Daily Reads-56 (Level-1)

Reading Suggestion-1

Article Name:A moment for realism
Author Name:Varghese K. George
Source: The Hindu
Category: Politics

Summary for this article:

The India-US partnerships saw one of the most favourable periods during the time of Obama. But now with Trump taking over, how much impact will our partnership have?

The author in this article talks about the romanticism between India and US being on test while there is no doubt that this partnership is going to be strong. With Narendra Modi soon going to visit Trump, the very base of their administration – democracy of which both the countries are proud of will find a sombre tone this time.

The author goes ahead and talks about the political forces trying to re-litigate the principles of democracy within the two countries. When it comes to shared values, the two nations are not found to be in sync with each other. Under Mr. Trump’s presidential term, America is seen to be deeply divided in its national interests.

America’s take on the Chinese expansionism and India’s take on the same has been the same in the recent years. But the American take towards China and its take on India is different. Trump sees China as a valuable partner in dealing with the North Korean issue and it needs China’s co-operation to succeed with his plans for the American economy. Trump has taken a gentle approach towards China’s OBOR initiative, trying to get as much business out of this project.

India’s has complained of the American lack of sympathy in dealing with its policy towards America. America on the other hand complains of India not allowing America to take the Pakistan matter into full control.

Any misalignment between the Pentagon and the US State department is bad news for India owing to the intra-government disputes between them.

The author concludes by saying that the India-US partnership has lot of reasons to survive, although the romanticism between the two is fading

Words to learn from this article:

Encomiums: A piece of writing that praises someone
Sombre: Melancholy
Churn(verb): A vessel or a container in which a cream or milk is stirred vigorously to produce butter
Relitigate: To litigate (resorting to a legal action to solve a case or a matter) a case or a matter again
Resilience – 1) The ability of an object to bounce back to its original shape or a form.
2) The ability of an individual to adapt well when an adversity knocks I.e. the ability to recover oneself from a difficult situation
Incongruous: Something that is out of place; not in harmony
Repudiation: To reject the validity of something
Benign: Gentle and kind, not being harmful
Hornet: A large wasp that usually rests on hollow trees
Nuanced: Distinction or variation (very small difference) in appearance, meaning, sound etc
Tempered: Having a specified kind of temper

Reading Suggestion-1: Click to read full article

Reading Suggestion-2

Article Name:Collect calls: People and their passionate hobby to gather all sorts of odd things
Author name:Jug Suraiya
Source: Times of India
Category: Lifestyle

Summary for this article:

We all must have at some point of time taken up a hobby of collecting something; for some it
may have been stamp collection while for others coin collection etc. But there may be many of us who do not fall under these categories at all. Never mind.

This article is a very simple read and pretty much self-explanatory. The author says how people have these crazy obsessions of gathering different odd things. They definitely do not do it for money or for recognition. What could then motivate them? Maybe there could be an innate human desire to just bring together all the randomness of similar things in perfect harmony. Perhaps!

Words to learn from this article:

Labeorphilist: Collecting of beer-bottle labels. E.g.: We saved all the beer bottles last night to hand it over to my friend who is a labeorphilist.
Defunct: Something that is no longer functioning
Acquisitiveness: Someone who is has a strong desire and an excessive interest in acquiring more things.

Terminologies from the article –

Philatelists: People who collect stamps
Deltiologists: People who gather postcards
Sucrologists: People who collect sugar and other sweetener packets.
Tegestologists: People who collect beer mats and beer coasters from bars

Reading Suggestion-2: Click to read full article

Reading Suggestion-3

Article Name: The caste system is dead. Long live the caste system?
Author name:Sunil Sharan
Source: Times of India
Category: Society and Politics

Summary for this article:

In this article, the author goes ahead and rejoices the BJPsdecision for the Presidential seat. Hailing Modi and the BJPs choice of representing a Dalit candidate, the author never fails to express his happiness over this decision and is pretty sure that we will get a Dalit President.
He says, finally the caste system has come to a downfall. Though we have witnessed Dalit leaders in the past, but one cannot fail to notice that the caste system is still alive and kicking. But no longer, says the author for with another Dalit President, Hinduism has truly reformed itself.

But, having a Dalit President and showing the world how India has progressed in terms of diminishing caste distinctions, is one thing and having the Hindu upper caste raise eyebrows and resist to consort with a lower class is another. The stigma attached against the Dalit section in the Upper caste Hindu minds must be removed.

The author concludes by saying that, let this Dalit man’s victory as a President be another step in removing the stains of this class distinction that has seeped deeper in our societies.

Words to learn from this article:

Consort: To associate with someone
Incalcitrant: (Adjective) recalcitrant(Stubbornly refusing to obey rules and orders)
Ilk: Type, class or kind
Calcify: Being impregnated or infused with calcium salts
Contempt: A strong feeling of disrespect towards someone or something