Descriptive Writing PDF

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PREFACE
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Before you lies the book “Descriptive Writing”, the basis of which
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are the essentials of the descriptive writing paper of various
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competitive examinations like SBI PO, IBPS PO, Syndicate Bank
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PO, Canara Bank PO, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, SSC MTS, etc. It has
been written to cater to the needs of students who want to become
a dab hand at writing a Letter, Essay, and Precis in any competitive
exam. The objective of this book is to equip the students with the
expertise to make the cut in the descriptive writing test against
such a toilsome competition.
This book provides a framework for learning the key concepts of

writing essays on current as well as the most expected topics,
formal and informal letters, and precis. To describe and explain the
concepts of descriptive writing, this book uses tips, step by step
guidelines, latest format and writing aids, solved examples of
essays, letter and precis, and set of exercises based on them all. This
framework allows the aspirants to conquer excellent writing skills
into a larger context.
The content has been prepared under the tactical guidance of the
scintillating minds and combined efforts of Gopal Anand, Swati Gupta,
and Sakshi Singh, who have utilized their experience to prepare the study
material incorporated into the book.
1 Adda247 Publications For any detail mail us at

publications@adda247.com
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Some features associated with this book are:
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· Format and useful writing tips for Letter, Essay and Précis.
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· Incorporates all popular and expected topics for Essay Writing.
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· Solved examples of different types of formal and informal
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letters asked in competitive exams.
· Practice Exercise on Essay, Letter and Precis Writing.
· Expected Essay/ Letter Writing Topics Based on Current
Affairs.
We would like to thank our experienced faculties, subject-matter

experts and the expertise of Adda247 without whose cooperation it
wouldn't have been possible to come up with such a meticulous
study material for Descriptive Writing. We hope that our readers
appreciate the strenuous efforts that we put into this book. Any
remarks or suggestions for further refinements are wholeheartedly
welcome.
Team Adda247

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CONTENTS
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CHAPTER-1
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ESSAY WRITING TIPS
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Essay Writing Practice Exercise ...................................................12-88
Right to Freedom of Expression ......................................................... 12
Cultural Diversity in India .................................................................. 14
Start Up India ....................................................................................... 15
Causes of violence in the world ......................................................... 17
Safety of Women .................................................................................. 18
Naxalism in India ................................................................................. 20
Schemes by Government of India ...................................................... 21
Corruption in India .............................................................................. 23
Digital India .......................................................................................... 24
Godmen- A Threat to Indian Society ................................................. 26
India’s Poor Ranking in Environmental
Performance Index 2018 ...................................................................... 27
Disaster Management in India ........................................................... 29
Urbanization and Smart Cities in India............................................. 30
Space Programmes of India ................................................................ 32
Role of Media in India ......................................................................... 33
Security threats in India-Terrorism.................................................... 35
Unemployment in India ...................................................................... 37
Caste Based Reservation in India ....................................................... 38
Climate Catastrophe ............................................................................ 39
Demonetisation .................................................................................... 41
Electronic Voting Machines ................................................................ 42
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Farmers’ Suicide in India .................................................................... 43
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GIFT CITY ............................................................................................. 45
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Global Warming ................................................................................... 46
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Globalisation ......................................................................................... 48
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Indo-Pak Relations ............................................................................... 49
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Intolerance............................................................................................. 50
Ransomware Attacks ........................................................................... 51
Sexual Harassment............................................................................... 53
Bullet Trains .......................................................................................... 54
Can India go Cashless ......................................................................... 55
Can Loan Waivers Benefit Farmers ................................................... 56
Challenges after Implementation of GST .......................................... 57
Cooperative and Competitive Federalism ........................................ 58
Corporal Punishment .......................................................................... 59
Cryptocurrency: Is it safe? .................................................................. 60
Digital Banking’s Adverse Effect on Banking Industry .................. 61
Doklam Issue ........................................................................................ 62
Gender Equality and Sustainable Development .............................. 63
NEET: Boon or Bane ............................................................................ 64
Prompt Corrective Action ................................................................... 64
Right to Privacy .................................................................................... 65
Rohingyas.............................................................................................. 66
Rural Urban Divide.............................................................................. 67
Triple Talaq ........................................................................................... 68
World War III ....................................................................................... 69
Smog in Delhi ....................................................................................... 70
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan ...................................................................... 72
Femal Foeticide : Root Causes, Practices and Prevention ............... 74
Saubhagya Scheme............................................................................... 75
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Benefit of Computer Based Test for Prestigious Exam.................... 77
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Beti Bachao Beti Padhao ...................................................................... 79
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Overpopulation : Causes, Impact and Prevention ........................... 81
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7th Pay Commission ............................................................................ 83
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Should Government Consider Privatising Public Sector Banks ? .. 86
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Essay Writing Exercise ....................................................................... 87
Important Points on Some Banking Related Topics ............... 88-98
Employee Retention ........................................................................... 88
FDI in India .......................................................................................... 90
Merger of Banks in India ................................................................... 91
Insurance Penetration......................................................................... 94
Financial Inclusion in India .............................................................. 95
CHAPTER-2
LETTER WRITING TIPS
What is a Formal Letter? ...................................................................... 99
Useful Formal Letter Writing Aids .................................................. 105
What is an Informal Letter? .............................................................. 108
Useful Informal Letter Writing Aids ............................................... 111
Formal Letter Writing ............................................................... 113-134
Letter to Editor ................................................................................... 113
Complaint Letter ................................................................................ 119
Grievance Redressal Letter ............................................................... 124
Formal Invitation................................................................................ 126
Letter to Manager ............................................................................... 128
Enquiry Letter..................................................................................... 130
Formal Request Letter ....................................................................... 132
Practice Exercise ................................................................................ 134

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Informal Letter Writing ............................................................. 135-147
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Personal Letter/ Expression of Concern ......................................... 135
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Condolence Letter ............................................................................. 143
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Informal Invitation ............................................................................. 143
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Letter of Congratulations................................................................... 144
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Thank You Letter/ Gratitude Expression ....................................... 145
Informal Request ................................................................................ 146
Practice Exercise ................................................................................. 147
CHAPTER-3
PRÉCIS WRITING TIPS
Writing Process ........................................................................... 148-182
Tips for Précis Writing ....................................................................... 150
1. Expanding Tax Base & GDP .......................................................... 150
2. Intense Heat Waves and Summers ............................................... 153
3. How India must respond to a Low HDI rank ............................. 156
4. India’s Steps Towards a Nuclear Power Nation ......................... 158
5. Capitalism........................................................................................ 161
6. Schism .............................................................................................. 164
7. Rivers................................................................................................ 166
8. Black Money .................................................................................... 168
9. The Right to Free, Compulsory Education .................................. 170
10. Class X Board exams .................................................................... 172
Précis Writing Exercise .............................................................. 175-182

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CHAPTER-4
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PREVIOUS YEARS' ESSAY WRITING QUESTIONS
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SBI PO 2016 ........................................................................................ 183
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BOB PO 2016 ...................................................................................... 186
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SSC CGL TIER-III 2016 .................................................................... 187
SBI PO 2017 ........................................................................................ 188
NICL AO 2017 .................................................................................... 189
IBPS PO 2017...................................................................................... 190
BOB PO 2017 ...................................................................................... 192
SYNDICATE BANK PO 2018 ........................................................ 193
CHAPTER-5
PREVIOUS YEARS' LETTER WRITING QUESTIONS
SBI PO 2016 ........................................................................................ 197

BOB PO 2016 ...................................................................................... 200
SSC CGL TIER-III 2016 .................................................................... 203
SBI PO 2017 ........................................................................................ 204
NICL AO 2017 .................................................................................... 207
IBPS PO 2017...................................................................................... 208
BOB PO 2017 ...................................................................................... 210
Syndicate Bank PO 2018 ................................................................. 211
ANNEXTURE
HOW TO WRITE EFFECTIVELY ? ......................................... 216-219
PHRASAL VERBS ..................................................................... 220-249
VOCABULARY .......................................................................... 250-312
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ESSAY
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WRITING TIPS
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ssay is any literary piece of work which is mainly based on
facts that deals with its theme from a limited and often
personal point of view. It is a systematic, methodical, and an
analytical composition that is usually much shorter and less formal
than a dissertation or thesis.
An essay is an essential part of Descriptive Paper of any
competitive exam, be it an SSC, Bank, Insurance exam or a UPSC
level exam. It is a long composition that can be asked on any topic,
especially on the topics related to current issues, or the issues that
are drawing everybody’s attention. You can go through the current
affair topics important for competitive exams on
currentaffairs.adda247.com. You should also be prepared for the
topics that are generally uncommon from the point of view of
competitive examinations.
READ THE QUESTION CAREFULLY
You must examine the question meticulously to make sure you
answer what is asked. Generally the essay questions have some
direction words that give a hint about what is wanted in the essay,
such as compare, describe, explain, argue, discuss, critique, etc.
These words are actually the task words that help you identify the
task that needs to be done. Highlight the key words and identify
the topic words that indicate what the whole essay is going to be
about.
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TEMPLATE
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Introduction Paragraph: Give a brief punchy statement which
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intends to grab the examiner’s attention and make him/her want to
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continue to read your essay.
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Support your statement by a few arguments that leave no doubt in
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the examiner’s mind about which side you are on from the
beginning of your essay.
Give examples to support your arguments
Make sure that your introduction gives the examiner a clear
understanding of what your essay is about and tells him/her what
to expect in the paragraphs to come.
Give the reader the best first impression possible.
Avoid personal pronouns like I, My, or Me.
You can use a suitable idiom/proverb/quote to start your
essay.
Body : The main purpose of a body paragraph is to explain in detail
the examples that support your thesis. Begin each paragraph with a
theme sentence that connects the paragraph to the rest of the essay.
Start with the first subtopic and continue with supporting details.
Give examples and explain how this example proves your
argument.
You can draw up comparisons to make the examiner understand
what you are trying to say.

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Continue with second/third subtopics (if necessary) and proceed in
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a similar way.
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Ensure that every different point is given a new paragraph.
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Do not stick to a single subtopic and write too much about it
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because you won’t be left with much of words to explain other
necessary points.
The first sentences of your body paragraphs need to be very
effective.
Conclusion : Conclusion is a crux of all that has been discussed
earlier. You can start by summarizing your main ideas by drawing
together each component of you previously made arguments in a
logical and significant way.
Give your own opinion or a suggestion in the end (if required).
Try to conclude with a quotation that amplifies your main
point. A quotation can add texture and specificity to your
discussion.
Do not forget to address the task given to you in the question.
Avoid Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion.
Make sure your conclusion agrees with your introduction.
USEFUL WRITING AIDS
Finishing Touches
Check the order of your paragraphs.
Make sure that the order of your paragraphs makes sense.

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Make sure that flow of sentences is smooth.
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Add phrases to connect thoughts or ideas.
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Check your essay for grammar and spelling mistakes.
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Transition
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Addition
and, also, besides, further, furthermore, too, moreover, in
addition, then, of equal importance, equally important, another
Comparison
in the same way, by the same token, similarly, in like manner,
likewise, in similar fashion
Purpose
in order that, so that, to that end, to this end, for this purpose
Contrast
but, in contrast, conversely, however, still, nevertheless,
nonetheless, yet, and yet, on the other hand, of course, on the
contrary, or, in spite of this, actually, a year ago, now,
notwithstanding, for all that, strangely enough, ironically
Cause/ Effect
Because, since, on account of, for that reason, therefore,
consequently, accordingly, thus, hence, as a result
Conclusion
In conclusion, lastly , to sum up, to summarize, in sum, in
brief, in short, in summary

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TIPS FOR ESSAY WRITING
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Don’t be abusive while mentioning negative aspects of
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something.
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Avoid using slang or text language.
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Your tone should always be confident and formal while
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writing essays.
Try using simple vocabulary.
Always write in paragraphs.
Do not address the reader.
Read editorials daily and rewrite its summary in 250-300
words.
Try writing essay on topics/issues currently in news.
1. Right to Freedom of Expression

Right to freedom of expression and freedom of opinion are among
the most fundamental rights in a democratic republic. The
prerequisite for a political system to run in a democratic way is to
provide its citizens with a power to form their opinion on certain
issues and express their views unhindered, unfettered by the fear of
retribution. It allows people of the country to freely engage in the
social, cultural, as well as political affairs. In India, this right, the
right to freedom of expression is protected under the Article 19 (1)
(a) and is fundamental to our democracy. However, Article 19 (2)
imposes certain reasonable restrictions on all the fundamental
rights constituting that of freedom of speech and expression.
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This right is available solely for the citizens of India, not for the
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citizens of any other country. The restrictions imposed with respect
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to this fundamental right are in the interest of sovereignty and
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integrity of India, protection of the republic, cooperative
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relationships with foreign states, public order, decorum and
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morality and contempt of court, defamation and stimulation of an
offense. The people of India declare their solemn resolve to secure
to all the citizens, liberty of thought and expression in the Preamble
to the Constitution of India.
At the same time, a law punishing statements made with the
deliberate intention to hurt the cultural, religious or sentimental
feelings of any class of people is necessary because it imposes a
restriction on the right of free speech in the interest of public order.
For the speech or expression that has the tendency to lead to a
breach of the peace or create public disorder, there must be a sound
and proper nexus or link between the restrictions and the
attainment of public order.
Freedom of expression is a basic requirement that should be
fulfilled by every civil society. But, in this age of modernization,
this right is just not limited to expressing one’s views through
words but it also includes circulating one’s views in writing or
through audiovisual instrumentalities, through advertisements and
through any other communication channel. It incorporates the right
to information, and freedom of the press as well. Freedom of
speech and expression is like a buttress to a democratic government
and should be regarded as the first condition of liberty.
[Word Limit- 400 Words]
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2. Cultural Diversity in India
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India is a populous country and its large population enhances the
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cultural identity of the country across the different geographical
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lines. The country accounts for a large population of Hindus,
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Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains and various other religions and
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this marks the existence of the diversity of Indian Culture. The
different languages spoken in the country including Hindi, Bengali,
Tamil, Telugu, Urdu among many others add a feather in the cap in
the country’s heritage. People of different religions begin the day
with morning hymns, and these rich values are inculcated into the
children since their childhood. Morning prayers and moral
education are a significant part of the education system in India.
Despite the diverse culture, people here are not discriminated by
caste, color or creed but by their values and this is what makes
India a unique country to live in.
Culture is further displayed in various forms of art, particularly,
music, dance, poetry, theater, and painting. Along with art,
different festivals that the citizens of India celebrate with so much
of enthusiasm exhibiting color, rituals, and prayers definite to
cultural heritage. Many countries across the world have diverse
cultures but what makes India novel are the different kinds of
clothing, different cuisines, festivals, languages. If North India has
chole bhature, tandoori chicken, rajma chawal, kadhi chawal,
dhokla, daal baati churma and biryani to relish, South India is not
behind in the race. From masala dosa, rava uttpam, rasam, sambar-
lemon rice to toran, appam, meen; the South Indian cuisine has a
great variety to offer. Different traditions in the different parts of
India underline the cultural influences that still exist in spite of the
modernization by which the Indian traditions are considered to be
fading away.
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This cultural diversity marks the uniqueness and enriches a
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country’s history and social setups with creativity in art and
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architectural aspects arising from such diversity. Sometimes, it also
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poses a challenge where these distinctions create language barriers
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and enhance social segregation or non-acceptance among people
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due to the variability of individuals. Indians, despite so many
diversities, are still united, still have that sense of brotherhood, and
are proud of their culture and traditions. Through various
international film festivals or through beauty pageants, India never
stays back from demonstrating its culture on the international
platform too. The compliance, flexibility, and changes with time
make Indian culture fashionable and acceptable too.
3. Start Up India
Honorable Prime Minister of India launched the “Start-Up India
Action Plan” in the year 2016. The main objective of this campaign
is to enable an eco-system to promote and nurse entrepreneurship
across the country. It was basically started in order to promote and
foster entrepreneurship in India, the basis of which is an action
plan that promotes financing funds from banks to various start-up
ventures. This will not only advance the entrepreneurship in India
but also create job opportunities for the unemployed youth of the
country.
A startup is an entity, that can be private, in a partnership or
limited liability partnership (LLP) which was opened less than five
years ago, has an annual turnover less than Rs. 25 crore and is
headquartered in India. The campaign “Start-up India” was first

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announced by the Prime Minister of India, on the occasion of
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Independence Day in the year 2015 to promote start-ups in India.
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The action plan of this initiative is mainly based on the three pillars
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i.e., Simplification and Handholding, Funding Support and
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Incentives, and Industry-Academia Partnership and Incubation.
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This scheme has various advantages including self-certification, a
three-year exemption from inspections, an online portal, mobile
app support, a single-point hub for hand-holding, etc. Also, no
inspection would be carried out on start-ups for three years
regarding the labor laws and the environment law compliance will
be required only after self-certification. An added field of focus
relating to this campaign is to cut the prohibitive States
Government policies within this domain, such as License Raj, Land
Permissions, Foreign Investment Proposals, and Environmental
Clearances.
The initiative Start-Up India is about formulating prosperity in
India. It has given enormous opportunities to the enterprising
youth who dream of starting their own business but had limited
resources to carry it out. This scheme has been a success since it
was first introduced and has benefitted many entrepreneurs across
the country to set up their own enterprises and has also provided
jobs to many jobless citizens of the country. So, in total, the
initiative, with proactive support at multiple levels, has contributed
a lot to wealth creation, economic growth, and employment
generation in India.
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4. Causes of Violence in the World
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In today’s world, there is a lot of violence everywhere. Taking
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responsibilities, having respect for one another, manners are now
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considered the obsessions of past. Countries are fighting with each
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other, citizens are fighting against governments and with each
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other as well, children at school bully each other, someone is shot
for no reason, sexual violence is so common these days. There is a
floating anger, and insecurity hovering over all of us, created by us,
fed through us. But why?
There are millions of reasons for the current situation of the
violence prevailing in the world. One of the biggest reasons is the
increasing intolerance among the people in the world. There is only
the sense of mistrust and hatred instead of fraternity or
camaraderie among people. Drugs too play a significant role in
making the world scary to some extent. The drug addicts resort to
violence in order to score the next high while others get violent
while they are high. They fight with each other to gain more power
and also fight with the governments who try to stop them. Next, if
we think of wars, the biggest reason comes out to be greed. Peace,
democracy, chemical weapons etc. are all just propaganda that the
greedy governments and corporations use to veil the real motives.
The media plays a great part in spreading the violence across the
globe by making the world look more violent than it actually is and
thereby creating violence and mistrust among people. There is
violence in the movies, video games, and hatred and anger in the

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songs and books. Every such stuff reaches out to small children
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who try to bring out their dreams to be exactly like their favorite
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hero done in the game or movie. Illiteracy, unemployment,
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religion, racism, violence against women and children, terrorism,
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etc are some of the other significant grounds on which the violence
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in the world is caused.
In order to prevent the violence, the enforcement of physical
punishment has been used as a tested method since the inception of
the civilization. The social development programmes for children
as well as adolescents can reduce their engagement in violence by
inculcating in them the life skills like social, emotional, and
behavioral competencies which help them deal with the challenges
of everyday life effectively.
5. Safety of Women
India has always been known for its great culture and tradition all
over the world. From the ancient times, women have been
considered as goddesses and worshipped since the evolution of the
Indian civilizations. But, nowadays, the safety of women has
become a grave concern in the country. There have been cases
where women were reported to have been sexually assaulted,
molested, raped, acid-attacked, trafficked, ill-treated as in domestic
violence or dowry cases. All these cases raise a question mark on
the safety of women in India. The victims of any of the above-
mentioned heinous crimes get into an emotional trauma that spans
for months, years and even throughout her life.

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It’s a shame for our country that such incidences take place here
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every day. Rapes, that have become so common these days know
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no difference between a six-month-old infant and a 70-year-old
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woman. Backward ideas about gender and sexuality overpower the
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mordern India in which women want to live on their own. So many
women are found to be working in various fields like aeronautics,
space, politics, banks, schools, sports, businesses, army, police, and
more but most of them feel unsafe at the same time. It is
challenging for a socio-economically and sexually repressed India
to live with the modern, contemporary, and independent India.
Stringent laws and actions are required to curb the menace. The
highest level of punishment should be given to the offenders for
such heinous crimes. Many laws have been introduced in order to
lessen the number of such incidences but the growing rate of such
crimes against women only shows that they were all weak and
ineffective. Women themselves will have to raise their voice against
everything wrong that happens to them, be it rape, domestic
violence, sexual or mental harassment, or any other such violence.
This is a huge problem and cannot be resolved unless the women of
the country, especially the ones who are from the backward areas
and are suppressed extremely, empower themselves by protecting
themselves and their rights on the part of being a human.

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6. Naxalism in India
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Naxalite is a term used to refer to activist who is a member of the
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Communist Party of India. They operate in various parts of India,
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mostly in West Bengal and less developed areas of rural southern
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and eastern India. The Naxalite–Maoist insurgency is an ongoing
tiff between Naxalites and the Indian government. The term Naxal
has its roots in the village Naxalbari in West Bengal, where the
violent moment was organized by a section of the Communist
Party of India. The movement has now advanced to the hilly and
forest regions of around eight different states, with more than 150
districts are believed to be under its direct influence. Naxalites are
mostly active in the tribal areas spreading from Andhra Pradesh to
Bihar and Maharashtra, and also covering parts of Karnataka,
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, and Tamil
Nadu.
Over three thousand people had been killed in Naxalite-
Government conflicts between 2002 – 2005. The conflict has
displaced 350,000 members of tribal groups from their ancestral
lands with hundreds of people being killed annually in clashes
between the CPI-Maoists and the government every year since
2005. The naxalites also mounted an attack on a BSF patrol team
near Kurenar. The incident came a few weeks after the Naxals
ambushed a team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Sukma,
Chhattisgarh, killing 25 of its policemen providing security for road
construction in the area.
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Naxalites are influential and active in some parts of India due to
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the unresolved issues and differences over there. A decent
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implementation of land ceiling laws, utilization of the funds
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provided to the government in the most efficient manner could be
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the solution to this problem. All those who have been displaced
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should be given proper rehabilitation along with police security.
Government of India launched a new security operation policy to
deal with Naxalites called ‘SAMADHAN’ - Smart leadership,
Aggressive strategy, Motivation and Training, Actionable
intelligence, Dashboard-based key performance indicators and key
result areas, Harnessing technology, Action plan for each threat, No
access to funding. This problem can’t be resolved through bullets
or any shortcuts, but through short-term, medium-term and long
term solutions. With the new strategies and full force, we will be
successful against them.
7. Schemes by Government of India
The current government of India, after taking over in May 2014, has
launched a number of welfare schemes by now. Some of the
schemes were newly created while the other old schemes were
given new names, amended or both. These schemes that could be
either Central, State-specific or a joint collaboration between the
Centre and the States, were launched in order to help the nation on
several grounds including education, healthcare facilities,
electricity, LPG connections, availability of food, housing, water.
The schemes are intended to undertake social reforms for all age
groups, from children to adults as well as the elderly people of the
country.
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The government of India allocates some amount of funds to these
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schemes every year. Under this year’s union budget, different
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schemes have been given special attention like, the free LPG
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connections scheme, Ujjwala Yojana will be expanded to eight crore
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households; Rs. 5,750 crore allocated to National Livelihood
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Mission and Rs2,600 crore to the groundwater irrigation scheme; 4
crore electricity connections will be provided to the poor under
Saubhagya Yojana; a new national health protection scheme,
Rashtriya Samaj Beema Yojana will be launched that will be the
world’s largest healthcare programme; PM Jeevan Beema Yojana
benefitted more than 2 crore families; Jan Dhan Yojana will be
extended to all 60 crore bank accounts; target of Rs.3 lakh crore for
lending under MUDRA for 2018-19; under the Bharatmala
Pariyojana, about 35000 kms road construction in Phase-I at an
estimated cost of Rs.5,35,000 crore has been approved; and many
more.
Some of the major schemes of Government of India are Pradhan
Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana, Stand Up India Scheme, Pradhan
Mantri Mudra Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Pradhan Mantri
Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima
Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Clean
India Campaign, and Housing For All. The implementation of these
schemes was intended to involve action at international, national,
regional and local levels. All of these schemes or yojanas renew the
nation’s commitment to eradicating poverty, raising productivity,
reducing income inequalities and removing social and economic
disparities.
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8. Corruption in India
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Corruption is defined as a dishonest or unethical conduct by a
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person assigned with a position of authority, often to acquire
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personal benefit, which may include many activities including
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bribery and embezzlement. Corruption in India is a hidden
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phenomenon and a study shows that more than 60% of Indian
population had firsthand experience of paying bribes to get jobs
done in public offices.
The largest contributors to the corruption are entitlement programs
and social spending schemes ratified by the Indian government.
Corruption caused problems in government funded projects,
tendering processes and awarding contracts, hospitals and health
care, land and property, income tax department, and even science
and technology. Corruption may lead to bureaucratic delay and
inefficiency, and loss of our country’s credibility and its economic
growth.
The main causes of corruption in India are low job opportunities,
low pay scales or wages of government employees, lack of strict
laws against corruption, lack of unity among people who are
fighting against corruption, lack of transparency in employee
income reports, lack of freedom to independent detective agencies,
making use of corrupt means to make the wealth needed to expand
a particular political party, lack of enough powers to run the
judicial system and other independent organizations, lack of
accountability, encouragement of unhealthy competition, and
many more.
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A variety of organizations have been formed in India to vigorously
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fight against corrupt Indian government and other corrupt business
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practices. Some of the organizations are, Bharat Swabhiman Trust;
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Jaago Re! One Billion Votes; Association for Social Transparency,
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Rights and Action (ASTRA). A committee headed by the Chairman
of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has been constituted to
examine methods to strengthen laws to restrain generation of black
money in India, and to put to an end the illegal transfer of money
outside India. Some of the States of India have their own anti-
corruption agencies and courts. If corruption levels in India were
reduced to levels in developed countries, India’s GDP growth rate
could rise at a higher rate yearly.
9. Digital India
The government of India launched a campaign named Digital India
aimed at making the government services available to its citizens
electronically by an enhanced online support, and by increased
Internet connectivity. Under this campaign, the rural and remote
areas of the country are expected to be provided the internet
connectivity that will contribute to making the country digitally
empowered in the field of technology.
The Digital India Campaign has three key components that are
being focused upon as the main vision areas.
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1. Development of secure and stable Digital Infrastructure: The
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aim of the Indian Government by the launch of this campaign is
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the internet connectivity throughout the country that is reliable.
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It will be beneficial for the country not only in terms of
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technology but also safety and educational purposes. It also
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concentrates on providing an enduring digital infrastructure and
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easy access to all sorts of online services.
2. Delivering government services digitally: The various services
that are launched by the government for the benefit of common
man of the country hardly ever reach the people who actually
need them. With this campaign, the government also focuses on
providing all such services to its citizens digitally. This will also
promote and motivate the people to do more and more online/
electronic transactions that will be easy, and help India go
cashless.
3. Universal Digital Literacy: With this campaign, people will get
to know more and more about the online services like making
payments or submitting the documents online. This will lead to
the digital empowerment of citizens and make the living easier,
faster and comfortable for them.
The internet subscribers increased to more than 500 million in India
in the year 2017. Various states and districts have come up
excellently to portray themselves as well-performing lots under the
Digital India Campaign. This initiative of the Indian Government to
transform the country into a digitally empowered nation will
provide the country with a high-speed internet facility, broadband
highways, information technology jobs, black money eradication,
switch over to cashless transactions and use of mobile phones
universally and that will definitely take India to new heights
globally.
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10. Godmen – A Threat to Indian Society
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From time to time, one of the many godmen, who has lakhs of
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crazy followers is accused of a crime. The guru maintains his
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blamelessness despite compelling evidence, his followers allege
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conspiracy and sometimes even create chaos in the name of these
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babas. The godman may ultimately go to prison, but his followers
deny to quit believing in him.
In India, one thing that is hard to change is the coexistence of
modernity with irrationality and obscurantism, has been a
hallmark of the country. The economic development of the country
has seen a colossal evolution whereas this impediment is set in
stones, that makes it less surprising that a huge population of the
country blindly follows these godmen. These people readily
succumb to the temptations of an unreal world which godmen
create by purveying hypocrisy, misrepresentation, fraud, and
religiosity in the name of god. We witnessed a repetition of similar
incidence when controversial Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim
Singh was held guilty of raping and sexually exploiting two female
disciples by a CBI special court in Panchkula. His followers created
violence in several parts of the country killing and injuring a
significant number of people.
The real problem lies not with Godmen but with self-proclaimed
Godmen. Panchkula incident was not the first or the only incidence
when a godman was exposed as a fake sadhu or baba, but it has
become a trend now. Many renowned babas who were once
godmen for populace are now behind the bars, many of them being
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involved in human trafficking, prostitution, rapes and even child
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and girl abuse. Not just the illiterate or uneducated people, but the
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ones who have acquired higher qualifications too get under the
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influence of these babas and suffer afterward.
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These people have created a strong base but they can be rooted out.
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We have to make everyone aware with the help of media and social
network about these fraud people. India is a country which has
always been known for its culture and this image must be
maintained forever. We need to regularly examine this unholy
nexus because faithless opportunists present as big a threat to a
flourishing democracy as crooked godmen.
11. India’s Poor Ranking in Environmental Performance Index
2018
India’s failure to check air pollution has made India the fourth
worst country in the world in terms of curbing environmental
pollution. A report was released by the World Economic Forum
recently, according to which India ranks 177th among a total of 180
countries on the Environmental Performance Index 2018. The
overall ranking of the countries was based on their performance in
the environmental health policy and the deaths due to air pollution
categories. The government of India is making regular efforts in
order to regulate and control the hazardous emissions from the
industries, traffic, and various other man-made objects but this
problem of increasing pollution continues to increase and all these
efforts by the government fail dramatically to check these
environmental conditions.
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In the previous year, the air pollution was declared as an
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emergency in Delhi in the month of November. The concentration
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of the most harmful air pollutants in the environment had reached
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the maximum and made it difficult for the local to breathe the
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natural air. The smog all over the city from power plants, vehicle
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exhaust, and seasonal fires burning agricultural waste was
intensely dense and continued to prevail there for a period of more
than a fortnight. Not only Delhi, but there are other metropolitan
cities of the country where the status of the environmental
vulnerability is more or less the same, the main causes of it being
agricultural waste burning, traffic, power plants, chemical
emissions from industries, and heating. This environmental
vulnerability not only poses the world’s worst environmental
health risk but is also becoming one of the major factors leading to
a huge number of deaths every year.
India’s low scores on Environmental Performance Index, that are as
low as 30.57, and fares better than only three countries in the world.
The transboundary nature of air and water pollution pose tough
challenges at a global level. After having witnessed such low scores
on EPI, now, there is a dire need to making national sustainability
efforts in a number of fields, improving the air quality, putting a
ban on haystack or agricultural waste burning, reducing the
harmful emissions from different sources and hence protecting the
biodiversity.
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12. Disaster Management in India
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A natural disaster is a severe disruption of the functioning of an
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area or community as everything goes haywire in terms of the
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destruction of the life support systems like communication, power
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supply, drainage, etc. Life of the residents of the area almost comes
to a standstill as it interrupts essential services, such as health care,
electricity, water, sewage/garbage removal, transportation and
communications.
In India more than 60% areas are prone to floods, around 70% areas
are sensitive to droughts and around 10% areas are prone to
cyclones. Any of these natural disasters always lead to the loss of
life, livelihood, psychological trauma caused to the victims, and
many more such negative impacts that have a major and long-
lasting impact on people long after the immediate effect has been
alleviated.
Not all the natural disasters can be shut out, but the risk of loss of
life and injury can be lessened with strict exodus plans,
environmental disasters preparedness, and design standards that
comes under Disaster Management (DM) that is also known as
Disaster Risk Management (DRM). These are the initiatives
undertaken in order to provide a permanent protection from
disasters. It offers guiding principles, preferences for action, and
effective means for accomplishing disaster resilience for helpless
communities.
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The Government of India passed the Disaster Management Act,
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2005 which mandated the creation of National Disaster
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Management Authority (NDMA) and State Disaster Management
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Authorities (SDMA) in order to initiate and execute a unified and
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integrated strategy to deal with the disasters efficiently in India. A
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District Disaster Management Authority that is headed by the
District Collector, Deputy Commissioner or District Magistrate was
created to deal with the same at the district level. The act also
implemented the formulation of National Institution of Disaster
Management (NIDM).
Disaster Management has attained great significance in recent
times. We need to keep ourselves well-equipped with advanced
technologies to reduce the negative repercussions of a disaster and
its long-term consequences. An efficient disaster management can
only be attained with the co-operation between officials and
citizens accompanied with every able individual’s productive part
in the addressing the emergencies is the need of the hour.
13. Urbanization and Smart Cities in India
Today, when the world is witnessing urbanization at an
unprecedented pace, economic growth has fostered urbanization in
India too with a tremendous increase in the number of urban cities
and towns. The country has already prepared the ground to take
itself to the new heights in terms of urbanization. Within recent
years, owing to the initiative of Smart Cities, a process of
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developing burgeoning cities into vibrant, environment-friendly
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urban areas that provide access to resources and basic amenities to
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all citizens on an equitable and sustainable basis has been
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undertaken by the Indian Government.
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Several factors play a role in leading to urbanization in India, the
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major reasons out of which are worldwide urbanization and
migration of a huge population towards developed areas. Lately, a
third factor has become the major contributor to this urbanization
that is the expansion of towns and cities. So, the Government of
India decided to make the most of this opportunity and undertook
the project of Smart Cities to further thrust the country into
urbanization. A great number of smart cities are to be put up in
different parts of India under this project. A smart city, as per the
Indian Government will be a city with a cutting-edge urban
planning, smart infrastructure and replete with systems running on
the latest information technologies.
Smart Cities Mission that was launched in 2015, promises to
transform 109 cities, aims to provide the inhabitants of the cities
with an adequate and decent infrastructure, an enhanced standard
of living and economic opportunities. As of now, around hundreds
of cities have been selected over four to five rounds to be
transformed in terms of functioning, the way they look as well as
how people have been living their lives over there.
The Smart Cities initiative is likely to have a multi-prong effect on
real estate. And it will be easier to build new smart cities rather

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than transforming old ones. However, in the Indian context,
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upgrading cities is as imperative, and it may take several years to
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accomplish it. And, the dream of the smart cities, that will take the
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urbanization in India to new heights will be a result of the
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government as well as the nation, working together in harmony.
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14. Space Programmes of India
In India, the space research activities were initiated during early
60’s with the first step being the formation of the Department of
Atomic Energy formed the INCOSPAR (Indian National
Committee for Space Research) under the leadership of Dr.
Sarabhai and Dr. Ramanathan in 1962. After a time span of seven
years, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) too was
formed on August 15, 1969. In the year 1972, the Department of
Space (DOS) and the Space Commission were also formed and
ISRO was brought under DOS on June 1, 1972.
Most of the achievements in space science are made by USSR’s
Soviet Space Program and America’s National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA), but after undertaking a number of
landmark missions, India’s Indian Space Research Organization
(ISRO) has emerged as a leading space agency which not only
registers India’s presence in space science but also leads the world
in a range of space missions.
India became the first country to successfully complete the mission
to Mars in its very first attempt becoming the fourth country to

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successfully undertake a mission to Mars. ISRO successfully tested
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the crew module aboard the GSLV MK3, which will put India in
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the special group of space cruising nations capable of taking
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humans to space. The Chandrayaan-1 mission made the stunning
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discovery of water on Moon. This February, ISRO created history
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with the launch of the PSLV-C37/Cartosat-2 series satellite. The
highest number of satellites launched in a single mission was 37, a
record that Russia had achieved in 2014. The US space agency
NASA launched 29 from a single rocket, but 104 is the biggest
number.
The Space Programs of India have also contributed to science and
science education in India. ISRO’s own Lunar and interplanetary
missions along with other scientific projects encourage and
promote science education. ISRO endeavors to optimize and
enhance its technologies as the needs and ambitions of the country
arrive, and is moving forward with the development of heavy-lift
launchers, human spaceflight projects, reusable launch vehicles,
semi-cryogenic engines, single and two stages to orbit vehicles,
development, and use of composite materials for space applications
etc.
15. Role of Media in India
Media today plays a crucial role in making the nation aware of
various social, political and economic activities happening around
the globe. It plays a great role in educating people by means of
television, newspapers, magazines, radio, cinema, social networks,
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and through several online portals. It not only plays a vital role in
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making people socially aware but also caters to the development of
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a civilized society.
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India witnessed a major advancement in the role played by the
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media during the past one decade with the evolution in the field of
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technology as well as economic reforms. Now that the media has
evolved ferociously and has become remarkably active over these
years, it indeed has become the entity that has simplified our lives,
bridged the gaps, filled all voids and made communication at all
levels extremely simplistic, uncomplicated and remarkable.
Initially, the role of media was to equip the citizens with unbiased
information, without tainting them, and presenting them exactly as
they are. But, with the liberalization policy, television channels and
newspapers started racing and competing with each other to make
fast money in an unethical way. They started to telecast or print the
news in a way the public wanted it to be. The standard of
journalism began to drop with the increasing competition and the
media, that was earlier the voice of the nation is now being
condemned for growing into a business that has no social
responsibility and principles.
The increasing incidences of manipulated news reporting, that is
often termed as paid news, some of them especially aimed at
influencing electoral results alarmed the Press Council of India too.
The Press Council of India then recommended guidelines which
say that news should be clearly demarcated from advertisements.
News is meant to be objective, fair and unbiased. This is the only

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difference between news and opinions. Political parties and media
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groups had approached the Commission requesting for stringent
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steps against paid news.
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As far as news is concerned, it must always carry a credit line and
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should be set in a fashion that would distinguish it from
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advertisements. The media is referred to as the fourth estate of
democracy and so, every journalist must honestly and consciously
make efforts to uplift the standards of journalism and media in
India.
16. Security Threates in India-Terrorism
Terrorism is defined as a deliberate commission of an act of
violence to create an emotional response through the sufferings of
the victims in the furtherance of a political or social agenda.
Terrorism in India poses a significant threat to the people of India
and can be subdivided in four major groups including nationalist
terrorism, religious terrorism, Marxist terrorism, and narco
terrorism i.e. drug violence.
According to South Asian Terror Portal (SATP), 180 terrorist
groups have operated in India over the last 20 years out of which,
many have been co-listed as transnational terror networks
operating in or from neighboring South Asian countries such as
Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. 38 out of these terror groups are
banned by India under its First Schedule of the UA(P) Act, 1967
because they have been listed in the current list of terrorist
organizations. The United States, as well as European Union, have
also listed and banned many of them as of the year 2012.

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India faced a tenth of total terror incidents worldwide in 2013. Such
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incidents have a significant and long-lasting negative impact on the
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economy of our country. While the main focus of terrorist attacks
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has been against Indian government interests, terrorists have also
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targeted places visited by westerners including public places like
restaurants, hotels, railway stations, markets, places of worship,
festivals and sporting venues. Terrorist attacks cause loss of life. It
also causes suspicion and tension among different ethnic and
religious groups, people resort to protest against government or
turn to crime and looting in order to survive. It also results in fall of
community tourist levels as destinations experience a strongly
negative impact on their image and attractiveness.
To combat terrorism and internal security threats, Government of
India has established the National Intelligence Grid with a purpose
to link databases for collecting actionable intelligence.
Amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 in
2008 and 2012 have been done to build up the punitive measures to
combat terrorism. The government has also ordered effective
border management through round the clock surveillance and
patrolling on the border areas. We need to recognize that terroristic
groups are absolutely an ideology. In order to deal with terrorist
threats, government should undertake hard coercive measures
along with a soft political strategy.
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17. Unemployment in India
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India as a nation is faced with a huge problem of unemployment.
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Unemployment can be defined as a state of worklessness for a man
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fit and voluntary to work. It is a condition of involuntary and not
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voluntary idleness. A UN Labour report issued in January this year
had predicted that job creation is not expected to rise up in India in
2018 due to a minimal increase in unemployment.
One of the most important indicators of the well being of a society
is the degree to which it can provide employment to those who
need it. The unemployment rate has now become the most
important indicator to measure the health of a modern economy. A
country with a low unemployment rate provides the nation with a
respite from poverty and vulnerability and thereby improving the
overall quality of life. Whereas, the increase in unemployment rate,
opposingly, slows down the economy and the country’s ability to
deal with the economic shocks with poise.
The female unemployment rate was 8.7 percent as contrasted to
four percent among males says the Fifth Annual Employment
Unemployment Survey 2015-16 conducted by the Labour Bureau.
This variation gets stiffer in urban areas where female
unemployment rises to 12.1 percent. The North Eastern and
Southern states represent high female participation opposed to
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Apart from this, many people are working on jobs which do not
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allow them to fully utilize their capabilities and they have very low
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incomes. Non-availability of jobs matching with an individual’s
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education/skill and experience and non-availability of adequate
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remuneration are some of the reasons why skilled people are still
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unemployed in our country.
In the last three years, the Centre has taken several initiatives to
empower youth with skills, but there hasn’t been any proven
improvement in jobs scenario. Unless unemployment problem is
solved, the future of India cannot be radiant. Government needs to
pay huge attention towards this as the jobless youth does nothing
but indulging in criminal activities to earn living. There will be no
harmony and prosperity in the country if jobless people do not find
for themselves a proper solution to their unemployment issues.
18. Caste Based Reservation in India
Reservation is defined as the act of reserving, withholding or
keeping back, or an arrangement by which arrangements are
secured in advance. The system of caste based reservation in
India encompasses a series of measures taken in order to reserve
access to seats in the various governing bodies, and educational
institutions. It intendeds to favour historically under
privileged tribes and castes, listed as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled
Tribes and Other Backward Classes by the Government of India.

