Baby bait: on the Andhra Pradesh government’s proposed incentives for families

Incentives (प्रोत्साहन, प्रेरणा) for having more children will keep poorer women out of workforce (कार्यबल, कामगारों की संख्या)

Departing from decades (दशक, दस वर्षों की अवधि) of family-planning (परिवार नियोजन) policies in India, the Andhra Pradesh government (सरकार, शासन) has proposed new incentives for families in the State to have three or more children. The State’s total fertility rate (प्रजनन दर, जन्मदर) has dropped (गिरना, कम होना) from around 3 in the 1990s to 1.5 today, well below (से काफी नीचे, बहुत कम) the replacement rate (the fertility level at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next) of 2.1 as well as (साथ ही, के अतिरिक्त) the national average. According to (के अनुसार) some projections (अनुमान, पूर्वानुमान), nearly (लगभग, करीब-करीब) a quarter (one-fourth, 25 percent) of the State population will be elderly (old, aged, ageing, older) by the mid-century, resulting in a smaller workforce relative to (compared to, in comparison with, proportional to) the old-age dependency burden (the ratio of older dependents (people older than 64) to the working-age population (those ages 15-64), indicating the financial and caregiving pressure on the productive part of the population). But while South India is ageing (becoming older; greying, growing old, maturing) faster than the North, the evidence for cash incentives leading to larger families and doing so without significant socio-economic (relating to the interaction of social (position, rank, or importance) and economic (income, pay, and wealth) aspects) trade-offs (a situation in which you must choose between or balance two things that are opposite or cannot be had at the same time; compromise, balance) is weak. At present (currently, right now, at this time, at the moment), Andhra Pradesh has proposed ₹30,000 for a third child and ₹40,000 for a fourth; ₹1,000 monthly for five years; free education until the age of 18; provisions (arrangement, facility, supply, service) for mothers to work from home; enhanced (improved, increased, augmented, upgraded) funding for the ‘Thalliki Vandanam’ scheme, which currently pays ₹15,000 per child for school attendance; (presence, appearance, turning up, participation) longer maternity leave; (a period of absence from work granted to a mother before and after the birth of her child) and other Anganwadi (a type of rural child care centre in India, started by the Indian government in 1975 as part of the Integrated Child Development Services program to combat child hunger and malnutrition) and childcare (the care of children, especially by a crèche, nursery, or childminder while parents are working) support. While one-time payments may encourage some families to have children earlier than planned, evidence from India and around the world (globally, internationally, worldwide, everywhere) indicates that they rarely (seldom, infrequently, hardly ever, almost never) produce large or sustained (continuous, ongoing, steady, prolonged) increases in fertility (reproductive capability, ability to have children, reproduction).

