Cyber criminals

Refer to ‘AIIMS cyberattack’; the suspected ransomware attack on the servers of India’s prestigious AIIMS is a cause for concern. Cyberattacks on our healthcare industry is on the rise, and are second only to the US, with campaigns launched by hackers from Russia, North Korea and Iran. While the origin of the attack is yet to be known, it is clear that Indian top hospitals are even more vulnerable than their American counterparts. In the world of digitisation, data business is booming for hackers. The attack, believed to be a major one, comes within a month after AIIMS announced that it would go paperless and fully digitised by April 2023. Hospitals should enhance their security system before it is late.

Advertisement

Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai

Judicial reforms

Apropos of ‘Jail before conviction a sort of punishment, rules HC’; life and liberty of citizens are safe, thankfully since enlightened judges are still on the Bench. Noting that the conviction rate in the country is abysmally low, the court observed that imprisonment before conviction was a sort of punishment. It added that if the accused was acquitted after trial, there was no adequate mechanism to compensate him. Read in the proper perspective, this is a clarion call for overhaul of the existing justice delivery system. But it is unfortunate that neither the SC nor the executive has risen to the need for such reforms. It is hoped that the SC would make the justice delivery system more citizen friendly.

Beant Singh Bedi, by mail

G20 presidency too late

Apropos of ‘India’s G20 agenda will be inclusive, decisive’; PM Narendra Modi is the world’s best ‘master event manager’ and his admirers have aptly coined a phrase in his honour ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai’.These words, however, swing like a pendulum depending upon the perceptions of different people about his performance and preferences on the ground. His articles on G20 with same contents have appeared in all newspapers with his photograph, much like Baba Ramdev’s ‘Patanjali’ advertisements. He has moved from ‘Mann ki Baat’ to open talk through print media. Honour of G20 presidency to a demographically big country like India has come too late. His performance in an important world body will be keenly watched. And, if he does some miracle, he can soon be tipped as ‘Vishwa Guru’.

BM Singh, Amritsar

No need to overreact

Refer to ‘Kashmir Files row’; we have already got an overdose of controversies, unhealthy debates, and vulgar blame games over the film. Some sections projected the film as the one that served the cause of Kashmiri Pandits by highlighting their ordeal, which was not the case, as is evident from the continuous suffering and anguish of the Pandits. Many opined that the film fanned communal sentiments and hatred in an already volatile situation. The comments of the Israeli chairman of the jury of the International Film Festival of India on the film should have been seen in the cinematic context and played down in the host country. Retaliatory reaction lacked prudence, poise, patience, and maturity. The Israeli ambassador’s rebuff of Nadav Lapid, welcomed by many here, was misplaced since only a film was criticised, and not our nation.

Hira Sharma, by mail

Pension scheme

Apropos of the article ‘Retracing steps on pension’; it is indeed the need of the hour that the government should focus on critically evaluating the present pension scheme and come up with measures to make it more efficient and productive. It is the moral and ethical responsibility of the government to provide a secure future to the people of the country. A nation can progress only if its citizens have a sense of security. The government should come up with reformative policies which can instil confidence among the citizens and enable them to work with dedication and commitment.

Sumita Kanwar, Yamunanagar

Withdrawing scholarship

Reference to ‘Modi govt robbing poor students of scholarships: Cong’; if it is true, then the government’s decision to stop scholarship to minority community students is unfortunate. Also, it seems that the government’s privatisation policy of the Railways, airports, PSU banks, insurance, etc., may render millions of educated youth jobless, especially from STs/SCs/OBC categories. If the government wants to take away reservation, it should do it through legislation, instead of doing it the privatisation way.

ROOP SINGH NEGI, Solan

Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit. These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribunemail.com