The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 18th May 2024

Vocabulary Knowledge is important for competitive exams. Candidates face vocab-based questions in government exams. The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 18th May 2024 consists of difficult words with their contextual meanings, synonyms, and antonyms.

Hindu Vocab On Stay invested, Chabahar and India-Iran ties  

By signing a 10-year agreement (the situation in which people have the same opinion, or in which they approve of or accept something) with Iran to develop and operate the Chabahar port, India has taken its infrastructure (the basic systems and services, such as transport and power supplies, that a country or organization uses in order to work effectively) and trade partnership with the Islamic Republic to the next level despite tensions in West Asia. India will invest $120 million and offer a credit facility of $250 million to further develop the terminal it operates in Chabahar’s Shahid Beheshti port and related projects. However, after the deal was signed, the U.S. State Department said entities considering business deals with Iran “need to be aware that they are opening themselves up to and the potential (possible when the necessary conditions exist) risk of sanctions”. In the past, American sanctions on Iran had delayed the project. Conceived in 2003, the project did not take off for years after the U.S. and the UN imposed sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear programme. India signed a memorandum (a short written report prepared specially for a person or group of people that contains information about a particular matter) of understanding in 2015 after Washington eased sanctions on Iran following that year’s nuclear agreement, and in 2016, the contract was executed (to do or perform something, especially in a planned way) during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Iran visit. The U.S.’s unilateral (involving only one group or country) withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposition of sanctions on Iran raised questions on India’s continued cooperation with Tehran. But India managed to win a carve-out from U.S. sanctions that allowed it to operate the port through ad hoc measures.

The Chabahar port is critical for India’s connectivity plans. First, it offers an alternative (An alternative plan or method is one that you can use if you do not want to use another one)route to Afghanistan and Central Asia by bypassing Pakistan, allowing better trade with Central Asia. And, Chabahar is expected to be connected to the International North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC), bringing India closer to Europe through Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia. An alternative to the Suez route, a fully operational NSTC would reduce the time and money spent on intercontinental trade. The port, roughly 200 km from Pakistan’s Gwadar, where China is developing a port as part of its BRI, would also help India expand its geopolitical (connected with political activity as influenced by the physical features of a country or area, or with the study of the way a country’s size, position, etc. influence its power and its relationships with other countries) influence in Central Asia. But the U.S. seems to have taken a narrow view of the project over its hostility (unfriendly and not liking something) with Iran. America’s interests in the region have also changed. In 2018, when U.S. forces were backing the Islamic Republic government in Afghanistan, it gave a sanctions waiver to India as Kabul also stood to benefit from the port project. Today, U.S. troops are out of Afghanistan, the Taliban has replaced the Islamic Republic, and the U.S.’s focus is on containing Iran. India, in the past, had taken U-turns in its Iran engagement (an arrangement to meet someone or do something at a particular time) depending on the policy changes in Washington DC. It should not do that any more. It should stay invested in Chabahar and seek to improve its trade and connectivity projects with Central Asia, which is essential for India’s continued rise.

Hindu Editorial Vocab Wordlist 18th May 2024

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary regularly improves the word power of aspirants preparing for government exams. Start learning new words daily from Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 18th May 2024.

• Agreement: The situation in which people have the same opinion, or in which they approve of or accept something.
• Infrastructure: The basic systems and services, such as transport and power supplies, that a country or organization uses in order to work effectively.
• Potential: Possible when the necessary conditions exist.
• Memorandum: A short written report prepared specially for a person or group of people that contains information about a particular matter.
• Executed: To do or perform something, especially in a planned way.
• Unilateral: Involving only one group or country.
• Alternative: An alternative plan or method is one that you can use if you do not want to use another one.
• Geopolitical: Connected with political activity as influenced by the physical features of a country or area, or with the study of the way a country’s size, position, etc. influence its power and its relationships with other countries.
• Hostility: Unfriendly and not liking something.
• Engagement: An arrangement to meet someone or do something at a particular time.

The Hindu Vocab Master 18th May with Synonyms & Antonyms

Know synonyms and antonyms of difficult words in Hindu Vocab Master on 18th May 2024.

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