Ugly, racist attacks are not new in the city touted as the Silicon Valley of India. Now the issue has taken on diplomatic tones with Tanzania issuing an informal protest. This does not paint a bright picture of a modern nation. We mouth platitudes about India being the land of Buddha and Gandhi, and the world’s largest democracy. It is also the preferred educational destination for many Africans since they find the standards good and the fees more affordable than in Europe or the US. We should remember that many of our young Indians go to the US, the UK or Australia to study. Imagine them getting battered in those countries.

KS Jayatheertha

Bengaluru

Welcome idea

That the RBI is considering the ombudsman scheme for NBFCs is welcome. The ombudsman disposed of 96 per cent of banking cases in 2014; the RBI must ensure the same while permitting complaints against NBFCs. As for thedemand for pay parity from executives of government banks with that of new private banks (‘Parity please’, February 5), this is not new. The bureaucracy has never considered the demand favourably. As a result, junior level officers and clerical staff of banks too have lost parity with government staff, in light of successive government pay revisions. Today bank employees draw far less than government staff and employees of public sector units such as LIC.

S Kalyanasundaram

Email

Implementation of the pay commission recommendations and OROP are going to take a heavy toll of taxpayers’ money. The government takes care of present and past employees through periodic increases in salaries and allowances, including pension. But the fate of retired public sector employees is the opposite. Is it not blatant injustice? It is high time the government woke up to this injustice and did something to improve the lot of retired public sector staff.

VS Ganeshan

Bengaluru

Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have accepted the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations in toto. So, Central government employees should be happy. In this part of the world, however much money people earn, they are indebted and unhappy, thanks to their ever-increasing needs and conspicuous consumption. Needless to say, enhancement of salary does not necessarily enhance the interest for work on a sustained basis.

S Ramakrishnasayee

Ranipet, Tamil Nadu

Forward thinking

It’s an interesting decision by the makers of the film, The Blueberry Hunt , to simultaneously release the film through theatres and through registered internet protocol. Once this experiment is found successful, the stranglehold of a few individuals controlling theatres will be removed, smaller producers without connections will sprout, and better films will be available. This can even lead to greater innovation with people exercising their franchise online, thereby ensuring confidentiality and convenience. The Election Commission has come a long way, from manual stamping of ballot papers to electronic voting.

G Raviprasad

Hyderabad

Coin conundrum

In metros, the 50-paise coin is no longer acceptable, and one-rupee are in short supply. It is the government’s duty to ensure sufficient supply ofcoins of all denominations, At least one crore one-rupee coins must be minted. The intrinsic value should be lower as there will be those who melt it. Further, all financial transactions should be rounded off to the nearest rupee. This will make things far more convenient.

Mahesh Kapasi

New Delhi

Kashmiri goings-on

It is strange that the BJP should have found a mate in the PDP. It is stranger that they have managed to hold on so far. Wisdom is likely dawning that both are losing credibility with their respective vote banks. The idea now is to find a way to part ways with the least damage. More than running the J&K government, political survival is uppermost.

R Narayanan

Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

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