What is the meaning of 'hazardous' as used in the passage?

legally binding and enforceable

widely distributed across regions

What does the explanation say was the Supreme Court's action in Dr. Balram Singh (2023)?

It raised compensation and restricted outsourced contracts

It banned all sewer cleaning nationwide immediately

It eliminated caste-based employment entirely

It transferred sanitation duties to private firms

According to the explanation, why do contractors often escape liability for worker deaths?

Because they employ undocumented daily-wage workers

Because workers voluntarily waive compensation

Because the law does not recognise sewer deaths

Because courts have no power to penalise them

Sewer Deaths in India: Law, Caste and Administrative Failure – The Hindu Editorial Analysis in Hindi & English (6 Nov) | UPSC, SSC, Bank

💡 Tap any word in the passage to see its meaning (Hindi, Bengali, synonyms).

The editorial explained

India's persistent inability to eradicate sewer-cleaning fatalities, notwithstanding a thicket of legislation, judicial pronouncements, and state-sponsored mechanisation schemes, exposes a chasm between declaratory intent and administrative -through. The recent deaths of four workers asphyxiated while cleaning a hotel's food-waste chamber in Ujjain is no aberration but a recurring statistical certainty: figures compiled by Parliament and the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis oscillate across datasets, yet none converge towards zero, and the Safai Karamchari Andolan has long that even these grim tallies constitute under-reporting rather than an exhaustive account.

India's persistent inability to eradicate sewer-cleaning fatalities, notwithstanding a thicket of legislation, judicial pronouncements, and state-sponsored mechanisation schemes, exposes a chasm between declaratory intent and administrative follow-through. The recent deaths of four workers asphyxiated while cleaning a hotel's food-waste chamber in Ujjain is no aberration but a recurring statistical certainty: figures compiled by Parliament and the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis oscillate across datasets, yet none converge towards zero, and the Safai Karamchari Andolan has long alleged that even these grim tallies constitute severe under-reporting rather than an exhaustive account.

हिंदी अर्थभारत कानूनों, अदालती आदेशों, सरकारी कार्यक्रमों और मशीनीकृत सफाई तकनीकों की मौजूदगी के बावजूद सफाई कर्मचारियों को ऐसी परिस्थितियों में खोता जा रहा है जो पूर्वानुमानित और काफी हद तक रोकी जा सकती थीं। उज्जैन में एक होटल के खाद्य-अपशिष्ट कक्ष की सफाई करते समय चार मजदूरों की दम घुटने से मौत कोई अपवाद नहीं बल्कि एक बार-बार दोहराया जाने वाला आंकड़ा है। संसद और राष्ट्रीय सफाई कर्मचारी आयोग के आंकड़े अलग-अलग हैं, पर कोई भी शून्य के करीब नहीं पहुंचता, और सफाई कर्मचारी आंदोलन का आरोप है कि ये आंकड़े भी गंभीर रूप से कम दर्ज किए गए हैं।

বাংলা অনুবাদভারতের পয়ঃনালা পরিষ্কার করতে গিয়ে শ্রমিক মৃত্যুর ঘটনা নির্মূল করতে বারবার ব্যর্থ হওয়ার বিষয়টি, অজস্র আইন (legislation), আদালতের রায় (judicial pronouncements) এবং রাষ্ট্র-পরিচালিত যন্ত্রায়ন (mechanisation) প্রকল্প থাকা সত্ত্বেও, ঘোষিত উদ্দেশ্য আর প্রশাসনিক বাস্তবায়নের মধ্যে এক বিরাট ফাঁক উন্মোচন করে। সম্প্রতি উজ্জয়িনীতে একটি হোটেলের খাদ্য-বর্জ্য চেম্বার পরিষ্কার করতে গিয়ে চারজন শ্রমিকের শ্বাসরুদ্ধ হয়ে মৃত্যু কোনো বিচ্ছিন্ন ঘটনা নয়, বরং এটি এক পুনরাবৃত্ত পরিসংখ্যানগত নিশ্চয়তা। সংসদ (Parliament) এবং ন্যাশনাল কমিশন ফর সাফাই কর্মচারীজ (National Commission for Safai Karamcharis)-এর সংগৃহীত পরিসংখ্যান বিভিন্ন উৎসভেদে ওঠানামা করলেও, কোনোটিই শূন্যের কাছাকাছি পৌঁছায় না, আর সাফাই কর্মচারী আন্দোলন (Safai Karamchari Andolan) দীর্ঘদিন ধরে অভিযোগ করে আসছে যে এই ভয়াবহ পরিসংখ্যানও প্রকৃত সংখ্যার তুলনায় মারাত্মক কম-রিপোর্ট করা (under-reporting), সম্পূর্ণ হিসাব নয়।

Compounding this tragedy is a bureaucratic sleight of hand whereby the government has , since roughly 2021, that manual cleaning of excreta from insanitary latrines has been nationwide. Such a declaration is rhetorically but hollow substantively, for it absolves inspecting authorities of the urgency to scrutinise municipalities and private establishments, even as entry into sewers and septic tanks, a the law has from manual scavenging only since 2013, continues unabated. Workers descending into these chambers remain to noxious, often lethal, gases regardless of this semantic distinction, and the burden continues to fall disproportionately upon historically marginalised castes.

