Newspaper Editorials With English Vocab 11/4/2016

#everydayquiz #TheHindu #IndianExpress #BusinessStandard #EconomicTimes

The Hindu: On detecting and delaying diabetes

Between 1980 and 2014, the age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes in India more than doubled among men (from 3.7 to 9.1 per cent) and women (4.6 to 8.3 per cent). In absolute terms, the number of diabetics in India galloped from 11.9 million to 64.5 million in the same period, according to a paper published on April 2, 2016 in The Lancet.

India stands next only to China in the prevalence of diabetes, and contributes nearly one-sixth to the global disease burden of 422 million. It will be difficult to meet the UN global target of halting adult prevalence of diabetes at 2010 levels by 2025 if the current rates of increase continue in China, India and other low- and middle-income countries. In fact, if the post-2000 trend continues, the global prevalence of diabetes in 2025 will surpass 700 million. It is true that increase in longevity and population growth have been responsible for the spike in diabetes in India, but going forward it is rising levels of obesity that could well be the more significant contributing factor. Obesity is the most important risk factor for diabetes. According to the paper published in The Lancet, the number of obese men in India increased from 0.4 million in 1975 to 9.8 million in 2014; and from 0.8 million to 20 million women during the same period. Indeed, in 2014 there were 3.7 million severely obese women in the country. Besides obesity, there are other factors that put Indians at greater risk of developing diabetes. Increased consumption of sugar-rich and refined food products, central adiposity (commonly seen in Indian adults), sedentary lifestyles, and genetic susceptibility make more Indians vulnerable to the disease than Caucasians.

According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 report, the number of years both men and women live with disease and disability has shot up since 1990. In India, diabetes is one of the major causes of disability in adults. With a direct annual cost of $73 billion, the economic burden of diabetes in India is considerable. And a substantial part of treatment costs is met by out-of-pocket expenditure. Concerted efforts must be directed at preventing and delaying the onset of the disease. A relatively easy and short-term intervention that can go a long way in keeping the disease burden under check is to diagnose and treat gestational diabetes — mostly through dietary changes and physical activity. The management of gestational diabetes — started in Chennai, it is now a national programme — which can prevent the disease in mother and child, has unfortunately not got the same attention as prevention of vertical transmission of HIV. Another missed opportunity is early detection of pre-diabetes when the blood sugar level is higher than normal but not elevated enough to be classified as diabetes. The progression to full-blown diabetes can be effectively delayed and even prevented through dietary changes and increased physical activity. This is why public awareness is crucial.

prevalent

› existing very commonly or happening often:

These diseases are more prevalent among young children.

Trees are dying in areas where acid rain is most prevalent.

gallop

> to move or act quickly:

It is the height of folly and a tragic waste to gallop into war.

halting

› stopping often while you are saying or doing something, especially because you are nervous:

He spoke quietly, in halting English.

longevity

>living for a long time:

To what do you attribute your longevity?

› remaining popular or useful for a long time:

For longevity in car design, you really need to keep it simple

spike

›  to rise to a higher amount, price, or level, usually before going down again:

The jobless rate in October spiked to a five-year high.

adipose

› relating to animal fat:

adipose tissue (= fat)

sedentary

> involving little exercise or physical activity:

a sedentary job/occupation

My doctor says I should start playing sport because my lifestyle is too sedentary.

susceptibility

> the fact that someone or something can easily be influenced, harmed, or infected

susceptibilities

› the feelings someone has that are likely to be hurt:

I didn't mean to offend/upset/hurt your susceptibilities.

gestational

› used to refer to a disease or condition that affects pregnant women:

As many as 5% of pregnant women experience gestational diabetes.

› relating to the development of a child or young animal while it is still inside its mother's body:

Rabbits have a 30-day gestational period.

 

The Hindu: The wages of negligence

Even in a country that has unreasonably high tolerance for poor safety planning and lack of governmental accountability, the tragedy in the Puttingal Devi temple in Kerala’s Kollam district is a complete shocker. The death of more than a hundred people and injuries caused to scores by explosions in a storehouse, was a result of gross negligence, a combination of appalling carelessness and a reckless disregard for the safety of others. That the deadly blaze was triggered by a display of fireworks that were set off despite permission having been refused by the District Collector raises serious questions about the actions of the organisers. What is equally surprising is the failure of the police to implement the decision of the district administration and stop the show. The police and the organisers were in breach of the law on another count as well — that of bursting firecrackers after 10 p.m. As with all such distressing incidents, there is bound to be a search for post-hoc explanations, but the only way to ensure that lessons are learnt from the heart-rending tragedy is to conduct a quick and impartial police investigation and bring the guilty to book. Political parties must refrain from trying to extract electoral capital from the tragedy in poll-bound Kerala — it is important that the truth is not crowded out by the noise. A case has already been registered against the temple committee and the contractors hired for the fireworks; at the same time, the Kerala government has ordered a judicial inquiry, as it did in the last major temple tragedy five years ago, when over a hundred Sabarimala pilgrims were killed in a stampede.

