Daily English Vocabulary Capsule Day 15

Can Hindutva Deliver Vikas?

The BJP's staggering (चौंका देने वाली) win in UP is supposedly the result of a message of Hindutva plus economic aspiration. Hindu consolidation by the Sangh on the ground and economic aspiration embodied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the winning formula. Modi in Delhi, Yogi in Lucknow is the slogan. As MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi puts it, with `development' as username and `hindutva' as password logging in to massive mandates becomes automatic.

But can Hindutva deliver development in the long run? Modi ran a `Hindutva plus development' model in Gujarat for 12 years but as the Hardik Patel agitation shows the state still suffers endemic (स्थानीय) unemployment. Academic Pranab Bardhan writes Gujarat was a model of growth but not job creation, because Gujarat welcomed capital intensive petrochemical and pharma sectors which did not provide jobs for the uneducated and semi-skilled majority in the workforce.

Modi's economic model is about an efficiently run, apparently incorruptible (न भ्रष्ट होने योग्य) yet massively controlling citizen monitoring state with Hindutva as its ideological base. In fact, Modi's a statist with no record of rolling back government power. Schemes from Swachh Bharat to Skill India to Start Up India show big and controlling government imposing plans (no doubt well-intentioned) dreamt up by the high command and imposed on citizens.

This leviathan (very large or powerful) state plays a crucial role in the propagation of Hindutva. Just as socialism was implemented through state power by Left-inclined regimes, now Hindutva is being implemented through state power. In Yogi Adityanath led UP the crackdown (कड़ी कर्रवाई) on `illegal' slaughterhouses, setting up anti-Romeo squads or ban on wearing jeans by government officers shows that in Hindutva style governance there is little space for individual rights and free will.

Adityanath's earlier assertion that women's energies need to be “protected, controlled and channelized” again reveals an ideologically purist, controlling mindset, obsessed with maintaining Hindutva order. Given that the key challenge in India is job creation, an exclusionary ideology like Hindutva blocks rather than creates jobs. Slaughterhouses after all provided livelihoods to both Hindus and Muslims, as did the cattle trade.

The liberalisation of 1991 showed that achieving high growth in the Indian context is not about asserting state power but rather about rolling back the powers of the state. A liberal economy generally doesn't bear down on the individual with a plethora (बहुतायत/प्रचुरता) of rules, instead it aims to back off from areas where it ideally should not meddle. The summary (अविलंबित) closure of slaughterhouses is a triumphant (feeling or expressing jubilation after a victory or achievement.) example of brute state power and a strong man CM, but does such demonstration of executive authority create business confidence?

A rampaging (uncontrollable) state could after all flex its muscles any time and order closure of any manufacturing unit that does not fit its required political-ideological crusade. When arbitrary state action becomes policy, then newer victims are needed every few months to demonstrate its power. After slaughterhouses and meat shops, it could be chicken shops or maybe fish markets. Who can predict what new campaign will be launched by an ideologically saturated super-executive?

For now though the Hindutva plus development formula seems to be winning. Shivraj Singh Chauhan won two and Raman Singh three consecutive elections in MP and Chhattisgarh, BJP continues to be dominant in Gujarat and in Rajasthan the Vasundhara Raje government is moving robustly on development while restricting cultural freedoms by, for example, bowing to the culture police on Bollywood films.

But for how long will this formula hold? Nehru ruled unchallenged from 1947 onwards but faced real dissent (असहमति) within just a decade of hispremiership (the office or position of a prime minister or other head of government.) in the Left victory in Kerala in 1957. Indira was the goddess of India after 1971, but by the very next year her authority began to crumble. Marxist rule collapsed in Bengal because ultimately it could not deliver. In these elections the BJP triumphed in UP and Uttarakhand but could not score well in either Punjab or Goa. BJP chief ministers famously say that water, electricity and roads do not discriminate between communities.But how about discrimination in schools, universities or restaurants?
Witness the recent siege of a Jaipur eatery by a gau raksha outfit. An official UGC report for 2015-16 shows Gujarat University has the second highest cases of discrimination against Dalits among central universities.