People in the State are having fewer children likely (probably, in all probability, presumably, doubtlessly) because housing and private education have become more expensive, stable (steady, secure, firm, fixed) employment is accessible (available, reachable, attainable, obtainable) later rather than sooner, and aspirations (aim, ambition, goal, desire) around children’s quality of life (the standard of health, comfort, and happiness experienced by an individual or group) have expanded (increase, enlarge, grow, widen). The proposed (suggested, recommended, intended, planned) incentives are unlikely (doubtful, improbable, questionable, unpromising) to offset (balance out, counterbalance, counteract, neutralize) the 18-year cost of raising (bring up, rear, nurture, care for) one additional child even under optimistic (ve, hopeful, confident, prom) assumptions (premise, belief, expectation, supposition) about public provisions (the funding and delivery of services (like health, education, childcare) by the government or state). The State government has also said that it wants to double (multiply by two, increase twofold, enlarge significantly) women’s labour force participation (it is defined as the percentage of persons in the labour force (i.e., working or seeking or available for work) in the population), which is antithetical (directly opposed, strictly contrasting, contrary, contradictory) to having more children with the existing social infrastructure (the construction and maintenance of facilities that support social services, such as hospitals, schools, universities, and housing). Indeed (truly, actually, in fact, certainly), France and the Nordic states (a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic, typically comprising Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, known for their comprehensive welfare systems) were able to maintain (continue, keep up, preserve, sustain) this two-pronged (having two different aspects, elements, or approaches) success only by investing heavily (intensely, significantly, substantially, strongly) in universal childcare (a system where all families have access to high-quality, affordable or free childcare services, typically supported or funded by the government), flexible (adaptable, adjustable, variable, versatile) working arrangements, paid parental leave, high-quality public schooling (education provided by state-funded schools which are free to attend), and legal protections against career penalties that mothers are at risk of (in danger of, vulnerable to, susceptible to). Otherwise, as is (in the existing circumstances; exactly as it is) already prevalent (widespread, common, prevailing, frequent) in India, mothers end up (finish up, turn out, emerge, eventually reach/do) absorbing (take in, assimilate, consume, incorporate) more unpaid care work (tasks that involve caring for people (children, elderly, sick) and domestic chores, often unpaid and disproportionately performed by women) and cannot enter the workforce. Crucially (fundamentally, essentially, vitally, importantly), the economics (financial aspects, financial conditions, financial implications) of the proposed incentives are more likely to influence (affect, sway, determine, guide) poorer households (family, house, occupants) seeking (try to find, look for, pursue, search for) immediate cash, leading to an uncomfortable (uneasy, difficult, awkward, troubling) possibility: (chance, likelihood, probability, prospect) the State modestly (slightly, somewhat, moderately, unexceptionally) increasing the size of economically vulnerable (endangered, unsafe, unprotected, at risk) families without guaranteeing (assure, ensure, secure, promise) adequate (sufficient, enough, requisite, acceptable) long-term (enduring, lasting, prolonged, sustained) support for child development. Finally, ecological (relating to the natural environment and its relationship with living things; environmental) concerns (issue, worry, problem, apprehension) such as water scarcity (the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region), urban congestion (overcrowding and heavy traffic in city areas, leading to slower movement and reduced quality of living), waste management (the collection, transportation, disposal, and monitoring of waste materials), and recycling (the action or process of converting waste into reusable material) will also be tested in the long term (eventually, ultimately, in the end, over a long period). While the southern States are anxious (worried, concerned, apprehensive, fearful) about population-based delimitation (the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province having a legislative body; boundary fixing, demarcation), asking families to alter (change, modify, adjust, reshape) personal decisions about having children to address (tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out) a problem of constitutional design (the structure, features, and arrangement of a state’s constitution, including power distribution and institutional framework) would be a profound (intense, deep, immense, great) mismatch (discrepancy, inconsistency, disproportion, disparity) between instrument (mechanism, means, tool, vehicle) and objective (aim, goal, target, purpose).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.bait (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रलोभन, लालच
English Meaning - lure, attraction, enticement.

2.incentive (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रोत्साहन, प्रेरणा
English Meaning - motivation, encouragement, impetus, boost.

3.workforce (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कार्यबल, कामगारों की संख्या
English Meaning - workers, employees, human resources, labour force.

4.depart from (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - से हटना, से अलग होना
English Meaning - deviate from, diverge from, vary from, differ from.

5.decade (noun)

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

6.family-planning (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिवार नियोजन
English Meaning - the practice of controlling the number of children one has and the intervals between their births, particularly by means of contraception or voluntary sterilization.

7.government (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सरकार, शासन
English Meaning - administration, regime, authorities, ruling body.

8.fertility rate (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रजनन दर, जन्मदर
English Meaning - the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime; birth rate, reproductive rate.

9.nearly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - लगभग, करीब-करीब
English Meaning - almost, approximately, practically, virtually.

10.drop (verb)

Hindi Meaning - गिरना, कम होना
English Meaning - decrease, reduce, fall, decline.

11.well below (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - से काफी नीचे, बहुत कम
English Meaning - significantly lower than, considerably under, way underneath.

12.as well as (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - साथ ही, के अतिरिक्त
English Meaning - and also, in addition to, along with.

13.according to (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के अनुसार
English Meaning - as stated by, as claimed by, in the opinion of.

