missile firing incident
Pakistan’s response to the explanation given by India regarding the accidental firing of the missile that ended in the neighboring country cannot be regarded as exaggerated or far-fetched, as was done from a hostile country that Pakistan is (p. 1, March 13 ) In fact the lame explanation being offered in an attempt to downplay the incident – and quite embarrassingly for India – equates to ham-handed handling of the weapon. Steps must be taken to prevent the recurrence of such serious lapses in the nuclear weapons environment.
Ayyassery Rabindranath,
Aranmula, Kerala
It is very hard to believe that a missile can be ‘accidentally fired’. It is indeed a coincidence that no damage was done. What if it had landed in a populated town or city? Pakistan could easily claim that it was an act of war, which had some very unpleasant consequences. The government should be clear on whether the missile’s controls were hacked. In a nuclear-rich environment, such a mistake could mean an unimaginable degree of death and destruction.
Anthony Henriques,
Mumbai
India has handled the situation with great care and utmost responsibility and has expressed regret. And Pakistan too has shown maturity by understanding the gravity of the situation and even asking their Indian counterparts to explore the possibility of a joint investigation. The matter may be resolved.
Anjana Kumari,
Bhadroya, Nurpur, Himachal Pradesh
Ukrainian students
While it is a matter of relief that Indian students were safely evacuated from Ukraine, there is a matter of further concern. His future is at stake and it will be a challenge to complete his course amidst the confusion. Withdrawals have only brought to light the problems and challenges that need to be addressed in medical education. Money and politics play a part in this. There is an expectation that state and central governments will have steps in place to ensure that the way forward is secure for these students (‘Tamil Nadu’, “Getting a Medical Degree from a War Zone”, March 13).
Suhirti Queen,
Karur, Tamil Nadu
self-calculation
It is in the fitness of things and in line with the pace of Digital India that “citizens can calculate themselves [the] Next Census” (page 1, March 13). This will speed up the process which was stalled due to COVID-19. The only drawback may be the authenticity of the data and information provided by the individuals.
K Nehru Patnaik,
Visakhapatnam
EVMs ‘blame-game’
The results of the assembly elections have stunned the opposition parties. Even before the counting of votes began, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav started sowing seeds of doubts about electronic voting machines, with the West Bengal chief minister coming up with a similar line. It is shocking that how these leaders accept EVMs when their parties win but when these parties lose it is very important.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) gave an opportunity to the opposition and critics to prove that EVMs can be tampered with. But none of them had the courage to do so. It is expected that the Election Commission will act diligently and prevent the spread of misinformation.
MRG Murthy,
Mysore
unjust cut
It is shocking that the Central Board of Trustees of the EPFO has recommended a cut in the interest rate on retirement savings (page 1, March 13, 13). Lakhs of employees and employees are working hard in various fields and going through a lot of difficulty but still hoping to earn reasonable returns to help them after retirement. This move may help the central government, but it is injustice and injustice to the employees. The government has been generous in writing off public sector bank loans when there have been willful defaults; We still don’t know the names of the criminals! Therefore, the government should respect the working people and maintain the current interest rate.
M Govindraj,
Gudiyatham, Tamil Nadu
Over time, EPF has become the only savings fund with some value because of its rate of interest. Any reduction in this will have an impact on the working class. If the objective is to save money, then steps like government pension and imposing a ceiling on multiple pensions can be thought of. The basic objective of post retirement pension is to remain financially self-sufficient and not to help a person maintain a lavish lifestyle! The statistics of many pensioners are eye-opening. In our country, there is no viable financial security system for the marginalized people and those in need of a good EPF post retirement.
Ravi Bhushan,
Kurukshetra, Haryana