Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Cracking the whip: On Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates

Cracking the whip: On Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates

U.S. President Biden should not buckle to pressure from irate (क्रोधित) anti-vaccine campaigners

President Joe Biden’s sweeping vaccine (टीका) mandates (शासनादेश, निर्देश, आदेश, आवश्यकता), aimed at improving the U.S.’s odds of beating the rampaging (excessive, storming, uncontrollable, unrestrained) Delta variant (प्रकार, रूपांतर), represent a bold move in the face of the ongoing (चल रही है, वर्तमान, विद्यमान) “pandemic (वैश्विक महामारी) of the unvaccinated”. On the one hand, his plan is based on (पर आधारित होना) leveraging (लाभ उठाना, फायदा उठाना) the power of the federal government to impose (थोपना, बल, जोर देना) vaccine mandates wherever its fiscal (राजकोषीय, वित्तीय) heft (influence, ability; weight/strength) allows, including for workers at health-care organisations receiving public funds, and for federal government (संघीय सरकार) employees and contractors. On the other, the White House’s requirement that all companies employing 100 or more people must vaccinate their workforce or obtain COVID-19 negative tests from unvaccinated (not vaccinated to provide immunity against a disease) employees each week represents the willingness (readiness, preparedness, disposition, inclination) to bring the pandemic battle to the doorstep of America Inc. (America companies) Even as the U.S. has succeeded in vaccinating around 175 million individuals, nearly 75% of those eligible, it still leaves nearly 80 million from that group unprotected. It is primarily (प्रमुख रूप से, मूल रूप से) patients from this latter group who are causing hospital ICUs in several States to be overrun (overwhelm, swamp, occupy (a place in large numbers)). Nevertheless (फिर भी, के बावजूद), Mr. Biden’s mandates will impact around 100 million people, nearly two-thirds of the American workforce. While some, especially in conservative (रूढ़िवादी, दक्षिणपंथी, नवउदारवादी) circles, have decried (दोष लगाना, निन्दा करना) the vaccine mandates as violative of liberties, there are likely (probably, in all probability, presumably, doubtlessly) few alternative options for the U.S. at this point.

Why then is Mr. Biden’s approval rating (a measure of people’s approval of a political leader) for his handling of the pandemic crisis slipping (fall, drop, slide, decline)? To an extent (somewhat, partly) it might be explained by the fact that Americans are deeply (extremely, very much, to a great degree/extent) suspicious of federal government policies of an expansive (wide-ranging, extensive, sweeping, all-embracing, comprehensive, thorough, inclusive) nature, even in the present context (circumstances, conditions, situation). Relatedly, there is perhaps (maybe, possibly) deepening concern regarding (concerning, with regard/respect to, with reference to) the impact that the vaccine mandates might have on business, large and small. For example, the new “emergency temporary standard” of the U.S. Department of Labor requires large employers to give workers paid leave to get vaccinated; failure to do so may result in (cause, bring on, bring about) “enforcement actions (an action by a body/organization, particularly a financial one (i.e. fines), to confirm that its rules are being followed)”, potentially (likely, possibly, probably) including fines up to $14,000 per violation. Similarly, federal government employees are now given 75 days to get vaccinated or risk getting fired. There are discussions in policy circles on invoking (cite, refer to, adduce) the Defense Production Act (It allows the federal government to force companies to increase the production of critical supplies during national emergencies. It gives the executive branch substantial powers. It allows the president, largely through executive order, to direct private companies to prioritize orders from the federal government. The president is also empowered to “allocate materials, services, and facilities” for national defense purposes, and take actions to restrict hoarding of needed supplies), a wartime measure, to compel companies to manufacture and accelerate the production of rapid COVID-19 tests. Larger entertainment venues must now ask for (inquire, request, seek, demand) proof of vaccination or negative tests of patrons (customer, client; sponsor, backer, supporter); and fines for passengers violating mask rules on aircraft will now be doubled. These are all measures that will impact, even distort, market behaviour, and potentially hit the bottom lines of corporations, but may be a necessary price to pay to bring the catastrophic (destructive, ruinous, disastrous) march (progress, advance, progression, continuance, development, evolution, headway) of the Delta variant (प्रकार, रूपांतर) under some control. Mr. Biden will have to grit his teeth and see the mandates through, not buckle to pressure from irate anti-vaccine campaigners and a fuming (angry, furious, raging, incensed) Wall Street.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.vaccine (noun)

Hindi Meaning - टीका
English Meaning - a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease.

2.mandate (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शासनादेश, निर्देश, आदेश, आवश्यकता
English Meaning - instruction, direction, order, requirement.

3.irate (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - क्रोधित
English Meaning - angry, furious, infuriated, incensed.

4.variant (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रकार, रूपांतर
English Meaning - different or form or version or mutant of something (virus).

5.ongoing (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - चल रही है, वर्तमान, विद्यमान
English Meaning - current, existing, continuing.

6.pandemic (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वैश्विक महामारी
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.

7.base on (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - पर आधारित होना
English Meaning - use as a basis; found, construct, form, establish.

8.leverage (verb)

Hindi Meaning - लाभ उठाना, फायदा उठाना
English Meaning - utilize something (e.g. the power) to maximum advantage.

9.federal government (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संघीय सरकार
English Meaning - (in the US) the Federal Government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, executive, and judicial, whose powers are vested by the U.S. Constitution in the Congress, the President, and the Federal courts, respectively.

10.impose (verb)

Hindi Meaning - थोपना, बल, जोर देना
English Meaning - force, thrust, inflict, press, urge.

