The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary: (Three to tangle) – Sep 13, 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

The latest retail inflation data from the National Statistical Office is a sobering reminder that accelerating price gains still remain..… For Further Reading, "Scroll Down the Page”. Go to below of Today’s Word List for The Hindu Editorial (Three to tangle)

Word List - 

1. tangle (noun) – mess, mix-up, confusion, mishmash.
2. refit (verb) – refurbish, renovate, overhaul, revamp, restore, rebuild, improve, upgrade, re-equip.
3. undermine (verb) – weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage.
4. ties (noun) – association, relationship, bond, connection.
5. fleet (noun) – a number of vehicles/flights/ships working together (under a single ownership). 
6. backbone (noun) – mainstay, cornerstone, foundation, chief support, buttress, pillar.
7. replenish (verb) – restore, renew, fill up something (to its earlier level/condition).
8. periodically (adverb) – occasionally, now and then.
9. on this account (phrase) – concerning/regarding a particular situation; as a result of, consequently.
10. interlocutor (noun) – a person who takes part in a dialogue or conversation; middleman, conciliator, mediator, moderator.
11. successive (adjective) – consecutive.
12. administration (noun) – government, regime.
13. maintain (verb) – continue, carry on, keep up, preserve.
14. ally (noun) – a country/state with an alliance with another one in which they promise to support each other militarily and to defend each other.
15. component (noun) – element, constituent, unit.
16. contest (verb) – oppose, challenge, object to, dispute, defy, resist.
17. stall (verb) – obstruct, impede, hinder, hamper, block, interrupt, stop.
18. move (noun) – action, act, step, measure.
19. apprehension (noun) – doubt, misgiving, disquiet, concern.
20. come true (phrase) – happen, occur, take place, become a reality.
21. air strike (noun) – attack, air attack, assault.
22. deploy (noun) – employ forces/troops into effective action.
23. base (noun) – camp, post, headquarters (of the armed forces).
24. debris (noun) – broken pieces, rubble, wreckage.
25. missile (noun) – a self-propelled/rocket-propelled weapon designed to deliver a conventional/nuclear explosive warhead with great accuracy at high speed; projectile.
26. notify (verb) – announce.
27. munition (noun) – bullets, shells, missiles.
28. mark (verb) – indicate, denote, signify, represent.
29. thaw (noun) – an increase in friendliness.
30. summon (verb) – order, call, call for, ask for (someone to appear/be present before an authority).
31. ambassador (noun) – envoy, diplomat, consul, emissary.
32. strain (verb) – damage, impair, overburden.
33. make strides (phrase) – make progress, make headway, gain ground, progress, advance.
34. difference (noun) – disagreement, difference of opinion, disputation.
35. lingering (adjective) – continuing, remaining, long-lasting, unabating, prolonged, persistent.
36. sanctions (noun) – action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc (Courtesy: VOA Learning English).
37. warmth (noun) – friendliness, bonhomie, geniality/affability
38. amid (preposition) – in the middle of, surrounded by; during.
39. flurry (noun) – spate, series, succession.
40. engagement (noun) – involvement, taking part, participation, association.
41. deepen (verb) – grow, increase, intensify.
42. indulgence (noun) – extravagance, luxury, comfort, non-essential (thing), extra (thing).
43. dampen (verb) – lessen, decrease, diminish, reduce, lower.
44. spirit (noun) – true meaning, intention, essence, substance.
45. hold accountable for (phrase) – to say that someone should accept the responsibility for something.  
46. hold someone accountable for (phrase) – to consider someone responsible for something.
47. duplicity (noun) – unfaithfulness, faithlessness, disloyalty, falseness, breach of trust, treachery, double-dealing, infidelity, deceit.
48. amount to (verb) – be equal to, be equivalent to, be tantamount to, represent, denote, point to.
49. run with the hare and hunt with the hounds (phrase) – try to support both sides of an argument/conflict/dispute.
50. stay away from (phrasal verb) – avoid, evade, dodge, escape.
51. humour (verb) – satisfy, pamper, soothe, gratify.
52. incentivise (verb) – encourage, motivate, galvanize.
53. immediate (adjective) – actual.
54. state policy/government policy (noun) – a set of the basic principles, norms, and activities for the implementation of state/government power.
55. decade (noun) – a period of ten years.
56. far from (phrase) – not, not at all; nowhere near, a long way from.
57. seek (verb) – ask for, request, demand.
58. accountability (noun) – responsibility, liability, answerability.
59. line (noun) – cause of action, procedure, programme, method.
60. in the offing (phrase) – likely to happen, on the way, coming soon, coming up, close at hand, imminent, on the horizon, in the wings, just around the corner, upcoming, forthcoming.
61. bilateral (adjective) – involving two groups or countries.
62. nourish (verb) – nurture, foster, maintain, sustain.

