Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Identities and symbols: On Tamil Nadu and the ரூ

Identities and symbols: On Tamil Nadu and the ரூ

Cultural markers need not be seen as a challenge to nationalism

Even as the ruling DMK government in Tamil Nadu engages (शामिल होना, भाग लेना) in a political discourse (वार्तालाप, प्रवचन, चर्चा) with the BJP-led regime (शासन, प्रशासन) at the Centre over the delimitation (परिसीमन, सीमांकन) of parliamentary and Assembly (विधान सभा) constituencies (निर्वाचन क्षेत्र) and the implementation (कार्यान्वयन, अमल) of the National Education Policy (NEP) (राष्ट्रीय शिक्षा नीति), its use of the Tamil letter ‘Roo’ (‘ரூ’) instead of the Indian currency symbol ‘₹’ in the promotional logo for the State Budget has drawn (attract, get, obtain) nationwide attention (observation, notice, heed, consideration, regard, attentiveness). The logo, which was unveiled (अनावरण करना, प्रस्तुत करना) by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, has been seen by political opponents as an attempt to place regional identity (पहचान, व्यक्तित्व) in opposition to national identity (a social category, a set of persons marked by a label and distinguished by rules deciding membership and (alleged) characteristic features or attributes; individuality, character, originality). However, the use of ‘Roo’ is more a symbolic representation of Tamil — one of India’s many languages — than an outright (पूरी तरह से) rejection of the currency symbol ‘₹’. The Tamil Nadu government, like many others, continues to be flexible in adopting (अपनाना) different symbols — ‘₹’, ‘Rs’, and ‘ரூ’ — in its official documents. In fact (वास्तव में, सच में), the widespread use of ‘₹’ in the State’s first Economic Survey (आर्थिक सर्वेक्षण) reinforces (strengthen, support, make stronger, give strength to, fortify, bolster, underpin, buttress) the idea that cultural and linguistic (relating to language; lingual) diversity (existence/presence of different people (from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives ranging from race to age to gender to hometown to educational experience) within group; variety, variance, difference), rather than political intent (aim, purpose, objective, goal, target, intention), governs such choices.

While Tamil Nadu has taken longer than other southern States to release an Economic Survey, the document is a valuable addition to literature (reports) on the State’s economy. Forecasting (predict, indicate, project, prognose, speculate, calculate (of future events or trends)) a growth rate of over 8% in 2024-25, the Survey contextualises (study, review, investigate (in context)) the State’s economy within global and national economic trends. As a major exporter of automobiles, textiles, leather and IT services, Tamil Nadu is more sensitive (susceptible, easily affected by, vulnerable, responsive, reactive, delicate) than many other States to global market fluctuations (instability, inconstancy, oscillation, alternation, vacillation, variation), making its growth trajectory (track/course, route, path, direction, approach) more volatile (unpredictable, changeable, inconsistent, undependable, turbulent, unstable, unsteady, uncertain). The Survey’s observations (finding, pronouncement, statement, declaration, remark, comment, opinion, reflection, impression) on demographic (relating to the statistical study/structure of populations, especially human beings) trends are particularly relevant, given (considering, taking into account, bearing in mind) that Tamil Nadu’s population growth is slowing. The challenge lies in consolidating (strengthen, reinforce, fortify) and building upon industrial gains for long-term sustainable (relating to practices or conditions that can be maintained or continued over the long term without causing significant negative impacts on the environment, society, or economy) growth. Additionally, the Survey underscores (emphasize, highlight, underline, accentuate, point up, call attention to, focus attention on) the vulnerability (weakness, defencelessness, unprotectedness, susceptibility) of certain coastal districts in terms of (with regard to, in respect of, with reference to, aso to, regarding, concerning) climate change/natural disasters. The Survey also has a strong focus on sustainable water management practices — a subject that has historically received insufficient (inadequate, deficient, scarce) attention. However, the Survey could have had a more detailed analysis of the State’s finances and the socio-economic (relating to the interaction of social (position, rank, or importance) and economic (income, pay, and wealth) aspects) challenges faced by Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, who make up (comprise, compose, constitute, form, account for) over one-fifth of the population. As more States publish their own Economic Surveys — the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir tabled (put forward, introduce, bring forward, propese, suggest) its Survey recently — there is an opportunity now for economists, public policy experts and academics (intellectual, scholar, learned person, pandit) to conduct comparative (relative, comparable, corresponding, connected, equivalent, similar) analyses. Such studies, shared in public forums, could encourage other States that have yet to attempt similar reports to undertake (start, begin, initiate, embark on; deal with, take responsibility for, concentrate on, become involved in, get cracking on) their own economic assessments, contributing to a more comprehensive (complete, thorough, extensive, wide-ranging, all-embracing, in-depth, widespread, sweeping, far-reaching) understanding of India’s diverse (different, various, varied, multiple, varying) economic landscape (the distinctive features of a field of activity).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.engage (verb)

Hindi Meaning - शामिल होना, भाग लेना
English Meaning - become involved in, take part in, participate in, play a part in, go in for, join in.

2.discourse (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वार्तालाप, प्रवचन, चर्चा
English Meaning - discussion, conversation, communication, expression.

3.regime (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शासन, प्रशासन
English Meaning - government, administration.

4.delimitation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिसीमन, सीमांकन
English Meaning - the act of establishing limits or boundaries in a Treaty, Judgement or other Agreement. It literally means the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province having a legislative body.

5.(Legislative) Assembly (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विधान सभा
English Meaning - Assembly/Vidhan Sabha; a legislative body in the states and union territories of India.