Hindutva with its rigid social hierarchies (पदक्रम/अनुक्रम) implies an assault on individual freedoms at different levels: the right to eat meat, the right to romance, the right to cultural interpretation or the right to a livelihood without fear of state action. When social harmony and individual freedom hang in the balance, enterprise is stymied (बाधाएँ करना). Modi's important promises of one crore jobs, or putting India in the first 50 in ease of doing business rankings (India still comes in at 130th) remain unfulfilled.

That's because the Hindutva model of governance relies on state control of the citizen. The Hindutva state is in fact a massive socialist state with a religious hue.Like all socialist states it is marked by a slew of benevolent schemes, a throwback to Indira Gandhi's 20 Point Programme.Indira and the Marxists failed at delivering long term development because they relied heavily on the agency of state power and crushed individual rights.

The Vajpayee-led NDA and Manmohan Singh-led UPA had realised that state as mai baap has to recede if development is to take off. But the Hindutva model of triumphalist state power is in no mood to back down after tasting huge electoral success. UP is the new laboratory for the Hindutva-meets-vikas experiment. But can it deliver real results in an incorrigibly (असुधार्य रूप से) diverse society? Issues like cow slaughter and Ram mandir provide a heady sense of identity but when mighty state power is used for an ideological crusade, it doesn't bode well for social creativity or an entrepreneurial buzz.

Courtesy: The Times of India (National)

1. Staggering (adjective): So surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm.  (चौंका देने वाली)

Synonyms: Amazing, Astonishing, Astounding Stupendous, Surprising.

Antonyms: Unimpressive, Boring, Dull.

Example: The staggering price of gasoline will probably keep drivers off the roads during the holiday weekend.

Verb forms: Stagger, Staggered, Staggered.

Related words:

Stagger (verb) - Astonish or deeply shock.

2. Endemic (adjective): Characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment./found among particular people or in a certain area.(स्थानीय)  

Synonyms: Local, Regional, Pertaining to origination.

Antonyms: Alien, Extrinsic, Outward.

Example: While malaria is rarely seen in the United States, it is endemic to several tropical countries.

Related words:

Endemically (adverb) - स्थानिक रूप से

Origin: From the Greek endēmos, which joins en, meaning "in," and dēmos, meaning "population.

3. Leviathan (adjective): Very large or powerful/ something large or formidable.

Synonyms: Giant, Mammoth, Behemoth, Colossus.

Antonyms: Diminutive, Dwarf.

Example: In the ocean, the whale is considered a leviathan because of its tremendous size.

Origin:  from Hebrew liwyāthān "Twisted; coiled". Later translated into the Greek it meant the word "dragon." In Modern Hebrew, it simply means "whale."

4. Crackdown (noun): A series of severe measures to restrict undesirable or illegal people or behavior/ a serious attempt to punish people for doing something that is not allowed. (कड़ी कर्रवाई)

Synonyms: Clampdown, Severe/Stern Measures, Taking Repressive Actions.

Example: The police began a crackdown on smugglers.

5. Plethora (noun): A large or excessive amount of something/ an excess of. (बहुतायत/प्रचुरता)  

Synonyms: Overabundance, Plenty, Profusion, Surfeit, Glut.

Antonyms: Lack, Scarcity, Rarity.

Example: Because the restaurant staff accidentally created a plethora of food, many diners received free meals.

Related words:

Plethoric (adjective) – प्रचुर

Origin: from Greek plēthōra, means fullness.

6. Summary (adjective): Conducted without the customary legal formalities. (अविलंबित)  

Synonyms: Immediate, Instant, Instantaneous, On-The-Spot, Direct, Forthwith, Prompt.

Antonyms: Dilatory, Slow.

Example: Summary arrest of culprit created a sense of trust in society.

Related words:

Summary (noun): a brief statement or account of the main points of something.

Origin: from Latin summarius means sum/ total.

7. Rampage (noun): Of violent and uncontrollable behavior (उपद्रव)

Synonyms: Frenzy, Delirium, Furore.

Antonyms: Calmness, Peace, Quietude.

Example: Authorities are trying to figure out what sparked the rampage in the city.

Verb forms: Rampage, Rampaged, Rampaged.

Related words:

Rampage (verb) -  Move through a place in a violent and uncontrollable manner.