Definitation - 

1. F-16 fighter jet (or) F-16 Fighting Falcon (noun) – The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations. One of the most versatile aircraft in the U.S. Air Force inventory, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has been the mainstay of the Air Force aerial combat fleet.
2. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (noun) – NATO was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.
3. Congress (noun) – legislative assembly, parliament; The United States Congress is the bicameral (two chambers) legislature of the federal government of the United States, and consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
4. Line of Control (LoC) (noun) – it is a 450 mile-long military control line lying between India and Pakistan’s controlled parts of the former (under the British) Jammu and Kashmir. This line is not actually a legally recognized international boundary but prevails as per de facto. After the Simla Agreement signed in July 1972, this line was officially renamed as “Line of Control” from “the Cease-fire Line”.
5. Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) (noun) – it is the world’s most sophisticated, combat-proven air dominance weapon. With more than 30 years of design, upgrades, testing and production, the AIM-120 missile continues to meet warfighter requirements in all weather and beyond visual range. The AMRAAM is being procured for the Air Force, U.S. Navy and America’s allies.
6. U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) (noun) – The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, as part of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), provides financial and technical assistance, transfer of defense matériel, training and services to allies, and promotes military-to-military contacts. DSCA leads the broader U.S. security cooperation enterprise in its efforts to train, educate, advise, and equip foreign partners. 
7. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) (noun) – Foreign Military Sales (FMS) is the U.S. Government’s program for transferring defense articles, services, and training to our international partners and international organizations. The FMS program is funded by administrative charges to foreign purchasers and is operated at no cost to taxpayers. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) administers the FMS program for the Department of Defense (DoD).
8. electronic warfare (EW) (noun) – Electronic Warfare (EW) represents the ability to use the electromagnetic spectrum – signals such as radio, infrared or radar – to sense, protect, and communicate. At the same time, it can be used to deny adversaries the ability to either disrupt or use these signals.
9. Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) (noun) – CAATSA is a specifically enacted legislation that aims to prevent revenue from flowing to Russia.

The Hindu Editorial : Three to tangle: On U.S. refitting Pakistan F-16s

The Pakistan factor should not undermine India’s close security ties with the U.S.

            India is understandably upset with the U.S.’s decision to refurbish the F-16 fighter fleet of Pakistan. The fleet has been the backbone of the Pakistan Air Force since the early 1980s, upgraded, and replenished periodically. As the partnership between the two countries grew over the years, including and particularly in the defence sector, India continuously raised its concerns on this account with U.S. interlocutors. Successive U.S. administrations have maintained that the defence partnership with Pakistan, which is a major non-NATO ally, is a critical component of its global war on terror — a point contested by India. In 2016, the U.S. Congress stalled the Obama administration’s move to give more F-16 fighters to Pakistan. New Delhi’s apprehensions came true in February 2019, a day after the Balakot air strike by the Indian Air Force, when Pakistan deployed its F-16s to target Indian military bases close to the Line of Control. The Indian Army recovered debris of the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile fired by the F-16s. On September 7, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified a possible Foreign Military Sales worth $450 million for engine, electronic warfare and other hardware and software upgrades and spares for Pakistan’s F-16s. Though it said that the proposed sale does not include any new capabilities, weapons, or munitions, the move clearly marks a thaw in the U.S.’s attitude towards Pakistan.

            The External Affairs Ministry has chosen to maintain its silence on the issue, unlike its public expression of summoning the U.S. Ambassador in 2016. The U.S. move strains its relationship with India which has been making great strides, though it is not without obstacles. New Delhi and Washington have been skilfully managing their differences over Afghanistan, the crisis in Ukraine, and the lingering threat of U.S. sanctions under its Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. Washington’s new warmth with Islamabad also comes amid a flurry of India-U.S. diplomatic and military engagements. India and the U.S. have committed to deepening defence and security cooperation, but the indulgence of Pakistan dampens that spirit. The Trump administration had tried to hold Pakistan accountable for duplicity in its approach towards terrorist groups operating from its territory, which amounts to running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. To stay in Afghanistan, the U.S. needed Pakistan; now to stay away from Afghanistan it needs Pakistan even more. While the U.S. may have its reasons to keep Pakistan humoured and incentivised, India’s concerns are immediate and real. Terrorism against India has been Pakistan’s state policy for decades. Far from seeking accountability, the U.S. is rewarding Pakistan, and more on the same lines may in the offing. India and the U.S. need to work to ensure that the spectacular gains made in bilateral ties are preserved and nourished.