The Hindu Editorial (Creeping risk) – Apr 17, 2026

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The Hindu Editorial (Creeping risk) – Apr 17, 2026:

1. creeping (adjective) – developing gradually and almost imperceptibly; gradual, slow, steady, incremental, step-by-step, advancing.
2. neglect (noun) – failure to care for or pay attention to something; inattention, disregard, dereliction, carelessness.
3. due to (phrase) – because of, owing to, as a result of, caused by.
4. build up (phrasal verb) – accumulate, increase, gather, amass.
5. over time (phrase) – gradually, as time passes, slowly, progressively.
6. engineering reality (noun) – the practical and physical truth related to the design and mechanics of industrial machines; technical reality, scientific fact.
7. underlying (adjective) – fundamental, basic, primary.
8. spate of (phrase) – a large number of; series, flurry, rush, string.
9. boiler (noun) – a closed vessel in which fluid is heated and circulated under pressure.
10. explosion (noun) – blast, detonation, bursting, blow-up.
11. revival stress (noun) – the mechanical or thermal tension placed on industrial equipment when restarted after a period of inactivity; restarting strain.
12. similarity (noun) – resemblance, likeness, comparability, parallel.
13. blast (noun) – explosion, detonation, blow-up, bursting.
14. thermal power station (noun) – a power plant in which heat energy is converted to electric power.
15. In the former (phrase) – referring to the first of two things or situations previously mentioned; in the first case.
16. inactive (adjective) – idle, non-operational, out of service, dormant.
17. uncalibrated (adjective) – not adjusted or checked for accuracy; unadjusted, unregulated, unchecked, unstandardised.
18. following (preposition) – after, subsequent to, as a result of, in the aftermath of.
19. post-lockdown (adjective) – occurring after the lifting of a pandemic-related shutdown; post-shutdown, reopening phase, post-quarantine.
20. restart (noun) – resumption, reactivation, recommencement.
21. trigger (verb) – cause, prompt, set off, spark.
22. at the latter (phrase) – referring to the second of two things or situations previously mentioned; in the second case, in the last mentioned.
23. likewise (adverb) – similarly, equally, in the same way, correspondingly.
24. acquire (verb) – buy, purchase, take over, obtain.
25. commission (verb) – bring equipment or a plant into working condition or active service; install, start up, activate, operationalise.
26. unstable (adjective) – fluctuating, volatile, unsteady, precarious.
27. operating regime (noun) – the specific set of conditions, parameters, or rules under which a machine operates; working condition.
28. transient (adjective) – temporary, short-lived, fleeting, passing.
29. imbalance (noun) – disparity, instability, disproportion, unevenness.
30. however (adverb) – nevertheless, nonetheless, yet, but.
31. in practice (phrase) – in reality, actually, practically, in fact.
32. regime (noun) – system, arrangement, structure.
33. regulatory framework (noun) – a system of rules, laws, and guidelines designed to govern a specific industry; legal structure, compliance framework, governing rules.
34. heighten (verb) – increase, intensify, enhance, amplify.
35. oversight (noun) – supervision, surveillance, inspection, administration.
36. up to (phrase) – indicating a maximum limit; up to a maximum of, until, reaching, as much as.
37. penalise (verb) – punish, discipline, handicap, fine.
38. downtime (noun) – the period when a machine or factory is out of action or unavailable; idle time, shutdown time, stoppage, inactivity.
39. reward (verb) – compensate, recompense, give an advantage to, incentivize.
40. maintenance shutdown (noun) – a planned period when a plant is turned off for repairs; planned outage, service closure, repair stoppage.
41. framework (noun) – structure, system, organization.
42. fabrication standard (noun) – the required quality criteria and rules for manufacturing industrial equipment; manufacturing norm, production standard.
43. rather than (phrase) – instead of, as opposed to, unlike, in contrast to.
44. instrumentation (noun) – the measuring instruments used to monitor and control industrial operations; control systems, measuring equipment, gauges, monitoring tools.
45. auditing (noun) – inspecting, examining, assessing, evaluating.
46. ease of doing business (phrase) – an assessment of how simple and conducive the regulatory environment is for commercial enterprises; business-friendly environment, regulatory simplicity.
47. favour (verb) – prefer, support, back.