Compounding this tragedy is a bureaucratic sleight of hand whereby the government has maintained, since roughly 2021, that manual cleaning of excreta from insanitary latrines has been eliminated nationwide. Such a declaration is effective rhetorically but hollow substantively, for it absolves inspecting authorities of the urgency to scrutinise municipalities and private establishments, even as hazardous entry into sewers and septic tanks, a practice the law has distinguished from manual scavenging only since 2013, continues unabated. Workers descending into these chambers remain vulnerable to noxious, often lethal, gases regardless of this semantic distinction, and the burden continues to fall disproportionately upon historically marginalised castes.

हिंदी अर्थइस त्रासदी को और गंभीर बनाता है सरकार का यह रुख, जो लगभग 2021 से यह मानती आ रही है कि असुरक्षित शौचालयों से मल की मैनुअल सफाई पूरी तरह खत्म हो चुकी है। यह घोषणा बोलने में प्रभावी लगती है पर व्यावहारिक रूप से खोखली है, क्योंकि यह निरीक्षण करने वाली संस्थाओं को नगर निकायों और निजी प्रतिष्ठानों की जांच की तात्कालिकता से मुक्त कर देती है। सीवर और सेप्टिक टैंक में खतरनाक प्रवेश, जिसे कानून ने 2013 से मैनुअल स्कैवेंजिंग से अलग माना है, अब भी जारी है, और मजदूर जहरीली गैसों के प्रति असुरक्षित बने रहते हैं, जबकि यह बोझ ऐतिहासिक रूप से हाशिए पर रही जातियों पर असमान रूप से पड़ता है।

বাংলা অনুবাদএই দুর্ঘটনার সঙ্গে যুক্ত হয়েছে এক আমলাতান্ত্রিক কৌশল, যেখানে সরকার প্রায় ২০২১ সাল থেকে দাবি করে আসছে যে সারা দেশে অস্বাস্থ্যকর শৌচাগার থেকে হাতে মলমূত্র পরিষ্কারের (manual scavenging) প্রথা সম্পূর্ণ বিলুপ্ত হয়েছে। এমন ঘোষণা বাগাড়ম্বরে কার্যকর মনে হলেও বাস্তবে ফাঁপা, কারণ এটি পরিদর্শনকারী কর্তৃপক্ষকে পৌরসভা ও বেসরকারি প্রতিষ্ঠানগুলির উপর কড়া নজরদারির জরুরি দায় থেকে মুক্তি দেয়, যদিও পয়ঃনালা ও সেপটিক ট্যাংকে বিপজ্জনকভাবে প্রবেশের ঘটনা, যাকে আইন কেবল ২০১৩ সাল থেকে ম্যানুয়াল স্ক্যাভেঞ্জিং থেকে পৃথক বলে চিহ্নিত করেছে, অব্যাহতভাবে চলছে। এই শব্দগত পার্থক্য সত্ত্বেও, চেম্বারে নামা শ্রমিকরা বিষাক্ত, প্রায়শই প্রাণঘাতী গ্যাসের ঝুঁকিতে থেকেই যায়, আর এই বোঝা ঐতিহাসিকভাবে প্রান্তিক জাতিগুলোর উপরেই অসামঞ্জস্যপূর্ণভাবে চাপানো থাকে।

Judicial intervention has sought to supplement legislative with enforceable . In Dr. Balram Singh (2023), the Court the framework laid down in Safai Karamchari Andolan (2014), stipulating that outsourced must not workers physically entering sewers and raising compensation for each death to ₹30 lakh. A subsequent 2025 order sought to end manual sewer cleaning across four , with Bengaluru and Hyderabad a year later; notices were then issued to fifteen Chief Secretaries for disobeying these directives, including the compensation mandate, underscoring how courts must intervene before compliance is even partially secured.

Judicial intervention has sought to supplement legislative prohibition with enforceable requirements. In Dr. Balram Singh (2023), the Supreme Court strengthened the framework laid down in Safai Karamchari Andolan (2014), stipulating that outsourced contracts must not entail workers physically entering sewers and raising compensation for each death to ₹30 lakh. A subsequent 2025 order sought to end manual sewer cleaning across four metropolitan centres, with Bengaluru and Hyderabad following a year later; notices were then issued to fifteen Chief Secretaries for disobeying these directives, including the compensation mandate, underscoring how repeatedly courts must intervene before compliance is even partially secured.

