The revelation by BARC in response to an RTI query that 70 per cent of 3,887 health-related deaths in atomic energy hubs across the country over the past 20 years were due to radiation goes to confirm the link between the “routine daily emissions of radiation” and virulent afflictions, and validates the studies that have long established that the residents living in the vicinity of nuclear power plants are more prone to diseases and deformities.

It follows from this that the death rate due to radiation-induced cancer in this population is 10 times more than the 7 per cent deaths due to cancer in other places. The BARC data that as many as 2600 persons have lost their lives in atomic centres in the last two decades must convince the Government of the danger involved in going in for more and more nuclear plants and of the need to review the issue seriously. Another disturbing fact is that 255 persons took their own lives due to depression while in harness in the nuclear installations. The Government must review its civil nuclear energy policy and shut down the existing installations and desist from rushing to set up new ones.

G David Milton

Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Leap of faith

That Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given freedom to ministers to spend up to ₹1,000 crore on any decision or proposal without getting his approval is a step in the right direction. This leap of faith must result in timely completion of projects and maximum welfare for the people. But at the same time, there must be proper checks and balances to avoid misuse or misappropriation of funds.

S Ramakrishnasayee

Ranipet, Tamil Nadu

Report card

The positivity of people in the Modi Cabinet was at a high level; it’s not the same now. This needs to be revived.The Prime Minister had asked ministers to set an agenda for 100 days. The agendas and the achievements and/or failures of each department must be published in the media now.

Mahesh Kumar

New Delhi

Teach the teachers

This refers to the article “And words are all we have” by Veena Venugopal (September 8). We need good teachers to get us on the right track. For this to happen we need to have a teacher training programme for which only the top 25 per cent of those who do Plus 2 or degree exams should be chosen after an entrance exam. The training should be a rigorous exercise. These teachers can be given autonomy and told to create the future of this country with full freedom. They should be paid well and the Government should start thinking along these lines to make the next generation globally competitive.

If we can afford to invest in bullet trains, what is stopping us from starting thousands more government schools with top-notch facilities which will bring in the kids of the middle class and the rich to learn with the not so fortunate? But teachers are the key and they should be world class before we start to move in this direction. How many teachers in this country will pass an exam for outgoing teachers from teacher training programmes in South Korea and Singapore? Let’s introspect on this.

CR Arun

Email

Desi cow

With reference to the editorial, “Our cows and theirs” (September 5), only one-fifth of milk produced is from our native milch cows. European breeds and their crosses are the major contributors.

We have good milch breeds like Sahiwal, Red Sindhi and Gir but the advent of crossbred cattle had pushed them to oblivion. Selection within the breed for high milk yield produced populations like the famous Pusa herd of Sahiwal. In contrast to selection, cross breeding, rapidly enhances milk yield.

The first generation of cross exhibits vigour, but subsequent generations decline. They also suffer due to increasing level of exotic blood resistance to heat and diseases and village conditions. Desi breeds are hardy. Brazil has taken the Gir breed of Saurashtra and developed it as a tropical dairy animal by selection. Cows of this elite Gir have yielded 30 kg per day.

R Krishnaswami

Chennai

Inspiring address

Narendra Modi’s Teachers’ Day address is proof of his real concern about education. His Independence Day address inspired some to come forward and instal public toilets. Like that, this may inspire some to take measures in popularising the noble teaching profession with the aim of inculcating good values in children.

VS Ganeshan

Bangalore

Great scheme

The Pradhan mantri Jan Dhan Yojna scheme has been creating a box-office hit response because of its reach. The socio-economic benefit of accident insurance coverage gives the scheme a fillip. It has also given banks an opportunity to develop further.

However, the time-frame fixed for PMJDY is insufficient. Of late it seems that there is some kind of misunderstanding that the Government will give money to open an account with the bank. Banks should clarify this matter.

Our bankers have already begun to feel the heat over educational loans which have become NPAs in most of the cases. Our banking system has ₹ two lakh crore of so called NPAs or bad loans. In this situation allowing overdraft on savings bank accounts under the PMJDY scheme is a bad idea.The Government, the RBI and banks must give clear instructions through various media to the people about the salient features of PMJDY.

Sithavethem Kanthasamy

Tirunelveli

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