IMPORTANT VOCABS
1. Chorus (noun) = a group of people
singing together or a repeated part of a song.
Synonym: Refrain, ensemble
Antonym: Solo, verse
Sentence: The song’s chorus was so
catchy that everyone in the audience
sang along.
2. Statehood (noun) = the status of being a recognized independent nation Synonym: Sovereignty, nationhood Antonym: Dependency, territory Sentence: The region’s push for statehood has been a contentious issue in international politics.
3. Erstwhile (adj) = former
Synonym: Old, previous
Antonym: Current, present
Sentence: His erstwhile friend had
become his fiercest competitor.
4. Bifurcate (verb) = to divide into two
branches or parts
Synonym: Split, divide
Antonym: Merge, unite
Sentence: The road bifurcates just outside the city, leading to two different towns.
5. Buoy (verb) = keep afloat; raise the
spirits of Synonym: Lift, support
Antonym: Sink, depress
Sentence: His encouraging words buoyed her spirits during the tough times.
6. Turnout (noun) = the number of people
attending or taking part in an event
Synonym: Attendance, gathering
Antonym: Absence, shortfall
Sentence: The turnout for the concert exceeded all expectations.
7. Reciprocation (noun) = the act of
returning a favor or responding in kind to
another’s action
Synonym: Repayment, return
Antonym: Ingratitude, unthankfulness
Sentence: His kindness was met with reciprocation when he needed help the most.
8. Curtail (verb) = reduce in extent or
quantity; impose a restriction on
Synonym: Reduce, diminish
Antonym: Extend, increase
Sentence: The company had to curtail its spending due to budget cuts.
9. Subservient (adj) = prepared to obey
others unquestioningly
Synonym: Submissive, compliant
Antonym: Dominant, controlling
Sentence: The subservient attitude of the staff was noticeable at the corporate retreat.
10. Whims (noun) = sudden changes of mind
or feelings
Synonym: Fancies, caprices
Antonym: Constancy, stability
Sentence: The king was known for his whims, making him unpredictable and difficult to please.
Read The Passage carefully And Answer The Questions Given Below
Kashmir file
The recent two-day visit by a team of the Election Commission of India (ECI), led by the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) — its second since March to meet representatives of political parties and the local administration — comes amid the growing chorus from regional parties to hold elections to the 90-seat Assembly of the five-year-old Union Territory (UT). In its December 2023 judgment on Article 370, the Supreme Court was specific in its direction on holding elections in J&K. The Court had noted that “direct elections to legislative assemblies cannot be put on hold until Statehood is restored” and directed the ECI to conduct elections in J&K by September 30, 2024. The erstwhile State of J&K was bifurcated into two UTs, and its special status scrapped in 2019. J&K saw its last Assembly election in 2014. After the collapse of the coalition government of the Peoples’ Democratic Party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2018, J&K has not had a representative government. The Centre should be buoyed by the faith shown by voters in the Lok Sabha elections held in April-May this year. Voters chose to depart from the previous trend, especially in the Kashmir Valley, of election boycotts, and instead posted a historic turnout of 58% in five Lok Sabha seats. Since 1990, J&K’s voting percentage had never crossed the 50% mark. Therefore, holding Assembly elections will be a statement of confidence by the Centre. It will also be a positive reciprocation to voter enthusiasm. The Centre has been accused by several rights groups of curtailing democratic processes in J&K since its semi-autonomous status ended in 2019 Allowing people to choose their representatives will be a major step towards ensuring the restoration and the building up of political processes. Recurrent militant attacks in J&K point to the fact that a lot of work is still required to attain complete peace in J&K. However, making elections subservient to the security situation will only make the Centre hostage to the whims of terrorists. On the one hand, the Centre needs to further its efforts to deal with militancy, while on the other, kick off political processes. Assembly elections can turn out to be a democratic instrument to ensure that any sense of alienation does not get amplified and exploited by the enemies of the country. J&K needs to have a participatory democratic set-up in place to deal with issues such as growing unemployment, electricity crisis, and poor health infrastructure. These elections have the potential to act as a healing process for a place wounded by over three decades of conflict.
Questions
1. Based on the given passage, what tone does the writer
predominantly use to convey the situation regarding
the proposed Assembly elections in Jammu and
Kashmir?
A) Neutral
B) Advocative
C) Cautious
D) Skeptical
E) Resigned
2. What summarizes the recent developments concerning
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir as described in
the passage?
A. Postponement of elections due to security concerns.
B. Holding elections as directed by the Supreme Court.
C. Cancelling elections in response to regional demands.
D. Delaying elections until statehood restoration.
E. Conducting elections without changes to constituency
boundaries.
Answers
- B. Advocative.
- B. Holding elections as directed by the Supreme Court.
