The Hindu Editorial (​​​​​Duty of care) – Mar 14, 2026

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The Hindu Editorial (​​​Duty of care) – Mar 14, 2026:

1. duty of care (noun) – the fundamental legal and moral obligation of a government or entity to ensure the safety, health, and well-being of the public, particularly during government-sponsored health interventions; moral obligation, protective responsibility, legal duty, standard of care.
2. vaccine (noun) – a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease by stimulating the body’s immune system; inoculation, immunization.
3. compensation (noun) – something, typically money, awarded to someone in recognition of loss, suffering, or injury; recompense, reparation, remuneration, indemnity.
4. vaccine injury compensation programme (noun) – a formally established no-fault scheme designed to provide financial recompense to individuals who experience rare, severe adverse reactions after receiving a recommended vaccination; no-fault compensation system, vaccine liability fund.
5. the state (noun) – the government, the administration, the regime, the ruling authority.
6. evade (verb) – avoid, dodge, sidestep.
7. responsibility (noun) –  accountability, liability, onus, obligation.
8. push for (verb) – advocate, urge, demand, campaign for.
9. vaccination (noun) – the administration of a vaccine to stimulate the immune system and protect against a specific disease; inoculation, immunization, injection.
10. directive (noun) – an official or authoritative instruction or order; ruling, injunction, mandate.
11. Rachana Gangu Vs. Union of India case (noun) – a landmark 2026 Supreme Court case in which the families of victims who died from suspected COVID-19 vaccine side-effects sought the establishment of a no-fault compensation framework.
12. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) (noun) –  an Indian government ministry officially mandated with formulating and executing health policies, implementing national family welfare and public health programs, and regulating medical care across the country.
13. design (verb) – formulate, draft, frame, devise.
14. no-fault (adjective) – designating a legal or administrative system in which an injured party is compensated for losses without the need to prove negligence or assign blame to another party; strict-liability-free, automatic-compensation, non-punitive, blame-free.
15. adverse (adjective) –  detrimental, unfavorable, harmful, negative.
16. following (preposition) – coming after or as a result of a particular event; subsequent to, after, succeeding, in the wake of.
17. immunisation (noun) – the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine; inoculation, vaccination.
18. adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) (noun) – any untoward or unexpected medical occurrence which follows immunization and does not necessarily have a confirmed causal relationship with the usage of the vaccine; post-vaccination complications, unintended immunization effects, vaccine side-effects.
19. arise from (verb) – originate, stem from, result from, emerge from.
20. campaign (noun) – an organized and active public health operation aimed at achieving a specific goal, such as widespread population immunity; drive, movement, initiative, operation.
21. mark (verb) – signify, indicate, represent, denote.
22. shift (noun) – change, transition, modification.
23. fault-based (adjective) – liability-driven, blame-oriented, negligence-dependent, culpability-based.
24. liability (noun) – accountability, legal responsibility, culpability, legal burden.
25. state-run (adjective) – government-operated, public, publicly-administered.
26. public health programme (noun) – an organized government-led initiative designed to prevent disease, prolong life, and promote human health through mobilized community efforts wellness campaign, national medical scheme.
27. writ petition (noun) – a formal written order issued by a judicial authority directing an individual or government entity to perform or cease a specified action, fundamentally enforcing constitutional rights.
28. claim (verb) – assert, allege, contend, maintain.
29. over (preposition) – regarding, concerning, about, with reference to.
30. allegedly (adverb) – supposedly, reportedly, purportedly, ostensibly.
31. vaccine-induced (adjective) –  immunization-triggered, inoculation-caused, serum-provoked.
32. immune (adjective) – relating to the bodily system that provides resistance against infection, which can sometimes produce atypical or severe internal reactions; biological defense-related, autoimmune.
33. thrombotic (adjective) – pertaining to or involving the formation of a blood clot within a blood vessel, which can dangerously obstruct blood flow; clot-forming.
34. thrombocytopenia (noun) – a serious medical condition characterized by an abnormally low number of platelets in the blood, leading to defective blood clotting and internal bleeding; platelet deficiency, low blood platelet count, clotting disorder.
35. vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) (noun) – a rare, severe medical syndrome triggered by certain vaccines, characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of dangerous blood clots and abnormally low blood platelet counts; vaccination blood-clotting disorder, VITT syndrome.
36. complication (noun) – a secondary disease or medical condition aggravating an already existing one or resulting from a primary medical intervention; adverse effect,  secondary ailment.
37. Covishield vaccine (noun) – the brand name for the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 coronavirus vaccine manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India under license from AstraZeneca and Oxford University; AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine.
38. contend (verb) – argue, assert, maintain, claim.
39. dedicated (adjective) – exclusively intended for a specific purpose; specialized, designated, specific, assigned, earmarked.
