PARAGRAPH,WORDS AND MEANINGS

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Topic Of The Day:-“The Bhutan Vote”

As The Country Prepares For The Second Round Of Elections, Change Is Certain

The results of Bhutan’s general election will have significant repercussions for South Asia. The first round held in September has already delivered a surprise verdict, with the ousting of the incumbent People’s Democratic Party. The two parties left in the fray represent opposites in terms of their experience. The Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa, that won the maximum number of votes in the first round this year, is a political neophyte. The Druk Phuensum Tshogpa, on the other hand, won the first Bhutanese elections in 2008, and the first round of the election in 2013 before losing to the PDP. It maintains a strong traditional base. The first round of the results also threw up some glaring trends. While the ordinary voter who queued up to vote at the polling booths favoured the PDP, ultimately the postal ballots, used by government officials and their families as well as military personnel, swung the vote in the other direction. Another outcome, which may be disquieting for whichever party comes to power, is that votes in the first round of elections were polarised between more prosperous Western Bhutan and less developed Eastern Bhutan. The DPT, for example, won all but one constituency in the east, while winning only two in the west; the DNT and PDP won seats only in the western half. The vertical split doesn’t just denote a development divide, it points to a feeling of discontent in a country generally known as a whole for its Gross National Happiness quotient.

Regardless of which party wins on Thursday, India-Bhutan ties are expected to be accorded their customary priority by New Delhi and Thimphu, given that Bhutan’s monarch, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, retains a considerable influence over the nation’s foreign policy. Along with his father, and predecessor as king, he has consistently stressed his commitment to the bilateral relationship. However, India must note that while the DNT has made “narrowing the gap” its motto, the DPT, which lost elections in 2013 after India suddenly pulled fuel subsidies for Bhutan, has campaigned on the slogan of “sovereignty and self-sufficiency”. The ‘China factor’ will be closely watched for its impact, a year after the India-China standoff on the Bhutanese Doklam plateau. This year marks the 50th anniversary of formal relations between India and Bhutan, built on cultural ties, mutual strategic interests, and India’s role in building roads and assisting in hydropower projects that became the mainstay of the Bhutanese economy. It is expected that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lose no time in visiting Bhutan to consolidate the relationship once the new Prime Minister is in the saddle.

MEANINGS AND WORDS

1) Repercussions

Meaning: An unintended consequence of an event or action, especially an unwelcome one.

Synonyms: Consequence, result, effect

Antonyms: Cause

Example:  “The move would have grave repercussions for the entire region”

2) Verdict

Meaning: An opinion or judgment.

Synonyms: Judgement, adjudication, judgment

Antonyms: Accusation

Example: “This seems a fair verdict on the tabloids”

3) Ousting

Meaning: Drive out or expel (someone) from a position or place.

Synonyms: Drive out, expel, force out, throw out

Antonyms: Take in, Give, Keep

Example: “The reformists were ousted from power”

4) Incumbent (adj)

Meaning: (of an official or regime) Currently holding office.

Synonyms: Current, existing, present

Antonyms: Previous

Example: “The incumbent President was defeated”

5) Fray

Meaning: A situation of intense competitive activity.

Synonyms: Battle, engagement, conflict

Antonyms: Peace, Calm, Accord

Example: “Ten companies intend to bid for the contract, with three more expected to enter the fray”

6) Neophyte

Meaning: A person who is new to a subject or activity.

Synonyms: Beginner, learner, novice

Antonyms: Expert & Professional

Example: “Four-day cooking classes are offered to neophytes and experts”

7) Threw Up

Meaning: To give up; abandon, relinquish

Synonyms: Bring Up, Disgorge

Antonyms: Destroy, Raze

8) Swung

Meaning: Have a decisive influence on (something, especially a vote or election).

Synonyms: Change, fluctuate, oscillate

Antonyms: Stay, Be Still, Straighten

Example: “An attempt to swing the vote in their favor”

 

9) Polarize

Meaning: Divide or cause to divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs.

Synonyms: Separate, Demarcate

Antonyms: Combine, Join & Merge

Example: “The cultural sphere has polarized into two competing ideological positions”

10) Denote

Meaning: Be a sign of; indicate.

Synonyms: Designate, indicate

Antonyms: Conceal, Disprove, Ignore

Example: “This mark denotes purity and quality”

11) Discontent

Meaning: Dissatisfaction with one’s circumstances; lack of contentment.

Synonyms: Dissatisfaction, disaffection

Antonyms: Calm, Happiness, Satisfaction

Example: “Voters voiced discontent with both parties”

12) Accord

Meaning: Give or grant someone (power, status, or recognition).

Synonyms: Give, grant, tender, present

Antonyms: Discord, Disagreement

Example: “The powers accorded to the head of state”

13) Priority

Meaning: The fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important than others.

Synonyms: Prime concern, first concern, the most important consideration

Antonyms: Last, Inferiority

Example: “The safety of the country takes priority over any other matter”

14) Monarch

Meaning: A sovereign head of state, especially a king, queen, or emperor.

Synonyms: Sovereign, ruler, Crown

Example: “The reigning monarch”

15) Predecessor

Meaning: A person who holds a job or office before the current holder.

Synonyms: Former/previous holder of the post, forerunner

Antonyms: Derivative, Successor

Example: “The new President’s foreign policy is very similar to that of his predecessor”

16) Consistently

Meaning: In every case or on every occasion; invariably.

Synonyms: Always, Constantly, Normally

Antonyms: Never

Example: “The vehicle consistently outperforms some of the best competitors”

17) Subsidy

Meaning: a sum of money granted by the state or a public body to help an industry or business keep the price of a commodity or service low.

Synonyms: Grant, allowance, endowment

Antonyms: Forfeit, Hindrance, injury

Example: “a farm subsidy”

18) Impact

Meaning: The action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another.

Synonyms: Collision, crash, smash

Antonyms: Avoidance, Failure, Loss

Example: “There was the sound of a third impact”

19) Stand-Off

Meaning: A deadlock between two equally matched opponents in a dispute or conflict.

Synonyms: Deadlock, stalemate, impasse

Antonyms: Agreement, Breakthrough

Example: “The 16-day-old stand-off was no closer to being resolved”

20) Consolidate

Meaning: Make (something) physically stronger or more solid.

Synonyms: Strengthen, make stronger, make secure

Antonyms: Decrease, Discourage

Example: “The company consolidated its position in the international market”

21) Saddle

Meaning: A shaped support on which a cable, wire, or pipe rests.

Example: “Follow the road which goes across the saddle between two tors”