6.constituency (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निर्वाचन क्षेत्र
English Meaning - the specific geographical area that is represented by each MP/MLA.

7.implementation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कार्यान्वयन, अमल
English Meaning - imposition, enforcement, carrying out, execution.

8.National Education Policy (NEP) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राष्ट्रीय शिक्षा नीति
English Meaning - The National Education Policy, 2020 proposes the revision and revamping of all aspects of the education structure, including its regulation and governance, to create a new system that is aligned with the aspirational goals of 21st century education, including Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), while building upon India’s traditions and value systems.

9.draw attention to (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - ध्यान आकर्षित करना
English Meaning - emphasize, highlight, accentuate, underline, underscore, give emphasis to, lay stress on, call attention to, focus on, zero in on.

10.unveil (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अनावरण करना, प्रस्तुत करना
English Meaning - present, make public, introduce, launch, release; reveal, disclose.

11.identity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पहचान, व्यक्तित्व
English Meaning - identification, recognition; individuality, originality.

12.outright (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पूरी तरह से
English Meaning - out-and-out, complete, utter, categorical, unequivocal.

13.adopt (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अपनाना
English Meaning - select, choose, opt for, pick out, decide on.

14.In fact (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - वास्तव में, सच में
English Meaning - actually, really, in truth, truly, indeed.

15.Economic Survey (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आर्थिक सर्वेक्षण
English Meaning - Economic Survey, being presented in the Parliament/Legislative Assembly ahead of the Union/state government Budget, is the Ministry of Finance’s flagship document. The Economic Survey details information about the Indian/state government economy over the past year. The Economic Survey also offers glimpses into the current state of the economy, and occasional insights into the economic outlook. Although the Constitution does not bind (impose a legal obligation on) the government to present the Economic Survey, over the years, it has become common practice for every government to present the Economic Survey before the Union/state government Budget.

16.demarcation (noun)

English Meaning - the physical marking of the boundary on the ground.

17.draw (noun)

English Meaning - attract, get, obtain.

18.attention (noun)

English Meaning - observation, notice, heed, consideration, regard, attentiveness.

19.identity (noun)

English Meaning - a social category, a set of persons marked by a label and distinguished by rules deciding membership and (alleged) characteristic features or attributes; individuality, character, originality.

20.reinforce (verb)

English Meaning - strengthen, support, make stronger, give strength to, fortify, bolster, underpin, buttress.

21.linguistic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to language; lingual.

22.diversity (noun)

English Meaning - existence/presence of different people (from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives ranging from race to age to gender to hometown to educational experience) within group; variety, variance, difference.

23.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of.

24.intent (noun)

English Meaning - aim, purpose, objective, goal, target, intention.

25.literature (noun)

English Meaning - reports.

26.forecast (verb)

English Meaning - predict, indicate, project, prognose, speculate, calculate (of future events or trends).

27.contextualise (verb)

English Meaning - study, review, investigate (in context).

28.sensitive (adjective)

English Meaning - susceptible, easily affected by, vulnerable, responsive, reactive, delicate.

29.fluctuation (noun)

English Meaning - instability, inconstancy, oscillation, alternation, vacillation, variation.

30.trajectory (noun)

English Meaning - track/course, route, path, direction, approach.

31.volatile (adjective)

English Meaning - unpredictable, changeable, inconsistent, undependable, turbulent, unstable, unsteady, uncertain.

32.observation (noun)

English Meaning - finding, pronouncement, statement, declaration, remark, comment, opinion, reflection, impression.

33.demographic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the statistical study/structure of populations, especially human beings.

34.given (preposition)

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

35.lie in (verb)

English Meaning - exist, be present.

36.consolidate (verb)

English Meaning - strengthen, reinforce, fortify.

37.build upon (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - develop, enhance, expand on.

38.sustainable (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to practices or conditions that can be maintained or continued over the long term without causing significant negative impacts on the environment, society, or economy.

39.sustainable (adjective)

English Meaning - reasonable, sensible, well-founded (without disturbing the balance of nature and then without exhausting all of the natural resources).

40.underscore (verb)

English Meaning - emphasize, highlight, underline, accentuate, point up, call attention to, focus attention on.

41.vulnerability (noun)

English Meaning - weakness, defencelessness, unprotectedness, susceptibility.

42.in terms of (phrase)

English Meaning - with regard to, in respect of, with reference to, aso to, regarding, concerning.

43.climate change (noun)

English Meaning - a long-term change in the Earth’s climate, or of a region on Earth.

44.insufficient (adjective)

English Meaning - inadequate, deficient, scarce.

45.socio-economic (noun)

English Meaning - relating to the interaction of social (position, rank, or importance) and economic (income, pay, and wealth) aspects.

46.make up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - comprise, compose, constitute, form, account for.

47.table (verb)

English Meaning - put forward, introduce, bring forward, propese, suggest.

48.academic (noun)

English Meaning - intellectual, scholar, learned person, pandit.

49.comparative (adjective)

English Meaning - relative, comparable, corresponding, connected, equivalent, similar.

50.undertake (verb)

English Meaning - start, begin, initiate, embark on; deal with, take responsibility for, concentrate on, become involved in, get cracking on.

51.comprehensive (adjective)

English Meaning - complete, thorough, extensive, wide-ranging, all-embracing, in-depth, widespread, sweeping, far-reaching.

52.diverse (adjective)

English Meaning - different, various, varied, multiple, varying.

53.landscape (noun)

English Meaning - the distinctive features of a field of activity.