40. mechanism (noun) – procedure, system, apparatus, framework.
41. compensate (verb) – reimburse, remunerate, indemnify, recompense.
42. resist (verb) – oppose, withstand, object to, refuse.
43. establish (verb) – set up, create, institute, formulate.
44. compensation policy (noun) – a formalized government or institutional framework outlining the terms, conditions, and processes for providing financial redress to affected individuals; indemnification framework.
45. hold (verb) – argue, believe, maintain, assert.
46. voluntary (adjective) – optional, discretionary, non-compulsory, non-mandatory.
47. aggrieved (adjective) – angry, distressed, disturbed, anguished.
48. sue (verb) – litigate, prosecute, take legal action against, indict.
49. civil court (noun) – a judicial tribunal that handles disputes between individuals or organizations rather than criminal offenses, typically seeking financial damages; civil tribunal, non-criminal court.
50. position (noun) – stance, viewpoint, perspective, legal standpoint.
51. impractical (adjective) – unfeasible, unworkable, unrealistic, non-viable.
52. ruling (noun) – judgment, verdict, decree, adjudication.
53. build on (verb) – expand upon, develop.
54. Jacob Puliyel (2022) case (noun) – a landmark Supreme Court judgment in India that, while refusing to interfere with the emergency approval of COVID-19 vaccines, mandated the Union government to publish reports on adverse events following immunization.
55. challenge (noun) – objection, contestation, dispute, opposition.
56. emphasise (verb) – highlight, stress, underline, underscore.
57. establish (verb) – prove, confirm, verify, demonstrate.
58. concern (noun) – anxiety, apprehension, worry, apprehension.
59. medical literature (noun) – published scientific research, peer-reviewed journals, and academic articles that document clinical trials, medical conditions, and therapeutic outcomes; scientific publications, clinical journals.
60. AstraZeneca (noun) – A multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company officially mandated to research, develop, and manufacture prescription medicines, notably partnering with Oxford University to develop the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine.
61. acknowledge (verb) – admit, concede, recognize, accept.
62. in rare instances (phrase) – uncommonly, exceptionally, sporadically, infrequently.
63. vaccinate (verb) – immunize, inoculate, inject, protect.
64. admission (noun) – confession, acknowledgment, concession, declaration.
65. undermine (verb) – weaken, subvert, compromise, diminish.
66. unproven (adjective) – unsubstantiated, unverified, unconfirmed, unsupported.
67. coincidental (adjective) – accidental, chance, serendipitous, circumstantial.
68. immunisation (noun) – the clinical process of rendering a subject immune to a particular disease through the administration of a vaccine; vaccination, inoculation.
69. historically (adverb) – with reference to past events, previous state practices, or long-standing national administrative traditions; traditionally, in the past, formerly, previously.
70. lack (verb) – be without, be missing, be devoid of, need.
71. claimant (noun) – a person making a formal legal or administrative application for financial compensation based on a sustained injury or loss; applicant, petitioner, plaintiff, appellant.
72. negligence (noun) – carelessness, dereliction of duty, oversight, fault.
73. plausible (adjective) – credible, reasonable, believable, probable.
74. COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) (noun) – a worldwide initiative officially co-led by Gavi, CEPI, and the WHO, mandated to guarantee equitable and fair access to COVID-19 vaccines for all nations, particularly low- and middle-income countries; global COVID-19 vaccine initiative.
75. pandemic (noun) – an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, multiple continents, or worldwide, severely disrupting global health; global outbreak, widespread disease, international health crisis, global plague.
76. administer (verb) – dispense, give, provide, apply (a vaccine).
77. welfare state (noun) – a system whereby the government undertakes to protect the health and well-being of its citizens, especially those in financial or social need, by means of grants, pensions, and other benefits; social security system, protective government.
78. represent (verb) – symbolize, constitute, signify, embody.
79. absence (noun) – lack, nonexistence, unavailability, omission.
80. vacuum (noun) – a gap or void in a system; deficiency, emptiness.
81. legal vacuum (noun) – legislative void, legal loophole, regulatory gap, judicial absence.
82. adjudicate (verb) – judge, arbitrate, determine, decide.
83. public health (noun) – the organized efforts of society and government aimed at protecting, promoting, and restoring the collective health of populations; societal health, community wellbeing, national healthcare, population wellness.
84. precedent (noun) – exemplar, model, standard, paradigm.
85. drive (noun) –  campaign, initiative, effort, push.
86. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) (noun) – a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause genital warts and is a primary causative agent for cervical cancer, against which national vaccination drives are conducted; Human Papillomavirus.
87. affirm (verb) – declare, assert, confirm, uphold.
88. endorse (verb) – support, back, advocate, approve.
89. medical intervention (noun) – a specific clinical action or treatment, such as a vaccination, undertaken to improve or protect a patient’s health; clinical procedure, health treatment, therapeutic action.
90. public good (noun) – a benefit or well-being that is shared by and advantageous to all members of a society or community; public interest, collective benefit, societal welfare.

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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