Wordcraft, 12 October 2026

Glossary from the edition

12 words, each quoted in the sentence where it appeared in the 12 October 2026 edition. Meaning first, then the sentence, then where it came from.

The seven lessons

One entry of each type, every day: a system, not a word list.

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 · colō: Latin, to till and cultivate

1. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

   Which Latin verb lies behind cultivate, colony and culture?

   1. claudō
   2. cēdō
   3. colō
   4. currō
   Answer

   colō. Wiktionary traces all three to colō, "till, cultivate": cultivate through cultus, colony through colōnus, culture through cultūra.

2. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

   Match each English word to the Latin word it was built on.

   1. agriculture
   2. colony
   3. culture
   4. cultivate

   1. colōnia
   2. cultūra
   3. cultivātus
   4. agricultūra
   Answer

   • agriculture: agricultūra
   • colony: colōnia
   • culture: cultūra
   • cultivate: cultivātus

   Each pair is from Wiktionary. Agricultūra joins ager, "field", to cultūra, "cultivation".

3. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

   The NBA shared the money according to the ___ area of each crop.

   1. cultivation
   2. agriculture
   3. colony
   4. culture
   Answer

   cultivation. The roundup’s phrase is "the cultivation area of each crop": the land used to grow it, Oxford’s first sense of cultivation.

4. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

   Rout credits elections with "___ reconstruction".

   1. post-colonial
   2. neo-colonial
   3. pre-colonial
   4. anti-colonial
   Answer

   post-colonial. The explainer quotes Rout: elections gave India "critical stability, reasonable governance, post-colonial reconstruction and a pathway to development".

5. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

   One word is wrong for the sense. Find it.

   The Act caps land for habitation or self-culture at four hectares.

   Answer

   self-culture → self-cultivation. The land right covers land a family lives on or farms itself: self-cultivation, the article’s word, never more than four hectares (s.4(6)). Culture shares the root but not this sense.

6. Put in order Number the lines 1 upward in the correct order.

   Put the forms in the order Wiktionary gives, from colō to the English word.

   • cultivātus
   • colō
   • cultivō
   • cultīvus
   • cultivate
   • cultus
   Answer

   1. colō
   2. cultus
   3. cultīvus
   4. cultivō
   5. cultivātus
   6. cultivate

   Cultivate is from cultivātus, the participle of cultivō, from cultīvus "tilled", from cultus, the participle of colō.

7. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

   Which sentence uses cultivation in Oxford’s second sense?

   1. Cultivation starts after the first rains.
   2. The land was taken out of cultivation.
   3. Her steady cultivation of local leaders paid off.
   4. The village began the cultivation of millets.
   Answer

   Her steady cultivation of local leaders paid off.. Sense 2 is "the deliberate development of a particular relationship, quality or skill", here a relationship with leaders. The other three are about growing crops, sense 1.

Look-alike words · lose / loose

8. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

   A body can be independent on paper and still ___ the trust it needs.

   1. loose
   2. loss
   3. lose
   4. lost
   Answer

   lose. After can, the verb takes its base form: lose, "to fail to keep something" (Oxford). Loose is an adjective and loss a noun.

9. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

   Precision separates a strong GS2 answer from a ___ one.

   1. lost
   2. lose
   3. loss
   4. loose
   Answer

   loose. An adjective is needed before one: loose, "not strictly organized or managed" (Oxford).

10. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

    One word is the wrong one of the pair. Find it.

    States that keep loosing revenue to tax cuts need a plan.

    Answer

    loosing → losing. The verb is lose, so its -ing form is losing, with one o. Oxford’s own example of this slip is "She’s always loosing her phone."

11. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    Which sentence is correct?

    1. The party may lose the election.
    2. The party may loss the election.
    3. The party may loose the election.
    4. The party may losing the election.
    Answer

    The party may lose the election.. Oxford, lose: "to be defeated; to fail to win a competition, a court case, an argument, etc." After may, the base form lose.

12. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

    Match each phrase to its meaning.

    1. lose credibility
    2. a loose definition
    3. a loose button
    4. lose a case

    1. not securely fixed
    2. not strictly put together
    3. be defeated in court
    4. fail to keep it
    Answer

    • lose credibility: fail to keep it
    • a loose definition: not strictly put together
    • a loose button: not securely fixed
    • lose a case: be defeated in court

    The verb lose means failing to keep or to win; the adjective loose means not fixed or not tightly organised (Oxford).

13. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    Our note calls Rout’s "collegium" loose. Why?

    1. Rout misspelt the word collegium in his column.
    2. The 2023 Selection Committee has no Chief Justice.
    3. The Supreme Court has struck down the 2023 Act.
    4. The 2023 Act abolished every selection committee.
    Answer

    The 2023 Selection Committee has no Chief Justice.. The trap note says the 2023 Selection Committee has no Chief Justice of India, so collegium does not fit it closely: a loose use of the term.

Word partners · the verbs of a forest-rights claim: receive, verify, petition, remand, approve

14. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

    Match each body to the verb the law gives it.

    1. Gram Sabha
    2. District Level Committee
    3. State Level Monitoring Committee
    4. a person aggrieved

    1. monitors recognition of rights
    2. petitions within sixty days
    3. initiates the process
    4. finally approves the record
    Answer

    • Gram Sabha: initiates the process
    • District Level Committee: finally approves the record
    • State Level Monitoring Committee: monitors recognition of rights
    • a person aggrieved: petitions within sixty days

    Section 6 gives the start to the Gram Sabha; the DLC finally approves; the SLMC only monitors; an aggrieved person petitions within sixty days.

15. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

    If a Gram Sabha resolution is incomplete, the SDLC or DLC must ___ it to the Gram Sabha.

    1. remand
    2. modify
    3. reject
    4. revoke
    Answer

    remand. Rule 12A(6): remand it to the Gram Sabha "instead of modifying or rejecting the same".

16. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    Which statement about the State Level Monitoring Committee is correct?

    1. It monitors recognition and vesting of rights.
    2. It initiates the process for community rights.
    3. It finally approves the record of forest rights.
    4. It hears petitions against Gram Sabha resolutions.
    Answer

    It monitors recognition and vesting of rights.. The article’s table: the SLMC "monitors recognition and vesting of rights" and is "a monitoring body, not an approving tier".

17. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

    One word names the wrong body. Find it.

    Under section 6, the DLC initiates the process for forest rights.

    Answer

    DLC → Gram Sabha. Section 6 makes the Gram Sabha "the authority to initiate the process". The DLC comes last: it finally approves the record.

18. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

    A decision that modifies or rejects a claim must give detailed ___.

    1. hearings
    2. evidence
    3. reasons
    4. notice
    Answer

    reasons. Rule 12A(10), in the article: such a decision must give detailed reasons, and no rejection "shall be merely on any technical or procedural grounds".

19. Put in order Number the lines 1 upward in the correct order.

    Put the steps of a claim in the order the article describes.

    • The SDLC examines the resolution and prepares the record of forest rights.
    • The SDLC forwards the record to the DLC.
    • The Gram Sabha receives and verifies the claim and passes a resolution.
    • The DLC considers and finally approves the record.
    Answer

    1. The Gram Sabha receives and verifies the claim and passes a resolution.
    2. The SDLC examines the resolution and prepares the record of forest rights.
    3. The SDLC forwards the record to the DLC.
    4. The DLC considers and finally approves the record.

    The claim rises tier by tier: Gram Sabha, then SDLC, then DLC, whose decision on the record is "final and binding".

20. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    A committee finds a Gram Sabha resolution incomplete. What must it do?

    1. Reject the claim with reasons.
    2. Send it back to the Gram Sabha.
    3. Pass it to the SLMC to decide.
    4. Modify the resolution itself.
    Answer

    Send it back to the Gram Sabha.. Rule 12A(6) requires a remand to the Gram Sabha "instead of modifying or rejecting the same".

Today's key term · proactive disclosure

21. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    What does Section 4 of the RTI Act require of a public authority?

    1. To publish set information on its own
    2. To hear complaints against State bodies
    3. To fine its officers for lapses on a request
    4. To decide second appeals and complaints
    Answer

    To publish set information on its own. Section 4 is "the duty of every public authority to publish information suo motu, without being asked". Fines are Section 20; second appeals go to the Information Commissions.

22. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

    The explainer calls Section 4 disclosure the ___ side of transparency, the weaker half of the law.

    1. request
    2. penalty
    3. supply
    4. demand
    Answer

    supply. Its words: "this supply side of transparency remains the weaker half of the law". The authority supplies information before anyone asks.

23. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

    Match each item to what it does or shows.

