Right to privacy

In a welfare state, the government is supposed to impart quality education to all. However, the government’s failure to do so gives it no right to keep a check on the financial matters of private schools (‘Private schools’ right to privacy’) These schools, as per common knowledge, are providing better education as compared to government schools. Compelling private schools to make their financial statements available in the public domain would negate their right to privacy, recognised as a fundamental right under the Constitution.

RAJIV OHRI, PATIALA

Elitist education

The fact that private schools of Chandigarh have filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the decision asking them to upload their financial statements reveals that there is something fishy about the management of finances and they want to avoid public scrutiny of the capitation fee and other charges. Most schools claiming to provide quality education are fleecing parents and have degenerated into commercial concerns. The term ‘quality education’ is vague. Such schools may outshine government schools in terms of infrastructure like AC classrooms, but in most schools, the staff isn’t outstanding as the idea is to maximise profits by paying minimum salaries. Reasonable restrictions must be imposed on the functioning of private schools and a regulatory mechanism put in place.

Roshan Lal Goel, Ladwa

China in denial mode

The editorial ‘Probing Covid origin’ echoes the sentiments of all nations which have suffered badly due to the pandemic. If China is not cooperating with the investigating agencies, obviously it has more to conceal than to reveal. A Covid-free world is still not in sight. If Wuhan is not the birthplace of Covid-19, China has no reason to deny free access to the agencies to probe the matter. The fear that it stands exposed is haunting China and as such it has been consistently in the denial mode. The probe into the origin of Covid must be brought to its logical conclusion. If China is found guilty, it must be made to pay a heavy price for its wrongdoings.

KV Seetharamaiah, Karnataka

Check overcharging, too

The centralisation of the vaccination policy is a welcome step as it will ease the supply of the vaccines. Having a unified command centre is always better than having many centres. It will surely help the country inoculate its citizens at breakneck speed. The decision on free vaccines will also benefit many people. As far as private hospitals are concerned, there should be strict monitoring on the rates charged by them. People authorised by the state governments should keep a check on the hospitals. Operational helplines should be created by each state government for the citizens to report cases of overcharging.

Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh

Jab for students

Refer to ‘Priority jabs for students who are flying abroad’; the Punjab Government’s initiative is a good decision, but since we have only one vaccine that has been approved by the WHO, those going abroad need Covishield. Many countries have denied entry to people who have been vaccinated with Covaxin. It is a challenge for the government to make Covishield available for the students leaving the country.

Chainsingh tanwar, by mail

Healthcare free of cost

Free vaccination for all is a welcome step by the Central government, and logical, too, amid the rising clamour for it. But we must understand that even if we are not paying for it, someone else is. We should not mind paying for the vaccine if we can afford it. Prevention of a disease comes at a fraction of the cost of the disease itself. And ‘free’ healthcare comes at a formidable price.

Sandeep Chaudhri, Karnal

Double standards

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up the West Bengal Governor and expressed anger over the law and order situation in the state, BJP president JP Nadda said the post-poll violence was reminiscent of Partition days. He brazenly ignored the massacre of Gujarat’s Muslims, who had nothing to do with the Godhra incident in 2002. Modi was then the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The violence continued for days together. Modi’s government failed to maintain peace. The then PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had said he was pained by the killings. He reminded Modi of ‘raj dharma’. Dr Manmohan Singh was not the PM when the anti-Sikh riots took place. Yet, he gracefully apologised in Parliament later. Modi is still devoid of remorse for his failure to quell the anti-Muslim riots.

BHAGWAN SINGH, Qadian

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