Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Take the gauntlet: On safety and the Indian Railways

Take the gauntlet: On safety and the Indian Railways

‘Kavach’ implementation (क्रियान्वयन, अमल, लागू करना) is a priority but will not be a silver bullet (सरल समाधान, अचूक उपाय)

On October 11, a passenger train collided with a stationary (स्थिर, रुका हुआ) goods train fast enough for 13 bogies (a railway carriage, coach, bogie, car (of a train for the transportation of passenger)) to overturn (पलटना, उलटना) and one to catch fire (begin to burn, burst into flames), in Kavaraipettai near Chennai. No casualties (हताहत, हानि) were reported although several people were injured. No deaths and swift (त्वरित, शीघ्र) post-event action would have rendered (प्रस्तुत करना) this incident less significant if not for the recent spate (series, flurry; a large number of something (taking place at the same period)) of railway accidents across zones, spotlighting (ध्यान केंद्रित करना) the oft-precarious conditions of trains, the infrastructure (बुनियादी ढांचा) they need to operate, and the people and goods they transport. In the Kavaraipettai incident, officials (अधिकारी) said the passenger train received a green signal to enter the main line but it passed into the loop line, rear-ending (to crash into/collide with the back of (a vehicle)) the goods train. ‘Kavach (it is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with the Indian Railways)’, the Indian Railways’ train protection system of choice (something that is chosen most often by a particular group of people or for a particular purpose), is designed to avoid such incidents, and the government can install it across its entire network in a decade (दशक, दस साल की अवधि) with as little as 2% of its annual capex. Of course (निश्चित रूप से) the effects of its implementation will become clear in a similar span (अवधि, समय) of time, not in a few months as some in the political class (राजनीतिक वर्ग) are demanding. This said, if the seemingly (apparently, ostensibly, supposedly, evidently, presumably, surely, certainly, probably, may be, perhaps) straightforward (honest, candid, truthful, unambiguous, forthright) causes (reason, grounds, basis) — due to (because of, as a result of, thanks to, on account of, owing to) which a naive (childish, inexperienced, immature) decision to reroute a train can turn into (to become something) the reason for a major accident — are a sign of the precarity (the state of being uncertain/insecure/unsafe) of the railway infrastructure, ‘Kavach’ coverage plus overhauling (modernize, rebuild, renovate, revamp, recondition, remodel, refurbish) existing signalling systems should be a national priority but cannot be considered a silver bullet.

The long-standing (long-term, long-lasting, enduring, constant, perennial) delay in improving safety could be symptomatic (indicative, warning, signalling, suggestive, symbolic) of shortfalls (flaw, shortcoming, deficit, lack, deficiency, insufficiency) in multiple areas. For example, the staff of the Railways matter for safety, too. Recent media reports have revealed deplorable (disgraceful, dishonourable, unacceptable) working conditions for East Coast, Western, and Central Railways locomotive pilots, including 12-hour shifts, unhygienic (insanitary, unclean) resting facilities, and absence of toilets on engines. Even with ‘Kavach’, rail safety will require constant vigilance (careful observation, surveillance, alertness/carefulness) yet vigil (observation, surveillance, scrutiny, inspection) is threatened by access to basic amenities (facility, utility, service) competing for pilots’ attention (notice, heed, attentiveness, consideration, thinking). Overall, the Railways’ revenue growth has slowed while its dependence (reliance) on budgetary allocation (allotment, granting, grant, distribution, doling out, budgeting, earmarking, setting aside (especially of money, that is given to a particular person or used for a particular purpose)) for capex has increased; its freight (shipment of goods or cargo (carried by ship, aircraft, train or truck)) basket (a group of something (taxes, investments, freights, commodities, etc.)) is dominated by coal (and thus vulnerable (endangered, unsafe, unprotected, undefended, attackable, defenceless, helpless, powerless) to the pressure on multiple sectors to decarbonise (reduce carbon dioxide emissions through the use of low carbon power sources, achieving a lower output of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere)); both high-density (very crowded) routes and high-utilisation (very busy) routes often report more than 100% network utilisation; and there are signs it has still to recover market share it lost during the COVID-19 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) to other passenger services. The Railways cannot improve safety in a vacuum (in isolation; without connected with/related to other activities) but must address (tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out) all these stressors (something that causes stress/tension) in consonance (agreement, conformity, compatibility, accordance). Finally, the government’s response to recent accidents has included counter-terrorism (anti-terrorism; actions taken to combat or prevent terrorism) investigators as well. While this is due diligence (reasonable, careful assessment/investigation done in advance), their presence and involvement should neither distract India from the Railways’ needs nor allow the government to hide behind a veil (covering, cover, screen, shield, curtain, mask) of secrecy (concealment, confidentiality, stealthiness, secretiveness).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.implementation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - क्रियान्वयन, अमल, लागू करना
English Meaning - execution, application, carrying out.

2.silver bullet (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सरल समाधान, अचूक उपाय
English Meaning - a simple solution to a complex problem; (simple) remedy, resolution, solution, panacea, antidote, quick fix.

3.stationary (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्थिर, रुका हुआ
English Meaning - stopped, halted, unmoving, immobile.

4.overturn (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पलटना, उलटना
English Meaning - turn over, topple over, tip over, upset, upend, capsize.

