The Hindu Editorial 18th September 2025 Vocabulary, Summary, Tone, Descriptive

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary is highly useful for Bank and SSC exams, especially for the English section. Regular reading improves vocabulary, comprehension, and grammar. Editorials contain high-quality language, idioms, phrasal verbs, and advanced vocabulary frequently asked in exams. Learning 10–15 new words daily and reading the summary of the passage from editorials helps in scoring better in Cloze Tests, Reading Comprehension, Fill in the Blanks, and Synonyms-Antonyms. It also boosts your confidence in descriptive writing and interviews. Consistent practice with these words, along with usage in sentences, enhances retention. Hence, the Hindu editorials serve as a rich and reliable source for English preparation in competitive exams.

Reading Comprehension passages are an integral part of the English section of government exams. However, for beginners, such passages can seem difficult. The Hindu Editorial is an excellent tool to improve the reading and understanding of passages. The language is very similar to the passages that generally appear in the English section of government exams, and each paragraph is filled with exam-relevant vocabulary and real-world topics. First, go through the vocabulary section and read the meanings of the words, their Hindi translations, synonyms, and antonyms. Then read the summary of the passage provided to you. Once you know the meanings of the words, read the passage carefully, and you will feel that it is much easier to understand the main idea and tone of the passage. This method not only improves the understanding of reading comprehension passages but also builds a strong vocabulary base for cloze tests and sentence fillers in the exam. Doing this every day will boost your confidence in the English section and help improve your scores in sections such as Reading Comprehension, Cloze Tests, and Sentence Fillers.

The Hindu Editorial 18th September 2025

Genocide in Gaza: On Israel and UN Commission of Inquiry finding

India should speak up against Israel’s atrocities

The UN Commission of Inquiry, after a multi-year investigation, has concluded that Israeli authorities have committed genocide in Gaza. The finding is hardly surprising as the world’s leading rights organisations, including two Israeli groups, and genocide scholars, had already accused Israel of committing what is one of the gravest crimes in international law. Yet, the finding would lend weight to such reports and resonate before the International Court of Justice, which is hearing genocide charges against Israel, and the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The UN Commission found “reasonable grounds” to conclude that four of the five genocidal acts — killing members of a community, serious bodily and mental harm, actions aimed at destroying the group, and preventing births — have been carried out since the war began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack. Israel, which denies allegations of genocide and war crimes, has killed at least 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza in 23 months, many of them women and children. “The responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons who have orchestrated a genocidal campaign with the specific intent to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza,” says the panel’s leader, Navi Pillay.

It is tragically ironic that Israel, a nation built by the survivors of the Shoah, is committing genocide against Palestinians. On the day the UN Commission released its report, Israel launched yet another ground offensive in the famine-stricken Gaza City. Israel’s responses to reports of war crimes and mass killings have invariably been further escalations, killing and displacing even more Palestinians. The war, prolonged by Mr. Netanyahu for his political survival, has left a stain on Israel’s national compass and deepened its global isolation. In the weeks ahead, France, the U.K. and several other countries are expected to recognise Palestinian sovereignty, while the European Commission has proposed to suspend trade concessions with Israel and sanction extremist Ministers. Yet, Israel, shielded by the U.S., shows little concern. The Trump administration is unlikely to turn up the heat on its closest ally. But Europe should start treating Israel as what it has become — a rogue state with genocidal intent and actions. India, once a champion of the Palestinian cause, has so far refrained from directly criticising the Jewish nation. But it should realise that an uncontrollable, expansionist Israel, blowing international law to smithereens, is not in India’s national or regional interests. New Delhi should speak up against the genocide and use its leverage to help bring the war to an end.

The Hindu Editorial 18th September 2025 Vocabulary

1. Genocide (noun)

• Meaning: Killing a large group of people, especially of a certain race or nation
• Synonyms: mass killing, extermination, holocaust, annihilation
• Antonyms: protection, preservation, salvation, safeguarding

2. Speak up (phrasal verb)

• Meaning: To say your opinion openly and clearly
• Synonyms: express, voice, assert, proclaim
• Antonyms: stay silent, withhold, suppress, stifle

3. Atrocities (noun)

• Meaning: Very cruel or violent acts
• Synonyms: barbarities, savageries, cruelties, enormities
• Antonyms: kindness, compassion, benevolence, humanitarianism

4. Committed (verb, past participle)

• Meaning: Did or carried out something bad
• Synonyms: perpetrated, executed, performed, inflicted
• Antonyms: avoided, refrained, abstained, desisted

5. Finding (noun)

• Meaning: A conclusion from an investigation
• Synonyms: conclusion, verdict, ruling, determination
• Antonyms: speculation, assumption, misconception, ignorance

6. Hardly (adverb)

• Meaning: Almost not or barely
• Synonyms: scarcely, rarely, barely, seldom
• Antonyms: easily, frequently, sufficiently, amply

