The Hindu Editorial (Caste away) – May 22, 2026

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The Hindu Editorial (Caste away) – May 22, 2026:

state (verb) – articulate, say, tell, declare, voice, mention, indicate.
casteless (adjective) – having no caste distinction or prejudice; without caste, egalitarian, undivided, unstratified.
Census (noun) – official count or survey of a population; population count, enumeration, demographic survey.
dismiss (verb) – reject, throw out, discard, brush aside.
seek (verb) – attempt to find or achieve something; attempt, try, aim, strive.
stall (verb) – stop, obstruct, delay, halt, impede.
ongoing (adjective) – continuing; still in progress; underway, current, active, proceeding.
remark (verb) – comment, state, mention, observe.
in support of (phrase) – giving help, encouragement, or backing to someone or something; in favour of, backing, defending, supporting.
caste count (noun) – the demographic enumeration of various caste groups within a population; caste census, caste enumeration.
government of the day (phrase) – it refers to the government that is existing at a particular period of time, or the political party/coalition with a majority in the legislature; incumbent government, ruling dispensation, current administration, regime.
backward (adjective) – socially or educationally disadvantaged; disadvantaged, underprivileged, marginalized.
welfare (noun) – statutory procedure or social effort designed to promote the basic physical and material well-being of people in need; social security, public assistance, well-being, social protection.
turnaround (noun) – an unexpected change, reversal, or shift in policy or circumstances; reversal, U-turn.
enumeration (noun) – counting, calculation, census, tallying.
alongside (preposition) – along with, together with, side by side with, next to.
deride (verb) – express contempt for; mock, ridicule, scoff at, make fun of.
as a sign of (phrase) – as an indication of, as a mark of, symbolizing, indicating.
urban Naxal (noun) – a controversial political label used by the state to stigmatize urban intellectuals, activists, and academics accused of providing ideological cover or logistical support to the Maoist insurgency; left-wing sympathizer, radical intellectual, insurgent backer, dissident.
thinking (noun) – a person’s ideas or opinions; mindset, ideology, belief, viewpoint.
fracture (verb) – break or cause to break or separate into parts; divide, split, fragment, splinter.
dramatic (adjective) – striking, remarkable, substantial, significant.
historical (adjective) – belonging to the past or rooted in history; traditional, past, established, long-standing.
position (noun) – stance, standpoint, viewpoint, perspective.
enumerate (verb) – mention a number of things one by one; count, tally, list, itemize.
dominant (adjective) – most important, powerful, or influential; prevailing, main, primary, major.
reinforce (verb) – strengthen, fortify, bolster, underpin.
institution (noun) – an established law, practice, or custom; system, practice, custom, tradition.
the state (noun) – a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government; government, administration, regime, authorities.
dismantle (verb) – break down, demolish, take apart, deconstruct.
on the one hand (phrase) – used to introduce the first of two contrasting points; firstly, from one point of view, as a primary consideration, initially.
state policy (noun) – a strategy or official course of action implemented by a government; government strategy, official course of action, public policy, administrative directive.
on the other (phrase) – used to introduce the second of two contrasting points; conversely, alternatively, secondly, on the flip side.
account for (phrasal verb) – to take into consideration or explain the cause of something; consider, take into consideration, take into account, note.
identity (noun) – the fact of being who or what a person or thing is; characteristics, character, individuality, selfhood.
positive discrimination (noun) – the practice or policy of favouring individuals belonging to groups known to have been discriminated against previously; affirmative action, preferential treatment, equal opportunity, fair consideration.
legislative (adjective) – having the power to make laws; law-making, parliamentary, policy-making, governmental.
representation (noun) – the action of speaking or acting on behalf of someone or the state of being represented; presence, involvement, participation, inclusion.
dual (adjective) – consisting of two parts, elements, or aspects; double, twofold, two-part, twin.
