Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Court and compensation: On ex gratia to kin of COVID-19 victims

Court and compensation: On ex gratia to kin of COVID-19 victims

The Supreme Court has done much to grant (प्रदान करना, देना, पेश करना) some succour (परेशानी में सहायता, सहायता) to the kin of COVID-19 victims (पीड़ित)

It took much persuasion (प्रोत्साहन, आग्रह करना, राजी करना, मनाना) by the Supreme Court and all its assertiveness (दृढ़ता, संकल्प, उद्देश्यपूर्णता) to get the Union government to agree last year to pay a token compensation (नुकसान भरपाई, चुकौती, निपटान) of ₹50,000 to the families of each of those who were claimed (दावा करना) by COVID-19. The time has now come for the Court to assert (जोर देना, खड़ा होना, समर्थन करना) its authority (अधिकार, शक्ति, प्राधिकरण) once again to ensure that neither tardiness (मंदी, विलंबता, समय की पाबंदी) on the part of the States nor incorrect rejection of claims deprives (से वंचित, बेदखल करना) genuine victims of their right to the ex gratia (अनुग्रहपूर्वक) amount. In the latest hearing (सुनवाई, कानूनी कार्यवाही), the Court had to pull up (reprimand, rebuke, scold, castigate, reprove, reproach, censure, admonish, lambast) a couple of States for not disbursing the amount fast enough and express concern about the high number of rejected claims (request, application). In the backdrop (पृष्ठभूमि, स्थिति, परिदृश्य) of reports that there has been significant under-reporting (an act of reporting less than actual (data)) of deaths due to (because of, owing to, on account of, as a result of) the novel coronavirus pandemic (the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area), the Bench (a court of law with a number of judges) had passed orders some months ago to the effect that (refering to the general meaning of something (spoken/written)) no person’s family shall be denied the benefit on the ground (reason, cause, basis, factor) that the death certificate did not specify the cause of death as due to COVID-19. Early experience since the outbreak (outburst, flaring up, breakout, sudden appearance/occurrence of something) showed that many deaths were attributed (assign, ascribe, regard something being caused by something else; connect with, associate with) to co-morbidities rather than (instead of) to the infection itself. Also, many died after testing negative during hospitalisation or after their discharge. To address (tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out) this situation, the Court directed that any death occurring within 30 days of a person testing positive, or being clinically (medically) determined to suffer (undergo, experience, be subjected to, receive) from the infection, will be eligible for the ex gratia payment. In addition (as well as, additionally, moreover), the Court devised (come up with, work out, form, formulate, frame, compose, create/develop) an appeal mechanism (procedure, process, method, technique) in the form of grievance redress (remedy or compensation for a grievance; reparation, restitution, recompense, repayment) committees at the district level.

In the latest order, the Bench, comprising Justice M.R. Shah and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, has directed that if a claim has been rejected due to defects in application, the family must be given an opportunity to rectify the shortcoming (fault, flaw, imperfection/defect) and then be paid the compensation. Noting that in some cases, the number of claims is lower than the number of registered deaths, the Court has directed that officials reach out (contact someone to obtain/offer help/assistance/cooperation) to the families on their own. It has extracted assurances from some States that claims that had been cleared (pay off, pay, settle) but yet to be disbursed would be cleared as early as possible. Significantly (notably, importantly, crucially), it has also mandated (instruct, direct, order, require, make something mandatory) the disclosure (revelation, report, declaration, announcement) of the reasons for rejection to the applicants so that they could either rectify errors or go on (continue, carry on, proceed) appeal to the committee to redress such grievances. In yet another bid (attempt, effort, endeavour/try) to ensure that eligible families are not denied the benefit, the Court has roped in the legal services authority (Legal Services Authorities are statutory bodies constituted in the states of India by the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987, as enshrined by article 39-A of the Constitution of India, for providing free legal services for the citizens) in each State and district to ascertain whether compensation has been paid to the kin (relatives, relations, family, family members) of everyone recorded as dead due to the pandemic in official records, and facilitate (make easy, make possible, enable, assist, help/aid) the payment if it is yet to be made. The Supreme Court has done much to grant some succour, low though the quantum (proportion, amount, quantity, portion) may be in the light of the staggering (astonishing, shocking, surprising) impact the pandemic has had on lives and livelihoods (means of making a living with the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing); means of support, subsistence, source of income), to millions of people.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.compensation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नुकसान भरपाई, चुकौती, निपटान
English Meaning - payment, repayment, settlement (for loss/damage).

2.ex gratia (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनुग्रहपूर्वक
English Meaning - Latin, literally ‘from favour’. An ex gratia payment is one that is given as a favour or gift instead of legal obligation/liability.

3.grant (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रदान करना, देना, पेश करना
English Meaning - provide, give, present, bestow, confer, impart.

4.succour (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परेशानी में सहायता, सहायता
English Meaning - aid/help/support, assistance, relief (during difficulty).

5.victim (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पीड़ित
English Meaning - dead person, fatality.

