The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary: (Congress conundrum) – August 30, 2022 - Improve Vocabulary For Competitive Exams

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary is very helpful for all banking and other competitive exam aspirants, as you’ll not only improve your vocabulary by learning new words but by reading the Hindu Editorial articles, you’ll also improve your comprehensive skills along with improving your General Knowledge

Amid turmoil and uncertainty, the Congress has announced the schedule for the election of a new president. Senior leaders are… For Further Reading, "Scroll Down the Page”. Go to below of Today’s Word List for The Hindu Editorial (Congress conundrum)

Word List - 

1. conundrum (noun) – problem, difficulty, quandary/dilemma.
2. organisational (adjective) – relating to an organisation.
3. stir (to) (verb) – arouse, inspire, stimulate, excite, awaken (someone’s strong feeling).  
4. amid (preposition) – in the middle of, surrounded by; during.
5. turmoil (noun) – disorder, turbulence, confusion, trouble, chaos.
6. uncertainty (noun) – unpredictability, unreliability, riskiness/precariousness.
7. revolt (verb) – rebel, show resistance, resist/oppose authority.
8. incumbent (adjective) – (of an official) current, existing, present.  
9. unwilling (adjective) – reluctant, hesitant, disinclined, unenthusiastic, apprehensive, unconfident, unsure, unassertive, restrained.
10. take on (phrasal verb) – undertake a (difficult) task; accept a responsibility; adopt, assume, shoulder.
11. mantle (noun) – role, responsibility, position, task, job.
12. endorse (verb) – recommend, confirm, authorize, uphold, advocate.
13. march (noun) – progression (organized as a protest).
14. bill (verb) – promote, advertise, announce something in a specific way.
15. vague (adjective) – indefinite, inexact, unclear, uncertain.
16. rally (noun) – meeting, gathering, demonstration, (protest) march.
17. to be fair (phrase) – used for making your criticism less forceful.
18. find oneself (phrase) – to realize and accept what you are really like and what you want to do in life; accept one’s situation.
19. in a spot (phrase) – in a difficult situation.
20. ridicule (verb) – laugh at, insult, make fun of, deride, tease, taunt; treat with contempt, scorn.
21. end up (phrasal verb) – finish up, turn up, come/appear, find oneself (to a particular course of action in the end).
22. at the helm (phrase) – in charge, in command/control/authority; in the driving seat.
23. helm (noun) – in charge, in command, in authority, position.
24. dynamics (noun) – basic/fundamental cause or force that triggers change within a system.
25. consequence (noun) – result, outcome, effect, repercussion, reverberations, ramification.
26. trigger (verb) – cause, give rise to, lead to, bring about, generate.
27. back (verb) – support, defend, favour, promote, endorse.
28. have a horse in the race (phrase) – to be personally involved in something.
29. cast a shadow on/over (phrase) – to make people feel less happy, to make situation appear less good or hopeful; disappoint, let down, discourage, demoralize, wear down.
30. all told (phrase) – in total, with everything taken into account.
31. course (noun) – route, way, direction, path.
32. facilitate (verb) –  make easy, make possible, clear the way for, open the door for; enable, assist, help.
33. revamp (verb) – reorganize, refurbish, renew, overhaul, improve, upgrade.
34. strategy (noun) – plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).
35. wait out (phrasal verb) – wait until something is over.
36. at a crossroads (phrase) – at a critical situation/stage where an important decision ought to be made.
37. pointer (noun) – indication, indicator, hint, sign, signal, suggestion.
38. ail (verb) – trouble, bother, distress, afflict, beset, worry.
39. decade (noun) – a period of ten years.
40. lack (noun) – absence, unavailability, non-existence. 
41. grace (noun) – courtesy, decorum, politeness, respect, consideration, thought.
42. gratitude (noun) – thanks, appreciation, commendation, praise, credit.
43. stand out (phrasal verb) – project, show up clearly; be distinct/visible.
44. charge (noun) – accusation, allegation, blame.
45. accountability (noun) – responsibility, liability, answerability.
46. innings (noun) – (active) period.
47. run (verb) – manage, control, administer, be in charge/control of.
48. coterie (noun) – a small group of people with shared interests and they generally don’t allow others to join them; sect, gang, inner circle, faction/camp.
49. rootless (adjective) – unsettled, distrustful, self-centred, unsteady, indecisive, vagabond.
50. in fact (phrase) – actually, really, truly, indeed.
51. masquerade (verb) – pretend, impersonate, disguise (oneself as).
52. humiliate (verb) – embarrass, humble, make ashamed, degrade, disgrace, discomfit.
53. drive out (phrasal verb) – force someone to leave; dispel, disband, expel.
54. self-serving (adjective) – self-centered, self-seeking, egocentric, self-interested.
55. cabal (noun) – group, clique, sect.
56. arrive/come on the scene (phrase) – arrive, appear, come (to the place).
57. mobilise (verb) – (of resources) bring together for a specific cause.
58. flourish (verb) – thrive, develop, prosper (successfully).
59. grassroot (noun as modifier) – the most basic/ordinary/fundamental level of an organisation.
60. claim for oneself (phrase) – to declare something as one’s property.
61. power broker (noun) – an influential/powerful person.
62. show someone their place (phrase) – to remind someone of their position (often in a humorous way, that they should be made aware of their low status).

The Hindu Editorial : Congress conundrum: On announcement of poll schedule

The organisational polls must stir its workers to life if the party is to survive 

        Amid turmoil and uncertainty, the Congress has announced the schedule for the election of a new president. Senior leaders are revolting, the party’s incumbent president Sonia Gandhi is battling ill health, and her son Rahul Gandhi is unwilling to take on the mantle. The party will be electing a president on October 17, as per the schedule endorsed by the Congress Working Committee. The Congress is also planning a march — nearly 3,500 kilometres across 12 States and two Union Territories over 150 days, billed as the Bharat Jodo Yatra, or Unite India march — to be led by Mr. Gandhi whose future role in the party remains vague. The party has also called a rally in Delhi on September 4 against price rise. To be fair, the Gandhi family finds itself in a spot — it will be ridiculed if one of them ends up as president, and if none of them is at the helm, new dynamics with unpredictable consequences could be triggered in the party. If the Gandhis are seen as backing a particular horse in the race, that will cast a shadow over the entire election process. All told, the best course for the party and the family is to facilitate an election process that is as fair as possible, and use it as an opportunity to open an honest conversation on revamping the party. The party is in decline, and the old strategy of waiting out the periods out of power will not work this time. It is at a crossroads or a dead end, depending on what the Congress decides to do now.

            Some pointers to what ails the Congress can be found in the resignation letter written by Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was a key figure in the party for decades. The lack of grace and gratitude stands out in the letter, but Mr. Azad’s career itself is proof of the validity of the charges that he makes against the party. With little popularity and no accountability, he remained a key decision maker in the party, became Union Minister for several terms, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir once, and a member of Rajya Sabha for five terms, totalling 30 years. Only 11 people have had such a long innings in the Rajya Sabha. When he says that the party is being run by a coterie, he surely knows what he is talking about. In fact, rootless managers who masqueraded as leaders ensured that mass leaders were humiliated and driven out of the party. The list of such people who could not remain in the Congress is long — from Mamata Banerjee to Sharad Pawar to Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. The capture of the Congress party by a self-serving cabal had begun long before Mr. Gandhi came on the scene. No other party allows people who are incapable of mobilising the masses and winning elections to flourish like the Congress does. The organisational election must stir ordinary party workers and grassroot leaders to claim the party for themselves, and show power brokers their place.