The one rule that governs everything here
Ornament loses marks. Precision wins them. Examiners reward clarity and economy and penalise decoration. Wordcraft never teaches a word so you can sound impressive. It teaches the word that is exactly right, the pair you must never swap, the verb a noun takes, and the fifteen words you can delete.
Glossary from the edition
13 words, each quoted in the sentence where it appeared in the 1 October 2026 edition. Meaning first, then the sentence, then where it came from.
(formal) The act of limiting something or making it last for a shorter time.
हिंदी: कटौती; (बिजली क्षेत्र में) संयंत्र को उत्पादन घटाने का आदेश
Curtailment is when the grid operator orders a plant to reduce output, either because lines are congested or to keep the grid stable.
From Green Energy Corridor Phase III: Rs 1.86 Lakh Crore for State Grids and 50 GWh of Battery Storage · Oxford gives the general sense; the power sector uses it for limiting a plant’s output. In April-June 2026 grid operators curtailed 8,133 GWh of solar power, the Indian Express reported, which is why the Green Energy Corridor’s third phase adds battery storage. The verb is curtail: rights, powers and spending can also be curtailed.
To state that something is smaller, less important or less serious than it really is.
हिंदी: कम करके बताना; वास्तविकता से छोटा दिखाना
Lab-cycle (MIDC) figures understate on-road consumption.
From CAFE-III Notified: Tighter Fuel-Efficiency Norms for Cars from 2027, Triple Credit for EVs, No Small-Car Carve-Out · A laboratory test cycle measures fuel use under fixed conditions; real driving in traffic burns more. So the lab figure understates consumption. Its opposite is overstate. In an answer on data, official figures may understate unemployment is a precise, fair criticism.
Not having enough of something, especially something that is essential; not good enough.
हिंदी: अपर्याप्त; (वर्षा के लिए) सामान्य से काफ़ी कम
At 87 per cent, 2026 is a deficient season.
From Monsoon 2026 Ends at 87% of Normal: Driest Season Since 2015, and the East and North-East Record Their Lowest Since 1901 · For IMD, deficient is a category, not a mood: a season below 90 per cent of the LPA is deficient, 90 to 95 per cent is below normal. For a district, 20 to 59 per cent below normal is deficient. The noun is deficiency; a deficit is the amount by which something falls short.
The support given by a patron; the system by which an important person gives help or a job to somebody in return for their support.
हिंदी: संरक्षण; सिफ़ारिश या कृपा से नौकरी देने की प्रणाली
The PSCs exist to take recruitment out of patronage.
From UPSC at 100: From the 1926 Public Service Commission to Articles 315-323, and the Reforms on the Table · Oxford gives three senses; the second is the one for GS2. The Company’s civil servants were once nominated by its directors, a patronage system that open competition replaced in the 1850s. In US politics the same idea is called the spoils system.
To place or give into the possession or discretion of some person or authority; used with 'in' before the possessor (Wiktionary).
हिंदी: (अधिकार या स्वामित्व) निहित करना, सौंपना
Offshore minerals within India’s territorial waters, continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) fall under the Union (Article 297 vests them in the Union).
From Current Affairs Today, October 1, 2026, Complete News Roundup · The Constitution uses the word for both power and property: the executive power of the Union is vested in the President (Article 53), and seabed minerals vest in the Union (Article 297). The adjective gives vested interests, people with a stake in keeping things as they are.
An act of reducing or cancelling the amount of money somebody has to pay; also a reduction in time spent in prison, and a period when a serious illness improves.
हिंदी: छूट, माफ़ी (कर या शुल्क की); रोग में अस्थायी सुधार
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry extended the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme, and the Ministry of Textiles extended the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) scheme, for three months, 1 October to 31 December 2026, at existing rates and guidelines, by orders issued on 30 September.
From Current Affairs Today, October 1, 2026, Complete News Roundup · In trade, remission of taxes is a refund of duties already embedded in an export, which WTO rules allow. In criminal law, the State may grant remission of a sentence, a power the courts review. Say which one you mean; the context usually does.
An increase in the price of something based on the difference between the cost of producing it and the price it is sold at.
हिंदी: लागत पर जोड़ा गया मुनाफ़ा या मार्जिन
A flat percentage mark-up across all drugs is appealing, but it still rewards selling costlier products.
From Bitter Pills: Why the Gap Between Price to Retailer and MRP Is a Hidden Kickback, and How to Close It · Oxford’s headword is markup; the hyphenated mark-up is also common. A percentage mark-up earns more on a costlier product, which is why the editorial prefers a regressive cap, a smaller percentage as the price rises. Do not confuse it with margin, which is profit as a share of the selling price.
A period of warmer weather that melts snow and ice; a situation in which relations between two enemy countries become more friendly.
हिंदी: (संबंधों में) नरमी; जमी बर्फ़ पिघलना
Shifts: UAE-Saudi thaw; Gulf hedging.
From Netanyahu in Abu Dhabi and a Gulf Too Wide: Why the UAE-Israel Alignment Cannot Ignore Palestine · A short word with an exact IR meaning: a thaw is the first warming of frozen relations, less than a rapprochement and far less than an alliance. Oxford’s verb has the same sense: relations thaw. Use it once, after the facts that show it.
