THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-December 28, 2016- Topic 1
The progressive changes introduced by the Centre to the
rules governing grant of passports were long overdue. They simplify, in great
measure, the paperwork needed for an Indian citizen to get the document. In
order to screen applications to prevent impersonation, some of the earlier
rules may have made sense at some point of time, but over the years the
bureaucratic impediments that the cumbersome requirements posed to genuine
applicants were so severe that many had to knock on the doors of high courts
for remedy. Some rules were targeted at women. The most specious form of
harassment of women passport applicants related to those who were either
separated or divorced. Even something as routine as renewing a passport without
any change of name or detail or getting a passport in the name of a child was a
laborious process, as passport officials insisted on either the father’s
consent or demanded a divorce decree. Following the recommendations of an
inter-ministerial committee comprising officials of the Ministries of External
Affairs and Women and Child Development, crucial changes have been introduced.
The application form now requires only the name of one parent, not both. This
will enable single parents to apply for passports for their children without
the name of either the father or the mother being printed in the document. The
stipulation that marriage certifications and divorce decrees should be provided
has been removed; the obsolete concept of getting documents attested by notaries
or magistrates has also been jettisoned, and self-declarations on plain paper
would now be accepted.
A key reform is that a birth certificate is no more the
main proof of date of birth, and other official documents, including Aadhaar
number and PAN card, which contain the date, can be utilised. In the case of
orphaned children, actual proof for date of birth has been dispensed with and a
declaration from the head of a child care home or orphanage confirming the date
is enough. In keeping with the times, adopted and surrogate children can be
issued passports even in the absence of the relevant documents, based on a
declaration on plain paper. Sadhus and sanyasins have been allowed to mention
their gurus in lieu of the names of their parents. The new rules address many
irritants in the process of getting a passport, but also make one wonder why
these were not introduced long ago. Ultimately, a passport ought to be every
citizen’s right. Simplifying the procedures in obtaining one should be an
ongoing exercise.
Vocabulary
Progressive: happening or developing gradually or in stages; proceeding step by step.
Example: A progressive decline in popularity
Synonyms: continuing, continuous, increasing, growing, developing
Overdue: not having arrived, happened, or been done by the expected time.
Example: The rent was nearly three months overdue
Synonyms: late, behind schedule, behind
time, delayed, unpunctual
Impersonation: an act of pretending to be another person for the purpose of entertainment
or fraud.
Example: He did an impersonation of Fred Astaire
Synonyms: impression, imitation, parody, caricature, burlesque, travesty, lampoon
Impediment: a hindrance or obstruction in doing something.
Example: A serious impediment to scientific progress
Synonyms: hindrance, obstruction, obstacle, barrier, bar, block, handicap
Cumbersome: large or heavy and therefore difficult to carry or use; unwieldy.
Example: Cumbersome diving suits
Synonyms: unwieldy, unmanageable, awkward, clumsy, inconvenient
Specious: superficially plausible, but actually wrong.
Example: A specious argument
Laborious: a task, process, or journey requiring considerable effort and time.
Example: Years of laborious training
Synonyms: arduous, hard, heavy, difficult, strenuous, grueling, punishing, exacting
Obsolete: no longer produced or used; out of date.
Example: The disposal of old and obsolete machinery
Synonyms: outdated, out of date, outmoded, old-fashioned
Jettisoned: throw or drop something from an aircraft or ship.
Example: Six aircraft jettisoned their loads in the sea
Orphanage: a residential institution for the care and education of orphans.
Example: Some children are abandoned and end up in orphanages , which have a
difficult time caring for them.
Irritants: a substance that causes slight inflammation or other discomfort to the
body.
Example:
Some substances may not
be irritants but if the skin becomes sensitised - or allergic - to them they
may cause a reaction.