25 September 2026 | FREE Editorial PDF

Today’s Highlight: Today’s standout word is Opaque — it describes a process that is hard to see into, and it fits neatly into Banking and SSC passages on governance. The two editorials on the Election Commission’s SIR and the India-New Zealand FTA are also worth a close read for Banking Awareness aspirants.

Editorial 1: Deep Rot: On the ECI’s Functioning During Its SIR

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

1. Disquiet
Synonym: Unease | Antonym: Calm
Example: The new rules caused disquiet among the staff.

2. Dissent
Synonym: Disagreement | Antonym: Consent
Example: Two members recorded their dissent in the minutes.

3. Unauthorised
Synonym: Unsanctioned | Antonym: Authorised
Example: The officer made an unauthorised change to the form.

4. Centralisation
Synonym: Concentration | Antonym: Decentralisation
Example: Centralisation of data left local officers without access.

5. Overriding
Synonym: Overruling | Antonym: Upholding
Example: The head office kept overriding the local manager’s decisions.

6. Statutory
Synonym: Legal | Antonym: Discretionary
Example: The registrar is the statutory authority for this task.

7. Anomalies
Synonym: Irregularities | Antonym: Norms
Example: The audit found several anomalies in the accounts.

8. Dubious
Synonym: Doubtful | Antonym: Reliable
Example: Many of the flagged cases were dubious.

9. Genuine
Synonym: Authentic | Antonym: Fake
Example: Genuine voters should never be removed from the list.

10. Confronting
Synonym: Facing | Antonym: Avoiding
Example: The report avoided confronting the real design flaw.

Idioms

No idioms found in the editorial.

Editorial 2: Trading Smart: On the India-New Zealand FTA

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

1. Simultaneously
Synonym: Concurrently | Antonym: Separately
Example: The firm pursued two deals simultaneously.

2. Dismiss
Synonym: Disregard | Antonym: Consider
Example: Do not dismiss a small market too quickly.

3. Minuscule
Synonym: Tiny | Antonym: Enormous
Example: The profit margin on each item was minuscule.

4. Adverse
Synonym: Unfavourable | Antonym: Favourable
Example: Adverse weather delayed the shipment.

5. Mitigated
Synonym: Eased | Antonym: Aggravated
Example: The loss was mitigated by quick action.

6. Nimble
Synonym: Agile | Antonym: Clumsy
Example: Small firms can be nimble in finding new buyers.

7. Looming
Synonym: Impending | Antonym: Receding
Example: Traders worried about the looming price hike.

8. Elusive
Synonym: Unattainable | Antonym: Attainable
Example: A lasting peace deal remains elusive.

9. Concession
Synonym: Allowance | Antonym: Imposition
Example: The company won a tax concession for exporters.

10. Heft
Synonym: Clout | Antonym: Weakness
Example: The minister used his political heft to push the bill.

Idioms

1. Hold firm
Meaning: Stand one’s ground

2. Clamp down on
Meaning: Act strictly to stop something

Editorial 3: New Cat in Habitat, and Some Glimmer of Hope

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Myriad
Synonym: Countless | Antonym: Few
Example: The forest is home to a myriad of insects.

2. Colonise
Synonym: Occupy | Antonym: Vacate
Example: Fear can colonise the mind if left unchecked.

3. Abandon
Synonym: Discard | Antonym: Retain
Example: We must not abandon hope for the tiger.

4. Remote
Synonym: Distant | Antonym: Nearby
Example: The penguins live on remote islands.

5. Glimmer
Synonym: Flicker | Antonym: Blaze
Example: The report offered a glimmer of hope for the forests.

6. Unchecked
Synonym: Unrestrained | Antonym: Controlled
Example: Unchecked logging destroyed the valley’s trees.

7. Destruction
Synonym: Devastation | Antonym: Construction
Example: The flood caused widespread destruction of crops.

8. Instability
Synonym: Volatility | Antonym: Stability
Example: Climate instability threatens many species.

9. Predilection
Synonym: Preference | Antonym: Aversion
Example: Children have a predilection for colourful animals.

10. Photogenic
Synonym: Picturesque | Antonym: Unsightly
Example: The photogenic tiger gets far more attention than beetles.

Idioms

No idioms found in the editorial.

Editorial 4: Two ECs Stand Up to Ask; CEC Must Answer, SC Must Not Turn Away

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Empirical
Synonym: Evidence-based | Antonym: Theoretical
Example: The claim needs empirical data, not guesswork.