An event that presents somebody’s abilities or the good qualities of something in an attractive way; as a verb, to present them in an attractive way.
हिंदी: प्रदर्शित करना; दिखावटी नमूना
Showcase over coverage. ABD concentrated money in small precincts that could be photographed as transformation; the enclave was then presented as the city.
From The Smart Cities Mission Was a Dream, and That Was the Problem: Showcase Enclaves, Bypassed Local Bodies · Neutral in Oxford, critical in the column: showcase precincts are the parts of a city polished for display. In an essay on urban policy, showcase versus coverage is a crisp way to say that a few model sites do not make a better city.
(specialist) The fact of varying with the seasons.
हिंदी: मौसमी उतार-चढ़ाव
Inventory finance and warehouse-backed lending have let the sugar industry overcome seasonality; the difference across sectors lies in how the chain is financed.
From How to Finance Rural Prosperity: From Crop Loans to Financing the Whole Agricultural Value Chain · Statisticians remove seasonality from monthly data (seasonally adjusted series); farm financiers have to live with it. A crop harvested in a few weeks must be bought, stored and paid for at once, then sold over a year.
To fill with air or gas; to make something appear more important or impressive than it really is; to increase the price of something.
हिंदी: बढ़ा-चढ़ाकर दिखाना; (कीमत) बढ़ाना
Non-durables growth of about 2 per cent is weak for an economy with strong headline growth; festive-season inventory can inflate production; the deficient monsoon (87 per cent of normal) threatens rural demand; and high output growth in capital-intensive industries need not create many jobs.
From Good Foundation: Industrial Growth of 8% in August and What It Says About Demand Before the Festive Season · Factories building stock for the festive season raise output before sales happen, so one month’s figure can be inflated. The noun inflation is usually about prices; the verb is wider. Inflated prices and inflated claims are both standard.
A person who takes responsibility for taking care of or protecting something.
हिंदी: संरक्षक, अभिरक्षक
National Archives of India: under the Ministry of Culture; custodian of non-current records of the Government of India.
From A Library Without a Home: The Central Secretariat Library, Central Vista and the Care of Institutional Memory · Institutions as well as people can be custodians: the RBI is called the custodian of the country’s foreign exchange reserves. Oxford’s second sense, a caretaker of a building, is North American. In an essay, custodian of institutional memory is apt for archives and libraries.
(formal) The process of obtaining supplies of something, especially for a government or an organization.
हिंदी: सरकारी ख़रीद, अधिप्राप्ति
Effective support exists only where there is procurement: for wheat and paddy through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and State agencies, concentrated in a few States; for pulses and oilseeds through NAFED and NCCF under PM-AASHA (Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan, 2018), whose components are the Price Support Scheme, the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme and the private procurement pilot.
From Rabi MSP for 2027-28: Wheat Gets a Rs 25 Rise, Safflower Rs 675, and What the Gap Says About Policy · In GS3, procurement has two homes: food policy (the FCI procures wheat and rice for the central pool) and defence (the Defence Acquisition Procedure governs capital procurement). The verb is procure.
The seven lessons
One entry of each type, every day: a system, not a word list.
1 · Word roots
credere · creditum
Latin: to trust, to entrust, to believe; creditum, a loan, a thing entrusted
Today’s edition uses one Latin verb more than any other. CAFE-III lets carmakers earn, carry forward and trade credits; UPI is a credit-transfer system; the household-debt column worries about unsecured credit; the IIP editorial calls the August numbers a credible recovery; and the UPSC deep dive says the Commission’s credibility rests on fair papers. All of them come from Latin credere, to trust or believe. The Online Etymology Dictionary traces credit to creditum, a loan or a thing entrusted to another: a lender trusts the borrower to pay.
| Word | Formed from | Literal sense | From the edition, or from the root |
|---|---|---|---|
| credit, creditor | creditum, a loan, a thing entrusted | something given in trust | edition: credit trading, credit transfer, institutional credit |
| credible, credibility | credibilis, worthy to be believed | believable | edition: a credible recovery; the Commission’s credibility |
| credentials | Medieval Latin credentialis, from credentia, belief | what makes you trusted | root |
| credulous | credulus, that easily believes | too ready to believe | root |
| creed, credo | credo, I believe | a statement of belief | root |
| miscreant | Old French mescreant, disbelieving | first an unbeliever, then a wrongdoer | root |
Credible or credulous. Oxford gives credible as that can be believed or trusted, and credulous as too ready to believe things and therefore easy to trick. A credible witness is believed; a credulous juror believes too easily. The negatives follow the same split: an incredible claim, but incredulous listeners.
Credit in an answer. Use it in its exact senses: institutional credit (loans from banks and cooperatives), credit under a carbon or fuel-efficiency scheme (a unit earned for doing better than the target), and to credit somebody with an achievement. Oxford’s verb sense "to add an amount of money to somebody’s bank account" is the everyday one.
The impostor. Create looks close but comes from a different Latin verb, creare, to make or bring forth. It has nothing to do with trust.
