The civilian leadership must realise the seriousness of cross-border terrorism (‘Risk all to win all’ by Bidanda Chengappa, June 16). The casualties resulting from cross-border terrorism nearly equals the casualties suffered in a major war. In penetrative strikes on terrorist camps in POK, the aim must be to destabilise training infrastructure. The Security Council recognises cross-border strikes as a legitimate option to destabilise terror organisations. It’s high time India showed it was serious about defending its borders. However, we should avoid chest-thumping after every operation.

Gaurav Singhal

Delhi

The covert operation in Myanmar had the cooperation of that government. The Indian government should not have leaked the information. Such matters must be kept secret, but the government wanted to show off. The Pakistan problem should be solved politically.

CR Arun

Email

What lies within

With regard to the editorial, ‘Paper chase’ (June 16), we don’t have any mechanism to do a background check of candidates. We need to get all universities together and have a portal built for verification. But the fundamental question is do we require paper certification or is the character of the individual and intellectual skills sufficient? We need the right attitude, dedication, sincerity, honesty and ethics to ensure success in any job. No degree ensures fire-fighting abilities, leadership skills, team management and keeping stakeholders happy. These come from within.

Kamal Anil Kapadia

Mumbai

If Maharastra alone can have as many as 51,576 fake degree-holders, and remember that is the officially disclosed figure, the situation is really grim. What Nasscom has done for the IT sector needs to be replicated in other sectors so that skills become parallel to degrees. Hopefully then we will see a reduction in fake degree cases.

Bal Govind

Noida, Uttar Pradesh

What about undertrials?

The opposition parties cannot be faulted for putting Sushma Swaraj in the dock as her explanation that humanitarian consideration made her help Lalit Modi does not hold water. As a minister, it is expected that she will not give precedence to feelings over duties. The fact that her daughter was a legal counsel to Lalit Modi adds weight to the charges of misdemeanour. There are innumerable undertrials languishing in our prisons who are unjustifiably cut off from their families due to the insensitivity of the system. Why is it that the plight of such people does not evoke a humanitarian response?

Manohar Alembath

Kannur, Kerala

Steeped in toxins

While the authorities have been right in cracking the whip on Nestlé for betraying consumers’ trust they would do well to spread the net far and wide and bring a lot of other food items under the scanner. When was the last time we gorged on something without fear of it being contaminated or adulterated? Our milk and oil do not conform to Indian standards, apples are waxed, watermelons injected with chemicals, mangoes ripened with calcium carbide, eggs contaminated with E.coli, fruits, vegetables and grains sprayed with generous quantities of pesticides, and taste enhancers and preservatives used in almost every packaged food product. Gone are the days when we drank water straight from the tap or ate pesticide-free fruits, vegetables and cereals without blinking an eye. Even the air around us is polluted and there are toxins galore everywhere. Heaven save us!

NJ Ravi Chander

Bengaluru

Education counts

The article, ‘Entrepreneurs who didn’t go by the book’ by Meera Siva (June 16) raises the important issue of whether education is a must for succeeding as an entrepreneur. The essential point is that entrepreneurship requires a set of personality attributes like being a visionary, a risk-taker, daring, creative, capable of putting in long hours of work, unfazed by setbacks. Our education system does not promote this attitude.

However, it seems logical that those bestowed with these traits could benefit more through education as it would replace learning by trial and error. Probably that is one reason why the first generation of Indian entrepreneurs such as Dhirubhai Ambani made sure their children were well educated before trying them in the business.

YG Chouksey

Pune

Success story

Chennai girl NL Zephine Beno has done the nation proud by being the first fully visually- challenged woman to crack the civil services exam. As Dr Kalam says, “Only small aim is the biggest crime.” Zephine has proved to the world what Walt Disney used to say: “All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.” Her inspiring success story will ignite the minds of many young differently-abled aspirants.

TS Karthik

Chennai

Medical entrance drill

The scrapping of AIPMT 2015 (medical entrance test) and orders to re-conduct it reveals widespread corruption. Admission to a single MBBS seat means lakhs changing hands, and the influential resort to all sorts of illegal means. The leakage of question papers and manipulation of rank lists are often carried out denying opportunities to the poor and the bright. Those who are behind this large-scale cheating should be brought to book. However, it is a fierce drill for all the 6.3 lakh students and their patents to face another AIPMT.

KA Solaman,

Alappuzha, Kerala

Railways and growth

Goa is home to two railway zones, operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation and the South Central Railway. The SCR lines terminate at Vasco da Gama railway station. This is a major transit route for transportation of iron ore, coal and other cargo which arrives by sea at the Mormugao port. Doubling SCR’s track will increase the tourism potential of the State and also boost industrial growth.

A diesel locomotive unit is intended to be set up by Indian Railways at Marhowra, Bihar, on a JV basis. It also aims to fit 17,000 bio-toilets in 4,250 coaches during 2015-16 to keep the tracks free from faecal matter. One bio-toilet costs ₹0.75 lakh, and 60,000 coaches together cost ₹2,000 crore at the current cost. This year IR will procure 8,500 wagons, of which orders for 1,800 have been released. The procurement price is expected to be about ₹10 lakh a wagon.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has started procuring solar energy @₹6/unit, approximately, and claims that the tariff will remain the same for the next 25 years. The DMRC had entered into about 5-6 power purchase agreements (PPAs) through open bidding. Solar panels on train roofs to supply power for light and fans are also being experimented with.

Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRCL) expects to make the first phase of the proposed East West Metro railway services operational within three years. Out of the 15 km stretch, the first 8 km will be completed by June 2018. The first phase of the project will connect the IT hub of Salt Lake, in the east, to the city's central part, Sealdah. The second phase will connect the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah, covering a stretch of about 7 km between Sealdah, in central Kolkata, and Howrah Maidan, west of Kolkata.

TV Jayaprakash

Palakkad, Kerala

Errata

* In our recommendation on Bajaj Electricals (Our Call, ‘A good long-term bet’, June 15) the company’s net loss for FY15 was wrongly mentioned as ₹1395 crore. The actual loss was ₹13.95 crore. The error is regretted.

* In the news report, ‘Infosys hopeful of beating Nasscom's guidance this fiscal’ (June 4), Nasscom's guidance for FY16 was wrongly stated as 12-13 per cent. The correct guidance is 12-14 per cent. The error is regretted.

(Send your letters by email to bleditor@thehindu.co.in or by post to ‘Letters to the Editor’, The Hindu Business Line, Kasturi Buildings, 859-860, Anna Salai, Chennai 600002.)

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