20 October 2026 | FREE Editorial PDF

Today’s Highlight: Today’s standout word is Unanticipated – it means not expected or planned for, and it often appears in Banking and SSC reading passages. The two Kolkata editorials are key for disaster management and crowd safety, the Bihar boat editorial matters for rural transport and regulation, and the investor trust editorial is useful for understanding capital markets and the cost of global money.

Editorial 1: Beyond Religiosity: On the Kolkata Pandal Tragedy

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

1. Religiosity
Synonym: Devoutness | Antonym: Irreligion
Example: Her quiet religiosity showed in her daily prayers and fasting.

2. Showcase
Synonym: Exhibit | Antonym: Conceal
Example: The fair will showcase handicrafts from over fifty villages.

3. Stampede
Synonym: Mad rush | Antonym: Orderliness
Example: A stampede at the station gate left dozens injured.

4. Gullies
Synonym: Alleys | Antonym: Highways
Example: Rainwater rushed through the narrow gullies of the old market.

5. Unanticipated
Synonym: Unexpected | Antonym: Foreseen
Example: An unanticipated power cut forced the exam to be postponed.

6. Barged
Synonym: Shoved | Antonym: Retreated
Example: Latecomers barged into the hall and disturbed the speaker.

7. Panic
Synonym: Alarm | Antonym: Calm
Example: Panic spread when the lights went out during the rally.

8. Wean
Synonym: Detach | Antonym: Accustom
Example: Doctors tried to wean the patient off strong painkillers.

9. Justified
Synonym: Warranted | Antonym: Unwarranted
Example: Parents were justified in demanding a safer school bus.

10. Ignored
Synonym: Disregarded | Antonym: Heeded
Example: The driver ignored repeated warnings about the damaged bridge.

Idioms

1. Make it a point
Meaning: Make a special effort to do it

Editorial 2: Treacherous Waters: On the Bihar Boat Tragedy

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

1. Unregistered
Synonym: Unlicensed | Antonym: Licensed
Example: Police seized several unregistered vehicles from the market area.

2. Overcrowded
Synonym: Jam-packed | Antonym: Deserted
Example: The overcrowded bus swayed dangerously on the narrow bridge.

3. Underaged
Synonym: Minor | Antonym: Adult
Example: The shop was fined for serving an underaged customer.

4. Riverine
Synonym: Riparian | Antonym: Inland
Example: Riverine villages often depend on boats for daily travel.

5. Dilapidated
Synonym: Decrepit | Antonym: Renovated
Example: The dilapidated school building was closed after the heavy rains.

6. Adjoining
Synonym: Neighbouring | Antonym: Distant
Example: Farmers from adjoining villages gathered at the weekly market.

7. Chaotic
Synonym: Disorderly | Antonym: Orderly
Example: Traffic was chaotic after the flyover was suddenly closed.

8. Infeasible
Synonym: Impractical | Antonym: Viable
Example: The panel found the plan infeasible within the given budget.

9. Paramount
Synonym: Supreme | Antonym: Trivial
Example: Passenger safety must remain paramount in every public transport scheme.

10. Disadvantaged
Synonym: Underprivileged | Antonym: Privileged
Example: The scholarship supports disadvantaged students from remote villages.

Idioms

No idioms found in the editorial.

Editorial 3: In Kolkata Tragedy, a Difficult Reckoning

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Drudgery
Synonym: Toil | Antonym: Leisure
Example: She escaped office drudgery by painting every weekend.

2. Cherished
Synonym: Treasured | Antonym: Despised
Example: He kept his grandfather’s watch as a cherished keepsake.

3. Extinguishing
Synonym: Snuffing out | Antonym: Igniting
Example: Firefighters spent hours extinguishing the blaze at the warehouse.

4. Senseless
Synonym: Pointless | Antonym: Meaningful
Example: The senseless attack shocked the entire neighbourhood.

5. Downpour
Synonym: Cloudburst | Antonym: Drizzle
Example: A sudden downpour flooded the underpass during the evening rush.

6. Bereaved
Synonym: Grieving | Antonym: Rejoicing
Example: The minister met the bereaved families at the hospital.

7. Averted
Synonym: Prevented | Antonym: Caused
Example: Quick action by the guard averted a serious accident.

8. Preparedness
Synonym: Readiness | Antonym: Unreadiness
Example: The drill tested the town’s preparedness for floods.

9. Unobstructed
Synonym: Clear | Antonym: Blocked
Example: Ambulances need an unobstructed route to reach the hospital.

10. Immense
Synonym: Enormous | Antonym: Tiny
Example: An immense crowd gathered outside the stadium before the match.

Idioms

1. Leave little room for error
Meaning: Allow almost no mistakes

Editorial 4: As Global Money Gets Costlier, India Must Protect Investor Trust

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Liquidity
Synonym: Marketability | Antonym: Illiquidity
Example: Higher liquidity lets investors sell shares quickly at fair prices.

