The Hindu Editorial (​​​​​Required reforms) – Aug 19, 2025

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The Hindu Editorial (Required reforms) – Aug ​18, 2025:

1. timely (adjective) – prompt, well timed, at the right time, opportune, appropriate.
2. stand to do/have something (phrase) – to be likely to do or have something.
3. claim (verb) – assert, affirm, insist, state, argue, contend.
4. slab (noun) – category.
5. substantially (adverb) – significantly, considerably, appreciably.
6. tax burden (noun) – tax incidence/burden falls on the public.
7. rationalise (verb) – modernise, streamline, make more efficient, hone, simplify, reorganize.
8. ambiguity (noun) – inexactness, doubtfulness, obscurity/opacity.
9. litigation (noun) – suit, court case, case, legal action, law suit.
10. setup (noun) – system, format, structure.
11. restructure (verb) – reorganize, reshuffle, rearrange, revise, rationalize, reform.
12. proposal (noun) – plan, programme, suggestion, recommendation.
13. procedural (adjective) – systemic, systematic, methodical, operational, organizational.
14. regarding (preposition) – about, relating, on the subject of, concerning, with regard to, with reference to.
15. multiplicity (noun) – a large number of, a lot of, a variety of, a host of; abundance, scores.
16. time-consuming (adjective) – tedious, laborious, tiresome, prolonged, protracted, long-drawn-out.
17. navigate (verb) – to make one’s way through a particular web site.
18. ease (verb) – facilitate, make easy, simplify, assist/help.
19. speed up (verb) – expedite, accelerate, step up, quicken.
20. welcome (adjective) – pleasing, agreeable, favourable, promising, much needed.
21. improvement (noun) – development, progress, progression, advancement.
22. pursue (verb) – engage in, conduct, take part in, take up (an activity); go after; be intent on, push towards, aim at/for, push/work towards.
23. Income Tax Bill, 2025 (noun) – The Income-Tax Bill, 2025 was introduced in Lok Sabha on February 13, 2025. It seeks to replace the Income-Tax Act, 1961. The Bill retains most of the provisions of the 1961 Act. The new Bill removes redundant provisions and archaic language, and is likely to come into effect from April 1, 2026.
24. rejig (noun) – change, regrouping, reorganization, rearrangement, reshuffle.
25. highlight (verb) – emphasize, underscore, underline, accentuate, point up, call attention to, focus attention on.
26. watershed (noun) – it used to mean ‘important changes’ or the ‘turning point’ in a situation or event. The event that marks a historic change; historic, milestone, landmark (moment); critical moment, decisive moment
27. hit (noun) – blow, crash.
28. fall (verb) – drop, dip, plunge, sink, decline.
29. a widening (noun) – an increasing, an expanding, an intensifying.
30. tax base (noun) – the total value of all of the assets, income, and economic activity that can be taxed by a taxing authority, usually a government
31. offset (verb) – even up, counterbalance, equalize, neutralize; make amends for, compensate for.
32. set (to) (verb) – prepare, arrange, make ready.
33. incentive (noun) – impetus, boost, stimulus, fillip.
34. input tax credit (ITC) (noun) – Input Tax Credit (ITC) under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) allows businesses to reduce their tax liability when they sell products or services by claiming credit for the GST paid on purchases.
35. tax evasion/terrorism (noun) – an illegal action in which a person or company purposely avoids paying a true tax liability.
36. evasion (noun) – avoidance, dodging, bypassing, sidestepping, circumvention.
37. willingness (noun) – readiness, preparedness, disposition, wish, desire, eagerness.
38. in order to (phrase) – so as to, with the aim or purpose of doing something.
39. bode well/ill (verb) – augur, indicate, portend (a good/bad outcome).
40. falter (verb) – to lose intensity or strength, especially gradually; hesitate, be undecided, waver, vacillate, fluctuate, be irresolute, show weakness, shrink.
41. due to (phrase) – because of, as a result of, thanks to, on account of, owing to.
42. tariff (noun) – a tax imposed by one country on the goods and services imported from another country.
43. uncertainty (noun) – unpredictability, unreliability, riskiness/precariousness.
44. revenue surrender (noun) – it refers to the transfer of collected revenues (like taxes, duties, fees) from one authority or department to the Consolidated Fund or Treasury.
45. lobbying/lobby (noun) – a group of people attempting to influence (the government / its official group/elected legislators) to create the actions, policies, or decisions to help a particular organization.
46. Finance Commission (noun) – a constitutional body appointed by the President every five years to make recommendations on sharing of taxes between the Centre and the States.
47. Sixteenth Finance Commission (noun) – It was constituted on 31.12.2023 with Shri Arvind Panagariya, former Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog as its Chairman. The Sixteenth Finance Commission has been requested to make its recommendations available by October, 31, 2025, covering an award period of 5 years commencing 1^st April, 2026.
48. unlikely (adjective) – not likely, doubtful, improbable, questionable, debatable.
49. any time soon (phrase) – in near future.
50. compensation (noun) – payment, repayment, settlement (for loss/damage). 
51. GST Compensation (noun) – Under the GST law (In India), state governments are guaranteed full compensation for any revenue loss for the first five years after the introduction of the goods and services tax (GST) in July 2017. The compensation is a gap between actual revenue collected and projected revenue.
52. reach out (phrasal verb) – contact someone to obtain/offer help/assistance/cooperation.
53. put forth (phrase) – propose, suggest, offer, present, submit, recommend, put forward.
54. case (noun) – statement, argument, claim, reasoning (supporting one side of a debate).
55. take something on board (phrase) – to decide to accept an idea; to accept an information; to understand or consider a suggestion.

Note : 

1. Click each one of the words above for their definition, more synonyms, pronunciation, example sentences, phrases, derivatives, origin and etc. from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/.

2. Definitions (elementary level) & Synonyms provided for the words above are my personal work and not that of Oxford University Press. Tentative definitions/meanings are provided for study purposes only and they may vary in a different context.  

3. This word list is for personal use only. Reproduction in any format and/or Commercial use of it is/are strictly prohibited.

The Hindu Editorial (​​​​Required reforms) – Aug 19, 2025: