Letters To The Editor

The sun shines on our land for eight months in a year but none of the scientific organisations controlled by the Indian government has ever bothered to work on the solar energy. After the trip of Apollo 11 in 1969 it became clear that there is not a single precious metal on the moon. And even if there is any what good is that to our immediate needs. If anything, it is not the moon the crores of common men are asking for. They are asking for free water, cheap but nourishing food, cheap and continuously available electricity.

8212; Hansraj Bhat, Mumbai

Excess against merit

8226; The IMA8217;s decision to support the spontaneous strike IE, May 13 in Delhi by medical students over introduction of additional 27 per cent reservation in admissions for OBCs is understandable. The competition in the field of medical education, especially at the post-graduate level, is cut-throat and the proposed reservation shall further restrict access of merit to super-specialty courses. The silence of the political parties, both ruling and opposition, shows that they are more interested in vote-bank politics than in quality education. Such a policy may lead to brain-drain and gradual death of what has come to be known as medical tourism in India.

8212; J.M. Manchanda Delhi

Quota calibre

8226; The people of India have a right to know what expert hands they are entrusting their lives, property and business to. A method therefore must be devised whereby one readily knows the calibre of the professionals one is going to engage. I might suggest here that reservation quota entries must mention the mode of their selection and letters of such selection must mention their professional degrees so that a citizen knows their worth. Also it will be morally correct that HRD Minister Arjun Singh and other reservation supporters must avail themselves of the services of the reservation quota professionals only.

8212; M.M.P. Kala Dehra Dun

Why?

8226; The deputy CM of Maharashtra, R.R. Patil 8216;All doors shut, Naik to surrender8217;, IE, May 13 deliberately delayed the arrest of the convicted minister, Swarupsinh Naik, on May 12 itself when the Supreme Court had rejected the final review plea. There was sufficient time to issue the arrest warrant and obtain the mandatory court seal before the court was to close for the day. The arrest could have been made at the airport itself when his flight from Delhi landed in the evening. Similarly, why was the additional chief secretary, Ashok Khot, suspended first and then arrested whereas he should have been mandatorily suspended once he is in jail for at least 40 hours?

8212; Sameer Kumar New Delhi

Brand Buddha

8226; Defying the anti-incumbency logic time and again, West Bengal has turned out to be a psephologist8217;s nightmare. If Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee8217;s economic reforms have made him ride the populist wave, then credit must also go to the dysfunctional and disunited opposition, which hardly had an agenda except to harp on the 8216;scientific rigging8217; factor. The Left8217;s landslide victory says that the people have supported Brand Buddha and its vision of a better Bengal.

8212; Abhishek Law, Kolkata