Daily The Hindu Vocab & Editorial 24 January 2026

Daily The Hindu Vocab & Editorial  24 January 2026 focuses on building strong English fundamentals for SSC aspirants through high-frequency vocabulary, idioms, phrases, and editorial analysis. 

Based on the The Hindu editorial discussing the rights and dignity of ASHA and anganwadi workers, this note explains important words in simple language, along with meanings, synonyms, antonyms, and exam-oriented examples. It also helps candidates improve reading comprehension, contextual usage, and accuracy for exams like SSC GD, SSC CGL, CHSL, RRB Group D, NTPC, ALP, and Railway Exams.

Right to Dignity: On ASHA and Anganwadi Workers’ Protests

The editorial highlights the ongoing protests by ASHA and anganwadi workers, particularly in West Bengal, where workers are demanding a minimum monthly wage of ₹15,000 and recognition as permanent government employees. These workers play a crucial role in public health, child development, and welfare schemes, yet they continue to face job insecurity, low pay, and lack of social security.

The roots of this problem go back to the Indira Gandhi government, which denied these workers formal “worker” status under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). This decision laid the foundation for bypassing labour laws, a practice that continued under successive governments.

During the liberalisation era, welfare schemes expanded, but permanent government jobs did not. Even when national unions were formed in 1989 due to increasing workload, governments avoided regularisation. The State of Karnataka vs Ameerbi (1996) case further excluded anganwadi workers from government employee status.

In the mid-2000s, the ASHA programme took root, but ASHA workers were labelled as “activists” rather than employees. Despite recommendations made at the 45th Labour Conference—including minimum wages, job regularisation, pensions, and gratuity—both UPA and NDA governments failed to implement them. The situation worsened in 2015, when the ICDS budget was slashed, forcing workers to protest repeatedly just to make ends meet

Important Editorial Vocabulary (Detailed)

1. Dignity (Noun)

Meaning: A sense of self-respect and honour
Hindi: आत्मसम्मान, गरिमा
Synonyms: Honour, Respect, Self-worth, Esteem
Antonyms: Humiliation, Disgrace, Shame
Example: Every worker deserves dignity at the workplace.

2. Ongoing (Adjective)

Meaning: Continuing or still in progress
Hindi: जारी, चल रहा
Synonyms: Continuing, Persistent, Current
Antonyms: Finished, Completed, Ended
Example: The ongoing protests highlight workers’ distress.

3. Sour Reminder (Idiomatic Expression)

Meaning: An unpleasant reminder of a harsh reality
Hindi: कड़वी सच्चाई की याद
Example: The strike is a sour reminder of systemic injustice.

4. Bypass (Verb)

Meaning: To deliberately avoid something
Hindi: दरकिनार करना
Synonyms: Avoid, Evade, Circumvent
Antonyms: Address, Confront
Example: Labour laws were bypassed repeatedly.

5. Liberalisation (Noun)

Meaning: Reduction of government control in the economy
Hindi: उदारीकरण
Synonyms: Deregulation, Reform
Antonyms: Regulation, Control
Example: Liberalisation expanded schemes but not permanent jobs.

6. Trajectory (Noun)

Meaning: Path or direction of development
Hindi: विकास की दिशा
Synonyms: Path, Course, Trend
Antonyms: Stagnation
Example: The programme followed a similar trajectory.

7. Successive (Adjective)

Meaning: Coming one after another
Hindi: लगातार
Synonyms: Consecutive, Sequential
Antonyms: Occasional
Example: Successive governments ignored the issue.

8. Slashed (Verb)

Meaning: Reduced sharply
Hindi: भारी कटौती करना
Synonyms: Cut, Reduced, Trimmed
Antonyms: Increased
Example: The budget was slashed in 2015.

9. Make Ends Meet (Idiom)

Meaning: To manage basic expenses with difficulty
Hindi: मुश्किल से गुज़ारा करना
Example: Workers protest just to make ends meet.

10. Gratuity (Noun)

Meaning: Lump-sum payment after service
Hindi: ग्रेच्युटी
Synonyms: Bonus, Retirement benefit
Example: Gratuity is a basic labour right. 

11. Take Root (Phrasal Verb)

Meaning: To become firmly established
Hindi: स्थापित हो जाना
Example: The ASHA programme took root in the mid-2000s.

Also Read:

• SSC Monthly Current Affairs
• SSC Weekly Current Affairs

Additional High-Frequency Vocabulary

• Outreach – reaching people

• Assuage – soothe

• Defunct – inactive

• Fructify – succeed

• Upkeep – maintenance

• Incinerate – burn

• Surveillance – supervision

• Vitality – energy

• Stifle – suppress

• Sordid – dirty, immoral
  the

Idioms & Phrases (PYQ-Based)

• Fight shy of – to avoid something

• Give a piece of one’s mind – scold angrily

• Go to dogs – deteriorate

• Grass widow – woman living away from husband

• French leave – leave without permission
  the

One-Word Substitutions

• Inspiration for an artist → Muse

• Afternoon cinema show → Matinee

• Strong disapproval → Deprecate

• Two-line stanza → Couplet

• Illegal killing → Lynch

Editorial-Based MCQs (Conceptual)

• Indira Gandhi government decision → Laid foundation to bypass labour laws

• Union formation (1989) → Increasing workload and insecurity

• Liberalisation era → Expanded schemes without permanent jobs

• Ameerbi case → Continued exclusion of workers

• 45th Labour Conference → Job regularisation & social security