Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Recognising altruism: On rewarding Good Samaritans on road

Recognising altruism: On rewarding Good Samaritans on road

Good Samaritans (नेक आदमी, अच्छा आदमी) can help reduce accident deaths, but road safety needs more work

The initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to award Good Samaritans who save lives of road accident victims with a cash prize is a welcome attempt to reduce India’s staggering (staggering) annual death toll from mishaps (दुर्घटना, दुर्भाग्य). Ranking third among 20 nations that have the highest number of accidents, India fares (किराया, प्रदर्शन करना, प्रबंधन करना) far worse on an important metric — cases to fatalities ratio — compared to the U.S. and Japan, which have more recorded crashes but fewer deaths. During 2020, even with severely disrupted mobility (गतिशीलता, परिवहन योग्यता) due to COVID-19, National Crime Records Bureau (an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws (SLL). NCRB is headquartered in New Delhi and is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India) data show 1,33,715 lives were lost in 1,20,716 cases attributed (assign, ascribe, regard something being caused by something else; connect with, associate with) to negligence (लापरवाही, उपेक्षा) relating to road accidents. Under the Motor Vehicles law, a Good Samaritan voluntarily helps an accident victim (injured person) with no expectation of payment or reward, and has no legal obligation (कर्तव्य, आवश्यक शर्त) to record his involvement or aid the investigation in the case. In spite of (के बावजूद, परवाह किए बिना) an entire chapter being added to the Motor Vehicles Act last year to sensitise (संवेदनशील बनाना, उत्तरदायी) police forces and hospitals on this, altruism (परोपकारिता, दूसरों के हित के लिये जीने का सिद्धान्त) is affected by the perception (अनुभव, समझ, मान्यता) of harassment (उत्पीड़न, जबरदस्ती / डराना) and legal complications (उलझन, कठिनाई, समस्या). The Ministry’s latest move seeks (माँगना, प्रयास, लक्ष्य) to overcome reticence (अल्पभाषिता, असंबद्धता, अनुत्तरदायीता) by rewarding socially minded individuals who offer immediate assistance and rush a victim with certain kinds of injuries to hospital, with ₹5,000 and a certificate of recognition (appreciate, give recognition to, show gratitude to, be grateful for, acclaim, commend, salute, applaud, honour) for saving a life. State governments are responsible for the plan, with the Centre providing an initial grant, but the Union Transport Ministry will give its own award of ₹1 lakh each to the 10 best Good Samaritans in a year.

Achieving a reduction in mortality ((in a particular time/for a cause) the rate/number of death; death, loss of life) on India’s largely lawless roads warrants (justify, necessitate, vindicate, call for, validate) determined (resolute, firm, purposeful, resolved, single-minded) action on several factors, beginning with scientific road design and standards, and zero tolerance (a complete refusal to accept certain behavior) enforcement. It was only on September 3 that the Centre notified the long-pending National Road Safety Board (It will be set up with an aim to promote road and vehicle safety. The Board will have experts and professionals who will guide and advise the government on issues of road and vehicle safety. A draft notification has been issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for establishing the National Road Safety Board. The proposed Board will be tasked to perform several responsibilities on road safety. The proposed Safety Board will consist of a Chairman and a maximum of 7 other members. It is being formed in accordance with the new Motor Vehicle Act), with a mandate to formulate (draw up, work out, plan, prepare, create systematically) standards on, among other things (used to indicate that there are several more things like the one mentioned, but that you do not intend to mention them all), safety and trauma management, to build capacity among traffic police, and put crash investigation on a scientific footing (basis, base, condition). Yet, on enforcement (imposition, implementation, execution), State police forces generally appear to favour a populist (relating to the political approach which claims that it is representing the common/ordinary people) approach of least engagement (participation, taking part, involvement); regional transport bureaucracies (officials (in the system)) — compared by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in 2015 to looting Chambal dacoits (armed robber, bandit, looter) — can also benefit from a shake-up. As a steadily motorising country, the goal must be to reduce accidents and the ratio of deaths and injuries to cases. The Good Samaritan plan can work well if District Committees tasked (assign a work to) with awarding these individuals readily (willingly, unhesitatingly, voluntarily; easily, without difficulty, effortlessly) recognise their contribution, aided by the police, hospitals and RTOs. Many more people will continue to be impelled by sheer (complete, absolute, total, spur) altruism to help road users involved in a crash, and governments should get bureaucratic (administrative, official, procedural) barriers (blockade, hurdle, obstacle, stumbling block, impediment, hindrance) out of their way.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.altruism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परोपकारिता, दूसरों के हित के लिये जीने का सिद्धान्त
English Meaning - selflessness and concern for the well-being of others. Those who possess this quality typically put others first and truly care about the people around them, whether they have a personal tie to them or not; unselfishness, compassion, generosity, humanitarianism.

