Your edit, ‘For a new IPR regime’ (April 30) throws light on the stringent patenting laws creating unfavourable trade conditions. The government would do well to align the laws with the international community and reduce prices by giving subsidies and increasing taxes. The government should also consider availing the services of the NRI diaspora to bolster R&D.

Vikram Sundaramurthy

Chennai

India’s IPR laws need to integrate globally. Most pharmaceutical brands that apply for patents are based on exaggerated claims keeping in mind insatiable margins and windfall gains in the short run. Moreover, pharma products have a very short product life in most cases.

But it is quite different in the case of smallscale industries. Therefore, IPR laws must be tailor-made to foster the smallscale sector. More than fine-tuning the IPR laws, India needs to encourage innovation and technology transfer. China is far ahead in terms of the number and quality of researchers. We need to imbibe some of their ways.

VK Sridhar

Erode, Chennai

The old-fashioned trade negotiations were about reducing tariffs; world over tariffs have come down and there is no room left on that front any more in trade negotiations. This is the reason why the new age trade negotiations are about protecting IPR. Developed nations and MNCs located in these countries want their IPR protected at all costs. Our RBI governor spoke about this in his lecture a few months ago and he emphasised that we should not change our laws governing patent rights no matter what the multinational pharmaceutical companies say. Let us listen to him and not change our IPR regime which will definitely benefit big corporations at the cost of the average citizen.

CR Arun

Email

Corruption rules

Merely making cosmetic amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act will not have any impact on corrupt practices that are widely prevalent. Can anyone give an example of some job being done without bribes being involved? Even in the areas of education, health and welfare, bribes are demanded and given freely.

Only 5 per cent of government aid reaches the beneficiary. Nothing in our country is available according to the law and our so-called right according to qualification and ability. One has to go through bribes. Hard work and honesty have taken a back seat in our country. Anybody can see that with the kind of remuneration bureaucrats get, they cannot afford the kind of properties some of them own and the sort of lifestyles they maintain. There are loopholes in every area of governance and people always take advantage of them. Law enforcement in India is very slow and ineffective. How can we expect a corruption-free country with cosmetic changes?

BK Mohanty

Hyderabad

Strange logic

‘Why grudge a subsidy for dredging?’ by Jose Paul (April 29) makes a case for subsidising dredging in Kochi Port. I wonder why. Instead of going for short-term measures, the government should have a long-term plan. A few hundred miles south there is a port by the name of Vizhinjam where there is natural depth of 23 metres. The port is under the control of Kerala. Instead of subsidising the dredging cost, the Union and State governments should jointly develop this port.

The PPP model is not suitable as the project is of strategic importance to India. It will greatly affect the traffic to and from Colombo port as one must bear in mind that most of the container traffic is from and to India.

The writer points to the costs involved to develop the greenfield port. But this cost will outweigh the recurring maintenance dredging expenditure. After years of subsidising dredging expenditure at Kolkata port, it has not resulted in any improvement. It is time to stop flogging a dead horse and look at things afresh. Let us not repeat this exercise for Kochi which should be consigned to a feeder port.

Vasu Venkataramania

Bengaluru

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