The Hindu Editorial (Devious menace) – Apr 16, 2026

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The Hindu Editorial (Devious menace) – Apr 16, 2026:

1. devious (adjective) – showing a skillful use of underhanded tactics to achieve goals; deceitful, cunning, underhanded, scheming.
2. menace (noun) – threat, peril, risk, hazard.
3. predatory (adjective) – seeking to exploit, victimize, or prey on others; exploitative, extortionate, opportunistic, rapacious.
4. loan app (noun) – a mobile application that facilitates the lending of money directly to users, often with quick approvals but sometimes associated with hidden extortionate terms.
5. function (verb) – to work or operate in a particular way; operate, perform, run, act.
6. regulatory dark area (noun) – an ambiguous sector or space that lacks clear legal oversight, rules, or government supervision.
7. regulatory (adjective) – serving or intended to control or govern an activity or sector through rules; supervisory, controlling, managerial, governing.
8. dark area (noun) – unregulated space, gray area, hidden zone.
9. promise (verb) – pledge, vow, guarantee, assure.
10. credit (noun) – loan, financing, financial backing.
11. atop (preposition) – on the top of, over, above, resting on.
12. harassment (noun) – aggressive pressure, intimidation, or persistent unwarranted behavior; persecution, bullying, badgering, pestering.
13. secure (verb) – to manage to get or obtain something, often with effort; acquire, obtain, gain, procure.
14. contributing factor (noun) – an element or condition that helps to bring about a particular result; cause, reason, influence, determinant.
15. high-profile (adjective) – attracting much public attention or publicity; prominent, well-known, visible, conspicuous.
16. parallel (adjective) – concurrent, simultaneous, coinciding, side-by-side.
17. probe (verb) – investigate, inquiry, examine, scrutinise.
18. allegation (noun) – claim, charge, accusation.
19. discrimination (noun) – the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people; bias, prejudice, bigotry, unfairness.
20. National Commission for Scheduled Castes (organization) – a constitutional body in India established under Article 338 of the Constitution to safeguard the interests, rights, and welfare of the Scheduled Castes.
21. sought (verb) – past tense of seek; attempted to find or obtain; requested, asked for, demanded, appealed for.
22. extract (verb) – to obtain something such as money or information from someone, often by force or threats; extort, force, wring, exact.
23. overseas (adjective) – from, to, or relating to a foreign country, especially one across the sea.
24. recovery agent (noun) – debt collector, collection agent.
25. steadily (adverb) – gradually, consistently, progressively, constantly.
26. ramp up (phrasal verb) – to increase the level, amount, or speed of something sharply; escalate, boost, increase, step up.
27. abusive (adjective) – insulting, derogatory, offensive, cruel.
28. borrower (noun) – a person or organization that takes money from a lender with the agreement to pay it back; debtor, loanee.
29. harass (verb) – to subject someone to aggressive pressure or intimidation; torment, pester, badger, hound.
30. reference (noun) – contact, connection, associate, acquaintance.
31. inflict (verb) – to cause something unpleasant or painful to be suffered by someone; impose, deliver, exact, administer.
32. reputational (adjective) – relating to the beliefs, opinions, or public image generally held about someone or something.
33. reputational damage (noun) – the loss of prestige or harm caused to a person’s or organization’s good name and standing in society.
34. in particular (phrase) – especially or specifically; specifically, particularly, exactly, notably.
35. penetration (noun) – the extent or degree to which a product or technology is recognized and adopted in a market; infiltration, spread, adoption, proliferation.
36. digital literacy (noun) – the ability to confidently, safely, and effectively use digital technologies and internet platforms to navigate information.
37. necessarily (adverb) – inevitably, unavoidably, certainly, automatically.
38. financial literacy (noun) – the possession of knowledge and skills that enable an individual to make informed and effective financial and monetary decisions.
39. small-credit (noun) – a financial loan of a relatively small amount, often targeted at individuals lacking traditional banking access; microcredit, microloan, small loan.
40. Digital Lending Guidelines (noun) – a regulatory framework introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to govern online loan disbursements, ensuring transparency, consumer protection, and ethical practices.
41. lend (verb) – to grant someone the use of money with the understanding that it will be paid back, usually with interest; loan, provide credit.
42. regulated status (noun) – the condition of being officially recognized, governed, and overseen by a statutory financial authority like the RBI.