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The reservation was undertaken to tackle the historic oppression,
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inequality and discrimination faced by members of these
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communities. But now-a-days, economically sound people from
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lower castes make use of most of the reserved seats, thus
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counteracting the spirit of reservations. Those who really need to be
benefited of this system don’t even know about their rights and
how to claim for it. The benefits of reservation have been denied to
people who deserve it the most just because they belong to a caste
that comes under unreserved category. Instead, youth from these
communities who belong to well-to-do families are found to exploit
this reservation system.
Reservation must be given to the needy people. Rich people
belonging to SC/ST/OBC community must not enjoy the fruits of
reservation just because they belong to a lower caste. Steps must be
taken by the Indian Government to amend it, revise or change it.
Reservation must be given to financially poor people, physically
handicapped or widows with no source of income.
19. Climate Catastrophe
The scientists refer to climate catastrophe as sudden temperature

increase, unexpected global climate change, irreparable climate
change impacts, and large scale singularities. It includes shutdown
of the thermohaline, irreversible destabilization of the Greenland
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ice sheet that would lead to sea level rise, collapse of West Antarctic
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peninsula, and increase in the rate of extinction of species. It is
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estimated that nine years from now, warming above the Arctic
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Circle could be so extreme that a extremely disrupted and
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weakened jet stream could lead to global temperature rises so
severe that a massive extinction event, including humans, could
result.
Man is accelerating the rate of climate change far past what the
influence of the sun or any natural forcer could achieve. Expelling
chemicals and foreign substances into the air affects and increases
the amount of greenhouse gases, which then absorb more energy
from the sun. This results in global warming and climate
catastrophe. Greenhouse gas emission is said to be the largest man-
made climate forcer as it is so prevalent and large-scale. Vast
swatches of primary forests are being wiped out for urbanisation
that leads to increased level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,
so, deforestation affects climate in a big way. As urban areas grow,
so will the number of heat islands, which will drive up the overall
atmospheric temperature.
Transportation causes about 25 per cent of greenhouse gas
emissions, so walk, cycle or take transit whenever you can.
Adaptation strategies that communities should implement include,
diversifying crops and using drip irrigation for agriculture, training
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public health professionals for increased health impacts and
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emerging diseases, developing wildlife conservation plans and new
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migration corridors to protect endangered species, designing
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buildings to conserve and even generate energy, and
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demonstrating strategies and lifestyles for increased sustainability
and resilience.
20. Demonetisation
Demonetisation is the act of stripping a currency unit of its status as
legal tender. On November 8, 2016 the government announced a
historic measure to demonetize the two largest denomination notes
Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000, which constitute 86% of the total cash in
circulation.
The aim of the action was fourfold: to curb corruption:
counterfeiting, the use of high denomination notes for terrorist
activities; and especially the accumulation of “black money”,
generated by income that has not been declared to the tax
authorities.
To fulfill the vision, the government announced that notes of Rs.
500 and Rs. 1000 were to be deposited in the banks by December 30,
2016, while restrictions were placed on cash withdrawals.
Some of the benefits of this reform are tax on black money,
crowding out counterfeit notes, higher tax compliance due to
formal economy etc. In addition to these immediate benefits, these
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are some long term benefits like making Indian economy a less-
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cash or cash-lite economy. Notwithstanding its long term potential,
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Demonetisation had some short term costs too, for example
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aggregate demand shock aggregate supply shock liquidity shock
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etc.
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Moving forward, the emphasis must be on maximizing
Demonetisation is benefits while minimizing its costs. First step to
be taken immediately is to replenish the cash shortage. In medium
term, the impetus provided to digitization must continue. For
higher tax compliance taxation regime must be simple and
predictable like GST.
Hence, if we compare the merits with demerits, it will be safe to
conclude that former outweighs the latter.
21. Electronic Voting Machines
Electronic Voting Machines (“EVM”) manufactured in 1989-90, are
being used in Indian General and State Elections to implement
electronic voting, and can record a maximum of 3840 votes. EVMs
were first used on experimental basis in 16 Assembly
Constituencies in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and
NCT of Delhi at the General Elections to the respective Legislative
Assemblies held in November, 1998.
The cost per EVM saves costs and time of production and printing
of ballot papers. EVMs are easier to transport compared to ballot
boxes, vote counting is faster, illiterate and physically handicapped
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people find EVMs easier than ballot paper system, and false voting
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is greatly reduced. EVMs run on an ordinary 6 volt alkaline battery
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therefore, EVMs can be used in areas with no power connections.
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The Indian EVMs are purposely designed as stand-alone units to
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avert any intrusion during electronic transmission of results.
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Apart from all the benefits of EVMs, there are a few numbers of
limitations too. As we all know that EVM is ultimately a machine
and the trouble with technology is that no matter how much data it
records but a single virus can destroy the entire data storage.
Although a simple and unconditionally secure protocol for
electronically transmitting the results exists, the control units do
not transmit their results back to the Election Commission.
EVMs need to constantly evolve in order to remain secure and
workable under any condition while at the same time keeping its
operations simple just as any other machine. We should seek to
improve the use of EVMs and to secure them better instead of
calling them faulty machines which are being deliberately
manipulated by a pliant system, as they are being used for the past
two decades and improvements are being made to them by the
ECI.
22. Farmers’ Suicide in India
India is an agrarian country with around two third of its
population making living from the land. Around 66 per cent of
rural laborers are dependent on agricultural activities for their
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income. It is estimated that more than 250,000 Indian farmers killed
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themselves in past sixteen years. The year 2004 recorded the
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highest number of farmer suicide which was 18,241. Percentage of
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farmer suicide is around 11.2% off all suicides in India.
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Why farmers are killing themselves? Studies found a number of
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conflicting reasons for farmer suicides, such as monsoon failure,
high debt burdens, government policies, mental health, personal
issues and family problems. Farmers receive minimal financial
support from the government, forcing them to turn to
moneylenders, who charge up to 20-50% interest on a four-month
loan. Many farmers took their own lives by drinking the very
pesticides that no longer work on their crops.
The government of India took a number of steps to provide debt
relief to farmers, improve supply of institutional credit, improve
irrigation facilities, and introduce subsidiary income opportunities
through horticulture, livestock, dairy and fisheries. Experts and
social service personnel were employed to look into the causes of
farmers’ suicide and farm related distress, and to provide farming
support services.
But these government relief packages have been ineffective,
misdirected and flawed. The money lenders continue to offer loans
at high interest rates, while income generating potential of the land

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the farmer works on has remained low and subject to weather
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conditions. The government should understand that a more lasting
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relief to farmer distress can only come from reliable income
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sources, higher crop yields per hectare, irrigation and other
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infrastructure security. A more pro-active role in creating and
maintaining reliable irrigation and other agriculture infrastructure
is necessary to deal with farmer distress in India.
[Word Limit: 300 words]
23. GIFT CITY
GIFT i.e. Gujarat International Finance Tec-City is a planned

financial Central Business District between Ahmedabad and
Gandhinagar as a greenfield development. GIFT aspires to provide
to India’s large monetary services potential by presenting to global
organisations a top-notch infrastructure and amenities. It aims to
create a center of attention for the top talent in the country by
providing the premium lifestyle. It is probable that GIFT would
provide 500,000 direct and an equal number of indirect jobs which
would require 5.76 million square meter of real estate office and
residential area.
The vision for GIFT is to develop a new set-up for globally
benchmarked Integrated City, propose a road map for fast track
progress and accomplishment, make the city scalable in each and
every aspect for a distant future, derive the city format from fast

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changing lifestyles and new technologies, and achieve an image of
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Global city, that keeps pace with modern technologies. GIFT offers
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well-developed areas of infrastructure with built up space, power,
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water supply, transport, housing etc. including physical and social
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infrastructure facilities.
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GIFT city will provide safe and clean environment; satisfy food,
shelter, and educational needs; and employment opportunities for
youth. It will also provide a viable advantage in terms of tax
structure and supportive regulatory framework. It will also provide
benefits in security transaction tax, commodity transaction tax,
dividend distribution tax and long term capital gain tax waivers
and no income tax. GIFT City can also become a price setter in
several financial instruments.
24. Global Warming
Global warming is defined ass a sustained increase in the average

temperature of earth’s atmosphere which is sufficient to cause
climatic changes. Over the past 100 years, the average temperature
of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8 °C and scientists believe
that that average global temperatures could increase between 1.4
and 5.8 °C by the year 2100.
The term global warming is associated with green house effect, and
an increase in the amount of green house gases in the earth’s
atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is the phenomenon by which a
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planet is warmed by its lower atmosphere and surface due to
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absorption and emission of infrared radiations by gases in its
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atmosphere. Solid and liquid particles known as aerosols, produced
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by volcanoes and manmade pollutants, too are thought to be one of
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the main causes of global warming.
Global Warming has contributed to some of the observed
changes, including sea level rise due to long-term melting of ice
sheets, changes in the number of warm and cold days, declines in
Arctic sea ice extent, glacier retreat, ocean acidity caused by
increased atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide.
Indian government employed many policies and committees to
counteract the effects of global warming. Their tasks include the
preparation of seasonal calendars to predict the climatic disasters,
mapping the risks faced by the community and taking actions to
prevent them. Global warming continues to increase, despite the
steps taken by the Indian government. To cope up with the effects
of global warming, meticulous steps to prevent the disasters caused
by global warming are required. The country needs to have a better
technical understanding, capacity building, networking and
expansive consultation processes covering every section of the
society. And this requires the active participation of the
government, and people as well.
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25. Globalisation
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Globalisation describes a process or an action of international
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integration of countries arising from the exchange of world views,
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commodities, ideas, and other aspects of culture by which national
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and regional economies, societies, and cultures have become
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integrated through the global network of trade, communication,
immigration and transportation.
The phenomenon has intensified competition and interdependence
between economies in the global market leading to an overall rate
of growth of India’s economy in the global arena. Globalization has
resulted in financial consolidation, growth in foreign exchange
reserve, increased foreign investment and to a considerable extent,
control of inflation. It has also created employment opportunities as
multinational companies are now making big investments in India.
On the other hand, globalization has also contributed to the
suffering of low-income groups resulting in poor health, deplorable
working conditions and bondage. Humans have turned into
machines because of the need to amplify returns and be
competitive in the global market. Agricultural sector is also facing
the negative impacts of globalisation as the plight of farmers has
been worsened by globalization owing to the need to increase
production to meet the growing demand from the global markets.
Globalization has led to the spread of western-style democratic
system that has been accompanied by an increase in inter-ethnic
tension and brutality as free market economic strategies combine
with democratic processes of worldwide suffrage as well as an
increase in militarization to impose democratic principles and as a
means to clash resolution, creating both winners and losers.
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26. Indo-Pak Relations
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South Asia consists of two nations which are neighbours not by
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choice but by geography. These are India and Pakistan. Since their
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independence in 1947, both of these nations have a history of
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multiple wars. India and Pakistan were birthed out of a bloody
partition that encouraged each to define itself in opposition to the
other. The geo-political rivalry of India and Pak has roots in the
communal partition of both the nations. In the middle, lies the real
problem, that is Kashmir.
For India, Kashmir is an integral part, while for Pak, it is a land
which has Islamic majority and hence, it belongs to Pak. The World
Community got involved in this matter when Kashmir Issue was
referred to the UN Security Council by India as a complaint against
Pakistan. Pakistan filed a counter-complaint in the UN. UN
Security Council ordered cease-fire and passed resolution for
holding a plebiscite in Kashmir to decide the fate of Kashmir. Till
date plebiscite could not take place in Kashmir.
Then comes a phase of 90s decade when terrorism was at it’s peak
and it was preceded by the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. Both the
countries became nuclear powers in late nineties and soon after that
the Kargil war broke out which enlarged the rift between the two.
With terrorist attacks in New Delhi and Mumbai, relationship
between the two countries got further worsened.

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In the wake of recent military tensions between Pakistan-India over
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cross-border firings and beheadings and Kulbhushan Jadhav’s
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unfair sentencing, it is of utmost importance to defuse tensions by
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bringing both sides together to discuss the impasse, leading to a
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resumption of a peace dialogue which is quite impossible task due
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to Pak’s negligence in accepting it’s failure in curbing cross-border
terrorism.
27. Intolerance
“The highest result of education is tolerance.” These words by
Helen Keller show us that there is a direct relation between a
civilised tolerant society & education. Tolerance to inhuman
practices is an age old phenomenon in this society. Human beings
who have to be rational must be intolerant to irrational practices
and events, but not to the extent where they become violent &
harm other people.
We can understand more about this sensitive issue by recalling the
Salman Rushdie’s incident. He was not allowed to attend the Jaipur
Literature Festival. Even foreign litterateurs who read certain
quotes from Satanic Verses were asked to leave the fest & country
immediately. Next in the row was the incident of Taslima
Nasreen’s boycott that showed the ugly face of rising intolerance to
one’s thought in our masses. This bane is not confined in the
periphery of a certain religion or caste or sect but is widespread to

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every religion caste & creed. The recent case of lynching of people
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by cow vigilantes is also an incident that has drawn the attention of
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world media over the rising intolerance in India. This rise of
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intolerance has maligned the image of our nation all across the
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To curb these incidents of intolerance there must be stricter laws so
that the culprits could be punished. But it would be very difficult
for the lawmakers of the country to define the ambit of crimes of
this type. The rise in intolerance has not been a sudden shift but
was already prevalent in our society. So, it’s wrong to say that the
government could ignite the spirits of intolerance in a society. We
could head towards a better future by being more tolerant society.
28. Ransomware Attacks
WannaCry Ransomware Attack
Ransomware is a malicious software, designed to block the access
to any computer system, holding the owner to ransom till the
demanded sum of money is paid. Ransomware often infiltrates a
PC as a computer worm or Trojan horse that takes advantage of
open security vulnerabilities. A crypto-ransomware, called
WannaCry or WannaCrypt affected more than 150 countries,
including India. It has already affected major businesses and
organisations, including FedEx, Renault and Britain’s National
Health Service.

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A Japanese electronics maker Hitachi, a prominent Korean theatre
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chain and Chinese government reported that their systems had
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been affected. Chinese state media reported that 40,000 businesses
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and institutions have been hit. And that’s mere a measure of the
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electronic consequences of WannaCry. Health care providers in
Britain, were forced to turn ambulances away and cancel or delay
cancer treatments for patients over the weekend.
Ransomware encrypts most of the user files on a Windows PC with
virtually unbreakable encryption. A message is posted on the
computer’s screen informing the user that he must pay a ransom in
the online cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Two countdown clocks on the
screen tell the user how much time remains before the ransom is
doubled.
Keeping Windows or our PC up-to-date with the latest security
enhancements, antivirus software can prevent malware from
infecting our computer. We should avoid clicking links inside
dubious emails and download anything from a not so trusted
source. And whenever something unlikely happens our data
backup can save us, so store your data somewhere else too, it can
be stored in any secondary media storage like a physical hard
drive. The banks should update the Microsoft patch as this would
help India’s banking system to insulate against potential threats.
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Locky Ransomware Attack
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After WannaCry, Judy Malware, Locky Ransomware has proven
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that the global ransomware epidemic unquestionably isn’t going to
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dissolve anytime soon. Locky ransomware which spreads through
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spam emails demanded a ransom of half Bitcoin, which at present
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rate is equivalent to over Rs 1.5 lakh.
The system infected by Locky Ransomware were locked or
encrypted with random numbers with extension “.lukitus” or
“.diablo6”. Victims were then asked to install the Onion Router
Network (TOR) browser, which took users to a decryption service
if they pay the ransom.
In order to keep our data protected, one must be wary of any
suspicious emails and pop-ups, store his/her data in any secondary
media storage like a physical hard drive and keep the Windows or
PC up-to-date with the latest security enhancements and antivirus
software.
29. Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment can be defined as unwanted sexual advances,
requests for sexual favours, and verbal or physical conduct of a
sexual nature. The legal definition of sexual harassment includes
requests for sexual favours, sexual advances or other sexual
conduct when 1. submission is either explicitly or implicitly a
condition affecting academic or employment decisions; 2. the
behaviour is sufficiently severe or pervasive as to create an
intimidating, hostile or repugnant environment; or 3. the behaviour
persists despite objection by the person to whom the conduct is
directed.

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There are two types of sexual harassment, ‘quid pro quo’ and
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‘hostile environment’. Quid pro quo means ‘this for that’. It occurs
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when it is stated or implied that an educational or employment
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decision about a scholar or worker depends upon whether the
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scholar or worker submits to conduct of a sexual nature. Later takes
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place when unwanted conduct of a sexual nature creates an
frightening, bullying or abusive working or environment or is so
harsh, persistent or invasive that it affects a person’s ability to
participate in any activity.
The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013 introduced changes to the
Indian Penal Code, making sexual harassment an expressed offence
under Section 354 A, which is punishable up to three years of
imprisonment and or with fine. Sexual assault can also be
prevented by secondary school, college, and workplace education
and training programmes about sexual harassment. Not only
government, but everyone should make equal efforts to create a
harassment free environment for all.
30. Bullet Trains
India has crawled nearer to getting a bullet train of its own after
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart
Shinzo Abe laid the foundation for a high-speed train network.
Japan has offered to grant India a soft loan of Rs 88,000 crore at an
interest of 0.1 per cent. The bullet train project brings with it several
hopeful possibilities, but there exist obstacles which might limit
them.

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This will promote economic growth. Smaller cities along the way
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can also be connected with high-speed transportation facility to
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these economic centers by the bullet train network. The bullet train
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project will bring employment too as the bullet train project is
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expected to create a huge number of direct as well as indirect job
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opportunities. A huge number of construction workers will also be
employed during the construction period of Ahmedabad-Mumbai
bullet train. New bullet train stations set to come up along the route
will invite urban growth.
On the other hand, there are some challenges lying ahead.
Acquiring new land pieces for laying down the tracks for bullet
trains and constructing new stations might face legal hindrances,
delaying the process. The origin stations, Ahmedabad and
Mumbai, have airports and passengers from these cities could
consider taking a flight instead of boarding the bullet train.
It’s a very big step towards the development of this country. The
profits this project make will decide how easy or difficult it will be
for India to look further with the bullet trains.
31. Can India go Cashless
Personal internet banking is growing more popular in India over
the preceding few years along with digital payment alternatives
that allow users to settle mobile phone, electricity and even taxi and
restaurant bills.
The recent explosion of growth has come from non-bank
organizations advancing payment aids. Telecom companies like
Airtel and Vodafone offer facilities to transfer money using
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cellphones, while mobile wallet companies like Paytm unit, and
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MobiKwik, permit users to save money digitally and pay through
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their policies.
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Indian banks are also encouraging people to go cashless by using
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online banking and mobile apps assistance. What is fuelling this
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optimism of India going cashless is that India is the second largest
market for smartphones after China. The key task to attain cashless
economy will be to retain customers that switched to cashless
payments in recent the days of demonetization.
32. Can Loan Waivers Benefit Farmers
Recently, extensive requests have been heard for farm loan waivers
amid the enduring agrarian crisis. The ultimate purpose of farm
loan waiver is to reduce the debt strain of distressed and helpless
farmers and help them qualify for fresh loans. The progress of the
loan waiver lies on the extent to which the benefits reach the poor
and penniless farmers.
Loan waivers have certain drawbacks if we talk about their benefits
reaching to the ones who need them for real. Loan waivers
generally reach to only a small section of farmers. According to a
survey in 2012-13, 48% of the agricultural families did not have any
notable loan. Moreover, out of the indebted agricultural families,
about 39% borrowed it entirely from non-institutional sources. The
farmers funding from their personal savings and those borrowing
from non-institutional sources are equally vulnerable to weather
and market uncertainties. But all such families are outside the reach
of loan waivers.
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To render quick assistance to the poor farmers, a more extensive
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alternative strategy is to recognize the weak farmers on the basis of
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certain criteria and give an equivalent sum as an economic support
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to the helpless and distressed families. Advanced technology,
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augmentation of irrigation coverage and crop diversification
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towards high-value crops are relevant actions for boosting
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productivity and farmers’ revenue. Agrarian crisis and farmers’
earnings can be addressed in a healthier fashion if States begin and
honestly execute long-pending reforms in the farming division
with seriousness.
33. Challenges after Implementation of GST
India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST), is being called a ‘game
changer’ for its influence on business. Like every other thing, all is
not tranquil sailing for GST and there are some obvious challenges
for businesses and consumers. Some of the challenges are: GST
preparedness among clients is missing, there is a lack of clarity on
GST provisions that are its rules and regulations, increased
compliance with increase in the number of returns to be filed
annually, lack of skilled resources and need for re-skilling,
complexity in determining the nature of transaction, no clarity on
tax holidays, and many more.
Most small businesses in India do not employ tax professionals and
have traditionally preferred to pay taxes and file returns on their
own to save costs. But now, they will require professional
assistance to become GST compliant as it is a completely different
system. While this will benefit the professionals, the small
businesses will have to bear the added cost of hiring experts. So, it
has multiple consequences in this way that are both positive and
negative in some or the other way.

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Change is definitely never easy. The government is trying to
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smoothen the road to GST. The government is trying to lessen the
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strain of compliance for businesses also. It is important to take a
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leaf from global economies that have implemented GST before us,
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and who succeeded the difficulties to experience the benefits of
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having a unified tax system and easy input credits.

34. Cooperative and Competitive Federalism
Cooperative federalism is a concept in which national, state and
local governments interact cooperatively and collectively to solve
common problems, rather than making policies separately but
more or less equally. It deals with the liaison between the union
and state governments concerning legislature, administration, and
economy. Whereas Competitive federalism is a concept where
center competes with states and vice-versa, and states compete
with each other in their joint efforts to develop India.
Cooperative and competitive federalism are not mutually
exclusive. They have the same basic principle underlying. i.e. the
development of the country. The competition solely cannot give the
best results. It is competition with the cooperation that will make
the difference. To bring competition, the center should cooperate
with the states by providing essential sovereignty in their strategy-
making and allocating them the required funds. There has to be a
steadiness between cooperative and competitive federalism.
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35. Corporal Punishment
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Delhi high court had ruled that corporal punishment undermines
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the dignity of a student in the year 2001, much before Right to
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Education (RTE) made corporal punishment a punishable offense
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in the year 2009. The 2009 Act, which came into force on April 1 a
year later, describes physical or mental harassment as illegal and
punishable under sections 17(1) and 17(2). CBSE in its letters and
warnings to the schools referred to the Act concerning the
repercussions seen on the child’s mental health on being subjected
to such harassment which include, increased aggressive attitude,
behavior resembling destruction, diminished self-esteem, degraded
confidence and concentration strength and other severe injuries.
If students are observed annoying other children in class, lying,
stealing, causing damage or harm to others etc, the school can
discipline him/her by having a clear protocol to supervise teachers
about which situation needs assessment and intrusion by a school
counsellor and which one needs urgent intimation to higher
authorities at school and the guardians. If an effort at settling the
problem is not satisfying, he/she could be suggested to see a child
counselor. The counselor would help children acquire habits that
encourage them to grow a sense of self-discipline.

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36. Cryptocurrency: Is it safe?
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Nowadays cryptocurrencies have grown to be a global
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phenomenon. While it is not understood by common people,
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banks, governments, and many companies are aware of its
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importance. A cryptocurrency is a digital asset invented to work as
a means of transfer of currency using cryptography to secure the
transactions and to control the production of extra units of the
currency. Cryptocurrencies are categorized as a subset of digital
currencies, alternative currencies, and virtual currencies.
Bitcoin became the first decentralized cryptocurrency in 2009. Since
then, various cryptocurrencies have been created. Bitcoin and its
derivatives use decentralized control as opposed to centralized
electronic money or banking systems. The decentralized control is
linked to the application of bitcoin’s blockchain transaction
database in the role of distributed entries.
Concerns about the safety of the cryptocurrency have continued to
shadow it. In 2016, almost 120,000 bitcoin were stolen from Hong
Kong-based Bitfinex, one of the famous cryptocurrency exchanges,
which resulted in a 20% decline in the value of the currency at that
time. The currency itself is secure, but the obstacle surrounds
businesses in the industry and the wallets where the bitcoin are
stored. Unfortunately, IT security is a real-world issue, not just for
bitcoin but within any application that works on technology.

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Just like online banking, people need to take care of bitcoin account
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credentials. Either they should secure their bitcoin themselves or
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with a third party like Coinfloor, the safest way to go is to save the
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security credentials offline.
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37. Digital Banking’s Adverse Effect on Banking Industry
There are always two sides to a coin. Digital Banking too has some
negatives associated with it. Digital Banking has risks associated
with credit, interest rate, transaction, etc. that may have an adverse
impact on a bank’s operations as well as earnings.
Now, in the era of digital banking, customers can reach the banks
from anywhere in the world. It becomes challenging for a bank to
deal with out-of-area borrowers. The Internet provides all
transactions to happen in real time. The administration must,
therefore, be prepared for instant transitions and consequently
quick resolutions. Banks that propose financial products and
services through the Internet must be prepared to meet their
customer’s expectations. Banks must also guarantee they have the
capacity to render valid, timely, and reliable services to acquire a
high level of faith in their brand name. Also, transactions such as
working capital loan applications are more detailed and individual
discussions may be required. In such cases, the absence of a
physical channel might prove to be a problem.
When blended with other channels, Internet banking becomes an
efficacious mechanism for boosting customer satisfaction and
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must bear it in mind that, every electronic channel including the
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Internet has its shortfalls which can have significant outcomes.
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Keeping a record of the ever-changing banking industry and the
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latest update in Internet technology, banks actually need to equip
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themselves for the competition.
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38. Doklam Issue
Doklam is an area with a plateau and a valley, lying between
Tibet’s Chumbi Valley to the north, Bhutan’s Ha Valley to the east
and India’s Sikkim state to the west. As per Bhutan and India, it is
owned by Bhutan but China says it belongs to her. The conflict has
not been settled despite of numerous rounds of border
consultations between Bhutan and China.
China attempted to extend a road on the Doklam Plateau
southwards near the Doka La pass, Bhutan opposed China’s road
construction in the disputed stretch. In June 2017, Indian troops on
behalf of Bhutan, moved in to prevent the Chinese and a military
standoff occurred between China and India because of the same.
There was a risk of a war as neither side wanted to back down.
India told China that it would not attend the BRICS Summit that
was supposed to be held in China if it doesn’t stop the road
construction over the disputed stretch. So, delegates of both the
countries met and China promised to stop the construction work.
The two parties agreed to respect each other’s concerns manage
sensitive issues to avoid their impedance to the normal
development of bilateral relations.
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39. Gender Equality and Sustainable Development
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Women in our country always had to fight for their rights. Whether
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they were the asymmetrical impacts of the Industrial Revolution or
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the present day conflicts over economic and social fairness, women
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have always been playing a role of victim in this unequal battle of
genders. Women were not considered fit to govern in the past.
Most of them have been confined to the domestic households for
ages.
It is important for all the developed and developing countries of
the world to have the female engagement as it not only promotes
the management systems but also paves the way for innovative
advancement approaches enhancing the economic sustainability.
Gender equality and sustainable development, both have
significant political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental
angles. Any development will not bear fruits there is a fair
distribution of the benefits and resources. A more accommodative
and fair education system, sensible legislations and policies, social
awareness, and most importantly, recognition of the rights of
women and their strict enforcement, need to be taken up on an
urgent basis. The greater the level of equity, the closer we move
towards the goal of attaining absolute harmony between
sustainable development and gender equality.
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40. NEET: Boon or Bane
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The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) has been
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reintroduced under the ‘one nation, one exam’ theory. The
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Supreme Court forced a rule that the All India Pre-Medical Test
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would be treated as the first stage of NEET and there would be no
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more State Exams.
Some people think that every state has its own challenges to face
and therefore, the method of evaluating diverse students with a
single yardstick is inappropriate while others have an opinion that
the reintroduction of NEET in Chennai has become an added
advantage for medical aspirants as they will not have to go through
the arduous admission process where private colleges charge a
huge sum of money.
The need of the hour is that the Joint Entrance Examinations should
be conducted in a way that consistency is brought in the education
systems and corruption is eliminated from this hallowed division.
41. Prompt Corrective Action
To ensure that banks don’t fail, RBI has put in place some trigger
points to assess, monitor, control and take corrective actions on
banks which are weak and troubled. PCA norms allow the
regulator to place certain restrictions such as halting branch
expansion and stopping dividend payment. It can even cap a
bank’s lending limit to one entity or sector. Other corrective actions
that can be imposed on banks include special audit, restructuring
operations and activation of the recovery plan. Banks’ promoters
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can be asked to bring in new management, too. The RBI can also
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supersede the bank’s board, under PCA. The provisions of the
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revised PCA framework effective April 1, 2017, based on the
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financials of the banks for the year ended March 31, 2017.
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The PCA is invoked when certain risk thresholds are breached.
There are three risk thresholds which are based on certain levels of
asset quality, profitability, capital and the like. The third such
threshold, which is maximum tolerance limit, sets net NPA at over
12 percent and negative return on assets for four consecutive years.
Banks are not entitled to renew or access costly deposits or take
actions to increase their fee-based income. Banks will also have to
start a special drive to lessen the stock of NPAs and include
generation of fresh NPAs. They will also not be permitted to enter
into new channels of business. RBI will also impose limitations on
the bank on borrowings from the interbank market.
42. Right to Privacy
The right to privacy is a component of various legal customs to

circumscribe government and private actions that imperil the
privacy of people. The right to privacy broadly encompasses
personal autonomy, the freedom to make choices and the right to
determine what happens with information about oneself.

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The judgment will have a significant influence on the government’s
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Aadhaar scheme, which obtains personal details and biometrics to
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identify recipients for obtaining social interests and government
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welfare schemes. A few petitions were filed in the Supreme Court
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in 2015 challenging Aadhaar as a violation of privacy,
informational self-determination and human integrity. Even
though six judges delivered distinct judgments, it was
unanimously held that the right to privacy is preserved as an
“intrinsic part of the right to life and right to personal liberty under
Article 21” and also as a component of the other freedoms
promised in the chapter of fundamental rights. With technological
progressions, the right to privacy would grow.
Over the last 40 years, the Supreme Court has repeatedly protected
citizens against unwarranted intrusion into his right to privacy. The
interplay of technological advances and the right to privacy in the
digital age needs to be closely scrutinized.
43. Rohingyas
Thousands of Rohingya have been escaping from Myanmar, after
the August 25 violence in Western Myanmar. Rohingya are an
ethnic group, mainly comprising Muslims, who predominantly
dwell in the Western Myanmar province of Rakhine.

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The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a group previously
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known as Harakah al-Yaqin, stimulated an attack in which at least
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59 of the insurgents and 12 security personnel in Myanmar were
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killed. The ARSA is an armed guerilla outfit, which is active since
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2016, claiming to fight for a democratic Muslim state for the
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Rohingya. The group has been targeting Myanmar armed forces.
Bangladesh and India have also claimed ARSA is creating problems
in their soil too.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, there are
approximately 40,000 Rohingyas living in India. They have
reportedly reached India from Bangladesh through the land route
over the years. MoS Home Affairs recently notified the parliament
that all the Rohingyas in India were illegal emigrants and they will
be exiled soon. The decision has been astonishing to many because
of the historical record of India accepting refugees. A case is
pending in Supreme Court with the applicant asking the Union
government to stop with its deportation procedures.
44. Rural Urban Divide
In India, the rural areas are ignored not only by governments and
wealthy individuals who can make a difference but also by
international aid agencies. They lack far behind in education and
health facilities. Even the local humanitarianism programmes tend
to ignore them.
The principal cause leading rural to urban immigration is the
negligence of rural areas in the country. The main cause of inrush
of people shifting to the developed cities in recent times is due to

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the lack or absence of income-generating projects, health and
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education facilities in the rural areas.
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Investing in the health and education of people in rural regions is
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the need of the hour to bridge the rural urban divide that can be
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attained by ensuring facilities and services, stimulating local
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economic development and focusing on reduction in poverty and
unemployment in rural areas.
45. Triple Talaq
There have been instances in which Muslim men in India have
divorced their wives by announcing the triple talaq by letter,
telephone and, increasingly, by text message, WhatsApp and
Skype.
The issue has drawn media attention in the past two years since a
Muslim organization, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA),
launched a campaign to ban triple talaq. Most Islamic countries,
including Pakistan and Bangladesh, have banned triple talaq, but
the custom continued in India, which did not have a uniform set of
laws on marriage and divorce that apply to every citizen. Supreme
court then ruled that triple talaq is unconstitutional in the month of
August.
Muslim women had been living with the fear of instant divorce
swaying over their heads like a sword. The judgement is a huge
victory for Muslim women.
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46. World War III
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The 20th Century was marked with two major incidents that shook
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the whole world. Every major power was trying to prove their
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Supremacy in the World. Amid all these disturbances, a new body
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named United Nations was developed with the vision to reduce the
chances of such clashes in the future. Although there have been no
such clashes in the 2nd half of 20th Century, but no one can ignore
the possibility. The biggest crisis now is to identify the form in
which the war will be fought.
This era is called the Information Age. Yet it is possible that future
conflict between the great powers may take the form of another
cold war or even a conventional war. In the 21st century, there are
three key fronts emerging as the loci for future wars. The first is the
Europe-Russia front with a new cold war triggered by the
Ukrainian conflict. The second is the Middle East cauldron centred
around Isis and the Syrian war. The third is the Asia-Pacific front
with a face-off between the United States and China.
God forbid such situation which may endanger the existence of
Human Beings on this beautiful planet. We need to acknowledge
the real trends in motion and the real risks that loom, so that we
can take mutual steps to avoid the mistakes that could create such
an epic fail of deterrence and diplomacy. That way we can keep the
next world war where it belongs, in the realm of fiction.

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47. Smog in Delhi
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Delhi Smog, the hottest issue has taken over not only healthy life
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style of Delhiite but drawn attention nationwide. Delhi is facing
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heavy pollution issues due to various reasons, mainly from the
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burning of agricultural garbage. It has been observed that air
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pollution levels stayed tremendously high, with a layer of smog
enveloping the city. It has posed serious threat on human lives in
and around the national capital, hence it needs to be taken
seriously.
Smog refers to a combination of smoke and fog. Thus forming the
word smog. It is a complex mixture that is formed by various
pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides and dust particles, which
interact with the sunlight to form ground-level ozone, leading to
the build-up of haze that hangs in industrial cities. Smog is caused
as a result of industrial activities, vehicular traffic, sunlight and
calmer winds. These factors contribute to an all-encompassing
smog, which can remain trapped in the atmosphere.
Exposure to smog can be severely harmful for the health as it can
aggravate health conditions like Chest Infections/Irritation which
can affect our respiratory system in an adverse way, leading to
cough and lung infections. Smog reduces one’s immunity to cold
and can cause irritation in the eyes, and is a direct contributor to an
increased risk of premature mortality. Besides, impacting humans
negatively, smog can also cause damage to forests and crops.
In order to prevent or reduce it to an alleviated level, shutting
down of a power plant in no way can reduce the issue of
particulate matter. Solar powered heaters with battery backup can

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be provided to urban poor and lower income groups to avoid
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burning of waste and other organic matter. The governments of
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Delhi, Punjab and Haryana should fund the setting up rural bio—
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digesters that pay farmers a price that would make the delivery for
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crop residue and other biomass that can be converted into methane
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and compost. In addition to that, each construction site should have
dust-monitoring mechanism by local pollution boards with
provision of heavy penalty on violation of permissible limits.
Currently Delhi needs a consistent pollution control strategy to
keep life under control throughout the year.
(Word Limit- 400 words)
SOME OTHER KEY POINTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT

"DELHI SMOG"
Delhi is surrounded by hills of Haryana and the plains of the
Yamuna. These hills are totally barren and their forests are
nonexistent due to incessant industrial wastes, their ability to
act like natural carbon absorbers is now ruined.
Children are more prone to getting affected by smog and
vulnerable to asthma and other respiratory ailments. And
people who frequently stay outdoors are more susceptible to
the harms of ozone.
Shutting down of polluting industries, restricting interstate
traffic and regulating city traffic, can play a cardinal role in
assuaging the conditions leading to smog.

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48. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
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Mahatma Gandhi once stated that: “Sanitation is more important
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than Independence”. He very well understood that sanitation and
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cleanliness are integral parts of healthy and peaceful lives. A
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pollution free clean India would be the best tribute to the nation.
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Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a cleanliness mass movement organized
by the government of India and takes into action by the honorable
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. This is the most valuable
expedition which everyone must be aware of for the bright future
of India. This program was launched officially on 2nd October 2014
at Raj Ghat, New Delhi, under the name ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’.
Also referred to as Swachh Bharat Campaign or Clean India drive
or Clean India Mission in the memory of great Indian freedom
fighter Mahatma Gandhi’s 145th birthday.
The government of India has aimed to make India a clean India by
2nd of October 2019 (means 150th birth anniversary of the
Mahatma Gandhi) through this campaign.The mission has targeted
aims like eliminating the open defecation, Construct individual,
cluster and community toilets, eradicating manual scavenging,
complete disposal and reuse of solid and liquid wastes, bringing
behavioral changes to people and motivate health practices,
spreading cleanliness awareness among people, strengthening the
cleanliness systems in the urban and rural areas as well as creating
user friendly environment for all private sectors interested for
investing in India for cleanliness maintenance and to present this
country as an ideal country before the world.

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By the completion of the cleanliness program, it would indirectly
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draw the attention of business investors in India and also tourists
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attraction would be more from all over the world. This would
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afford a more serious outcome economic growth of India. The
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Swachh Abhiyan can play a great role in reducing death rate,
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health expenses and lethal disease rate. Due to the half-hearted
cooperation of the citizens of India, all these drives failed to make a
strong impact but efforts are still in the progress by some altruistic
citizens of the country. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan can only be
completely successful, if each and every Indian takes up this
campaign as his/her own responsibility and join hands together to
make it a triumphant mission.
(Word Limit- 400 Words)
SOME OTHER IMPORTANT KEY POINTS
REGARDING "SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN"
1. On 2 October, 2014, Modi nominated nine celebrities from
various fields to propagate the mission. The nominated
personalities included, Anil Ambani, Baba Ramdev, Kamal
Hassan, Priyanka Chopra, Sachin Tendulkar, Salman Khan,
Shashi Tharoor and others.
2. Various brand ambassadors are nominated by the Prime
Minister to this event to induce it a successful campaign. This
mission facilitates the participation of private sectors towards
cleanliness program.

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3. To give a boost to the project, the government has sought
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financial and technical support from the World Bank. Also, all
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big corporates and private organizations are asked to join the
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movement as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility
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(CSR) initiative.
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4. According to government data, in January 2015, 7.1 lakh
individual household toilets have been built under this dream
project. So far, Karnataka is the best performer by achieving
61% of the target while Punjab is the worst performer by
achieving 5% of the target.
49. Female Foeticide : Root Causes, Practices and Prevention

Female foeticide takes place when a foetus is aborted after it is
determined to be female. Under this illegal practice, the sex of the
unborn child is determined by using the technique of ultrasound
and if it happens to be a female foetus, it is aborted through
medicine or surgery. It is one of the most rampant social evils in the
country rooted in the patriarchal mindset where boys are preferred
over girls for various irrational reasons, not only in rural but urban
areas too. To carry forward the generation, families in general
prefer the birth of sons over daughters. The male child is also
desired by the Hindu family to perform the last rites of father in the
absence of whom, it is believed that the father wouldn’t attain
salvation after death. In most traditional conservative families, a
girl child is more or less considered a liability or a burden, due to
the frequent demands of huge sum in the form of dowry at the time
of her marriage.

