Refer to ‘The wasted tablets of Haryana’; education cannot be reformed through procurement-driven interventions designed for political visibility. When teachers are excluded from decision-making and schools lack autonomy to maintain even basic equipment, digital initiatives are destined to fail. Vijaya Mulay understood that technology is effective only when embedded within strong institutions and confident teaching communities. Institutional strength has been consistently ignored. Unless policymakers move away from spectacle-driven reforms and invest instead in the fundamentals — infrastructure, teacher training and local ownership — India’s schools will remain repositories of discarded devices rather than spaces of meaningful learning.
Gaurav Badhwar, Rohtak
Reckless use of public money
Apropos of ‘The wasted tablets of Haryana’; this is another example of reckless use of public money. The introduction of educational technology in schools is the domain of principals/headmasters working in tandem with teachers. Sadly, such decisions are taken by bureaucrats and politicians. Adequate administrative and financial autonomy should be given to school heads so that they can take decisions regarding the repair and maintenance of gadgets purchased to supplement the school curriculum.
VK Anand, Chandigarh
Electoral integrity
Refer to ‘Red lines on SIR’; the Supreme Court has attempted to balance electoral integrity with procedural fairness in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal. The order clearly underlines the limits placed on micro-observers and reinforces the importance of accountability within the Election Commission’s framework. The focus on trust and transparency is timely in a politically sensitive environment, where public confidence in electoral processes is crucial. This should be strengthened by including specific constitutional provisions, relevant statistical data and references to past judicial precedents.
Sikandar Bansal, Shimla
Let’s stand firm with our soldiers
In a move that strikes at the very heart of our military ethos, a proposed legislation provides income tax exemption to only those defence personnel who are invalided out of service due to a disability. This change casts a dark shadow over a hard-earned right. The disability pension of soldiers who bravely continue to serve despite their injuries will now be taxed. This is not the first attempt to impose such a devastating tax. A similar bid was made in 2019, only to be halted by the Supreme Court, which underscored that an administrative directive cannot override established pension rights. The new restrictions are painfully clear: exemptions will only favour those whose service was cut short by injury, effectively labelling those who remain in uniform with disabilities as secondary citizens in the eyes of their nation. This policy is not merely bureaucratic; it is toxic, regressive and fundamentally unpatriotic. Now more than ever, we must stand firm with our soldiers, ensuring that their valour is rewarded, not penalised. The time has come to ask ourselves: Will we allow this betrayal to continue?
Brig DS Sarao (retd), Chandigarh
Insult to war heroes
Apropos of ‘2 Longewala heroes take on Border for killing them on screen’; movies based on wars fought by our brave soldiers should stick to the facts. Wrongly portraying living soldiers (Naik Jagdev Singh and Havildar Mukhtiar Singh) as martyrs is an insult to them. Worsening their agony, Rajasthan and Punjab governments have not fulfilled their promises of allotting land to them. It is still not too late for these governments to do course correction.
Bal Govind, Noida
Uphold the spirit of cricket
Refer to ‘Back on track’; the decision to go ahead with the India-Pakistan match has brought relief to cricket lovers across the subcontinent. However, the entire episode has revealed how vulnerable cricket in South Asia remains to political tensions and diplomatic strain. While the ICC’s mediation deserves appreciation, repeated disruptions damage the credibility of tournaments and the morale of players and fans alike. There is a pressing need to institutionalise clear protocols that protect sporting events from recurring crises and uphold the spirit of the game.
Charu Sharma, Hoshiarpur