हिंदी अर्थअदालती हस्तक्षेप ने कानूनी प्रतिबंध को लागू करने योग्य शर्तों से मजबूत करने की कोशिश की है। डॉ. बलराम सिंह (2023) मामले में सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने सफाई कर्मचारी आंदोलन (2014) के ढांचे को और सख्त किया, यह तय करते हुए कि आउटसोर्स ठेकों में मजदूरों को सीवर में उतरना शामिल नहीं होना चाहिए और प्रत्येक मौत पर मुआवजा बढ़ाकर 30 लाख रुपये किया। 2025 में चार महानगरों में मैनुअल सीवर सफाई खत्म करने का आदेश आया, बेंगलुरु और हैदराबाद एक साल बाद इसमें शामिल हुए; फिर पंद्रह मुख्य सचिवों को इन आदेशों, जिसमें मुआवजे का आदेश भी शामिल है, की अवहेलना के लिए नोटिस भेजे गए, जो दिखाता है कि अदालतों को कितनी बार हस्तक्षेप करना पड़ता है।

বাংলা অনুবাদআইনি হস্তক্ষেপ আইনি নিষেধাজ্ঞাকে কার্যকর শর্তাবলীর মাধ্যমে পরিপূরক করার চেষ্টা করেছে। ডঃ বলরাম সিং (২০২৩) মামলায় সুপ্রিম কোর্ট সাফাই কর্মচারী আন্দোলন (২০১৪) মামলায় স্থাপিত কাঠামোকে আরও শক্তিশালী করে, নির্দেশ দেয় যে বহিঃস্থ চুক্তিতে (outsourced contracts) শ্রমিকদের সরাসরি পয়ঃনালায় প্রবেশ করানো চলবে না এবং প্রতিটি মৃত্যুর জন্য ক্ষতিপূরণ বাড়িয়ে ৩০ লক্ষ টাকা নির্ধারণ করে। এরপর ২০২৫ সালের একটি আদেশে চারটি মহানগরে ম্যানুয়াল পয়ঃনালা পরিষ্কার বন্ধ করার কথা বলা হয়, এক বছর পর বেঙ্গালুরু ও হায়দরাবাদও এই তালিকায় যুক্ত হয়; এরপর পনেরো জন মুখ্যসচিবকে এই নির্দেশ, যার মধ্যে ক্ষতিপূরণ সংক্রান্ত নির্দেশও ছিল, অমান্য করার জন্য নোটিশ পাঠানো হয়, যা দেখায় যে সামান্য সম্মতি আদায় করতেও আদালতকে বারবার হস্তক্ষেপ করতে হচ্ছে।

Yet private contractors and municipal bodies in circumventing the of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, chiefly by engaging undocumented daily-wage , thereby evading altogether when fatalities occur. This structural evasion suggests that the scourge cannot be through prohibition alone; it demands the formalisation of employment and an extension of social security provisions that transcend entrenched caste hierarchies, since informality itself is the mechanism through which accountability is perpetually deferred.

Yet private contractors and municipal bodies persist in circumventing the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, chiefly by engaging undocumented daily-wage labour, thereby evading liability altogether when fatalities occur. This structural evasion suggests that the scourge cannot be eliminated through prohibition alone; it demands the formalisation of employment contracts and an extension of social security provisions that transcend entrenched caste hierarchies, since informality itself is the mechanism through which accountability is perpetually deferred.

हिंदी अर्थफिर भी निजी ठेकेदार और नगर निकाय 2013 के मैनुअल स्कैवेंजर्स रोजगार निषेध अधिनियम का उल्लंघन करना जारी रखते हैं, मुख्यतः अनौपचारिक दिहाड़ी मजदूरों को रखकर, जिससे मौत होने पर वे पूरी तरह जिम्मेदारी से बच जाते हैं। यह संरचनात्मक बचाव बताता है कि यह समस्या केवल प्रतिबंध से खत्म नहीं हो सकती; इसके लिए रोजगार को औपचारिक बनाना और जातीय सीमाओं से परे सामाजिक सुरक्षा का विस्तार जरूरी है, क्योंकि अनौपचारिकता ही वह तरीका है जिससे जवाबदेही को लगातार टाला जाता है।

বাংলা অনুবাদতবুও বেসরকারি ঠিকাদার ও পৌর সংস্থাগুলি ২০১৩ সালের 'প্রোহিবিশন অফ এমপ্লয়মেন্ট অ্যাজ ম্যানুয়াল স্ক্যাভেঞ্জার্স অ্যান্ড দেয়ার রিহ্যাবিলিটেশন অ্যাক্ট' এড়িয়ে যাওয়া অব্যাহত রেখেছে, মূলত নথিবিহীন দৈনিক মজুরির শ্রমিক নিয়োগের মাধ্যমে, যার ফলে মৃত্যু ঘটলে দায়ভার সম্পূর্ণভাবে এড়িয়ে যাওয়া সম্ভব হয়। এই কাঠামোগত ফাঁকি ইঙ্গিত দেয় যে কেবল নিষেধাজ্ঞার মাধ্যমে এই অভিশাপ দূর করা সম্ভব নয়; এর জন্য প্রয়োজন কর্মসংস্থান চুক্তিকে আনুষ্ঠানিক রূপ দেওয়া এবং সামাজিক নিরাপত্তা বিধানকে জাতিভিত্তিক বৈষম্যের সীমা ছাড়িয়ে প্রসারিত করা, কারণ এই অনানুষ্ঠানিকতাই (informality) সেই প্রক্রিয়া, যার মাধ্যমে জবাবদিহিতা বারবার পিছিয়ে দেওয়া হয়।

A further, more diagnosis concerns the design of state intervention itself. The National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem scheme, though on urban local bodies, exhibits a gap between its stated aims and its actual , reflecting a administrative tendency to prioritise distributing protective kits and procedural assistance over the harder task of minimising the very situations, unsupervised , inadequate ventilation, absent emergency protocols, that precipitate these deaths in the first instance.