From the CAFE-III deep dive (credits, credit trading), the UPI column (credit transfer), the IIP editorial (a credible recovery) and the UPSC deep dive (credibility).
2 · Look-alike words
cite · site · sight
three words, one sound: SYT
Two of today’s pieces use two of these words correctly. The Green Energy Corridor deep dive says batteries placed at generator sites can absorb midday surplus; the drug-pricing write-up gives a figure "as the editorial cites the Department of Pharmaceuticals". Because all three sound alike, spellcheck lets any of them through, and an answer that says a judge "sited" a precedent loses the examiner’s trust at once.
| cite (verb) | site (noun, also verb) | sight (noun) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford | to mention something as a reason or an example, or to support what you are saying; in law, to order somebody to appear in court | a place where a building is or will be; a place used for an activity; a website | the ability to see; the act of seeing; something you see |
| Typical phrases | cite a judgment, cite data, cite reasons, cited as an example | a construction site, a heritage site, on site, site visit | lose sight of, in sight, at first sight, sightseeing |
| Today’s edition | as the editorial cites the Department of Pharmaceuticals | batteries at generator sites; the Tapri site in Kinnaur | root (not in today’s edition) |
The test. Is it something you quote or refer to as support? Cite (and the noun citation). Is it a place? Site. Is it about seeing or a view? Sight. One more check: only cite is a common verb in answers; if you need a verb, it is almost always cite.
Watch the legal sense. To be cited in a case can mean to be named in it or summoned (Oxford), not only quoted. And sited is a real verb form: a plant is sited near a port, meaning located there.
From the Green Energy Corridor deep dive (BESS at generator sites) and the drug-pricing editorial (as the editorial cites the Department of Pharmaceuticals).
3 · Word partners
appointed · suspended · removed · consulted · charged · laid before
what Articles 316 to 323 do to a Public Service Commission, in the Constitution’s own words
Today’s UPSC deep dive walks through Part XIV of the Constitution. Each Article uses a precise verb, and an answer that borrows them sounds like someone who has read the text. An answer that says the President "selects" the Chairman, or that the report is "submitted to Parliament", is close but not exact.
| Article | Who acts | The Constitution’s verb |
|---|---|---|
| 316 | President (Union and Joint Commissions), Governor (State Commission) | the Chairman and other members "shall be appointed" |
| 317(1) | President, after the Supreme Court | a member "shall only be removed from his office by order of the President on the ground of misbehaviour after the Supreme Court, on reference being made to it by the President, has, on inquiry ... reported" |
| 317(2) | President or Governor | may suspend from office a member about whom a reference has been made |
| 320(1) | The Commissions | "to conduct examinations for appointments" |
| 320(3) | The Government | the Commission "shall be consulted" on methods of recruitment, promotions, disciplinary matters |
| 322 | Parliament’s money | expenses "shall be charged on the Consolidated Fund of India" |
| 323 | The Commission, then the President | "present annually to the President a report"; a copy with a memorandum to be "laid before each House" |
Removed, not impeached. The President is impeached (Article 61). A PSC member is removed by the President’s order, and for misbehaviour only after the Supreme Court has inquired and reported. That inquiry is the safeguard.
Charged, not voted. An expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund is not put to the vote of the Lok Sabha; that is what keeps the Commission’s budget out of politics.
From the UPSC deep dive: the table of Articles 315 to 323. Verbs checked against the text of the Constitution.
4 · Today's key term
zero-rating
ZEER-oh RAY-ting · taxing exports at nil while refunding the taxes on their inputs
Today’s roundup explains why RoDTEP and RoSCTL exist: "Both rest on the idea of zero-rating exports." Oxford gives zero-rated (British English, specialist) as "that you do not need to pay VAT". In Indian law the idea is precise. Section 16 of the IGST Act, 2017 defines a zero rated supply as an export of goods or services, or a supply to a Special Economic Zone developer or unit, and says that input tax credit may be availed for making it, even if it is an exempt supply.
| Treatment | Tax on the sale | Credit for taxes paid on inputs | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero-rated | nil | allowed, and refundable | exports; supplies to SEZ units |
| Exempt | nil | not allowed | many unprocessed food items |
| Taxable | at the GST rate | allowed, set off against output tax | most goods and services |
Why the difference matters. An exempt product still carries the GST its maker paid on inputs, hidden in the price. A zero-rated export carries none, because those input taxes are refunded. That is the principle: export goods, not domestic taxes. Taxes outside GST, such as duty on fuel or electricity, are not refunded through input tax credit, and RoDTEP exists to refund them.
How the refund works. Under Section 16, an exporter may export under a bond or Letter of Undertaking without paying IGST and claim a refund of unused input tax credit, or pay IGST on the export and claim a refund of that tax.
From the roundup: RoDTEP and RoSCTL extended to 31 December 2026, and the principle of zero-rating exports.
5 · Cut the padding
padded comparisons
as compared to, in comparison with, vis-a-vis, in the corresponding period of the previous year
What padding looks like
Today’s edition is a day of comparisons: the MSP against last year’s, August’s industrial growth against July’s, the monsoon against its long period average, the fiscal deficit against last year’s. The comparison is the fact; the words around it are often padding. A typical line in an answer: "The fiscal deficit touched 41.9% of the Budget Estimate as compared to 38.1% in the corresponding period of the previous year."
