The Hindu Editorial (Just truths) – Jun 22, 2026
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The Hindu Editorial (Just truths) – Jun 22, 2026:
- just (adjective) – only (or) fair, equitable, right, ethical.
- DNA test/evidence (noun) – the scientific analysis of genetic material to identify an individual or establish biological relationships, often used in legal and forensic contexts; genetic testing, biological proof, genetic evidence, forensic evidence.
- paternity (noun) – the state of being someone’s father; fatherhood.
- last resort (noun) – a final course of action when all else has failed; ultimate option, final alternative, eventual recourse, expedient.
- violate (verb) – to break, fail to comply with, breach, contravene, infringe, defy.
- stigma (noun) – shame, disgrace, dishonour, discredit; a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.
- illegitimacy (noun) – the status of a child born to parents who are not legally married to each other; bastardy, unlawful birth.
- erstwhile (adjective) – old, previous, former; past, one-time, prior.
- Indian Evidence Act 1872 (proper noun) – an erstwhile Act of the Parliament of India that consolidated, defined, and amended the general rules and principles of evidence for judicial proceedings in Indian courts.
- Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023 (proper noun) – an Act of the Parliament of India (Act No. 47 of 2023) that came into force on July 1, 2024, replacing the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 to consolidate and provide for general rules and principles of evidence for fair trials, notably classifying electronic records as primary evidence.
- burden of proof (noun) – the duty/obligation of a party to prove/disprove their claims/allegations; onus of proof, legal responsibility, evidentiary burden.
- party (noun) – litigant, side, disputant, participant.
- seek (verb) – to try to find, obtain, or achieve something; request, ask for, attempt, strive.
- confirmation (noun) – verification, validation, authentication.
- pose (verb) – to present or constitute a problem, danger, or challenge; present, create, cause, produce.
- in this regard (phrase) – in connection with the point previously mentioned; concerning this, regarding this, on this subject, in this respect.
- Goutam Kundu (1993) case & verdict (proper noun) – a landmark Supreme Court of India judgment which ruled that courts cannot order a blood or DNA test as a matter of routine to determine paternity; it established that a strong prima facie case must be made out, prioritizing the protection of a child from the stigma of illegitimacy over forensic curiosity.
- as a matter of routine (phrase) – done as a normal, regular, or customary procedure; routinely, ordinarily, customarily, habitually.
- prima facie (adjective) – a Latin expression meaning ‘at first sight/look/view’ or at first appearance; a belief that is accepted as correct until proven otherwise; evident, apparent, self-evident.
- make out (phrasal verb) – to establish or prove a case or point; prove, establish, demonstrate, substantiate.
- reiterate (verb) – to say something again or repeatedly; repeat, restate, reaffirm, emphasize.
- position (noun) – point of view, stance, standpoint, viewpoint, posture.
- Shri Banarsi Dass (2005) case and verdict (proper noun) – a Supreme Court of India judgment which reaffirmed that DNA testing cannot be ordered as a matter of routine in paternity disputes, emphasizing that a child’s legal legitimacy must be protected over mere forensic curiosity.
- reinforce (verb) – to strengthen or support, especially with additional facts or reasoning; strengthen, fortify, bolster, consolidate.
- legitimacy (noun) – conformity to the law or to rules; lawfulness, legality, validity, rightfulness.
- interest (noun) – benefit, advantage, concern, stake.
- forensic (adjective) – relating to the application of scientific knowledge and methods to legal problems and proceedings; investigative, legal-scientific.
- curiosity (noun) – a strong desire to know or learn something; inquisitiveness, questioning.
- litigation (noun) –lawsuit, legal proceedings, case, legal dispute.
- moot (verb) – to raise a question or topic for discussion or to suggest an idea; initiate, propose, put forward, raise.
- allege (verb) – to claim or assert that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically without proof; claim, assert, charge, state.
- veteran (adjective) – having had long experience, practice, or service in a particular field; experienced, seasoned, long-serving, established.
- call for (phrasal verb) – to require, demand, or publicly ask for an action to be taken; demand, require, necessitate, request.
- despite (preposition) – in spite of, notwithstanding, regardless of, in the face of.
- insist (verb) – to demand something forcefully, not accepting refusal; demand, assert vigorously, stand firm, swear.
- right to privacy (noun) – a fundamental legal right ensuring individuals are free from unwarranted public scrutiny or government intrusion into their personal lives, bodily autonomy, and genetic data; right to personal liberty, right to be left alone, right to bodily autonomy.
- violate (verb) – to break or fail to comply with a rule, right, or formal agreement; breach, contravene, infringe, defy.
- Nandlal Wasudeo Badwaik (2014) case and verdict (proper noun) – a landmark Supreme Court of India judgment which ruled that when there is a conflict between a legal fiction (the presumption of legitimacy of a child under Section 112 of the Indian Evidence Act) and reliable scientific evidence (DNA test), the scientific proof must prevail in the interest of justice.
- reliable (adjective) – dependable, trustworthy, believable, credible.
- confront (verb) – to come face to face with or deal with a difficult situation or problem; face, encounter, tackle, oppose.
- legal fiction (noun) – an assertion or assumption accepted as true by the courts, though it may not be factually true, to achieve a particular legal goal or justice; judicial assumption, statutory assumption, legal assumption.
- the former (phrase) – denoting the first of two people, things, or ideas just mentioned; the first mentioned, the first one.
- prevail (verb) – to prove more powerful or superior; win, triumph, succeed, overcome.
- in the interest of (phrase) – for the benefit of, for the sake of; to the advantage of, considering.
- justice (noun) – fairness, equity, impartiality, rightfulness.
