Freebies menace

Recently, the SC made scathing oral observations about the trend of various state govts announcing “freebies” ahead of elections and said that this phenomenon would hamper the long-term economic development of the country. The apex court termed the practice of giving out state benefits indiscriminately to the public without drawing any distinction between those who can afford them and those who cannot as nothing but “appeasement, which is not conducive to the economic development of the country.” 

Ramswarth Acharya, Thane

Courageous act 

P Jayasankar, inspector of police at the Sethiyathope Police Station in Cuddalore, is reported to have lodged a complaint with the Registrar General of the Madras Court stating that the ‘orderly system’ is still prevalent in the department despite a ban order by the court and that the undertaking given by the DGP to the court that no such system is in vogue is incorrect. While the inspector deserves praise for his courage, the court should immediately take the DGP to task.

V.S. Jayaraman, Chennai

Narrow thinking

The shock some students felt upon encountering a biographical sketch question on Mohanlal in their Higher Secondary English paper speaks less about the difficulty of the task and more about how narrowly we have trained young minds to think. While Shakespeare is syllabus-approved, a four-decade cinema icon, who has shaped the cultural imagination of an entire generation, is considered an exotic outlier. 

K. Chidanand Kumar, Bengaluru

CTBT limitation

Apropos the report ‘US claims China did an N-test in 2020’. It seems any treaty like the CTBT can have a limited purpose in the long run. So the matter may be seen in the context of the upgradation that nuclear weapons trajectory demands. In contrast, the US president himself has admitted that the US does have secret weapons which could stump the enemies. As the world does not know about them, it cannot be said if they fall in the category of banned weapons.

Parag Deshmukh, Thane

Social justice

There are races, classes and religions in the world that are still deprived of an equal and fair access to education, healthcare and employment opportunities. Social justice aims at correcting this. A robust social justice system encompasses social integration, equal employment opportunities, and poverty eradication. The theme “Social protection and decent work for all” for the 2026 “Social Justice Day” concentrates on practical policies that help build resilient societies. 

Dr Ganapathi Bhat, Akola

Galgotia’s robot dog attacks its master at the AI Summit

The recent news about Galgotias being shunted out of the AI Summit has sparked a necessary debate on transparency in academic forums. Showcasing imported technology as original work, even inadvertently, affects credibility and public trust. Institutions must ensure that their representatives are properly briefed and that exhibits are clearly labelled. Event organisers should also verify entries in advance. The conveners may further clarify whether there was any compulsion on educational institutions to participate. Clear communication and fair guidelines will help avoid misunderstandings and uphold the integrity of such important academic platforms.

K. Sakunthala, Coimbatore