Why it costs marks
In a 150-word answer, nine words of scaffolding around two numbers are nine words not spent on the reason the numbers moved, which is what earns the marks. Long comparisons also bury the direction: did it rise or fall?
Fix it in three steps
- Find the comparing phrase: as compared to, in comparison with, when compared with, vis-a-vis, as against, in the corresponding period of the previous year.
- Replace it with one word: than after a comparative (higher than), against or from between two figures, a year earlier for the same period last year.
- Check that both items being compared, and the period, are still there.
Worked example. Start: "The fiscal deficit touched 41.9% of the Budget Estimate as compared to 38.1% in the corresponding period of the previous year." (21 words). Find: as compared to and in the corresponding period of the previous year. Replace: "The fiscal deficit touched 41.9% of the Budget Estimate, against 38.1% a year earlier." (14 words). Check: both figures and both periods are there.
Before and after
| Padded | Plain | Words saved |
|---|---|---|
| The fiscal deficit was 41.9% of BE as compared to 38.1% last year. (13) | The fiscal deficit was 41.9% of BE, against 38.1% last year. (11) | 2 |
| Wheat got a smaller increase in comparison with safflower. (9) | Wheat got a smaller increase than safflower. (7) | 2 |
| IIP growth was 8% in August as compared to 7.35% in July. (12) | IIP growth rose to 8% in August from 7.35% in July. (11) | 1 |
| The new IIP series is more reliable vis-a-vis the old one. (11) | The new IIP series is more reliable than the old one. (10) | 1 |
| Safflower’s MSP increase is the highest as compared to other Rabi crops. (12) | Safflower’s MSP rose the most of the six Rabi crops. (10) | 2 |
| Manufacturing grew 7.6% in April-August 2026 as against 4.2% in the corresponding period of the previous year. (17) | Manufacturing grew 7.6% in April-August 2026, against 4.2% a year earlier. (11) | 6 |
Note the fifth row: the highest as compared to compares twice. A superlative already compares with all the others; it needs of or among, not as compared to.
When not to cut
Keep a comparing phrase when the comparison itself is your subject: "Compared with Kerala, Bihar spends a third as much per head on health" puts the contrast first on purpose. Keep the exact period when it matters for the fact: "April-August" is not the same as "a year earlier" if you have not named the months. And quote an official table’s heading as it stands.
Try it in your answer
Cut this sentence on today’s MSP story: "The MSP of wheat was raised by Rs 25 this year as compared to a rise of Rs 160 in the previous year." The model is in the exercises.
From the MSP deep dive (this year’s increases against last year’s), the IIP editorial (August against July) and the roundup (the fiscal deficit against last year’s).
6 · Correct usage
hike or increase
a headline word for a rise in prices; informal in British usage
Verdict: Correct, but there is a clearer choice
What people write
"The Centre hiked the MSP of wheat by Rs 25." "The safflower MSP saw the biggest hike." "A hike in fuel prices will push up inflation."
What to write instead
"The Centre raised the MSP of wheat by Rs 25." "Safflower received the largest increase in MSP." "An increase in fuel prices will push up inflation." Today’s MSP deep dive writes it this way: "Wheat Gets a Rs 25 Rise".
Why
Oxford labels the noun hike informal, meaning "a large or sudden increase in prices, costs, etc.", and marks the verb sense, "to increase prices, taxes, etc. suddenly by large amounts", as North American English. Indian newspapers use it constantly because it is short enough for a headline: The Hindu’s headline today reads "Cabinet okays rabi MSP hike for 2027-28". It is not wrong. But in a formal answer, increase, rise and raise are neutral and never questioned. There is also a point of meaning: by Oxford’s definition a hike is large or sudden, so "a Rs 25 hike" in a Rs 2,585 price, about 1 per cent, stretches the word.
A quick test
Would the sentence sit in a government report or a textbook? Then write increase or raise. Is the rise large and sudden, and are you writing a headline or speaking? Hike will do.
In your answer
"The Centre raised the MSP of wheat by only Rs 25, signalling that it does not want more surplus wheat." "Successive increases in pulse and oilseed MSPs are meant to encourage crop diversification."
From the MSP deep dive, which uses rise and increase, and The Hindu’s headline on the same decision, which uses hike.
7 · Idioms in answers
a bottleneck
anything that delays development or progress
Today’s Green Energy Corridor deep dive is built around one: "Why the Grid, Not the Panels, Is the Bottleneck". Its Facts Corner sums up the argument as "Grid as the new bottleneck". The image is a bottle’s narrow neck: however full the bottle, liquid can only pour as fast as the neck allows. Oxford gives two senses: a narrow or busy section of road where traffic slows down, and anything that delays development or progress, particularly in business or industry.