- Dipanwita Roy (2014) case and verdict (proper noun) – a landmark Supreme Court of India judgment which ruled that while a person cannot be physically compelled to undergo a DNA test, their refusal to comply with a court-ordered test can lead to an adverse inference being drawn against them under the Indian Evidence Act.
- acknowledge (verb) – to accept or admit the existence or truth of something; admit, accept, recognize, concede.
- adverse inference (noun) – a legal deduction or conclusion drawn by a judge that is unfavorable to a party, typically because that party failed to produce evidence or refused to cooperate; negative deduction, unfavorable presumption, hostile conclusion.
- confirm (verb) – to establish the truth, correctness, or validity of something; verify, corroborate, validate, substantiate.
- on need (phrase) – based on a specific requirement or necessity rather than being done as a standard routine; as required, when necessary, upon requirement, conditionally.
- then (adverb) – subsequently, next, after that, following this.
- K.S. Puttaswamy (2017) case and verdict (proper noun) – a landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of India, officially titled Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) vs Union of India, which unanimously established that the right to privacy is protected as a fundamental right under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution of India.
- genetic data (noun) – personal data relating to the inherited or acquired genetic characteristics of a person which give unique information about the physiology or health of that individual, usually resulting from an analysis of a biological sample; hereditary information, biological data, genomic information, DNA profile.
- encode (verb) – embed, enshrine, integrate, incorporate.
- Article 21 of the Constitution of India (proper noun) – a fundamental right in the Constitution of India that guarantees the protection of life and personal liberty, stating that no person shall be deprived of their life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.
- constraint (noun) – a limitation or restriction; restriction, limitation, restraint, curb.
- jurisprudence (noun) – legal philosophy, legal theory, body of laws, legal principles.
- reckon with (phrasal verb) – to take something into consideration or deal with a difficult issue; consider, address, tackle, confront.
- threefold (adjective) – consisting of three parts or elements; tripartite, three-part, triple.
- set up (phrasal verb) – establish, institute, form, initiate.
- legality (noun) – lawfulness, legality, legitimacy, validity.
- legitimate (adjective) – lawful, legal, valid, authorized, permissible.
- proportionality (noun) – the principle that an action, punishment, or restriction should be balanced and not excessive in relation to its purpose; balance, fairness, reasonableness, appropriateness, moderation.
- bring to bear (phrase) – to apply influence, pressure, or a test to achieve a particular result; exert, apply, employ, utilize.
- Aparna Ajinkya Firodia (2023) case & verdict (proper noun) – a Supreme Court of India judgment which concluded that DNA tests in family disputes should not be ordered routinely but only when they are strictly necessary and proportionate, emphasizing the child’s right to privacy and protection from the stigma of illegitimacy.
- proportionate (adjective) – commensurate, equivalent, balanced, appropriate.
- Ivan Rathinam case & verdict (2025) (proper noun) – a Supreme Court of India judgment which held that while the right to privacy is not absolute, courts must delicately balance the potential stigma of illegitimacy against a person’s legitimate interest in establishing biological parentage when deciding whether to order a DNA test.
- absolute (adjective) – unquestionable, complete, total, unconditional.
- judiciary (noun) – the judicial authorities of a country, including courts and judges; judicial system, bench, courts.
- negotiate (verb) – to find a way over or through a difficult path or situation; navigate, handle, deal with, manage.
- necessity (noun) – the fact of being required or indispensable for achieving a specific legal or factual outcome; requirement, prerequisite, essentiality, imperative.
- CP v. AP (2026) case & verdict (proper noun) – The Supreme Court upheld a Trial Court order directing a DNA test in a paternity dispute, holding that when parentage is the core issue and no other reliable evidence is available, a DNA test may be permitted. Privacy and bodily autonomy are important rights, but they are not absolute; courts may order DNA testing where it is necessary to establish truth and do complete justice.
- tie (verb) – link, connect, bind, associate.
- contention (noun) – an assertion or claim made in an argument; claim, assertion, argument, submission.
- uphold (verb) – to confirm or support a decision or law, especially one that has been challenged; confirm, endorse, validate, sustain.
- trial court (noun) – lower court, court of first instance, district court, subordinate court.
- on the grounds that (phrase) – for the reason that; because, since, due to the fact that.
- material (noun) – facts, information, or evidence used in a legal context; evidence, data, facts, documentation.
- consideration (noun) – a fact or a motive taken into account in deciding something; factor, issue, point, aspect.
- era (noun) – epoch, age, period, time.
- bodily autonomy (noun) – the right of a person to make decisions about their own body without coercion or interference; self-determination, bodily integrity, personal liberty, physical autonomy.
- autonomy (noun) – the right or condition of self-government or personal control over one’s own body; independence, freedom, self-determination, sovereignty.
- compelled (adjective) – forced, coerced, exacted.
- disclosure (noun) – the action of making new or secret information known; revelation, declaration, uncovering, release.
- in issue (phrase) – under discussion or in dispute in a legal case; at issue, in question, under consideration, debated.
- serve (verb) – to fulfill a purpose or be of use in achieving a goal; benefit, aid, assist, advance.
- position (verb) – frame, place, situate, contextualize.
- infallible (adjective) – flawless, unerring, faultless, perfect.
- pursuit (noun) – the action of following or seeking to attain something; quest, search, hunt, chase.
- respect (verb) – to have due regard for the rights, feelings, or wishes of others; honor, value, recognize, observe.
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To protect children from the stigma of illegitimacy, the erstwhile Indian Evidence Act 1872 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 place the burden of proof on the party denying paternity rather than the party seeking confirmation… For further reading, visit “The Hindu”. Below is today’s word list-2 for The Hindu Editorial (Just truths) – Jun 22, 2026.