48. self-certification (noun) – the act of a company certifying its own compliance with rules without external inspection; self-verification, internal approval, self-regulation, self-attestation.
49. scheduled (adjective) – planned, arranged, timetabled, expected.
50. third-party (adjective) – involving an independent external person or organization; external, independent, outside, objective.
51. audit (noun) – inspection, examination, evaluation, assessment.
52. in place of (phrase) – instead of, as a substitute for, replacing, in lieu of.
53. Boiler Accident Inquiry Rules (noun) – official regulations established by the government to investigate the procedural causes and liabilities of industrial boiler accidents.
54. address (verb) – tackle, deal with, attend to, handle.
55. structural gap (noun) – a fundamental flaw or missing element in the design or organization of a system; systemic flaw, core deficiency.
56. expansion (noun) – growth, enlargement, increase, scaling up.
57. industrial capacity (noun) – the maximum output or production ability of industries; manufacturing potential, production scale.
58. ageing (adjective) – getting older, deteriorating, declining, wearing out.
59. infrastructure (noun) – the basic physical structures and facilities needed for the operation of an enterprise; physical plant, base facilities.
60. limit (noun) – maximum capacity, breaking point.
61. flaw (noun) – defect, fault, imperfection, weakness.
62. expose (verb) – uncover, reveal, bring to light, lay bare.
63. attention (noun) – observation, scrutiny, notice, awareness.
64. facility (noun) – plant, workplace, premises, establishment.
65. expose (verb) – put at risk, subject, leave unprotected, endanger.
66. hazardous (adjective) – dangerous, risky, unsafe, perilous.
67. ensuing (adjective) – following, resulting, subsequent, consequent.
68. accidental (adjective) – chance, unintended, coincidental, random.
69. Contract labour (noun) – workers hired through an agency for a specific task rather than being direct permanent employees; outsourced workers, temporary workforce.
70. the most exposed (phrase) – the most vulnerable, the most at risk, least protected, most endangered.
71. migrant (noun) – a person who moves from one place to another to find work; transient worker, displaced worker, mobile laborer, immigrant.
72. trade blame with (phrase) – mutually accuse, exchange accusations, pass the buck, point fingers at.
73. disaster (noun) – catastrophe, tragedy, calamity, crisis.
74. safety manual (noun) – a document containing instructions designed to prevent accidents in a workplace; safety handbook.
75. native language (noun) – mother tongue, first language, local language, vernacular.
76. industrial belt (noun) – a geographical area with a high concentration of manufacturing facilities; manufacturing zone, factory district, industrial corridor.
77. unaware of (adjective) – ignorant of, blind to, lacking knowledge about, oblivious to.
78. The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSHW Code 2020) (noun) – an Indian labor law consolidating regulations for workplace safety and health; workplace safety code, labor safety law.
79. hold liable (phrase) – make someone legally responsible or accountable for something; hold accountable, hold responsible, place blame on, legally bind.
80. lapse (noun) – failure, mistake, error, omission.
81. qualify (verb) – add a condition to, make less absolute, restrict, limit.
82. negligence (noun) – carelessness, dereliction of duty, lack of proper care, remissness.
83. complaints (noun) – grievances, criticisms, objections, protests.
84. dismantle (verb) – break down, tear down, deconstruct, dismantle.
85. regulator (noun) – authority, official body, agency, supervisor.
86. incentive (noun) – motivation, stimulus, encouragement, motive.
87. factory-floor practice (noun) – the actual everyday methods and operations executed by workers at the production level; shop-floor routine, workplace habit.
88. absorb (verb) – bear the cost of, take on, shoulder, digest.
89. the cost of doing business (phrase) – an expected expense or inevitable negative consequence accepted as part of operating a company;  unavoidable loss, operational toll.
90. cost (noun) – price, expense, consequence, toll.

Note:

1. Definitions (elementary level) & Synonyms provided for the words above are our personal work. Tentative definitions/meanings are provided for study purposes only and they may vary in a different context. 

2. This word list is for personal use only. Reproduction in any format and/or Commercial use of it is/are strictly prohibited.

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