14.projection (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अनुमान, पूर्वानुमान
English Meaning - forecast, prediction, calculation, estimate.

15.total fertility rate (TFR) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कुल प्रजनन दर
English Meaning - the average number of children a woman would give birth to during her lifetime if she were to pass through her childbearing years (15-49 years) experiencing the present day age-specific fertility rates.

16.quarter (noun)

English Meaning - one-fourth, 25 percent.

17.replacement rate (noun)

English Meaning - the fertility level at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next.

18.keep someone out of (phrase)

English Meaning - prevent someone from participating in or entering something; exclude, shut out, prohibit.

19.replacement (noun)

English Meaning - substitution, exchange; the fertility level at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next.

20.elderly (adjective)

English Meaning - old, aged, ageing, older.

21.result in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - cause, lead to, bring about, produce.

22.relative to (phrase)

English Meaning - compared to, in comparison with, proportional to.

23.old-age dependency burden (noun)

English Meaning - the ratio of older dependents (people older than 64) to the working-age population (those ages 15-64), indicating the financial and caregiving pressure on the productive part of the population.

24.ageing (adjective)

English Meaning - becoming older; greying, growing old, maturing.

25.lead to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - cause, result in, give rise to, bring about.

26.socio-economic (adjective)

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

27.trade-off (noun)

English Meaning - a situation in which you must choose between or balance two things that are opposite or cannot be had at the same time; compromise, balance.

28.at present (phrase)

English Meaning - currently, right now, at this time, at the moment.

29.provision (noun)

English Meaning - arrangement, facility, supply, service.

30.enhanced (adjective)

English Meaning - improved, increased, augmented, upgraded.

31.Thalliki Vandanam scheme (proper noun)

English Meaning - an official scheme by the Andhra Pradesh government aiming to provide financial assistance of ₹15,000 per annum per child to mothers to encourage school attendance of their children from classes 1 to 12.

32.attendance (noun)

English Meaning - presence, appearance, turning up, participation.

33.maternity leave (noun)

English Meaning - a period of absence from work granted to a mother before and after the birth of her child.

34.Anganwadi (proper noun)

English Meaning - a type of rural child care centre in India, started by the Indian government in 1975 as part of the Integrated Child Development Services program to combat child hunger and malnutrition.

35.childcare (noun)

English Meaning - the care of children, especially by a crèche, nursery, or childminder while parents are working.

36.around the world (phrase)

English Meaning - globally, internationally, worldwide, everywhere.

37.rarely (adverb)

English Meaning - seldom, infrequently, hardly ever, almost never.

38.sustained (adjective)

English Meaning - continuous, ongoing, steady, prolonged.

39.fertility (noun)

English Meaning - reproductive capability, ability to have children, reproduction.

40.likely (adverb)

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

41.stable (adjective)

English Meaning - steady, secure, firm, fixed.

42.accessible (adjective)

English Meaning - available, reachable, attainable, obtainable.

43.aspiration (noun)

English Meaning - aim, ambition, goal, desire.

44.quality of life (noun)

English Meaning - the standard of health, comfort, and happiness experienced by an individual or group.

45.expand (verb)

English Meaning - increase, enlarge, grow, widen.

46.proposed (adjective)

English Meaning - suggested, recommended, intended, planned.

47.unlikely (adjective)

English Meaning - doubtful, improbable, questionable, unpromising.

48.offset (verb)

English Meaning - balance out, counterbalance, counteract, neutralize.

49.raise (verb)

English Meaning - bring up, rear, nurture, care for.

50.optimistic (adjective)

English Meaning - positive, hopeful, confident, promising.

51.assumption (noun)

English Meaning - premise, belief, expectation, supposition.

52.public provision (noun)

English Meaning - the funding and delivery of services (like health, education, childcare) by the government or state.

53.double (verb)

English Meaning - multiply by two, increase twofold, enlarge significantly.

54.labour force participation (noun)

English Meaning - it is defined as the percentage of persons in the labour force (i.e., working or seeking or available for work) in the population.

