The Hindu Editorial (​Renewal vs change) – Mar 21, 2026

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The Hindu Editorial (​​​​Renewal vs change) – Mar 21, 2026:

1. renewal (noun) – regeneration, rejuvenation, revival, resurgence.
2. change (noun) – transition, shift, alteration, transformation.
3. poll scene (noun) – the prevailing political environment in the context of an upcoming election; electoral landscape, political arena.
4. Dravidian (adjective) – relating to the socio-political movement and ideology in South India that advocates for social justice, federalism, and the empowerment of historically marginalized communities.
5. alliance (noun) – coalition, bloc, partnership, union.
6. bet (noun) – rely on, count on, bank on, gamble on.
7. right wing (noun) – the conservative or reactionary segment of a political spectrum, often emphasizing tradition, nationalism, and hierarchical structures; conservative faction, traditionalist bloc, rightist group, conservative wing.
8. held past tense of hold (verb) – occupy, possess, or maintain a specific position of power or influence; maintain, retain, possess, command.
9. ascendant (adjective) – rising in power, influence, or dominant political status; rising, dominating, commanding, superior.
10. hegemonic (adjective) – strong, dominant, powerful, influential, authoritative, predominant, paramount.
11. striking (adjective) – remarkable, noticeable, conspicuous, outstanding.
12. exception (noun) – anomaly, deviation, irregularity, departure.
13. probably (adverb) – likely, presumably, arguably, in all likelihood.
14. marginal (adjective) – peripheral, insignificant, negligible, minor.
15. player (noun) – participant, contender, actor, figure.
16. despite (preposition) – notwithstanding, in spite of, regardless of, undeterred by.
17. favourable (adjective) – advantageous, beneficial, promising, conducive.
18. religious demographic (noun) – the statistical composition and characteristics of a population based on religious affiliations; faith-based demographics, religious population structure, communal demography.
19. demographic (noun) – a distinct section of a population sharing common statistical characteristics; population segment, population group.
20. elsewhere (adverb) – in other places, somewhere else.
21. owe (verb) – to attribute a particular result, success, or condition to a specific cause or factor; attribute, ascribe, credit, assign.
22. much to (phrase) – to a significant degree/extent; largely, substantially, greatly, primarily.
23. idiom (noun) – idiomatic expression, phrase, parlance, phraseology, vocabulary, discourse.
24. political idiom (noun) – political discourse, political parlance, ideological phraseology, political vocabulary.
25. social justice (noun) – the principle of creating an egalitarian (equitable) society where wealth, opportunities, and privileges are distributed fairly to protect marginalized groups; equity, egalitarianism, fairness, equal opportunity.
26. identity (noun) – the inherent characteristics, cultural roots, and socio-political beliefs that define a group or movement; distinctiveness, character, originality, individuality.
27. limit (verb) – restrict, confine, constrain, curb.
28. competition (noun) – rivalry, contest.
29. decade (noun) – ten-year period.
30. national force (noun) – central party, pan-India party, all-India organization.
31. reduce (verb) – to relegate or diminish to a lower rank, status, or level of influence; relegate, diminish, downgrade, demote.
32. junior partner (noun) – subordinate ally, minor partner, secondary ally, lesser participant.
33. Dravidian-dominated (adjective) – overwhelmingly controlled or influenced by political parties adhering to Dravidian ideologies; Dravidian-led, Dravidian-controlled, Dravidian-centric.
34. sustain (verb) – uphold, preserve, maintain, prolong.
35. due to (phrase) – on account of, because of, owing to, by reason of.
36. capability (noun) – ability, competence, capacity, proficiency.
37. welfare (noun) – the implementation of progressive policies and schemes by the state designed to guarantee the socio-economic well-being of its citizens; social security, public assistance, social upliftment, well-being.
38. development (noun) – progress, advancement, growth, modernization.
39. competitive welfarism (noun) – an electoral phenomenon where rival political parties vie against (compete) each other by aggressively promising and delivering extensive welfare schemes and freebies to secure voter support; populist competition, welfare rivalry, competitive populism.
40. entrench (verb) – to firmly establish something so deeply that it becomes difficult to alter or uproot; embed, ingrain, root, institutionalize.
41. patronage (noun) – partisanship, favoritism, preferential treatment, sponsorship, backing.
42. drive (verb) – propel, steer, determine, shape.
43. political variables (noun) – the dynamic, unpredictable factors and circumstances that continuously influence the electoral landscape and voter behavior; political parameters, electoral factors, political dynamics.