2.Good Samaritan (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नेक आदमी, अच्छा आदमी
English Meaning - a compassionate, charitable, helpful person who voluntarily helps people in trouble/difficulty; supporter, backer, helper, patron, humanitarian, altruist, savior, friend in need.

3.staggering (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - चौंकाने वाला, परेशान करने वाला
English Meaning - shocking, distressing, disturbing.

4.mishap (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दुर्घटना, दुर्भाग्य
English Meaning - accident.

5.fare (verb)

Hindi Meaning - किराया, प्रदर्शन करना, प्रबंधन करना
English Meaning - perform, do, manage (in a particular way).

6.mobility (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गतिशीलता, परिवहन योग्यता
English Meaning - transportability.

7.negligence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - लापरवाही, उपेक्षा
English Meaning - carelessness, dereliction of duty, neglect, laxity, irresponsibility, inattention

8.obligation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कर्तव्य, आवश्यक शर्त
English Meaning - necessary condition, requirement, imperative; duty, commitment, responsibility.

9.in spite of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के बावजूद, परवाह किए बिना
English Meaning - despite, notwithstanding, regardless of.

10.sensitise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - संवेदनशील बनाना, उत्तरदायी
English Meaning - quick to respond to, responsive to, make sensitive to, reactive to.

11.perception (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अनुभव, समझ, मान्यता
English Meaning - understanding, discernment, recognition/realization; interpretation.

12.harassment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उत्पीड़न, जबरदस्ती / डराना
English Meaning - persecution, persistent annoyance, coercion/intimidation.

13.complication (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उलझन, कठिनाई, समस्या
English Meaning - difficulty, problem, issue; obstacle, impediment.

14.seek (verb)

Hindi Meaning - माँगना, प्रयास, लक्ष्य
English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

15.reticence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अल्पभाषिता, असंबद्धता, अनुत्तरदायीता
English Meaning - uncommunicativeness, unresponsiveness, quietness, silence, restraint, introversion.

16.metric (noun)

English Meaning - standard, criterion, barometer, benchmark.

17.case fatality rate/ratio (noun)

English Meaning - the proportion of people who die from a specified disease or injury due to accident.

18.fatality (noun)

English Meaning - death, casualty, mortality/loss.

19.crash (noun)

English Meaning - accident, collision.

20.toll (noun)

English Meaning - number, count, total (number of deaths).

21.National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) (noun)

English Meaning - an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws (SLL). NCRB is headquartered in New Delhi and is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.

22.attribute (verb)

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

23.Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (noun)

English Meaning - an Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to motor vehicles.

24.victim (noun)

English Meaning - injured person.

25.recognition (noun)

English Meaning - appreciation, gratitude, thanks, credit, commendation, acclamation.

26.grant (noun)

English Meaning - award.

27.mortality (noun)

English Meaning - (in a particular time/for a cause) the rate/number of death; death, loss of life.

28.warrant (verb)

English Meaning - justify, necessitate, vindicate, call for, validate.

29.determined (adjective)

English Meaning - resolute, firm, purposeful, resolved, single-minded.

30.zero tolerance (noun)

English Meaning - a complete refusal to accept certain behavior.

31.enforcement (noun)

English Meaning - imposition, implementation, execution.

32.National Road Safety Board (noun)

English Meaning - It will be set up with an aim to promote road and vehicle safety. The Board will have experts and professionals who will guide and advise the government on issues of road and vehicle safety. A draft notification has been issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for establishing the National Road Safety Board. The proposed Board will be tasked to perform several responsibilities on road safety. The proposed Safety Board will consist of a Chairman and a maximum of 7 other members. It is being formed in accordance with the new Motor Vehicle Act.

33.mandate (noun)

English Meaning - instruction, direction, order, requirement.

34.formulate (verb)

English Meaning - draw up, work out, plan, prepare, create systematically.

35.among other things (phrase)

English Meaning - used to indicate that there are several more things like the one mentioned, but that you do not intend to mention them all.

36.trauma (noun)

English Meaning - distress, suffering, pain; injury, damage.

37.put on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - organize something.

38.footing (noun)

English Meaning - basis, base, condition.