55.antithetical (adjective)

English Meaning - directly opposed, strictly contrasting, contrary, contradictory.

56.social infrastructure (noun)

English Meaning - the construction and maintenance of facilities that support social services, such as hospitals, schools, universities, and housing.

57.indeed (adverb)

English Meaning - truly, actually, in fact, certainly.

58.Nordic states (proper noun)

English Meaning - a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic, typically comprising Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, known for their comprehensive welfare systems.

59.maintain (verb)

English Meaning - continue, keep up, preserve, sustain.

60.two-pronged (adjective)

English Meaning - having two different aspects, elements, or approaches.

61.heavily (adverb)

English Meaning - intensely, significantly, substantially, strongly.

62.universal childcare (noun)

English Meaning - a system where all families have access to high-quality, affordable or free childcare services, typically supported or funded by the government.

63.flexible (adjective)

English Meaning - adaptable, adjustable, variable, versatile.

64.public schooling (noun)

English Meaning - education provided by state-funded schools which are free to attend.

65.career penalty (noun)

English Meaning - the negative impact on earnings, promotion prospects, and professional advancement that individuals face due to taking time off or seeking flexibility for caregiving responsibilities.

66.at risk of (phrase)

English Meaning - in danger of, vulnerable to, susceptible to.

67.as is (phrase)

English Meaning - in the existing circumstances; exactly as it is.

68.prevalent (adjective)

English Meaning - widespread, common, prevailing, frequent.

69.end up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - finish up, turn out, emerge, eventually reach/do.

70.absorb (verb)

English Meaning - take in, assimilate, consume, incorporate.

71.care work (noun)

English Meaning - tasks that involve caring for people (children, elderly, sick) and domestic chores, often unpaid and disproportionately performed by women.

72.crucially (adverb)

English Meaning - fundamentally, essentially, vitally, importantly.

73.economics (noun)

English Meaning - financial aspects, financial conditions, financial implications.

74.influence (verb)

English Meaning - affect, sway, determine, guide.

75.household (noun)

English Meaning - family, house, occupants.

76.seek (verb)

English Meaning - try to find, look for, pursue, search for.

77.uncomfortable (adjective)

English Meaning - uneasy, difficult, awkward, troubling.

78.possibility (noun)

English Meaning - chance, likelihood, probability, prospect.

79.modestly (adverb)

English Meaning - slightly, somewhat, moderately, unexceptionally.

80.vulnerable (adjective)

English Meaning - endangered, unsafe, unprotected, at risk.

81.guarantee (verb)

English Meaning - assure, ensure, secure, promise.

82.adequate (adjective)

English Meaning - sufficient, enough, requisite, acceptable.

83.long-term (adjective)

English Meaning - enduring, lasting, prolonged, sustained.

84.ecological (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the natural environment and its relationship with living things; environmental.

85.concern (noun)

English Meaning - issue, worry, problem, apprehension.

86.water scarcity (noun)

English Meaning - the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region.

87.urban congestion (noun)

English Meaning - overcrowding and heavy traffic in city areas, leading to slower movement and reduced quality of living.

88.waste management (noun)

English Meaning - the collection, transportation, disposal, and monitoring of waste materials.

89.recycling (noun)

English Meaning - the action or process of converting waste into reusable material.

90.in the long term (phrase)

English Meaning - eventually, ultimately, in the end, over a long period.

91.anxious (adjective)

English Meaning - worried, concerned, apprehensive, fearful.

92.delimitation (noun)

English Meaning - the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province having a legislative body; boundary fixing, demarcation.

93.alter (verb)

English Meaning - change, modify, adjust, reshape.

94.address (verb)

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

95.constitutional design (noun)

English Meaning - the structure, features, and arrangement of a state’s constitution, including power distribution and institutional framework.

96.profound (adjective)

English Meaning - intense, deep, immense, great.

97.mismatch (noun)

English Meaning - discrepancy, inconsistency, disproportion, disparity.

98.instrument (noun)

English Meaning - mechanism, means, tool, vehicle.