The family
| Expression | What it means | Plain equivalent | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| a bottleneck | anything that delays development or progress (Oxford) | the main obstacle; the slowest step | neutral; common in economic writing |
| the binding constraint | the one limit that actually decides the outcome | the main limit | technical (economics); safe in GS answers |
| a logjam | a difficult situation in which you cannot make progress easily, especially because people cannot agree (Oxford) | a deadlock; a pile-up | neutral; use with care |
| red tape | official rules that seem more complicated than necessary and prevent things being done quickly (Oxford, disapproving) | excessive procedure | disapproving; use sparingly |
Where to use it
| Setting | Use it? | How |
|---|---|---|
| GS answer, introduction | No | Open with the fact: 21 GW on temporary connections, 8,133 GWh of solar curtailed. |
| GS answer, body | With care | Once, after the data that shows it: "transmission, not generation, is now the bottleneck". |
| GS answer, conclusion | With care | Only if the body has shown the constraint; otherwise say "the main constraint". |
| Essay | Yes | One or two in the essay; it can frame a section on growth or the energy transition if the next sentence explains it. |
| Ethics case study | No | State the action and its justification plainly. |
| Interview | Yes | Spoken register: one natural use is fine. |
| Précis and the compulsory English paper | No | None in a précis; in that paper’s essay, as for any essay. |
Model sentences
"With about 21 GW of renewable capacity waiting on temporary connections and 8,133 GWh of solar power curtailed in a single quarter, transmission, not generation, is now the bottleneck." The same point in plain words for a GS answer: "India can now build solar plants faster than it can build the lines to carry their power."
Don’t confuse
A bottleneck slows things down; it is a capacity limit, while a logjam usually means people cannot agree. And in geography a narrow sea passage is a strait: calling the Strait of Malacca a bottleneck is a metaphor, not its name.
From the Green Energy Corridor deep dive: Why the Grid, Not the Panels, Is the Bottleneck; Grid as the new bottleneck.
Worksheet
Every exercise from the session, on paper. Answers are folded under each one; the online session marks them for you and keeps your score.
Word roots · credere, creditum: to trust, to believe
-
Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.
A carmaker that beats its CAFE target earns ___ that it can carry forward or sell to another maker.
- credentials
- creeds
- credos
- credits
Answer
credits. Under CAFE-III, over-achievement earns credits recorded in a passbook. A creed or credo is a statement of belief, and credentials show that a person can be trusted.
-
Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.
A ___ voter believes every campaign promise without asking how it will be paid for.
- credible
- credulous
- credited
- creditable
Answer
credulous. Credulous means too ready to believe (Oxford). Credible means believable, creditable means deserving praise, and credited means given credit.
-
Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.
Find the word that says the wrong thing.
The committee found the witness credulous and relied on her account.
Answer
credulous → credible. A witness whose account can be relied on is credible, that is, believable. Credulous would mean she believes too easily, which is no reason to rely on her.
-
Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.
Match each word to its meaning.
- creditor
- credentials
- creed
- credible
- that can be believed or trusted
- qualities or papers that show you can be trusted
- a person or firm that is owed money
- a set of principles or beliefs
Answer
- creditor: a person or firm that is owed money
- credentials: qualities or papers that show you can be trusted
- creed: a set of principles or beliefs
- credible: that can be believed or trusted
Oxford’s senses for four members of the family.
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
The IIP editorial calls the August recovery credible. What does that claim rest on?
- the editorial’s own survey of factory owners
- the growth figure is the highest on record
- the new series agrees with the core index
- an assurance from the Statistics Ministry
Answer
the new series agrees with the core index. The editorial says the new IIP’s trends now largely match the Index of Core Industries, which makes the growth believable. The others are not its reasons.
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
Which of these words does NOT come from Latin credere?
- create
- credulous
- creditor
- miscreant
Answer
create. Create comes from creare, to make or bring forth. The other three go back to credere, to trust or believe.
Look-alike words · cite / site / sight
-
Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.
The 50 GWh of batteries may be placed at renewable generator ___ or other important grid locations.
- sights
- sides
- cites
- sites
Answer
sites. A site is a place used for an activity (Oxford). Cite is a verb of referring; sight is about seeing; sides does not mean places.
-
Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.
In a Mains answer, ___ a Supreme Court judgment only if you are sure of its name and year.
- cite
- sight
- side
- site
Answer
cite. To cite is to mention something in support of what you say (Oxford). The others are not verbs of referring.
-
Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.
Find the misspelt word.
The Bench sited three earlier rulings in support.
Answer
sited → cited. Mentioning rulings in support is citing them. Sited means located, as a plant is sited near a port.
-
Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.
Find the misspelt word.
Reforms must not lose site of the citizen.
Answer
site → sight. The fixed phrase is lose sight of, from sight, the act of seeing. A site is a place.
-
Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.
Match each word to its sense.
- cite
- site
- sight
- citation
- mention as support or an example
- the ability to see
- a place where something is located
- a reference to a source or a case
Answer
- cite: mention as support or an example
- site: a place where something is located
- sight: the ability to see
- citation: a reference to a source or a case
Oxford’s senses for the three look-alikes and the noun of cite.
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
Which quick test separates the three most reliably?
- Legal texts: sight; everyday texts: site or cite
- Quoted as support: cite; a place: site; seeing: sight
- Formal writing: cite; informal writing: site or sight
- British spelling: site; American spelling: cite
Answer
Quoted as support: cite; a place: site; seeing: sight. The meanings decide it. Register, national spelling and the kind of text do not.