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To stop the evil practice of female foeticide, strict punishment in
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the form of fine or jail to the person requesting abortion of the
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unborn girl child is prescribed under Prenatal Diagnostics
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Techniques (PNDT) Act. Simultaneously the practitioner who helps
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in sex determination for this purpose is also required to be
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punished equally. But Law has been unable to curb the misuse of
ultrasound machines by unscrupulous operators. However, the
winds of change have now started blowing in the society with girls
doing well in diverse professions, which were considered male-
bastions up until now, such as boxing, wrestling, armed forces etc.
‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ has become a countrywide movement.
Fortunately, a growing number of medical practitioners have now
rallied themselves against the sex selective abortions. These
positive changes are very encouraging for the development of the
nation and will also help in correcting the skewed male-female
ratio in many states of the country, as the society is now beginning
to realize the importance of the girl child with the result that equal
opportunities of nutrition, health, education and employment are
now available to women.
(Word Limit- 400 Words)
50. Saubhagya Scheme
On 25th September, 2017 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched
Rs. 16,320-Crore Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana, or
Saubhagya, to provide electricity connections to over 4 crore
families in rural and urban areas by December 2018. As of now
around 99.5% of Six lakh villages have been electrified.
Government will provide free electricity to all under privileged
households identified under Socio-Economic and Caste Census
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(SECC) data 2011. Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011
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will be used as the basis to determine the beneficiaries for free
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electricity connections. The other un-electrified households are
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required to bear a charge of Rs. 500 in order to get an electricity
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connection, which the electricity distribution companies of India
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(DISCOMS) would recover in 10 installments as a part of their
electricity bill.
This scheme comes with key features like providing solar power
packs of 200 to 300 whr with battery bank along with 5 LED lights
to Un-electrified households located in remote areas , 1DC fan,
1DC power plug including Repair and Maintenance for 5 years.
The Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC) is the nodal
agency for operationalization of scheme. Modern technology using
mobile app will be used for household survey. The benefits of the
scheme include increased economic activities and jobs, improved
quality of life especially for women, enhanced connectivity through
radio, television, mobiles etc., environmental upgradation by
substitution of kerosene for lighting purposes, lighting after the
sunset providing an enhanced personal safety especially for
women, boosting education services across all areas and quality
lighting post sunset would facilitate more time on studies and
progress in prospective careers and substitution of kerosene
lighting purposes resulting in reduction in indoor pollution there
by saving people from health hazards.

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But it has some of its own issues like Saubhagya scheme does very
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little to address the problem of affordability.
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Improving affordability require that supply be increased
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drastically to lower the price paid by retail consumers.
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Even through it provides electricity connections free of cost, but
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it will not address the recurring burden of power bills.
Amidst the govt’s claims that India is a power surplus nation,
the power generation utilizes remain vastly under-utilised.
The plant load factors (PLF) of coal and lignite-based plants, an
indicator of capacity utilization of power generation units has
dropped from 77.5% in 2009-10 to 59.88% in 2016-17, according to
Central Electricity Authority.
However the scheme will bolster the country’s economy and bring
multiple benefits to the needy population.The scheme will help
India, the world’s third-largest energy consumer after the US and
China, to help meet its global climate change commitments as
electricity will substitute kerosene for lighting purposes.
51. Benefits of Computer-Based Test for Prestigious Exam
In a world that seems increasingly dominated by technology and
computers, everything has made its place online. From studies to
meetings, from projects to reports, from exams to results, all the
things can be done online. Computers have left behind the use of
Pen and Paper with the arrival of online tests, Top premier

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institutes have started the format of online examination, Computer
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Based Testing is not just about taking an examination on a
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computer, it also involves changes in the way examinations are
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scheduled, designed, conducted, monitored and evaluated.
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Online examinations consist of mainly MCQs which provide an
easy-to-use environment for preparing questions, conducting
exams and managing results. Also, these exams are very cost
effective as no expenses are incurred for printing or distribution of
question papers. Exam can be conducted in several geographically
scattered locations at the same time. The candidate has the
flexibility to choose the exam location and time. The online exam
system gives freedom to choose among multiple language options
accordingly. This system of examination has also emerged as a
boon for the candidates with physical disability including hearing,
visual etc. Various input devices can be used to extend access to
such vision Braille Keyboards are available for those with vision
problems. Another benefit is that candidates can practice through
Mock tests which are available online.
The best advantage of Computer Based Exam is that one can
change the answer frequently at a click while in offline it is difficult
once you circle OMR with pen. People already engaged in full time
jobs or classes find these online entrance exams easily accessible as
the feasibility to take exam at the preferred location gives them the
opportunity to appear for the exam for the desired course. This fast
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and effective system of online examination is helping the aspiring
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candidates to understand their level of performance. In brief,
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Computer Based Test exam system is more secure and saves
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money, time and avoids wastage of paper.
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However, on being asked about both Pros and Cons of Computer
Based Test Exam, you can add following points as the
disadvantages of the same.
Connectivity issue : Connectivity can be a serious
disadvantage of online testing. A student’s internet connection
can drop at any time for various reasons. Which can cause the
students to lose work or in advertently submit tests that are
incomplete.
Cheating: The chances of cheating during an online test are
tough to eliminate. Unless an instructor is physically watching
someone take the test, it is almost impossible to remedy.
52. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
"Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" scheme is a government scheme
launched by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in the
month of January in 2015 at Panipat. This scheme was launched
especially in Haryana as this state has lowest female sex ratio all
over the country (877 of females to that of 1000 males).It has been
effectively implemented in hundred districts across the country to
improve the status of girls. 12 districts were chosen from the
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Haryana state itself because of having low child sex ratio.This
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programme was launched to make some positive changes in the
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Indian society in status of girl child. There are many restrictions for
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the girl child in the Indian society which hinders the proper growth
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and development of the girl child. This scheme is aimed at
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eradicating practices of female foeticide, girl child insecurity, sex
discrimination and other deplorable acts against girl child.
The attention holder idea behind this scheme is to help in
improving the awareness among common people and the efficiency
of welfare services given to women. However, the sex ratio 2011
shows an upward trend from the census 2001 data. Census 2001
revealed that there were 933 females to that of 1000 Males whereas
it risen up to 943 females to that of 1000 males in 2011 Census, still
some states are in desperate need to make a noticeable
improvement in their calculated female sex ratio data. If nothing is
applied positively on urgent basis to reduce such type of issues
against girls, surely there would be a day when the results will be
dreadful and uncontrollable creating a turmoil. Girls occupy almost
half population of the world so they are half responsible for the
existence of life on the earth. The menial & widespread thinking of
Indian society that girls are the property of someone else other than
their parents needs to be changed strenuously.
There are some positive aspects that this scheme would be proved
as a great start to remove social issues against girl child. We hope
that there would be a day when no girl child would be killed,
uneducated, insecure, raped because of socio-economic reasons.

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Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme is the way to achieve positive
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changes in the human negative mindset toward girls. This scheme
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may make a call to people to end the discrimination between sons
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and daughters and work as a key to end female foeticide.
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Empowering women brings all round progress especially in the
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family and society and thus help in the progression of the nation as
well.
53. Overpopulation : Causes, Impact and Prevention
Every nook and corner of India is a clear display of increasing
population, whether you are in a metro station, airport, road,
highway, shopping mall, market or even in a social and religious
gathering, we find all these places over crowded at any time of the
day. Therefore, over population can be termed as an undesirable
condition where the number of existing human population exceeds
the carrying capacity of Earth. According to the Indian Census
carried out in 2011, the population of India was noted down more
than 1 billion. This is the second most populous country of the
world after China and it has been estimated that India will be the
world’s number one populous country surpassing China, by 2025.
The main causes leading to overpopulation of India include higher
birth rate than death rate, slow fall in fertility rate, better medical
facilities, depletion of precious resources, early marriage of girls,
poverty, illiteracy, age old cultural norm under which sons are
considered the bread earners of the families. These obsolete
thoughts put considerable pressure on the parents to produce

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children till a male child is born, illegal migration under which
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continual illegal migration from Bangladesh and other
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underdeveloped countries add up to increase population density.
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This cumbersome count of population brings horrible impacts with
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itself that includes unemployment, manpower utilization under
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which the number of jobless people is on rise in India due to
economic depression and expansion activities, pressure
infrastructure resulting in lack of transportation, communication,
housing, education, health care, increasing number of slums,
overcrowded houses, traffic congestion, scarcity of resources,
decreased production and increased costs leading to problem like
inflation and inequitable income distribution.
The Government of India, policy makers or leaders should initiate a
bold population policy to keep the pace of economic growth of
country with the demands of growing population.
Increasing awareness for the use of contraceptives and family
planning methods, sex education, encouraging male sterilization
and female empowerment, more care centres for the poor and free
distribution of contraceptives among the poor can play a major role
in controlling population. India’s strengths in the global world in
various fields can’t be ignored, whether in science & technology,
medicine and health care, business and industry, military, literature
& many other appreciating fields. Experts are hopeful that by
increasing public awareness and enlisting strict population control
norms by Govt will definitely lead the way towards country’s
economic prosperity & control of population.
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54. 7th Pay Commission
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Pay commission is set up intermittently by government of India
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and gives its recommendations regarding changes in salary
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structure of its employees. Since India’s Independence, seven pay
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commissions have been set up on a regular basis to review and
make recommendations on the work and pay structure of all Civil
and Military division of the Government of India. The
recommendations are made while keeping in view the economic
conditions in the country. The commission, set up once in every 10
years to review pay, allowances and other benefits for central
government employees, was appointed by the previous
government on 28 Feb 2014 and was asked to submit its report in 18
months.
On September 25, 2013 the former finance minister P Chidambaram
announced that the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had
approved the constitution of the 7th Pay Commission which
implemented with effect from January 1, 2016. Justice A. K. Mathur
was supposed to be heading the Seventh Pay Commission,
announcement of which was done on 4 Feb,2014. The full
implementation of the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations
will bring an average 23.5 raise in their income for about one crore
central govt employees and pensioners. With more money in hand

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is expected to push higher consumer demand for durable goods,
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which will give impetus to industrial sector leading to creation of
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more jobs.
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The automobile sector and companies get huge push and their
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dependents will lead to higher revenue for the govt. More money
also means increased savings, which have been the biggest strength
of the middle class economy of the country. Higher consumption
and demand are likely to create more jobs in the country in various
sectors–particularly manufacturing. Clearly the strongest effect on
the 7th pay commission will be on the aggregate demand in the
Indian economy.
The commission had recommended raising the minimum pay hike
to Rs18,000 from Rs7,000, along with the maximum pay being
raised from the existing Rs80,000 to Rs2.5 lakh as well as a fitment
factor of pay fixation uniformly approved at 2.57 times of basic pay.
These recommendations were approved by the Union cabinet. The
government had also approved a hike in allowances earlier this
July.
However, around 48 lakh central government and 52 lakh
pensioners are under the impression that the implementation of the
new pay revision system is a mere distraction that government is
using to take cover and to hide their incapability of taking a
decision under the recommendation of 7th Pay Commission.
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To know more about 7th Pay Commission, you should be aware of
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its Pros and Cons given below:
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PROS:
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(i) Boosting demand – When over 1 crore govt employees and
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pensioners will receive over a 23 of hike in salaries and
pensions, it will boost the overall demand scenario in the
economy, leading to more expenditure, thus benefiting the
country’s gross domestic product (GDP)
(ii) A savior amid global market turmoil- The Seventh pay
commission has rendered a much-needed relief to the market
concerned over a spate of issues from Britain’s verdict to leave
the European Union.
CONS:
(i) Fiscal deficit – many widen while the Budget for 2016-17 did
not provide an explicit provision for implementation of 7th pay
commission, The govt’s kitty is likely to have an additional
burden of Rs.1.02 lakh crore, or nearly 0.7 percent of GD, which
may make it troublesome for the govt to meet its fiscal deficit
target for the current financial year.
(ii) Inflation risk – RBI has repeatedly commented that it sees an
upside risk to Consumer Price Inflation Index (CPI) inflation on
the back of 7th Pay Commission.

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55. Should Government Consider Privatising Public Sector Banks ?
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The call for privatisation of Public Sector Banks has been making
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rounds given the recent scams, losses and drain of public funds
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cited as the main reasons, with one very particular question on
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board, “Whether Government should consider privatising Public
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Sector Banks?”
The answer is more of imperative in nature than it seems logical
given the present scenario. In a country like ours, where major of
the banking customers are low-income individuals, it is of utmost
importance that banking system is equally adept as per their
needs and maintained and run by government to achieve the goals
of financial inclusion and national development.
It is a secret to none that private sector is profit oriented. Before
advising to privatise the Public Sector Banks, the experts should
take into account the number of operational branches of their
“beloved” private banks in remote rural areas. The outcome
would not be what they would consider satisfactory and it is the
reality. The services on account of the private sector banks in our
country is largely concentrated in economically developed,
metropolitan and urban areas with bulk of the rural population
purposely neglected and objectives of financial inclusion in the
back seat of operations. But not is the case same in Public Sector
Banks. The pillars of economic development – infrastructure
loans, financial inclusion, loans to small and marginal farmers
and to the micro and small industries – is undertaken by
government banks. On contrary, whenever it comes to low income
or poor customers, the private sector banks are either inconsiderate
or neglecting. Even if they somehow provide the services, the
exploitation remains the main agenda.

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For the experts, the difference between the revenue generated and
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funds infused in Public Sector Banks is considered as another
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reason for this “privatisation” cry. But the dividends paid and the
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income tax filed by the public sector banks are not being
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considered. The aggregate of the dividends and taxes justifies
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every rupee of capital infusion in times of crisis. But it is not
being considered.
At last, solution is vital but approach is imperative in this problem
the Public Sector Banks are facing. This problem has given an
insight of the foundation of the banking industry in our country,
being strong enough to absorb financial shocks and it certainly is
a sign of relief in this era of banking collapses and shutdowns.
Written By - Atul Kumar Mishra
Winner of Essay Writing Contest by Adda247
ESSAY WRITING EXERCISE

Ending a 92-year-old British-era practice the
government has not only preponed budget presentation date but
also merged the Railway Budget into Main Budget. Write an
essay on the possible pros and cons of this step.
Technology has its fair share in all the sectors and even
sports aren’t untouched as eSports is going to be a medal
event at 2022 Asian Games. Write an essay on mainstream
recognition of competitive video gaming.
Write an essay on Are Payment Banks a threat or allies to
other public sector banks.

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Write an essay on China’s One Belt One Road project and its
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impact on India.
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India and Bangladesh initiated a process to improve
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navigability of inland water transit protocol route between
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the two countries. Write an essay on Inland waterways
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transportation.
Mass layoff by IT companies in India has threatened the
youth to raise a question on job security. Write an essay of
expressing your views on Indian IT firms’ mass lay off and
youths’ inclination towards government jobs.
Write an essay on the need for better public sanitation
facilities for women and children.
Write an essay on Yoga: The essence of spiritual, mental and
physical wellbeing.
Write an essay on Cow vigilantism threatens the body and
soul of India.
EMPLOYEE RETENTION
Need and importance of employee retention in the corporate
world. What measures can be taken to reduce attrition increase in
retention?
Employee Retention is the means and ways which are being used
by the management to help its employees stay in the organization
for a longer period of time. The strategies used by the management
motivates the employees, as a result they stay in the organisation
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for the maximum time & work with full efficiency. To achieve this,
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the management should take sincere efforts which should result in
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growth and learning of the employees.
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Increase in competition in the industry has reduced the Employee
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retention capability of an organisation. For Lucrative salary,
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comfortable timings, better ambience, growth prospects, the
employees are changing their jobs. But who is responsible for all
this?
It is the responsibility of the management & the HR to involve in all
these cases immediately and find out the exact reasons of this.
Why is Employee Retention is very important?
1. Hiring is not an easy process.
2. Organization has invested time and money in grooming an
individual. If it is not retaining its employees, then it can’t have
a experienced team.
3. Also, it can led to complete wastage of time and money when
an individual leaves an organization all of a sudden.
4. The organisation strategy can reach to its competitors.
5. Employees working for a longer period of time are more
familiar with the company’s policies, guidelines and thus they
can understand the company’s aim and vision easily and can
work towards that.
6. Individuals sticking to an organization for a longer span are
more loyal towards the management and the organization.
7. Potential Freshers today, future leaders tomorrow.
8. A business can’t be expand without consistency.
9. Customers Notice When Names Change
10. Constantly Training New Employees Is a Waste of Resources
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What the organisation can do?
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1. How the management treat/behave with the employees.
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2. Empathize: Deal with the negative emotions with empathy.
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3. Proper Communication
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4. Make them understand the Organizational and Individual goals
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to make them realise how they can grow in the organisation.
5. Encourage initiative.
6. Recognize performance.
7. Regular Motivation Sessions.
8. Formal & Informal Discussions.
The companies who are most effective at retaining people are the ones
which are realising that losing an employee is a loss for the organisation.
FDI IN INDIA
FDI is investment by an individual or a company from another
country. A foreign direct investor can invest in a company by
means of merger or acquisition, or by setting up a new venture.
The economic liberalization in 1991 opened the Indian economy to
foreign investments.
Advantages of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
Capital inflows can create higher output and jobs.
Recipient country will benefit from improved knowledge and
expertise of foreign company.
Investment from abroad could lead to increase in salaries and
better working conditions
Economic Development Stimulation.
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Can create a Resource Transfer.
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Can lead to Increased Productivity.
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Will result in Increase in government revenue.
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Quality of products and flow of technology.
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Improvement of agricultural sector.
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Disadvantages of FDI
It can hinder the Domestic Investment.
Negative Influence on Exchange Rates.
Destruction of small entrepreneurs.
Shrinking of jobs in some sector.
No real benefit to farmers.
It can increase the Trade Deficit.
Can lead to inflation.
Conclusion
The future of India lies in FDI & the government should proceed
in that direction if it wants to make the Indian economy a
developed economy.
MERGER OF BANKS IN INDIA
Benefits of the Merger
Enhance the productivity.
Mitigate geographical risks.
Increase operational efficiency & drive synergies across multiple
dimensions.
Ensure increased levels of customer delight.
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Rationalisation of Branches which will help the bank optimise
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its operations and improve profitability.
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Capital adequacy will improve requiring less capital infusion by
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government.
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When two or more Banks will merge, this will help them to
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work more efficiently not only in terms of the accounting Ratios
but also in terms of banking operations. Both will be using the
Best Possible Practices of each other.
In the global market, the Indian banks will gain greater
recognition and higher rating.
The organizational entity will be able to take bold and quicker
decisions, provided there is adequate clarity in communication
coupled with decentralization and delegation of authority.
The consolidated bank is expected to manage costs better—the
cost-to-income ratio could be reduced.
A combined treasury could perform better.
Lower cost of deposits will boost margins.
Large banks in a consolidated banking system enjoy scale
benefits leading to better diversification of risks and stronger
overall profitability contributing to higher credit ratings.
In a merger bank expands & according to the economies of
scale, if a business expands it will always gains & grow.
Banks can consolidate their debt, which will help them to
reduce the amount of interest they pay compared to the total
debt two or more separate banks carry on their own.

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The volume of inter-bank transactions will come down,
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resulting in saving of considerable time in clearing and
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reconciliation of accounts.
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Bank mergers can result in filling or getting more products and
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can even lead to technological advancement with relatively
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lesser cost.
Chances of relocating branches in under-served areas (Financial
Inclusion)
Detriment of the Merger
Failure to assess working culture
Insufficient resources and lack of Commitment can lead to
merger failure.
Loss of customer because of the image/goodwill of another
bank
It will be difficult to precisely assess the impact of mergers in
quantitative terms, at this juncture. We must know the terms of
merger, before embarking on such exercise.
Mergers can result in shifting/closure of many ATMs, Branches
and controlling offices, as it is not prudent and economical to
keep so many banks concentrated in several pockets, notably in
urban and metropolitan centres.
Mergers may result in immediate job losses on account of
large number of people taking VRS on one side and slow down
or stoppage of further recruitment on the other. This will
worsen the unemployment situation further and may create law
and order problems and social disturbances.
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The plight of people taking pre-mature retirement (through VRS
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route or otherwise) will turn more pitiable than being
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envisaged.
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Different banks have different goals, priorities and business
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strategies.
The weaknesses of the small banks may get transferred to the
bigger bank also.
The immediate negative impact will be from pension liability
provisions due to different employee-benefit structures and a
harmonisation of accounting policies for NPA recognition.
INSURANCE PENETRATION
What is Insurance?
It is facility which helps us to manage the unforeseen risks in life.
Insuring anything other than life (non-accidental death) is general
insurance while insuring life is termed as Life Insurance. That’s
why we say, Life Insurance “assures” our tomorrow & General
Insurance “secures” our today.
It plays vital role in providing economic security & strengthening
spirit of entrepreneurship. It is important for everyone’s life but
still this is not being used by the people of India because of low
Penetration. Only the High-Class individuals are using it. To
improve this, the companies need to have a better distribution
strategy & product.
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How the Penetration can be done?
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Promoting consumer awareness/information & product
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awareness.
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Diversifying Insurance activities in Tier 2 & 3 cities with the
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help of agents & other officials.
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Effective Agency structure by giving proper training to the
agents & developing their skills.
Bancassurance Tie-Ups can increase the Penetration.
New Network channel should be identified by the Insurance
companies.
New Products for Insurance which focus on low income people
should be introduced. An example of this is Micro Insurance.
Agriculture Insurance should be introduced.
Should come out with ways which could result in the Tax
Benefits with the help of Insurance.
To establish quicker grievance redressal systems to get the trust
of the people.
FINANCIAL INCLUSION IN INDIA
“Financial Inclusion” means the easy delivery of financial services
to large sections of the unprivileged society. It is an effective tool to
reduce the dependency on the informal sector like the local money-
lenders for availing finance.
Financial Inclusion is the road that India needs to travel toward
becoming a global player. Financial access will attract global
market players in India and that will result in increasing
employment and business opportunities. Inclusive growth will act
as a source of empowerment and allow people to participate more
effectively in the economic and social process.
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Why it is important?
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The main reasons for financial exclusion in India, are lack of
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awareness, low income, poverty and illiteracy while from the
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supply side is distance from branch, branch timings, cumbersome
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documentation and procedures, unsuitable products, language,
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staff attitudes etc. It can contribute to the all-round development of
the society.
FI can result in equitable growth of the society.
FI can create a platform for inculcating the habit to save money.
Capital formation is also expected to boost once financial
inclusion measures materialise.
It will help the people by providing formal credit avenues and
can break the informal channels of credit like family, friends
and moneylenders.
FI can plug gaps and leaks in public subsidies and welfare
programmes. The subsidies and other financial benefits can be
transferred directly to the account of the Beneficiaries.
Important initiatives for Financial Inclusion
1. Lead banking scheme (LBS).
2. No frills account.
4. BSBDA
5. Business Correspondents (BC) system.
6. Swabhiman Campaign
7. PMJDY
Lead Bank Scheme
The Lead Bank Scheme, introduced towards the end of 1969,
envisages assignment of lead roles to individual banks (both in
public sector & private sector) for the districts allotted to them.

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A bank having a relatively large network of branches in the
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rural areas of a given district & endowed with adequate
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financial & manpower resources has generally been entrusted
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with the lead responsibility for that district. Accordingly, all the
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districts in the country have been allotted to various banks.
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The lead bank acts as a leader for coordinating the efforts of all
credit institutions in the allotted districts.
No Frill Account
‘No Frills ‘account is a basic banking account. Such account
requires either nil minimum balance or very low minimum
balance. Charges applicable to such accounts are low.
The RBI in 2005-06 called upon Indian banks to design a ‘no
frills account’ – a no precondition, low ‘minimum balance
maintenance’ account with simplified KYC (Know Your
Customer) norms.
But all the existing ‘No-frills’ accounts opened were converted
into BSBDA in compliance with the guidelines issued by RBI in
2012.
BSBDA
In 2012, RBI introduced BSBDA. Some important points are:
This account shall not have the requirement of any minimum
balance.
The services available in the account will include: deposit
&withdrawal of cash at bank branch as well as ATMs;
receipt/credit of money through electronic payment channels or
by means of deposit/collection of cheques drawn by
Central/State Government agencies & departments;
While there will be no limit on the number of deposits that can
be made in a month, account holders will be allowed a
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maximum of four withdrawals in a month, including ATM
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withdrawals.
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Facility of ATM card or ATM-cum-Debit Card.
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Business Correspondent
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Business correspondents are bank representatives. They
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personally go to the area allotted to them & carry out banking.
They help villagers to open bank accounts, in banking
transactions etc.
Business Correspondents get commission from bank for every
new account opened, every transaction made via them, every
loan-application processed etc.
Benefits of Financial Inclusion
Access to insurance resulting in a cushion against unplanned
expenses in the form of emergencies such as illness, death in
the family or loss of employment.
Receiving social security transfers in the form of old age
pensions, widow pensions, monthly aid to handicapped
persons and other benefits accruing from governments directly
into their bank accounts.
Access to loans, insurance, money transfer and overdraft
facilities will be available easily and that to on subsidised rates.
Possibility of making social security transfers such as old age
pensions, widow pensions, etc. directly into the bank account
of beneficiaries through electronic transfer. This will help in
minimizing transaction costs;
Chance to achieve faster growth in the country by way of
including the as mainstream of the country.

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LETTER
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WRITING TIPS
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The right letter can make all the difference. This is a craft that
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everyone has practiced in their old school days. Letter Writing
questions are a part of Descriptive Paper of various Govt. Job
recruitment exams like Banking, Insurance, SSC and other exams.
While writing a letter one should keep in mind to write letters that
get your message across without the reader calling you for
clarification. Letters shouldn’t be verbose and usually in
competitive exams there is a prescribed word limit. To begin with
letter writing, first you must understand its types:
Two types of letters are generally asked in descriptive paper of
competitive exams.
1. Formal letters: Letters written to bank manager, a company,
government officials, editor of a newspaper, member of a political
party, business partner, employee, etc.
2. Informal letters: Letters written to a relative, parents, brother or
sister, a friend, a teacher/mentor (thanksgiving).
Any kind of communication that is official can be carried out by

sending a formal letter. There are many types of letters that are
written for formal purposes. Some of them are as follows:
Recommendation letter,
Apology letter,
Job application letter,
Invitation letter,
Enquiry letter,
Complaint letter,
Letter to editor, etc.
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STEPS INVOLVED IN WRITING A FORMAL LETTER
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1. Sender’s address: It is to be written on the top left hand side of
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the page. It will include a street address, city, state, PIN code
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and if you are representing a company, write the company’s
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address.
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Sudha Sharma,
HNo: 7-8-60,
Surya Nagar,
Andhra Pradesh-300376
2. Date: It should be written one line beneath the sender’s address.
The date is important because, if you want to continue with the
further communication then adding date will make it easier to
keep a tab on your letters.
Sudha Sharma,
HNo: 7-8-60,
Surya Nagar,
12 January 2018
3. Recipient’s address: It should be written one line underneath the

date. Include his or her title: for example Dr., Ms., Miss, Mrs.,
Mr., etc. Write the recipient’s job title under his/her name. Below
the name, write the name of the company (if provided). One line
below that, write the recipient’s street address followed by
his/her city, state, and pin code.
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Sudha Sharma,
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HNo: 7-8-60,
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or
Surya Nagar,
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12 January 2018
Mr. Ajay Gupta,
801, Himgiri Apartments Naini,
Hyderabad-500 016
4. Subject: Normally bold and summarises the intention of the

word.
Sudha Sharma,
HNo: 7-8-60,
Surya Nagar,
12 January 2018
Mr. Ajay Gupta,
801,Himgiri Apartments Naini,
Hyderabad 500 016
Sub: Request for infrastructure improvement.
5. Salutation: Salutation is an important part of the letter. Don’t be

friendly, while adding the salutation. Dear Sir or Madam will do.
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Sudha Sharma,
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HNo: 7-8-60,
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Surya Nagar,
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12 January 2018
Mr. Ajay Gupta,
Hyderabad-500 016
Dear Sir,
6. Body of the letter: The body of the letter need not be more than
three paragraphs.
The introductory paragraph
An introductory paragraph should always be short and to the
point. It is important to put into words the key purpose of
writing a letter in the introductory paragraph.
Sudha Sharma,
HNo: 7-8-60,
Surya Nagar,
12 January 2018
Mr. Ajay Gupta,
Hyderabad-500 016

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Dear Sir,
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I would like to bring to your notice that____________________
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_______________________________________________________
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The main body
Give answer to the question asked in the main body of the letter.
Do not exaggerate or write things that are unnecessary and go out
of context. Write the points that best explain the purpose of the
letter being written. Present your best self, write in a clear,
conversational style, be concise, and be consistent.
Sudha Sharma,
HNo: 7-8-60,
Surya Nagar,
12 January 2018
Mr. Ajay Gupta,
Hyderabad-500 016
Dear Sir,
(Introductory Para)______________________________________
(Main body Para)________________________________________

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The main body
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The finishing paragraph of your formal letter should always
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present a call of action. It can be related to sending you some
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information or refund or any such thing. Wind up your letter in a
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way that leaves a good impression on the mind of the examiner.
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Sudha Sharma,
HNo: 7-8-60,
Surya Nagar,
12 January 2018
Mr. Ajay Gupta,
801,Himgiri Apartments Naini,
Hyderabad-500 016
Dear Sir,
I would like to bring to your notice that___________________
(Main body-complete explanation of the problem/issue)_____
______________________________________________________
Please take necessary steps________I would look forward to
hearing from you_______________________________________
_______________________________________________________
7. Signing off: Sign off your letter with the appropriate salutation
followed by your name. “Yours sincerely,” “Sincerely,” and
“Best”, “Yours obediently”, “Yours faithfully” will all do. Write
your title under your name if applicable.
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Sudha Sharma,
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HNo: 7-8-60,
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Surya Nagar,
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Andhra Pradesh 300376
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12 January 2018
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Mr. Ajay Gupta,
Hyderabad-500 016
Dear Sir,
(main body-complete explanation of the problem/issue)______
_______________________________________________________
Please take necessary steps_______I would look forward
to hearing from you_____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Sudha Sharma
Complaint Letter
Letter of complaint is commonly written in a formal way. Letter
should start with an appropriate salutation: Dear Sir, Dear Madam,
etc. The language that you use while writing your letter depends on
severity of the problem you are complaining about. Always
remember not to be abusive at any point of time when
complaining. The complaint that you are making should be
supported with a justification.
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Examples of Phrases that can be used in a complaint letter:
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I would like to express my extreme dissatisfaction…
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I regret to say that I was not completely satisfied…
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I would like to receive a full refund…
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Application
A letter of application is written when you are applying for a
permanent or a temporary job. It can also be written while applying
for an educational course. The first paragraph includes the name of
the job or the course you are applying for and where you saw its
advertisement. The main body paragraph includes what you are
currently doing and the work experience that you have, your
academic qualifications, certifications and your own special
qualities that make you eligible for the job or course. The final
paragraph summarizes the points discussed in the main body.
Thank the person for considering your application and ask the
person to consider you for the job or course. Mention the possibility
of further communication.
Examples of Phrases that can be used in a job application:
I had applied against notification…
I would like to apply for…
Invitation Letter
Letters of invitation can be formal or informal depending on the
situation and the person we are writing to. They include
description of the events such as a party, wedding, etc. or a place
like a hotel, house, etc. and/or directions to the place.
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Examples of Phrases that can be used in an invitation letter:
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Could you please let me know if you can attend…
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Could you please let me know if you are available for…
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We are happy to let you know…
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Extras
This letter is to inform you about…
This letter is in reference to your…
We would like to bring to your notice/attention…
— Letter in reply to an enquiry

This is in reference to your enquiry…
— Apology letter
We would like to apologize for…
Please accept our apologies for…
Please let us know how we can compensate you…
Complementary close
—Yours faithfully,
—With gratitude,
—Respectfully yours,
—Yours sincerely,
—Yours obediently,
—Thanking you,
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bo
An informal letter is a letter that is written to a friend, family
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members, a close relative or to any individual who is extremely
or
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close to you or well acquainted with you. This letter is written in a
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personal manner. An informal letter is perhaps the most common
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of all letters.
We may write an informal letter for a special occasion and many
other situations such as a letter to express sympathy when
somebody has died, a letter to congratulate someone on his/her
marriage, a letter to someone to congratulate someone on his/her
success in life, a thanksgiving letter to a teacher/friends/parents,
etc. Such letters are called personal or informal letters. These letters
may be short or long depending on the matter that is being
discussed or the bond that you share with the person you are
writing to. This immensely depends on how well you know the
person so wisely consider your relationship with him/her. These
letters are mostly chatty and casual.
INFORMAL LETTER WRITING TIPS
Informal letters always contain questions asking about the
person’s well-being, as well as that of those around him
(his/her family and friends).
The content of a letter should always be concise, conversational,
tidy, logical, reasoned, clear-headed and grammatically correct.
The language of informal letters is very friendly and casual
unlike that of informal letters that are official and excessively
polite.

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Address
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Your personal address should be located at the top left corner of the
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page. A number of people will insert the city where the letter is
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being written from. The English, however, do no such thing.
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45, Bhavesh Nagar,
Kanpur
Date
The date is usually located below your own address. The month,
day and year are the normal things to mention. Sometimes only the
month and day will be sufficient.
45, Bhavesh Nagar,

Kanpur
20th December 2017
Salutation
The most common salutation in an informal letter is “Dear <name

of the person you are writing to>” or “Hi <name of the person you
are writing to>”. Do not forget to put a comma after it.
45, Bhavesh Nagar,
Kanpur
20th December 2017

Dear Jai,

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Body
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The contents of your letter should be written in a personal and
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friendly tone. You can use a different language for every different
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person you write to. Your adjustment depends on the kind of
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relationship you share with the other person (if he/she is your
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friend/a relative/a family member or he/she is elder/younger to
you). A good way of assessing how you should write is to think
about how you would interact with each other in real life. You can
ask a few polite questions like “How have you been?” or “How
was your trip?”
The first paragraph consists of an introduction that will give the
recipient an idea of what you are writing to him/her with a brief
description of the main purpose of your letter. You can start the
paragraph with “I hope you are doing fine…” and continue to
write as told. The second paragraph of the letter consists of a
detailed description of what you want to convey to the other
person. You can thank the recipient for their time, wish him/her a
good luck or ask any questions in your concluding paragraph.
45, Bhavesh Nagar,
Kanpur
20th December 2017
Dear Jai,
I hope you are in a good health_____________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Give my regards to your mom and dad______________________

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Signature
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In terms of signing off, the choice is yours and you have a lot of
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freedom here. You can end your letter with “Love”, “Lots of love”,
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“Yours”, “Yours forever”, etc. Note that it is always followed by a
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comma.
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45, Bhavesh Nagar
Kanpur
20th December 2017
Dear Jai,
I hope you are in a good health_____________________________
_________________________________________________________
Give my regards to your mom and dad______________________
Yours truly,
Vilas
Salutation
There are a few things that you should know about in terms of
addressing someone properly in an informal letter.
— Men are addressed as “Mr.”
— Women are addressed as “Mrs.” if they are married and with
“Ms.” when they are not.
Opening Phrases
— How are you?
— I hope you are in a good health.
— How have you been?
— I came to know about…
— How is life treating you?
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— I was happy to hear about…
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— How are the kids?
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— I hope you are doing great
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— I hope you, Mom, and Meera are having a great time.
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Conclusion
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— I am looking forward to seeing you.
— I dedicate my success to you.
— I can’t wait to see you soon.
— Send me a detailed reply.
— I can’t wait to hear from you.
— I am looking forward to hearing from you.
— See you soon.
— Revert as soon as possible.
— Send my love to…
— I hope you are doing well.
— Good luck…
— Give my regards to…
Complementary close
— best wishes,
— Yours sincerely,
— Yours obediently, (can be used for Thanksgiving letter to
teachers/mentors)
— Kindly,
— Yours truly,
— Thanking you,
— Kind regards,
— Best regards,
— Lots of love,
— Love,
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1. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper regarding noise
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pollution in festive season.
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572 Sector G,
Ashiyana, Lucknow, U.P
23rd May 2017
The Editor,
The Times of India,
Milap Bhawan, Delhi
Sub : Noise Pollution posing a threat to health of people.
Sir,
I would like to draw the kind attention of the concerned
authorities towards increasing problem of noise pollution.
Increasing noise pollution is a big threat to the health the people;
if it is allowed to go unchecked it may rob the people of their
hearing capacity. Creasing number of vehicles on the roads,
rising growth of factories, loudspeakers etc. are various factors
responsible for causing noise pollution.
It is the time that the authorities should strictly enforce the noise
control laws. The noise producing factories located in the
residential areas should be shifted to far-off places without any
delay. The use of loudspeaker should be stopped after specific
time.

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I hope that you’ll voice my concerns through your esteemed
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newspaper and then the concerned authorities will take
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necessary action against those responsible for noise pollution to
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relieve the people from the harmful effects of it.
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Yours faithfully,
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Supriya Pathak
2. Write a letter to the editor expressing your concern as many
stray animals are on the road during busy hours of day causing
traffic jams as well as accidents. You’ve already written to the
concerned authorities but no action was taken so far.
21-B, Aishbagh,
Lucknow, U.P – 226004
23rd February 2018
The Editor,
The Hindu,
Hazratganj, Lucknow
Sub: Stay Animals causing Traffic Jams
Sir,
Through the columns of your esteemed Daily, I would like to
draw the attention of the civic authorities towards the increasing
cattle menace on the roads of Aishbagh area of the city. The stray
animals wandering on the busy road are causing frequent traffic
jams, as well as accidents.
They have, hence become a traffic bottleneck causing untold
misery to the road users. I have written many times to the
concerned authorities but unfortunately no steps have been taken
so far.
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I urge that the civic authorities catch the stray cattle and send
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them for proper rehabilitation. I hope the authorities will take
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appropriate measures to find a solution to help us get the city
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roads rid of this menace.
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Thanking you,
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Yours faithfully,
Dheeraj
3. Write a letter to the editor expressing your concern towards the
need of awareness of toxic chemicals people might get exposed
to on occasion of the festivals of colours, Holi.
31-D Nirman Vihar,
New Delhi-110092
28th February 2018
The Editor,
The Hindu,
New Delhi.
Sub: Awareness regarding use of Toxic Chemicals during Holi
Sir,
Through the columns of your esteemed Daily, I would like to
draw the attention of your readers towards the need of being
aware of toxic chemicals they might get exposed to on occasion
of the festivals of colours, Holi.
Holi brings joy and fun. However, as we get into the spirit of this
festival, it is important to be watchful about your skin and body
as many people suffer due to the use of colours that contains
harmful chemicals.