2. Betrayal
Synonym: Treachery | Antonym: Loyalty
Example: Voters saw the leak as a betrayal of trust.

3. Compelling
Synonym: Persuasive | Antonym: Unconvincing
Example: The report made a compelling case for reform.

4. Handpicked
Synonym: Selected | Antonym: Rejected
Example: All the panel members were handpicked by the minister.

5. Unheeded
Synonym: Ignored | Antonym: Heeded
Example: Their warnings went unheeded for months.

6. Abide
Synonym: Obey | Antonym: Defy
Example: Every member must abide by the majority view.

7. Heartening
Synonym: Encouraging | Antonym: Disheartening
Example: The rise in turnout was heartening.

8. Tortuous
Synonym: Convoluted | Antonym: Straightforward
Example: The tortuous process left many applicants exhausted.

9. Implicit
Synonym: Implied | Antonym: Explicit
Example: There was an implicit threat in his words.

10. Opaque
Synonym: Unclear | Antonym: Transparent
Example: An opaque process breeds public distrust.

Idioms

1. Thrust and parry
Meaning: Back-and-forth argument

2. Red flag
Meaning: A warning sign

3. Connect the dots
Meaning: Link facts to understand the whole

4. Fly in the face of
Meaning: Go directly against

Test Yourself – 5 Questions

Q1. The editorial notes that the DISQUIET over the SIR was felt within the Election Commission itself. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Unease
(B) Calm
(C) Comfort
(D) Peace
(E) Serenity

Answer: A

Meaning: Disquiet means a feeling of worry or unease.
Logic: ‘Unease’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Calm, Comfort, Peace and Serenity all denote a relaxed state, the opposite sense.

Q2. Identify the correctly spelt word among the options below.

(A) Simultaneously
(B) Simultaniously
(C) Simultanously
(D) Simultaneusly
(E) Similtaneously

Answer: A

Meaning: The correctly spelt word is ‘Simultaneously’, meaning at the same time.
Logic: standard English spelling.
Elimination: the remaining options substitute or drop letters.

Q3. The two Election Commissioners’ DISSENT mirrors what many have long said about the SIR, the editorial notes. Select the option that is the closest antonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Disagreement
(B) Objection
(C) Consent
(D) Protest
(E) Opposition

Answer: C

Meaning: Dissent means disagreement with an official view or decision.
Logic: ‘Consent’ is its closest antonym.
Elimination: Disagreement, Objection, Protest and Opposition are all near-synonyms of dissent, not opposite.

Q4. Even a doubling of bilateral trade by 2030 would still be a MINUSCULE amount, the editorial observes. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Enormous
(B) Huge
(C) Tiny
(D) Vast
(E) Massive

Answer: C

Meaning: Minuscule means extremely small.
Logic: ‘Tiny’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Enormous, Huge, Vast and Massive all denote great size, the opposite sense.

Q5. Identify the correctly spelt word among the options below.

(A) Unathorised
(B) Unauthoriesd
(C) Unauthorised
(D) Unauthorissed
(E) Unautharised

Answer: C

Meaning: The correctly spelt word is ‘Unauthorised’, meaning done without official permission.
Logic: standard English spelling.
Elimination: the remaining options drop, double, substitute or transpose letters.

Quick Recap – Today’s Words

Disquiet (Unease) | Dissent (Disagreement) | Unauthorised (Unsanctioned) | Centralisation (Concentration) | Overriding (Overruling) | Statutory (Legal) | Anomalies (Irregularities) | Dubious (Doubtful) | Genuine (Authentic) | Confronting (Facing) | Simultaneously (Concurrently) | Dismiss (Disregard) | Minuscule (Tiny) | Adverse (Unfavourable) | Mitigated (Eased) | Nimble (Agile) | Looming (Impending) | Elusive (Unattainable) | Concession (Allowance) | Heft (Clout) | Myriad (Countless) | Colonise (Occupy) | Abandon (Discard) | Remote (Distant) | Glimmer (Flicker) | Unchecked (Unrestrained) | Destruction (Devastation) | Instability (Volatility) | Predilection (Preference) | Photogenic (Picturesque) | Empirical (Evidence-based) | Betrayal (Treachery) | Compelling (Persuasive) | Handpicked (Selected) | Unheeded (Ignored) | Abide (Obey) | Heartening (Encouraging) | Tortuous (Convoluted) | Implicit (Implied) | Opaque (Unclear)

Idioms: Hold firm, Clamp down on, Thrust and parry, Red flag, Connect the dots, Fly in the face of

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