Perverse

per·verse  (pr-vûrs, pûrvûrs)

adj.

1. Directed away from what is right or good; perverted.

2. Obstinately persisting in an error or fault; wrongly self-willed or stubborn.

3.

a. Marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict.

b. Arising from such a disposition.

4. Cranky; peevish.

perpetrate

per·pe·trate  (pûrp-trt)tr.v. per·pe·trat·ed, per·pe·trat·ing, per·pe·trates

To be responsible for; commit: perpetrate a crime; perpetrate a practical joke

expeditiously

ex·pe·di·tious  (ksp-dshs)

adj.

Acting or done with speed and efficiency.

strut

strut

v. strut·ted, strut·ting, struts

v.intr.

To walk with pompous bearing; swagger.

v.tr.

1. To display in order to impress others. Sometimes used with out: Don't strut out your resume until you have more accomplishments to list.

2.

a. To provide (a structure) with a strut or struts.

b. To brace or separate with or as if with a strut.

n.

1. A pompous, self-important gait.

2. A structural element used to brace or strengthen a framework by resisting longitudinal compression.

Idiom:

strut (one's) stuff Slang

To behave or perform in an ostentatious manner; show off.

Example:

It's stretching a metaphor, but India's attempt to strut on the world stage increasingly looks like an effort by a clumsy adolescent trying to bluff his way into a global shop showcasing China's dominance.

irredentist

ir·re·den·tist

n.

One who advocates the recovery of territory culturally or historically related to one's nation but now subject to a foreign government.

puritanical

pu·ri·tan·i·cal 

adj.

1. Rigorous in religious observance; marked by stern morality.

2. Puritanical Of, relating to, or characteristic of the Puritans.

bereft

be·reft 

v.

A past tense and a past participle of bereave.

adj.

1.

a. Deprived of something: They are bereft of their dignity.

b. Lacking something needed or expected: "Today's graduates seem keenly aware that the future is bereft of conventional expectations" (Bruce Weber).

2. Suffering the death of a loved one; bereaved: the bereft parents

dither

dith·er 

n.

A state of indecisive agitation.

intr.v. dith·ered, dith·er·ing, dith·ers

To be nervously irresolute in acting or doing.

Thanks to the dithering by the Prime Minister, we seem to be left with no other option but to sink or swim with Mr. Kalmadi and his Organising Committee

bungler

bun·gle 

v. bun·gled, bun·gling, bun·gles

v.intr.

To work or act ineptly or inefficiently.

v.tr.

To handle badly; botch.

n.

A clumsy or inept performance; a botch: made a bungle of the case due to inexperience.

The world would not want India to be seen as a bungler in the face of an authoritarian China which made a spectacular success of the Olympics of August 2008.

oblivion

n.

1. The condition or quality of being completely forgotten: "He knows that everything he writes is consigned to posterity (oblivion's other, seemingly more benign, face)" (Joyce Carol Oates).

2. The act or an instance of forgetting; total forgetfulness: sought the great oblivion of sleep.

3. Official overlooking of offenses; amnesty.

With the protagonists of the Ayodhya cause badly dispersed and some going into virtual oblivion, the movement has lost its fire.

onerous

on·er·ous

adj.

1. Troublesome or oppressive; burdensome. See Synonyms at burdensome.

2. Law Entailing obligations that exceed advantages.

There are other problems with development aid. Reporting requirements are onerous and often impose huge administrative burdens on developing countries, which must devote the scarce skills of educated, English-speaking personnel to writing reports for donors rather than running programmes.

Ominous

om·i·nous

adj.

1. Menacing; threatening: ominous black clouds; ominous rumblings of discontent.

2. Of or being an omen, especially an evil one.

--
Ashish Meena

gratuitous

gra·tu·i·tous

adj.

1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned.

2. Given or received without cost or obligation; free.

3. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: gratuitous criticism.

India on Friday hit back at Pakistan rejecting as “gratuitous” its statements on Jammu and Kashmir, saying they amounted to interference in the internal affairs of the country.