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In some case, these colours causes serious injuries like eczema,
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redness, blisters, extreme redness and flaking of the skin. To
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minimise these potential side effects on the skin and hair, it’s
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best to take precautions.
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Thanking you,
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Yours faithfully,
Swati Sharma
4. Write a letter to the Editor of the Hindustan Times drawing
attention of the government officials to the problem of
unavailability of a bus stop near your colony.
House No. 25,
Aparna Street,
Ashok Vihar, New Delhi
January 11, 2018
The Editor,
The Hindustan Times,
New Delhi
Sub: Providing bus stops nearby the colony.
Sir,
Through the esteemed columns of your prestigious newspapers,
I would like to draw the attention of the Government towards
the problem of the lack of a bus stop in the area near Ashok
Vihar Shruti Apartments. Government has not provided enough
bus stops to cover all the apartments and colonies, on the road.
The residents have to walk more than 2 km to catch a local bus.
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Hiring of a rickshaw is very costly for a common man. A rough
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weather puts the passengers in a great problem wasting their
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time, energy and stamina.
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For lady passengers, keeping their safety in mind it is not
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advisable to walk long distance. Being a member of full
residential area, it is necessary to provide bus stops at all the
appropriate points in this area. The convenience and safety of the
citizens is the foremost thing to be acted upon.
I hope the authorities would definitely consider our difficulty
making appreciating efforts to provide an apt number of bus
stops for the convenience of the passengers. As walking long
distances in severe cold in winters and sultry days in summers is
very tiresome and troublesome, getting rid of the discussed
problem would be a big relief to all of us.
Yours truly,
Pooja Jain
5. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper condemning wide
spread corruption and decline of moral values amongst public
men.
Subhash Street,
GovindNagar,
Ludhiana
August 18, 2018
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The Editor,
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The Tribune,
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Chandigarh
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Subject: Condemning wide spread corruption and declining
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moral values amongst public men.
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Sir,
Kindly public the following few lines in the columns of your
esteemed daily. I will be much obliged.
India is passing through a bad phase. A country of saints and
sages is today becoming known for its corrupt leaders. A large
number of public men are involved in scams and kick-backs.
Corruption appears to have become the order of the day. There is
hardly any political leader who can be cited as an ideal for the
younger generation. Moral values are now taken as an ignoble
trait. Public men in high places pay scant regard to decency,
decorum or discipline in public life. The politics of defections and
crime is deteriorating.
These days, people have been oblivion regarding a respectful
image of the country. To attain so called power and fame, they
do not even hesitate to lose their ethics. This needs to be
extirpated before it’s too late and our country be notorious for
such deplorable acts. Our country and its leaders have always
known for their spirit of honesty, truth, non-violence, charity and
sacrifice. We must learn to uphold those values in social life and
should participate in every act contributing to the country in
being corruption free.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully
Tanisha Khanna

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6. Write a letter to the SHO of your area complaining against the
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violation of traffic rules by the people.
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17-B, Sadar,
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Nagpur
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13th February 2018
The SHO,
Sadar, Nagpur,
Maharashtra
Sir,
I wish to draw your kind attention towards the increasing
incidents of road accidents in our area. The major cause of such
incidents is the violation of traffic rules and absence of traffic
police on signals. People are in a habit of breaking laws.
Everybody on the road seems to be in a hurry.
It is very common that many people talk over mobile while drive
and also jump red lights. Over speeding is another cause of road
accidents. All these have contributed to the increase in the road
accidents. Pedestrians do not feel safe while moving on the road.
It is, requested to take immediate necessary action to check the
incidence of road accidents. Traffic police may be deployed on
every street to punish those who dare to break the traffic rules.
Yours faithfully,
Imraan Malik

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7. Imagine you are Shruti Sharma living at Street No. 40, Raja
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Colony, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Write a letter of complaint to
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the executive officer of the Municipality inviting his attention
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towards the insanitary condition in your locality.
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Street no. 40,
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Raja Colony,
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
November 30, 2017
The Executive Officer,
Municipal Council,
Kanpur
Subject– Request for cleaning garbage in the mentioned locality
Sir,
I would like to draw your attention to the insanitary condition in
our locality. The maintenance of cleanliness in the locality is
continuously being neglected for the last couple of months since
the rainy season has occurred as the sporadic fall of heavy rain
fills the pits making it hazardous to cross the road at night.
Vehicles get subsided in the pits full of water. Mosquitoes breed
in the standing water. It is feared that some epidemic will break
out. People are already facing serious health issues right after the
Municipality has left paying attention to the filth gathered in the
surroundings of the locality. To get recovery from the illness,
once again people are bound to face difficulty as the routes
leading to hospitals are in wear and tear conditions. Ignorance
for long is surely going to cost high.
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The drains are not cleaned everyday and now because of the
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uncleaned dirt and waste lying here and there, the surrounding
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area has started stinking. Flies keep buzzing throughout the day.
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The sweeper allotted to our locality is usually absent and when
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he is here, our requests are taken in granted. The Sanitary
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Inspector is oblivious of the whole concerning matter.
It is therefore a sincere request in behalf of every resident of the
affected locality that the sanitary staff must be instructed to take
necessary steps in the worrying matter. It will be appreciated if
you make time to inspect this locality and set it free from the
garbage.
Thanking you,
Your faithfully
Shruti Sharma
8. Write a complaint letter to the commissioner of police inviting

his attention to the number of thefts in your area. Also suggest
measures to improve the situation.
House no. 48
Parihar Colony,
December 7, 2017
The Commissioner of Police
Subject: Complaint of theft-Request for Investigation.
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Sir,
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I am constrained to draw your attention to the growing menace
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of thieves in my locality. The number of theft complaints is on an
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alarming level and people are bound to live in a threatening
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surroundings. The absence of policemen and any kind of vigilant
security in this crowded and growing locality is provoking the
miscreants to turn fearless to indulge in thefts and robberies.
Even burglary has been a common practice since last month.
During this week as many as fifteen thefts have taken place. No
house locked even for a few hours is safe in any course of the
day. The other day four strangers broke into a house and
ransacked all the cash and jewellery at the point of the knife.
Kindly start an active investigation to provide us relief from
these recent thefts.
I request you in behalf of every affected family in the locality to
take immediate steps to stem this tide of insecurity before it’s too
late. Kindly facilitate our vulnerable locality with a secure
environment by providing a watchmen team for night time and
policemen during day time to keep an eye on suspicious people
in order to set us free from the fear of miscreants. We will be
thankful to you.
Yours faithfully,
Sonali Singh

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9. Imagine you are Pragati, write a letter of complaint to the
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S.D.O. (Electricity) against the frequent breakdown of
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electricity in your locality.
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House No. 45,
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Sohini Market, Govind Nagar, Punjab
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December 14, 2017
The S.D.O (Electricity),
P.S.E.B (Punjab State Electricity Board), Punjab
Subject: Complaint against frequent breakdown of electricity in
Sohini Market Area.
Sir,
I would like to draw your kind attention towards frequent
breakdown of electricity in Sohini Market Area. The low voltage
and frequent tripping of electricity in this area has become
almost a daily routine. Except for two hours daily electricity cut
off, frequent spasmodic breakdown of electricity is simply
nightmarish. At night one is left half through the meals at the
dining table. During the day, there is no relief, no comforts and
no protection from the sultry weather.
Besides this, low voltage of electricity has damaged electric
lamps, tubes and other electric appliances. Many times
complaints have been lodged with your office but no permanent
solution to this menace has been found. There is always some
defect in wires or in the transformer. These are in a need to be
replaced. Only then the proper supply of electricity can be
restored to this locality.

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I hope you will look into the matter at the earliest and redress
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our grievance.
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Thanking you,
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Yours faithfully,
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Pragati
10. You have ordered a digital camera online form a reputed

company, but when the article was delivered you found that
the article was not the same as you had ordered. Write a
grievance redressal letter to the concerned company.
21, Rajendra Marg,
Delhi,
ashish.garg@gmail.com
30th May 2017
The Manager,
Zapbuy.Inc,
ITO, Delhi
Sub: Regarding faulty product delivery. Order ID: 1435B004
Sir,
I would like to bring to your notice that on 17 th May’17, I placed
an order of Cannon 350 Camera through your esteemed website
(Order ID: 1435B004) and I was delivered a product on 20th
May’17.

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Unfortunately, the product that I found upon opening the
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package was not the same as the one I’ve placed an order for. I
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am extremely disappointed that even after reporting this issue
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with your customer care representative, I’ve not yet received any
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revert or e-mail regarding replacement of the product.
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To resolve the issue, I look forward to your reply and a
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resolution to my problem at the earliest. Please contact me at the
above address or e-mail ID and initiate the process for
replacement of the product.
Sincerely,
Ashish Garg
11. You have bought an electric kettle form a store of a reputed
company, but when you used the kettle you observed that the
product was faulty and took more than usual time to boil
water. Write a grievance redressal letter to the concerned
company.
1/23 D Block
Janakpuri, Delhi
1st March 2018
The Manager,
Zapbuy.Inc,
ITO, Delhi
Sub: Regarding faulty product- Electric Kettle No. 1XD450
Sir,
I wish to express my dissatisfaction with the above electric kettle,
which I purchased from The Appliances Store in Delhi on 15
February, 2018. On using it for the first time, I found that the
temperature control was faulty and the kettle was not heating up
properly, due to which it took unusual time to boil water.

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When I attempted to return the kettle to the store, the cashier
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said that the store was unable to replace it or offer me a refund
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but advised me that it could be sent away for repair. As I need to
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use a kettle daily, and it was not clear how long a repair would
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take, this option was unsatisfactory. As this kettle clearly is a
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malfunctioned product therefore does not comply with the
expected standards of product quality, I am writing to you to ask
for a full refund of the Rs.1500 retail price.
I look forward to hearing from you within the 5 days.
Yours truly,
Priya Gupta
12. You are the Principal of Vidya Mandir School. Write a letter
to the District Magistrate of your locality requesting him to
preside over the annual function of your school and distribute
prizes to the meritorious students.
The Hon’Ble District Magistrate,
Allahabad
20th December 2017
Sir,
You are requested to kindly preside over the annual function
which will be held on the 11th January 2018 in the school
premises. The Chief Guest on the occasion will be Shri Anand
Mittal, the standing M.L.A. of our locality. Prizes will also be
distributed by you on the said occasion to the meritorious
students for their successful performance in the school.
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We propose to start the function at 5:00 PM. Apart from the prize
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distribution function; the programme will include a few culture
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items and musical concert.
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We hope that your gracious presence will surely encourage the
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students. On receiving a note of confirmation from your end,
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your name will be printed on the Invitation Cards to be sent to
the guardians of the students. An early consent is earnestly
requested.
Yours faithfully,
Meghna Shukla,
Principal,
Vidya Mandir School
13. You are the Chairperson of Asha NGO for children and you
were invited to a formal dinner on occasion of 31 st anniversary
of Mumbai Institute for Social Sciences. However, due to your
prior commitment you are unable to attend the event. Write a
letter to the Principal stating your reason to turn down the
invitation.
The Principal,
Mumbai Institute for Social Sciences
24th January 2018
Dear Mrs. Mehta,
I am honoured by the invitation to your institute’s 31st -
anniversary dinner on February 12th, 2017. Please accept my
heartiest congratulations on your institute’s upcoming
celebration. I must apologise for the slight delay in replying to
your letter. I have just returned from Kanpur after a seminar.
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However, allow me to decline this invitation for I have a prior
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meeting schedule which requires my presence to present a
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seminar on awareness on child abuse and child labour. Hence, it
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is a highly crucial meeting that I cannot avoid.
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Please accept my sincere apologies. If circumstances have been
otherwise, it would be my honour to be present at your
institute’s prestigious event.
Thank you for your kind understanding.
Yours sincerely,
Swati Aggarwal,
Chairperson,
Asha NGO
14. Write a letter to your branch manager requesting him to issue

you a new debit card as you’ve lost your ATM card.
D-14 A Block Janak Puri,
New Delhi
5th February 2018

The Manager,
SBI, Hari Nagar,
Delhi – 110064

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Sub: Regarding issue of new debit card.
ur
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ah
bo
Dear Sir,
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I am having a savings account bearing number - 1600205 with
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your branch at Hari Nagar, New Delhi. Unfortunately, I have lost
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my previous debit card issued to me for the above-mentioned
account number.
I would be obliged if you can please issue me a new Visa Debit
Card at the earliest. I am enclosing herewith a copy of my ID
proof and bank statement. As I’ve lost my debit card I am facing
a hard time in doing transactions and withdrawing cash.
Kindly do the needful.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
Sakshi
15. Write a letter to your branch requesting them to transfer your

savings account from Hari Nagar, Delhi branch to Gomti
Nagar, Lucknow branch because of your transfer.
B-90, Gomti Nagar,

Lucknow, UP -226012
January 4, 2018

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The Manager,
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SBI, Hari Nagar,
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Delhi – 110064
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Sub: Regarding transfer of savings account.
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Dear Sir,
I am having a savings account bearing number - 1410001201 with
your branch at Hari Nagar, New Delhi. I have recently been
relocated to Lucknow due to transfer of my job.
I would be obliged if you can please transfer my account with
your bank to your bank’s branch at Gomti Nagar, Lucknow,
Uttar Pradesh. This would ease of the maintaining of the account
at my end. Appropriate charges may kindly be debited to my
account in this regard for transfer of my account.
I am enclosing herewith a copy of the Address Proof of my
current residence for your information and records.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
Vaishali Pant
16. You are the manager of Resonance Publishing House and

you had a telephonic conversation with the manager of Geeta
Enterprise regarding some equipment needed by your firm.
Write a letter to the manager of Geeta Enterprise enquiring
about the same and requesting a catalogue of that equipment.

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Resonance Publishing House,
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Mayur Vihar, Delhi
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12th January 2018
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The Manager,
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Geeta Enterprises,
Ghaziabad
Sub: Request for the catalogue of equipment.
Dear Sir,
This is with reference to our telephonic conversation last week.
We had discussed on various equipment which your company
manufactures. Now we are writing to you to know if your
company can send a catalogue with details of latest equipment.
We want to see which ones will suit the requirement of our
organisation. Could you provide us with more details about their
range, quality, prices etc.
In case we find suitable products, we look forward to place an
order with you. We would also like to know whether you can
offer discount on the replacement our out-dated equipment.
We shall discuss all the matters after you send your catalogue.
We are eagerly waiting for an early response from you.
Yours sincerely,
Mehak Vishwas,
Manager

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17. Write a letter to the principal of your college requesting him
bo
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for fee concession stating the reason of bad financial situation
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of your family.
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The Principal,
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Raipur Engineering College
10th March 2018
Sub: Requesting for concession in college of fee.
Respected Sir,
With due regards, I beg to say that I am a student of electronics
engineering 3rd year with an outstanding academic record. I
would like to inform you that my family’s financial condition is
not stable as my father is now retired from his job and he gets a
monthly pension of mere 12,000 Rupees, which are not sufficient
for us to meet the household expenses. Thus, I cannot afford to
pay the college fee.
Hence, I request you to waiver my fee on humanitarian grounds
to enable me to pursue my studies further. I shall remain highly
obliged to you for this.
Kindly consider my case with a positive outlook and help me to
study further, I shall not disappoint you.
Thanking You,
Yours obediently,
Kunal Mittal,
3rd Year Electrical Engineering

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18. You are Shreya/Shery Verma working with a company PG
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Inc. Write a leave application to your Manager for absence of a
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months from your duties as you’ll be preparing for CAT.
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Shreya Verma,
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56-Shantiniketan,
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Ghaziabad 201001
20th September 2018
Mr. Gaurav Sharma,
Senior Manager,
PG Inc, Delhi-110091
Subject: Leave application for absence.
Dear Sir,
I wish to apply for a 30-day leave so I would like to request a
formal leave of absence from my job. I plan to be away from
October 21st, 2018 to November 23rd, 2018, and will return to
work on November 24th, 2018 in order to prepare myself to
appear in the upcoming CAT Examination.
I would be available to provide any assistance and answer all
sorts of queries while I am away. If approved, I would also be
glad to help with a plan to get my part of work done in my
absence.
Please let me know if you need any further report regarding my
absence. I am thankful to you for your consideration of my
request.
Yours sincerely,
Shreya Verma
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PRACTICE EXERCISE
ur
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Write a letter to the school management, expressing
bo
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concern over kid’s safety in school.
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You are the principal of Mira Model School and you are
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concerned about increasing usage of mobile phone by students
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in school premises. Write a letter to parents expressing your
concern as this may pose a distraction which may affect
students’ academic performance.
Write a letter to the District Magistrate of your locality
regarding increasing incidents of Cyber Crime.
Write a letter to your branch manager requesting him to
transfer your endowment policy from Mysore branch to Pune
branch because of your transfer.
You are the manager of a firm dealing in automobile parts.
Earlier you’ve placed a bulk order for some automobile parts
with a manufacturer and it was delivered to you recently.
However, in you’ve found that a box had damaged parts in it
and you wish to seek replacement or refund from the
manufacturer. Writing a letter to the manufacturer for the
same.
Letter to insurance company for assessment of loss in your
warehouse due to explosion in the neighbouring factory.
Write a letter to the manager of a bank complaining about the
rude behaviour of an employee.
Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper expressing your
concern regarding paid news issue and the responsibility of
media.
Write a letter to the newspaper editor expressing concern over
content of daily soaps on television channel and their impact
on children and youngsters.

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1. Write a Letter to a friend, about the futility of exploding
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crackers on Deepawali (Diwali).
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91, Rameshpuri,
Kolkata
13th October 2017

Dear Reshma,
I wish you a very Happy Diwali in advance! As you know that
the festival of Diwali is here, so, I decided to make the people
conscious of the imprudence of using crackers on Diwali.
I do not find any reason for wasting so much money on
exploding crackers, which not only pollute the atmosphere but
also cause an outbreak of fire many times. Some people are
wasting money in exploding crackers and others don’t have
sufficient food to eat and clothes to cover their bodies.
So, I have decided to collect rupees fifty from every house to
distribute sweets and clothes to the poor and celebrate the
festival more meaningfully. Tell me about your opinion on
celebrating Diwali in this way.
Convey my regards to your parents.
Yours lovingly,
Shruti

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2. Write a letter to your friend karuna on recovering from serious
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illness. Express your worries and send greetings to her.
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House no. 50,
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Jagjeevan Colony, New Delhi
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December 21, 2017
Dear Karuna,
I hope you will be doing fine and I am fine as well. Heartiest
congratulations on your complete victory over the giant of
jaundice that had gripped your life and liver and made your
health worsen. Your well being matters the most to me. I can
imagine how hard it would have been for you to bear these
painful days. But I became incredibly happy after knowing that
you overcame the pernicious sickness. This is your second life
and I hope you will take better precautions against infectious
diseases in future.
Stop worrying about your home and office. Take it easy. Get all
the rest you can. Get better soon. It would be pleasing to see your
olden and smiling self once again and reply if you need me to
accompany you. Once you get back to your hale and hearty self,
please pay a visit to us. Stay well for ever. My blessings are
always with you dear friend.
Please convey my sincere regards to your parents, Nitin and
Sikha.
Yours affectionately,
Surbhi

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3. Write a letter to your younger brother expressing your concern
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regarding the recent outbreak of Locky Ransomware and
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telling him to be wary of his online presence and the
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precautions he can take to stay protected.
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51, Rajauri,
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Delhi
14th May 2017
Dear Mayank,
Hello! How are you? I hope you are doing fine.
The recent outbreak of Locky ransomware has caused a frenzy in
this world and I hope that you aware of this situation. I am
concerned for you as I am aware that you an avid online user and
you indulge frequently in e-commerce.
Ransomware attacks as a computer worm that takes advantage
of open security vulnerabilities by blocking the access to the
computer, holding the owner to ransom till the demanded sum
of money is paid. In such an outbreak, all of us must be very
vigilant of our online presence.
I suggest you to install updates of your PC’s operating system
and ensure strict antivirus security. Be wary of suspicious emails
and pop-ups and do create a backup of your important data in an
external hard drive.
Yours truely,
Prashant

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4. Write a letter to your younger brother expressing your concern
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regarding the blue whale challenge and asking him to be
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cautious of such games.
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72, Kailash,
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Delhi
om
14th May 2017
Dear Aryan,
How have you been? I hope you are doing good.
The Blue Whale Challenge has hit the headlines after having
claimed the lives of a number of teenagers across the country.
This game targets mostly teenagers and young adults who aspire
to achieve something big.
It is an Internet Game that consists of series of dangerous tasks
assigned to its players, for a period of 50 days, with the final
challenge being committing suicide. You should know the
harmful effects that social media can have on your
impressionable mind.
Do not download or play the game and inform us as well as the
police if you ever come to know about it. Also, avoid sharing
your personal information with strangers on social media as it
may eventually prove hazardous for you.
Yours truely,
Shubhangi

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5. Write a letter to your sister persuading her to study hard and to
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appear for SBI PO examination.
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51, Aashiyana,
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Lucknow
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10th March 2018
Dear Ankita,
I hope you find this letter in good health. I came to know from
mom that you are very confused regarding your career path and
you are considering skipping SBI PO recruitment examination. I
am concerned for you and let me tell you that your decision to
skip the examination goes against your caliber and the hard work
you have been doing.
You’ve had a brilliant academic record and you’ve been pursuing
this dream of becoming a Probationary Officer and getting a
government job for more than a year. You may be
underestimating your caliber as you have some misconception
about your preparation.
I sincerely advise you to appear in the forth-coming SBI PO
Examinations. I am sure you will come off with flying colours.
Wishing you all the best and give my regards to mom and dad.
Yours truly,
Anuj

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6. You are Meena living at House Number 45 ,304-Anand Colony,
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Preet Vihar, New Delhi. Write an Informal letter to your elder
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brother Rajeev,asking him to guide you in making the career
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choice
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House No. 45,
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304 – Anand Colony,
Preet Vihar, New Delhi
27 November, 2017
My dear brother Rajeev,
Hope you are doing well. I am also fine. Just a quick letter to take
the help of your guidance in making a stable career choice. As
you know I have always been zealous regarding my academic
performances and you have always guided me with your witty
and beneficial suggestions. The propinquity I share with you
again made me call for your help in clearing up my confused
mindset about choosing an apposite career choice for myself.
I have a strong belief in altruism, and to provide a momentum to
my belief, Teaching profession has always enticed me and I will
be blessed if I contribute to the future of this country by
spreading knowledge I have gained this far with all the probity
required for this profession and become a helping hand in
lifting our Education System higher. Children of our country
need education at any cost and I aspire to fulfill this need. But I
have always been penchanted towards singing as well, Music
makes me feel relaxed and imperturbable. I feel a different &
creative self of myself whenever I start singing. You and my
other friends have always applauded my singing skills, also after
winning some prestigious Singing Competitions, I am adorned
with confidence and want to convert my passion into a willing
profession .
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After coming to know about my chaotic mindset regarding my
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career, please guide me once again like you always did. Your
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guidance will surely help me in making the ultimate decision of
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my career. Convey my loving regards to you, dad and mom.
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With Best Wishes,
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Meena
7. You are Ankit, write a letter to your friend Karan asking him to
be a part of Summer vacation with you.
House No. 65,
Vikaspuri Colony,
Adil Nagar, Chandigarh
December 11, 2017
Dear Karan,
I hope this letter finds you in the best of your health. I am fine as
well. You have not written me for a long time. I think you got
very busy with your examinations. How were your exams and
how are you doing these days? Please do let me know everything
in detail.
I am writing this letter to invite you to Chandigarh during the
summer vacation, you must be doing nothing particular these
days, I suppose. So, please visit us. My family will be very happy
to see you in their midst. I have planned a nice programme of
sight seeing and picnics during your stay with us. We shall visit
many places of our interest. Also the weather is expected to be
fine these days.

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Do come here as soon as possible. Your company will be a boon
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to us in these hot and sultry days. Please let me know by which
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train you will be coming. I shall receive you at the railway
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station.
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Please convey my sincere regards to your parents and love to
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Sanjeev and Rahul.
Ankit
8. Write a letter to of condolence to your friend who has lost his
father.
51, Vikas Marg,
Delhi – 110092
1st May 2016
Dear Varun,
No words can express the deep shock and grief I felt, when I
heard about the sad and untimely demise of your dear father.
The news was like a bolt from the blue.
Your father was a very kind man and was always helpful to
others. He possessed great qualities of head and heart. He was,
undoubtedly, a man of great courage, rare virtues and an
endearing personality. His absence would always be felt.
Be bold and look after your mother and your younger brother.
Time will surely heal your wounds in due course. My
sympathies are with you.
May God rest his soul in peace!
Yours sincerely,
Vaibhav
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9. Write a letter to your friend inviting him to new year’s party.
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51, Hauz Khas,
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Delhi
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23rd December 2017
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Dear Ankush,
I hope this letter of mine will find you find you in the best of
your health and spirits. I feel relished to tell you that we will be
throwing a new year’s party on 31st of December.
It will give me great pleasure if you and your family come to
attend the celebration at Aura Club and Lawns, on 31st of
December at 7:00 PM. The party will be continuing till midnight.
I hope you will grace the gettogether with your presence. Please
convey my best regards to your parents and love to Youngers.
Yours sincerely,
Sarthak
10. Write a letter to your friend inviting him to your brother’s

marriage.
51, Hauz Khas,
Delhi
23rd April 2018
Dear Ankush,
your health and spirits. I am dropping you a line with happy
news. You will be glad to know that my brother’s marriage is
taking place on 12th May’18.

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attend this wedding ceremony at Aura Club and Lawns, on 12th
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May at 7:00 PM. The reception will be held at our residence at 6
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P.M. the next day.
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I hope you will grace the occasion with your presence. Please
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convey my best regards to your parents and love to Youngers.
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Yours sincerely,
Sarthak
11. Considering yourself Kartik/Meenakshi write a letter to your

sister Asha congratulating her on her success in graduation
examination.
1-B, Sector-21,
Noida
April 23, 2017
Dear Asha,
Congratulations! It gives me great pleasure that you have topped
the list of successful candidates in B.Tech final year examination
by securing 92% marks in graduation. It is all the more delightful
to learn that you have secured distinction in all the subjects and
that you’ve completed your graduation with honours and as a
gold medallist.
It is indeed very splendid success of you. I know you worked
very hard day and night, and therefore you deserved it. You
have been very consistent all along your studies. You never
ignored your studies. It has paid well now.

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Again my heartiest congratulations on the happy occasion I am
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confident you will make a brilliant career and you will get good
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job offers.
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We will meet soon to have a treat. With lots of good wishes for
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your bright future.
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Yours sincerely,
Meenakshi
12. Write a letter to your mentor thanking her for her efforts in
helping you to prepare for upcoming IBPS examinations.
F-243, Anantpur,
Kanpur
29th January 2018
Dear Mam,
I would sincerely like to express my gratitude towards you for
taking out extra hours from classes and helping me out with my
doubts. As you are aware, IBPS Exams are coming closer and I
was worried if I’d be able to cover the syllabus on time. But you
helped me out in clearing my doubts with patience and
understanding.
This year of preparation has been tough for me and luckily, you
were there to understand my situation and help me in my hour
of need. I never thought I would be able to appear for this year’s
exams with confidence.

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Your tips and efforts, everything will surely enable me to do
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well. I assure you, that I will be clearing the exams and make you
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feel proud of me.
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Yours sincerely,
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Kunal Singh
13. You are Mohit and you living in a rented flat in Pune for past
3 years. Your flat requires some urgent repairs and painting.
Write a letter to your landlord drawing his attention towards
the issue and requesting for his timely action.
1-B, Sector-21,
Noida
September 19, 2017
Dear Mr. Sharma,
I am writing to remind you of some urgent repairs that need to
be carried out in the flat I am currently residing. I wrote a letter
to you a few days back drawing your attention towards the
necessary repairs needed in the house, I am occupying but I have
not received any response from your side so far.
The roofs of the kitchen and bed room leak profusely in the rainy
season. The house has not been white washed for the last three
years. The doors and windows are to be painted.

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Kindly look into the matter as soon as possible to make my stay
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comfortable. I’d be grateful if you could contact me as soon as
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possible to arrange a time for the repair work to be carried out.
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Looking forward for your quick response.
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Yours sincerely,
Mohit
PRACTICE EXERCISE
Write a letter to your parents telling them the challenges
you are facing due to tough competition in banking
recruitment exams and how you plan to overcome them.
Considering yourself Kirti/Ankush, Write a letter to your
brother Suresh explaining the present advantages of mobile
banking and its ease of use.·Write a letter to your friend
inviting him for a seminar on climate change to be held in your
college.
Write a letter to your brother explaining him the benefits of life
insurance.
Write a letter to your daughter who is living in Delhi,
expressing your concern for her safety due to increase in crime
rate in the city.
Write a letter to your pen friend expressing your views on net
neutrality.

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PREICS
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WRITING TIPS
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récis writing is an important part of descriptive paper of any
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competitive exam. Like a fluid, writing is compressible and a
compressed form of any long passage is termed as précis writing.
This form of writing needs to be terse, brief, concise and to the
point. The word itself means a concise, abridged statement or a
summary. To make a précis of a given passage, one needs to have a
clear understanding of the passage so that he/she is able to jot
down its key points in a way that best expresses the given passage
as clearly and as briefly as possible.
The key features of précis writing are:
Clarity that is achieved by avoiding vagueness, fuzziness and
ambiguity.
Conciseness that refers to the minimal number of words need to
convey the given information without sacrificing clarity.
Always remember that number of words in the précis should
always be one third of that of the given paragraph and it
shouldn’t be written down in more than one paragraph.
Reading
Read through the given passage carefully, taking notes (write in
your own words, avoid copying) as you go along, ignoring the
points that are not so important.
Look up all unfamiliar words, phrases, and citations.
Read the text keeping in mind that you do not miss out the key
ideas that need to be mentioned in the précis.
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If you could not understand the meaning of the passage then re-
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read it until you are confident about your understanding of the
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text.
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Make sure that the points that you note down match your
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current understanding of the given passage.
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Pay attention to the tone and purpose of the text so as you are
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able to find out the most appropriate title for your piece of
writing.
Mark all the important facts containing the essential thoughts.
Writing
Identify the central theme of the given passage and rewrite it in
your own words without putting in your own ideas (your own
ideas can change the message that is being conveyed by the original
passage).
Now prepare a draft explaining the main point of each section on
your own.
Provide an appropriate title to your précis.
Trim down your draft into one detailed yet concise passage.
Count the number of words. If the number is more than the
required number (i.e. one third of the number of words in the
given passage) then try to shorten the précis. If the number is
lesser than required then try to find out if you are missing out
some of the important points, if yes, put them in your précis.
Read through your précis again if it conveys the original
meaning of the given passage.
Write down your final/correct copy of your précis.
Revising
Check whether your précis follows the basic précis structure.
It should also be grammatically correct, rational, and precise.
Make sure it doesn’t exceed word limit.
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TIPS FOR PRÉCIS WRITING
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Reduce wordy phrases to single words.
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Use your own words as far as possible.
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Replace complex words with simple ones.
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Reduce verb phrases to simple verbs.
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Avoid adding your personal opinion.
Avoid repetition.
Do not use any idioms/phrases on your own.
Write a heading for each section.
Use only simple figures of speech.
Punctuate and spell correctly.
Retain the logical order of the thoughts of the original passage.
1. Expanding Tax Base & GDP

The demonetisation of high-value currency notes and the advent of
the goods and services tax regime have triggered a surge in the
number of those filing taxes in the country. The Economic Survey
argues that the large gains on the indirect and direct tax fronts
indicate that the primary intentions behind the two big-bang
economic strides — of formalising the economy and bringing more
income into the tax net — have been met to some extent. From
about 59 million individuals who filed income tax returns or whose
tax was deducted at source in 2015-16, the number of tax-filers rose
by 10.1 million since the note ban. Stripped of statistical
adjustments to avoid a bias in findings, the Survey assesses that

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roughly 1.8 million, or 3% of the existing compliers, started paying
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up. Many of them are reporting incomes close to the ¹ 2.5-lakh
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threshold for personal income tax, so this may not swell the
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exchequer much. But it holds potential for growth as the new
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taxpayers progress in their vocations. Personal income tax
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collections are expected to rise to a historic high of 2.3% of GDP in
2017-18, compared to 2% between 2013-14 and 2015-16. This may
seem glacial progress but could be considered a tipping point in a
country where just 4% of adults pay personal income tax, though
the government reckons that number should be 23%.
The Survey finds a 50% increase in unique indirect taxpayers in the
first six months of GST, with around 10 million registered
taxpayers now compared to an estimated 6.5 million pre-GST. The
GST regime, despite the initial chinks, could end up boosting
India’s macro-economic stability by breaking what the Survey
terms ‘inertia’ of the tax-GDP ratio. This ratio for the Centre has
remained at the same level since the 1980s, though the economy
grew at an annual average of about 6.5%. The Survey has noted
that both of India’s underlying macro weaknesses — the fiscal and
current account deficits — tend to get exacerbated when oil prices
move up. A wider tax base could at least help tackle the former.
Fixing exporters’ GST woes and continuing to ease the transition
pains under its new features, such as e-way bills to deter evasion,
would be critical to attain the 7%-7.5% growth projected for the
coming year. At the same time, the government needs a road map

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to expand the direct tax pie by pruning blanket exemptions for
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vocations such as farming and using a more proactive Big Data-
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driven approach to target evaders. The government must reward
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this tax base expansion by offering the ‘compliant’ some relief in
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the Budget, even if it means slashing high duties on petroleum
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products. After all, high indirect taxes pinch the poorest the most.
(Passage Source- The Hindu)
Précis
A WIDER NET: ON THE EXPANDING TAX BASE
Demonetisation brought a positive impact in numbers of taxpayers
in the country. This surge in the number of those filing taxes is clear
from the Economic Survey which has also contributed in
formalising the economy. Demonetisation has brought more
income into the tax net to some extent. According to the survey,
many of the taxpayer reported incomes close to the ¹ 2.5-lakh
threshold for personal income tax, so this may not reflect as heavy
in government’s revenue but is considered as a growth as new
taxpayer may progress in their vocations. A rise of 2.3% in GDP is
expected in 2017-18, but all this amounts to a fraction of 4% of
adults who pay personal income tax, where the government
expected it should be 23%. GST has also contributed 50% in unique
indirect taxpayers in the first six months of its implementation and
it is expected despite initial lows it will help to boost India’s macro-
economic stability. The survey noted that the country is bound by
two Marco weaknesses, the first being the fiscal and current
account deficits, the second is that the country gets exacerbated

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when oil prices move up. A GDP growth of 7%-7.5% can be
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attained by taking certain measures like fixing export GST troubles
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and promoting as e-way bills to deter tax-evasion, and the
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government must tighten its ropes on blanket exemption on
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various vocations to target tax-evaders. The government should
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keep a tap on high indirect tax and reward tax base expansion by
offering some relief in the Budget.
2. Intense Heat Waves and Summers
Torrid summers, when the mercury soars 4°C to 6°C above the
average and produces heatwaves in several States between April
and June, may become more frequent in coming years. Not only
will there be more hot days, the spells of heat stress sweeping
across much of India are likely to grow longer. The scientific
consensus is that heatwaves will grow stronger and expand their
geographical spread in the south, influenced by the sea surface
temperature in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. With rising
greenhouse gases, their impact can only intensify. Though the
number of people dying due to heat stress last year was half of the
previous year’s toll of 2,040, the need to evolve detailed action
plans at the level of States, districts and cities is now critical. It is
encouraging that the National Disaster Management Authority is
guiding States, in partnership with the India Meteorological
Department, to evolve heat action plan protocols. The response to
distress caused by excessive heat has to be both speedy and
professional. Europe upgraded its preparedness to handle a crisis
after a crippling heatwave in 2003 killed thousands of people, over
14,800 of them in France alone. In the Indian context, crop failures
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and disruption of electricity supply due to sudden peak demand
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are common. People experience dehydration, heat cramps and
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deadly heatstroke. The elderly are particularly at risk, since higher
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temperatures affect blood viscosity and raise the risk of thrombosis.
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Better meteorological forecasting can provide an early warning
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about a coming hot spell during the summer window. This gives
the NDMA and the States sufficient opportunity to launch an
action protocol: to inform the public as soon as the temperature
crosses the threshold fixed by the IMD, advise on precautionary
measures, and aid those who are most vulnerable, such as older
adults, farm workers and those pursuing outdoor vocations.
Ahmedabad, for instance, drew up a city-level action plan in the
wake of its 46.8°C heatwave of 2010 with support from public
health institutions. Preparing the health system to identify
symptoms of heat stress and providing treatment through urban
health centres is one intervention it decided upon. Reviewing
school timetables, rescheduling work timings to cooler hours,
making water widely available and reserving religious sites and
libraries as cooling centres were others. European and American
policy responses, such as creating green and blue urban spaces to
provide tree shade and higher moisture, as well as housing design
that cuts heat through the albedo effect of reflected solar energy,
hold universal appeal. Some of these passive defences are actually
integral to vernacular practices and will serve everyone well. It is
essential to study the efficacy of heat action plans and share the
results across States to achieve best practices.
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Précis
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COPING WITH SUMMER
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In upcoming year, India is expected to have intense summers with
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mercury soaring 4°C to 6°C above the average between the months
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of April and June and with increase in number of hot days every
year. According to the scientific consensus the heatwaves will be
prolonged, spread in the south of the country due to influence of
sea surface temperature. All of this is expected to intensify due to
rising greenhouse gases. Seeing the increasing number of casualties
due to heat stress, it is time that concerned authorities should work
on evolving heat action protocol to facilitate speedy response in
situation of heat distress. In India heatwaves cause a chaos in form
of irregular power supply and people experiencing major health
issues, especially the elderly people are at a higher risk as of
medical emergencies. This can be avoided to a certain extent if
meteorological forecasting can provide an early warning to the
people so that precautionary measures can be taken to avoid health
issues. A city level action plan, just as the one implemented in
Ahmedabad in the wake of 46.8°C heatwave of 2010 can also help
in avoiding major casualties. Few other precautionary measure like
reviewing school timetables, rescheduling work timings to cooler
hours, making water widely available can also help to a large
extent. India can also learn from European and American policy
responses that cuts heat and hols universal appeal, as some of these
passive defences will serve everyone well. Efficacy of the heat
action plan should be studied and result should be shared across
State to achieve a better solution.
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3. How India must respond to a Low HDI rank
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India’s rank of 131 among 188 countries on the UNDP’s Human
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Development Index for 2015 and its ‘medium’ performance pose
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the uncomfortable question: would not the score have been
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significantly better if the higher economic growth trajectory of two
and a half decades of liberalisation had been accompanied by a
parallel investment in people? Few will argue that the rise in
incomes that came with a more open economy has not translated
into a higher quality of life for many Indians and raised overall life
expectancy at birth by more than 10 years from the 1990 level, to
reach 68.3 years. Progress has also been made in raising awareness
about issues affecting women’s empowerment, such as public
safety, acid attacks, discrimination in inheritance rights and lack of
equal employment opportunity. Policy reforms have been
instituted in some of these areas as a result. But as the HDI data
show, significant inequalities persist, particularly between States
and regions, which act as major barriers to improvement. The
percentage of women in the workforce is the lowest in India among
the BRICS countries, and the national record on the population that
lives in severe multidimensional poverty is also the worst in the
bloc. These are clear pointers to the lost decades for India, when
universalisation of education and health care could have pulled
deprived sections out of the poverty trap. A central focus on social
indicators is necessary for India to break free from its position as an

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underachiever. The fiscal space now available has been
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strengthened by steady economic growth, and more should be
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done to eliminate subsidies for the richest quintile — estimated by
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the UNDP to be $16 billion in 2014 in six consumption areas
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including gold and aviation fuel. The rise in revenues from all
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sources should go towards making public education of high
standards accessible to all and delivering on the promised higher
budgetary outlay for health care. Bolstered by a conscious effort to
help traditionally backward regions, such policies will help
eliminate the losses produced by inequalities that lower national
human development indices.
Précis
SUPERPOWER DREAMS: ON HOW INDIA MUST RESPOND
TO A LOW HDI RANK
The UNDP’s Human Development Index for 2015, shows India
ranks 131 among 188 countries which signifies very low investment
in people. India’s open economy structure’s benefits have not
translated into a higher quality of life for many citizen of the
country but has and raised overall life expectancy at birth by more
than 10 years. Although some progress has been made in raising
awareness about issues affecting women’s empowerment and
safety but HDI data show there is significant inequality in many
States or regions that hinders the nation’s improvement. India
having the lowest percentage of working women among the BRICS
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countries and the country’s huge population immersed in
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multidimensional poverty are the reasons for India being on the
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backfoot, whereas proper education and healthcare for all could
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have helped with the nation’s poverty issues. If the country focuses
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on the social indicators then this situation can be dealt with, there is
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a dire need to take measures to eliminate the subsidies for the
richest quintile. There is need to invest revenue to provide quality
education and health care facilities to the public of the nation along
with constant efforts to help backward regions and communities.
All of this will help in the longer run to overcome losses that
inequalities that lower national human development indices.
4. India’s Steps Towards a Nuclear Power Nation
The successful test-firing of the long-range ballistic missile Agni-V
for the fourth time is a significant step towards building a credible
nuclear deterrence. With this test and the recent commissioning of
the indigenously built nuclear submarine INS Arihant, India is
inching towards creating a robust and world-class second-strike
capability. For a nation sworn to no-first-use of nuclear weapons, a
reliable second-strike capability is an absolute necessity. In the
worst-case scenario, the country should have the ability to
withstand an enemy nuclear strike on its key locations and launch a
successful second strike. Agni-V rose up from a canister mounted
on a truck stationed at Dr. Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha, and went
up a few hundred kilometres before following a ballistic trajectory
and splashing down near Australian waters, some 20 minutes after
the launch. This was the fourth test of the Agni-V missile, but the
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second from a canister mounted on a road mobile launcher. With
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the four tests, Agni-V is now ready for induction into the Strategic
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Forces Command, which already operates other Agni missiles with
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a target range from 700 km to 4,000 km, besides Prithvi-II.
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However, despite the impressive strides made by the security
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establishment in developing nuclear weapons and delivery
platforms, there is still a long way to go before the nuclear triad is
complete and competent. Just a few days ago, the Nirbhay land
attack cruise missile meant to carry nuclear warheads failed for the
fourth time during a test. On December 21, it veered off its
designated flight path within a couple of minutes of launch, and it
had to be destroyed mid-air. There are several such gaps to be filled
to ensure a foolproof nuclear triad. A credible second-strike
capability should also be complemented by a modern, powerful
military. The Indian military is in crying need of modernisation
across its three arms. The Air Force has a huge shortage of fighters;
the Navy’s submarine arm is far from meeting multiple challenges;
and the Army needs an array of new platforms. Most importantly,
India also needs to consistently showcase itself as a responsible
nuclear power, and not just through a no-first-strike policy. India
has a mature political and military leadership today. In a complex
global strategic environment, where nations issue nuclear threats
based on fake news and global powers threaten to add to their
already bulky arsenal, it is important to be recognised as a
responsible democracy.
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Précis
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FIRE IN THE SKY
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India is moving towards a credible nuclear deterrence with
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successful test-firing of the long-range ballistic missile Agni-V for
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the fourth time and the recent commissioning of the nuclear
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submarine INS Arihant. These events assure India’s step towards
gaining ability to respond to a nuclear attack with powerful
retaliation and the country should have the ability to withstand an
enemy’s nuclear strike on its key locations. After completion of 4
tests, Agni-V is now ready for induction into the Strategic Forces
Command, which already operates other Agni and Prithvi missiles.
Despite all of this, India still has a long way to go before the nuclear
triad is complete and competent. After the failed launch of Nirbhay
land attack cruise missile for the fourth time, there are certain gaps
to be filled to ensure a foolproof nuclear traid. All three major
Indian Defence forces, the Indian Navy, the Army and the Air
Force are dealing with shortages and multiple challenges, this
needs to be dealt with to meet the agenda of modernisation across
Indian military. Seeing the scenario complex global strategic
environment, where there is an increased rate of nuclear threat and
global powers adding more and more to their already bulky arsenal
it is important that India strengthen its ground as a responsible
nuclear power nation and a responsible democracy as well.