Word partners · the verbs of a Public Service Commission: appointed, suspended, removed, consulted, charged, laid before
-
Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.
The Chairman and other members of the UPSC shall be ___ by the President.
- nominated
- appointed
- impeached
- elected
Answer
appointed. Article 316: appointed by the President. They are not elected or nominated to the Commission, and only the President of India is impeached (Article 61).
-
Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.
The UPSC shall be ___ on all matters relating to methods of recruitment to civil services and civil posts.
- ratified
- obeyed
- consulted
- notified
Answer
consulted. Article 320(3): shall be consulted. Its advice is not binding; obeyed overstates it, and notified and ratified are verbs for rules and treaties.
-
Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.
The expenses of the Union Public Service Commission shall be ___ on the Consolidated Fund of India.
- charged
- voted
- drawn
- levied
Answer
charged. Article 322 uses charged, which means the expenditure is not put to the vote of the Lok Sabha.
-
Put in order Number the lines 1 upward in the correct order.
Arrange the steps for removing a UPSC member for misbehaviour in the order Article 317 sets.
- the Supreme Court holds an inquiry
- the President orders the member’s removal
- the President makes a reference to the Supreme Court
- the Supreme Court reports that the member ought to be removed
Answer
- the President makes a reference to the Supreme Court
- the Supreme Court holds an inquiry
- the Supreme Court reports that the member ought to be removed
- the President orders the member’s removal
Article 317(1): removal by order of the President only after the Supreme Court, on a reference by the President, has inquired and reported.
-
Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.
Match each Article to its verb.
- Article 316
- Article 320(3)
- Article 322
- Article 323
- shall be consulted
- laid before each House
- charged on the Consolidated Fund
- appointed by the President
Answer
- Article 316: appointed by the President
- Article 320(3): shall be consulted
- Article 322: charged on the Consolidated Fund
- Article 323: laid before each House
Each verb is the Constitution’s own.
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
To whom does a State Public Service Commission present its annual report?
- the President of India
- the Union Public Service Commission
- the State Legislative Assembly
- the Governor of the State
Answer
the Governor of the State. Article 323(2): a State Commission presents its report annually to the Governor, who has it laid before the State Legislature.
Today's key term · zero-rating
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
What separates a zero-rated supply from an exempt supply under GST?
- The exempt supply allows a refund of unused credit
- The zero-rated supply is taxed at a lower positive rate
- Input tax credit is available for the zero-rated supply
- Only the exempt supply can be made to an SEZ unit
Answer
Input tax credit is available for the zero-rated supply. Both carry nil tax on the sale, but Section 16 of the IGST Act allows input tax credit for zero-rated supplies; exempt supplies get none.
-
Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.
Under Section 16 of the IGST Act, exports of goods and services are ___ supplies.
- exempt
- composite
- non-taxable
- zero-rated
Answer
zero-rated. Section 16 defines exports and supplies to SEZ developers or units as zero rated supply.
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
Why does India need RoDTEP even though exports are zero-rated under GST?
- Some taxes, such as fuel duties, sit outside GST credit
- Zero-rating applies only to exports of services
- WTO rules forbid any refund of indirect taxes
- GST is charged at full rates on all exports
Answer
Some taxes, such as fuel duties, sit outside GST credit. Input tax credit refunds GST paid on inputs; duties outside GST, such as on fuel or electricity, are refunded through RoDTEP. WTO rules allow such remission.
-
Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.
Match each treatment to its feature.
- zero-rated
- exempt
- taxable
- Letter of Undertaking
- tax at the GST rate, credit set off
- nil tax, no input credit
- export without paying IGST
- nil tax, input credit refunded
Answer
- zero-rated: nil tax, input credit refunded
- exempt: nil tax, no input credit
- taxable: tax at the GST rate, credit set off
- Letter of Undertaking: export without paying IGST
The three treatments of a supply, and the route that lets an exporter skip paying IGST.
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
Which phrase sums up the principle of zero-rating exports?
- subsidise exports in proportion to value
- tax exports to protect home markets
- exempt exporters from all regulation
- export goods, not domestic taxes
Answer
export goods, not domestic taxes. Zero-rating removes domestic taxes from exported goods. Subsidies tied to export performance, which the others suggest, are what WTO rules forbid.
-
Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.
Find the word that makes the sentence wrong.
Exports are exempt under GST, so exporters can claim refunds of input tax.
Answer
exempt → zero-rated. Refunds of input tax are what make a supply zero-rated. An exempt supply allows no input tax credit, so it could not lead to such refunds.
Cut the padding · padded comparisons: as compared to, in comparison with, the corresponding period of the previous year
-
Say it shorter Rewrite the sentence below within the word limit.
Cut the padded comparison in fifteen words or fewer.
The MSP of wheat was raised by Rs 25 this year as compared to a rise of Rs 160 in the previous year.
Word limit 15
Model
The MSP of wheat rose by Rs 25 this year, against Rs 160 last year. As compared to a rise of and in the previous year become against and last year. Both increases and both years stay.