44. seek (verb) – try, aim, attempt, strive, endeavour.
45. bank on (phrasal verb) –  depend on, rely on, count on, trust in.
46. Dravidian Model (noun) – a governance paradigm (pattern) championed in Tamil Nadu that explicitly (clearly) emphasizes inclusive economic growth synergized with comprehensive social justice, rationalism, and robust welfare distribution; inclusive governance framework, egalitarian development model, socio-economic welfare paradigm.
47. manage (verb) – to successfully achieve; deliver, accomplish.
48. impressive (adjective) – remarkable, outstanding, formidable, striking.
49. Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) (noun) – the official macroeconomic indicator that measures the total volume of all finalized goods and services produced within the geographical boundaries of a State during a specific period; state economic output, regional GDP, state income.
50. industrial powerhouse (noun) – a geographical or administrative region characterized by a highly robust, dominant, and exceptionally productive manufacturing and industrial base; manufacturing hub, industrial giant.
51. powerhouse (noun) – an entity, state, or individual possessing enormous energy, economic strength, and structural influence; driving force, juggernaut.
52. capitalise on (phrasal verb) – leverage, take advantage of, exploit, benefit from.
53. measure (noun) – policy, initiative, step, action.
54. beneath (preposition) – underneath, underlying, below, hidden under.
55. macro picture (noun) – bigger picture, broader view, overarching perspective, holistic scenario.
56. lie (verb) – exist, reside, remain.
57. the Opposition (noun) – opposing parties, rival coalition, opposition bloc.
58. harp on (phrasal verb) – speak or write about a topic repeatedly/boringly; dwell on, reiterate, stress, obsess over.
59. governance (noun) – administration, management, rule.
60. fuel (verb) – aggravate, provoke, stimulate, inflame.
61. discontent (noun) – dissatisfaction, resentment, grievance, unrest.
62. undisputed (adjective) – unchallenged, undeniable, uncontested, acknowledged.
63. factional (adjective) –  partisan, sectarian, divided, splintered.
64. intrigue (noun) – machination, plotting, conspiracy, scheming.
65. following (preposition) –  subsequent to, after, in the aftermath of.
66. charge (noun) – attack, campaign.
67. in alliance with (phrase) – in partnership with, in coalition with, aligned with, united with.
68. alongside (preposition) – together with, concurrently with, along with, in tandem with.
69. bill as (phrasal verb) – brand as, promote as, advertise as, portray as.
70. carry (verb) – posses, entail, involve, bear, encompass.
71. contradiction (noun) – inconsistency, incongruity, paradox, conflict, discrepancy.
72. breakaway (noun) – a dissident faction or splinter group that has formally seceded from a primary political party due to internal disputes; splinter group, splinter faction, offshoot.
73. strategy (noun) – a comprehensive, meticulously planned course of action formulated to achieve long-term electoral or political dominance; master plan, blueprint.
74. concentrated (adjective) – clustered, localized, dense, consolidated.
75. belt (noun) – region, tract, zone.
76. pocket (noun) – enclave, cluster, localized zone.
77. delta region (noun) – river delta, agricultural belt, agrarian zone.
78. accrue (verb) – accumulate, gather, amass, collect.
79. lest (conjunction) – for fear that, just in case, in case, in order to prevent, simply to avoid.
80. eat into (phrasal verb) – to gradually erode, deplete, diminish, consume.
81. base (noun) – the steadfast, fundamental, and reliable core demographic of voters that continuously supports a specific political party; core constituency, stronghold, primary supporters.
82. taut (adjective) – tightly structured, meticulously disciplined, and highly cohesive; cohesive, tight, disciplined, compact.
83. secure (verb) – obtain, acquire, clinch.
84. emergence (noun) – arrival or appearance.
85. wildcard (noun) – unpredictable element, unknown variable, dark horse, disruptor.
86. anti-incumbency (noun) – a prevailing wave of voter dissatisfaction, resentment, or electoral backlash explicitly directed against the ruling government; anti-government sentiment, voter backlash, dissatisfaction.
87. win over (phrasal verb) – persuade, convince, sway, allure.
88. outcome (noun) –  result, consequence, verdict, conclusion.
89. framework (noun) – structure, architecture, paradigm, system.
90. keep someone at the margins (phrase) – to systematically exclude, sideline, or deny a political entity or demographic group access to mainstream power and influence; marginalize, sideline, exclude.
91. at the margins (phrase) – on the periphery, sidelined, excluded, marginalized.
92. hold (verb) – remain valid, apply, endure, persist.
93. increasingly (adverb) – progressively, continuously, progressively more, steadily.
94. fragmented (adjective) – divided, splintered, fractured.
95. arena (noun) – domain, realm, battlefield, sphere.

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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