a country in
which sections of society suffer deprivation (वंचि/क्षय) and historical injustices based on religious
or caste identity. But the overall message is clear. It is left to the wisdom of judges dealing with
election cases to draw the line between what is permissible and what is not, and look at the context
in which some statements are made before deciding whether they constitute a corrupt practice. The
majority verdict will find resonance (मेल/अिुकूलिा) with all those who swear by (नवश्वास रखिा) the
primacy of secularism in the public domain. The minority view nuances (बारीकी/सक्ष्ू म अंिर या फकय ) this
with a reminder that legal issues need to be seen in their social context.
Courtesy: The Hindu (Constitutional Reform)
1. Provision (noun): The cognitive process of thinking about what you will do in the event of
something happening (of rule or law.)(प्रावधाि /नियम)
 Synonyms: Rule, Law, Regulation, Principle, Statute.
Example: In the airline industry, there is a provision that requires oxygen masks to be available
for everyone on a flight in case of an emergency.
Related words:
 Provisional (adjective) - अस्थायी

Provisionally (adverb) - अस्थायी रूप से
2. Canvass (verb): To seek out support from people. (प्रचार करिा/पक्ष प्रचार करिा)
 Synonyms: Campaign, Electioneer, Solicit Votes, Drum up Support.
 Antonyms: Gainsay, Protest, Resist.
Example: Right before the election, a team of volunteers will canvass the town for the Democratic
Party.
Verb forms: Canvass, Canvassed, Canvassed.
Related words:
 Canvasser (noun) – प्राथथक/प्रचारक
3. Arena (noun): A place or scene of activity, debate, or conflict. (काययक्षेत्र)
 Synonyms: Area, Sphere, Realm, Province, Domain, Sector, Forum, Territory.
Example: A capacity crowd of 17,000 fans were packed into the arena to see the final game of the
season.
Related words:
 Arenaceous (noun) - बलुआ (a place filled with sand)
4. Ambit (noun): The scope, extent, or bounds of something. (पररनध/सीमा)
 Synonyms: Boundary, Range, Scope, Extension.
 Antonyms: Narrowness, Parochialism.
Example: If a solution is likely to fall outside the ambit of the Constitution, it will not be taken
into implementation.
Related Words:
 Ambition (noun) - अभिलाषा

Ambitiously (adverb) - महत्वाकाांक्षा से

Ambitiousness (noun) - उमांग
5. Amendment (noun): An act of reforming for bitterness. (सश
ु ार)
ं ोधि/सध
 Synonyms: Modification, Reform, Alteration, Amelioration, Improvement, Rectification.
 Antonyms: Damage, Harm, Hurt, Worsen.
Example: Right to education was the much required amendment in the constitution.
Verb forms: Amend, Amended, Amended.
Related words:
 Amend (verb) – सश
ां ोधन करना
6. Ethos (noun): The characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its
attitudes and aspirations. (चररत्र/प्रकृनि)
 Synonyms: Spirit, Character, Prevailing Tendency, Ideology, Principle, Essence.
 Antonyms: Physicality.
Example: The nuns’ ethos prevents them from choosing a materialistic lifestyle over a spiritual
way of life.
7. Deprivation (noun): The damaging lack of material benefits considered to be basic necessities
in a society/ the lack of something which is viewed as necessary. (वंचि/क्षय)
 Synonyms: Divestiture, Dissociation, Segregation, Severance, Assortment.
 Antonyms: Indulgence, Inclusion, Bestowal.
Example: The child was incredibly pale after enduring light Deprivation while locked in a
basement.
Verb forms: Deprive, Deprived, Deprived.
Related words:
 Deprive (verb) – वांभचत रखना
8. Resonance (noun): A relationship of mutual understanding or trust and agreement between
people. (प्रनिध्वनि/प्रनिकार)
 Synonyms: Empathy, Compassion, Commiseration.
 Antonyms: Aloofness, Isolation, Detachedness.
Example: Because Rick was born into a family of millionaires, he felt no resonance with the
homeless man’s story.
Related words:
 Resonant (noun) - समानिु भू त रखने वाला
9. Swear by (verb): Have or express great confidence in the use, value, or effectiveness of. (नवश्वास
रखिा)
 Synonyms: Advocate, Back, Believe in, Trust, Endorse, Have faith in.
 Antonyms: Disapprove, Oppose.
Example: The Accused swore by the god and told the truth and finally found non-guilty.
Verb forms: Swear by, Swore by, Sworn by.
10. Nuance (noun): A subtle distinction or variation. (बारीकी/सक्ष्ू म अंिर या फकय )
 Synonyms: Distinction, Subtlety, Degree, Refinement.
 Antonyms: Similarity, Alikeness.
Example: Although I have not seen Helen in fifteen years, I can still recall every nuance of her
voice.
Verb forms: Nuance, Nuanced, Nuanced.
Related words:
 Nuance (verb) - सूक्ष्म अांतर होना
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