bake into (phrasal verb) – to incorporate a feature into a system or policy as an integral part; incorporate firmly, embed, integrate, instill.
nation’s founding principles (noun) – the core values and fundamental beliefs upon which a country is established; core values, foundational ideals, fundamental tenets, constitutional ethos.
paradox (noun) – a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition; contradiction, inconsistency, incongruity, conflict.
clamour (noun) – a strongly expressed demand or complaint from a large number of people; demand, outcry, uproar, appeal.
manifestation (noun) – sign, indication, expression, demonstration.
long overdue (adjective) – delayed, belated, past due, long-awaited.
decennial (adjective) – recurring every ten years; ten-yearly, decadal, tenth-year, decade-long.
population survey (noun) – a statistical investigation measuring the demographics of an area; demographic study, census, enumeration, statistical count.
due (adjective) – expected, scheduled, anticipated, required.
COVID-19 (noun) – severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); coronavirus disease.
pandemic (noun) – the worldwide spread of a new disease affecting a large number of people; widespread disease, global epidemic, global contagion, plague.
logistical (adjective) – relating to the organization and planning of a complex operation; organizational, operational, administrative, planning-related.
hurdle (noun) – obstacle, difficulty, impediment, barrier.
take place (phrase) – happen, occur, transpire, unfold.
involve (verb) – entail, require, necessitate, encompass.
rather than (phrase) – instead of, as opposed to, in contrast to, over.
merely (adverb) – just; only; solely; only, just, simply, purely.
as in (phrase) – like, similar to, just as, much like.
have a bearing on (phrase) – have a relevance, relation or connection to something; have an influence on, impact, affect, pertain to.
of all sorts (phrase) – including a variety of different types; of all kinds, of every description, various, diverse.
considerable (adjective) – substantial, significant, sizeable, notable.
caste profile (noun) – a demographic breakdown or summary of data based on caste lines; caste composition, caste data, caste statistics, demographic breakdown.
post-Independence (adjective) – occurring or existing after a country has gained its independence; after independence, post-colonial, subsequent to freedom, post-liberation.
come in (phrasal verb) – to arrive, become available, or take effect; arrive, appear, emerge, materialize.
open-ended (adjective) – unrestricted, unconditional, indefinite, flexible.
caste identification (noun) – the process of determining or categorising someone’s caste belonging; caste classification, social categorization, group assignment, demographic tagging.
Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) (noun) – The Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, commenced the SECC in 2011 through a comprehensive door-to-door enumeration to generate information on a large number of social and economic indicators relating to households across the country.
distinct (adjective) – clear, specific, separate, unique.
data error (noun) – a factual or mathematical mistake within recorded information; factual mistake, inaccuracy, statistical flaw, miscalculation.
render (verb) – provide or give; cause to be or become; make, cause to be, leave, transform into.
finding (noun) – information discovered as the result of an inquiry or investigation; result, conclusion, discovery, outcome.
grapple with (phrasal verb) – tackle a difficult problem or situation; tackle with, deal with, confront, face.
appropriate (adjective) – suitable, proper, fitting, right.
detract from (phrasal verb) – reduce or take away the worth or value of; diminish, reduce, lessen, belittle.
eradicate (verb) – destroy completely; put an end to; eliminate, remove, destroy, root out.
ossify (verb) – cease developing or become stagnant; become rigid, become fixed, solidify, firm up in attitude or position.
socioeconomic (adjective) – relating to the interaction of social (position, rank, or importance) and economic (income, pay, and wealth) aspects.
index (noun) – an indicator, sign, or measure of something; indicator, measure, metric, yardstick.
measure (noun) – a plan or course of action taken to achieve a particular purpose; action, step, procedure, protocol.
annihilation (noun) – complete destruction or obliteration; destruction, eradication, elimination, wiping out.
classify (verb) – categorize, group, designate, label.
so wish (phrase) – to have a desire or inclination to act in a certain way; desire to do so, want to do so, choose to do so, prefer to.