02 October 2026 | FREE Editorial PDF

Today’s Highlight: Today’s standout word is Insidious – it means harmful in a slow, hidden way, and it often appears in Banking and SSC passages on social and economic problems. The editorial on drug pricing is a must-read for health and economy, and the IIP editorial explains why August’s 8% industrial growth matters.

Editorial 1: Bitter Pills: On the Supreme Court and Drug Pricing by Retailers

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

1. Upbraided
Synonym: Rebuked | Antonym: Praised
Example: The coach upbraided the players for arriving late.

2. Disparities
Synonym: Gaps | Antonym: Similarities
Example: Income disparities between cities and villages are still wide.

3. Incentivise
Synonym: Motivate | Antonym: Discourage
Example: Shops incentivise early buyers with small discounts.

4. Inflated
Synonym: Exaggerated | Antonym: Reduced
Example: The seller quoted an inflated price for the old car.

5. Kickback
Synonym: Bribe | Antonym: Penalty
Example: The officer was caught taking a kickback from a contractor.

6. Undermining
Synonym: Weakening | Antonym: Strengthening
Example: Rumours are undermining trust in the new scheme.

7. Adherence
Synonym: Compliance | Antonym: Violation
Example: Strict adherence to the diet improved his health.

8. Compressible
Synonym: Reducible | Antonym: Fixed
Example: Travel costs are compressible if you book early.

9. Insidious
Synonym: Stealthy | Antonym: Obvious
Example: Plastic pollution is an insidious threat to rivers.

10. Counterbalance
Synonym: Offset | Antonym: Aggravate
Example: Savings can counterbalance a sudden rise in expenses.

Idioms

1. Shop around
Meaning: Compare prices

Editorial 2: Good Foundation: On India’s Industrial Growth

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

1. Streak
Synonym: Run | Antonym: Break
Example: The team extended its winning streak to six matches.

2. Quickened
Synonym: Accelerated | Antonym: Slowed
Example: Her pace quickened as the bus came into view.

3. Robust
Synonym: Sturdy | Antonym: Weak
Example: The company posted robust sales this quarter.

4. Corresponding
Synonym: Matching | Antonym: Unrelated
Example: Sales rose compared with the corresponding month last year.

5. Accurate
Synonym: Precise | Antonym: Wrong
Example: Check that the figures in the bill are accurate.

6. Divergences
Synonym: Differences | Antonym: Agreements
Example: There were minor divergences between the two reports.

7. Alignment
Synonym: Agreement | Antonym: Mismatch
Example: There is close alignment between the two plans.

8. Acceleration
Synonym: Speed-up | Antonym: Slowdown
Example: Economists welcomed the acceleration in factory output.

9. Supplemented
Synonym: Boosted | Antonym: Reduced
Example: She supplemented her income with weekend tutoring.

10. Groundwork
Synonym: Foundation | Antonym: Conclusion
Example: Good groundwork made the final exam much easier.

Idioms

1. Peter out
Meaning: Slowly fade away

Editorial 3: At Nagoya, Promises Kept, a Winning Arc

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Honing
Synonym: Refining | Antonym: Neglecting
Example: She spent years honing her public-speaking skills.

2. Powerhouses
Synonym: Giants | Antonym: Minnows
Example: Brazil and Germany are football powerhouses.

3. Smitten
Synonym: Captivated | Antonym: Indifferent
Example: He was smitten by the hill town on his first visit.

4. Clinch
Synonym: Secure | Antonym: Lose
Example: A late goal helped the team clinch the title.

5. Vindication
Synonym: Justification | Antonym: Condemnation
Example: The verdict was a vindication of her long fight.

6. Elite
Synonym: Top-class | Antonym: Ordinary
Example: Only elite athletes qualify for the national camp.

7. Boasts
Synonym: Possesses | Antonym: Lacks
Example: The town boasts a fine old library.

8. Tremendous
Synonym: Immense | Antonym: Meagre
Example: The volunteers did tremendous work after the flood.

9. Pioneer
Synonym: Trailblazer | Antonym: Follower
Example: He was a pioneer of solar power in the village.

10. Refurbish
Synonym: Renovate | Antonym: Damage
Example: The school plans to refurbish its old laboratory.

Idioms

1. Follow in the footsteps of
Meaning: Copy a predecessor

2. Keep at it
Meaning: Keep trying

Editorial 4: With Central Vista, a Library Without a Home and a Larger Absence

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Predates
Synonym: Precedes | Antonym: Follows
Example: This temple predates the town around it.

2. Repository
Synonym: Storehouse | Antonym: Void
Example: The museum is a repository of local history.

3. Storied
Synonym: Celebrated | Antonym: Obscure
Example: The storied stadium hosted its final match.

4. Unforeseen
Synonym: Unexpected | Antonym: Predicted
Example: Unforeseen delays pushed the project back by months.

5. Commensurate
Synonym: Proportionate | Antonym: Disproportionate
Example: Pay should be commensurate with experience.

6. Underscored
Synonym: Stressed | Antonym: Downplayed
Example: The floods underscored the need for better drains.

7. Integral
Synonym: Essential | Antonym: Peripheral
Example: Sport is an integral part of school life.

8. Cautionary
Synonym: Warning | Antonym: Encouraging
Example: His failure is a cautionary tale for investors.

9. Durable
Synonym: Lasting | Antonym: Fragile
Example: Steel makes the bridge more durable.

10. Befall
Synonym: Strike | Antonym: Spare
Example: We hope no harm will befall the travellers.

Idioms

1. Make way for
Meaning: Give way to

2. From the outset
Meaning: From the start

3. To this day
Meaning: Even now

Editorial 5: Netanyahu’s Surprise Visit and a Gulf Too Wide

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Discreet
Synonym: Low-key | Antonym: Conspicuous
Example: The minister held discreet talks with the rebels.