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5. Capitalism
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Capitalist policies are based on the precipice of allowing capital
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holders the freedom to proceed with production activities as they
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please. There are minimal restrictions governing land and labour
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allowing capitalists the upper hand when it comes to production
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decisions. While this might be a great incentive to boost production
and subsequently, economic growth in the country, it is often cited
as the biggest criticism of the capitalist system. It gives maximum
leverage to the capital holders, who can determine the course of
production completely without having to take into account ethical
dilemmas like workers conditions, compensation, environmental
safeguards etc. There is a clear advantage to owners of capital, be
they self made or inheritors of wealth. Thus, the rich have ample
opportunities to make profits while employing the poorer sections
of society who labour away at low salaries. Because production
activities are fuelled by the desire to make money, there is no
guarantee of welfare in such a setup.
The point being stressed upon here is that capitalism does not focus
on furthering equality among various income groups. The rich
continue to make large sums of money due to the conducive
environment in the economy while the lower income groups have
to make do with fixed monthly wages. Hence, the gap between the
rich and poor continues to broaden without any help from
government regulations. Such inequality in distribution of wealth
and power in the economy leads to societal imbalance which has
immediate and often extreme reactions from the masses.

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The socialist school of thought considers capitalism to be irrational
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owing to the great inconsistencies and inequalities brought about
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by such a system. Revolutionary tendencies rise among the
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majority of the population which should be a great cause of
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concern for the government of such a nation. The most recent
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example of such a situation arising in the modern world is the
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‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement in New York. It began in one city
as a protest by the masses against the mass hoarding of wealth by
the elite who compose only one per cent of the population. This
gradually spread to other parts of the world which follow a
capitalist system of economy. This is a serious matter with long
lasting ramifications and constitutes one of the biggest dis-
advantages of capitalism.
A capitalist economic system allows enough freedom for property
holders to establish their influence in the markets without much
restriction on the extent of this spread. This leads to
monopolisation of markets by one or a few major players. This
permits a handful of firms to dominate the market and govern
prime factors like prices, quantity supplied and quality of product
without any opposition from other competitors. This also creates
barriers to entry for other players in the market due to a high
degree of control being exercised by the firms monopolising the
markets.
Since a capitalist society is seen as the diametrically opposite end of
a socialist society, it suffices to say that the former does not
consider the social needs of the nation as its primary objective.
Stimulus to economic growth is the prime purpose of such a market
setup. This overlooking of the needs of the masses leads to
problems like unemployment, poverty and exploitation of labour.
Labour unions are squashed and the general needs of the workers
could be overlooked in such a setup. This causes some degree of
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social unrest among the section of the population which does not
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have access to capital or property. As highlighted above, such a
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situation could have greater and more serious ramifications for the
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government.
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In summary, the main disadvantages of capitalism revolve around
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the high degree of inequality which stems directly and indirectly as
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a result of it. That being said, capitalism has proven itself to be a
stable economic system which is being applied by numerous
developed nations around the world. Hence, it might be premature
to state that the disadvantages of capitalism are enough to make it
fail as an effective economic system as predicted by Marx, the
“father of socialism”. It is a strong system which allows the
freedom to fulfill human desires and will continue to remain in the
world for a long time to come.
Précis
DISADVANTAGES OF CAPITALISM
Capitalism is an economic system that allows capital holders to
have the freedom to control their production activities. As the
production activities are controlled by the capitalists, the main
purpose of these activities is profit making. In this capitalistic
approach, economic growth is maximised but the working
conditions and compensation of the low wage workers is
compromised in order to gain more and more profit. Capitalism
leads to higher inequalities in distribution of wealth and resources.
In capitalistic economy, the poor is exploited by the rich and
therefore social inequality and wealth gap increases. Monopoly is
another evil which is introduced by this system. Large firms have a
huge influence on the market and therefore it becomes inevitable to
stop monopolisation of the market. Capitalist system is the
opposite of socialism. In a socialist society, the social needs of the

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people are of prime importance. Labour unions are powerless in
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capitalist economy. These unions are unable to protect labourers
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from exploitation. So the main drawback of capitalism is the
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inequality that it creates. Capitalism is adopted by many developed
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nations .Even after having so many disadvantages, this system is
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very stable and continues to remain the popular choice among the
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developed economies. Socialists view this system as a failure but it
continues to thrive.
6. Schism
To understand the schism, we need to look in detail at the
complexities of Tibet’s history and theology as it will give us an
insight on what actually transpired which resulted in the schism.
Tibet adopted Buddhism during the earliest days of its recorded
history in the seventh century. According to Buddhist belief, the
legendary Indian yogi Padma Sambhava had converted Tibetan
local spirits to be protectors of Buddhism, creating the
transcendental foundation for the introduction of monasteries. This
earliest form of Buddhism came to be known imprecisely but
commonly as “Red Hat Buddhism.” Following the example of
Padma Sambhava, the adherents of the “Red Hat Buddhism”
endorsed an intellectual approach that rejected linear thought
process making as well as social rules and restraints in their search
for enlightenment. As a way to break through this linear thinking
process, the Red Hat Buddhists practiced esoteric rites that
sometimes clashed with the ordinary notions of social conduct.
In response, the Gelukpa order came into existence in the 15th
century as a reform movement that gave importance to monastic
discipline and a scholastic understanding of the tenets of
Buddhism. At its inception, it was nonsectarian (not involving or
relating to different religious sects or political groups), adopting
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treatises from a wide array of Tibetan philosophical schools.
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However, its members though not in large number believed that
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some of the practices of the Red Hat Buddhists were less effective
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and potentially harmful for spiritual cultivation. Although it was a
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minor sect at first, it soon gained popularity and started becoming
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popular because of the philosophical vigorousness and the strict
discipline of its monks. A lineage of reincarnated lamas, later to be
known as the Dalai Lamas, was a source of influential figures and
learned clerics within the order.
In the 16th and early 17th century, Tibet suffered from political
conflicts and sectarian fighting among its Buddhist orders, though
doctrinal differences among the sects were not necessarily at the
core of this unrest. The unrest continued for centuries as the
Buddhist monasteries and local Tibetan nobles set up alliances for
the pursuit of wealth and power, consequently clashing with others
seeking the same. With the assistance of some noble clans and
Mongolian military support, the Gelukpa were able to gain political
power in 1642, with the Fifth Dalai Lama as its paramount leader.
Précis
THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND FOR THE SCHISM
Comprehending the schism lies in examining the intricacies of
Tibet’s history. Indian Yogi Padma Sambhava was believed to
have converted Tibetian local spirits to be the protectors of
Buddhism, thereby laying the metaphysical foundation for the
earliest form of Buddhism, imprecisely called “Red Hat
Buddhism”. The Red Hat Buddhists rejected conventional thinking
and practiced esoteric rites instead which clashed with mundane

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morality. The Gelukpa order then came in the 15th century and
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emphasized monastic discipline. However, few members doubted
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the order’s effectiveness and it soon grew into popularity due to
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philosophical vigorousness and strict discipline. Dalai Lamas was a
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prominent figure within the order. Tibet suffered from political
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disunity and sectarian fighting around 17 th century which
continued for centuries and halted eventually in 1642 when the
Gelukpa with Mongolian military support were able to assume
political authority with the Fifth Dalai Lama as its paramount
leader.
7. Rivers
Even as the Uttarakhand high court recently declared Ganga and
Yamuna rivers as living entities, bestowing on them legal rights of
a person, an RTI query has revealed that the waters of the Ganga
along Haridwar are not even fit for bathing. Tests were conducted
at 11 locations in Uttarakhand over a distance of 294km along the
river, taking into account four main indicators of river water
quality – temperature, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen
demand and coliform (bacteria).
On most of these indicators the Ganga failed to meet acceptable
standards, showing high levels of bio-pollutants and toxic
materials. There’s no denying that rivers in India are highly
revered. Considered as sources of life in a largely agrarian country,
rivers have cultural, spiritual and religious connotations. However,
it is also a fact that physical protection of rivers in India is very
poor. With greater industrialisation and urbanisation, rivers have
increasingly become depositories of urban waste and industrial
effluents.
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The Ganga Action Plan (GAP) has seen more than Rs 1,800 crore
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spent over three decades on cleaning the Ganga with little
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improvement. The current government intends to spend around Rs
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20,000 crore over five years on the NamamiGange Project. But apart
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from minor variations on GAP, the new project offers more of the
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old focus on sewage treatment plants. The problem with this top-
down approach is that it fails to account for the lack of coordination
among the various states through which rivers flow. In fact,
coordination on this score is often mired in Centrestate and state-
to-state politics. Given this scenario, it would be far better to push a
bottom-up approach where people living along rivers become
primary agents of change. This is best exemplified by the case of a
village panchayat in Kerala’s Alappuzha district reviving the
Kuttemperoor channel of the Pamba and Achankovil rivers. It’s
time to translate our reverence for rivers into actual conservation
efforts.
Précis
RIVERS- TIME FOR BOTTOM UP APPROACH
Rivers in India inspite of being culturally, religiously and
spiritually important are treated as urban and industrial waste
depositories. River Ganga lagged behind on key indicators of river
quality inspite of the Rs.1800 crores spent on Ganga Action Plan, a
top -down approach for revival,for the last three decades due to
lack of coordination among states and centre -state politics. A
bottom-up approach,where the inhabitants are the key change
maker, would be effective as seen in Kerala’s I Allapuza district
where village panchayats have revived the rivers.
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8. Black Money
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There are many misconceptions about how flows of black money
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are generated. One prominent misconception is the apparent belief
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among policymakers that much of it is because of the existence of
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the “informal economy”, which relies heavily on cash-based
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transactions. By contrast, it is believed that the formal economy, in
which payments are made through cheque or in the digital mode, is
somehow much less amenable to corruption and tax evasion.
Indeed, this is the chief justification provided for the aggressive
pushing of cashless exchange that is now being touted as the main
“achievement” of the drastic demonetisation exercise.
This simplistic equation between non-formal, cash-based activities
and some sort of tax evasion or criminality is a complete
misunderstanding of the nature of the informal economy in India.
The formalisation of the economy is a desirable goal (although it
cannot be achieved almost at gunpoint), but lack of it hardly
indicates that all those who are not lucky enough to be employed in
formal, registered economic activities are thereby engaged in some
subterfuge or corrupt or criminal activities. In India, close to half of
the national income is generated by informal activities, and more
than 90 per cent of the workers in the economy are either self-
employed or working on informal contracts. The close, symbiotic
interdependence between the formal and the informal sectors also
means that a strict dichotomy between the two cannot be made.
Further, most illegal or tax-evading strategies do not necessarily
rely on “informal” economic arrangements—rather they are based
on manipulation and misstatement of recorded activities, mostly
within the formal sector. All the major scams that have occurred in
India over the past decade provide justification for this.

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Indeed, an anti-corruption approach defined by clamping down on
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cash transactions rather than dealing with the plethora of non-cash
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methods can hardly be justified even within the government. The
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fact that it persists at all speaks volumes about the poor
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institutional memory that characterises policy discussion in India
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today. After all, just five years ago, in 2012, a White Paper of the
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Ministry of Finance made it clear that one of the main ways in
which black money in the form of tax evasion is generated is by
hiding, or wrongly reporting, transactions and then seeking to hide
the audit trail. This occurs through various methods such as
underreporting revenues or receipts or production; inflating
expenses; and not correctly reporting workers employed so as to
avoid statutory obligations for their welfare. For companies
involved in imports and exports, trade misinvoicing is a major
source of financial wrongdoing. Note that none of these is
dependent in any way on cash transactions—indeed, they can be
easily and effectively carried out in cashless modes.
Précis
THE REAL BLACK MONEY
“Generation of Black money” often constitutes a number of
misconceptions, one notable of them being - having belief that the
flow of black money is due to the existence of informal economy
which profoundly anticipates cash-based transactions. However,
another belief that formal economy is much less susceptible to
corruption and tax evasion is a vague justification as more than 90
per cent of the workers are engaged in non-formal activities and
help in initiating almost half of the national income. In fact, both
these sectors are interdependent and hardly draw any line of
distinction.
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Moreover it is interesting to note that most of the major scams that
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got highlighted over the past one decade in the country vindicate
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the role of formal economy in illegal or tax-evading strategies
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through manipulation and misstatement of recorded activities and
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thus nullifying any such claims against informal economy.
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Suppressing cash transactions rather than dealing with non-cash
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methods as an anti-corruption approach questions the potency of
India’s policy developing ability.
9. The Right to Free, Compulsory Education
If there is one strong message from the findings of the Annual
Status of Education Report (Rural) 2017, it is that the Right of
Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act should cover the
entire spectrum of 18 years, and not confine itself to those aged 6 to
14. Guaranteed inclusion will empower those in the 14-18 age
group who are not enrolled anywhere, and help them acquire
finishing education that is so vital to their participation in the
workforce. The ASER sample study estimates that 14% of this age
group — a total of 125 million young Indians in this category — are
not enrolled. It is absolutely essential for all of them to get an
education that equips them with the skills, especially job-oriented
vocational capabilities, if the expectation of a demographic
dividend is to be meaningful. Unfortunately, the state of rural
elementary education is far from encouraging. To begin with, only
5% of the respondents in the survey, which was aided by the NGO
Pratham, reported doing any kind of vocational course, and even
among this small minority a third were enrolled for three months
or less. Moreover, learning outcomes for those who had progressed
to higher levels of schooling were shockingly low: only 43% of the
youth could solve an arithmetic problem involving division of a
three-digit number by a single digit; among those who were no
longer in school, the percentage was sharply lower.

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The insights available from successive studies point to progress
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being made in raw enrolment of children in school, but miserable
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failures in achieving learning outcomes. Also, enrolment figures
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often do not mean high attendance. It is not surprising, therefore,
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that a significant section of secondary level students find it difficult
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to read standard texts meant for junior classes or locate their own
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State on the map. There are also discrete differences among States
on the number of youth who are not on the rolls in appropriate
levels of schooling, with 29.4% of both boys and girls aged 17-18
not enrolled in a Chhattisgarh district, compared to 4.5% and 3.9%,
respectively, in a Kerala district. The ASER data point to a massive
digital divide, with 61% of respondents stating they had never used
the Internet, and 56% a computer, while mobile telephony was
accessible to 73%. Here too, girls were worse off in terms of access
to computers and the Internet. Scaling up access to these can be
achieved by bringing all children under the umbrella of a school,
college or training institution. All expenditure on good education is
bound to have a multiplier effect on productivity. What is needed is
a vision that will translate the objectives of the RTE Act into a
comprehensive guarantee, expanding its scope to cover all levels of
education. This will remove the lacuna in policy that awaits
remedy seven decades after Independence.
Précis
LEFT BEHIND: THE RIGHT TO FREE, COMPULSORY
EDUCATION
The RTE Act needs a vision to translate the objectives into a
comprehensive guarantee, expanding its scope to cover all levels of
education. The ASER sample study findings states 125 million
children, aged 14-18 who continue to remain unenrolled. This
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points out the fact that the Act’s confinement to provision of
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education to those between 6 to 14 is a deterrent to the very
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objective of equipping the young with job-oriented vocational
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capabilities. To have a skilled workforce it is necessary to provide
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finishing education to those above 14. While raw enrolment
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continues to scale up, the learning outcomes are still far from
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satisfactory with secondary level students facing difficulty in
handling exercises of lower classes. Moreover, in an era of digital
education, still 61% never had access to internet and 56% to even a
computer, not to mention further gender based downgrading in
numbers as according to ASER survey . It is therefore imperative to
bring children up to the age of 18 under the umbrella of an
institution to ensure vocational and digital education thus
providing with a meaningful demographic dividend and a skilled
workforce.
10. Class X Board exams
The excellence of a school education system must be assessed by
the creative individuals it produces. That principle can be the only
meaningful guide for the Central Board of Secondary Education, as
it once again tweaks its testing system to make the Class X Board
examination compulsory for all students from 2018. It is wrong to
believe that students in the CBSE system are not being assessed
with sufficient rigour: the Continuous and Comprehensive
Evaluation (CCE) method that it follows is aimed at identifying
learning difficulties periodically and instituting remedial measures,
rather than raising stress with a make-or-break public examination
at the secondary level. This philosophy helps students master
various topics and discover their aptitude in the course of a year,
eliminating the chances of a single rote-learning test that could
produce an aberrant result. The gains of such a system should not
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be thrown away in the quest to bring about ‘uniformity’ in the
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Class X education pattern across the country. If anything, it is
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learning outcomes and creative brilliance assessed through non-
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ritualistic aptitude tests that should rate the capacity of an
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educational board. Such an approach would also encourage
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teachers to innovate conceptually, rather than drill students to face
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an examination.
The argument in favour of a compulsory Class X Board
examination made by Union Human Resource Development
Minister Prakash Javadekar is that its absence discriminates against
candidates of State boards. In fact, the Minister announced his
intent of returning to a compulsory Board examination well before
the CBSE governing body formally announced it. The logic,
however, is flawed. Uniformity militates against creative
educational methods, and a test that is no more than a straitjacket
crushes the initiative of teacher and student. The CBSE would,
therefore, do well to avoid homogenisation, and retain sufficient
scope for true learning. This can be done by giving the CCE system
— which the Board calls a balance between incessant tests and a
single annual assessment — equal weightage, even if all students
take a Board examination for Class X. As the CBSE puts it, over-
dependence on a single examination deprives the learner of
motivation and opportunities for reflection on his or her work. It
also does not find favour with the National Curriculum Framework
2005 that emphasised greater flexibility for teachers to decide on
how to train students in concepts and help them learn at their own
pace. What India needs is a school-level assessment method to
identify actual learning that would remove barriers to students
freely migrating across State boards.

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Précis
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BACK TO CLASS X BOARD EXAMS
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The CBSE Board has mandated the Class X Board examination for
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the students again. CBSE, instead of following a stress-giving
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public examination, followed a remedial measure of Continuous
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and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE). That way, students discover
their aptitude instead of rote learning in board examinations. This
non-ritualistic approach also encouraged teachers to become
innovative and shouldn’t be taken down just to bring about
uniformity in Class X assessment. Learning outcomes and creative
brilliance assessed through non-ritualistic aptitude tests should rate
the capacity of an educational board.
As per a flawed logic given by Union Human Resource
Development Minister Prakash Javadekar, the current system is
unjust for candidates of State boards. The board exams will only
kill the creative educational system that can only be sustained by
following CCE system: equal weightage, even if all students take a
Board examination for Class X. The new system goes opposite to
the National Curriculum Framework 2005 which emphasizes on
innovative teaching methodologies. India needs a school-level
assessment method that would let students migrate freely across
State boards.

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Q1 . Read the following passage and write a Precis in 300 words.
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The government’s intention to launch the world’s largest health
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insurance programme, the National Health Protection Scheme,
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raises an important issue. Should the focus be on the demand side
of health-care finance when the supply side, the public health
infrastructure, is in a shambles? Experience with insurance
schemes, such as the Centre’s Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana and
Andhra Pradesh’s Rajiv Aarogyasri, show how demand side
interventions can miss the mark. While the RSBY and Aarogyasri
did improve access to health-care overall, they failed to reach the
most vulnerable sections. At times they led to unnecessary medical
procedures and increased out-of-pocket expenditure for poor
people, both of which are undesirable outcomes. These showed that
unless the public health system can compete with the private in
utilising funds from such insurance schemes, medical care will
remain elusive for those who need it most. Policymakers behind
the NHPS, which will cost the government around ¹ 5,000 crore in
its first year, must take heed.
Both RSBY and Aarogyasri are cashless hospitalisation schemes.
While both benefited people living below the poverty line, over-
reliance on private hospitals and poor monitoring watered down
their impact. According to one Gujarat-based study, a majority of
RSBY insured patients ended up spending about 10% of their
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annual income during hospitalisation, because hospitals still
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charged them, unsure as they were when they would be
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compensated. A study in Andhra Pradesh found that beneficiaries
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spent more from their own pockets under Aarogyasri. They spent
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most of their money on outpatient care, and Aarogyasri didn’t
tackle this adequately. Possibly the most problematic fallout was
mass hysterectomies done in Andhra Pradesh. Between 2008 and
2010, private hospitals removed the uteri of thousands of women
unnecessarily, to make a quick buck. Thus, perverse incentives can
drive the private sector to sabotage schemes that are not well
monitored. The second problem with over-reliance on the private
sector is that it limits the reach of such programmes. Evidence from
RSBY and Aarogyasri shows that as distance from empanelled
hospitals grew in Andhra and Gujarat, fewer people benefited from
them — most empanelled hospitals are private and urban.
Scheduled Tribe and rural households typically missed out, while
richer quintiles of the population benefited. There can be much
gained from the NHPS if the government views it as the first step
towards universal health care, rather than a panacea to all of India’s
health-care woes. The second, and a long-awaited, step is to reform
the public health system. Without this, an insurance scheme, no
matter how ambitious, will be a band-aid.

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The Centre proposes to appropriate much of the taxes and duties
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on petroleum products, at the expense of state governments. The
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Budget proposes to label additional duty of customs on petrol and
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diesel, along with additional duty of excise on the two main oil
products, as road and infrastructure cess. It follows that the duties
would go to the central government and not be part-devolved to
the states. The move may well be deemed fiscally prudent, but is
surely questionable in the spirit of fiscal federalism and the
constitutional mandate.
The global prices of crude oil are expected to stay rather muted
albeit range-bound in the months ahead, and yet the Budget
estimates a veritable bonanza of about Rs 1.1lakh crore in
additional oil revenues thanks to the cessification of the additional
duties. The finance minister has stated, rightly, that state
governments do not seem to be keen on bringing oil products
under the goods and services tax (GST) regime. It appears that the
Centre is not particularly interested in revamping oil taxes either.
But we do need to modernise and overhaul the taxes on oil
products, and bring them under the purview of GST. We need to
do away with the perverse system of tax-on-tax and cascading
charges along the oil value chain. It comes in the way of efficiency
improvement in transport, logistics and supply, and especially so
with infrastructural bottlenecks.

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True, there is only limited tax set-offs even under GST on oil
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products internationally. But we do need to adopt such a system,
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for a more efficient tax regime. Speed is of the essence; the techno-
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economic change in the transport paradigm away from oil and the
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internal-combustion engine makes it all the more imperative to
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widen the consumption tax base and not depend hugely and
increasingly on oil.
(Passage Source- The Economic Times)
India has launched the second phase of the programme to eliminate
the use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) as part of its
commitment under the Montreal Protocol, which requires the
complete removal of chemicals that result in ozone depletion and
aid global warming. These are used mainly in the air-conditioning,
refrigeration, polyurethane foam manufacturing and cold chain
sectors, and must be replaced with better alternatives. All these
sectors are in high growth mode as emerging economies witness
greater urbanisation and higher agricultural productivity. The data
for refrigerant consumption during 2015 compiled by the European
Union show that in the developing world, split air-conditioning
units, car ACs and commercial refrigeration record the highest use
of these chemicals. It is imperative the Central government ensures
that its efforts to upgrade industries using the $44.1 million in
funding available under the Protocol are scaled up to meet the need
fully. Modernising the technology used by 400 industrial units,
many of them small and medium enterprises, by 2023 has to be
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complemented by policy changes that encourage adoption by
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consumers. Systemic change requires the active participation of
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State governments, which can enact and enforce new building
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codes and purchase regulations that are envisaged in the current
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phase. Newer refrigerants with lower global warming potential are
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available to industry, and there are some early adopters, while
research on chemicals with greater energy reduction and very low
contribution to global warming has to continue. Credentialed
training of service technicians in the newer technologies is welcome
as it will bring about change of refrigerants used in the repair and
replacement market and create additional employment. It is
important to make consumers aware of green options among
products in terms of the underlying technologies, and incentivise
adoption through tax structures.
The Environment Ministry’s proposal to prescribe energy-efficient
temperature limits for air-conditioning units in public facilities is
promising. A lot of energy is wasted because of poor infrastructure
and lack of understanding of efficiency metrics. Equally, the Centre
should conduct audit of public buildings to determine whether
they are suitably designed, as climate control relies as much on
passive influences such as insulation, green roofing and the nature
of materials used in construction. It is possible, for instance, to
adopt the Paris idea and ask all major buildings to incorporate solar
panel roofing or suitable green cover. The continued success of the
Montreal Protocol in its goal to eliminate HCFCs by 2030 will
depend on reducing the acquisition costs of cleaner technologies.

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The greater affordability of solar photovoltaic power and its rapid
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adoption at various scales is a clear pointer. More people will have
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access to air-conditioning and refrigeration in coming years, and
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the focus of government policy must be to make them energy-
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efficient and eco-friendly.
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It is welcome that the Unique Identification Authority of India is
actively seeking to improve its product and its working, instead of
insisting that it was made perfect and that all critics are cynical flat-
earthers with zero sympathy for the poor, the chief beneficiaries of
Aadhaar. The latest improvement is the addition of facial
recognition with liveness detection (to prevent masks, sleeping or
dead faces being used to fool the face recognition software) to the
biometric data that the authority will capture and use for
verification. Face recognition will be used in tandem with one more
biometric field to identify someone. Face recognition will address
the complaint that old age and prolonged manual labour that wear
out fingerprints interfere with Aadhaar verification.
The latest move comes on the heels of a decision to issue random
codes to temporarily stand in for Aadhaar numbers, so that they do
not have to reveal their ID numbers to a third party merely for the
sake of verification. We had pointed out that this welcome move to
mask Aadhaar ID numbers will be of no help to all those whose ID
numbers were plastered on government websites and those that
erstwhile franchisees were able to collect using their authorisation
to query the database.
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An Aadhaar number by itself does not allow anyone to carry out a
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bank transaction. But Aadhaar, in tandem with a one-time
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password, can be — and crooks can take advantage of this with
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stolen phones. The only way to ensure that the new random code
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anonymity is available to all Aadhaar numbers is to reissue fresh
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numbers to all Aadhaar holders, erasing their old numbers that
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made it to the public domain.
Privacy concerns are not limited to Aadhaar. Many companies ask
their employees to mark attendance using fingerprints. JetBlue in
the Caribbean and China Southern Airlines in Nanyang, Henan
province, use facial recognition instead of boarding passes. India
needs data protection laws to secure the biometric and other
personal data that companies routinely gather, and a regulator to
ensure compliance.
(Passage Source- The Economic Times)
The massive pollution cloud enveloping northern India every year
is a good example of the disconnect between official policy and
ground realities. It has been known for long that burning of
agricultural waste in the northern States significantly contributes to
the poor air quality in large parts of the Indo-Gangetic Basin, with
local and cascading impacts felt from Punjab all the way to West
Bengal. Harmful fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 mm in
diameter (PM2.5) is among the pollutants released. Punjab
responded to the issue with a prohibition on the burning of paddy
straw, and the launch of initiatives aimed at better utilisation of
biomass, including as a fuel to produce power. Yet, there is no
mission mode approach to the annual crisis. The efforts do not
match the scale of agricultural residues produced, for one, and fail
to address farmers’ anxiety to remove the surplus from the fields
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quickly to make way for the next crop. The national production of
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crop waste is of the order of 500 million tonnes a year, with Uttar
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Pradesh, Punjab and West Bengal topping the list. Again, 80 per
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cent of straw from paddy is burnt in some States, impacting air
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quality and depriving croplands of nutrients.
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It is an irony that the national capital and several other cities suffer
crippling pollution in the post-monsoon and winter months partly
due to biomass burning, when demand for fodder is rising and the
surplus material could be used productively. Pilot projects to
produce power using biomass demonstrated in Rajasthan, and
mechanised composting and biogas production units of the Indian
Agricultural Research Institute could be scaled up, and farmers
given liberal support to deploy such solutions. Given the twin
benefits of pollution abatement and better productivity,
conservation agriculture needs to be popularised. This would
encourage farmers to use newer low-till seeding technologies that
allow much of the crop residues to remain on site, and curb the
release of a variety of pollutants. Burning residues add greenhouse
gases that cause global warming, besides pollutants such as carbon
monoxide, ammonia, nitrous oxide and sulphur dioxide that
severely affect human health. Sustained work is called for, given
that higher agricultural productivity to meet food needs is
inevitable, with a cascading increase in biomass volumes. The
challenge is to identify measures to utilise it. By one estimate, if
India can reach its own air quality standards for fine particulate
matter from all sources, annual premature deaths can be cut by
almost 10 per cent. A programme to cut pollution from waste-
burning would be a good start.

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4
PREVIOUS YEAR
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ESSAY WRITING QUESTIONS
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1. Write an essay in not more than 250 words on Importance of
Knowing the country’s history for a Citizen.
Importance of history can be understood with the fact that it
helps in knowing about the present. It gives unbelievable
perspective for lot many reasons. It helps us to learn about
strength, power, relationship, and human behavior. It is not the
addition of past that has happened but the purpose is to show
why these events happened and how and give an overview of
pain, breakthrough, and war associated with them.
When history is learned, roles and behavior of different
civilizations can be rediscovered. in fact, custom and cultures can
be known to us only by searching how they came into existence.
One can gather knowledge about their country’s beliefs, attitude
and culture only when they have ample knowledge about their
villages. History is a proof that how things developed and
survived despite all odds and adversities that come about.
One should know about the ethics and cultural diversity of their
country. It helps in knowing country internationally and the
sacrifices made by our freedom fighters to make it, how it is
today. We can only plot references without having much of its
knowledge. Knowing about the past of a country and how it
reacted at that time could mean the difference between victor
and all-out war. History is an integrated part of each of us.
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2. Write an essay in not more than 250 words on the effect of hike
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in the salary of people on Indian Economy.
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Indian economy is the world’s sixth-largest economy by nominal
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GDP and the third-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP).
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There has been a positive trend in the increase of the Indian
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economy because of its young population, healthy savings, the
rate of investments, low dependency ratio and increasing
integration in the global economy. The monthly or annual
income of its citizens leaves a great impact on the economy as a
whole itself.
Some of the major effects that can be observed after a hike in the
salary of individuals will be rise in consumption and price of
commodities, savings, tax revenues for government and
economic activities. Apart from this, as per economists, its impact
on inflation is expected to be moderate. The hike in salary or
income of people will give rise to aggregate demand in the
economy because of higher consumption. This will increase
inflation in a short-term but will also propel industrial sector
growth. The savings of the households having salaried people
will also increase this way. These people will also raise their
savings in order to utilize the opportunities of tax exemptions.
All of this will eventually lead to providing benefits to the
government itself as the tax revenue will also increase due to
increase in consumption. This hike will be an expenditure
burden on the government initially but the long-term growth
prospects of the Indian economy will only expand positively
because of the benefits so obtained from the increased income of
the citizens of the country.
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3. Write an essay on the effects of the popular game Pokémon
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GO. (Limit- 250 words)
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Pokemon Go is an IOS and Android location-based game that
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was launched in the year 2016. The main features of the game
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include having to find or locate the virtual creatures called as
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Pokemon by making use of mobile phone’s GPS ability. The
game quickly became the most popular game of the time with
over 500 million downloads and the number increased to 750
million by the completion of 1 year of its launch. It also led to a
hike in the local business because of increase in the physical
activities of the local population who were forced to get off the
chairs and venture outside for Pokemon hunt.
Apart from becoming popular for the above-mentioned reasons,
it was also surrounded by controversies. One of the major
reasons for this was the increasing number of accidents that were
being caused because people were so engrossed in playing the
games that they wouldn’t pay attention to what was happening
in their surroundings. Even the governments of various countries
expressed their concerns for the security issue the game triggered
with some countries passing legal procedures in order to regulate
the same.
The game not only poses security threats to the children but also
hampers the daily necessary activities that they put on hold to
play it. So, with the launch of such games, it is also necessary to
ensure safety measures to prevent the exploitation of children in
different ways through the internet.
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1. Write an essay in 250 words on the effects of Paid News.
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Paid news is a phenomenon that refers to the systematic
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engagement of newspapers, magazines or the electronic media in
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publishing favourable articles in exchange for payment.
Politicians, businessmen, or celebrities sponsor this type of news
that is much like an advertisement, in order to improve their
public image or accomplish political goals.
It is a serious malpractice since it deceives the citizens, not letting
them know that the news is, in fact, an advertisement. More
seriously, it has raised electoral concerns because the media has a
direct influence on voters. The Election Commission of India has
detected hundreds of cases where politicians paid newspapers or
TV channels to carry favourable reports. The payment modes
violate tax laws and election spending laws.
The increasing incidences of manipulated news reporting aimed
at influencing electoral results alarmed the Press Council of India
too. The Press Council of India then recommended guidelines
which say that news should be clearly demarcated from
advertisements. As far as news is concerned, it must always carry
a credit line and should be set in a fashion that would distinguish
it from advertisements.
News is meant to be objective, fair and unbiased. This is the only
difference between news and opinions. Political parties and
media groups had approached the Commission requesting for
stringent steps against paid news. Paid news should be made an
electoral offence under RP Act, 1951 and existing mechanisms of
expenditure ceiling should be used to curb the menace.
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1. Write an essay in 250 words on what you should do, what you
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should not in the event of an earthquake.
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Recent series of deadly earthquake in japan, Gujarat and other
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countries and states have brought back the importance of
earthquake safety measures in every ones life. Every year about
10-15 percent of earthquake with an approximate magnitude of 7,
can be seen all over the world that cost lives of hundreds of
people who do not get time to react to the situation. So, what one
is supposed to do when the ground beneath your feet starts to
dither? Here are several safety measures than can be adopted
during such harsh situations I.e. Earthquake.
If you are indoor during earthquake, take shelter under the table,
keep yourself away from windows and other glass materials, do
not use elevators, inside doors are lightly constructed and may
not offer protection, be aware that electricity is turned off. Do not
stand under the heavy things that may fall.
Stand away from the buildings, trees, streetlights and other
electricity wires if you are outside in an open area, till the
shaking stops. Always keep a disaster management kit with you.
If you are riding a vehicle, stop as soon as you can, do not ride on
bridges, roads and ramps that might be damaged. If you are
trapped with scattered pieces or remains of rubbish, never lit a
match, cover your mouth with handkerchief. Shout only as a last
resort. Remember for earthquake emergency line number is 132
500.
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1. Write an essay elaborating the positive and negative impacts of
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increasing use of technology in daily life. (Limit- 150 words)
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We all are living a hi-tech world with a better living standard,
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facilities, and luxuries than used to be years before. The
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advancement in technology that now expands to different sectors
as per the need and requirements of different individuals has had
various positive as well as negative impacts on the human race.
With the development of new technologies, humans have got
pretty much engaged and restricted to the narrow circle of their
personal affairs. Also, people have become lazy, are distracted,
overly stressed and have become increasingly isolated. On the
other hand, the proliferation of technologies has led to
overcoming the obstacles of time and space, gaining an insight
into different cultures across the globe, communicating and
maintaining relationships with people.
There are both pros and cons of advancement in technology and
we are the ones who can make efforts in putting them all to a
positive use. Getting overly addicted to them can be avoided and
this can be the best way to put the advancement in technology to
a positive use.
2. Write an essay on the mental effects of social media platforms
on the population of our country and the consequences of those
effects. (Limit- 150 words)
Social media now-a-days has become a soundbite not only
among teenagers but everyone including old generations. It can
be defined as computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the
creation and sharing of information, facts, interests and other
forms of expression by means of virtual communities through
user-generated content.
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Social media are used to document memories, learn about and
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explore things, advertise oneself and build up friendships. Apart
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from these positive mental effects, it can also negative effects and
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can put the users under ambivalence, emotional exhaustion, and
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depersonalization.
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So, it becomes essential for people to beware of social media and
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learn to use it in positive ways. Limit the time you spend on
surfing through social media, share limited information about
yourself over there and save yourself from the undesirable effects
of social media.
1. Write an essay on the need of home and property insurance in

200 words.
The most repetitive answer to the question of what could be the
most treasured asset for any individual is more than likely to be
“HOME”. Building or buying a home is a dream that is cherished
by many and when the time comes it must be backed by an
insurance policy to not only protect one’s investments against
natural and accidental perils such as earthquakes, storm, flood,
fire but also against burglary, electrical and other breakdowns.
All in all, a comprehensive policy to protect our house and the
contents inside is a must in a time where the future is more
uncertain.
Property insurance covers not only homes but commercial
buildings as well. Its more or less similar to home insurance for
individual but home insurances cover liability coverage as well
in form of providing of alternative accommodation in cases of
repair/renovation. One’s property can be broken into at any
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point of time in cases of theft. Natural calamities can bring down
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what is an individual’s most valued and expensive investment.
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Home & Property insurance thus ensure, even in such cases, the
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efforts physical and monetary are protected keeping one at ease
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in times when other things might demand more attention.
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1. Write an essay on one reform in Indian education system that
can be compared at par with the International Level.
(Limit- 150 words)
A few years back, it was considered that the education system in
foreign countries was far better than that of the one in our
country. There were several loopholes that were later on acted
upon and much-required amendments were brought in teaching
methodologies and the overall system of education.
One of the major reforms undertaken to bring the education level
at par with foreign education systems was allowing creativity in
the learning process. Now the Indian Education system makes
use of upgradation of technology to inculcate knowledge
through practical implementation and also focuses on
extracurricular activities.
There is a serious requirement for many more such changes to
take the education level at par with international levels.
Together we all will have to work hard to bring about the change
in the education system because education is the high-grade
means to climbing the social and economic ladder.
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2. Write an essay on the advantages and disadvantages of cashless
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economy. (Limit- 150 words)
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Every new change introduced brings along some advantages as
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well as disadvantages with it and so will the cashless economy.
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In a cashless economy, the transactions are carried out by the
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digital means like e-banking, debit and credit cards, digital
wallets, etc.
The advantages of the cashless economy are reduced tax evasion,
lesser crime in black markets, promoting the adoption of new
hassle-free means of technologies with the disadvantages being
the violation of privacy, decreased financial inclusion, increased
risk of the security in online transactions, etc.
So, we can conjecture that the cashless economy is still a distant
dream for a country like India that lacks in terms of technology
and infrastructure that is required to attain a cashless economy.
Government is trying to improve on things required to attain it
and we should all put our heads together to acquire the same to
bring it off in future.
3. Write an essay in 150 words on the effects of extensive use of
modern gadgets on the intellectual capacities of humans.
The advances in technology have led to the invention of so many
gadgets that literally control the human minds today. Humans
have become so addicted to them that their minds stop to
function or manage without a gadget in their hands.
Human minds have been altered by the use of these gadgets and
they find it hard to perform their everyday physical activities like
cooking, washing, writing, calculating, exercising, etc. without
these gadgets. Life comes to a standstill without the digital
technology.

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The more the number of gadgets we use, the more we tend to
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preoccupy our minds with a virtual life that takes us far away
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from the healthy human interactions. We should try to cut down
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our digital life as much as we can so as to take a deep breath and
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look out for unharming ways of performing our daily activities.
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1. Write an essay on Importance of time management in
professional life in 150 words.
Being a professional clearly points out the fact the one needs to
be excellent in his profession. In a time when a job profile
requires to play multiple roles in a firm, an individual must use
time effectively and efficiently. For that having a task plan for the
day, prioritization, having an organized workstation and
effective delegation via proper communication is must.
To be able to fulfil duties efficiently is necessary for professional
growth and personal satisfaction. All that has to be done in a
time which is the same for all. Managing time well would
redefine productivity as one would be able to do more work in
same amount of time. This would ensure timely accomplishment
of targets bringing praise from colleagues and superiors that
would increase job satisfaction and help in career growth as well.
Professional and personal satisfaction are correlated and
managing time well would ensure both are achieved.