    1. Section 4(1)(b)
    2. Section 20
    3. DoPT guidelines of 2013
    4. CIC Annual Report 2024-25

    1. a penalty for lapses on a request
    2. 1,446 of 2,303 sent audit reports
    3. an annual third-party audit
    4. seventeen heads of information
    Answer

    • Section 4(1)(b): seventeen heads of information
    • Section 20: a penalty for lapses on a request
    • DoPT guidelines of 2013: an annual third-party audit
    • CIC Annual Report 2024-25: 1,446 of 2,303 sent audit reports

    All four are from the RTI explainer: the list of heads, the penalty clause, the audit added by DoPT, and the Commission’s record for 2024-25.

24. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

    One part names the wrong section. Find it.

    Under Section 20, every public authority must publish seventeen heads of information.

    Answer

    Section 20, → Section 4,. The seventeen heads are in Section 4(1)(b). Section 20 is the penalty clause, and its triggers all concern a request.

25. Put in order Number the lines 1 upward in the correct order.

    Put these RTI milestones in order, earliest first.

    • The CIC reports that 1,446 of 2,303 authorities sent audits (2024-25).
    • DoPT guidelines add an annual third-party audit (15 April 2013).
    • The remaining provisions come into force on 12 October 2005.
    • DoPT reiterates the guidelines (7 November 2019).
    • Section 4(1) comes into force at once on enactment.
    Answer

    1. Section 4(1) comes into force at once on enactment.
    2. The remaining provisions come into force on 12 October 2005.
    3. DoPT guidelines add an annual third-party audit (15 April 2013).
    4. DoPT reiterates the guidelines (7 November 2019).
    5. The CIC reports that 1,446 of 2,303 authorities sent audits (2024-25).

    Section 1(3) brought Section 4(1) into force at once and the rest on 12 October 2005; the DoPT guidelines followed in 2013 and 2019; the audit record is from 2024-25.

26. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    Why, in our explainer’s reading, has Section 4 compliance depended on administrative push?

    1. The CIC has no power to receive audit reports
    2. Most authorities are not registered with the CIC
    3. Section 20 penalises only lapses on a request
    4. Section 4 came into force only in 2019
    Answer

    Section 20 penalises only lapses on a request. Our note: Section 20’s triggers all concern a request, so "Section 4 relies instead on guidelines, audits and reminders". The column itself does not make this point.

27. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

    In 2024-25, ___ of the audit reports sent to the CIC were graded C, D or E.

    1. 783
    2. 94
    3. 33
    4. 63
    Answer

    783. The CIC Annual Report 2024-25: 1,446 of 2,303 authorities sent reports, and 783 of these were graded C, D or E. The authors found reports on only 33 of 94 department websites.

Cut the padding · the fact that: due to, in view of, despite the fact that

28. Say it shorter Rewrite the sentence below within the word limit.

    Cut the padding in 21 words or fewer.

    Despite the fact that DoPT guidelines have required an annual audit since 2013, only 1,446 of 2,303 public authorities sent audit reports in 2024-25.

    Word limit 21

    Model

    Although DoPT guidelines have required an annual audit since 2013, only 1,446 of 2,303 public authorities sent audit reports in 2024-25. "Despite the fact that" (4 words) becomes "Although" (1). The guidelines, the year and both figures stay.

29. Say it shorter Rewrite the sentence below within the word limit.

    Cut the padding in 17 words or fewer.

    In view of the fact that Section 4 carries no penalty of its own, compliance has depended on guidelines, audits and reminders.

    Word limit 17

    Model

    Since Section 4 carries no penalty of its own, compliance has depended on guidelines, audits and reminders. "In view of the fact that" (6 words) becomes "Since" (1). Nothing else changes.

30. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

    Match each padded phrase to its plain form.

    1. due to the fact that
    2. despite the fact that
    3. in view of the fact that
    4. in spite of the fact that

    1. since
    2. although
    3. even though
    4. because
    Answer

    • due to the fact that: because
    • despite the fact that: although
    • in view of the fact that: since
    • in spite of the fact that: even though

    Reasons take because or since; contrasts take although or even though. The link word must keep the same logic.

31. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

    One phrase is padding. Find it.

    Owing to the fact that Section 20 covers only requests, Section 4 relies on audits.

    Answer

    Owing to the fact that → Because. "Owing to the fact that" gives a reason in five words; "Because" gives it in one.

32. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

    ___ Section 4(1)(b) requires yearly updates, many authorities treat disclosure as a one-time upload.

    1. Unless
    2. Although
    3. Since
    4. Because
    Answer

    Although. The clauses contrast: the law asks for yearly updates, practice treats disclosure as a one-time task. A contrast takes although, the plain form of "despite the fact that".

33. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    Which plain word replaces "in view of the fact that"?

    1. until
    2. whereas
    3. since
    4. unless
    Answer

    since. "In view of the fact that" gives a reason, so since (or because) replaces it. Unless sets a condition and until a time limit.

34. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    When should "the fact that" stay in your sentence?

    1. Inside a quotation you copy
    2. Whenever a figure follows it
    3. After every reason you give
    4. At the start of every answer
    Answer

    Inside a quotation you copy. A quotation is copied exactly. Elsewhere, cut the wrapper unless a preposition such as "to" needs it.

Correct usage · dispose of, never dispose off

35. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

    One part is wrong. Find it.

    The Kerala High Court has disposed off the PIL.

    Answer

    disposed off → disposed of. The phrasal verb is dispose of. The roundup’s own sentence reads "has disposed of a public interest litigation".

36. Fill the blank Circle the letter that completes the sentence.

    The Commission disposed ___ 19,415 second appeals and complaints in the year.

    1. from
    2. of
    3. with
    4. off
    Answer

    of. Dispose takes of: "to deal with a problem, question or threat successfully" (Oxford, dispose of, sense 2).

37. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    Which sentence is correct?

    1. Radioactive waste must be disposed off safely.
    2. Radioactive waste must be dispose of safely.
    3. Radioactive waste must be disposed of safely.
    4. Radioactive waste must be disposed safely off.
    Answer

    Radioactive waste must be disposed of safely.. The first is Oxford’s own example. The others add an f, drop the -d of the participle, or split the phrasal verb.

38. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

    Match each phrase to its meaning.

    1. dispose of waste
    2. dispose of a case
    3. disposal

    1. deal with it
    2. the act of getting rid of something
    3. get rid of it
    Answer

    • dispose of waste: get rid of it
    • dispose of a case: deal with it
    • disposal: the act of getting rid of something

    Oxford’s two senses of dispose of, and its noun disposal.

39. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    In a court report, "disposed of" tells you that the case...

    1. was sent to a higher court
    2. was dealt with by the court
    3. was withdrawn by the State
    4. was won by the petitioner
    Answer

    was dealt with by the court. It is Oxford’s sense 2, "to deal with a problem, question or threat successfully". It does not say who won; give the outcome separately if you know it.

40. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

    One word is wrong. Find it.

    The CIC disposed off 19,415 appeals.

    Answer

    off → of. Dispose of, never dispose off: the RTI explainer reads "disposed of 19,415 second appeals and complaints".

Idioms in answers · set the agenda

41. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    "Consensus can set the agenda." What can consensus do, in this sense?

    1. Replace a ruling on the 2023 Act
    2. Settle every dispute for good
    3. Decide which problems come first
    4. Hide what the parties really want
    Answer

    Decide which problems come first. Agenda in Oxford’s sense 2 is "a plan of things to be done, or problems to be addressed"; to set it is to decide that list. The explainer adds that consensus alone cannot enforce it.

42. Match the pairs Write the letter from the right against each number on the left.

    Match each expression to its plain equivalent.

    1. set the agenda
    2. high on the agenda
    3. off the agenda
    4. hidden agenda

    1. a secret aim
    2. decide the priorities
    3. a priority
    4. dropped
    Answer

    • set the agenda: decide the priorities
    • high on the agenda: a priority
    • off the agenda: dropped
    • hidden agenda: a secret aim

    The plain equivalent is always acceptable in a GS answer; the idiom is optional.

43. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    Where is "set the agenda" safe in a GS answer?

    1. In the first sentence of the introduction
    2. In every paragraph, to link the points
    3. In the body, after the fact it sums up
    4. In the opening line of a case study
    Answer

    In the body, after the fact it sums up. House rule: at most one idiom in a GS answer, never in the first sentence, and only after the fact it sums up. Ethics case studies take none.

44. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    In an Ethics case study, which line is better?

    1. The officer will set the agenda for the claims.
    2. The officer will first list the pending claims.
    Answer

    The officer will first list the pending claims.. A case study states the action and its justification plainly. The plain line says exactly what the officer will do.

45. Find the error Circle it in the sentence below, then write the correction.

    One word changes the editorial’s meaning. Find it.

    The editorial reads the PERM move as part of a hidden US agenda.

    Answer

    hidden → wider. The explainer says "a wider US agenda": a plan, Oxford’s sense 2. "Hidden agenda" would charge the US with a secret aim, which the editorial does not do.