11.fiscal (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राजकोषीय, वित्तीय
English Meaning - financial.

12.primarily (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रमुख रूप से, मूल रूप से
English Meaning - basically, especially, particularly.

13.nevertheless (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - फिर भी, के बावजूद
English Meaning - in spite of everything, notwithstanding, regardless, anyway, anyhow, however.

14.conservative (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - रूढ़िवादी, दक्षिणपंथी, नवउदारवादी
English Meaning - right-wing, neoliberal, alt-right, Republican; traditional, conventional, orthodox.

15.decry (verb)

Hindi Meaning - दोष लगाना, निन्दा करना
English Meaning - criticize, denounce, condemn.

16.buckle (verb)

English Meaning - cave in, give way, yield, crumple, collapse (to weight/pressure)

17.crack the whip (phrase)

English Meaning - to use power or authority to control someone.

18.anti-vaccine (adjective)

English Meaning - against vaccination.

19.campaigner (noun)

English Meaning - champion, activist, advocate.

20.sweeping (adjective)

English Meaning - comprehensive, all-inclusive, all-embracing, far-reaching; decisive, thorough, unconditional.

21.the odds (noun)

English Meaning - likelihood, probability, chance; advantage.

22.rampaging (adjective)

English Meaning - excessive, storming, uncontrollable, unrestrained.

23.delta variant/B.1.617.2 (noun)

English Meaning - Formally known as AY.2 or B.1.617.2, it’s a variant of the coronavirus, first identified in India, is renamed as the ‘Delta variant’ by the World Health Organization (WHO) and this variant is reclassified as Variant of Concern (VOC). The B.1.617.1 strain has been reclassified to a Variant of Interest (VOI) and labelled variant “Kappa”.

24.in the face of (phrase)

English Meaning - despite, notwithstanding, regardless of; when confronted with.

25.unvaccinated (adjective)

English Meaning - not vaccinated to provide immunity against a disease.

26.the unvaccinated (noun)

English Meaning - the people who are not vaccinated.

27.on the one hand (phrase)

English Meaning - it is used to introduce the first of two contrasting different, points, facts, or ways of looking at something. It is always followed later by “on the other hand” or ‘on the other’.

28.heft (noun)

English Meaning - influence, ability; weight/strength.

29.vaccinate (verb)

English Meaning - inoculate, administer, introduce (with a vaccine to provide immunity against a disease).

30.workforce (noun)

English Meaning - workers, employees.

31.willingness (noun)

English Meaning - readiness, preparedness, disposition, inclination.

32.to the doorstep (phrase)

English Meaning - very near/close to something.

33.America Inc. (noun)

English Meaning - America companies.

34.Inc. (abbreviation)

English Meaning - incorporated.

35.overrun (verb)

English Meaning - overwhelm, swamp, occupy (a place in large numbers).

36.violative (adjective)

English Meaning - offensive, contradictory, antithetical, adverse.

37.liberty (noun)

English Meaning - freedom.

38.likely (adverb)

English Meaning - probably, in all probability, presumably, doubtlessly.

39.approval rating (noun)

English Meaning - a measure of people’s approval of a political leader.

40.slip (verb)

English Meaning - fall, drop, slide, decline.

41.to an extent (phrase)

English Meaning - somewhat, partly.

42.deeply (adverb)

English Meaning - extremely, very much, to a great degree/extent.

43.suspicious (adjective)

English Meaning - doubtful, unsure, dubious, wary, distrustful.

44.expansive (adjective)

English Meaning - wide-ranging, extensive, sweeping, all-embracing, comprehensive, thorough, inclusive.

45.context (noun)

English Meaning - circumstances, conditions, situation.

46.relatedly (adverb)

English Meaning - comparably, correspondingly, correlatedly; on a related point.

47.perhaps (adverb)

English Meaning - maybe, possibly.

48.deepening (adjective)

English Meaning - increasing, intensifying.

49.regarding (preposition)

English Meaning - concerning, with regard/respect to, with reference to.

50.emergency temporary standard (ETS) (noun)

English Meaning - The standard requires covered health care employers to develop and implement a COVID-19 plan to identify and control COVID-19 hazards in the workplace. Among other provisions, it requires employers to provide reasonable time and paid leave for employee vaccinations and any side effects; and incorporates by reference a number of consensus standards and evidence-based guidelines developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency and American National Standards Institute.

51.result in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - cause, bring on, bring about.

52.enforcement (noun)

English Meaning - imposition, implementation, execution.

53.enforcement action (noun)

English Meaning - an action by a body/organization, particularly a financial one (i.e. fines), to confirm that its rules are being followed.

54.potentially (adverb)

English Meaning - likely, possibly, probably.

55.fire (verb)

English Meaning - dismiss, lay off, throw out, oust.

56.invoke (verb)

English Meaning - cite, refer to, adduce.

57.Defense Production Act (DPA) (noun)

English Meaning - It allows the federal government to force companies to increase the production of critical supplies during national emergencies. It gives the executive branch substantial powers. It allows the president, largely through executive order, to direct private companies to prioritize orders from the federal government. The president is also empowered to “allocate materials, services, and facilities” for national defense purposes, and take actions to restrict hoarding of needed supplies.

58.measure (noun)

English Meaning - action, step, procedure.

59.accelerate (verb)

English Meaning - increase, hasten, expedite, speed up.

60.ask for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - inquire, request, seek, demand.

61.vaccination (noun)

English Meaning - treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization.

62.patron (noun)

English Meaning - customer, client; sponsor, backer, supporter.

63.bottom line (noun)

English Meaning - the main/important factor in a situation.