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2. Write an essay in 150 words on how development of a human’s
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personality traits are affected by the environmental factors and
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the person’s genes.
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Personality is the blend of behavior, emotion, motivation, and
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thought patterns that represent an individual. Many
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psychologists have debated for years over the topic if the human
personality is affected by the genes or the environment they are
surrounded by. In psychological terms, this is called as a nature
versus nurture debate in which, nature labels genes and nurture
labels the environment.
The environmental factors refer to the beliefs, norms, ideologies,
behavior, and customs of the surroundings that one lives in.
These factors determine which traits or behavior that one exhibits
are acceptable or non-acceptable. On the other hand, the genetic
factor suggests the heritability of some personality traits,
indicating that some aspects of our personalities are largely
controlled by genetics on the basis of twin studies.
So, we conjecture from the above-mentioned points that a
human’s personality development is influenced by both genetic
as well as environmental factors.
1. Write an Essay on the given topic in 150 words: Increasing

popularity and use of Artificial Intelligence in almost every
field have reduced the need for human effort thus causing
unemployment which is also acting as a catalyst in increasing
crime rates.
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Artificial Intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence by
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machines enabling them to learn from experiences and take
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optimal decisions in future. Since inception machines have been
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seeping into our lives, affecting our life and work. From simple
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voice-based PAs like Siri to self-driving vehicles AI is here.
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Since it focusses on imitating human capability the biggest effect
AI has on the mankind is replacing human efforts by automated
systems. When seen at a higher level this has led to many people
being rendered jobless as automated machines are being
preferred. The unemployment further leads to poverty, hunger
and finally a criminal mindset since having necessities the right
way becomes elusive. AI is beneficial only if it caters to needs of
working individuals otherwise what use is technology?
2. Write an Essay on the given topic in 150 words: Importance of
soft skills in successful professional life.
Well built, highly erudite soft skills have been proven precious to
make a business successful. While it takes time to develop such
skills, the drastic times call for drastic measures. Besides having
knowledge of the concerned business, one must have personal
attributes that certainly affect relationships, communication and
help in people engagement. They cannot be “all or none”. Many
people have quantum of skills and are exemplary but some of
them yet are struggling to acquire more.

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One should know the acknowledged area in which he or she
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needs to improve. A good speaker can attract huge crowd.
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Having kind nature is another form of skills which may reward
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us in later times, never forget to appreciate others for their good
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deeds, it will surely increase their morale. Undoubtedly,
intonation and articulation are important while speaking to
others.
Additionally, positiveness and optimism can be effective side of
a business which may give long term growth to a business.
3. Write an Essay on the given topic in 150 words: Bitcoin- Boon
or Bane
Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency(2009), a decentralized and

unregulated one being used for online transactions. Due to is
unregulated nature it is still subject of speculation and being
decentralized, exists only in digital format, thus making it
vulnerable to cyber criminals.
Bitcoin’s anonymous nature makes one wonder that whether the
transactions being done are in favour of the general good or
being used in money laundering or other criminal activities. Its
non-trackable nature further deepens the issue. Though still
illegal in regulated markets cryptocurrency can in future
revolutionize huge financial transactions.

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It is still an emerging technology and a lot is yet to be known but
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backed by proper technological support this could be a boon
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since it is much convenient when compared to other forms of
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digital payments. Bringing the activities under central bank
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regulation would enable tax-avoidance issue in this case and
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protect the very people who use it.
4. Write an Essay on the given topic in 150 words: Should age
limit be considered before admission of children to the school?
Give your opinions
Nowadays, parents are much concerned about when their child
should be admitted to the school. Moreover, department of
public instruction(DPI) has not laid down any clear-cut rules on
the age criteria however schools and parents consider it to be 2.5
years for pre-nursery. In addition to the mess, different schools
follow varying criteria that is followed by top city-based school
while offering admission for pre-nursery and nursery as well.
Undoubtedly, there should be age limit criteria to maintain a
uniformity among students, their mental level, ability to learn
things should be equal. Students won’t feel inferiority complexity
with anyone. Time factor will be another major constraint in this.
Those who are admitted late may not be getting several
advantages of government scheme at the right time as they will
be eligible as per their age but not the qualifications.
It is the duty of the government to ensure that schools follow the
age criteria rule for the sake of children and their bright future.

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5
PREVIOUS YEAR
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LETTER WRITING QUESTIONS
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1. Write a letter in 200 words as the principal of a school to the
parents regarding their responsibility towards their word.
Principal,
Delhi Public School
February 22, 2016
13-B Hari Nagar,

New Delhi
Dear Parents,
I am writing this letter to express my concern over
responsibilities parents should fulfil towards their ward’s
phycological and social development. In school, the goal of
teachers as an educator is to guide your child toward academic
success and to help build critical thinking skills that will help
him blossom into adulthood. But at home children learn to
develop critical social and personal skills like learning to be
honest, to be on time, diligent, show friends their sympathy, as
well as show utmost respect for their elders and all teachers.

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As parents you should monitor the increasing use of mobile
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phones and social media websites as these have certain cons
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associated with them which may hamper the child’s
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psychological and social development. You should encourage
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your child to engage more in outdoor games, activities and
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competitions to boost your ward’s confidence and social skills. I
am sure parents and teachers together with their combined
efforts will shape the future of young minds of our country.
Warm Regards,
Sumitra Kaushal
2. Write a letter in not more than 200 words to your parents,
telling them about the challenges you are facing and how you
are trying to overcome them.
1-G Block, Ashiyana,
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
4th April 2016
Dear Mom,
How are you? I hope you find this letter in good health. I am
done with shifting to a new flat and have completed the joining
formalities at the office. I feel little anxious at times, seeing the
increasing competition among fellow mates to surpass one
another. It is challenging to keep up with the pace of the lifestyle
of this city.

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I intend not to panic you but to let you know that I am trying to
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overcome all the challenges that I face, and I have been doing
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good so far. I have taken a counselling session and joined
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meditation and yoga classes to help myself stay focused and
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have a healthy lifestyle. I am planning to visit home next month.
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Convey my love and regards to father.
Yours lovingly,
Vaibhav
3. Write a letter to the editor of a magazine expressing your
concern over growing intolerance among youth. (Limit- 200
words)
18-C, Shakarpur,
New Delhi
15th May 2016
The Editor,
Time Magazine,
New Delhi
Sub: Growing intolerance among the youth of the nation.
Sir,
Today, I am writing to you this important letter after reading
many public statuses on social media, which worry me. I believe
that we live in a country where intolerance is growing. We are in
the Digital Information age, which is also the information
revolution age but this is also acting as a catalyst in spreading
distress among youth.
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Attacks on freedom of expression are increasing. I have noticed
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that many issues are being connected to nationalism. If a person
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has a difference of opinion than the masses on social media, if
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someone criticize government policies or is voicing concerns
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against budget cuts in education and health, then he or she is
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framed as an anti-development, anti-nationalist, or anti-Hindu.
People should stop this agitation of selfish motive and make
purposeful contribution in nation’s morale building. Through the
column of your esteemed magazine I call upon those intellectual
beings, authors, scientist, social reformers, and citizens of this
nation who endorse my view to join in expressing their peaceful
protest against growing intolerance to help mellow down this
menace.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Suraj Bajaj
1. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper expression your

concern on increasing noise pollution in your residential
society. (Limit- 150 words)
18-C, Shakuntala Colony,
Mumbai
15th August 2016

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The Editor,
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The Hindu,
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Mumbai
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Sub: Increasing levels of noise pollution in residential society.
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Sir,
I would like to draw the kind attention of the concerned

authorities towards increasing problem of noise pollution in
residential societies. The people are often irritated by the jarring
loudspeakers all the time from the different marriage halls and
the theatres. The marriage halls are busy not only during the
marriage seasons, but also on some other occasions.
The residents of Shakuntala Colony are very much afraid to note
that such noise may affect the hearing capacity of the common
mass. Our representation to the concerned authorities in vain.
I would be grateful if you could hint to pass strict laws to stop
using loudspeakers. Framing rules is not enough. It is more
important how the rules imposed and how much the rules
guardians are unbiased, honest and truthful to all category of
people.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Pooja Sharma

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2. Write a letter to the DM expressing your concern over
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increasing rate of cybercrime in not more than 150 words.
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House no. 48,
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Model Colony,
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December 7, 2016
The District Magistrate,
Subject: Concern over increasing rate of cybercrime.
Sir,
Incidents of online fraud and cybercrime are indicative of several
weak links in the so-called cashless or less cash economy that the
government is so fond of and propagating with great vigour.
Cyberattacks and the siphoning of money from bank accounts
make the vulnerabilities of bank cyber security discernible,
leaving account holders worried.
Most States have not taken cybersecurity as a priority. Most
districts in the country don’t even have a cyber police cell which
leaves citizens helpless and nowhere to go in case of any cyber
misappropriation.
The police force needs to be educated to handle cybercrimes and
online fraud with specialised tactics. There are many advantages
of online facilities but every person needs to be vigilant and
aware to avoid falling into the trap of any fraudulent activity.
Your faithfully,
Shruti Sharma
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1. Considering yourself Narendra/Seema, write a letter to your
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brother Suresh explaining the present advantage of computer-
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based exams and what will be the future shortfall of it.
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(Limit- 150 words)
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45-G Anand Colony,
Preet Vihar, New Delhi
27 March, 2017
My dear brother Suresh,
I hope you are preparing well for SSC CGL Exam. SSC has
certainly surprised many candidates as this year the CGL
examination is going to be conducted in an online mode. Online
examinations consist of mainly MCQs which provide an easy-to-
use environment for preparing questions, conducting exams and
managing results. Also, these exams are very cost effective as no
expenses are incurred for printing or distribution of question
papers. Exam can be conducted in several geographically
scattered locations at the same time. All these are major
advantages of this new mode of conducting computer-based
exams.
I would strongly recommend you should start practicing in
online mode, with help of mock tests and now with online mode
you will also have the liberty to change your answer at a click
while in offline it is difficult once you circle OMR with pen.
The only disadvantages are connectivity issue with the server
and unless an instructor is physically watching someone take the
test, the chances of cheating during an online test are tough to
eliminate.
Yours lovingly,
Seema
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1. Write a letter to the branch manager of the bank in which you
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hold a savings account as you’ve deposited some amounted but
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it is still not credited into your account. (Limit- 150 words)
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41, Hauz Khas,
New Delhi
30th May 2016

The Manager,
SBI, Green Park,
New Delhi
Sub: Amount of Rs. 15000 not credit in Savings Account No.
1003424
Dear Sir,
This is to bring to your notice that, I’ve deposited an amount of
Rs. 15000 to my savings account No. 1003424 via NEFT from my
Andhra Bank saving account on 16th May 2017. The amount has
not been credited so far and I’ve already contacted Andhra Bank
regarding this matter and their representative has confirmed a
successful debit transaction from my account number 4100981 to
the PNB savings account that I hold with your branch at Green
Park, New Delhi.
I request you to consider the matter that why the amount of Rs.
15000 is not reflected in my bank account statement and resolve
the issue as early as possible.
Yours faithfully,
Saurabh Mishra
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2. Write a letter to editor of a newspaper in not more than 150
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words expressing your concern over impact of irrelevant news
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through social media
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210-D, Janakpuri,
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New Delhi
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June 15, 2017
The Editor,
Time Magazine,
New Delhi
Sub: Impact of spreading irrelevant news through social media
Sir,
I am writing this letter to bring the impact of irrelevant news

being spread through the social media to your attention. Lately,
social media has become the cause of unrest and violence among
the masses. Recently so much violence was caused in north India
on account of a so-called spiritual leader. His followers spread
false information through social media that led to huge loss of
life and property.
This was just one such even and many irrelevant news are being
circulated that is also doing the nation more harm than good. It
pains my heart to see the media playing in the hands of the rich
and powerful people and organisations. Media has a very
important role to play. There is a need to regulate spreading such
news and strict action should be taken to avoid any nuisance.
Yours faithfully,
Himanshi Mukherjee
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3. Write a letter to your sibling in not more than 150 words,
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advising him/her on how to deal with stress and anxiety.
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D-59, Gomti Nagar,
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Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
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June 4, 2017
Dear Sister,
How are you? I know you have been preparing for almost a year
now for Banking recruitment and very soon you are going to
appear for SBI PO recruitment exam. I am concerned at times
you might be feeling confused and stressed. Every day you are
struggling to work hard and face the exhausting competition for
government jobs, but you should never let anxiety take over and
get the best of your spirit.
Along with studies, it is important that you maintain a healthy
lifestyle. Go for a walk early morning, take proper diet and sleep
well. A healthy mind and body will help you deal with any stress
that you may feel while preparing for exam. You can also try to
mediate as it will help you to increase your concentration and
confidence.
Convey my love and regards to mother and father.
Yours lovingly,
Nitin Rai

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1. Write a letter to claim your medical insurance in not more than
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150 words.
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71-G, Subhash Nagar,
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New Delhi
27th July 2017
Mukul Advani,
Health Insurance Inc. Ltd,
Subash Nagar, New Delhi
Sub: Regarding Medical Insurance Claim of Policy.

Sir,
This letter is to formally request reimbursement for medical
expenses for policy D231A0. I was Mumbai on 23rd July 2017
where I fell and broke my knee. I was treated at Fortis Hospital,
and was discharged on 25th July 2017. The medical expenses that
I bore due to this unfortunate event amounts to Rs. 15000 for x-
rays, a bone specialist and two nights in the hospital.
According to the terms of my policy, I contacted my primary
healthcare physician within 24 hours of the accident. I have
enclosed all the documents related to my treatment. I am
requesting you to reimburse me Rs. 15000 in keeping with my
health care coverage.
I can be reached at 9010900001 or at adarsh@gmail.com if you
have any questions. Thank you for your quick attention to this.
Sincerely,
Adarsh Gupta
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1. Write a Letter to your friend encouraging and advising him to
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plan his/her own start up. (Limit- 150 words)
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D-59, Ashish Marg,
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Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh
September 14, 2017
Dear Priya,
I am glad to know that you will be shifting to Jhansi next month.
I paid a visit to your house last Sunday and your mother
discussed with me your ideas and plans of a start up. I strongly
feel that you have the potential to plan a start-up and eventually
grow into a successful businesswoman.
The government has also launched various schemes to support
and help people to launch their start ups. Start Ups India is one
such scheme launched by the Modi government in 2016 under
which at least one dalit or tribal entrepreneur and one woman
entrepreneur will be supported by each of the 1.25 lakh bank
branches in India.
I feel you have the potential to grow, and do something big. Do
inform me if you feel I can help you in this initiative in any way.
I hope we will meet soon.
Yours lovingly,
Divya

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2. Write a letter in 150 words, to your office colleague inviting
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him/her to your house party.
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M-52, Sector 120,
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Noida, Uttar Pradesh
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21th October 2017
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Dear Manoj,
your health and spirits. I feel relished to tell you that I will be
throwing a Diwali gettogether party on 26st of October.
attend the celebration at my residence, on 26st of October at 7:00
PM.
I hope you will grace the gettogether with your presence. Please
convey my best regards to your wife and kids.
Yours lovingly,
Divya
4. Write a letter to the branch manager requesting him to block
your credit card as you’ve lost it and request him to issue you a
new card. (Limit- 150 words)
M-09, Civil Lines,
November 21, 2017
The Manager,
PNB, Civil Lines,
Kanpur - 110064
Sub: Request to issue a new credit card.
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Dear Sir,
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Unfortunately, I have lost my credit card bearing number -
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131100935707 on 20th November 2017. My credit card was also
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linked to the savings account number- 4100136788 that I am
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having with your branch at Civil Lines, Kanpur. I request you to
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block my credit card with immediate effect to refrain any
transactions from it.
I would be obliged if you can please issue me a new Visa Credit
Card at the earliest. I am enclosing herewith a copy of my ID
proof and required documents. As I’ve lost my credit card I am
facing a hard time in doing transactions.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
Monika Mehta
1. Write a letter to your friend elaborating your experience of a

recent foreign tour. (Limit- 150 words)
House No. 65,
Vikaspuri Colony,
Adil Nagar, Chandigarh
March 05, 2017
Dear Manoj,
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I hope this letter finds you in the best of your health. I am doing
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fine as well. I hope that your studies are going well. Do let me
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know all things I have missed out.
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In this letter I am going to share with you an exhilarating
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experience that I had in a recent foreign tour of New Zealand. I
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landed at Wellington, the capital city and immediately took off
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for sightseeing. As planned I visited the most iconic building
Beehive while travelling by the Wellington Cable car. I saw many
other places and museums. The food was amazing and the
people very friendly.
I wish, someday, we will take another tour to New Zealand
together so that you can yourself see the beauty and richness of
the country.
Please convey my sincere regards to your parents and love to
siblings.
Sanket
1. Write a letter to the police inspector registering a complaint

against the luggage you lost while traveling in a train that had
important documents pertaining to your property in it.
C-259 Kailash,
Delhi- 110019
The Police Inspector,
Delhi Police Station
January 27, 2018

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Subject: Loss of luggage and important property related
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documents.
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Dear Sir,
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This is to bring to your kind attention that I lost a luggage bag
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while traveling from Ghaziabad Station to New Delhi Railway
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Station that had important documents pertaining to my property
in it. I would also like to elaborate that the bag I lost was red in
color and the documents were kept in a file that was black in
color.
I shall be obliged if you kindly take action to recover the lost
items and I also promise to reward the person who helps me find
the lost items with Rs. 500.
Yours faithfully,
Sudha
2. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper raising your concerns
towards the ill effects of loud music on the health of children
and youth.
367 Block-D,
Mangolpuri,
Delhi-110019
6th March 2018
The Editor,
The Hindu,
C. Sec., Delhi
Subject: Effects of loud music on children and youth.

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Sir,
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May I have the honor to draw the attention of the people through
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the esteemed column of your newspaper about the bad effects of
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loud music on the physical as well as the mental health of
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children and youth. Loud music not only causes hearing loss but
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also damages nerves in one’s brain. It also lowers children’s
concentration level and thereby hinders their overall growth.
So, it’s not that one should completely stop listening to music but
she should be wary of listening to it a high volume. I hope that
you’ll voice my concerns through your esteemed newspaper so
that people implement the change in their attitude towards the
loud music to avoid the risk of serious ill effects.
Yours faithfully,
Shreya Dutt
3. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper expressing your

concern on increasing rate of road accidents due to rash
driving.
12-G, Janakpuri,
Delhi
March 10, 2018
The Editor,
The Hindu,
C. Sec., Delhi
Subject: Increasing rate of road accidents due to rash driving.

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Sir,
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Through the columns of your esteemed paper, I want to invite
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the attention of the authorities and the public to the problem of
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rash driving. These days, road accidents have been on the
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increase. The main cause is rash and reckless driving.
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Many women and children who try to cross the roads of this
overpopulated city become victims to such reckless driving. This
has caused many fatal accidents. Undoubtedly, regulations
regarding speed limit do exist in the city, but the drivers pay no
heed. The police also take little or no notice of these offenders,
therefore, accidents are almost a daily occurrence.
I would like to emphasize that the police must strictly enforce the
regulations regarding limit and should impound the driving
license of such errant drivers, and then put them behind bars, for
maintaining traffic decorum.
Yours faithfully,
Shikha Gangwar
4. Write a letter to the branch manager requesting him to transfer

your savings account from Nagpur to Guwahati.
CA-19, Vikas Nagar,
Nagpur, Maharashtra
February 14, 2018
The Manager,
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SBI, Chowk,
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Guwahati, Assam
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Sub: Regarding transfer of savings account.
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Dear Sir,
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I am having a savings account bearing number - 77101102765
with your branch at Vikas Nagar, Nagpur. I have recently been
relocated to Guwahati due to transfer of my husband.
I would be obliged if you can please transfer my account with
your bank to your bank’s branch at Chowk, Guwahati, Assam.
This would ease of the maintaining of the account at my end.
Appropriate charges may kindly be debited to my account in this
regard for transfer of my account.
I am enclosing herewith a copy of the Address Proof of my
current residence for your information and records.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
Madhu Gupta

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ANNEXTURE
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HOW TO WRITE EFFECTIVELY ?
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Notes
When you are preparing to appear for a descriptive paper, you
need to have the details on every topic that can be expected to be
asked in the examination. This is not an objective paper where you
just have to mark the correct option from the given choices so, you
must prepare notes on every such topic so as to have them all
grasped for the examination. While preparing notes, you can
choose to write the necessary or key points on the theme instead of
writing long and detailed paragraphs on it. This makes it easier for
you to revise them a few days before you appear in the real
examination. Do not forget to write important facts and figures as
mentioning them in your piece of writing could possibly leave a
good impression on the reader’s mind.
Newspaper
Reading newspaper articles on a daily basis not only gets you
aware of what’s going on around the globe but also gets you
acquainted with different ways or styles in which a piece of writing
could be framed or presented. This helps you develop the essential
writing skills, as in, how to give your piece of writing the right
direction that it needs. Every separate piece of writing on every
different topic needs to be framed in a distinctive way. For
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example, the topics can be based on cause and effect, positive and
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negative aspects, etc. so, when you keep reading newspaper
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articles, you know exactly what should be the type, tone and
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writing style of your own piece of writing that is to be put forward
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in the descriptive paper.
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Coherence
The paragraphs should always be coherent in nature. Try to write
every next statement that is connected to the previous one in some
or the other way. Do keep in mind that every different aspect or
viewpoint is to be given a new paragraph. If your piece of writing
is ambiguous in nature, the reader will only get confused and will
lose interest in reading it further.
Vocabulary
While writing the descriptive paper of a competitive exam, you
should always make sure that the reader is able to comprehend it
and thus, what you want to say is effectively conveyed. To
accomplish this, you should always try to use simple and suitable
vocabulary instead of using fancy, sophisticated and not so familiar
words in your essay or letter. Also, the words or phrases you use,
should always be put in a way that the sentence thus made is
meaningful, and grammatically as well as semantically
appropriate.
Word Limit
Word limit also plays a great role in the evaluation process of a
descriptive paper. Always bear it in your mind that you do not
have to exceed the word limit while writing the essay or letter in
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any competitive examination. All your efforts go in vain once you
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have exceeded the word limit. So, when you are writing something, try
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to wind it up in not more than the word limit mentioned in the question
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paper.
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Grammar and Spelling
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The correct usage of grammar always leaves a positive impression
on the reader, so, make sure that every sentence in your essay or
letter is grammatically correct. For effective use of grammar, you
need to have the basics of tenses, active/ passive voice, parts of
speech and subject-verb-agreement all grasped. You should also
avoid making silly spelling mistakes because that may cost you the
much-required marks in the descriptive examination.
Supporting Examples/Facts and Figures
While writing a letter or an essay, you should always try to support
your arguments by giving facts and figures related to it. Use of
figures and examples based on the current scenario associated to
the topic actually do wonders. This gives the reader an idea that the
candidate keeps herself abreast of the latest happenings.
Qoutes
Including quotes in your essay not only leaves a good impression
on the reader but is also an excellent idea to support your
arguments and make them come alive. The quote that you add
should be short and to the point. Also, you should avoid using too
many quotes in a single essay and ignoring to mention the other
crucial points about the topic.

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THINGS TO AVOID
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Exaggeration
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Do not exaggerate on anything that you write in your essay or
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letter. Exaggerations do not support your arguments but they give
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the reader an impression that you are not very thoughtful and the
bandwidth of your thoughts revolves around a single aspect of a
particular topic.
Unnecessary Matter
As stated in the points mentioned above, one must always try to
write the necessary and relevant matter only because writing too
much of irrelevant matter not only leaves a bad impression on the
reader but also consumes the words you could have used to
mention much more important points. So, instead of repenting it in
the end, deleting it and writing it all over again, try to avoid
writing it in the beginning itself.
Focus on Only one Point
Try to make the maximum number of points or arguments that you
can put forward on the topic given to you. Mentioning only one
point about it can make the reader think that you lack knowledge
and also makes your essay or letter monotonous to read. So, make
different arguments based on the old, latest or current synopsis so
as to bag the maximum marks in the descriptive paper.

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PHRASAL VERB
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hrasal Verb is a combination of words (a verb + a preposition
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or verb +adverb) that, when used together, usually take on a
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different meaning to that of the original verb. Typically, their
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meaning is not obvious from the meanings of the individual words
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themselves. Writing skills are all about using the correct words and
phrases in the best possible way and presenting your piece of
writing in the most beautiful manner possible. So, along with an
efficient knowledge of vocabulary, one also needs to have an
effective understanding of phrasal verbs as they spice up your
sentences and make them look more organized and sophisticated.

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Here are some phrasal verbs that you can use while writing the
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descriptive paper of a competitive exam:
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PHRASAL
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MEANING EXAMPLE
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VERBS
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Give a satisfactory record
of (something, typically I had to account for
Account for
money, that one is every penny I spent.
responsible for)
To act in accordance with; I’m acting on the
Act on
follow advice of my lawyers.
He was acting out his
To demonstrate or
feelings of inferiority
Act out illustrate by pantomime
by being overly
and gestures or by words
aggressive.
If you act up in class,
A. Behave badly or
you will be sent to the
strangely
principal’s office.
Act up
My computer began
B. To operate badly acting up and I lost a
whole day’s work.
Have and exert influence He did not act upon
or effect my order.
Act upon To take action because of The client may now act
something like upon this returned
information received value.
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Enquire about someone’s She asked after his
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Ask after
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health, how life is going father.
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A. To ask a lot of different I asked around, but
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people in order to get nobody had seen him
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Ask around information or help for days.
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We ASKED them
B. Invite someone
AROUND for dinner.
A. To provoke a negative You’re ASKING FOR
reaction trouble.
Ask for
B. Request to have or be I ASKED FOR the
given menu.
To invite someone to
come into a building or She asked me in for a
Ask in
room, especially your cup of coffee
home
To invite someone for a He wanted to ASK her
Ask out
date OUT but was too shy.
To invite someone who
Ask over lives close by to come to
one’s home
You’ll have to back up
Back
Reverse your car so that I can
something up
get out.
My wife backed me up
Back
A. Support over my decision to
somebody up
quit my job.

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w.
yo
You should back up all
ur
sm
ah
B. To make a copy of your computer files in
bo
ob
.w
a secure location.
or
dp
The crowd BACKED
re
ss
.c
Back away Retreat or go backwards AWAY when the man
om
pulled a knife.
Retract or withdraw your
She refused to BACK
Back down position or proposal in an
DOWN and was fired.
argument
He prefers to BACK
Enter a parking area in
Back into his car INTO the
reverse gear
garage.
The police told the
Back off Retreat protesters to BACK
OFF.
He BACKED OUT two
Fail to keep an days before the
Back out
arrangement or promise holiday so we gave the
ticket to his sister.
The truck broke down
A. Stop working properly
in the desert.
He BROKE DOWN in
Break down B. Start crying
tears.
C. Remove a barrier or Remove a barrier or
obstacle obstacle.

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w.
yo
To go or run towards a She had to hold him
ur
sm
ah
Break for place, especially when back as he tried to
bo
ob
you are trying to escape BREAK FOR the door.
.w
or
dp
The burglars BROKE
re
Go into a building to steal
ss
Break in IN and stole the TV
.c
om
something
and video.
He BROKE INTO a
A. Start doing something run when he saw the
police.
B. Be accepted into a She’s trying to BREAK
Break into
profession or field INTO acting.
I had to BREAK INTO
C. Start to spend funds,
my savings to pay off
usually out of necessity
the bills.
She BROKE OFF a
A. Break a piece from
square of chocolate
something
and gave it to her
Break off She BROKE OFF their
engagement when she
B. End a relationship
found out that he’d
been unfaithful.
The SDP BROKE
Leave an organization,
Break away AWAY from the Labor
usually to form a new one
Party.
They’re worried that
Break out Start (war, conflict)
war will BREAK OUT.

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w.
yo
The measles caused me
ur
Sweat heavily, develop
sm
ah
Break out in to BREAK OUT IN a
bo
skin sores or irritation
ob
rash.
.w
or
dp
Three dangerous
re
ss
Category A prisoners
.c
om
Break out of Escape BROKE OUT OF
Wands Worth Prison
last night.
The crowd BROKE
THROUGH the police
Break through Pass a barrier or obstacle
barriers and attacked
the hunters.
The plate BROKE UP
A. Break into many pieces when he dropped it on
the floor.
Break up
B. Close an educational Schools BREAK UP at
institution for the the end of June for the
holidays summer holidays.
She was CALLED
Name someone after
Call after Rose AFTER her late
somebody else
grandmother.
This recipe calls for
A. Require (as in a recipe)
milk, notwater.
The Opposition party
Call for CALLED FOR the
B. Demand minister’s resignation
after the scandal
broke.
ww
w.
yo
The courier CALLED
ur
sm
ah
FOR your parcel, but I
bo
C. Go to collect something
ob
told him it wasn’t
.w
or
dp
ready yet.
re
ss
.c
D. Telephone for I’ll CALL FOR a cab
om
something right away.
They called the picnic
Call off Cancel
off because of the rain.
The President
CALLED ON the
wealthy countries for
A. Ask for help financial aid after the
floods destroyed much
of the country’s
agriculture.
As we were in the
B. Visit area, we CALLED ON
Call on
my sister-in-law.
He CALLED the
speaker ON
C. Challenge
severalmis-statements
of fact.
I now CALL ON the
D. Ask someone to do
other party to give
something, especially to
their account of what
speak in public. (Formal)
happened.

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w.
yo
My dad called me up
ur
sm
ah
A. To telephone someone to tell me the good
bo
ob
.w
Call up news.
or
dp
B. Summon for military He was called up
re
ss
.c
services when the war began.
om
The meeting CAME
ABOUT becauseboth
Come about A. Happen, occur
sides were sick of
fighting.
The yacht CAME
B. Shift direction
ABOUT to a heading
(nautical)
of 240 degrees.
I CAME ACROSS my
old school reports
Come across A. Find by accident
when I was clearing
out my desk.
He CAME ACROSS as
B. The way other people
shy because he spoke
see you
so quietly.
May I COME ALONG
Come along A. Accompany on your trip
Tomorrow?
COME ALONG, we’ll
B. Move faster or keep up never get there if you
don’t keep up with us.
ww
w.
yo
It CAME APART
ur
sm
ah
when I tried to lift it
bo
ob
Come apart Break into pieces off the floor and I had
.w
or
dp
to glue it back
re
ss
together.
.c
om
It took several hours
after the operation
Come around Recover consciousness
before he CAME
AROUND.
‘ll COME BY after
A. Visit work and see if you
Come by need any help.
How did you COME
B. Acquire
BY that Rolex?
Just look at the rain
A. Rain COMING DOWN! I’m
not going out in that.
Come down
When you’re next in
B. Travel London, COME
DOWN and see us.
The management
Come down really CAME DOWN
A. Criticize heavily
on ON him for losing the
contract.
Come down She CAME DOWN
Fall ill
with WITH a virus.
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w.
yo
Money doesn’t COME
ur
sm
ah
INTO it; I simply will
bo
Come into Be important or relevant
ob
not do it under any
.w
or
dp
circumstances.
re
ss
.c
I CAME OVER all
om
faint and weakbecause
Come over Feel strange
my sugar level was too
low.
I’ll be late home
tonight because
something’s COME
Come up Appear
UP at work has to be
ready for tomorrow
morning.
I CAME UPON the
book in a little second-
Come upon Find by chance
hand bookshop in
Dorset.
Some Americans want
Do away with Abolish to do away with the
death penalty.
I can’t do without my
To manage without
Do without cell phone. I take it
having something
wherever I go.

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w.
yo
After he reported the
ur
sm
ah
Do in Kill gang, he feared they
bo
ob
.w
would DO him IN.
or
dp
They lied on the
re
ss
Cheat somebody out of
.c
reference and DID me
om
Do out of something that is
OUT OF any chance of
rightfully theirs
getting the job.
You must DO UP your
Close or fasten clothes,
Do up safety belt in the back
etc.
of cars and taxis now.
It took them six
months to DO UP the
Do up Repair and renovate house before they
could actually move
in.
Wish for or ask for
I could DO WITH a
Do with (usually after can or
cold beer about now.
could)
They ENTERED FOR
Join or enter a the national
Enter for
competition championship but
weren’t good enough.
They ENTERED INTO
Become involved in or
Enter into an agreement with
accept
their rivals.
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w.
yo
He told her to stop
ur
sm
ah
Fall about Behave indecisively Falling ABOUT and
bo
ob
.w
make her mind up.
or
dp
re
We FELL ABOUT
ss
.c
om
Fall about Laugh a lot when we heard what
she’d done.
Fall apart A. Break into pieces The box FELL APART
B. Become emotionally
He FELL APART
disturbed and unable to
when they sacked him.
behave normally
Fall behind Make less
progress. I was ill for a
Fall behind Make less progress week and FELL
BEHIND with my
work.
I slipped on the ice
A. Fall on the ground
and FELL DOWN.
Fall down The argument FALLS
B. Have a weak point DOWN when you look
at how much it’ll cost.
He FELL FOR her the
A. Be attracted to
Fall for moment their eyes
somebody, fall in love
met.
ww
w.
yo
He FELL FOR my
ur
sm
ah
story and allowed me
bo
B. Believe a lie or a piece
ob
.w
yet another extension
or
of deception
dp
re
for the submission of
ss
.c
my thesis.
om
I just FELL INTO my
Start doing something
Fall into job when an
unplanned
Opportunity came up.
The membership FELL
OFF dramatically
Fall off Decrease
when the chairperson
resigned.
They FELL OUT over
Argue and be on bad the decision and
Fall out
terms with someone hardly speak to each
other anymore.
The plans FELL
THROUGH when
Fall through Be unsuccessful
planning permission
was refused.
At first, he was
independent, but then
Fall under Become controlled
he FELL UNDER their
influence.

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w.
yo
They HANG ABOUT
ur
sm
Spend time somewhere
ah
Hang about the station most of the
bo
not doing much
ob
.w
day.
or
dp
re
They HANG
ss
.c
Hang around Stay in a place AROUND the station
om
most of the day.
Could you HANG ON
A. Wait for a moment till she’s
free.
Hang on The driver told the
passengers to HANG
B. Hold tightly
ON as the bus pulled
off.
Wait or refuse to do
She’s HANGING OUT
Hang out for something until you get
FOR a big raise.
what you want
I have a lot of financial
Hang over Worry or trouble problem HANGING
OVER my head.
To deal successfully with
a disagreement or We haven’t been able
Iron out problem, especially by to iron out our
removing the last differences.
remaining difficulties

ww
w.
yo
I JOTTED DOWN her
ur
sm
ah
number on a scrapof
bo
Jot down Make a quick note
ob
paper and I can’t find
.w
or
dp
it now.
re
ss
.c
Jump at To eagerly take (a chance, He jumped at the offer
om
(something) offer, etc.) of a better job.
To say something about a
to join a conversation-
subject that another
Jump in Jump in if you have
person is already talking
any questions.
about
A. To suddenly come at
Jump out at The hidden assailant
(someone) from a hiding
(someone) jumped out at them.
place
The sculpture jumps
B. To immediately get the
out at you when you
attention of (someone)
enter the house.
Make a quick, poorly You shouldn’t jump to
Jump to
thought Out decision conclusions.
Attack or take hold of two men jumped on
Jump on
(someone) suddenly him from behind.
To tell (someone) again My kids kept after me
Keep after
and again to do to quit smoking, so I
(someone)
something finally did.
Keep To require (a student) to The teacher kept him
(someone) stay at school after classes after (school) for
after have ended misbehaving in class.
ww
w.
yo
The project was
ur
sm
ah
To continue doing or difficult, but we kept
bo
Keep at it
ob
.w
trying to do something at it and eventually it
or
dp
re
Was done.
ss
.c
om
To force or cause The coach kept us
Keep
(someone) to continue (hard) at it until late
(someone) at it
doing something afternoon.
I KEEP a dictionary
Keep around Keep something near you AROUND when I’m
doing my homework.
The police told the
Keep back Maintain a safe distance crowd to KEEP BACK
from the fire.
To stay close to the The soldiers were
Keep down
ground or floor ordered to keep down.
Keep To prevent (someone)
You can’t keep a good
(someone) from succeeding,
man down.
down winning, etc
Please keep it down in
Used to ask someone to
Keep it down there. I’m trying to
be quiet
study.
I couldn’t KEEP
Keep from Control yourself, refrain FROM arguing with
her.
ww
w.
yo
The leader began to
ur
sm
A. To go or make
ah
run faster, and the
bo
progress at the same rate
ob
other runners found it
.w
Keep up as others
or
dp
hard to keep up.
re
ss
The rain kept up all
.c
B. To continue happening
om
night
She still keeps up with
Keep up with To continue to talk to or [=keeps in touch with]
(someone) write to (someone) her old friends from
college.
Although his feelings
A. To treat a serious were hurt, he just
problem lightly by laughed the incident
Laugh laughing at it off as if nothing had
something off happened.
B. To dismiss something She laughed off the
or someone as ridiculous critic’s conclusion that
or laughable the show was a flop.
They hired a babysitter
Look after Take care to look after the
children.
The past year has been
successful and,
To think about what will looking ahead, we
look ahead
happen in the future expect to do even
better in the coming
months.

ww
w.
yo
to explore a place-to
ur
sm
Look around/
ah
go through a place in
bo
round or look To go through a place in
ob
order to see what is
.w
around/round
or
order to see what is there
dp
there: to explore a
re
(a place)
ss
place.
.c
om
A. To think about or
Just look at how
consider (something or
successful she’s been.
Look at someone)
B. To examine or study I had the veterinarian
(someone or something) look at my cat.
Looking back to/at
To think about something last season, I can see
Look back
in the past why they didn’t win
the pennant.
To think of or treat The other children
Look down on
(someone or something) looked down on me
(someone or
as unimportant or not because my parents
something)
worthy of respect were poor.
Look forward To expect (something) They’re looking

to (something) with pleasure forward to their
vacation.
I plan to look in on
Look in on (someone)- to
Look in on [=drop in on, call on]
make a brief social visit to
(someone) some old friends when
(someone)
I’m in town.

ww
w.
yo
To try to get information Is there a problem? I
ur
sm
Look into
ah
about (something) could look into it.
bo
ob
.w
I need to lie down
or
dp
Lie down Rest, recline before we go out
re
ss
.c
tonight.
om
Whether or not you
Lie with Be decided by can go to the party lies
with your father.
Rest, recline (on a couch, I’m going to lie down
Lie down on
bed) on the sofa for a while.
To be in a position or
She stood alone in her
situation in which you are
Stand alone opposition to the
not helped or supported
proposal.
by others
The paramedics told
To take a few steps
Stand aside the crowd to stand
backwards
back.
To support (someone or I’ll stand behind your
Stand behind
something) decision 100 percent.
To stand or be present
A group of students
without taking any action
Stand by stood by and watched
while something is
the boys fight.
happening
Stand by To support or defend I stand by my actions
(something) (something) and have no regrets.
ww
w.
yo
They promised to
ur
sm
Stand by To remain loyal to
ah
stand by each other
bo
(someone) (someone)
ob
until the end.
.w
or
dp
The judge thanked the
re
A. To leave the witness
ss
.c
witness and allowed
om
stand in a court of law
her to stand down.
Stand down
She stood down in
B. To leave a job or official
favour of a more
position
popular candidate.
To take the place of He can’t be here today,
Stand in (someone who is away for so he asked me to
a time) stand in.
The trees’ red leaves
To be easily seen or
Stand out stood out against the
noticed
gray sky.
To be clearly expressed to I hope my point has
Get across and understood by finally gotten across to
someone you.
Get
(something) To express (something) I don’t know if I was
across or get clearly so that it is able to get my point
across understood across to you.
(something)
To tell (someone) His parents are always
Get after
repeatedly to do getting after him about
(someone)
something doing his homework.

ww
w.
yo
a book about how to
ur
sm
To become more
ah
Get ahead get ahead in the
bo
successful
ob
business world.
.w
or
dp
We get along well
re
ss
A. To be or remain
.c
enough, but we’re not
om
friendly
really close friends.
Get along I really must be getting
B. To leave a place
along.
Her parents are getting
C. To become old
along in years.
Get at The valve is hard to
To reach (something or
(something or get at unless you have
someone)
someone) a special tool
To find out (information
Get at How can we ever get
that is hidden or hard to
(something) at the truth?
know)
Get at To criticize (someone) He’s always being got
(someone) repeatedly at by his teachers.
I’ll be busy at work all
A. To go away from a
day and I can’t get
place
away until tonight.
Get away
to escape-The robbers
B. To avoid being caught got away (from the
police) in a fast car.

