Refer to ‘Speedy trial’; the Supreme Court’s scathing criticism of institutional apathy is a wake-up call to do course correction. Disposal of a 35-year-old criminal case of simple hurt and criminal intimidation shows that all is not well with the Indian judicial system. The rot is deeper. The fixing of the timeline by the apex court for disposal of cases by the high courts and the lower judiciary is being observed more in breach than in compliance. As a result, the undertrials are rotting in jails. During the trial of a case, an accused, who is innocent, undergoes immense mental stress and agony, till the case reaches its logical end. It adds to his woes which cannot be compensated in terms of money. The need of the hour is expeditious disposal of cases by cutting down on unnecessary adjournments and administrative action against the judges who are found wanting in conducting speedy trial of cases.
MD Sharma, Shimla
Justice delivery a long haul
Apropos of ‘Speedy trial’; there is something horribly wrong with our justice delivery system as it takes a lot of time to pronounce the final judgment. The Supreme Court has passed a landmark verdict while quashing an over three-decade-old criminal case against a police official bringing his prolonged ordeal to an end. As a matter of fact, it was a simple case which could have been decided within a short period. A brawl among constables over food in a police mess had led to the registration of a case of simple hurt. Despite the court pointing out that the right to speedy trial is everybody’s right, yet such things happen.
Subhash C Taneja, Gurugram
Even disabled soldiers pay tax
Refer to ‘Modi must tax the rich, not just middle class’; business houses involved in import-export business hardly get impacted or taxed by the government. Even the loans/NPAs amounting to thousands of crores taken by business houses get written off by banks on the recommendation of the government. The West Asia crisis has increased the cost of energy supply for all and not only the middle class. Middle-class salaried employees, including disabled soldiers, have even been paying tax on their pensions, while windfall gains tax has eluded exporters.
Wg Cdr JS Minhas (retd), Mohali
Reward legacy or follow protocol
PR Sreejesh’s exit as hockey coach, despite podium finish in five tournaments and a Junior World Cup bronze, lays bare Indian hockey’s core dilemma: do we reward legacy or hide behind protocol? Hockey India calls it a contract expiry, not a dismissal. Sreejesh brought unmatched consistency when Indian hockey needed it the most. Still, the top job went elsewhere. Foreign expertise has merit, but when proven, domestic success is answered with apprenticeship, that sends a clear signal: Indian coaches must keep proving themselves, while outsiders are presumed battle-ready. If 2036 is the vision, consistent success must be the only metric. Sreejesh earned that trust. The system must learn to keep it.
Gurcharan Singh Gill, Chandigarh
Foolproof exam system elusive
Refer to ‘Heads must roll’; the NEET paper leak in 2024 and again in 2026 indicates fundamental flaws in National Testing Authority (NTA), which was established about a decade back. Even though the NTA has highlighted its use of technology-driven safeguards, the alleged leakage of question papers before the examination shows that a foolproof system remains elusive. After the 2024 paper leak, the Centre had constituted a committee, but the agency is yet to completely implement the digital-first approach.
Mona Singh, Amritsar
Give NEET to states
The NEET imbroglio has shattered the trust and confidence of lakhs of students as well as their parents in the NTA, which needs to be dissolved immediately. The states should be given autonomy to conduct their own medical entrance tests. Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should own responsibility and resign to restore the credibility of the examination system and pave the way for a fair inquiry.
SK Khosla, Chandigarh