2. Overvalued
Synonym: Overpriced | Antonym: Undervalued
Example: Analysts warned that several tech shares were overvalued.

3. Boosted
Synonym: Lifted | Antonym: Reduced
Example: Tax cuts boosted demand for cars during the festive season.

4. Downsides
Synonym: Drawbacks | Antonym: Benefits
Example: Every scheme has downsides that planners must weigh carefully.

5. Debentures
Synonym: Bonds | Antonym: Equity
Example: The firm raised funds by issuing debentures to investors.

6. Acquire
Synonym: Obtain | Antonym: Relinquish
Example: The company plans to acquire a small bank next year.

7. Impressive
Synonym: Striking | Antonym: Unremarkable
Example: Her impressive score earned her a seat in the top college.

8. Unfinished
Synonym: Incomplete | Antonym: Completed
Example: Unfinished roadwork slowed traffic across the city for months.

9. Macroeconomic
Synonym: Economy-wide | Antonym: Microeconomic
Example: Stable prices are a key macroeconomic goal for any government.

10. Reliability
Synonym: Dependability | Antonym: Unreliability
Example: Commuters value the reliability of the new metro service.

Idioms

No idioms found in the editorial.

Test Yourself – 5 Questions

Q1. Identify the correctly spelt word among the options below.

(A) Religiosity
(B) Religiousity
(C) Religiocity
(D) Relligiosity
(E) Religosity

Answer: A

Meaning: The correctly spelt word is ‘Religiosity’, meaning strong attachment to religious practice and belief.
Logic: ‘religio-‘ plus ‘-sity’.
Elimination: the remaining options change, drop or swap letters.

Q2. Poorly lit, ______ boats ply the Ganga with bare access to lifesaving equipment. Select the option that best fits the blank in the sentence.

(A) gleaming
(B) fragrant
(C) musical
(D) woollen
(E) unregistered

Answer: E

Meaning: unregistered means not officially recorded or approved with the authorities.
Logic: boats without official records are described as unregistered.
Elimination: gleaming, fragrant, musical and woollen do not fit the sentence.

Q3. The heavy rain that struck the east coast was UNANTICIPATED, says the editorial. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Unexpected
(B) Foreseen
(C) Predicted
(D) Planned
(E) Anticipated

Answer: A

Meaning: Unanticipated means not expected or planned for.
Logic: ‘Unexpected’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Foreseen, Predicted, Planned and Anticipated are opposite in sense.

Q4. Identify the correctly spelt word among the options below.

(A) Overcrowdded
(B) Overcroweded
(C) Overcrouded
(D) Overcrowded
(E) Overcrowed

Answer: D

Meaning: The correctly spelt word is ‘Overcrowded’, meaning filled with more people than is safe or comfortable.
Logic: ‘over’ plus ‘crowded’.
Elimination: the remaining options change, drop or swap letters.

Q5. As people BARGED into the pandal seeking safety, the organisers asked them to leave. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Tiptoed
(B) Shoved
(C) Crept
(D) Hesitated
(E) Withdrew

Answer: B

Meaning: Barged means pushed roughly into a place or past people.
Logic: ‘Shoved’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Tiptoed, Crept, Hesitated and Withdrew are opposite in sense.

Quick Recap – Today’s Words

Religiosity (Devoutness) | Showcase (Exhibit) | Stampede (Mad rush) | Gullies (Alleys) | Unanticipated (Unexpected) | Barged (Shoved) | Panic (Alarm) | Wean (Detach) | Justified (Warranted) | Ignored (Disregarded) | Unregistered (Unlicensed) | Overcrowded (Jam-packed) | Underaged (Minor) | Riverine (Riparian) | Dilapidated (Decrepit) | Adjoining (Neighbouring) | Chaotic (Disorderly) | Infeasible (Impractical) | Paramount (Supreme) | Disadvantaged (Underprivileged) | Drudgery (Toil) | Cherished (Treasured) | Extinguishing (Snuffing out) | Senseless (Pointless) | Downpour (Cloudburst) | Bereaved (Grieving) | Averted (Prevented) | Preparedness (Readiness) | Unobstructed (Clear) | Immense (Enormous) | Liquidity (Marketability) | Overvalued (Overpriced) | Boosted (Lifted) | Downsides (Drawbacks) | Debentures (Bonds) | Acquire (Obtain) | Impressive (Striking) | Unfinished (Incomplete) | Macroeconomic (Economy-wide) | Reliability (Dependability)

Idioms: Make it a point, Leave little room for error