ww
w.
yo
To return to a place after
ur
sm
Get back
ah
going away
bo
ob
.w
He’s doing very well
or
To do enough or to do
dp
re
in his history lasses,
ss
Get by well enough to avoid
.c
but he’s barely getting
om
failure
by in math.
The burglar got in
A. To enter a place through an unlocked
window.
B. To arrive at a place The train got in late.
Get in
Her husband was out
late last night. He
C. To arrive home
didn’t get in until
almost midnight.
I’ll tell you what
Get into
To talk about (something) happened, but I don’t
(something)
want to get into.
Please hold on and a
A. To wait representative will
answer your call.
Hold on She was so scared on
the rollercoaster ride
B. To grip tightly
that she held on for
dear life.

ww
w.
yo
Hold
ur
To use (something) as a He lied to her once,
sm
ah
(something)
bo
reason to have a bad and she still holds it
ob
against
.w
or
opinion of (someone) against him.
dp
(someone)
re
ss
.c
She wanted to
om
A. To stop yourself from introduce herself to
doing something him but she held back
out of shyness.
Hold back
She could have beaten
B. To make a less than him in the race, but
complete effort she held back and let
him win.
To refuse to change what They are holding firm
Hold firm you have been doing or on their refusal to
believing proceed.
He held forth
To speak about something
Hold forth about/on the need for
for a long time
reform in his country.
You need to decide
Hold off To wait to do something now. You can’t hold
off any longer.
I don’t know how
A. To continue to exist or much longer our
Hold out
be available supply of food will
hold out.

ww
w.
yo
to refuse to surrender
ur
sm
B. To continue to oppose
ah
or give in-The troops
bo
ob
someone or defend
.w
were able to hold out
or
against something
dp
re
until help arrived
ss
.c
om
To continue in the same
The sales team was
condition without failing
Hold up holding up well under
or losing effectiveness or
the stress.
force
Since he had a sound
Rule out To eliminate alibi, the police ruled
him out as a suspect.
To count on, depend on, You can rely on me. I
Rely on
trust always arrive on time.
“Lisa was so tired, she
A. To fall asleep or
got home and passed
become unconscious.
out on the sofa”
Pass out
“I passed out leaflets
B. To give (something) to
with information on
several or many people.
our course”
One of my favorite
To perform before (the
comedians is opening
Open for main performer at a
for the band on their
concert, show, etc.)
current tour.

ww
w.
yo
He began to open out
ur
sm
To become less shy and
ah
Open out [=open up] about an
bo
speak more freely
ob
.w
hour into our date.
or
dp
She tried to get the
re
ss
.c
A. To become less shy and patient to open up to
om
speak more freely her about his
Open up
problems.
The ships opened up
B. To begin shooting
with heavy gunfire.
They wanted me to
To agree to do or accept cooperate with them,
Play along
what other people want but I refused to play
along.
pay back Pay
back
To return (an amount of He said that he’ll pay
(something) or
money) that someone the money back
pay
allowed you to borrow tomorrow
(something)
back
A. To give (someone) the
I’ll pay you back when
Pay (someone) amount of money that
I get the money.
back or pay you borrowed
back B. To punish or hurt He’s finally getting
(someone) (someone who did paid back for all the
something bad to you) trouble he caused.

ww
w.
yo
Pay in-pay in
ur
sm
ah
(something) or To put (money) in an I went to the bank to
bo
ob
.w
Pay account pay in a cheque.
or
dp
(something) in
re
ss
.c
Each month she pays
om
To put money into (a fund into an account that
Pay into
or account) can be used for
medical expenses.
It’s great to see that all
To produce a result that
Pay off of our hard work has
you want
finally paid off.
To give (an amount of The government has
money) to someone paid out [=disbursed]
Pay out
usually over a period of millions of dollars in
time foreign aid.
To pay what you owe: to
Pay up We paid up and left.
pay what is due
The storm put paid to
To cause (something) to
Put paid to his attempt to sail
end: to stop (something)
around the world.
To ask to receive You will have to send
(something) by sending a away to the
Send away for
letter, coupon, etc., to manufacturer for a
someone by mail refund.
ww
w.
yo
He was sent down for
ur
sm
To send (someone) to
ah
Send down six years for the
bo
prison
ob
.w
robbery.
or
dp
A. To ask (someone) to Someone should send
re
ss
.c
come to a place for a doctor.
om
to ask someone to
Send for
bring or send
(someone)
B. Send for (something) (something) to you-
Send for our free
product catalog.
She sent forth
A. To cause (something)
Send forth [=emitted, let out] a
to be heard
loud cry.
B. To produce The plant began to
(something) in the process send forth [=send out]
of growing or developing its shoots.
A. Send in (someone) or Police were sent in to
send (someone) in restore order.
Send in He was sent in to
B. To tell (a player) to
replace the starting
enter a game
goaltender.
Send in
(something) or To mail or e-mail Please send in your
send (something) to a place poems by October 1.
(something) in

ww
w.
yo
Send off
ur
sm
ah
Send off
bo
ob
(something) or To send (something) by I sent off the package
.w
or
dp
send mail or another service yesterday.
re
ss
(something)
.c
om
off
To ask to receive
Send off for (something) by sending a sent off for [=sent
(something) letter, coupon, etc., to away for] a sample.
someone by mail
I had my mail/post
To cause (something) to
sent on [=forwarded,
Send on go or to be carried from
sent] to my new
one place to another
address.
A. To mail (something) to
Have you sent out the
Send out many different people or
invitations yet?
Send out places
(something) or B. To cause (a signal) to The pilot sent out a
Send go out distress signal.
(something) C. To cause (light, heat, The coals sent out
out etc.) to move outward [=gave off] a reddish
from a source glow.
Work around To organize things or
We’ll just have to find
–Work proceed in a way that
a way to work around
around/round avoids (something, such
the problem.
(something) as a problem)

ww
w.
yo
To start talking or writing He eventually worked
ur
sm
Work around/
ah
about (a subject, issue, around to the
bo
round to
ob
.w
etc.) After talking or company’s financial
or
(something)
dp
re
writing about other things situation.
ss
.c
To make an effort to do
om
He needs to work at
Work at
(something) better his handwriting.
Work in Work
To add or include
(something) in During the speech, he
(something) in a
or work in worked in a few jokes.
conversation, essay, etc.
(something)
A. To add or include You should work more
(something) in fresh fruit into your
(something) diet.
Work into
B. To stir or mix
Work the blueberries
(something) into
into the mixture.
(something)
A. To pay (a debt) by She worked off her
Work off
working loan.
B. To lose or get rid of He walks every day to
(something) by physical work the extra weight
activity off.
To be in the process of The director is
Work on making (something), working on a new
doing (something), etc. movie.

ww
w.
yo
A. To perform athletic
ur
sm
ah
exercises in order to She works out at the
bo
Work out
ob
.w
improve your health or gym twice a week.
or
dp
re
physical fitness
ss
.c
Our plan worked out
om
B. To happen, develop, or
end in a desired or perfectly.
successful way
A. To find or create
Work out (something, such as a We worked out a plan
(something) or solution or a plan) by to save money.
Work thinking
(something) She worked out the
B. To use mathematics to
out problem on a piece of
solve (something)
paper.
He looked like
To hurt (someone) by someone had worked
Work over
hitting, kicking, etc. him over [=beat him
up] pretty good.
Work up-to make
Don’t work yourself
Work up (someone) feel very
up again.
angry, excited, upset, etc.

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A
bo
ob
.w
or
v Abide
dp
re
ss
Verb: to remain; continue; stay; to have one’s abode; dwell;
.c
om
reside; to continue in a particular condition, attitude,
relationship, etc.; last.
v Abound
Verb: to occur or exist in great quantities or numbers.
Synonyms: flourish, proliferate, thrive, crowd, flow, infest,
overflow, swarm, swell, teem, be alive with, be all over the place,
be knee deep in, be no end to, be plentiful, be thick with.
Antonyms: decline, fail, languish, retreat.
v Accommodative
Adjective: tending to accommodate; adaptive.
v Adhere
Verb: to stay attached; stick fast; cleave; cling (usually followed
by to); to be united by a molecular force acting in the area of
contact; to be devoted in support or allegiance; be attached as a
follower or upholder (usually followed by to).
Synonyms: comply, heed, obey, observe, stand by, follow, fulfill,
keep, maintain, mind, practice, respect, support, abide by, be
attached, be constant, be devoted, be devoted to, be faithful, be
loyal, be true, cleave to.
Antonyms: disobey, ignore, overlook, condemn.
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v Adjudication
ur
sm
ah
Noun: an act of adjudicating; Law. The act of a court in making
bo
ob
.w
an order, judgment, or decree.
or
dp
Synonyms: conclusion, decision, determination, finding,
re
ss
.c
pronouncement, ruling, settlement, verdict.
om
Antonyms: beginning, indecision
v Ally
Verb: to unite formally, as by treaty, league, marriage, or the like
(usually followed by with or to); to associate or connect by some
mutual relationship, as resemblance or friendship; to enter into
an alliance; join; unite.
Noun: a person, group, or nation that is associated with another
or others for some common cause or purpose.
Synonyms: associate, colleague, friend, partner, accessory,
accomplice, co-worker, coadjutor, collaborator.
Antonyms: antagonist, detractor, enemy, foe, opponent.
v Aloft
Adverb: high up; far above the ground; in or into the air.
Preposition: on or at the top of.
Synonyms: above, over, overhead, up.
Antonyms: below, under.
v Ambivalent
Adjective: having mixed feelings about someone or something;
being unable to choose between two (usually opposing) courses
of action.
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Synonyms: contradictory, doubtful, equivocal, hesitant, mixed,
ur
sm
ah
uncertain, undecided, unsure, clashing, debatable, fluctuating,
bo
ob
inconclusive, irresolute, opposed, unresolved, vacillating,
.w
or
dp
warring, wavering.
re
ss
Antonyms: certain, clear, decided, definite.
.c
om
v Amnesty
Noun: a general pardon for offenses, especially political offenses,
against a government, often granted before any trial or
conviction; Law. an act of forgiveness for past offenses, especially
to a class of persons as a whole; a forgetting or overlooking of
any past offense.
Verb: to grant amnesty to; pardon.
Synonyms: forgiveness, immunity, reprieve, absolution,
condonation, dispensation.
v Anchorage
Noun: that portion of a harbor or area outside a harbor suitable
for anchoring or in which ships are permitted to anchor; a charge
for occupying such an area; the act of anchoring or the state of
being anchored.
Synonyms: dock, harbor, haven, port, refuge, roadstead, slip,
wharf.
v Anomaly
Noun: a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or
form; an anomalous person or thing; one that is abnormal or does
not fit in; an odd, peculiar, or strange condition, situation,
quality, etc; an incongruity or inconsistency.

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Synonyms: aberration, abnormality, deviation, inconsistency,
ur
sm
ah
irregularity, oddity, rarity, departure, eccentricity, exception,
bo
ob
incongruity, peculiarity, unorthodoxy.
.w
or
dp
Antonyms: conformity, normality, regularity, sameness.
re
ss
v Aplomb
.c
om
Noun: imperturbable self-possession, poise, or assurance; the
perpendicular, or vertical, position.
Synonyms: equanimity, nonchalance, tact, balance, confidence,
coolness, nerve, poise, self-possession, surety.
Antonyms: fear; gaucheness.
v Archaic
Adjective: marked by the characteristics of an earlier period;
antiquated.
Synonyms: ancient, antiquated, obsolete, old-fashioned,
outmoded, primitive, antique, bygone, olden, out of date, passé,
superannuated.
Antonyms: contemporary, current, in vogue, modern.
v Aristocracy
Noun: a class of persons holding exceptional rank and privileges,
especially the hereditary nobility; a government or state ruled by
an aristocracy, elite, or privileged upper class; government by
those considered to be the best or most able people in the state.
Synonyms: elite, gentility, gentry, nobility, upper class, upper
crust, noblesse, patricians, peerage, society, haut monde, high
society, patriciate.
Antonyms: commoners, plebites, proletariat, decline,
descendancy.
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v Ascension
ur
sm
ah
Noun: the act of ascending; ascent.
bo
ob
Synonyms: ascent, climbing, flying, mounting, rise, rising, scaling,
.w
or
soaring, escalating, towering.
dp
re
ss
v Asphyxia
.c
om
Noun: the extreme condition caused by lack of oxygen and
excess of carbon dioxide in the blood, produced by interference
with respiration or insufficient oxygen in the air; suffocation.
Synonyms: coma, slumber, trance, amazement, anesthesia,
apathy, bewilderment, dullness, hebetude, hypnosis, inertia,
inertness, insensibility, languor, lassitude, lethargy, narcosis.
Antonyms: consciousness, wakefulness, activity, interest.
v Authoritarian
Adjective: favoring complete obedience or subjection to
authority as opposed to individual freedom; of or relating to a
governmental or political system, principle, or practice in which
individual freedom is held as completely subordinate to the
power or authority of the state, centered either in one person or a
small group that is not constitutionally accountable to the people.
Synonyms: autocracy, despotism, dictatorship, totalitarianism,
monocracy.
Antonym: democracy.
v Awash
Adjective: just level with or scarcely above the surface of the
water, so that waves break over the top, as the upper deck of a
ship in a heavy sea; covered with water; washing about; tossed
about by the waves; covered, filled, or crowded.
Synonyms: afloat, flooded, inundated, flush, flushed,
overflowing.
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B
ur
sm
ah
bo
v Ballistic
ob
.w
Adjective: of or relating to ballistics; having its motion
or
dp
re
determined or describable by the laws of exterior ballistics.
ss
.c
v Baton
om
Noun: a wand used by a conductor; a rod of lightweight metal
fitted with a weighted bulb at each end and carried and twirled
by a drum major or majorette.
Synonyms: protection
cudgel, mace, nightstick, rod, truncheon, wand, billy, blackjack,
club, staff, billy club.
Bargain
Noun: an advantageous purchase, especially one acquired at less
than the usual cost; an agreement between parties settling what
each shall give and take or perform and receive in a transaction;
such an agreement as affecting one of the parties.
Synonyms: arrangement, contract, deal, negotiation, pact,
transaction, understanding, bond, business, compact, convention,
covenant, engagement.
Antonyms: disagreement, misunderstanding, break, rip-off.
Binding
Noun: the act of fastening, securing, uniting, or the like; anything
that binds.
Synonyms: conclusive, irrevocable, mandatory, required,
essential, imperative.
Antonyms: optional, inessential, secondary, alterable, breakable,
revocable.
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Blasphemy
ur
sm
ah
Noun: impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred
bo
ob
things.
.w
or
Synonyms: desecration, heresy, abuse, execration, impiety,
dp
re
ss
impiousness, imprecation, indignity, lewdness, profanation,
.c
om
profaneness, profanity, sacrilege, scoffing, scurrility.
Antonyms: respect, godliness, piety, religion.
Blockchain
Noun: a digital ledger in which transactions made in bitcoin or
another cryptocurrency are recorded chronologically and
publicly.
Bourse
Noun: a stock exchange, especially the stock exchange of certain
European cities.
Broker
Noun: an agent who buys or sells for a principal on a
commission basis without having title to the property; a person
who functions as an intermediary between two or more parties in
negotiating agreements, bargains, or the like.
Synonyms: agent, dealer, entrepreneur, financier, intermediary,
mediator, merchant, stockbroker, factor, go-between, intercessor,
intermediate, negotiator, business person, middleperson.
Antonyms: customer.
Buck
Verb: (of a saddle or pack animal) to leap with arched back and
come down with head low and forelegs stiff, in order to dislodge
a rider or pack; to resist or oppose obstinately; object strongly.
Synonyms: bull, stag.

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ur
sm
ah
bo
Caliber
ob
.w
or
Noun: the diameter of something of circular section, especially
dp
re
that of the inside of a tube; degree of capacity or competence;
ss
.c
ability; degree of merit or excellence; quality.
om
Synonyms: ability, competence, quality, stature, talent, appetency,
capability, constitution, dignity, distinction, endowment, essence,
faculty, force, gifts, merit, nature, parts, power.
Antonyms: inability, inadequacy, incompetence, weakness.
Calibrate
Verb: to determine, check, or rectify the graduation of (any
instrument giving quantitative measurements); to divide or mark
with gradations, graduations, or other indexes of degree,
quantity, etc., as on a thermometer, measuring cup, or the like.
Synonyms: aligning, averaging, calculating, checking, gauging,
grading, leveling, mapping, rhyming, scaling, surveying.
Chant
Noun: a short, simple melody, especially one characterized by
single notes to which an indefinite number of syllables are
intoned, used in singing psalms, canticles, etc., in church
services; a psalm, canticle, or the like, chanted or for chanting; the
singing or intoning of all or portions of a liturgical service.
Verb: to sing to a chant, or in the manner of a chant, especially in
a church service; to sing; to celebrate in song.
Synonyms: hymn, mantra, melody, shout, singing, tune, carol,
croon, incantation, intonation, lilt, psalm, song, trill, warble.

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Coax
ur
sm
ah
Verb: to attempt to influence by gentle persuasion, flattery, etc.;
bo
ob
.w
cajole; to obtain by coaxing; to manipulate to a desired end by
or
dp
re
adroit handling or persistent effort; to use gentle persuasion.
ss
.c
om
Synonyms: cajole, entice, induce, tease, tempt, wheedle, allure,
barter, beguile, blandish, blarney.
Antonyms: discourage, repel, repulse, turn off, disenchant.
Coercive
Adjective: serving or tending to coerce.
Synonyms: bullying, violent, forced, forceful, intimidating.
Colossus
Noun: (initial capital letter) the legendary bronze statue of Helios
at Rhodes; any statue of gigantic size; anything colossal, gigantic,
or very powerful.
Synonyms: behemoth, cyclops, Gargantua, giant, goliath,
Hercules, leviathan, mammoth, Samson, titan.
Commensurate
Adjective: corresponding in amount, magnitude, or degree;
proportionate; adequate; having the same measure; of equal
extent or duration.
Synonyms: comparable, compatible, consistent, proportionate,
sufficient, appropriate, coextensive, due, equal, equivalent, fit,
fitting, in accord, symmetrical.
Antonyms: incompatible, unsuitable, inadequate, inappropriate.
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Comply
ur
sm
ah
Verb: to act or be in accordance with wishes, requests, demands,
bo
ob
.w
requirements, conditions, etc.; agree (sometimes followed by
or
dp
re
with).
ss
.c
om
Synonyms: acquiesce, adhere to, give in, give up, obey, observe,
quit, satisfy, submit, accede, accord, defer, discharge, ditto, fold,
fulfill, keep, mind, perform, respect, yield, agree to.
Antonyms: disobey, dissuade, condemn, deny.
Consolidation
Noun: an act or instance of consolidating; the state of being
consolidated; solidification; strengthening; something that is or
has been consolidated; a consolidated whole.
Synonyms: merger, strengthening, unification, alliance,
amalgamation, association, coalition, compression, concentration,
condensation, federation, fusion, incorporation, merging,
reinforcement, solidification, coadunation, melding, mergence.
Antonyms: division, agonism, disassociation.
Contentious
Adjective: tending to argument or strife; quarrelsome; causing,
involving, or characterized by argument or controversy.
Synonyms: antagonistic, combative, testy, argumentative,
belligerent, disagreeable, factious, perverse, petulant, querulous.
Antonyms: agreeable.

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Contravention
ur
sm
ah
Noun: an act of contravening; action counter to something;
bo
ob
.w
violation or opposition.
or
dp
Synonyms: breach, infringement, conflict, dispute, infraction,
re
ss
.c
obstruction, opposition, transgression.
om
Antonyms: agreement, harmony, obedience, peace.
Crunch
Verb: to crush with the teeth; chew with a crushing noise; to
crush or grind noisily; to tighten or squeeze financially; order to
combat inflation; to chew with a crushing sound; to produce, or
proceed with, a crushing noise.
Noun: an act or sound of crunching; a shortage or reduction of
something needed or wanted.
Synonyms: crisis, difficulty, trouble, crux, emergency, problem,
test, critical point, hour of decision, moment of truth, trying time.
Antonyms: calm, contentment, peace, trivia.
Cult
Noun: a particular system of religious worship, especially with
reference to its rites and ceremonies; an instance of great
veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested
by a body of admirers; the object of such devotion.
Synonyms: band, church, clan, clique, denomination, faith,
religion, sect, body, creed, faction, following, party, persuasion,
school.
Antonyms: agnosticism, disbelief.
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Counterparty
ur
sm
ah
Noun: the other person or institution entering into a financial
bo
ob
contract or transaction.
.w
or
dp
Counterproductive
re
ss
.c
Adjective: thwarting the achievement of an intended goal;
om
tending to defeat one’s purpose.
Synonyms: biased, bigoted, damaging, detrimental,
disadvantageous, discriminatory, hurtful, inimical.
Antonyms: advantageous, aiding, assisting, beneficial, fair,
favorable, friendly.
Debut
Noun: a first public appearance on a stage, on television, etc; the
first appearance of something, as a new product; (of a young
woman) a formal introduction and entrance into society, as at an
annual ball; the beginning of a profession, career, etc.
Verb: to make a debut, as in society or in a performing art; to
appear for the first time, as on the market.
Synonyms: appearance, beginning, inauguration, introduction,
launching, opener, presentation, admission, bow, entrance,
entree, entrée, graduating.
Antonyms: conclusion, ending, finish, closing, finale.
Deficit
Noun: the amount by which a sum of money falls short of the
required amount; the amount by which expenditures or liabilities
exceed income or assets; a lack or shortage; deficiency.
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Synonyms: loss, shortfall, arrears, defalcation, default, deficiency,
ur
sm
ah
dues, inadequacy, insufficiency, lack, paucity, scantiness,
bo
ob
shortcoming, dead horse, due bill, in hock, in the hole, in the red,
.w
or
dp
underage.
re
ss
.c
Antonyms: abundance, adequacy, advantage, enough.
om
Deliberate
Adjective: carefully weighed or considered; studied; intentional;
characterized by deliberation or cautious consideration; careful
or slow in deciding; leisurely and steady in movement or action;
slow and even; unhurried.
Verb: to weigh in the mind; consider.
Synonyms: calculated, careful, cautious, cold-blooded, conscious,
meticulous, premeditated, prudent, purposeful, studious,
thoughtful, willful, advised, considered, designed, express, fixed,
intended, judged, planned, pondered, prearranged,
predetermined, projected, purposed, reasoned, resolved,
schemed.
Antonyms: careless, heedless, ignorant, imprudent.
Demographic
Adjective: of or relating to demography, the science of vital and
social statistics.
Noun: a single vital or social statistic of a human population, as
the number of births or deaths; a specific segment of a population
having shared characteristics.
Synonyms: analytical, numerical, probability.

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Deplore
ur
sm
ah
Verb: to regret deeply or strongly; lament; to disapprove of;
bo
ob
.w
censure; to feel or express deep grief for or in regard to.
or
dp
Synonyms: abhor, bemoan, complain, denounce, lament, mourn,
re
ss
.c
bewail, censure, cry, deprecate, hate, hurt, moan, repent, rue.
om
Antonyms: approve, be happy, commend, compliment.
Dictator
Noun: a person exercising absolute power, especially a ruler who
has absolute, unrestricted control in a government without
hereditary succession.
Synonyms: autocrat, boss, chief, commander, despot, fascist,
leader, tycoon, tyrant, absolutist, adviser, authoritarian.
Antonyms: employee, follower, worker.
Dilemma
Noun: a situation requiring a choice between equally undesirable
alternatives; any difficult or perplexing situation or problem.
Synonyms: difficulty, embarrassment, impasse, mess, plight,
predicament, problem, puzzle, quandary, bind, box, corner, fix,
hole, hooker.
Antonyms: good fortune, solution, advantage, benefit, boon,
success.
Discern
Verb: to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the
intellect; see, recognize, or apprehend; to distinguish mentally;
recognize as distinct or different; discriminate; to distinguish or
discriminate.
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Synonyms: anticipate, ascertain, detect, determine, differentiate,
ur
sm
ah
discriminate, distinguish, divine, figure out, find out, foresee,
bo
ob
perceive, apprehend, behold, descry, discover, espy, extricate,
.w
or
focus.
dp
re
ss
Antonyms: confuse, doubt, miss, mix up.
.c
om
Discourse
Noun: communication of thought by words; talk; conversation; a
formal discussion of a subject in speech or writing, as a
dissertation, treatise, sermon, etc.
Verb: to communicate thoughts orally; talk; converse.
Synonyms: communication, conversation, discussion, essay,
lecture, monologue, rhetoric, speech.
Antonyms: quiet, silence.
Discretionary
Adjective: subject or left to one’s own discretion; for any use or
purpose one chooses; not earmarked for a particular purpose.
Synonyms: unrestricted, at the call, elective, facultative, judge and
jury, leftover, nonobligatory, open, optional.
Antonyms: nondiscretionary.
Distinctive
Adjective: serving to distinguish; characteristic; distinguishing;
having a special quality, style, attractiveness, etc.; notable.
Synonyms: uniqueness, discreteness, disparateness, particularity,
separateness, specialness, specialty.
Disrupt
Verb: to cause disorder or turmoil in; to destroy, usually
temporarily, the normal continuance or unity of; interrupt; to
break apart.
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Synonyms: disturb, rattle, agitate, bollix, confuse, disarray,
ur
sm
ah
discombobulate, discompose, disorder, muddle, rummage,
bo
ob
.w
shake, spoil, throw, unsettle, mess up, mix up, muck up.
or
dp
re
Antonyms: appease, soothe, calm, clear up.
ss
.c
om
Dearth
Noun: an inadequate supply; scarcity; lack; scarcity and dearness
of food; famine.
Synonyms: absence, deficiency, inadequacy, lack, paucity,
shortage, default, defect, famine, infrequency, meagerness, miss,
need, poverty, privation, rareness, scantiness, scantness, sparsity.
Antonyms: abundance, adequacy, enough, plenty.
Defile
Verb: to make foul, dirty, or unclean; pollute; taint; debase; to
violate the chastity of; to make impure for ceremonial use;
desecrate; to sully, as a person’s reputation.
Synonyms: besmirch, debase, degrade, desecrate, discolor,
dishonor, sully.
Antonyms: elevate, honor, praise, upgrade, assist, clean cleanse.
Downpour
Noun: a heavy, drenching rain.
Synonyms: deluge, flood, monsoon, rainstorm, storm, cloudburst,
inundation, drencher, torrential rain.
Antonym: sprinkle.
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ur
sm
ah
bo
Ethical
ob
.w
Adjective: pertaining to or dealing with morals or the principles
or
dp
re
of morality; pertaining to right and wrong in conduct; being in
ss
.c
accordance with the rules or standards for right conduct or
om
practice, especially the standards of a profession.
Synonyms: honest, honorable, humane, principled, proper,
virtuous, clean, conscientious, correct, decent, elevated,
equitable, fair, fitting, good, high-principled, just,kosher.
Antonyms: corrupt, dishonest, immoral, improper.
Ethos
Noun: sociology. The fundamental character or spirit of a
culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs,
customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant
assumptions of a people or period; the character or disposition of
a community, group, person, etc.; the moral element in dramatic
literature that determines a character’s action rather than his or
her thought or emotion.
Synonyms: ideology, mentality, mindset, spirit, attitude, beliefs,
code, culture, habits, mind, principles, psyche, psychology, traits,
values.
Antonyms: body, physicality.
Efflux
Noun: outward flow, as of water; something that flows out;
effluence; a passing or lapse of time; a passing away; expiration;
ending.
Synonyms: discharge, effluence, emanation.
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Endogamy
ur
sm
ah
Noun: marriage within a specific tribe or similar social unit.
bo
ob
.w
Endogenous
or
dp
re
Adjective: proceeding from within; derived internally.
ss
.c
om
Synonyms: internal, remote, domestic, gut, home, intimate,
private, secret, autogenous, in-house, inland, inner, innermost,
inward, visceral, within.
Antonyms: business, open, public, revealed.
Entail
Verb: to cause or involve by necessity or as a consequence; to
impose as a burden; to limit the passage of (a landed estate) to a
specified line of heirs, so that it cannot be alienated, devised, or
bequeathed.
Noun: the act of entailing.
Synonyms: bring about, call for, encompass, involve, lead to,
necessitate, require, cause, demand, entangle, evoke, impose,
occasion, tangle, give rise to.
Antonyms: exclude, untangle, untwist.
Evade
Verb: to escape from by trickery or cleverness; to get around by
trickery; to avoid doing or fulfilling.
Related forms: evader, noun.
Synonyms: debtor, defaulter, felon, hoodlum, juvenile delinquent,
lawbreaker, offender, wrongdoer, behind.

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Exhort
ur
sm
ah
Verb: to urge, advise, or caution earnestly; admonish urgently; to
bo
ob
.w
give urgent advice, recommendations, or warnings.
or
dp
Synonyms: admonish, advise, beseech, call upon, caution,
re
ss
.c
encourage, enjoin, incite, persuade.
om
Antonyms: deter, discourage, dissuade, answer, leave alone.
Extraneous
Adjective: introduced or coming from without; not belonging or
proper to a thing; external; foreign; not pertinent; irrelevant.
Synonyms: additional, immaterial, incidental, nonessential,
superfluous, supplementary, unconnected, unnecessary,
unrelated, accidental, adventitious, beside the point, extra,
foreign, impertinent, inadmissible, inapplicable, inapposite,
inappropriate.
Antonyms: essential, important, material, necessary.
Feasible
Adjective: capable of being done, effected, or accomplished;
probable; likely; suitable.
Synonyms: achievable, advantageous, appropriate, attainable,
beneficial, expedient, likely, practicable, practical, profitable,
reasonable, suitable, viable, workable, worthwhile, breeze, cinch,
duck soup.
Antonyms: disadvantageous, implausible, impossible,
impractical.
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Fester
ur
sm
ah
Verb: to form pus; generate purulent matter; suppurate; to cause
bo
ob
.w
ulceration, as a foreign body in the flesh; to putrefy or rot; to
or
dp
rankle, as a feeling of resentment.
re
ss
.c
Noun: an ulcer; a rankling sore; a small, purulent, superficial
om
sore.
Synonyms: smolder, aggravate, blister, canker, chafe, decay, gall,
gather, irk, maturate, putrefy, rankle, rot, suppurate.
Antonyms: build, delight, flourish, grow, improve.
Fiat
Noun: an authoritative decree, sanction, or order.
Synonyms: authorization, directive, ruling, mandate, diktat,
ukase.
Antonyms: denial, disapproval, opposition, veto.
Firebrand
Noun: a piece of burning wood or other material; a person who
kindles strife or encourages unrest; an agitator; troublemaker.
Synonyms: demonstrator, guerrilla, instigator, malcontent,
protester, rabble-rouser, rebel, revolutionist, troublemaker.
Flagship
Noun: a ship carrying the flag officer or the commander of a
fleet, squadron, or the like, and displaying the officer’s flag; the
main vessel of a shipping company; any of the best or largest
ships or airplanes operated by a passenger line.
Adjective: being or constituting a flagship.

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Synonyms: bellwether, crown jewel, chief, forerunner, head,
ur
sm
ah
flotilla leader, front runner, lead ship, mothership.
bo
ob
.w
Flak
or
dp
Noun: antiaircraft fire, especially as experienced by the crews of
re
ss
.c
combat airplanes at which the fire is directed; criticism; hostile
om
reaction; abuse.
Synonyms: abuse, brickbat, censure, condemnation,
disapprobation, disapproval, disparagement, hostility, knock,
opposition, pan, rap, swipe.
Antonyms: approval, commendation, compliment, endorsement.
Fringe
Noun: a decorative border of thread, cord, or the like, usually
hanging loosely from a raveled edge or separate strip; anything
resembling or suggesting this; an outer edge; margin; periphery.
Verb: to furnish with or as if with a fringe; to serve as a fringe
for, or to be arranged around or along so as to suggest a fringe.
Synonyms: brink, edge, hem, outskirts, perimeter, periphery,
skirt, verge, binding, borderline, brim, edging, flounce, limit,
mane, march, margin, outside.
Antonyms: center, inside, interior, middle.
Frisk
Verb: to dance, leap, skip, or gambol; frolic; to search (a person)
for concealed weapons, contraband goods, etc., by feeling the
person’s clothing.
Noun: a leap, skip, or caper; a frolic or gambol.
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w.
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Synonyms: bounce, caper, dance, frolic, gambol, hop, jump, lark,
ur
sm
ah
leap, play, prance, rollick, romp, skip, sport, trip.
bo
ob
.w
Antonym: face.
or
dp
re
Frontier
ss
.c
om
Noun: the part of a country that borders another country;
boundary; border; the land or territory that forms the furthest
extent of a country’s settled or inhabited regions.
Synonyms: borderland, borderline, bound, confines, edge, limit,
march, perimeter, verge.
Antonyms: center, inside, interior, middle.
Generic
Adjective: of, applicable to, or referring to all the members of a
genus, class, group, or kind; general; of, relating to, or noting a
genus, especially in biology; (of a word) applicable or referring to
both men and women.
Noun: a generic term; any product, as a type of food, drug, or
cosmetic commonly marketed under a brand name, that is sold in
a package without a brand.
Synonyms: universal, blanket, collective, comprehensive,
sweeping, all-encompassing, inclusive, nonexclusive.
Antonyms: exclusive, individual, particular, specific.

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Glimpse
ur
sm
ah
Noun: a very brief, passing look, sight, or view; a momentary or
bo
ob
.w
slight appearance; a vague idea; inkling; a gleam, as of light.
or
dp
re
Verb: to catch or take a glimpse of; to look briefly; glance
ss
.c
(usually followed by at); to come into view; appear faintly.
om
Synonyms: check out, peek, descry, espy, eye, flash, sight, spot,
spy, view, catch sight of, get a load of, get an eyeful, take a
gander, take in.
Antonyms: stare.
Grapple
Verb: to hold or make fast to something, as with a grapple; to use
a grapple; to seize another, or each other, in a firm grip, as in
wrestling; clinch; to seize, hold, or fasten with or as with a
grapple.
Noun: a hook or an iron instrument by which one thing, as a
ship, fastens onto another; grapnel; a seizing or gripping.
Synonyms: confront, contend, cope, deal with, attack, battle,
catch, clash, clasp, close, clutch, combat, encounter, engage, face,
fasten, fight, grasp, grip, hold, hook, hug, nab, nail, scuffle, seize,
snatch, struggle, tackle, take, tussle, do battle, take on.
Antonyms: agree, avoid, be immune, cancel.
Grudge
Noun: a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment resulting from
a past insult or injury.