A further, more fundamental diagnosis concerns the design of state intervention itself. The National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem scheme, though centred on urban local bodies, exhibits a significant gap between its stated aims and its actual outcomes, reflecting a general administrative tendency to prioritise distributing protective kits and procedural assistance over the harder task of minimising the very situations, unsupervised contracts, inadequate ventilation, absent emergency protocols, that precipitate these deaths in the first instance.

हिंदी अर्थएक और मौलिक समस्या राज्य के हस्तक्षेप के ढांचे में ही है। नेशनल एक्शन फॉर मैकेनाइज्ड सैनिटेशन इकोसिस्टम योजना, जो शहरी स्थानीय निकायों पर केंद्रित है, के लक्ष्यों और वास्तविक नतीजों के बीच बड़ा अंतर है, जो यह दिखाता है कि प्रशासन का सामान्य रुझान सुरक्षा किट बांटने जैसी प्रक्रियागत मदद को प्राथमिकता देना है, न कि उन स्थितियों को कम करना जो असल में मौतों का कारण बनती हैं, जैसे अनियंत्रित ठेके, अपर्याप्त वेंटिलेशन और आपातकालीन व्यवस्था का अभाव।

বাংলা অনুবাদআরও একটি গভীরতর সমস্যা রাষ্ট্রীয় হস্তক্ষেপের নকশা নিয়েই। ন্যাশনাল অ্যাকশন ফর মেকানাইজড স্যানিটেশন ইকোসিস্টেম প্রকল্পটি, যদিও শহুরে স্থানীয় সংস্থাগুলিকে কেন্দ্র করে গঠিত, তার ঘোষিত লক্ষ্য ও প্রকৃত ফলাফলের মধ্যে উল্লেখযোগ্য ফারাক দেখায়, যা একটি সাধারণ প্রশাসনিক প্রবণতাকেই প্রতিফলিত করে—সুরক্ষা সরঞ্জাম বিতরণ ও প্রক্রিয়াগত সহায়তাকে অগ্রাধিকার দেওয়া, অথচ সেই কঠিনতর কাজটি—যেমন তদারকিহীন চুক্তি, অপর্যাপ্ত বায়ুচলাচল, জরুরি পরিস্থিতি মোকাবিলার ব্যবস্থার অনুপস্থিতি—এই মৃত্যুর মূল কারণগুলো দূর করার কাজ—তা এড়িয়ে যাওয়া।

Ultimately, the editorial's underlying argument is that legal authority and periodic political exhortation are insufficient substitutes for structural reform: unless the state reconceives its role from one of administrative assistance to one of risk elimination, sewer deaths will remain a predictable, almost ritualised, feature of India's sanitation economy, indicted yet never decisively addressed.

Ultimately, the editorial's underlying argument is that supreme legal authority and periodic political exhortation are insufficient substitutes for structural reform: unless the state reconceives its role from one of administrative assistance to one of risk elimination, sewer deaths will remain a predictable, almost ritualised, feature of India's sanitation economy, repeatedly indicted yet never decisively addressed.

हिंदी अर्थअंततः, संपादकीय का मूल तर्क यह है कि सर्वोच्च कानूनी अधिकार और राजनीतिक अपील अकेले संरचनात्मक सुधार का विकल्प नहीं बन सकते: जब तक राज्य अपनी भूमिका को प्रशासनिक सहायता से बदलकर जोखिम खत्म करने की दिशा में नहीं ले जाता, सीवर में होने वाली मौतें भारत की स्वच्छता व्यवस्था की एक पूर्वानुमानित, लगभग रस्मी, विशेषता बनी रहेंगी, जिनकी बार-बार निंदा तो होगी पर जिनका निर्णायक समाधान कभी नहीं होगा।

বাংলা অনুবাদশেষ পর্যন্ত, এই সম্পাদকীয়র মূল যুক্তি হলো—সর্বোচ্চ আদালতের কর্তৃত্ব এবং সময়ে সময়ে রাজনৈতিক উপদেশ কাঠামোগত সংস্কারের বিকল্প হতে পারে না। যতক্ষণ না রাষ্ট্র তার ভূমিকাকে প্রশাসনিক সহায়তার বদলে ঝুঁকি নির্মূলের ভূমিকায় পুনর্গঠিত করে, ততক্ষণ পয়ঃনালায় মৃত্যু ভারতের স্যানিটেশন অর্থনীতির এক পূর্বানুমেয়, প্রায় আচারের মতো পুনরাবৃত্ত বৈশিষ্ট্য হয়েই থাকবে—বারবার নিন্দিত হলেও কখনোই চূড়ান্তভাবে সমাধান হবে না।

Based on the editorial “Danger in the sewer: On India’s sewer cleaning deaths” in The Hindu – read the original. Explanation, Hindi lines, vocabulary and quiz written by RBE for exam preparation. RBE is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Hindu.

Reading comprehension: 5 questions (SSC CGL & RRB Section Controller / Station Master pattern)

Based on “The editorial explained” above. Answer from the passage, not from outside knowledge.