-
Say it shorter Rewrite the sentence below within the word limit.
Cut the padded comparison in fifteen words or fewer.
Monsoon rainfall in 2026 was 759.4 mm when compared with a long period average of 868.6 mm.
Word limit 15
Model
Monsoon rainfall in 2026 was 759.4 mm against a long period average of 868.6 mm. When compared with becomes against. The year, both figures and the benchmark stay.
-
Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.
Find the phrase that compares twice.
Safflower got the largest increase as compared to other crops.
Answer
as compared to other crops. → of the six Rabi crops.. Largest already compares with all the others, so it needs of, not as compared to. The repaired sentence names the group.
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
Which is the plainest way to write the comparison?
- IIP growth in August was 8% in comparison with July’s 7.35%
- IIP growth rose to 8% in August from 7.35% in July
- IIP growth was 8% in August as compared to 7.35% in July
- In August, as against July’s 7.35%, IIP growth was 8%
Answer
IIP growth rose to 8% in August from 7.35% in July. Rose to ... from gives both figures and the direction in the fewest words. The others pad the comparison.
-
Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.
Match each padded phrase to its plain replacement.
- as compared to (after a figure)
- more reliable vis-a-vis
- in the corresponding period of the previous year
- the highest as compared to
- against
- more reliable than
- the highest of
- a year earlier
Answer
- as compared to (after a figure): against
- more reliable vis-a-vis: more reliable than
- in the corresponding period of the previous year: a year earlier
- the highest as compared to: the highest of
One word, or a short phrase, carries each comparison.
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
When should a comparing phrase stay?
- When the figures come from an official source
- When the answer is still under its word limit
- When both numbers are given to one decimal place
- When the contrast itself is the sentence’s subject
Answer
When the contrast itself is the sentence’s subject. A phrase that puts the contrast first on purpose does work. Room under the limit, the source and the decimals do not make it necessary.
Correct usage · hike or increase
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
In a GS answer, which version is clearer?
- The Centre hiked the MSP of wheat by Rs 25
- The Centre raised the MSP of wheat by Rs 25
- The Centre gave a hike of Rs 25 in wheat MSP
- Wheat MSP saw a Rs 25 hike from the Centre
Answer
The Centre raised the MSP of wheat by Rs 25. All four are understandable, but raised is neutral and formal. Hike is informal as a noun and North American as a verb (Oxford).
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
What does Oxford say about the noun hike in this sense?
- it is an error in British and in Indian English
- it means a fall in prices after a sudden rise
- it is informal and means a large or sudden increase
- it is formal and means any increase, however small
Answer
it is informal and means a large or sudden increase. Oxford labels it informal: a large or sudden increase in prices, costs, etc. It is not an error.
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
Why is 'a Rs 25 hike' an odd description of the new wheat MSP?
- Hike can be used only in American newspapers
- A hike is large or sudden, and Rs 25 is about 1 per cent
- The wheat MSP was cut, not increased, this year
- Hike can be used only for taxes, never for prices
Answer
A hike is large or sudden, and Rs 25 is about 1 per cent. By Oxford’s definition a hike is a large or sudden increase. The MSP went up by Rs 25 on Rs 2,585, about 1 per cent.
-
Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.
Match each word to the place it fits best.
- hike
- increase
- raise
- rise
- a formal answer, as the verb for what a price did
- a formal answer, as a noun
- a newspaper headline
- a formal answer, as the verb for what the Centre did
Answer
- hike: a newspaper headline
- increase: a formal answer, as a noun
- raise: a formal answer, as the verb for what the Centre did
- rise: a formal answer, as the verb for what a price did
Hike suits headlines; increase is the neutral noun; the Centre raises a price, and a price rises.
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
Which sentence uses hike in the sense Oxford gives?
- The hike in the repo rate was 0.05 per cent
- Wheat MSP saw a hike of about 1 per cent
- Fuel prices saw a sudden 30 per cent hike
- Prices saw a gradual hike over ten years
Answer
Fuel prices saw a sudden 30 per cent hike. Oxford defines a hike as a large or sudden increase. A sudden 30 per cent jump fits; small or gradual increases do not.
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
Which quick test fits this usage point?
- Is it a British publication? Then hike is an error
- Is the rise under 5 per cent? Then use raise as a noun
- Would it sit in a government report? Then increase or raise
- Is the figure in rupees? Then always use hike
Answer
Would it sit in a government report? Then increase or raise. The test is register. The currency, the publication’s country and the size of the figure do not settle it, and raise as a noun is mainly American.
Idioms in answers · a bottleneck
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
What does 'a bottleneck' mean in economic writing?
- a dispute in which neither side will agree
- a sudden and complete stop to all activity
- anything that delays development or progress
- a narrow sea passage used by oil tankers
Answer
anything that delays development or progress. Oxford: anything that delays development or progress, particularly in business or industry. A sea passage is a strait; a dispute without agreement is closer to a logjam.
-
Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.
With 21 GW waiting on temporary connections, transmission, not generation, is now the ___ for India’s solar expansion.