5.casualty (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हताहत, हानि
English Meaning - victim, fatality, loss.

6.swift (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - त्वरित, शीघ्र
English Meaning - rapid, quick, speedy, fast, instant, prompt, immediate, sudden, expeditious.

7.render (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्तुत करना
English Meaning - display, represent, depict, portray, make, cause to become.

8.spotlight (verb)

Hindi Meaning - ध्यान केंद्रित करना
English Meaning - focus attention on, highlight, draw attention to, underline, underscore.

9.precarious (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनिश्चित, अस्थिर, जोखिमपूर्ण
English Meaning - risky, dangerous, unsafe; hazardous, perilous, unreliable.

10.infrastructure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बुनियादी ढांचा
English Meaning - the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc.

11.official (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अधिकारी
English Meaning - officer.

12.decade (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दशक, दस साल की अवधि
English Meaning - a period of ten years.

13.of course (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - निश्चित रूप से
English Meaning - certainly, obviously, definitely, needless to say, to be sure, by all means.

14.span (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अवधि, समय
English Meaning - period, time, duration, course, stretch.

15.political class (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राजनीतिक वर्ग
English Meaning - political group.

16.take/pick up the gauntlet (phrase)

English Meaning - to accept a challenge (whereas ‘throw down a gauntlet’ means ‘to issue a challenge’): ‘gauntlet’ literally means ‘a medieval, armoured/protective gloves’ and it figuratively means ‘an open challenge”.

17.Kavach (noun)

English Meaning - it is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with the Indian Railways.

18.bogie (noun)

English Meaning - a railway carriage, coach, bogie, car (of a train for the transportation of passenger).

19.catch fire (phrase)

English Meaning - begin to burn, burst into flames.

20.if not (phrase)

English Meaning - perhaps even; used to talk about the negative result/effect of something.

21.spate (noun)

English Meaning - series, flurry; a large number of something (taking place at the same period).

22.oft (adverb)

English Meaning - literary form of often

23.rear-end (phrase)

English Meaning - to crash into/collide with the back of (a vehicle).

24.of choice (phrase)

English Meaning - something that is chosen most often by a particular group of people or for a particular purpose.

25.capital spending/capital expenditure (CAPEX) (noun)

English Meaning - the money spent on the acquisition of assets like land, buildings, machinery, equipment, as well as investment in shares.

26.seemingly (adverb)

English Meaning - apparently, ostensibly, supposedly, evidently, presumably, surely, certainly, probably, may be, perhaps.

27.straightforward (adjective)

English Meaning - honest, candid, truthful, unambiguous, forthright.

28.cause (noun)

English Meaning - reason, grounds, basis.

29.due to (phrase)

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

30.naive (adjective)

English Meaning - childish, inexperienced, immature.

31.turn into (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to become something.

32.precarity (noun)

English Meaning - the state of being uncertain/insecure/unsafe.

33.overhaul (verb)

English Meaning - modernize, rebuild, renovate, revamp, recondition, remodel, refurbish.

34.long-standing (adjective)

English Meaning - long-term, long-lasting, enduring, constant, perennial.

35.symptomatic (adjective)

English Meaning - indicative, warning, signalling, suggestive, symbolic.

36.shortfall (noun)

English Meaning - flaw, shortcoming, deficit, lack, deficiency, insufficiency.

37.deplorable (adjective)

English Meaning - disgraceful, dishonourable, unacceptable.

38.loco informal for locomotive (noun)

English Meaning - the engine of a train.

39.loco pilot (noun)

English Meaning - a person who is operating and driving the train.

40.unhygienic (adjective)

English Meaning - insanitary, unclean,

41.vigilance (noun)

English Meaning - careful observation, surveillance, alertness/carefulness.

42.vigil (noun)

English Meaning - observation, surveillance, scrutiny, inspection,

43.amenity (noun)

English Meaning - facility, utility, service.

44.attention (noun)

English Meaning - notice, heed, attentiveness, consideration, thinking.

45.dependence (noun)

English Meaning - reliance.

46.allocation (verb)

English Meaning - allotment, granting, grant, distribution, doling out, budgeting, earmarking, setting aside (especially of money, that is given to a particular person or used for a particular purpose).

47.freight (noun)

English Meaning - shipment of goods or cargo (carried by ship, aircraft, train or truck).

48.basket (noun)

English Meaning - a group of something (taxes, investments, freights, commodities, etc.).

49.vulnerable (adjective)

English Meaning - endangered, unsafe, unprotected, undefended, attackable, defenceless, helpless, powerless.

50.decarbonise (verb)

English Meaning - reduce carbon dioxide emissions through the use of low carbon power sources, achieving a lower output of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.

51.high-density (adjective)

English Meaning - very crowded.

52.high-utilisation (adjective)

English Meaning - very busy.

53.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.

54.in a vacuum (phrase)

English Meaning - in isolation; without connected with/related to other activities.

55.address (verb)

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

56.stressor (noun)

English Meaning - something that causes stress/tension.

57.consonance (noun)

English Meaning - agreement, conformity, compatibility, accordance.

58.counter-terrorism (noun)

English Meaning - anti-terrorism; actions taken to combat or prevent terrorism.

59.due diligence (noun)

English Meaning - reasonable, careful assessment/investigation done in advance.