What is the central argument of the explanation regarding India's approach to sewer deaths?
Which of the following can be inferred about the government's 2021 claim that manual scavenging has ended?
What is the author's tone in discussing the gap between judicial orders and ground-level compliance?
As used in the explanation, what does 'liability' most nearly mean?
Which statement would most strengthen the explanation's argument that formalising employment is essential?

Para jumbles: 4 questions

Sentences from today's lesson – arrange them in the right order.

Given below are four sentences in jumbled order. Arrange them in a logical sequence.
- P. Figures compiled by Parliament and the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis oscillate across datasets, yet none converge towards zero.
- Q. India's persistent inability to eradicate sewer-cleaning fatalities exposes a chasm between declaratory intent and administrative follow-through.
- R. The Safai Karamchari Andolan has long alleged that even these grim tallies constitute severe under-reporting rather than an exhaustive account.
- S. The recent deaths of four workers asphyxiated while cleaning a hotel's food-waste chamber in Ujjain is no aberration but a recurring statistical certainty.
Given below are four sentences in jumbled order. Arrange them in a logical sequence.
- P. A subsequent 2025 order sought to end manual sewer cleaning across four metropolitan centres, with Bengaluru and Hyderabad following a year later.
- Q. Judicial intervention has sought to supplement legislative prohibition with enforceable requirements.
- R. Notices were then issued to fifteen Chief Secretaries for disobeying these directives, underscoring how repeatedly courts must intervene before compliance is even partially secured.
- S. In Dr. Balram Singh (2023), the Supreme Court strengthened the framework laid down in Safai Karamchari Andolan (2014), stipulating that outsourced contracts must not entail workers physically entering sewers.
Given below are four sentences in jumbled order. Arrange them in a logical sequence.
- P. Private contractors and municipal bodies persist in circumventing the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
- Q. This evasion is chiefly achieved by engaging undocumented daily-wage labour, thereby evading liability altogether when fatalities occur.
- R. It demands instead the formalisation of employment contracts and an extension of social security provisions that transcend entrenched caste hierarchies.
- S. Such structural evasion suggests that the scourge cannot be eliminated through prohibition alone.
Given below are four sentences in jumbled order. Arrange them in a logical sequence.
- P. Such situations, including unsupervised contracts, inadequate ventilation, and absent emergency protocols, precipitate these deaths in the first instance.
- Q. The National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem scheme, though centred on urban local bodies, exhibits a significant gap between its stated aims and its actual outcomes.
- R. A further, more fundamental diagnosis concerns the design of state intervention itself.
- S. This reflects a general administrative tendency to prioritise distributing protective kits over the harder task of minimising hazardous situations.

Error spotting: 5 questions (SSC pattern)

Find the part with the grammatical error. Choose “No error” if the sentence is correct.

(A) Despite numerous legislations and judicial pronouncements, (B) the sewer-cleaning fatalities in India has not been eradicated (C) and continue to occur with alarming regularity.
(A) Since 2021, the government has maintained (B) that manual cleaning of excreta from insanitary latrines (C) have been completely eliminated nationwide.
(A) Private contractors often circumvent the law (B) by engaging undocumented daily-wage labourers, (C) thereby evading liability whenever fatalities occurs.
(A) The National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem scheme (B) prioritises distributing protective kits rather than (C) to eliminate the hazardous situations that cause deaths.
(A) Unless the state reconceives its role fundamentally, (B) sewer deaths will remain a predictable and almost (C) ritualised feature of India's sanitation economy.

Quiz: 15 questions (SSC pattern)

Choose an answer – you see at once if it is right, with the reason. Your score comes at the end.

What is the meaning of 'hazardous' as used in the passage?
Choose the correct synonym of 'vulnerable'.
Choose the correct antonym of 'severe'.
Fill in the blank: The scheme's aims and its actual ______ show a wide gap.
What is the meaning of the idiom 'root of the problem'?
One word substitution: 'A person responsible for a legal obligation or debt' is called having ______.
Choose the correctly spelt word.
Choose the correct synonym of 'eliminate'.
Choose the correct antonym of 'maintain' (as in 'maintain a claim').
Choose the correct synonym of 'supreme'.
Choose the correct antonym of 'metropolitan'.
What does the explanation say was the Supreme Court's action in Dr. Balram Singh (2023)?
According to the explanation, why do contractors often escape liability for worker deaths?
Choose the correct synonym of 'allege'.
Choose the correct antonym of 'significant'.

SSC previous-year questions: 25 real questions

These words from today's editorial were actually asked in SSC exams. Questions from RBE's SSC English database (CGL, CHSL, CPO, MTS, Steno, Selection Post, 2018–2026).