Ironical as it may seem, Kerala on paper is better placed to ensure the safety of mass gatherings, especially religious ones, than other States. The State’s Department of Revenue and Disaster Management has a research-based institute dedicated to the study of accidents and has brought out a standard operating procedure for festival organisers. If government departments had taken the code seriously — it was prepared after a study of five major mass religious gatherings in the State including Sabarimala — there would have been no opportunity for anyone to violate orders, notably on the staging of fireworks and stocking of incendiary materials. Zero tolerance for violations, and a strong commitment to safety even in the remotest of locations, should be non-negotiable if human lives are not to be put in harm’s way. The speedy attention bestowed by the Central government to the relief operations and the support provided by the armed forces and expert medical teams have raised the profile of the Kollam incident and created a new benchmark for collaboration between the Centre and States during such emergencies. All contingency planning ultimately rests on protocols that should be tested through regular field drills. With nearly 50 major annual mass gatherings for religious occasions, including the mammoth Thrissur Pooram which is round the corner, Kerala cannot afford to fail again.

negligence

> the fact of not giving enough care or attention to someone or something:

medical negligence

appall

› to cause someone to be extremely upset or shocked:

I was appalled by the condition of our facilities, especially the dirty locker room.

reckless

> doing something dangerous and not worrying about the risks and the possible results:

He was found guilty of reckless driving.

blaze

› to burn brightly and strongly:

The sun was blazing down that afternoon.

rend

› to tear or break something violently:

With one stroke of his sword, he rent his enemy's helmet in two.

> Firemen had to rend him free of (= pull him out of) the burning car.

incendiary  (FIRE)

›  designed to cause fires:

an incendiary bomb/device

bestow

› to give something as an honour or present:

The George Cross is a decoration that is bestowed upon/on British civilians for acts of great bravery.

contingency

› something that might possibly happen in the future, usually causing problems or making further arrangements necessary:

You must be able to deal with all possible contingencies.

Have you made any contingency plans?

Business Standard: The game changer

The astonishing response to the Tesla Model 3 makes it clear that drivers are open to the concept of all-electric cars. The vehicle will not be available until end-2017, or later. The base price of $35,000 (or Rs 23.29 lakh at the current exchange rate) puts it in the same category as the Mercedes C-Class, or the Audi A6. But despite the long timeframe and the substantial price tag, over 276,000 orders were booked in the first three days. This is also the luxury car-maker's first serious bid to break into the Third World. The "3" will be available in India, South Africa and Brazil. The price has been halved, compared to the Model S, which sells for over $70,000 in the US. The "3" is a five-seat sedan with luxury fittings and high-end features such as Autopilot (it can drive itself on highways). It claims about 345 km range on full charge and impressive acceleration of 0-96 km in six seconds flat. It will cost much more in India, given import duties at 125 per cent, unless concessional rates are offered for electric vehicles. Such concessions are actually likely, given the government's commitment to going green. In fact, Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal recently said that India could target being "a 100 per cent electric vehicle nation" by 2030. Tesla is also a pioneer in energy storage. Tesla's battery technologies could find multiple applications. The so-called Powerwall and Powerpack can harness solar energy from panels for long-term backup and daily use. There is speculation that the company might look to locate a battery "Gigafactory" in India.

Many other electric cars and hybrids (which use both fossil fuels and electricity) are in production already or are in various stages of design. As more manufacturers enter the electric/ hybrid space, prices will reduce and technology will improve. However, while consumers are clearly ready to go electric, the ecosystem is rudimentary in most places outside Southern California. Charging, for example, is cumbersome; it takes hours from a standard wall connection. Tesla's revolutionary Supercharger Connectors shorten charging to an average of 40 minutes, which is still a lot longer than it takes to fill a sports utility vehicle's diesel tank. Nor is there a global network of "charge pumps", and there aren't standardised tariffs for charging either. The market can certainly take care of most of these challenges. The charging networks will likely develop as electric vehicles become popular. But early adopters may have to resort to carrying an extra battery set in the trunk on long commutes.

It would also be wrong to assume that an electric vehicle is automatically good for the environment. It depends on the energy mix used in generating power. That varies from nation to nation. India for example, generates about 70 per cent of its electricity from thermal coal, which has a larger carbon footprint than petroleum or natural gas. So an electric vehicle may actually be worse for the environment in India. However, the power industry has incentive to go green and indeed, the charge networks of the future are likely to be green.

Despite all these caveats, the Model 3 could be a game changer. If the demand for electric vehicles is this strong, every auto major will get on board. That should lead to a rapid development of electric car technologies and the associated ecosystems with all the benefits that scale can generate.

astonishing

> very surprising:

Her first novel enjoyed an astonishing success.

rudimentary

› basic:

Her knowledge is still only rudimentary.

› Rudimentary methods, equipment, systems, or body parts are simple and not very well developed:

Some unusual fish have rudimentary legs.

cumbersome

› awkward because of being large, heavy, or not effective:

cumbersome equipment

cumbersome bureaucracy

caveat चेतावनी

› a warning to consider something before taking any more action, or a statement that limits a more general statement:

He agreed to the interview, with the caveat that he could approve the final article.

