I am deeply concerned by the mass scale cheating in Bihar. Unreasonable parental pressure, a narrow focus on examination results at the cost of quality of education, and a ramshackle school infrastructure are the major causes. Bihar is not the only State where educational practices are abominable. Unless strong corrective measures are taken, such a scenario may become common in other parts of the country too. What happened in Bihar leads to a major fraud with examination results, putting thousands of other students at a disadvantage. It is linked with covering up for inefficient teaching, bad management, racket involving big money for college admissions, and corruption in the distribution of scholarships. This is a signal of social decadence that we cannot afford to ignore.

Samik Ghosh

Principal, The Scindia School, Gwalior

Where the economy stands

UPA-II managed to deliver growth through gradualism in policy, only to be muted by gross lapses in implementation. In contrast, the growth mantra that blessed the political fortunes of the BJP is yet to propitiate the deities of the economy. The BJP’s ‘auction syndrome’ is being pursued with elan, to ostensibly fibrillate and regain a healthy pulse. But there could be booby traps down the road.

First the existing huge exposure of PSU banks to the infra sector stands to explode on fresh demand. Already they are ailing from high NPAs. Big business houses are yet to figure in the list.Restructuring debts would invite a protracted burden on the exchequer and hit fiscal balancing. Then again treacherous crude prices could skew the ledger further.

Second, the high costs of acquisition of vital resources, touted as a bounty, would shoot up input prices to every single industry to open the floodgates for inflation. The exploitation of sub-subterranean resources come with inbuilt and long gestation periods, and advantages through economies of scale would only kick in far later.

R Narayanan

Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

Appoint women quickly

The need of the hour is democratic administration to provide equal and every opportunity to everyone irrespective of caste, colour, creed, sex. According to the provision incorporated in the Companies Act and under clause 49 of the equity listing agreement companies with prescribed paid-up capital and turnover and listed companies have to appoint a woman director on their board before October 2014. SEBI extended the deadline to April 1, 2015, failing which it can impose a fine of ₹5 lakh and up to ₹25 crore. Hope this deadline will not be further extended as otherwise companies will not implement this provision. India has many competent professional women who can compete with men in all fields.

D Sureshbabu

Hyderabad

Banks, be wary

The relaxation in rules for conversion of bad loans of listed companies into equity will certainly help banks and if there is an upturn in share price the banks can liquidate the shares and book profit. However, the main condition attached to the new guidelines is that banks should acquire at least 51 per cent of the equity. This provision has two major risks. One,the banks who virtually become owners of the delinquent companies do not have the required expertise to run them on their own and hence have to depend on consultants and management agents. Two, it will provide an easy exit route for dishonest promoters.

If the new guidelines are to be successful, adequate safeguards should be built in to bind the promoters who should continue to be accountable. This benefit of conversion of loan to equity should be available only if the sickness of the company is not due to mismanagement or misfeasance on the part of the promoters. Their personal guarantees should be retained as also their shareholding stay pledged at least until the corporate starts showing positive results. For smooth implementation of the guidelines, an amendment to Sec 19(2) of the Banking Regulation Act which prohibits a bank from holding more than 30 per cent stake in a company is required since it is possible that a lender may get equity stake more than the said ceiling.

M Raghuraman

Mumbai

Some relief

The apex court’s decision to strike down Sec 66A of the Information and Technology Act terming it unconstitutional brings a sense of relief to netizens. They have been mentally harassed for conversations on the social media,which is regarded as a private forum for lighthearted banter.

Vikram Sundaramurthy

Chennai

Education is the key

This refers to your edit, ‘Pearl of the Orient’ (March 24). The world over, economies which have grown at a fast clip creating millions of jobs lifting people out of poverty, have done so by getting the art of reforms together. It didn’t matter if they were democracies of authoritarian regimes. Singapore is the best example for the fact that you can get a country moving in spite of a weak individual liberty regime. They have done this great job by putting together a world class education system. Education gives people the competence to compete in a globalised world. Whether they have individual liberty or not, people need competence and skills to move ahead. Singapore is a shining example of that.

CR Arun

Email

Hailed as a “true giant of history”, Lee Kuan Yew is credited with transforming the tiny former British colony into a financial powerhouse and helped it plug into the global economy. He had a fascination for planting trees and keeping the island “clean and green”. Yew was also not averse to wielding the proverbial stick to take on his foes and seldom lost a battle. His loss will weigh heavily on the people of Singapore.

NJ Ravi Chander

Bengaluru

Gender equal

This refers to ‘The equality question’ by Nandini Nair (March 24). What women need is the freedom to enjoy their rights and privileges. Why should there be a distinction between the rights and duties of the genders?

CG Kuriakose

Kothamangalam, Kerala

Strange solutions

Lalu Prasad’s solution to check mass copying —that students be allowed to carry books to the exam hall so they could browse and write — is unkind since they would have to struggle to find the answers themselves, that too in a limited time. As a responsible former chief minister he should have recommended that students be given a day at home to complete answer sheets and submit them the next day — and still he would not have surprised anyone.

R Veera Raghavan

Chennai

Travesty of justice

The long wait of 28 years for justice by the next of kin of the victims of the Hashimpura massacre ended in vain. The acquittal of members of the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary involved in the mass killing exposes the holes in the investigation and prosecution. The systematic obliteration of evidence made a mockery of justice. The cremation of the bodies, the dereliction in not taking possession of the weapons, the washing of the blood-stained vehicle, the plugging of holes in the truck and the destruction of police records pointed to attempts from day one to shield and spare the cold-blooded killers.

The targeted killings and the abject failure of the state machinery to bring to book those responsible for them put a big question mark over the ‘idea of India’. The verdict of not guilty might set a dangerous precedent for similar cases in the future. Jurisprudence cannot go by the illogical and flawed premise that a posse of policemen can commit any offence and go scot-free, provided they ensure it does not become possible to identify the actual offenders among them. The UP government is now on test to show the will to appeal against the verdict to give the families of the victims a sense of closure.

G David Milton

Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

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