7. Accused (verb/adjective)

• Meaning: Blamed or charged with a crime
• Synonyms: charged, indicted, alleged, arraigned
• Antonyms: acquitted, exonerated, absolved, vindicated

8. Gravest (adjective)

• Meaning: Most serious or severe
• Synonyms: direst, severest, most critical, most solemn
• Antonyms: minor, trivial, insignificant, negligible

9. Lend weight (phrase/verb)

• Meaning: To add support or importance
• Synonyms: support, reinforce, corroborate, substantiate
• Antonyms: weaken, undermine, contradict, nullify

10. Resonate (verb)

• Meaning: To have a lasting or strong effect
• Synonyms: echo, strike a chord, reverberate, register
• Antonyms: fade, disappear, vanish, wither

11. Reasonable grounds (noun phrase)

• Meaning: Fair or just reason to believe something
• Synonyms: just cause, valid reason, probable cause, sound reason
• Antonyms: unfounded reason, irrationality, unjustified cause, groundlessness

12. Carried out (phrasal verb)

• Meaning: Did or completed something
• Synonyms: executed, accomplished, implemented, enacted
• Antonyms: abandoned, neglected, withheld, stopped

13. Allegations (noun)

• Meaning: Accusations made without proof
• Synonyms: charges, assertions, indictments, claims
• Antonyms: denials, refutations, rebuttals, vindications

14. Atrocity (noun)

• Meaning: A cruel or violent act
• Synonyms: brutality, barbarism, monstrosity, savagery
• Antonyms: mercy, virtue, goodness, civility

15. Echelons (noun, plural)

• Meaning: Levels or ranks in a group or organization
• Synonyms: strata, levels, tiers, hierarchies
• Antonyms: masses, commoners, base, inferiors

16. Orchestrated (verb)

• Meaning: Carefully planned, often secretly
• Synonyms: planned, engineered, masterminded, contrived
• Antonyms: disorganized, haphazard, neglected, improvised

17. Intent (noun)

• Meaning: Purpose or aim
• Synonyms: goal, objective, design, ambition
• Antonyms: accident, chance, aimlessness, negligence

18. Tragically (adverb)

• Meaning: In a sad or disastrous way
• Synonyms: sadly, woefully, grievously, disastrously
• Antonyms: fortunately, happily, luckily, auspiciously

19. Ironic (adjective)

• Meaning: Opposite to what’s expected
• Synonyms: paradoxical, strange, sardonic, wry
• Antonyms: predictable, sincere, straightforward, expected

20. Invariably (adverb)

• Meaning: Always or without exception
• Synonyms: consistently, perpetually, unfailingly, inevitably
• Antonyms: rarely, sometimes, occasionally, intermittently

21. Escalations (noun)

• Meaning: Increases in seriousness or intensity
• Synonyms: intensifications, aggravations, amplifications, heightenings
• Antonyms: reductions, decreases, abatements, de-escalations

22. Prolonged (verb)

• Meaning: Lasted longer than needed
• Synonyms: extended, lingering, protracted, sustained
• Antonyms: brief, short-lived, fleeting, truncated

23. Stain (noun – figurative)

• Meaning: A mark of shame or damage to reputation
• Synonyms: blemish, taint, blot, disgrace
• Antonyms: honor, credit, prestige, integrity

24. National compass (noun phrase – figurative)

• Meaning: A nation’s moral guide or direction
• Synonyms: values, guiding principles, moral bearings, ethics
• Antonyms: corruption, lawlessness, moral vacuum, depravity

25. Deepened (verb)

• Meaning: Became worse or more serious
• Synonyms: intensified, aggravated, worsened, heightened
• Antonyms: relieved, lessened, alleviated, eased

26. Isolation (noun)

• Meaning: Being cut off or alone
• Synonyms: separation, alienation, seclusion, detachment
• Antonyms: inclusion, connection, integration, association

27. Recognise (verb)

• Meaning: To accept or officially acknowledge
• Synonyms: acknowledge, validate, approve, endorse
• Antonyms: deny, reject, ignore, repudiate

28. Proposed (verb)

• Meaning: Suggested something
• Synonyms: recommended, offered, advocated, suggested
• Antonyms: rejected, opposed, vetoed, objected

29. Concessions (noun)

• Meaning: Things given up, often unwillingly
• Synonyms: allowances, compromises, exemptions, accommodations
• Antonyms: demands, refusals, denials, withholdings

30. Sanction (verb)

• Meaning: To punish or place penalties
• Synonyms: punish, penalize, embargo, restrict
• Antonyms: approve, permit, authorize, allow

31. Shielded (verb)

• Meaning: Protected from harm or criticism
• Synonyms: protected, defended, covered, sheltered
• Antonyms: exposed, vulnerable, unprotected, defenseless

32. Turn up the heat (idiom)

• Meaning: To increase pressure or criticism
• Synonyms: intensify, escalate, push harder, aggravate
• Antonyms: ease, relax, moderate, lessen