- red tape
- safety valve
- bottleneck
- level playing field
Answer
bottleneck. A bottleneck is the stage that limits progress. Red tape is excessive procedure, a safety valve releases pressure, and a level playing field is about fairness.
-
Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.
Match each expression to its meaning.
- a bottleneck
- the binding constraint
- a logjam
- red tape
- rules more complicated than necessary
- the limit that actually decides the outcome
- anything that delays progress
- no progress, especially because people disagree
Answer
- a bottleneck: anything that delays progress
- the binding constraint: the limit that actually decides the outcome
- a logjam: no progress, especially because people disagree
- red tape: rules more complicated than necessary
Oxford’s senses for bottleneck, logjam and red tape; binding constraint is the economist’s term.
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
Which placement follows the house style for a GS answer?
- In the first sentence, to catch attention
- Twice, in the introduction and the conclusion
- In every paragraph, to link the argument
- Once, after the curtailment data it sums up
Answer
Once, after the curtailment data it sums up. At most one idiom in a GS answer, never in the first sentence, and only after the fact it sums up.
-
Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.
Which plain sentence says the same as 'transmission is now the bottleneck'?
- India has stopped building new solar plants this year
- India’s transmission lines are idle for most of the day
- India builds solar plants faster than lines to carry their power
- India’s solar plants produce more power than it needs
Answer
India builds solar plants faster than lines to carry their power. A bottleneck is the stage that limits progress: here, lines lag behind plants. The others say something the article does not.
-
Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.
Find the expression that does not fit.
The Bill is stuck in a bottleneck because the parties cannot agree.
Answer
bottleneck → logjam. When progress stops because people cannot agree, Oxford’s word is logjam. A bottleneck is a capacity limit, not a disagreement.
Reading in the CSAT shape
A passage quoted from The Smart Cities Mission Was a Dream, and That Was the Problem: Showcase Enclaves, Bypassed Local Bodies, then inference questions on it.
"Smartness" was undefined, which let governments present very different projects as proof of modernity: an effective public-relations machine.
ABD concentrated money in small precincts that could be photographed as transformation; the enclave was then presented as the city.
SPVs were justified by low municipal capacity, but instead of building that capacity, they bypassed it, reproducing the core weakness of Indian urbanism: fiscally dependent, decision-poor local bodies.
Drone shots and inaugurations included citizens visually while excluding them from planning. Consultation came after the direction had already been "dreamt".
Ground-up programmes such as Odisha's Jaga Mission and the alliance of SPARC, NSDF and Mahila Milan were less photogenic but democratic and durable.
Which of the following can be most validly inferred from the passage?
- The mission improved services in every city it covered
- Citizens were consulted before the mission’s direction was set
- Visible results were valued over wide coverage
- Local bodies managed the mission’s projects directly
Answer
Visible results were valued over wide coverage. The passage says money was concentrated in small precincts that could be photographed, and presented as the city. The second goes beyond the passage, the third reverses its point about SPVs bypassing local bodies, and the fourth contradicts its point about late consultation.
The passage’s criticism rests on which assumption?
- Lasting urban improvement depends on strong local institutions
- Every city in India faces exactly the same urban problems
- Municipalities in India have always been fiscally independent
- Drone photography is an unreliable way of measuring progress
Answer
Lasting urban improvement depends on strong local institutions. The author faults the mission for bypassing local bodies instead of building them, and praises ground-up programmes as durable, which assumes that durable change needs strong local institutions. The second contradicts the passage, the third is too narrow, and the fourth is not stated or implied.
Which of the following best captures the crux of the passage?
- The mission failed because cities did not receive enough money
- Smart technology has no role in improving Indian cities
- The mission favoured display and central design over local democracy
- Special purpose vehicles are illegal under the Constitution
Answer
The mission favoured display and central design over local democracy. The excerpts move from vague branding and showcase precincts to bypassed local bodies and citizens kept out of planning. The second is not argued, the third is too extreme, and the fourth is not claimed.
Which course of action is most consistent with the passage?
- Measure urban projects mainly by drone and aerial surveys
- Route future urban funds through empowered local bodies
- Replace municipal councils with special purpose vehicles
- Expand area-based development to more showcase precincts
Answer
Route future urban funds through empowered local bodies. If bypassing local bodies is the core weakness and ground-up programmes last, the implication is to work through local bodies. The other three repeat what the passage criticises.
What is the main message of the passage?
- Odisha’s programmes are the only successful ones in India
- A city is improved by its residents and institutions, not by its showpieces
- Urban India needs more glamorous projects to attract investment
- Citizens should not be shown in photographs of public projects
Answer
A city is improved by its residents and institutions, not by its showpieces. The passage contrasts photogenic showcase projects with durable, democratic ground-up work. The second reverses it, the third is too extreme (the passage gives examples, not a ranking), and the fourth misreads its point about drone shots.
Writing task · Should the government be free to reject the UPSC's advice?
In no more than 100 words, say whether the Government should be able to depart from the UPSC’s advice on disciplinary matters, and what check Parliament has. Use at least one of the Constitution’s verbs from today’s word partners, and no padded comparisons such as as compared to or in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Companion to Vocab Builder (what a word scores in a GS answer) and Key Terms. Wordcraft is the language itself.