2. Backdrop
Synonym: Background | Antonym: Foreground
Example: The talks took place against a backdrop of rising prices.

3. Thaw
Synonym: Warming | Antonym: Freeze
Example: Trade talks signalled a thaw between the neighbours.

4. Deteriorated
Synonym: Worsened | Antonym: Improved
Example: His health deteriorated during the long winter.

5. Impending
Synonym: Imminent | Antonym: Distant
Example: Farmers were warned of an impending storm.

6. Retaliation
Synonym: Reprisal | Antonym: Forgiveness
Example: The new tariffs were seen as retaliation for the ban.

7. Pummelling
Synonym: Pounding | Antonym: Sparing
Example: Heavy rain kept pummelling the coastal villages.

8. Destabilise
Synonym: Unsettle | Antonym: Stabilise
Example: Fake news can destabilise a fragile peace.

9. Adventurism
Synonym: Recklessness | Antonym: Caution
Example: Military adventurism often leaves nations poorer.

10. Elusive
Synonym: Evasive | Antonym: Attainable
Example: Peace in the region remains elusive.

Idioms

1. Far from over
Meaning: Not finished yet

2. Carve out
Meaning: Create for oneself

Test Yourself – 5 Questions

Q1. The Supreme Court has UPBRAIDED the wide gaps between the retailer price and the MRP of some drugs. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Rebuked
(B) Praised
(C) Ignored
(D) Rewarded
(E) Supported

Answer: A

Meaning: Upbraided means scolded or criticised sharply.
Logic: ‘Rebuked’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Praised, Rewarded and Supported are opposite in sense, and Ignored means paying no attention.

Q2. (A) India’s industrial growth / (B) quickened to 8% / (C) in August, / (D) the data show. Identify the segment containing the grammatical error.

(A) (A)
(B) (B)
(C) (C)
(D) (D)
(E) No error

Answer: E

Meaning: all four segments are grammatically correct.
Logic: ‘data’ is used as a plural with ‘show’, and the tense is consistent.
Elimination: no segment contains an error, so the correct answer is ‘No error’.

Q3. Olympian Sanjeeva Kumar Singh was SMITTEN by the simple compound bow. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Bored
(B) Annoyed
(C) Captivated
(D) Confused
(E) Frightened

Answer: C

Meaning: Smitten means strongly attracted to someone or something.
Logic: ‘Captivated’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Bored and Annoyed are opposite in feeling, and Confused and Frightened do not suggest attraction.

Q4. Drug makers set high MRPs to ______ hospitals to stock their brands. Select the option that best fits the blank in the sentence.

(A) discourage
(B) prevent
(C) forbid
(D) incentivise
(E) warn

Answer: D

Meaning: Incentivise means to encourage by offering a reward.
Logic: a high MRP with a low PTR rewards hospitals, which encourages them to stock the brand.
Elimination: discourage, prevent, forbid and warn all suggest stopping hospitals, the opposite of the intended effect.

Q5. IIP growth in the April-August period stood at a ROBUST 6.8%. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Weak
(B) Strong
(C) Uncertain
(D) Modest
(E) Falling

Answer: B

Meaning: Robust means strong and healthy.
Logic: ‘Strong’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Weak and Falling are opposite in sense, while Uncertain and Modest do not convey strength.

Quick Recap – Today’s Words

Upbraided (Rebuked) | Disparities (Gaps) | Incentivise (Motivate) | Inflated (Exaggerated) | Kickback (Bribe) | Undermining (Weakening) | Adherence (Compliance) | Compressible (Reducible) | Insidious (Stealthy) | Counterbalance (Offset) | Streak (Run) | Quickened (Accelerated) | Robust (Sturdy) | Corresponding (Matching) | Accurate (Precise) | Divergences (Differences) | Alignment (Agreement) | Acceleration (Speed-up) | Supplemented (Boosted) | Groundwork (Foundation) | Honing (Refining) | Powerhouses (Giants) | Smitten (Captivated) | Clinch (Secure) | Vindication (Justification) | Elite (Top-class) | Boasts (Possesses) | Tremendous (Immense) | Pioneer (Trailblazer) | Refurbish (Renovate) | Predates (Precedes) | Repository (Storehouse) | Storied (Celebrated) | Unforeseen (Unexpected) | Commensurate (Proportionate) | Underscored (Stressed) | Integral (Essential) | Cautionary (Warning) | Durable (Lasting) | Befall (Strike) | Discreet (Low-key) | Backdrop (Background) | Thaw (Warming) | Deteriorated (Worsened) | Impending (Imminent) | Retaliation (Reprisal) | Pummelling (Pounding) | Destabilise (Unsettle) | Adventurism (Recklessness) | Elusive (Evasive)

Idioms: Shop around, Peter out, Follow in the footsteps of, Keep at it, Make way for, From the outset, To this day, Far from over, Carve out

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