SSC MTS 2024 Synonyms
Select the word that has the same meaning (SYNONYM) as the underlined word in the given sentence.
The disposal of hazardous waste in hospitals and factories is a serious problem and needs to be taken care of urgently.
SSC CPO 2023 T-1 Synonyms
Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word.
Vulnerable
SSC CGL 2022 T-1 Antonyms
Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the underlined word.
The WHO issued a statement on Sunday morning that though the Omicron variant of coronavirus may appear to be less severe, it should not be dismissed as ‘mild’.
SSC CHSL 2024 T-1 Spelling
Select the INCORRECTLY spelt word.
(SSC CHSL 2024 T-1 (05-July Shift 3))
SSC MTS 2024 Synonyms
Select the most appropriate synonym of the underlined word.
The order will be operational from 1ˢᵗ of November.
SSC MTS 2023 Synonyms
Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word.
Distinguished
SSC MTS 2024 Antonyms
Select the most appropriate ANTONYM that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence.
High-altitude climbing posessignificant risks due to factors like altitude sickness, hypothermia and extreme weather conditions.
SSC MTS 2024 Spelling
Select the INCORRECTLY spelt word.
SSC Steno 2023 T-1 Antonyms
Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the given word.
General
SSC CGL 2023 T-1 Synonyms
Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word.
Immerse
SSC MTS 2023 One Word Substitution
Select the option that can be used as a one-word substitute for the underlined group of words.
I suppose dancing that well would require a lot of actual application.
SSC MTS 2023 Antonyms
Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the given word.
Strengthen
SSC CPO 2024 T-1 One Word Substitution
Select the option that can be used as a one-word substitute for the given group of words.
A deal of agreement done in a company or firm.
SSC CGL 2023 T-1 Antonyms
Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the given word.
Prohibition
SSC CHSL 2024 T-1 Antonyms
Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the underlined word in the sentence.
He tried to improve the working conditions in his office.
(SSC CHSL 2024 T-1 (03-July Shift 4))
SSC CGL 2023 T-1 Synonyms
Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word.
Consequence
SSC CGL 2021 T-1 Antonyms
Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the given word.
CENTRE
SSC CHSL 2024 T-1 Idioms & Phrases
Select the most appropriate meaning of the underlined idiom in the following sentence.
Manish told Rounak time and again of the ill consequences of his habit of being late to the college.
(SSC CHSL 2024 T-1 (10-July Shift 2))
SSC CPO 2024 T-2 Idioms & Phrases
Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom.
Turn a blind eye
(SSC CPO 2024 T-2 (30 April))
SSC CGL 2025 T-1 Spelling
Fill in the blank with the correctly spelt word.
The scholar's interpretation was based on a ________ understanding of the philosophy.
SSC Selection Post Ph-12 2024 HSL One Word Substitution
Select the option that can be used as a one-word substitute for the given group of words.
The science of teaching
SSC CHSL 2024 T-1 Spelling
Identify the incorrectly spelt word and select its correct spelling.
This will sound weired, but bear with me.
(SSC CHSL 2024 T-1 (02-July Shift 3))
SSC CGL 2023 T-1 Antonyms
Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the given word.
Triumph
SSC CGL 2024 T-1 One Word Substitution
Select the option that can be used as a one-word-substitute for the given group of words.
A false idea or belief
SSC Steno 2024 T-1 Antonyms
Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the underlined word.
The detective's astute observations led to the discovery of crucial evidence, unlike his oblivious partner.

Idioms & phrasal verbs

gap between aims and outcomes

a mismatch between what is intended and what actually happens

इरादे और नतीजे में अंतर

“The scheme reveals a significant gap between aims and outcomes in sanitation policy.”

time and again Asked in SSC · latest SSC CHSL 2024 T-1

repeatedly, on many occasions

बार-बार

“Courts have intervened time and again to enforce worker safety.”

root of the problem

the fundamental cause of an issue

समस्या की जड़

“Distributing kits does not address the root of the problem.”

turn a blind eye Asked 2× in SSC · latest SSC CPO 2024 T-2

to deliberately ignore something wrong

जानबूझकर अनदेखा करना

“Municipal bodies often turn a blind eye to contractors hiring undocumented workers.”

fall through the cracks

to be overlooked or neglected by a system

व्यवस्था में उपेक्षित रह जाना

“Undocumented workers often fall through the cracks of labour protection laws.”

Vocabulary from this editorial (29 words)

Tap ☆ Save to keep a word in ⭐ Saved for revision. Asked in SSC = asked in an SSC previous-year paper.

hazardous adjective Asked 4× in SSC · latest SSC Selection Post Ph-14 2026 (Matriculation Level)

dangerous, risky

खतरनाक

Synonyms: dangerous, risky, perilous, unsafe

Antonyms: safe, secure

“Entering an unventilated sewer is extremely hazardous for workers.”

vulnerable adjective Asked 4× in SSC · latest SSC CPO 2023 T-1

easily harmed or exposed to danger

असुरक्षित

Synonyms: exposed, susceptible, defenceless, at risk

Antonyms: secure, protected, invulnerable

“Without protective gear, sanitation workers remain vulnerable to toxic gases.”

severe adjective Asked 3× in SSC · latest SSC CGL 2022 T-1

very serious or harsh

गंभीर

Synonyms: serious, harsh, acute, intense

Antonyms: mild, moderate, lenient

“The report revealed severe under-reporting of sewer deaths.”

maintain verb Asked 3× in SSC · latest SSC CHSL 2024 T-1

to assert or keep stating something as true

दावा करना/कायम रखना

Synonyms: assert, claim, uphold, sustain

Antonyms: abandon, deny, relinquish

“The government continues to maintain that manual scavenging has ended.”

