Refer to ‘Job guarantee is dead, not the degree’; AI is transforming the economics of routine cognitive work, reducing the default advantage once attached to conventional software degrees and management qualifications. However, the value of learning remains intact; what is changing is the nature of skills required in the labour market. In the era of AI, individuals must move towards holistic education, combining knowledge, creativity, ethics, communication skills and practical abilities. Degrees alone cannot ensure employability; updated skills and adaptability are becoming essential. India’s demographic dividend can become a reality only when the market creates meaningful opportunities for skilled youth.
MM Goel, Kurukshetra
Long-term upskilling important
Apropos of ‘Job guarantee is dead, not the degree’; universities must integrate skill-based learning, internships, digital literacy, entrepreneurship and industry partnerships into their academic programmes. Equally important is the need to restore dignity to vocational education. India can reap its demographic dividend only by creating a workforce that values both academic excellence and practical expertise. The future belongs not to degree holders but to lifelong learners who continuously upgrade their skills and contribute meaningfully to society and the economy.
Parvinder Singh, Mohali
Solution to fire tragedies
The loss of 15 young lives in a coaching centre fire in Lucknow is a stark reminder that safety cannot be compromised. A practical and sustainable solution already exists. Thousands of government and private schools with approved infrastructure, fire safety measures, spacious classrooms and open campuses remain largely unused after school hours. Selected schools located in uncongested areas could be permitted to host coaching classes during the evening under strict regulatory oversight. The focus must now shift from reactive enforcement to preventive, long-term reform. While the crackdown on non-compliant coaching centres is necessary, it addresses the symptom rather than the disease.
Col PS Bindra (retd), Karnal
Why rules not implemented?
Refer to ‘Death trap’; the Lucknow fire tragedy brings to the fore the “chalta hai” attitude prevalent in our country. If it was the Delhi guest house fire in the first week of this month, it is Lucknow now and tomorrow it may be somewhere else. There is a repetition of the same cycle — anger, suspension of officials, announcement of compensation and high-level inquiries. If all kinds of laws, rules and regulations are already in place in the country, then why do we fail to implement them in letter and spirit?
Ravinder Kumar Jain, Ludhiana
Robust network needed
Refer to ‘Centre tightens FCRA rules, NGOs must specify purpose of funding’; this step alone is insufficient to completely stop foreign funding of NGOs. It doesn’t eliminate all the channels including the banking platform. Shell companies, hawala, crypto or routing funds through relatives can bypass banking channels. New rules may cut casual misuse or easy tracking but stopping all unwanted foreign funding needs robust interconnected banking, tax, intelligence coordination networking system in place to nail the suspect NGOs or mull a blanket ban on foreign funding to such NGOs except domestic ones for genuine activities permitted under the new guidelines.
Anil Vinayak, Amritsar
Reduced tolerance to daily hassles
Refer to ‘Power cuts and a lesson in resilience’; an electricity outage now unsettles us because we have become accustomed to uninterrupted comfort. Technology has undeniably improved life. Yet an uncomfortable question remains: are we happier, calmer and more resilient? Prosperity has reduced many hardships, but it has also lowered our tolerance for inconvenience. The ability to endure discomfort, adapt to adversity and find contentment without constant technological support remains a valuable life skill. Resilience, as the writer notes, cannot be purchased. It is cultivated through experience, patience and occasional encounters with discomfort.
Harsh Pawaria, Rohtak
