The Hindu Editorial (Calm assessment) – Feb 21, 2024

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The Hindu Editorial (Calm assessment) – Feb 21, 2024:

assessment (noun) – evaluation, analysis, appraisal, judgement.
extent (noun) – area, size, expanse, range, ambit, scope.
deemed (adjective) – considered, regarded, adjudged, supposed.
deemed forest (noun) – deemed forest is forest land that hasn’t been recorded as such by the Centre or States.
put on pause (phrase) – to pause, delay, or suspend something to address or resume it afterwards.
ambitious (adjective) – formidable, difficult, challenging, demanding.
The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (noun) – it was enacted to provide for the conservation of forests and for matters connected therewith or ancillary or incidental thereto. It provides that prior permission of the Central Government is required for de-reservation of forest land, use of forest land for non-forest purposes, assigning of forest land by way of lease to private entities and for clearing of naturally grown trees for the purpose of reafforestation.
Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 (noun) – Generally speaking, the Bill exempts certain types of forest land from the protection afforded by the Act. It also expands the list of activities that can be carried out on forest land. This Bill seeks to amend the pivotal 1980 law which was enacted to ensure that India’s forest land is not wantonly usurped for non-forestry purposes.
bring in (phrasal verb) – introduce, propose, suggest, present, submit.
check (verb) – stop, block, curb, bar, prevent.
wanton (adjective) – deliberate, intentional, conscious, done on purpose, knowing, purposeful.
raze (verb) – destroy, demolish, fell, knock down, ruin.
non-forestry (adjective) – relating to the breaking up or clearing of any forest land or portion thereof for any purpose other than reforestation.
forestry (noun) – the management and use of natural resources occurring in forested land; forest management, forest planting, tree growing/forestation, afforestation.
provision (noun) – term, clause, requirement, specification, stipulation.
adhere to (verb) – follow, obey, comply with, stick to, abide by, conform to.
regulatory (adjective) – relating to the control/supervision of an activity by a set of rules, laws, etc.
mechanism (noun) – instrument, apparatus, system, means (to achieve/attain something).
measure (noun) – action, step, move, procedure.
legislation (noun) – a body of laws, rules, regulations, statutes.
largely (adverb) – mostly, mainly, generally.
tract (noun) – area, region, stretch, swathe, territory, piece of land, parcel of land.
timber-felling (noun) – the process of cutting down trees.
fell (verb) – cut down, chop down, raze, demolish.
trigger (verb) – cause, give rise to, lead to, bring about, generate, provoke, stir up.
landmark (noun as modifier) – milestone, watershed, historic event, major achievement.
T.N. Godavarman Thirumalpad case (1996) (noun) – In 1995, T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad filed a writ petition with the Supreme Court of India to protect the Nilgiris forest land from deforestation by illegal timber operations. The Supreme Court issued detailed directions for the sustainable use of forests and created its own monitoring and implementation system through regional and state level communities, regulating the felling, use and movement of timber across the country in the hope of preserving the nation’s forest. The Court examined in detail all the aspect of the National Forest Policy, the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, which was enacted with a view to check further deforestation. It emphasised that the word ‘forest’ must be understood according to its dictionary meaning of the term irrespective of the nature of ownership and classification thereof.
expanded (adjective) – enlarged or extended; elaborate detailed, thorough, minute.
worthy (adjective) – deserving effort; be deserving of.
irrespective of (adjective) – regardless, disregarding, notwithstanding, without consideration of.
constitute (verb) – set up, form, create, appoint, organize.
committee (noun) – panel, council, advisory group.
handful (noun) – a few, a small number, a small quantity, some.
make public (phrase) – reveal, make known, release, disclose, publish, unveil.
ostensibly (adverb) – apparently, seemingly, supposedly.
put to (verb) – devote something to a particular use/purpose.
apparently (adverb) – supposedly, presumably, probably, undoubtedly, evidently, seemingly, reportedly, ostensibly.
reluctance (noun) – unwillingness, disinclination, hesitation.
cultivate (verb) – grow or raise (plants).
orchard (noun) – an enclosed place where fruit trees are grown.
ecological (adjective) – relating to the branch of biology which studies the interactions among organisms and their environment.
render (verb) – cause to be/become, make.
void (adjective) – invalid, cancelled, abolished, ineffective, revoked.
carbon sink (noun) – also known as carbon sequestration; a natural environment (forest or reservoir) which absorbs and stores carbon (greenhouse gases) from the atmosphere and thereby maintains a balance. (carbon sequestration is the process by which the forest removes and stores carbon from the atmosphere).
net zero emissions/carbon neutrality (noun) – it means annual zero net CO2 emissions; Carbon neutrality means every ton of anthropogenic (human-caused or influenced) CO2 emitted is compensated with an equivalent amount of CO2 removed (e.g. via carbon sink or carbon sequestration).
dynamics (noun) – basic/fundamental cause or force that triggers change within a system.
sought past and past participle of seek (verb) – try, aim, attempt.
ambit (noun) – range, scope, extent, reach.
slew (noun) – a large number of, lot, range.
public interest litigation (PIL) (noun) – legal action initiated in a court of law for the enforcement or protection of public interest.
on the face of it (phrase) – apparently, seemingly, outwardly, ostensibly, at first glance, it seems (that), it appears (that), at face value, to go by appearances, by all accounts.
assault (noun) – attack.
welcome (adjective) – pleasing, agreeable, favourable, promising, much needed.
conjecture (noun) – speculation, assumption, supposition, prediction, guesswork, surmise, opinion, presumption.
impede (verb) – obstruct, hinder, hamper, hold back, disrupt, block, interrupt, thwart, stop.
dispassionate (adverb) – fair, neutral, equitable, unbiased, impersonal, impartial, non-partisan, non-discriminatory, even-handed.
ground reality (noun) – practical condition/situation.
drive forward (phrasal verb) – use it to refer to the act of propelling an idea, plan, process, or another entity in the direction of progress, success, or completion; move ahead, move forward.