33. Rogue state (noun)

• Meaning: A country acting outside international laws
• Synonyms: outlaw nation, pariah state, lawless regime, deviant power
• Antonyms: lawful state, peaceful nation, responsible power, compliant country

34. Champion (noun)

• Meaning: Strong supporter of a cause
• Synonyms: advocate, defender, proponent, supporter
• Antonyms: critic, opponent, adversary, detractor

35. Blowing international law to smithereens (idiom)

• Meaning: Completely breaking or ignoring international law
• Synonyms: destroying, shattering, violating, demolishing
• Antonyms: respecting, upholding, preserving, following

36. Leverage (noun)

• Meaning: The power to influence situations
• Synonyms: influence, power, advantage, control
• Antonyms: weakness, helplessness, disadvantage, powerlessness

Formal Summary for Bank Mains Descriptive Practice:

The United Nations Commission of Inquiry has concluded, after years of investigation, that Israeli authorities have committed genocide in Gaza. This finding supports earlier reports by international rights groups and scholars and is likely to strengthen ongoing proceedings at the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. The Commission found reasonable grounds to conclude that four of the five acts constituting genocide, including mass killings and preventing births, have been carried out since the conflict began in October 2023. According to estimates, over 65,000 Palestinians, many of them civilians, have been killed in nearly two years of fighting. While Israel denies the charges, the panel attributed responsibility to its top leadership. The conflict, prolonged for political reasons, has intensified Israel’s global isolation, with several European nations moving towards recognising Palestinian statehood and proposing trade sanctions. Despite strong U.S. support for Israel, concerns persist that continued violations of international law pose risks to global order. India, traditionally supportive of Palestine, faces calls to adopt a firmer stance against the crisis.

Student-Friendly Summary for Understanding:

A UN inquiry has found that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, confirming earlier claims made by human rights groups. The panel reported that four of the five acts of genocide, such as killing large numbers of people and preventing births, have been carried out since the war began after Hamas’s October 2023 attack. In about 23 months, more than 65,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, have been killed. Israel denies these charges, but global criticism is growing. Several European countries are preparing to recognise Palestine and place sanctions on Israel, though the U.S. continues to shield it. India, once a strong supporter of Palestine, is being urged to speak up and use its influence to help stop the war.

The Hindu Editorial 18th September 2025 – Tone Analysis

1. Accusatory – The passage strongly attributes responsibility for genocide to Israel’s leadership, using words like atrocities, orchestrated, and genocidal campaign.

2. Critical / Condemnatory – Israel’s actions are portrayed as violations of international law, with phrases like rogue state and blowing international law to smithereens.

3. Urgent / Persuasive – The passage urges other nations, especially India, to act, reflected in phrases like India should speak up and use its leverage to help bring the war to an end.

4. Tragic / Ironic – There is emphasis on the moral irony of Israel, a nation formed by Holocaust survivors, being accused of committing genocide. Words like tragically ironic convey sorrow and dismay.

Most expected essays for 2025 descriptive exams: 

Topic: The Role of Renewable Energy in Sustainable Development of India

India’s quest for sustainable development, balancing economic growth with environmental protection, hinges on its transition to renewable energy. This shift from fossil fuels to clean sources like solar, wind, and hydropower is crucial for the nation’s future.

A primary role of renewable energy is to mitigate climate change. By reducing reliance on coal, oil, and gas, India can significantly cut its carbon footprint and air pollution. This not only aligns with global commitments like the Paris Agreement but also improves public health by reducing respiratory illnesses.

Furthermore, renewable energy enhances energy security. India is heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels, making its economy vulnerable to global price fluctuations. Developing indigenous renewable sources reduces this dependency, leading to a more stable and self-reliant energy system.

This transition is also a powerful engine for economic growth and job creation. The renewable sector is a burgeoning industry, attracting significant investment and creating a vast number of jobs in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance, especially in rural areas. Projects like the PM-KUSUM Scheme for solar pumps and the PM Surya Ghar Yojana for rooftop solar panels exemplify this by empowering farmers and households.

Despite challenges like the intermittency of solar and wind power and the need for upgraded grid infrastructure, India’s commitment is firm. With ambitious targets and proactive policies, renewable energy is not just an alternative; it is the cornerstone of India’s sustainable development, paving the way for a cleaner, more prosperous, and equitable future.

Exam Hall Approach For Descriptive Writing

1. Read the topic carefully – Understand what exactly is being asked (cause, effect, solution?).

2. Spend 3–4 mins planning – Jot down 3 key points for the body (intro → 3 points → conclusion).

3. Write 1–2 lines introduction – Direct, relevant, no quotes or fluff.

4. Develop each point in 3–4 lines – One idea per paragraph.

5. Conclude with a positive, forward-looking line – Shows analytical maturity.

Things to Keep in Mind

1. Stick to the word limit.

2. Use simple, formal English – No fancy vocabulary unless sure of meaning.

3. Stick to facts/examples briefly – Do not over-explain.

4. Maintain a neutral tone – IBPS expects analysis, not emotional or biased writing.

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