43. fabricate (verb) – to invent or concoct something, typically with deceitful intent; fake, forge, falsify, manufacture.
44. Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) (organization) – a financial institution registered under the Companies Act that offers various banking services, such as loans and credit facilities, but does not possess a full banking license.
45. opaque (adjective) – lacking transparency or clarity, especially regarding hidden fees or rules; obscure, unclear, cryptic, hidden.
46. gateway (noun) – a technological service that authorizes and processes direct payments for businesses; portal, entry point, processing channel.
47. disbursal (noun) – the act of paying out money, especially from a loan or fund; payment, distribution, payout, remittance.
48. grievance (noun) – complaint, objection, grouse, resentment.
49. mechanism (noun) – procedure, system, method, apparatus.
50. regulate (verb) – control, govern, oversee, monitor.
51. financial entity (noun) – an organization that deals primarily with financial and monetary transactions; financial institution, financial body, financial organization.
52. entity (noun) – organization, body, institution, establishment.
53. OS-level sandbox (noun) – a secure, isolated testing environment within an operating system where applications can be executed safely without affecting the core system or user data.
54. categorise (verb) – classify, sort, group.
55. bar (verb) –  ban, prohibit, forbid, restrict.
56. even if (phrase) – despite the possibility that; whether or not, regardless of whether.
57. grant (verb) – allow, accord, permit, authorize.
58. trace (verb) – track down, locate, discover, unearth.
59. beyond the reach (phrase) – outside the capacity, jurisdiction, or control of someone or an authority; inaccessible, untouchable, out of bounds, out of range.
60. legislation (noun) – laws considered collectively; statutes, law-making, regulations, rulings.
61. sentence (noun) – the punishment assigned to a defendant found guilty by a court; punishment, penalty, judgment, ruling.
62. illegal (adjective) – unlawful, illegitimate, illicit, prohibited.
63. digital lending (noun) – the process of offering and managing loans or credit predominantly through digital channels, online portals, or mobile applications.
64. directory (noun) – list, catalog, register, index.
65. mandate (verb) – to make something strictly required by law or official rule; dictate, order, command, require.
66. cryptographically (adverb) – in a manner relating to the use of complex codes and ciphers to protect and secure digital information or communication.
67. regulated bank (noun) – a formal banking institution that is fully licensed and strictly overseen by the central banking authority.
68. whitelist (noun) – a list or register of entities, applications, or users that are considered acceptable, safe, or trustworthy and are granted specific access or privileges.
69. mull (verb) – to think about at length; consider, ponder, contemplate, deliberate.
70. digital lending platform (noun) – an electronic or online system that facilitates the borrowing and lending of money between financial institutions and borrowers.
71. empower (verb) – authorize, enable, entitle, permit.
72. act against (phrasal verb) – to take decisive action to prevent, oppose, or penalize someone or something; oppose, counter, resist, tackle.
73. rigorous (adjective) – extremely thorough, strict, or demanding; stringent, severe, uncompromising, tough.
74. disclosure (noun) – revelation, declaration, transparency, exposition.
75. effective (adjective) – successful, efficient, productive, potent.
76. conduct (noun) – behavior, performance, demeanor, actions.
77. stricter (adjective) –  more stringent, harsher, firmer, more rigid.
78. KYC (Know your Customer) (noun) – a mandatory regulatory process in the financial sector to verify the identity, address, and credentials of clients to prevent fraud and money laundering.
79. obligation (noun) – duty, commitment, responsibility, requirement.
80. payment aggregator (noun) – a third-party service provider that integrates various payment methods, allowing merchants to accept payments from customers without setting up separate accounts with each bank.
81. risk flag (noun) – an alert, warning, or indicator highlighting a potential hazard, danger, or suspicious activity within a system.
82. UPI ID (noun) – Unified Payments Interface Identifier; a unique virtual payment address mapped to a user’s bank account for conducting immediate, secure digital transactions.
83. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) (noun) – an instant real-time payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to facilitate seamless inter-bank peer-to-peer and person-to-merchant transactions.
84. associate with (phrasal verb) – connect to, link with, relate to, affiliate with.

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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