8. Hierarchy (noun): A system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status or authority.  (पदक्रम/अनुक्रम) 

Synonyms: Pecking order, Ladder, Social stratum.

Antonyms: Disorder, Disarrangement.

Example: On commercial airlines, there is an economic hierarchy that separates passengers into financial classes.

Related words:

Hierarchical (adjective) – श्रेणीबद्ध

Origin: From Latin hierarchia

9. Stymie (verb): To stand as an obstacle./ to present an obstacle to /  stand in the way of.   (बाधाएँ करना)

Synonyms: Impede, Hinder, Obstruct, Inhibit, Block.

Antonyms: aid, assist, facilitate, help.

Example: The purpose of chemoprevention or preventive therapy is to stymie the growth of the cancer cells.

Verb forms: Stymie, Stymied, Stymied.

Origin: From a golfing term, stymie means to obstruct a golf shot by interposition of the opponent's ball.

10. Incorrigible (adjective):  Not able to be changed or reformed. (असुधार्य)

Synonyms: Incurable, Irrecoverable, Irredeemable, Irreformable.

Antonyms: Recoverable, Redeemable, Reformable, Remediable.

Example: Even after spending a year in jail, the young man remains incorrigible and unafraid of the law.

Related words:

Incorrigibly (adverb) – असुधार्य रूप से

Origin: from Late Latin incorrigibilis, from Latin in- + corrigere to correct.

Current Affairs of 29-March-2017

1. Dr. Mahesh sharma inaugurates ‘national tribal and north east art conclave’

Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism inaugurated the “National Tribal and North East Conclave-2017” organized by Lalit Kala Akademi under Ministry of Culture in New Delhi.

The conclave platform features more than a dozen forms of tribal art.

Most of these artists from 100 and more artist contingents, have showcased their art forms at Festivals of India held abroad and distinguished platforms elsewhere.

Points to Remember

• Dr. Mahesh Sharma is the Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism.
• National Tribal and North East Conclave-2017” is being organized by Lalit Kala Akademi.

2. India and Bavaria to Set up Joint Group to Identify Areas of Co-Operation in Water Sector

Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti has suggested formation of a joint group to identify areas of co-operation in water sector.

This was stated that by the Minister, when Minister of Environment and Consumer Protection of the Free State of Bavaria, Federal Republic of Germany, Ms. Ulrike Scharf called on her in New Delhi.

Bharti said that Bavaria has a rich experience of successfully cleaning the river Danube in Germany and India may benefit from their experience.

Points to Remember

• Uma Bharti is the Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
• Bavaria is a German Province.
• Danube River originates in Germany.
• Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade, reside on the Danube River.

3. Odisha to bring banking to remote rural areas through Self Help Groups

Odisha became the first state in the country to carry financial inclusion and extend banking services to unbanked areas through Self Help Groups (SHGs).     

The state government signed an agreement with State Bank of India in this regard.

In the first phase SHGs would be engaged as Banking Correspondents in around 1,000 remote Gram Panchayats having no banking facilities.   

Points to Remember

• State Bank of India will help in this Mission.
• Bhubaneswar is the capital city of Odisha.
• Naveen Patnaik is the Chief Minister of Odisha.
• S.C. Jamir is the Governor of Odisha.

4. ICICI Bank partners Truecaller for UPI-based payment

ICICI Bank has announced a partnership with mobile app firm Truecaller for a new UPI-based mobile payment service.

Called Truecaller Pay, it will allow users of the app to instantly create a UPI id, send money to any UPI id or a mobile number registered with the BHIM app, ICICI Bank said in a statement.

It will also enable users to recharge their mobile number from within the Truecaller app itself, it said.

Points to Remember

• ICICI Bank was founded in 1994. Its headquarters is in Mumbai.
• M. K. Sharma is its Chairman and Chanda Kochhar is MD & CEO.
• Truecaller is a software which finds contact details globally given name or telephone number.
• BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) is a Mobile App developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), based on the Unified Payment Interface (UPI).
• BHIM app was launched by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, at a Digi Dhan mela at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on 30 December 2016.
• BHIM app has been named after Bhim Rao Ambedkar and is intended to facilitate e-payments directly through banks.

