Letters to the editor

Your leader, 8216;Educating Congress8217; and M.R. Madhavan8217;s 8216;How not to get Harvard8217; IE, July 19, are welcome in the context of the abysmal standards of higher education in the country...

Mission education

8226; Your leader, 8216;Educating Congress8217; and M.R. Madhavan8217;s 8216;How not to get Harvard8217; IE, July 19, are welcome in the context of the abysmal standards of higher education in the country, which in turn are leading to a skill shortage. Your editorial touches the heart of the matter when you refer to the presence of Arjun Singh in the cabinet. Singh wants to curb the autonomy of high-profile institutions like the IIMs just because they receive some grants from the Centre, by first tinkering with the appointments of their directors. With such preoccupations, he won8217;t even ensure retention of well-qualified academics in institutions of higher learning. And do you believe that he will allow foreign universities, if and when they are established here, without imposing restrictions on them, given his lack of commitment to quality education? As for the Left parties, Singh has been using them to further his own political agenda. As for Madhavan8217;s piece, I have one disagreement. Let us remember that education, at all times, is a mission. There is no point in having foreign universities if their only objective is to make money.

8212; Prasad Malladi, Nidadavole

Haneef special?

8226; What is so special about Dr Mohammed Haneef that the government is going overboard to prove his innocence? If he is innocent, he will be proved innocent. It has been rightly highlighted in your editorial 8216;Haneef and his country8217;, IE, July 18 that there is no mistaking the purposefulness in Australia8217;s efforts to unearth the terror network. We can8217;t vouch for the fact that there are no terrorists in India, and proof of this lies in the fact that the convicts of Mumbai blasts are, unfortunately, not from a foreign country. It would, therefore, be appropriate to let Dr Haneef come clean after due process and not under pressure.

8212; N. N. Srivastava, New Delhi

Electric pyre

8226; This refers to Coomi Kapoor8217;s piece, 8216;Burial rights8217; The Sunday Express, July 15. I think political leaders and their family members should switch over to an electric crematorium instead of firewood, with the ashes of the departed soul being taken to his or her place of birth if so desired. Please note that almost 30 per cent of Christians in America are using electric crematoria, instead of burying their dead as was traditionally the case. This is because land in cemeteries has become very costly. We, too, should change with the times.

8212; Dalip Singh Ghuman, Chandigarh