6.persuasion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रोत्साहन, आग्रह करना, राजी करना, मनाना
English Meaning - urging, persuading, coaxing, prompting, pressure.

7.assertiveness (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दृढ़ता, संकल्प, उद्देश्यपूर्णता
English Meaning - determination, firmness, resoluteness, purposefulness.

8.claim (verb)

Hindi Meaning - दावा करना
English Meaning - cause the loss of someone’s life.

9.the time has come (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - समय आ गया है
English Meaning - it is the right moment to do something.

10.assert (verb)

Hindi Meaning - जोर देना, खड़ा होना, समर्थन करना
English Meaning - insist on, stand up for, uphold, defend, contend, establish something confidently & strongly.

11.authority (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अधिकार, शक्ति, प्राधिकरण
English Meaning - power, authorization, right.

12.tardiness (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मंदी, विलंबता, समय की पाबंदी
English Meaning - belatedness, unpunctuality, lateness/delay.

13.deprive of (verb)

Hindi Meaning - से वंचित, बेदखल करना
English Meaning - dispossess, strip of, deny, prevent from having.

14.hearing (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सुनवाई, कानूनी कार्यवाही
English Meaning - legal proceedings, trial, inquiry.

15.backdrop (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पृष्ठभूमि, स्थिति, परिदृश्य
English Meaning - situation, scenario, context.

16.claim (noun)

English Meaning - request, application.

17.token (adjective)

English Meaning - nominal, minimal, small, petty, insignificant.

18.kin (noun)

English Meaning - relatives, relations, family, family members.

19.pull up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - reprimand, rebuke, scold, castigate, reprove, reproach, censure, admonish, lambast.

20.under-reporting (noun)

English Meaning - an act of reporting less than actual (data).

21.due to (phrase)

English Meaning - because of, owing to, on account of, as a result of.

22.novel coronavirus (nCoV) (SARS-CoV-2) (noun)

English Meaning - a new strain (type/variety) coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. (Courtesy: WHO)

23.pandemic (noun)

English Meaning - the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area.

24.bench (noun)

English Meaning - a court of law with a number of judges.

25.to the effect that (phrase)

English Meaning - refering to the general meaning of something (spoken/written).

26.ground (noun)

English Meaning - reason, cause, basis, factor.

27.outbreak (noun)

English Meaning - outburst, flaring up, breakout, sudden appearance/occurrence of something.

28.attribute (verb)

English Meaning - assign, ascribe, regard something being caused by something else; connect with, associate with.

29.co-morbidity (noun)

English Meaning - In medicine, co-morbidity is the presence of one or more additional conditions (diseases) co-occurring/co-existing with a primary condition (disease).

30.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of.

31.hospitalisation (noun)

English Meaning - the act of taking (or) admitting someone to (or) in hospital for treatment.

32.address (verb)

English Meaning - tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out.

33.clinically (adverb)

English Meaning - medically.

34.suffer (verb)

English Meaning - undergo, experience, be subjected to, receive.

35.in addition (phrase)

English Meaning - as well as, additionally, moreover.

36.devise (verb)

English Meaning - come up with, work out, form, formulate, frame, compose, create/develop.

37.mechanism (noun)

English Meaning - procedure, process, method, technique.

38.grievance (noun)

English Meaning - complaint, problem.

39.redress (noun)

English Meaning - remedy or compensation for a grievance; reparation, restitution, recompense, repayment.

40.shortcoming (noun)

English Meaning - fault, flaw, imperfection/defect.

41.reach out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - contact someone to obtain/offer help/assistance/cooperation.

42.on one’s own (phrase)

English Meaning - alone, all alone, by oneself, all by oneself.

43.extract (verb)

English Meaning - get, acquire, obtain (by force).

44.clear (noun)

English Meaning - pay off, pay, settle.

45.significantly (adverb)

English Meaning - notably, importantly, crucially.

46.mandate (verb)

English Meaning - instruct, direct, order, require, make something mandatory.

47.disclosure (noun)

English Meaning - revelation, report, declaration, announcement.

48.go on (to) (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - continue, carry on, proceed.

49.redress (verb)

English Meaning - rectify, correct, make right, set right.

50.bid (noun)

English Meaning - attempt, effort, endeavour/try.

51.rope in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - persuade, convince, urge (someone to take part in an activity).

52.Legal Services Authority (noun)

English Meaning - Legal Services Authorities are statutory bodies constituted in the states of India by the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987, as enshrined by article 39-A of the Constitution of India, for providing free legal services for the citizens.

53.ascertain (verb)

English Meaning - find out, discover, determine, discern, recognize, comprehend.

54.facilitate (verb)

English Meaning - make easy, make possible, enable, assist, help/aid.

55.quantum (noun)

English Meaning - proportion, amount, quantity, portion.

56.in the light of (phrase)

English Meaning - considering, taking into account, keeping in mind.

57.staggering (adjective)

English Meaning - astonishing, shocking, surprising.

58.livelihood (noun)

English Meaning - means of making a living with the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing); means of support, subsistence, source of income.