5. IRDAI slaps penalty on ICICI Pru Life

The insurance regulator has imposed a penalty of Rs 20 lakh on ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company on various charges, including free look cancellations not being in line with regulations; maturity claims not being settled within prescribed time period, resulting in huge number of claims outstanding; and delay in processing surrenders/partial withdrawals.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has also charged the private sector life insurer for considerable number of annuities being outstanding for want of verification certificate.

Points to Remember

• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is an autonomous, statutory agency tasked with regulating and promoting the insurance and reinsurance industries in India.
• It was founded in 1999 under the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999.
• Its headquarters is in Hyderabad and TS Vijayan is the Chairman.

6. CCI imposes Rs 591 crore penalty on Coal India

Fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 591.01 crore upon Coal India Limited (CIL).

CIL and its subsidiaries violated the Competition Act by imposing unfair and discriminatory conditions in Fuel Supply Agreements (FSAs) with power producers for supply of non-coking coal.

Points to Remember

• Competition Commission of India was founded on 14 October 2003.
• Devender Kumar Sikri is the present Chairperson of CCI.

7. SBI to offer 'zero annual fee' credit cards to accounts with Rs 20,000

State Bank of India has said that it will offer credit cards to every account holder who has a balance of Rs 20,000-25,000, without going into credit history.

This is the first major joint collaboration between Arundhati Bhattacharya-led SBI and SBI Card after the bank hiked its stake in the joint venture to 74% by buying out part of its partner GE Capital's stake for Rs 1,168 crore.

GE Capital will sell its remaining stake to a private equity investor in coming days.

8. Sima Kamil becomes first woman to head a major Pakistani bank

Sima Kamil was named the first woman to head a major commercial bank in Pakistan.

Sima, currently a deputy CEO at the country’s third-largest lender United Bank Limited (UBL), will take charge on 1 June.

UBL, headquartered in the financial hub Karachi, employs 15,000 people and has branches in 15 other countries, including the US, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

9. Anil Ambani inducted into the Atlantic Council

Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani has been inducted into the international advisory board of global think-tank The Atlantic Council.

Other global business leaders include Thomas Enders,CEO, Airbus Group, Rupert Murdoch,CEO, 21 Century Fox, Stephen A. Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Group, and Marillyn A. Hewson, Chairman, Lockheed Martin Corporation.

The Atlantic Council is a foreign policy think tank head quartered in Washington, DC.

It aims to shape policy choices and strategies and provide a forum for navigating the economic and political changes.

Points to Remember

• Atlantic Council was founded in 1961.
• Its Headquarters in Washington DC.
• Jon Huntsman is the current Chairperson while Frederick Kempe is the President and CEO.

10. Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha Honored with Sikh Jewel Award

Indian-origin British director Gurinder Chadha has been honored with the 2017 Sikh Jewel Award for her immense contribution to British cinema.

Chadha, whose films include “Bhaji on the Beach,” “Bend It Like Beckham” and “Bride and Prejudice,” received the award from Michael Fallon, U.K. Defense Secretary.

The high commissioner of India to the U.K., Y. K. Sinha, who was the guest of honor, was also present on the dais.

Points to Remember

• Gurinder Chadha is an Indian-origin British director.
• Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha is the high commissioner of India to the United Kingdom.

11. Bhubaneswar to host men's Hockey World Cup 2018

The International Hockey Federation and Government of Odisha has officially confirmed that the Men's Hockey World League Final 2017 and Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 will be held in Bhubaneswar.

The Kalinga Stadium will host the two of hockey's biggest events.

The Men's Hockey World League Final in 2017 will take place between December 1-10 and will welcome eight of the world's best men's teams.

The Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 will take place in late November/early December and will see 15 teams join hosts India at the event.

The venue successfully hosted the 2014 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy.

Points to Remember

• Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 will be held in Bhubaneswar.
• Men's Hockey World League Final 2017 will be held in Bhubaneswar.
• Kalinga Stadium is located in Bhubaneswar.

12. Former solicitor general Andhyarujina passes away

Former solicitor general of India Tehmtan Andhyarujina passed away.He was 83.

He practised law for six decades and has left behind a legacy in judgments he helped shape with his submissions as counsel, on constitutional law.

Andhyarujina was also the state advocate general from 1993 to 1995, before he became the solicitor general in 1996-1998.

Part 2