eliminate verb Asked 2× in SSC · latest SSC GD 2021 T-1

to remove completely

पूरी तरह खत्म करना

Synonyms: eradicate, abolish, remove, erase

Antonyms: establish, introduce, create

“Mechanisation was expected to eliminate the need for manual sewer entry.”

effective adjective Asked 2× in SSC · latest SSC MTS 2024

producing the intended result

प्रभावी

Synonyms: efficient, successful, productive, potent

Antonyms: ineffective, futile, useless

“The policy sounded effective on paper but failed in implementation.”

distinguished adjective/verb Asked 2× in SSC · latest SSC MTS 2023

marked as different or separate

अलग किया हुआ

Synonyms: differentiated, separated, distinct, set apart

Antonyms: merged, confused, conflated

“The law has distinguished hazardous sewer cleaning from manual scavenging since 2013.”

follow verb Asked 2× in SSC · latest SSC GD 2022 T-1

to come after or obey

पालन करना/पीछे आना

Synonyms: obey, succeed, comply, pursue

Antonyms: precede, disobey, defy

“Bengaluru's compliance was expected to follow the metropolitan order.”

significant adjective Asked 2× in SSC · latest SSC MTS 2024

important or notable

महत्वपूर्ण

Synonyms: notable, considerable, substantial, major

Antonyms: insignificant, trivial, negligible

“There is a significant gap between the scheme's aims and its outcomes.”

fundamental adjective Asked 2× in SSC · latest SSC MTS 2024

basic or essential

मौलिक/बुनियादी

Synonyms: basic, essential, core, elementary

Antonyms: superficial, minor, peripheral

“The state's fundamental error lies in prioritising assistance over prevention.”

general adjective Asked 2× in SSC · latest SSC Steno 2023 T-1

widespread, not specific

सामान्य

Synonyms: common, widespread, universal, broad

Antonyms: specific, particular, exceptional

“There is a general tendency among administrators to favour visible remedies.”

supreme adjective Asked in SSC · latest SSC GD 2021 T-1

highest in authority or rank

सर्वोच्च

Synonyms: highest, paramount, foremost, superior

Antonyms: subordinate, inferior, lowest

“The Supreme Court strengthened safeguards for sanitation workers.”

involve verb Asked in SSC · latest SSC CGL 2023 T-1

to include as a necessary part

शामिल करना

Synonyms: entail, include, incorporate, comprise

Antonyms: exclude, omit

“Outsourced contracts should not involve workers physically entering sewers.”

repeatedly adverb Asked in SSC · latest SSC CHSL 2024 T-1

again and again

बार-बार

Synonyms: frequently, continually, persistently, recurrently

Antonyms: rarely, once, seldom

“Courts have repeatedly intervened to enforce compliance.”

allege verb Asked in SSC · latest SSC CHSL 2020 T-1

to claim without proof

आरोप लगाना

Synonyms: claim, assert, contend, charge

Antonyms: prove, verify, confirm

“Activists allege that official death tolls are grossly under-reported.”

practice noun Asked in SSC · latest SSC MTS 2023

a habitual action or custom

प्रथा/अभ्यास

Synonyms: custom, habit, convention, routine

Antonyms: theory, principle

“The practice of manual scavenging persists despite legal prohibition.”

strengthen verb Asked in SSC · latest SSC MTS 2023

to make stronger

मजबूत करना

Synonyms: reinforce, fortify, bolster, enhance

Antonyms: weaken, undermine, erode

“The 2023 judgment strengthened earlier safeguards for workers.”

requirement noun Asked in SSC · latest SSC CGL 2023 T-1

something that is necessary

आवश्यकता

Synonyms: necessity, condition, prerequisite, stipulation

Antonyms: option, luxury

“The ruling added new requirements for outsourced sewer contracts.”

contract noun Asked 2× in SSC · latest SSC Steno 2026 T-1

a legally binding agreement

अनुबंध

Synonyms: agreement, deal, covenant, pact

Antonyms: disagreement, breach

“Municipal contracts must not entail workers entering sewers directly.”

entail verb Asked in SSC · latest SSC CPO 2024 T-1

to involve as a necessary consequence

अंतर्निहित होना/शामिल होना

Synonyms: involve, require, necessitate, imply

Antonyms: exclude, preclude

“Such contracts should not entail manual entry into hazardous chambers.”

metropolitan adjective Asked in SSC · latest SSC CHSL 2019 T-1

relating to a large city

महानगरीय

Synonyms: urban, city-based, municipal, cosmopolitan

Antonyms: rural, provincial

“The order sought to end manual sewer cleaning in four metropolitan cities.”

prohibition noun Asked in SSC · latest SSC CGL 2023 T-1

the act of forbidding something

प्रतिबंध

Synonyms: ban, restriction, embargo, interdiction

Antonyms: permission, approval, authorisation

“The 2013 Act enforces a prohibition on employing manual scavengers.”