Apr 11 2016 : The Economic Times (Bangalore)

For a Level Playing Field in 4G Telecom

Policy must not privilege any operator

Policy and regulation in Indian telecom have evolved in response to competition in the business and its articulation in the equally competitive polity . The regulatory framework needs to evolve further, at this juncture, on the eve of the launch of fast mobile broadband, dubbed fourth-generation communications, or 4G. The big disruption in Indian telecom is expected to come from Reliance Jio, promoted by Mukesh Ambani, who first democratised mobile telecom in the country with a ` . 500-per-month offer a decade and a half ago. This offer forced all other service providers also to adopt the selfsame low-margin, high-volume business model, driving tariffs down further. We hope Jio will work another transformative change in data speeds and costs.

However, Jio must work its magic without any special privileges. One relates to the spectrum usage charge (USC). Jio originally got spectrum as a broadband provider and so has to pay 1% of revenue as USC. That continu es even after securing the right to offer calling services. Calling service pro viders pay 5-7% of their revenue as USC. High revenue shares made sense when spectrum was bundled along with the licence, without any specific upfront payment for it. Now that most spectrum in use is the kind that companies buy in competitive auctions and pay for upfront, there is no case for high USC. It should be brought down to 1% for all service providers.

Another source of discomfort is the telecom regulator's reluctance to define an intranet, exempt from net neutrality rules that apply to the public internet. Many worry that some operator might circumvent net neutrality rules by treating connections to its servers through which subscribers access services hosted on them without going through the public internet as an intranet. A simple solution is to define a company's intranet as the closed user group of those who receive payments from the company for the services they render it. Subscribers, for whom services flow from the company and payments towards it, will necessarily figure outside an intranet.

privilege

>an advantage that only one person or group of people has, usually because of their position or because they are rich:

Healthcare should be a right, not a privilege.

Senior management enjoy certain privileges, such as company cars and health insurance.

evolved

› having developed through a gradual process:

Are humans just an evolved animal?

articulation noun (PRONUNCIATION)

›  the way in which you pronounce words or produce sounds:

A good singer needs to have good articulation (= a clear way of pronouncing words).

juncture

› a particular point in time:

At this juncture, it is impossible to say whether she will make a full recovery.

discomfort

> a feeling of being uncomfortable physically or mentally, or something that causes this:

You may feel a little discomfort for a few days after the operation.

reluctant

> not willing to do something and therefore slow to do it:

[+ to infinitive] I was having such a good time I was reluctant to leave.

circumvent

› to avoid something, especially cleverly or illegally:

Ships were registered abroad to circumvent employment and safety regulations.

Indian Express: Taking a hike

The government has moved to rationalise subsidies in education. The ministry of human resource development has proposed a new fee structure for IITs, starting from the next academic session. The fee for the general category has been hiked by 122 per cent to Rs 2 lakh per year, while the SC/ ST students, the disabled and those from economically weaker sections will attend for free. It is clarified that students from families earning less than Rs 1 lakh per year will also pay no fees. Those from families with an annual income of Rs 1-5 lakh will be waived two-thirds of the fee, and will pay less than Rs 70,000 per year. Besides, they can apply for scholarships and student loans.

Subsidies for the Indian education system have been skewed from the Nehruvian period, when technical institutes were valorised in the hope that they would create the graduates who, in turn, would build the temples of modern India. Over time, though, the relentless focus on higher education has served to distract attention from school education, especially at the primary level, creating a technically capable nation which nevertheless lacks a well-rounded education. A rationalisation of the enormous subsidies at the top — the government spends about Rs 6 lakh on every IIT student every year — would create budgetary surpluses which can be channelled into schools. Besides, a price tag of Rs 2 lakh is not unreasonable at a time when education is being commodified and a section of the market threatens to turn into a certification business. While private institutes charge exorbitant rates, the committee of IIT directors charged with rationalising the fee structure had recommended a rate of Rs 3 lakh per year, with a view to making the IITs self-sustaining. However, the ministry apparently balked at such a steep hike.

In the phasing out of subsidies, exclusion on the basis of the ability to pay is a reasonable way to go. The general category in IITs is precisely that — children of families which are financially capable and favoured by history. The rationalisation would not affect the prospects of students who make the grade academically but may require financial assistance. For instance, it would in no way discomfit the alumni of Super 30, the legendary programme which grooms 30 economically backward students every year for the IIT entrance examination.

skewed

› not accurate or exact:

Maybe your world view is a little skewed.

› not straight:

Her smile is slightly skewed.

valorize

› to decide the value of goods, resources, etc., in order to agree the price that should be charged for them

relentless  कठोर

> continuing in a severe or extreme way:

relentless criticism/pressure

relentless heat

exorbitant

› Exorbitant prices, demands, etc. are much too large:

The bill for dinner was exorbitant.

discomfit

› to make someone feel uncomfortable, especially mentally#SSC #IBPS #SBI #RBI #NABARD #NICL #NIACL #CAT #NMAT #everydayquiz