English Vocab 56 By Anoop Verma Sir

A last chance for amnesty

The amendments (संशोधन/सुधार) to the Income Tax law passed by the Lok Sabha now offer those with unaccounted cash a last shot at amnesty(माफ़ी/क्षमादान). They can pay half their cash as tax and deposit a quarter into a new Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. Those who fail to do thisvoluntarily (स्वेच्छा से/स्वेच्छापूर्वक) for bank deposits made since November 8 would end up retaining about 15 per cent of the total amount if they cannot establish a legitimate (कानूनी/तर्कसंगत/उचित) source for the funds. There is a Robinhood-esque edge to the PMGKY approach, directly linking the war on black money to welfare of the poor. Essentially an extension of the recent Income Disclosure Scheme that cleaned up about Rs.65,000 crore of undeclared income by levying (करारोपण/कर लगाना) 45 per cent tax, the December 30 deadline for bank deposits in demonetised notes gives a more purposeful push to the effort to clean out all the cash in the grey economy. The scheme for disclosing foreign assets last year hadyielded (प्राप्ति/उत्पन्न करना/पैदा करना) just about Rs.2,400 crore in taxes, so a tougher approach was perhaps necessary to instill (मन में बिठा देना/अविरत प्रयास से सिखाना) real fear among habitual tax evaders (कर-वंचक). Since the demonetisation of currency notes worth an estimated Rs.14.18 lakh crore, nearly Rs.8.45 lakh crore has been brought back into the system. If the proportion of notes deposited or exchanged is in line with their circulation prior to November 8, about Rs.2.56 lakh crore in Rs.1,000 notes and Rs.3.17 lakh crore worth of Rs.500 notes (that can be spent on exempted categories till December 15) is still out there.

Many clever ploys (चाल /जोड़-तोड़) have been attempted to subvert (विकृत करना/व्‍यवस्‍था भंग करना) this drive and convert black money into white: hiring people to exchange currency; tapping cash-in-hand entries of firms to launder illicit (अवैध/अनुचित) cash; pumping funds into bank accounts for the poor; purchasing goods in bulk where old notes are still allowed; even tipping off the taxman to conduct search-and-seizure operations on one’s own premises to avail (लाभ उठाना/काम आना) of a provision (प्रावधान/ नियम) that allows individuals to pay a mere 10 per cent penalty on such income if they admit to it. The government is trying to close the door on such ingenuity (चालाकी/चतुरता), and the latest tax law changes should be seen in this context. By early January, it will be clear how much money has been mopped up by the demonetisation operation. There is, however, no doubt that this tax manoeuvre (कुशलता) is a neater way of gaining fiscal headroom than extinguishing the Reserve Bank of India’s liabilities (ऋण)to the extent of unreturned old Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes, and turning that into a special dividend to the exchequer (राजकोष/सरकारी खजाना).

1. Voluntarily (adverb): Out of your own free will. (स्वेच्छा से/स्वेच्छापूर्वक)  

• Synonyms: Willingly, Autocratically, by one’s choice,
• Antonyms: Unintentionally, Forced, Involuntarily, Obligatory.

Example: After the earthquake, some Samaritans help the victims of nature voluntarily. 

Related words:

• Voluntary (adjective)- स्वेच्छापूर्ण
• Voluntarism (noun)- संकल्प

2. Legitimate (adjective): Authorized, sanctioned by, or in accordance with law. (कानूनी/तर्कसंगत/उचित)  

• Synonyms: Decriminalize, Legalize, Legitimatize, Lawful, Licit
• Antonyms: Counterfeit, Deceptive, Illegal, Illegitimate, Improper, Invalid

Example: When the mob boss got older, he decided to leave his life of crime to focus on legitimate businesses.

Related words:

• Legitimately (adverb) - वैध तरीके से

3. Instill (verb): Gradually but firmly establish (an idea or attitude) in a person's mind. (मन में बिठा देना/अविरत प्रयास से सिखाना)  

• Synonyms: Inculcate, Implant, Fix, Ingrain, Infuse, Impress, Imprint.
• Antonyms: Take Out, Leave Alone, Neglect, Dislodge, Uproot.

Example: The detective tried to instill fear in the suspect by telling him about the dangers of prison.

Verb forms: Instill, Instilled, Instilled.

Related words:

• Instillation (noun) - चित्त पर प्रबाव डालना

4. Ploy (noun): A cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one's own advantage. (चाल /जोड़-तोड़)  

• Synonyms: Maneuver, Tactic, Stratagem, Gambit, Move.
• Antonyms: Simplicity, Normalcy.

Example: After demonetization many people have their own ploys to convert their black money into white money.

5. Subvert (verb): Undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution). (विकृत करना/ व्यवस्था भंग करना)  

• Synonyms: Destabilize, Unsettle, Overthrow, Overturn.
• Antonyms: Encourage, Strengthen, Improve, Uphold.

Example: In the movie, the rebels sought to subvert the tribunal’s power and replace the body with a democratic government.

Verb forms: Subvert, Subverted, Subverted.

Related words:

• Subversion (noun) – उलटाव 
• Subversive (adjective) – उलट देने वाला
• Subversively (adverb) – क्रांतिकारी ढंग से / जबरदस्त तरीके से

6. Illicit (adjective): Forbidden by law, rules, or custom. (अवैध/अनुचित)  

• Synonyms: Illegal, Unlawful, Illegitimate, Unauthorized. 
• Antonyms: Lawful, Moral, Authorized, Legal. 

Example: In the prison, inmates are prohibited from having illicit items such as drugs, alcohol, and weapons.

Related words:

• Illicitly (adverb) - अवैध रूप से

7. Avail (verb): Use or take advantage of (an opportunity or available resource). (लाभ उठाना/काम आना)  

• Synonyms: Use, Make Use Of, Take Advantage Of, Utilize, Employ.
• Antonyms: Inappropriateness, Vain, Useless.

Example: The medicine will not avail the patient if it is not taken properly.

Verb forms: Avail, Availed, Availed.

Related words:

• Availability (noun) - उपयोगिता/ उपलब्धता
• Available (adjective )- उपलब्ध

8. Provision (noun): The cognitive process of thinking about what you will do in the event of something happening (of rule or law. (प्रावधान / नियम)

• Synonyms: Rule, Law, Regulations, Regulation, Principle, Statute.

Example: In the airline industry, there is a provision that requires oxygen masks to be available for everyone on a flight in case of an emergency.

Related words:

• Provisional (adjective) - अस्थायी
• Provisionally (adverb) - अस्थायी रूप से

9. Ingenuity (noun): The quality of being clever, original, and inventive. (चालाकी/चतुरता)  

• Synonyms: Cleverness, Ingeniousness, Inventiveness, Dexterity, Skill, Shrewdness.
• Antonyms: Clumsiness, Ignorance, Inability, Incapacity, Ineptness.

Example: When Jack fixed the jeep, his friends were impressed with his mechanical ingenuity.

10. Maneuver (noun): an action aimed at evading an opponent./ a move made to gain a tactical end (कुशलता)  

• Synonyms: Tactic, Move, Plot, Ploy, Plan.
• Antonyms: Cessation, Ignorance, Inaction, Inactivity, Stoppage.

Example: Because the star player is in top form tonight, we have strong hopes he will be able to maneuver the game-winning shot into the net.

Verb forms: Maneuver, Maneuvered, Maneuvered.

Related words:

• Maneuver (verb)- कुशलता से करना
• Maneuverability (noun) - गतिशीलता