liability noun Asked in SSC · latest SSC GD 2022 T-1

legal responsibility for something

जिम्मेदारी/दायित्व

Synonyms: responsibility, accountability, obligation, culpability

Antonyms: immunity, exemption

“Contractors evade liability by hiring undocumented daily-wage workers.”

improve verb Asked in SSC · latest SSC CHSL 2024 T-1

to make or become better

सुधारना

Synonyms: enhance, upgrade, advance, better

Antonyms: worsen, deteriorate, decline

“Social security must improve across caste lines to end this scourge.”

outcome noun Asked in SSC · latest SSC CGL 2023 T-1

the result of an action

परिणाम

Synonyms: result, consequence, effect, upshot

Antonyms: cause, origin

“There is a wide gap between the scheme's aims and its outcomes.”

persist verb Asked in SSC · latest SSC GD 2021 T-1

to continue despite difficulty

बने रहना/जारी रहना

Synonyms: continue, endure, remain, persevere

Antonyms: cease, stop, discontinue

“The gap between policy and practice continues to persist.”

centre verb Asked in SSC · latest SSC CGL 2021 T-1

to focus on a particular point

केंद्रित होना

Synonyms: focus, concentrate, converge, revolve

Antonyms: disperse, scatter

“The scheme is centred on urban local bodies rather than rural areas.”

distribute verb Asked in SSC · latest SSC Selection Post Ph-10 2022 ML

to give out or spread among several

वितरित करना

Synonyms: allocate, disperse, dispense, allot

Antonyms: collect, gather, withhold

“Authorities focus on distributing safety kits rather than removing risk.”

labour noun Asked in SSC · latest SSC CGL 2024 T-1

workers or physical work

श्रम/मजदूर

Synonyms: workforce, workers, toil, manpower

Antonyms: management, capital

“Undocumented daily-wage labour is frequently used to evade liability.”

Test yourself: quiz →

UPSC & State PCS corner – editorial analysis

Relevance: GS Paper 2 – Social Justice (Vulnerable Sections/Welfare Schemes, Mechanisms, Laws, Institutions) – Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; Mechanisms, Laws, Institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections

Prelims pointers

Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 – distinguishes manual scavenging from hazardous cleaning of sewers/septic tanks
National Commission for Safai Karamcharis – statutory body monitoring rehabilitation of manual scavengers
Safai Karamchari Andolan v. Union of India (2014) – SC judgment on rehabilitation and compensation for sewer deaths
Dr. Balram Singh v. Union of India (2023) – SC enhanced compensation to ₹30 lakh for sewer deaths and barred manual entry in outsourced contracts
NAMASTE Scheme – National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem, focused on mechanisation and safety of sanitation workers in urban local bodies

Points for Mains answer writing

India has failed to eliminate sewer-cleaning deaths despite legislation, court orders, and mechanisation schemes.
Government claims since 2021 that manual scavenging has ended, but hazardous sewer entry persists under a legal distinction made in 2013.
The Dr. Balram Singh (2023) judgment raised compensation to ₹30 lakh and barred contracts entailing sewer entry.
Private contractors and municipal bodies evade liability by hiring undocumented daily-wage workers, violating the 2013 Act.
Workers from historically marginalised castes remain disproportionately affected by these preventable deaths.
The state's core error lies in prioritising administrative assistance (kits, schemes) over eliminating hazardous situations altogether.

Mains practice question: Despite a robust legal and judicial framework, manual scavenging and hazardous sewer cleaning continue to claim lives in India. Critically examine the structural and administrative factors responsible for this persistence and suggest measures beyond prohibition to eliminate such deaths. (250 words)

Essay theme: Law without enforcement: the gap between legislative intent and administrative action in India's social justice framework

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In short – quick revision

Despite laws, Supreme Court orders and mechanisation schemes, India continues to lose sanitation workers to preventable sewer deaths. The editorial argues the state must shift from administrative assistance to eliminating hazardous situations altogether.

India has failed to eliminate sewer-cleaning deaths despite legislation, court orders, and mechanisation schemes.
Government claims since 2021 that manual scavenging has ended, but hazardous sewer entry persists under a legal distinction made in 2013.
The Dr. Balram Singh (2023) judgment raised compensation to ₹30 lakh and barred contracts entailing sewer entry.
Private contractors and municipal bodies evade liability by hiring undocumented daily-wage workers, violating the 2013 Act.
Workers from historically marginalised castes remain disproportionately affected by these preventable deaths.
The state's core error lies in prioritising administrative assistance (kits, schemes) over eliminating hazardous situations altogether.

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Questions about this topic

Why do sewer cleaning deaths still occur in India despite laws banning manual scavenging?

Because the 2013 law distinguishes hazardous sewer/septic tank cleaning from manual scavenging, and enforcement gaps allow contractors to still send untrained workers into sewers without safety equipment.

What did the Supreme Court order in the Dr. Balram Singh (2023) case?

It strengthened earlier safeguards by barring outsourced contracts that require workers to enter sewers and raised compensation for each death to ₹30 lakh.

Who is most affected by sewer cleaning deaths in India?

Workers from historically marginalised castes are disproportionately employed in and killed by hazardous sanitation work, according to the editorial.

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Sewer Deaths in India: Law, Caste and Administrative Failure

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