Read the following information carefully and answer the given questions. In June 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched two programmes to direct urban growth: the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), which covers 500 cities; and the Smart City Mission, which covers 100. The objective of the Smart City Mission is to harness technology and data to improve infrastructure and services in cities. It aims to create replicable models that can inspire other cities to become "smart". The policies it promotes range from innovative ideas such as smart meters for energy and water, intelligent traffic-management systems, e-governance and citizen services, to more established solutions such as waste-to-compost or waste-to-energy, recycling, and reduction of waste. Often, India's cities fail to integrate environment and social sustainability into their planning and resource management. This is due in part to a lack of demand for environmentally friendly products and services, or a poor assessment of this demand on the part of the authorities. The Smart City Mission aims to bridge the gap by providing innovative (but as yet unspecified) means for increased interaction among citizens and local governments, among other groups. It calls for new greenfield projects around cities, for inclusive development, and for "area-based development", which involves targeting specific areas of the city for transformation based on their specific needs, through redevelopment schemes or through retrofitting amenities that were not installed when the areas were first constructed. Whereas the Smart City Mission seeks innovative means to enhance network efficiencies, the AMRUT mission is responsible for increasing penetration of city-wide services. Its focus is on water supply, sewage networks, storm-water drainage, transport, and green spaces. Previously, the Ministry of Urban Development (MOUD) had to give project-by-project approval to disburse funds, but now the MOUD approves State Annual Action Plans. This is intended to increase cooperation between the central government and the states. It remains to be seen whether bottom-up initiatives to enhance network efficiency will create conditions for better cooperation across departments and levels of government, or whether such cooperation is a prerequisite for enhancing these network efficiencies.
What is the antonym of the word- 'enhance' as used in the passage?
Understanding the Word 'Enhance' and its Antonym
The question asks for the antonym of the word 'enhance' as it is used in the provided passage about the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and the Smart City Mission. The passage uses 'enhance' in the phrase "enhance network efficiencies" and "enhance network efficiency". This means to improve or increase the effectiveness of network efficiencies.
Meaning of 'Enhance'
In the context of the passage, 'enhance' means to improve, increase, or make something better. When applied to "network efficiencies", it means making the networks more efficient or improving their performance.
Analyzing the Options
Let's look at the meanings of the given options:
- Intensify: To make something stronger or more extreme. This is similar to increasing or strengthening, which is closer to a synonym or amplification of 'enhance', not an antonym.
- Disjoin: To separate or disconnect. This relates to physical or conceptual separation, not directly the quality or state of being improved or made worse.
- Deprive: To prevent a person or place from having or using something. To take away. If you deprive something of necessary resources or conditions, you prevent its improvement or make it worse. This acts in opposition to enhancing.
- Amend: To make minor changes in order to make something fairer, more accurate, or improved. This is a synonym for 'enhance'.
Finding the Antonym
We are looking for a word that means the opposite of improving or making better.
Comparing 'enhance' (improve, make better) with the options:
- 'Intensify' means make stronger (similar).
- 'Disjoin' means separate (different concept).
- 'Deprive' means take away, prevent from having (opposite of adding/improving).
- 'Amend' means improve (synonym).
Among the given choices, 'Deprive' is the closest antonym to 'enhance'. While 'enhance' means to add to or improve something, 'deprive' means to take away from or prevent something from having what it needs, thus potentially worsening its condition or preventing improvement. In the context of "enhance network efficiencies", depriving the network of necessary components or conditions would make it less efficient.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis of the meanings of 'enhance' and the given options, 'Deprive' is the most appropriate antonym.
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
Why, according to the writer can't people be motivated to use a resource prudently?
1. They feel that others may overuse the resource
2. It is possible to substitute the resource
3. Abundance of the resource availability
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
When do people use resources exhaustively?
The self-interest of people affects the use of renewable resources
People rooted in a locality
Which among the following is closest in meaning with the word 'deplete'?
