Women in leadership role

The selection of Rekha Gupta as Delhi’s chief minister is a testament to the growing leadership role of women. Gupta’s journey from a student leader to the CM’s chair exemplifies dedication, hard work and the power of grassroots politics. Maintaining a low-profile throughout her career, she remained focused on service rather than personal aggrandisement. Her contributions, especially in the field of education as a councillor, reflect her commitment to improving the lives of Delhi’s residents. Being chosen as the chief minister, ignoring heavyweights, symbolises the party’s emphasis on women’s empowerment. She has become an inspiration for women in politics and public life.

Vandana, Chandigarh

Delhi gets new CM

Rekha Gupta as the Delhi CM came as a surprise. Former BJP chief minister Sahib Singh Verma’s son Parvesh Verma, who defeated Arvind Kejriwal, seemed to be the top contender for the post. Rekha defeated three-time AAP MLA Bandana Kumari. She is a grassroots-level worker, having made her way up from the ABVP to the Delhi BJP unit and the BJP Mahila Morcha. The BJP reposed confidence in her also to please the 45 per cent women voters in Delhi. The NCT has been ruled mostly by women CMs; let us see what difference she will make to the life of a common man. Probably, the BJP has got a pliable CM and the main power centre in Delhi will be the L-G Secretariat.

SL Singhal, Noida

Need legally binding regulations

Refer to ‘Split wide open on AI regulations’; the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence demands urgent global regulation to prevent catastrophic consequences. Powerful nations must rise above commercial and geopolitical interests to formulate legally binding regulations. Failure to act now could lead to irreversible damage, with the new technology dictating terms beyond human control. AI’s unchecked development poses risks, from mass job displacement to misinformation and even existential threats. Deepfakes and biased decision-making could spiral out of control without strict international guidelines. A robust global framework is essential to ensure that artificial intelligence aligns with human values, security and sustainability.

Balbir Singh Kakkar, Jalandhar

Women’s condition a paradox

With reference to ‘Beyond slogans’; despite women participating in all spheres of public life, their overall wellbeing remains worrisome. Their status at home and in society remains a great paradox. All school/college merit lists have girls as the majority of the toppers. They have shown excellent results in civil services, armed forces, sports and many other fields. Despite being in power in Haryana for the past over 10 years, the BJP government still hasn’t been able to reverse the skewed sex ratio. How much longer will it take to change the patriarchal mindset?

Deepak Taak, Panchkula

SAD’s politics of expediency

With reference to ‘Akali crisis’; it was the politics of vested interests that resulted in the failure to grab opportunities to revive the derailed state. The SAD enjoyed the trappings of power and its politics of expediency failed to ameliorate the problems of the people of the state. Instead of indulging in a war of words, it should have grasped the changing situation to impart a new focus and seriousness to its shallow politics. ‘Raj nahin sewa’ implies simplicity, cost-effectiveness and above all empathy, in contrast to hasty and rash decisions.

Jagvinder Singh Brar, Patiala

Uncertainty over implementation

Apropos of ‘UGC draft rules limit academic autonomy’; considering the pace at which the UGC has started formulating new rules pertaining to curricula, recruitment of faculty and vice-chancellors, promotions etc, it won’t be able to keep up with their implementation. The New Education Policy was formulated in 2020 and our academicians and administrators are still evaluating its efficacy and how to put it into practice. It would not be an exaggeration to say that there is still an air of confusion regarding its overall implementation.

VK Anand, Chandigarh

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