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Verb: be resentfully unwilling to give or allow (something), feel
ur
sm
ah
resentful that (someone) has achieved (something)
bo
ob
.w
Synonyms: begrudge, resent, feel aggrieved/bitter about, be
or
dp
re
annoyed about, be angry about, be displeased about, grievance,
ss
.c
om
envy, begrudge, resent, mind
Gruesome
Adjective: causing repulsion or horror; grisly.
Synonyms: grisly, ghastly, frightful, horrid, horrifying, fearful,
hideous, macabre, spine-chilling, horrible, horrendous.
Antonyms: pleasant
H
Hail
Verb: to cheer, salute, or greet; welcome; to acclaim; approve
enthusiastically; to call out to in order to stop, attract attention,
ask aid, etc; to call out in order to greet, attract attention, etc.
Noun: a shout or call to attract attention; a salutation or greeting.
Synonyms: barrage, bombardment, hailstorm, rain, salvo, shower,
storm, volley, broadside, cannonade, pelting.
Hapless
Adjective: unlucky; luckless; unfortunate.
Synonyms: unlucky, woeful, behind the eightball, cursed, hexed,
ill-fated, ill-, red, infelicitous.
Antonyms: happy, fortuitous, fortunate, lucky, well-off.
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Hasten
ur
sm
ah
Verb: to move or act with haste; proceed with haste; hurry; to
bo
ob
.w
cause to hasten; accelerate.
or
dp
re
Synonyms: accelerate, expedite, precipitate, quicken, step up,
ss
.c
urge, advance, bolt, bound, burn, bustle, clip, dash, dispatch.
om
Antonyms: check, decelerate, halt, hinder, retard.
Headwind
Noun: a wind opposed to the course of a moving object,
especially an aircraft or other vehicle (opposed to tailwind ).
Hedge
Noun: a row of bushes or small trees planted close together,
especially when forming a fence or boundary; hedgerow; any
barrier or boundary.
Verb: to enclose with or separate by a hedge; to surround and
confine as if with a hedge; restrict (often followed by in, about,
etc.)
Synonyms: fence, shrubbery, barrier, bush, enclosure, guard,
hedgerow, hurdle, protection, quickset, screen, thicket,
windbreak.
Antonyms: opening.
Hook
Noun: anything that catches; snare; trap; something that attracts
attention or serves as an enticement.
Synonyms: absorbed, enamored, captivated, devoted, obsessed,
dependent, prone, strung out, under the influence.
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Holistic
ur
sm
ah
Adjective: incorporating the concept of holism, or the idea that
bo
ob
.w
the whole is more than merely the sum of its parts, in theory or
or
dp
practice
re
ss
.c
Synonyms: comprehensive, integrated, aggregate, entire, full,
om
total, universal.
Horizon
Noun: the line or circle that forms the apparent boundary
between earth and sky; the limit or range of perception,
knowledge, or the like.
Synonyms: boundary, perspective, prospect, scope, border,
compass, ken, limit, purview.
Huddle
Verb: to gather or crowd together in a close mass; to crouch, curl
up, or draw oneself together; Football. to get together in a
huddle.
Noun: a closely gathered group, mass, or heap; bunch.
Synonyms: disorganized bunch, chaos, cluster, clutter, confab,
conference, confusion, disarray, discussion, disorder, gathering,
group, heap, jumble.
Antonyms: arrangement, calm, harmony, individual.
Hyphenate
Verb: to join by a hyphen; to write or divide with a hyphen.
Adjective: of or relating to something of distinct form or origin
that has been joined; connected by a hyphen.
Noun: a person working or excelling in more than one craft or
occupation.
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I
ur
sm
ah
bo
Imminent
ob
.w
Adjective: likely to occur at any moment; impending; projecting
or
dp
re
or leaning forward; overhanging.
ss
.c
Synonyms: forthcoming, immediate, impending, inevitable, likely,
om
looming, possible, probable, unavoidable, about to happen,
approaching, brewing, close, coming, expectant, fast-
approaching, following, gathering, handwriting-on-the-wall, in
store, in the air, in the cards, in the offing, in the wind, in view,
ineluctable, inescapable.
Antonyms: avoidable, distant, escapable, later.
Impose
Verb: to lay on or set as something to be borne, endured, obeyed,
fulfilled, paid, etc.; to put or set by or as if by authority; to
obtrude or thrust (oneself, one’s company, etc.) upon others.
Synonyms: appoint, charge, demand, enforce, establish, foist,
force, inflict, institute, introduce, lay down.
Antonyms: disorder, displace, forget, overlook, prevent, remove,
aid.
Incumbent
Adjective: holding an indicated position, role, office, etc.,
currently; obligatory (often followed by on or upon).
Noun: the holder of an office; a person who holds an
ecclesiastical benefice.
Synonyms: binding, necessary, compelling, urgent.
Antonyms: unnecessary.
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Inducement
ur
sm
ah
Noun: the act of inducing; the state of being induced; something
bo
ob
.w
that induces, motivates, or persuades; incentive.
or
dp
re
Synonyms: encouragement, stimulus, attraction, bait, carrot,
ss
.c
cause, come-on, con, consideration, desire, hook, impulse,
om
incitement, influence, leader, lure, reward, spur, temptation.
Antonyms: discouragement, dislike, hate, repulsion.
Inevitable
Adjective: unable to be avoided, evaded, or escaped; certain;
necessary; sure to occur, happen, or come; unalterable.
Noun: that which is unavoidable.
Synonyms: imminent, impending, inescapable, inexorable,
irresistible, necessary, unavoidable, undeniable, binding,
doomed, pat, all locked up, assured, compulsory, decided,
decreed, destined, determined, fated, fateful, fixed, for certain,
foreordained, in the bag, ineluctable.
Antonyms: avoidable, distant, escapable, later.
Intelligentsia
Plural noun: intellectuals considered as a group or class,
especially as a cultural, social, or political elite.
Synonyms: circle, club, company, degree, family, grade, league,
place, position, ancestry, birth.
Antonyms: unemployment, conclusion, consequence, death,
effect, end, outgrowth, result.
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Invoke
ur
sm
ah
Verb: to call for with earnest desire; make supplication or pray
bo
ob
.w
or
for; to call on (a deity, Muse, etc.), as in prayer or supplication; to
dp
re
ss
declare to be binding or in effect; to appeal to, as for
.c
om
confirmation; to petition or call on for help or aid; to call forth or
upon (a spirit) by incantation.
Synonyms: appeal to, conjure, adjure, beg, beseech, crave, entreat,
implore, importune, petition, plead, pray, request, solicit,
summon, supplicate, call forth, send for.
Antonyms: answer, give, reply.
Inherent
Adjective: existing in someone or something as a permanent and
inseparable element, quality, or attribute; inhering.
Synonyms: constitutionally, genetically, intrinsically, naturally, by
birth, congenitally, immanently, inseparably, natively.
Intelligentsia
Noun: intellectuals considered as a group or class, especially as a
cultural, social, or political elite.
Synonyms: circle, club, company, degree, family, grade, league,
place, position, ancestry, birth.
Antonyms: unemployment, conclusion, consequence, death,
effect, end, outgrowth, result.
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Interlocutor
ur
sm
ah
Noun: a person who takes part in a conversation or dialogue; the
bo
ob
man in the middle of the line of performers in a minstrel troupe,
.w
or
dp
who acts as the announcer and banters with the end men; a
re
ss
.c
person who questions; interrogator.
om
Synonyms: interrogator, interviewer, questioner, speaker, talker,
dialogist.
Interventionism
Noun: the policy or doctrine of intervening, especially
government interference in the affairs of another state or in
domestic economic affairs.
Intrinsic
Adjective: belonging to a thing by its very nature.
Synonyms: deep-seated, elemental, inherent, innate, peculiar,
underlying, built-in, central, congenital, connate, constitutional,
constitutive, essential, fundamental, genuine, hereditary, inbred,
indwelling, inmost, intimate.
Antonyms: acquired, extrinsic, learned, accidental.
Intuitive
Adjective: perceiving directly by intuition without rational
thought, as a person or the mind; perceived by, resulting from, or
involving intuition; having or possessing intuition.
Synonyms: emotional, innate, perceptive, spontaneous, visceral,
automatic, direct, habitual, immediate, inherent, instinctual,
involuntary, natural, understood, unreflecting, untaught.
Antonyms: calculated, meditated, reasoned, taught.
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J
ur
sm
ah
Jactitation
bo
ob
.w
Noun: Law. a false boast or claim that causes injury to another.
or
dp
re
ss
Jittery
.c
om
Adjective: extremely tense and nervous; jumpy.
Synonyms: anxious, apprehensive, edgy, excitable, fidgety,
jumpy, panicky, restless, shaky, skittish, spooked, tense, uneasy,
uptight, antsy, high-strung.
Antonyms: calm, collected, composed, cool.
Jocund
Adjective: cheerful; merry; blithe; glad.
Synonyms: blithe, elated, jocose, jocular, jolly, lighthearted,
sprightly.
Antonyms: sad.
Jostle
Verb: to bump, push, shove, brush against, or elbow roughly or
rudely; to drive or force by, or as if by, pushing or shoving; to
exist in close contact or proximity with.
Noun: a shock, push, bump, or brush against someone or
something.
Synonyms: hustle, scramble, shove, bulldoze, butt, crash, crowd,
elbow, jab, jog, joggle, jolt.
Antonyms: leave alone, pull, repress.
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Jurisprudent
ur
sm
ah
Adjective: versed in jurisprudence.
bo
ob
.w
Noun: a person versed in jurisprudence.
or
dp
Synonyms: adjudicator, appraiser, arbiter, assessor, authority,
re
ss
.c
bench, chancellor, conciliator.
om
K
Keepsake
Noun: anything kept, or given to be kept, as a token of friendship
or affection; remembrance.
Synonyms: memento, relic, souvenir, trophy, emblem, favor,
memorial, remembrance, reminder, symbol, token.
Kickshaw
Noun: a tidbit or delicacy, especially one served as an appetizer
or hors d’oeuvre; something showy but without value; trinket;
trifle.
Kindred
Noun: a person’s relatives collectively; kinfolk; kin; a group of
persons related to another; family, tribe, or clan; natural
relationship; affinity.
Adjective: associated by origin, nature, qualities, etc.
Knuckle
Noun: a joint of a finger, especially one of the articulations of a
metacarpal with a phalanx; the rounded prominence of such a
joint when the finger is bent; a joint of meat, consisting of the
parts about the carpal or tarsal joint of a quadruped.
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w.
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Synonyms: accept, acquiesce, bend, capitulate, comply, defer, give
ur
sm
ah
in, kowtow, relent, succumb, surrender, yield.
bo
ob
.w
Antonyms: conquer, decline, deny, disagree.
or
dp
Kvell
re
ss
.c
Verb: to be extraordinarily pleased; especially, to be bursting
om
with pride, as over one’s family.
Launder
Verb: to wash (clothes, linens, etc.); to wash and iron (clothes); to
disguise the source of (illegal or secret funds or profits), usually
by transmittal through a foreign bank or a complex network of
intermediaries.
Synonyms: clean, cleanse.
Legitimate
Adjective: according to law; lawful; in accordance with
established rules, principles, or standards; born in wedlock or of
legally married parents; in accordance with the laws of
reasoning; logically inferable; logical.
Synonyms: appropriate, certain, consistent, correct, fair, genuine,
justifiable, lawful, logical, natural, normal, proper, real,
reasonable, reliable, rightful, sensible, statutory, true, well-
founded, accepted, accredited, acknowledged, authorized,
received, recognized, sanctioned, sound, warranted, admissible,
canonical, cogent, customary, innocent, just, licit.
Antonyms: abnormal, affected, counter, deceptive.
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Lobby
ur
sm
ah
Noun: an entrance hall, corridor, or vestibule, as in a public
bo
ob
.w
building, often serving as an anteroom; foyer; a large public
or
dp
re
room or hall adjacent to a legislative chamber; a group of persons
ss
.c
who work or conduct a campaign to influence members of a
om
legislature to vote according to the group’s special interest.
Verb: to solicit or try to influence the votes of members of a
legislative body.
Synonyms: corridor, doorway, foyer, hall, hallway, porch,
vestibule, waiting room, antechamber, gateway, passage,
passageway.
Lure
Noun: anything that attracts, entices, or allures; the power of
attracting or enticing; a decoy; live or especially artificial bait
used in fishing or trapping.
Verb: to attract, entice, or tempt; allure.
Synonyms: allurement, ambush, appeal, attraction, bribe, call,
camouflage, carrot.
Antonyms: certainty, discouragement, fact, hindrance.
Lynch
Verb: to put to death, especially by hanging, by mob action and
without legal authority.
Synonyms: execution, capital punishment, mob justice, stringing
up, the gallows, vigilante justice.

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M
ur
sm
ah
bo
Mandate
ob
.w
Noun: a command or authorization to act in a particular way on
or
dp
re
a public issue given by the electorate to its representative; a
ss
.c
command from a superior court or official to a lower one.
om
Verb: to authorize or decree (a particular action), as by the
enactment of law; to order or require; make mandatory; to
consign (a territory, colony, etc.) to the charge of a particular
nation under a mandate.
Synonyms: authorization, command, decree, directive, injunction,
instruction, sanction.
Antonyms: breach, break, denial, question, refusal, request.
Manifestation
Noun: an act of manifesting; the state of being manifested;
outward or perceptible indication; materialization; a public
demonstration, as for political effect.
Synonyms: demonstration, explanation, expression, indication,
instance, meaning, phenomenon, symptom, token, appearance,
disclosure, display, exposure, mark, materialization, revelation,
show, sign.
Antonyms: concealment, hiding, reality, secret.
Marginalize
Verb: to place in a position of marginal importance, influence, or
power.
Synonyms: criticize, demean, deprecate, diminish, disparage,
belittle, depreciate, dismiss.
Antonyms: elevate, praise, promote, celebrate, value, acclaim,
adulate.
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Modicum
ur
sm
ah
Noun: a moderate or small amount.
bo
ob
.w
Synonyms: iota, ounce, shred, atom, crumb, dash, drop, fraction,
or
dp
fragment, grain, inch, jot, little, minim, mite, molecule, particle,
re
ss
pinch, scrap, smidge.
.c
om
Antonyms: lot, entirety, total, whole.
Monetize
Verb: to legalize as money; to coin into money; to give the
character of money to; economics. To convert (a debt, especially
the national debt) into currency, especially by issuing
government securities or notes.
Synonyms: cast, construct, devise, fabricate, fashion, forge, invent,
issue, make, mold, produce, provide, punch, stamp, strike, make
up, think up.
Antonyms: break, demolish, destroy, dismantle.
N
Nag
Verb: to annoy by persistent faultfinding, complaints, or
demands; to keep in a state of troubled awareness or anxiety, as a
recurrent pain or problem.
Synonyms: annoy, badger, berate, fuss, hector, hound, irk, irritate,
pester, scold, tease, torment, vex, bait, bug, dog, eat.
Antonyms: aid, assist, compliment, delight.
Nasty
Adjective: physically filthy; disgustingly unclean; nauseating;
offensive; objectionable; dangerous; serious.

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Synonyms: awful, dirty, fierce, horrible, icky, murderous,
ur
sm
ah
noxious, obnoxious, ornery, outrageous, rough, tough,
bo
ob
unpleasant.
.w
or
Antonyms: agreeable, calm, delightful, easy.
dp
re
ss
Navigate
.c
om
Verb: to move on, over, or through (water, air, or land) in a ship
or aircraft; to direct or manage (a ship, aircraft, or guided missile)
on its course; to ascertain or plot and control the course or
position of (a ship, aircraft, etc.); to pass over (the sea or other
body of water), as a ship does.
Synonyms: cross, cruise, handle, maneuver, operate, sail, steer,
captain, direct, drive, helm, journey, pilot, plan, plot, skipper.
Antonyms: neglect, forget, get lost.
Negotiate
Verb: to deal or bargain with another or others, as in the
preparation of a treaty or contract or in preliminaries to a
business deal; to arrange for or bring about by discussion and
settlement of terms.
Synonyms: agree, arrange, confer, consult, debate, haggle, handle,
mediate, settle, work out, accommodate, adjudicate, adjust,
arbitrate, compose, concert, conciliate, connect, contract.
Antonyms: confuse, contend, disagree, mix up.
Norm
Noun: a standard, model, or pattern; general level or average.
Synonyms: benchmark, criterion, measure, model, pattern, rule,
barometer, gauge, mean, median, medium, par, scale,
touchstone, type, yardstick.
Antonyms: extreme, end, exception.
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O
ur
sm
ah
bo
Oasis
ob
.w
Noun: a small fertile or green area in a desert region, usually
or
dp
re
having a spring or well; something serving as a refuge, relief, or
ss
.c
pleasant change from what is usual, annoying, difficult, etc.
om
Synonyms: fountain, well, wellspring, watering hole.
Oligarch
Noun: one of the rulers in an oligarchy.
Synonyms: autocrat, boss, chief, commander, despot, fascist,
leader, tycoon, tyrant, absolutist, adviser, authoritarian.
Antonyms: employee, follower, worker.
Onerous
Adjective: burdensome, oppressive, or troublesome; causing
hardship; having or involving obligations or responsibilities,
especially legal ones, that outweigh the advantages.
Synonyms: arduous, backbreaking, burdensome, cumbersome,
demanding, difficult, distressing, excessive, exhausting, grueling,
harsh.
Antonyms: calm, easy, easy-going, effortless.
Opportunism
Noun: the policy or practice, as in politics, business, or one’s
personal affairs, of adapting actions, decisions, etc., to
expediency or effectiveness regardless of the sacrifice of ethical
principles; action or judgment in accordance with this policy.
Synonyms: advantage, advantageousness, expedience,
exploitation, opportunity, timeliness.

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Overhear
ur
sm
ah
Verb: to hear (speech or a speaker) without the speaker’s
bo
ob
intention or knowledge.
.w
or
dp
Synonyms: discovered, heard, recorded.
re
ss
.c
P
om
Pace
Noun: a rate of movement, especially in stepping, walking, etc.; a
rate of activity, progress, growth, performance, etc.; tempo.
Synonyms: clip, measure, step, footstep, gait, lick, stride, tread,
walk, get along.
Paternalism
Noun: the system, principle, or practice of managing or
governing individuals, businesses, nations, etc., in the manner of
a father dealing benevolently and often intrusively with his
children.
Synonyms: condescending, patronizing, dismissive, oppressive.
Paradox
Noun: a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or
absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth; any person,
thing, or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature.
Synonyms: absurdity, ambiguity, anomaly, enigma, inconsistency,
mystery, oddity, catch, error.
Antonyms: normality, regularity, standard, usualness, accuracy,
certainty, correction, same, success.
Peer-review
Noun: evaluation of a person’s work or performance by a group
of people in the same occupation, profession, or industry.

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Perinatal
ur
sm
ah
Adjective: occurring during or pertaining to the phase
bo
ob
surrounding the time of birth, from the twentieth week of
.w
or
dp
gestation to the twenty-eighth day of newborn life.
re
ss
.c
Pernicious
om
Adjective: causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious;
hurtful; deadly; fatal; evil; wicked.
Synonyms: damaging, dangerous, deadly, destructive,
detrimental, devastating, harmful, lethal, malicious, nefarious,
noxious, poisonous, ruinous, toxic, virulent, baleful, deleterious.
Antonyms: advantageous, assisting, beneficial, benevolent.
Persistence
Noun: the act or fact of persisting; the quality of being persistent;
continued existence or occurrence; the continuance of an effect
after its cause is removed.
Synonyms: endurance, grit, perseverance, stamina, tenacity,
constancy, doggedness.
Antonyms: apathy, laziness, lethargy, weakness, idleness,
indifference, indolence.
Pertinent
Adjective: pertaining or relating directly and significantly to the
matter at hand; relevant.
Synonyms: admissible, applicable, appropriate, germane,
opportune, related, ad rem, apposite, apropos, apt, connected, fit,
fitting, kosher, legit, material.
Antonyms: improper, inapplicable, inappropriate, irrelevant.

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Pinprick
ur
sm
ah
Noun: any minute puncture made by a pin or the like; a
bo
ob
.w
negligible irritation or annoyance.
or
dp
re
Placard
ss
.c
om
Noun: a paperboard sign or notice, as one posted in a public
place or carried by a demonstrator or picketer.
Verb: to display placards on or in; to publicize, announce, or
advertise by means of placards; to post as a placard.
Synonyms: advertisement, banner, billboard, handbill, marquee,
poster, signboard, announcement, bill, public notice.
Placid
Adjective: pleasantly calm or peaceful; unruffled; tranquil;
serenely quiet or undisturbed.
Synonyms: easygoing, even-tempered, gentle, peaceful, quiet,
serene, tranquil, collected, composed, cool, cool as a cucumber,
detached.
Antonyms: agitated, clamorous, disturbed, excited, loud.
Plight
Noun: a condition, state, or situation, especially an unfavorable
or unfortunate one.
Synonyms: condition, predicament, quandary, trouble,
circumstances, corner, extremity, fix, hole, impasse, jam,
perplexity, pickle, pinch, scrape.
Antonyms: advantage, solution, benefit, boon.

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Plummet
ur
sm
ah
Noun: a piece of lead or some other weight attached to a line,
bo
ob
.w
used for determining perpendicularity, for sounding, etc.; the
or
dp
bob of a plumb line; something that weighs down or depresses.
re
ss
.c
Verb: to plunge.
om
Synonyms: collapse, crash, decline, decrease, descend, dip, dive,
drop, drop down, fall, nose-dive, plunge, sink, skid, tumble,
downturn, dump, precipitate, stoop, swoop.
Antonyms: ascend, go up, grow, increase.
Poignant
Adjective: keenly distressing to the feelings; keen or strong in
mental appeal; affecting or moving the emotions; pungent to the
smell.
Synonyms: bitter, disturbing, emotional, heartbreaking,
heartrending, moving, passionate, pathetic, sad, sentimental,
touching, agitating, agonizing, distressing, impressive, intense,
perturbing, piteous, pitiful.
Antonyms: cheerful, happy, indifferent, unaffecting.
Polarization
Noun: a sharp division, as of a population or group, into
opposing factions.
Synonyms: emission, broadcast, circulation, diffraction,
diffusion, dispersal, dispersion, dissipation, distribution,
divarication, divergence, propagation, ramification, scattering,
spread, transmission.
Antonym: collection.
ww
w.
yo
Portfolio
ur
sm
ah
Noun: a flat, portable case for carrying loose papers, drawings,
bo
ob
.w
etc; such a case for carrying documents of a government
or
dp
re
department; the total holdings of the securities, commercial
ss
.c
om
paper, etc., of a financial institution or private investor; the office
or post of a minister of state or member of a cabinet.
Synonyms: bag, briefcase, case, container, envelope, folder,
notebook, valise, attaché case, brief bag.
Premise
Noun: Also, premiss. Logic. a proposition supporting or helping
to support a conclusion; a tract of land including its buildings; a
building together with its grounds or other appurtenances; the
property forming the subject of a conveyance or bequest.
Verb: to set forth beforehand, as by way of introduction or
explanation; to assume, either explicitly or implicitly, (a
proposition) as a premise for a conclusion.
Antonyms: denial, reality, rejection, fact.
Punitive
Adjective: serving for, concerned with, or inflicting punishment.
Synonyms: disciplinary, penal, punishing, retaliatory, vindictive,
punitory.
Antonyms: beneficial, rewarding.

ww
w.
yo
Precursor
ur
sm
ah
Noun: a person or thing that precedes, as in a job, a method, etc.;
bo
ob
.w
predecessor; a person, animal, or thing that goes before and
or
dp
indicates the approach of someone or something else; harbinger.
re
ss
.c
Synonyms: or event beforehand forerunner, harbinger, herald,
om
messenger, outrider, usher, vanguard.
Premier
Noun: the head of the cabinet; first minister; prime minister; a
chief officer.
Adjective: first in rank; chief; leading; first in time; earliest;
oldest.
Presumptive
Adjective: affording ground for presumption; based on
likelihood or presumption; regarded as such by presumption;
based on inference.
Synonyms: probable, circumstantial, possible.
Pretense
Noun: pretending or feigning; make-believe; a false show of
something; a piece of make-believe; the act of pretending.
Synonyms: charade, cloak, pretext, semblance, veneer, act, acting,
affectation, appearance, artifice, claim, deceit, deception, display,
dissimulation, double-dealing, evasion, excuse, fabrication,
facade, fakery, falsification, feigning, gag, guise, insincerity,
invention.
Antonyms: reality, frankness, honesty, honor.
ww
w.
yo
Proliferation
ur
sm
ah
Noun: the growth or production of cells by multiplication of
bo
ob
parts; a rapid and often excessive spread or increase.
.w
or
dp
Synonyms: generation, procreation, propagation, reproduction.
re
ss
Punitive
.c
om
Adjective: serving for, concerned with, or inflicting punishment.
Synonyms: disciplinary, penal, punishing, retaliatory, vindictive,
castigating, correctional, in reprisal, in retaliation, revengeful.
Antonyms: beneficial, rewarding.
Q
Quell
Verb: to suppress; put an end to; extinguish; to vanquish;
subdue; to quiet or allay (emotions, anxieties, etc.).
Synonyms: annihilate, conquer, crush, extinguish, overcome, put
down, quench, silence, stamp out, stifle, subdue, kill, overpower,
queer, stop, subjugate.
Antonyms: build up, compliment, encourage, help.
Quip
Verb: make a witty remark.
Synonyms: joke, jest, pun, sally, banter
Quotation
Noun: a group of words taken from a text or speech and
repeated by someone other than the original author or speaker; A
formal statement setting out the estimated cost for a particular
job or service.
Synonyms: citation, quote, reference, mention, allusion, excerpt,
extract, price, quote, tender, bid, cost
ww
w.
yo
R
ur
sm
ah
Rationalize
bo
ob
.w
Verb: to ascribe (one’s acts, opinions, etc.) To causes that
or
dp
re
superficially seem reasonable and valid but that actually are
ss
.c
unrelated to the true, possibly unconscious and often less
om
creditable or agreeable causes; to remove unreasonable elements
from; to make rational or conformable to reason; to treat or
explain in a rational or rationalistic manner.
Synonyms: deliberate, elucidate, excise, excuse, extenuate, reason,
reconcile, resolve, think, vindicate, account for, apply logic, cop a
plea, cop out, explain away.
Rebuke
Verb: to express sharp, stern disapproval of; reprove; reprimand.
Noun: sharp, stern disapproval; reproof; reprimand.
Synonyms: admonition, censure, condemnation, disapproval,
punishment, rebuff, reproach, snub, admonishment, affliction,
berating, blame, castigation, chiding, comeuppance, correction,
earful, expostulation, going-over, lecture, lesson, objurgation.
Antonyms: approval, encouragement, endorsement, exoneration.
Recessive
Adjective: tending to go, move, or slant back; receding; genetics.
Of or relating to a recessive.
Synonyms: receding, relapsing, dormant, inactive, latent,
regressive, suspended.
Antonyms: dominant, overbalancing, prevailing.
ww
w.
yo
Reckon
ur
sm
ah
Verb: to count, compute, or calculate, as in number or amount; to
bo
ob
esteem or consider; regard as.
.w
or
dp
Synonyms: calculate, look upon, surmise, take account of,
re
ss
account, appraise, approximate, call, cast, cipher, compute,
.c
om
conjecture, consider.
Antonyms: abandon, cancel, disbelieve, displace.
Reconcile
Verb: to cause (a person) to accept or be resigned to something
not desired; to win over to friendliness; cause to become
amicable; to compose or settle (a quarrel, dispute, etc.); to bring
into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent.
Synonyms: accommodate, appease, assuage, conform, coordinate,
harmonize, integrate, pacify, placate, rectify, resolve, reunite,
accord, accustom, arbitrate, arrange, attune, compose.
Antonyms: agitate, fight, incite, irritate.
Refurbish
Verb: to furbish again; renovate; brighten.
Synonyms: fix up, modernize, overhaul, recondition, redo, refit,
rehabilitate, remodel, renovate, repair, restore, revamp, update,
mend, refresh.
Antonyms: antique, break, damage, destroy.
Refutation
Noun: an act of refuting a statement, charge, etc.; disproof.
Synonyms: rebuttal, argument, confutation, disproof, elenchus.
Antonyms: confirmation.

ww
w.
yo
Reimburse
ur
sm
ah
Verb: to make repayment to for expense or loss incurred; to pay
bo
ob
back; refund; repay.
.w
or
dp
Synonyms: payment, remuneration, repayment, restitution,
re
ss
indemnification, recompense.
.c
om
Repeal
Verb: to revoke or withdraw formally or officially; to revoke or
annul (a law, tax, duty, etc.) By express legislative enactment;
abrogate.
Noun: the act of repealing; revocation; abrogation.
Synonyms: abolish, abrogate, annul, cancel, dismantle, invalidate,
lift, nullify, rescind, reverse, revoke, set aside, void, wipe out,
withdraw, backpedal.
Antonyms: allow, approve, build, enforce.
Respite
Noun: a delay or cessation for a time, especially of anything
distressing or trying; an interval of relief; temporary suspension
of the execution of a person condemned to death; reprieve.
Verb: to relieve temporarily, especially from anything distressing
or trying; give an interval of relief from; to grant delay in the
carrying out of (a punishment, obligation, etc.).
Synonyms: breather, breathing space, downtime, hiatus,
interruption, layoff, letup, lull, recess, relaxation, relief, reprieve,
truce, acquittal, adjournment, break, breath, cessation, deadlock,
deferment, delay, deliverance, discharge, ease, exculpation, five,
forgiveness, halt.
Antonyms: continuation, advance, beginning, blame.
ww
w.
yo
Robust
ur
sm
ah
Adjective: strong and healthy; hardy; vigorous; strongly or
bo
ob
.w
stoutly built; suited to or requiring bodily strength or endurance;
or
dp
re
rough, rude, or boisterous.
ss
.c
om
Synonyms: booming, hearty, hefty, potent, powerful, prosperous,
sturdy, tough, vigorous, able-bodied, athletic, boisterous,
brawny, built.
Antonyms: fragile, impotent, incapable, ineffective.
S
Savvy
Adjective: experienced, knowledgeable, and well-informed;
shrewd (often used in combination): consumers who are savvy
about prices.
Noun: practical understanding; shrewdness or intelligence;
common sense.
Verb: to know; understand.
Schlemiel
Noun: an awkward and unlucky person for whom things never
turn out right.
Synonyms: blockhead, boob, bungler, dimwit, dope, dork,
dumbbell.
Antonyms: brain, genius.

ww
w.
yo
Scrutiny
ur
sm
ah
Noun: a searching examination or investigation; minute inquiry;
bo
ob
.w
surveillance; close and continuous watching or guarding; a close
or
dp
and searching look.
re
ss
.c
Synonyms: analysis, audit, inquiry, inspection, investigation,
om
review, search, surveillance, exploration, perusal, scan, sifting,
study, survey, tab, view, close-up, eagle eye, long hard look, the
eye.
Seigniorage
Noun: something claimed by a sovereign or superior as a
prerogative; a charge on bullion brought to the mint to be coined;
the difference between the cost of the bullion plus minting
expenses and the value as money of the pieces coined,
constituting a source of government revenue.
Servile
Adjective: slavishly submissive or obsequious; fawning;
characteristic of, proper to, or customary for slaves; abject;
yielding slavishly; truckling (usually followed by to); extremely
imitative, especially in the arts; lacking in originality; being in
slavery; oppressed.
Synonyms: abject, base, beggarly, bootlicking, craven, cringing,
despicable, eating crow, eating humble pie, fawning, humble,
ignoble, low, mean, obedient, obeisant, obsequious, passive,
slavish, submissive.
Antonyms: aggressive, dominant.

ww
w.
yo
Shunt
ur
sm
ah
Verb: to shove or turn (someone or something) aside or out of
bo
ob
the way; to sidetrack; get rid of.
.w
or
dp
Synonyms: avoid, deter, fend off, foil, forestall, halt.
re
ss
Antonyms: aid, allow, assist, help, support.
.c
om
Shoulder
Verb (used with object): to assume as a responsibility; to push
with or as if with the shoulder, especially roughly; to take upon,
support, or carry on or as if on the shoulder or shoulders.
Verb (used without object): to push with or as if with the
shoulder.
Noun: the part of each side of the body in humans, at the top of
the trunk, extending from each side of the base of the neck to the
region where the arm articulates with the trunk.
Synonyms: accept, assume, bear, carry, take on, take upon oneself.
Antonyms: difference, disproportion, dissimilarity, extreme,
imbalance, inequality.
Sizeable
Adjective: sizable.
Synonyms: colossal, considerable, enormous, gigantic,
humongous, monumental, tremendous, vast, whopping,
astronomic, epic, ginormous, jumbo, mammoth, massive.
Antonyms: insignificant, little, small, teeny.
Slander
Noun: defamation; calumny; a malicious, false, and defamatory
statement or report; Law. defamation by oral utterance rather
than by writing, pictures, etc.
ww
w.
yo
Verb: to utter slander against; defame.
ur
sm
ah
Synonyms: defamatory, disparaging, malicious, calumniatory,
bo
ob
.w
maligning, opprobrious.
or
dp
Antonym: complementary.
re
ss
.c
Slaughter
om
Noun: the killing or butchering of cattle, sheep, etc., especially
for food; the brutal or violent killing of a person; the killing of
great numbers of people or animals indiscriminately; carnage.
Synonyms: annihilation, bloodbath, bloodshed, butchery, carnage,
destruction, extermination, liquidation.
Antonym: birth.
Sludge
Noun: mud, mire, or ooze; slush; a deposit of ooze at the bottom
of a body of water; any of various more or less mudlike deposits
or mixtures; the sediment in a steam boiler or water tank; broken
ice, as on the sea.
Synonyms: goo, grease, gunk, muck, sediment, silt, slime, glop,
goop, mire, oil, ooze, scum, slop.
Snag
Noun: a tree or part of a tree held fast in the bottom of a river,
lake, etc., and forming an impediment or danger to navigation; a
short, projecting stump, as of a branch broken or cut off; any
sharp or rough projection; a jagged hole, tear, pull, or run in a
fabric, as caused by catching on a sharp projection.
Verb: to run or catch up on a snag; to damage by so doing.
ww
w.
yo
Synonyms: barrier, bug, crunch, difficulty, disadvantage,
ur
sm
ah
drawback, glitch, hitch, holdup, hurdle, impediment,
bo
ob
inconvenience, obstacle, stumbling block, bar, blockade, brake,
.w
or
dp
catch, clog.
re
ss
.c
Antonyms: advantage, aid, assistance, benefit.
om
Snarl
Verb: to growl threateningly or viciously, especially with a
raised upper lip to bare the teeth, as a dog; to speak in a surly or
threatening manner suggestive of a dog’s snarl.
Noun: the act of snarling; a snarling sound or utterance.
Synonyms: bark, growl, mutter, abuse, bluster, bully, complain,
fulminate, gnarl, mumble, murmur, quarrel, snap, threaten,
thunder, yelp.
Antonyms: approve, compliment, defend.
Spat
Noun: a petty quarrel; a light blow; slap; smack.
Verb: to engage in a petty quarrel or dispute.
Synonyms: altercation, bickering, brouhaha, difference of opinion,
disagreement, discord, falling-out, feud, flare-up, fracas, friction,
misunderstanding, run-in, squabble, strife.
Antonyms: agreement, concord, concurrence, harmony.
Squalid
Adjective: foul and repulsive, as from lack of care or cleanliness;
neglected and filthy; wretched; miserable; degraded; sordid.

ww
w.
yo
Synonyms: dingy, fetid, filthy, grimy, muddy, musty, ramshackle,
ur
sm
ah
seedy, shabby, sordid, wretched, abominable, base, broken-
bo
ob
down, decayed.
.w
or
dp
Antonyms: bright, clean, clear, good.
re
ss
.c
Stature
om
Noun: the height of a human or animal body; the height of any
object; degree of development attained; level of achievement.
Synonyms: ability, cachet, caliber, capacity, competence, dignity,
eminence, prestige, prominence, qualification, quality, size,
standing, status, value.
Antonyms: impotence, inability, inadequacy, incompetence,
lowliness, unimportance.
Stint
Verb: to be frugal; get along on a scanty allowance; to cease
action; desist; to limit to a certain amount, number, share, or
allowance, often unduly; set limits to; restrict; to bring to an end;
check.
Noun: a period of time spent doing something; an allotted
amount or piece of work.
Synonyms: assignment, duty, job, spell, stretch, tour, bit, chore,
consignment, participation, quota, share, shift, task, term, time.
Antonyms: entertainment, failure, fun, pastime.
Stipulation
Noun: a condition, demand, or promise in an agreement or
contract; the act of stipulating.

ww
w.
yo
Synonyms: arrangement, clause, obligation, precondition,
ur
sm
ah
provision, qualification, requirement, restriction, specification,
bo
ob
.w
agreement.
or
dp
re
Antonyms: disagreement, implication, request, wish.
ss
.c
om
Streamline
Noun: a teardrop line of contour offering the least possible
resistance to a current of air, water, etc.; the path of a particle that
is flowing steadily and without turbulence in a fluid past an
object.
Verb: to make streamlined.
Synonyms: consolidate, integrate, rationalize, unify, accumulate,
amalgamate, assemble, compact.
Antonyms: divide, separate, disorder, disorganize, disperse,
enlarge.
Stringent
Adjective: rigorously binding or exacting; strict; severe;
compelling, constraining, or urgent; convincing or forcible.
Synonyms: binding, demanding, draconian, exacting, forceful,
harsh, inflexible, ironclad, rigorous, severe, stiff, strict, tough,
acrimonious, brick-wall, by the book, by the numbers,
compelling, confining, convincing, dead set on, drawing, dyed-
in-the-wool.
Antonyms: amenable, calm, easy, easy-going.

ww
w.
yo
Substantial
ur
sm
ah
Adjective: of ample or considerable amount, quantity, size, etc.;
bo
ob
of a corporeal or material nature; tangible; real; basic or essential;
.w
or
dp
fundamental; wealthy or influential; of real worth, value, or
re
ss
effect.
.c
om
Synonyms: big, consequential, considerable, extraordinary,
generous, hefty, large, massive, meaningful, serious, significant,
sizable.
Antonyms: broken, inconsiderable, insignificant, intermittent,
little, meaningless, miniature, minor, selfish.
Synergy
Noun: the interaction of elements that when combined produce a
total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual
elements, contributions, etc.; synergism.
Synonyms: teamwork, alliance, coaction, harmony, symbiosis,
synergism, union, unity, combined effort, team effort, teaming,
working together.
Antonyms: discord, divorce, separation.
T
Tad
Noun: a small child, especially a boy; a very small amount or
degree; bit.
Synonyms: babe, chick, child, kid, toddler, youngster, bairn,
bambino, bundle, buttercup, button, cherub, crawler, deduction,
dividend, dumpling, newborn, nipper.
Antonyms: adult, adolescent.

ww
w.
yo
Tempt
ur
sm
ah
Verb: to entice or allure to do something often regarded as
bo
ob
.w
unwise, wrong, or immoral; to attract, appeal strongly to, or
or
dp
invite; to render strongly disposed to do something.
re
ss
.c
Synonyms: appeal to, attract, captivate, charm, dare, fascinate,
om
induce, intrigue, invite, motivate, persuade, seduce, stimulate,
tantalize, woo, allure, bait, coax, court, decoy, draw, entrap,
honey, hook, incite, influence, instigate, inveigle, move, oil,
promote.
Antonyms: bore, depress, discourage, disenchant.
Tenet
Noun: any opinion, principle, doctrine, dogma, etc., especially
one held as true by members of a profession, group, or
movement.
Synonyms: assumption, credo, creed, doctrine, dogma, faith,
precept, presumption, teaching, canon, conception, conviction,
impression, maxim, opinion, persuasion, position, profession,
rule, system, thesis.
Antonyms: disbelief, doubt, reality, skepticism.
Threshold
Noun: the sill of a doorway; the entrance to a house or building;
any place or point of entering or beginning.
Synonyms: brink, verge, dawn, door, doorstep, doorway, edge,
entrance, gate, inception, origin, outset, point, sill, vestibule.
Antonyms: middle, completion, conclusion, death.
ww
w.
yo
Tightrope
ur
sm
ah
Noun: a rope or wire cable, stretched tight, on which acrobats
bo
ob
.w
perform feats of balancing, a tough situation.
or
dp
re
Verb: to walk, move, or proceed on or as on a tightrope; to make
ss
.c
(one’s way, course, etc.) on or as on a tightrope.
om
Tremor
Noun: involuntary shaking of the body or limbs, as from disease,
fear, weakness, or excitement; a fit of trembling; any tremulous
or vibratory movement; vibration; a trembling or quivering
effect, as of light.
Synonyms: earthquake, shiver, upheaval, vibration, agitation,
flutter, quake, quaking, quaver, quiver, quivering, ripple, shake,
shivering.
Antonyms: stillness.
Triumph
Noun: the act, fact, or condition of being victorious or
triumphant; victory; conquest; a significant success or
noteworthy achievement; instance or occasion of victory.
Verb: to gain a victory; be victorious; win; to gain mastery;
prevail.
Synonyms: celebration, joy, pride, elation, exultation, festivity,
jubilance, jubilation, jubilee, merriment, rejoicing, reveling,
exultance.
Antonyms: disaster, failure, forfeit, loss.

ww
w.
yo
Tweak
ur
sm
ah
Verb: to pinch and pull with a jerk and twist; to pull or pinch the
bo
ob
.w
nose of, especially gently; to make a minor adjustment to.
or
dp
re
Noun: an act or instance of tweaking; a sharp, twisting pull or
ss
.c
om
jerk.
Synonyms: tease, twist, jerk, pinch, pluck, pull.
U
Unequivocally
Adverb: in a way that is clear and unambiguous; in a way that is
not subject to conditions or exceptions.
Synonyms: clearly, determinedly, distinctly, downright,
positively, really, terribly, unmistakably, emphatically,
absolutely, bloody, by all means, decisively, flat out, for a fact, in
spades, no catch.
Antonym: doubtfully.
Underscore
Verb: to mark with a line or lines underneath; underline, as for
emphasis; to stress; emphasize.
Noun: a line drawn beneath something written or printed; music
for a film soundtrack; background for a film or stage production.
Synonyms: accentuate, highlight, indicate, mark, stress, accent,
caption, feature, italicize.

ww
w.
yo
V
ur
sm
ah
Vantage
bo
ob
.w
Noun: a position, condition, or place affording some advantage
or
dp
or a commanding view; an advantage or superiority.
re
ss
.c
Synonyms: aid, ascendancy, asset, assistance, authority, avail,
om
blessing, boon, break, choice, comfort, convenience, dominance,
drop, edge, eminence.
Antonyms: bad fortune, bad luck, block, blockage.
Vigilante
Noun: a member of a vigilance committee; any person who takes
the law into his or her own hands, as by avenging a crime.
Adjective: done violently and summarily, without recourse to
lawful procedures.
Synonyms: angel, attendant, cerberus, champion, chaperon,
chaperone, conservator, cop, curator, custodian, defender, escort,
guard, keeper, nurse, overseer.
Vigor
Noun: active strength or force; healthy physical or mental energy
or power; vitality; energetic activity; energy; intensity; force of
healthy growth in any living matter or organism, as a plant;
active or effective force, especially legal validity.
Synonyms: ability, agility, alertness, capability, dynamism,
endurance, intensity, potency, quickness, strength, urgency,
vitality, action, activity, bang.
Antonyms: apathy, clumsiness, impotence, inability.

ww
w.
yo
W
ur
sm
ah
Waul
bo
ob
.w
Verb: give a loud plaintive cry like that of a cat.
or
dp
re
Wean
ss
.c
Verb: be strongly influenced by (something), especially from an
om
early age.
Waiver
Noun: an act or instance of waiving a right or claim; a document
recording the waiving of a right or claim.
Synonyms: renunciation, surrender, repudiation, rejection,
relinquishment, abdication, disavowal, refusal, disaffirmation,
dispensation
Wholehearted
Adjective: showing or characterized by complete sincerity and
commitment.
Synonyms: committed, positive, emphatic, devoted, dedicated,
enthusiastic, unshakeable, unflinching, unswerving, constant,
staunch, loyal
X
Xenic
Adjective: of, relating to, or employing a culture medium
containing one or more unidentified organisms
Xenophobia
Noun: dislike of or prejudice against people from other
countries.

ww
w.
yo
Synonyms: racism, racialism, racial hatred, ethnocentrism,
ur
sm
ah
ethnocentricity
bo
ob
.w
Xenial
or
dp
re
Adjective: of, relating to, or constituting hospitality or relations
ss
.c
om
between host and guest
Y
Yatter
Verb: to chatter or jabber.
Yowl
Verb: to utter a long, distressful or dismal cry, as an animal or a
person; howl.
Noun: a yowling cry; a howl.
Synonyms: bawl, bay, caterwaul, cry, holler, howl, mewl, scream,
screech, squall, squeal, ululate, wail, whine, yell, yelp.
Z
Zeal
Noun: fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or
endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor.
Synonyms: ardor, determination, devotion, diligence, eagerness,
earnestness, fanaticism, fervor, gusto, inclination, intensity,
passion, perseverance, sincerity, spirit, urgency, verve, warmth,
zest, alacrity, bustle, dispatch, drive, enterprise, fierceness, fire.
Antonyms: apathy, coolness, disinterest, dullness.
ww
w.
yo
Zenith
ur
sm
ah
Noun: the point on the celestial sphere vertically above a given
bo
ob
.w
position or observer; a highest point or state; culmination.
or
dp
Synonyms: acme, altitude, apex, apogee, cap, capstone, climax,
re
ss
.c
crest, crown, culmination, elevation, eminence, height, meridian.
om
Antonyms: base, bottom, depth, lowness.
Zest
Noun: keen relish; hearty enjoyment; gusto; an agreeable or
piquant flavor imparted to something.
Verb: to give zest, relish, or piquancy to.
Zonule
Noun: a little zone, belt, band, or the like.


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This book provides a framework for learning the key concepts of

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We would like to thank our experienced faculties, subject-matter

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SBI PO 2016 ........................................................................................ 197

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1. Right to Freedom of Expression

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The scientists refer to climate catastrophe as sudden temperature

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GIFT i.e. Gujarat International Finance Tec-City is a planned

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Global warming is defined ass a sustained increase in the average

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[Word Limit- 250 Words]

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The right to privacy is a component of various legal customs to

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SOME OTHER KEY POINTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT

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49. Female Foeticide : Root Causes, Practices and Prevention

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ESSAY WRITING EXERCISE

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Any kind of communication that is official can be carried out by