THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- November 22, 2016- Topic 1
A railway network that
caters to about seven billion passenger trips a year poses extraordinary
management challenges, the most important of which is to ensure that all
journeys end safely. The derailment of the Indore-Patna Express in Kanpur
Dehat, with the death toll at least 146, is a stark reminder that India’s
strained railway system can be unpredictably risky. The distress of the
families of passengers who died and those left injured can never be fully
compensated by the announcement of ex-gratia compensation by the Railway
Ministry, the Prime Minister’s Office and State governments; at the same time,
confidence in the system has suffered a severe blow. The Ministry, which has
recorded an average of 50 derailments a year over the past four years and a peak
of 63, needs to engage in a sustained effort to win back public confidence.
There are several elements to safety, of which the integrity of the tracks,
signalling, engines and coaches need to be rigorously audited. Internal
investigations by the Commissioners of Railway Safety have found human error to
be responsible for 70 per cent of serious rail accidents, which underscores the
importance of training and adherence to strict operational discipline. In the
Patna Express accident, the focus is on whether there were flaws in the track,
the speed at which the late-running train was being driven, and the role played
by coach design in leading to high fatalities.
Millions of people board a
train in India every day. They need an assurance from the Ministry that it is
learning from its mistakes. Specialist committees headed by Anil Kakodkar on
safety and Bibek Debroy on restructuring have recommended major reforms, such
as the creation of a statutory safety authority, speedy replacement of ageing
coaches with modern LHB design, and revamped management that keeps its focus on
core train operations. In his budget this year, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu
promised that all zonal railways would have ultrasound flaw detection machines
by March 2017 to test track quality. It is important to know whether such a
test was done on the Indore-Kanpur-Patna route. After an accident it is the
quality of medical facilities that determines a victim’s chances of survival.
Many terrible mishaps occur in rural areas that have no hospital facilities
worth the name, no trauma specialists or intensive care. Upgrading district
hospitals should be a priority. More immediately, the Railway Ministry should
ensure that bureaucratic procedures do not come in the way of victims getting
the best treatment and aid.
Vocabulary
Caters: provide food and drink, typically at social events and in a professional
capacity.
Example: He catered a lunch for 20 people
Stark: severe or bare in appearance or outline.
Example: The ridge formed a stark silhouette against the sky
Synonyms: sharp, sharply
defined, well-focused, crisp, distinct
Strained: not relaxed or comfortable; tense or uneasy.
Example: There was a strained silence
Synonyms: awkward, tense, uneasy, uncomfortable, edgy, difficult, troubled
Vigorously: in a way that involves physical strength, effort, or energy; strenuously.
Example: She shook her head vigorously
Synonyms: strenuously, strongly, powerfully, forcefully, energetically, heartily
Adherence: the action or process of adhering to a surface or object.
Example: The adhesion of the Scotch tape to the paper
Synonyms: sticking, adherence
Revamped: give new and improved form, structure, or appearance to.
Example: An attempt to revamp the museum's image
Synonyms: renovate, redecorate, refurbish, recondition, rehabilitate, overhaul, make
over
Mishap: an unlucky accident.
Example: Although there were a few minor mishaps, none of the pancakes stuck to the
ceiling
Synonyms: accident, trouble, problem, difficulty, setback, adversity
Unpredictable: not able to be predicted.
Example: The unpredictable weather of the Scottish islands
Synonyms: unforeseeable, uncertain, unsure, doubtful, dubious
Assurance: a positive declaration intended to give confidence; a promise.
Example: He gave an assurance that work would not recommence until Wednesday
Synonyms: word of
honor, word, promise, pledge, vow, avowal, oath, bond
Detection: the action or process of identifying the presence of something concealed.
Example: The early detection of fetal abnormalities
Synonyms: discernment, perception, awareness, recognition, identification