The Hindu Editorial (Juggernaut rolls on) – May 16, 2026
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The Hindu Editorial (Juggernaut rolls on) – May 16, 2026:
- juggernaut (noun) – a huge, powerful, and overwhelming force or institution that cannot be halted; unstoppable force, steamroller, behemoth.
- roll on (phrasal verb) – to continue happening or moving forward steadily; continue, progress, advance, move ahead.
- anomaly (noun) – something that is different, abnormal or unusual from what normally/usually happens; oddity, abnormality, peculiarity, irregularity.
- Special Intensive Revision (SIR) (proper noun) – an official administrative process conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to thoroughly update, correct, and verify electoral rolls by deleting non-existent voters and adding new eligible citizens.
- controversial (adjective) – contentious, debatable, disputed, disputable.
- electoral roll (noun) – voter list, voting register, electorate list, poll book.
- electorate (noun) – all the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election; voters, voting public, constituency.
- given (preposition) – considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.
- transpire (verb) – happen, occur, take place, turn out.
- staggering (adjective) – astonishing, shocking, surprising, astounding.
- trim (noun) – reduction, cut, decrease, scaling down.
- roll (noun) – an official list or register, particularly of voters; register, roster, list.
- prudent (adjective) – wise, well judged, sensible, careful, far-sighted.
- structural (adjective) – systemic, fundamental, organizational, underlying.
- disenfranchisement (noun) – the state of being deprived of a right or privilege, especially the deprivation of the right to vote; voting restriction, marginalization, exclusion.
- particularly (adverb) – specifically, especially, notably.
- such as (phrase) – for example, for instance, like.
- hurry through (phrasal verb) – to do or complete something very quickly, often without proper care; rush, push through, expedite.
- impending (adjective) – imminent, approaching, forthcoming, looming.
- mass deletion (noun) – the widespread or large-scale removal of records; wholesale removal, broad eradication, extensive elimination.
- varying (adjective) – differing, changing, fluctuating, diverse.
- scale (noun) – extent, magnitude, proportion, scope.
- egregious (adjective) – outstandingly bad; shocking, horrific, terrible, appalling.
- cumulative (adjective) – collective, aggregate, accumulated, total.
- reliance (noun) – dependence, leaning, banking.
- faulty (adjective) – defective, flawed, imperfect, deficient.
- arbitrary (adjective) – random, capricious, whimsical, illogical, unreasonable.
- criterion (noun) – standard, yardstick, measure, benchmark.
- flaw (noun) – defect, fault, imperfection, weakness.
- lead to (phrasal verb) – result in, cause, bring about, give rise to.
- disproportionately (adverb) – inordinately, unevenly, excessively, unreasonably.
- marginalised (adjective) – treated as insignificant or peripheral; disadvantaged, vulnerable, oppressed, neglected.
- notably (adverb) – especially, particularly, primarily, significantly.
- mark (verb) – characterize, indicate, distinguish, identify.
- centralisation (noun) – the concentration of control or decision-making power in a single central authority; consolidation, amalgamation.
- authorities (noun) – officials, administration, officialdom, bureaucracy.
- rather than (phrase) – instead of, as opposed to.
- empower (verb) – authorize, entitle, permit, allow.
- Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) (proper noun) – an official appointed by the Election Commission of India (ECI), usually a Sub-Divisional Magistrate or an officer of equivalent rank, responsible for the preparation and revision of electoral rolls for a particular parliamentary or assembly constituency.
- rationalisation (noun) – the reorganization of a process or system to make it more logical and efficient; systematization, streamlining.
- in parallel (phrase) – happening at the same time and in the same way; simultaneously, concurrently, alongside.
- enumeration (noun) – counting, calculating, listing, tallying.
- obscure (verb) – hide, conceal, cover, mask, overshadow.
- design (noun) – plan, structure, arrangement, organization.
- onus (noun) – responsibility, burden, liability, obligation.
- official (noun) – officer, administrator, executive, functionary.
- establish (verb) – prove, demonstrate, verify, confirm.
- aggregate (adjective) – total, combined, whole, cumulative.
- gender-ratio (noun) – the demographic metric measuring the proportion of males to females in a given population; sex ratio.
- nearly (adverb) – almost, practically, virtually, closely.
- notable (adjective) – significant, important, remarkable, outstanding.
- exception (noun) – anomaly, irregularity, deviation, departure.
- mismatch (noun) – discrepancy, inconsistency, disparity, contradiction.
- elector-population ratio (noun) – the proportion of registered voters compared to the total population of a specific demographic area.
- move (verb) – prompt, compel, influence, persuade.
- change course (phrase) – to choose a different approach, direction, or strategy; alter direction, pivot, shift gears.
- absorb (verb) – assimilate, comprehend, understand, take in.
- suspicion (noun) – doubt, misgiving, apprehension, distrust.
- insouciance (noun) – a casual lack of concern; indifference, apathy, unconcern, nonchalance.
- by design (phrase) – intentionally, purposefully, deliberately.
- worryingly (adverb) – in a manner that causes anxiety or concern; disturbingly, alarmingly, concerningly.
- managerial (adjective) – administrative, organizational, supervisory, executive.
- supervision (noun) – observation, monitoring, overseeing, administration.
- adjudication (noun) – a formal judgment or decision on a disputed matter; ruling, resolution, arbitration, verdict.
- deploy (verb) – station, position, post, utilize.
- even as (phrase) – while, at the same time as, just as.
- underlying (adjective) – fundamental, basic, primary, foundational.
- Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (Act) – a statutory provision that grants the Election Commission of India the residuary power to direct a special revision of the electoral roll for any constituency in such manner as it may think fit.
- the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (Act) – an Act of the Parliament of India that provides for the allocation of seats and the delimitation of constituencies for elections, the qualifications of voters, and the preparation of electoral rolls.
- burden (noun) – onus, responsibility, obligation, liability.
- unresolved (adjective) – unsettled, undecided, pending, unanswered.
- commence (verb) – begin, start, initiate, kick off.
- fall on (phrasal verb) – to become the duty or responsibility of someone; rest on, rely on, depend on.
- civil society (noun) – community organizations, non-governmental organizations, activists, and citizen groups that function independently of the government; public realm.
- sensitise (verb) – to make someone aware of or responsive to an issue; educate, inform, familiarize.
- prioritise (verb) – to treat something as being more important than other things; emphasize, highlight, put first.
- universal adult franchise (noun) – the right of all adult citizens of a country to vote in elections regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, or ethnicity.
- remain (verb) – stay, continue to exist, hold on, endure.
- upon themselves (phrase) – onto them personally or directly; on their own shoulders, on oneself, personally.
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.
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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a third phase of its controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, covering 16 States and three Union Territories with a combined electorate of 36.73 crore… For further reading, visit “The Hindu”. Below is today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (Juggernaut rolls on) – May 16, 2026.