Not quite green

A study shows that an EV has to travel at least 1,30,000 km before producing a net savings in CO2 over that emitted by producing the electricity to charge car batteries. They may never cover this distance in a lifetime of use.

Another found that a mid-sized EV will produce 23.1 tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime whereas a similar size oil-powered one, 24 tonnes. Batteries have limited life and replacement will keep adding to the carbon score.

Emissions from manufacturing electric cars end up at least 50 per cent higher because batteries are made from materials such as lithium, copper and refined silicon, which require much energy to be processed. Green vehicles are deceptive. Efforts would be better spent on pursuing water-fuelled cars.

Navi Mumbai

The Government is in a Catch-22 situation with regard to exercising the ‘four’ options for retaining stake in the divestment-bound carrier Air India (‘Govt looking at options to retain stake in Air India’ February 23). The final Expression of Interest to prospective bidders could turn out to be a Hobson's Choice when there are enough indications that it is keen to have the cake and eat it too. The divestment of Air India is also highly unlikely to be completed before year end. Incidentally, could Emirates be interested in AI?

New Delhi

Gen Bipin Rawat’s latest remark that AIUDF, a regional party, has grown faster than the BJP in Assam was totally unwarranted. It was clearly outside the remit of the army chief. The innuendo that ‘illegal migrants’ form AIUDF’s support base and explain its growth is not lost on anyone.

A serving army chief has to lay his political leanings aside and wear the apolitical hat. Pakistan and China are unlikely to take kindly to the inference that the influx of immigrants from Bangladesh was proxy war by them. Strangely, sections of the media plead the case for leaving the army alone, but do not counsel the army chief on his political pronouncements. The humanitarian problem involving population density or what Rawat regards as ‘population inversion’ and sharing of resources in Assam has to be sorted out by political parties, not the army.

Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

PNB is the second largest PSB in India. If things have gone wrong in one pocket or some pockets, quick corrective action should be taken. But that should not affect the morale of the organisation and no negative signals should emanate about the integrity and trustworthiness of the Indian banking system. Besides, corruption has no reserved constituencies.

Mumbai

‘A multidimensional bank fraud’ by M Sitarama Murthy (February 23) highlights the shift from core banking to fee-based banking. PSB employees spend most of their quality time signing certificates of compliance of multiple guidelines from RBI, CVC, FINMIN. The controlling offices are more interested in submission of reports rather than ensuring compliance of guidelines.

Employees at the lower level have no access to large volume transaction or nor the authority. The responsibility is at the board level. A cursory analysis of the non-interest income earned on LOUs would have raised the red flag.

Madurai

The immediate transfer of staff in sensitive positions, appointment of consultants to dig out the dirt and stopping the issue of LOUs is a band-aid approach. A branch manager may be transferred from one branch to another branch, but still remains in the sensitive position.

Banks should look at building competencies amongst the staff. This will go a long way in arresting fraudulent behaviour. Additionally we need to build an ethics and compliance culture. There are numerous occasions when ‘ethical dilemmas’ crop up and many times, people fall prey to them.

Bengaluru

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