With reference to ‘Don’t turn RBI into govt’s cash cow’, the Central bank is not the Centre’s ATM. The RBI is not meant to routinely bridge the government’s revenue gaps. Surplus is not free money; it is built from seigniorage, forex gains and interest income, and a large part should be retained as a contingency buffer for the next crisis, whether it is global shocks, bank failures or currency volatility. When the RBI is treated as a dividend machine every May, we are effectively monetising deficits and paving the fiscal highway for future inflation. A Central bank without adequate capital is a fire station without water. Chanakya warned that a kingdom’s strength lies in its treasury and forts; the RBI is the guardian of that treasury.
Capt Amar Jeet (retd), Kharar
Quad to help fill rare-earth gap
Refer to ‘Quad initiative’; the minerals pact between the member nations marks a strategic necessity in an increasingly polarised and resource-driven world. China’s dominance over rare earths and lithium has exposed many nations in the Indo-Pacific region to economic coercion and export curbs. Against this backdrop, India’s deeper cooperation with the US, Japan and Australia is prudent, timely and future-ready. Besides mining projects, the pact includes recycling, financing, geological mapping and fair-trade safeguards. The Quad must ensure the pact’s speedy execution and sustainable mining practices to effectively counter China’s hegemony.
Harbinder S Dhillon, Una
Save Haryana’s agri economy
Refer to ‘Drying Haryana’; the warning signs are already visible in the declining water quality, damaged soil fertility and increasing ecological stress. Temporary measures and delayed policy responses will only worsen the situation. Sustainable farming practices, scientific water management and meaningful crop diversification are now essential for protecting Haryana’s agricultural economy. If timely corrective action is not taken, one of India’s most productive farming regions may gradually transform into a water-stressed and chemically degraded landscape, affecting both present and future generations.
Gaurav Badhwar, Rohtak
Will Bangladesh accept deportees?
Refer to ‘Detect, Delete, Deport: Bengal’s new doctrine’; the West Bengal government already possesses the list of suspected Bangladeshi nationals. They can be immediately handed over to the BSF for deportation to Bangladesh. However, the process is not easy without the agreement of the Bangladesh government to accept these people. The illegal immigrants can be arrested and kept in jails or holding centres till the process to deport them gets completed. Besides, the Bengal government must clarify how many people deleted during the SIR of electoral rolls were found to be illegal immigrants.
Wg Cdr JS Minhas (retd), Mohali
OSM system flawed
The CBSE did not ensure foolproof and flawless evaluation of answer sheets, resulting in anxiety among students and their parents. An ethical hacker’s claims of breaking into the system raised alarm. Without ensuring impregnable hardware and software, the CBSE cannot escape responsibility for ensuring public trust in the system. The existing system of marking answer sheets was working fine, while the half-baked experiment to bring in the On-Screen Marking system has not worked well and must be discontinued.
Brij B Goyal, Ludhiana
No shortcuts in education
Apropos of ‘The high cost of borrowed success’; it is painful yet a true reflection of how unfair practices in education ultimately harm students instead of helping them. Moreover, when students encounter paper leaks, fake candidates and unfair means in exams, they begin to believe that merit does not matter. Education should prepare young people to face real-life challenges independently and confidently. Parents must realise that shortcuts cannot replace hard work.
Vandana, Chandigarh
