The Hindu Editorial (​​Tepid promises) – Mar 27, 2026

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The Hindu Editorial (​​Tepid promises) – Mar 27, 2026:

1. ​tepid (adjective) – characterized by a lack of enthusiasm or force; lukewarm, unenthusiastic, halfhearted, apathetic.
2. promise (noun) – assurance, pledge, commitment.
3. non-fossil (adjective) – relating to energy sources (such as solar, wind, or nuclear) that do not rely on the combustion of carbon-based fossil fuels; renewable, clean, green, sustainable.
4. enhance (verb) – improve, boost, upgrade, strengthen.
5. come in late (phrase) – to arrive, materialize, or be officially submitted after the mandated deadline or expected timeframe; delayed, overdue, tardy, belated.
6. come in (phrasal verb) – arrive, materialize, emerge, appear.
7. worth the wait (phrase) – adequately rewarding or highly beneficial despite the delay in its arrival; rewarding, valuable, beneficial, worthwhile.
8. section (noun) – a formally distinct part or provision; clause, segment, component.
9. Paris Agreement (proper noun) – an international, legally binding UN climate treaty adopted in 2015, primarily mandated to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C.
10. pre-Industrial times (noun) – pre-industrial era, early historical period, baseline era.
11. pre-Industrial (adjective) – historically relating to the era preceding the widespread mechanization of industry and heavy fossil fuel reliance; traditional, pre-modern, agrarian.
12. as of (phrase) – up to, from, since, as early as.
13. G-20 countries (proper noun) – formally the Group of Twenty; a premier intergovernmental forum comprising 19 sovereign nations, the European Union, and the African Union, mandated to address structural global economic issues, including international financial stability and climate change mitigation.
14. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) (proper noun) – a sovereign climate action plan formally submitted to the UN, detailing a country’s pledged efforts to drastically reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change as required by the Paris Agreement.
15. India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) for 2035 (proper noun) – India commits an installed electric capacity that is 60% from non-fossil sources; reducing, by 47%, the intensity of emissions per unit of GDP and having a 3.5 billion tonne-4 billion tonne CO₂ carbon sink.
16. commit (verb) – pledge, promise, bind, obligate.
17. COP30, 2025 (proper noun) – officially the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a critical international climate summit that convened in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025 to negotiate binding global climate policies and evaluate national emission reduction targets.
18. saving grace (noun) – positive aspect.
19. saving (adjective) – redeeming, compensating, rescuing.
20. grace (noun) – blessing, favour.
21. in time (phrase) – promptly, punctually, on schedule, early enough.
22. installed electric capacity (noun) – the maximum theoretical output of electricity that a nation’s combined power plants and generators can produce under optimal operational conditions; power generation capability, maximum generating capacity.
23. emissions (noun) – the systemic production and discharge of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, into the atmospheric environment.
24. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (noun) – the aggregate monetary or market value of all finished goods and services produced within a country’s sovereign borders in a specific time frame; national income.
25. CO2 carbon sink (noun) – a natural ecological reservoir (such as a forest or ocean) or artificial mechanism that biologically or chemically absorbs and stores more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it releases.
26. India’s NDCs, 2020 (proper noun) – India committed an installed electric capacity that is 50% from non-fossil sources, reducing, by 45%, the intensity of emissions per unit of GDP and having a 2.5 billion tonne-3 billion tonne CO₂ carbon sink.
27. tick all the boxes (phrase) – to comprehensively fulfill all the necessary compliance requirements or satisfy all operational criteria for a given objective; meet all criteria, satisfy requirements, cover all bases, fulfill expectations.
28. cut (noun) – reduction, decrease, drop, slash.
29. net emissions (noun) – the definitive total of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere strictly minus the volume systematically removed or absorbed by natural and artificial carbon sinks.
30. per capita emissions (noun) – the aggregate volume of a nation’s greenhouse gas emissions mathematically divided by its total population, reflecting the average carbon burden per individual.
31. per capita (adjective) – calculated or distributed strictly for each individual person within a demographic group; per person, per head, individually, proportionately.
32. carbon per unit of energy (noun) – the precise measurement of carbon dioxide emitted to structurally produce a specific quantum of usable energy, frequently termed carbon intensity.
33. source (verb) –  obtain, procure, acquire, derive.
34. net zero (noun) – an optimal climatic state wherein the volume of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere is exactly balanced by the volume safely extracted or absorbed; carbon neutrality, climate neutrality, zero net emissions, carbon parity.
35. technology pathway (noun) – a strategic, long-term operational roadmap detailing the adoption and scaling of innovative technologies to achieve a specific systemic goal like complete decarbonization; technological roadmap, tech strategy.
36. carbon capture (noun) – an advanced technological process engineered to trap carbon dioxide emissions at their industrial source before they can permeate the atmosphere; carbon sequestration.
37. Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) (noun) – an advanced technological framework explicitly designed to intercept carbon dioxide emissions at their industrial source, followed by either repurposing the captured carbon for industrial use or permanently isolating it within deep geological formations to structurally mitigate global warming.
38. plainly (adverb) – clearly, obviously, evidently, unambiguously.
39. rub (noun) –  problem, difficulty, catch, hitch.
40. due to (phrase) – because of, owing to, as a result of, on account of.
41. insufficient (adjective) – inadequate, lacking, deficient, short.
42. harness (verb) – utilize, exploit, capitalize on, tap into.
43. solar power (noun) – electricity or thermal energy scientifically generated by capturing and converting the sun’s radiant light using photovoltaic technology; solar energy, photovoltaic energy.
44. wind power (noun) – mechanical or electrical energy generated by harnessing the kinetic motion of atmospheric wind through sophisticated turbines; wind energy, turbine power.
45. National Generation Adequacy Plan (proper noun) – a critical planning framework prepared by India’s Central Electricity Authority (CEA) to strategically assess and ensure sufficient electricity generation and storage infrastructure to securely meet the nation’s projected power demand over the next decade.
46. projected (adjective) – forecast, estimated, predicted, anticipated.
47. tempt (verb) – entice, allure, attract, persuade.
48. laud (verb) – to highly praise or officially commend; extol, acclaim.
49. embellish (verb) – exaggerate, dress up, enhance, overstate.
50. green (adjective) – eco-friendly, environmental, sustainable, ecologically sound.
51. commitment (noun) – pledge, promise, dedication, obligation.
52. amidst (preposition) – in the middle of, during, among, surrounded by.
53. squeeze (verb) – restrict, limit, compress, constrain.
54. vital (adjective) –  crucial, essential, critical, indispensable.
55. fossil fuel (noun) – a combustible, non-renewable energy source—such as coal, oil, or natural gas—formed deep within the earth’s crust from the decomposed remains of prehistoric organisms; hydrocarbon fuel, non-renewable energy, carbon-based fuel.
56. mean little (phrase) – signify nothing, matter little, hold little value, carry no weight.
57. chokehold (noun) – stranglehold, tight grip, absolute control, dominance.
58. exhibit (verb) – display, show, demonstrate, manifest.
59. electric grid (noun) – a vast, interconnected infrastructural network meticulously designed for the robust transmission and distribution of electricity from generation plants to end consumers; power grid, electricity/power network, electrical distribution system.

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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