46. Choose one Circle the letter of the correct option.

    Which plain phrase can replace "high on the agenda" in a GS answer?

    1. a secret plan
    2. a hidden aim
    3. a dropped item
    4. a priority
    Answer

    a priority. "High on the agenda" means among the first things to be addressed: a priority. Hidden and secret belong to "hidden agenda"; dropped is "off the agenda".

Reading in the CSAT shape

A passage quoted from Shine of Indian Elections: Trust, ECI and Electoral Reform, then inference questions on it.

India has earned its reputation by running free elections at a scale and under conditions that few countries match. That reputation is now at risk, not because the machinery has failed but because confidence in it is eroding from many sides at once: the rolls, the information space, money, defections and the appointment of the referees. The fix cannot come from any one institution. Parties, who are both the players and the main critics, must agree on the rules together.

Contesting the referee's conduct is part of democratic accountability; protests and litigation are how a system tests its institutions. A voluntary all-party sit-down has no means of enforcement, and parties gain from some of the practices Rout criticises, which is why reforms of political finance and defection have stalled before. On cash transfers, the line between welfare and inducement is contested: what one side calls a freebie another calls a social guarantee, and the Survey's figure measures spending, not electoral distortion. Finally, some of the trust deficit may need firmer remedies than consensus, such as statutory changes to the appointment process or a ruling on the 2023 Act.

Rout's diagnosis is sound: an election system lives on the loser's consent, and that consent depends on trust in the rolls, the rules and the referee. His remedy needs a second half. Consensus can set the agenda, but durable trust will also need institutional anchors: an appointment process that all sides accept, transparent roll revisions, enforceable rules on political finance, and a clear judicial answer on the 2023 Act.

1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

   1. Courts alone can restore trust in Indian elections
   2. Party consensus is needed but is not enough for trust
   3. India’s election machinery has failed in recent years
   4. Cash transfers before polls amount to bribing voters
   Answer

   Party consensus is needed but is not enough for trust. The verdict accepts that parties "must agree on the rules together" but says the remedy "needs a second half": "Consensus can set the agenda, but durable trust will also need institutional anchors". The second option reverses "not because the machinery has failed"; the third is too extreme, since courts are one anchor among four; the fourth takes a side the passage calls "contested".

2. The doubt about "a voluntary all-party sit-down" rests on which assumption?

   1. The Election Commission has no power to call such a meeting
   2. Litigation is the only legitimate way to test institutions
   3. Parties may not act against their own interest unless made to
   4. Most voters do not care how the referees are appointed
   Answer

   Parties may not act against their own interest unless made to. The sit-down "has no means of enforcement, and parties gain from some of the practices Rout criticises". The doubt holds only if parties will not give up those gains on their own. The Commission’s powers are out of scope; "only" makes the third too extreme (the passage names protests and litigation); voters' views are not discussed.

3. Which of the following best reflects the crux of the passage?

   1. Election rolls are the main source of the trust deficit
   2. Trust in elections needs consensus and institutional anchors
   3. Parties should stop contesting the referee’s conduct in court
   4. India should end cash transfers to keep its elections fair
   Answer

   Trust in elections needs consensus and institutional anchors. The verdict joins the two halves: consensus sets the agenda, anchors make trust durable. Cash transfers are one contested point, the rolls one of five sources of erosion, and contesting the referee is called "part of democratic accountability", the reverse of the last option.

4. What follows from the statement that "the Survey’s figure measures spending, not electoral distortion"?

   1. Cash transfers before elections have never influenced voters
   2. The Survey overstates how much States spend on welfare
   3. Spending data alone cannot show that transfers swayed votes
   4. Welfare spending should be cut to avoid electoral distortion
   Answer

   Spending data alone cannot show that transfers swayed votes. A figure for spending says how much was paid out, not what it did to votes, so it cannot by itself prove distortion. "Never" is too extreme; the Survey’s accuracy is not questioned; cutting welfare is a policy the passage does not propose.

Writing task · Who decides a forest-rights claim

As on 31 August 2026, about 11 lakh forest-rights claims were pending and over 18 lakh had been rejected. In about 100 words, explain how a claim moves from the Gram Sabha to the District Level Committee, and what a claimant can do after a rejection. Give reasons with because, since or although, and keep the particle in dispose of.

Companion to Vocab Builder (what a word scores in a GS answer) and Key Terms. Wordcraft is the language itself.