Apropos of ‘New doctrines, old dangers’; military strength alone cannot guarantee lasting peace in the region. While strong responses to terror attacks may boost national confidence, the real challenge lies in preventing repeated cycles of hostility that keep border states and ordinary citizens under constant stress. National security must be matched with diplomatic clarity, intelligence coordination and long-term regional stability. Public debate should move beyond chest-thumping and focus on how India can remain both secure and strategically mature. A powerful nation is not one that reacts the loudest, but one that manages crises with restraint and foresight.
Amit Kumar, Rajpura
Women’s safety beyond slogans
Refer to ‘Another gangrape’; authorities must immediately strengthen monitoring of private transport services, ensure strict background verification of drivers and conductors, and instal real-time GPS surveillance in commercial vehicles. More importantly, women’s safety must move beyond slogans and symbolic measures. A society that cannot guarantee safe public spaces for women fails in its basic duty of justice and humanity. Real change will come only when accountability becomes a continuous process, laws are enforced without compromise, objectification of women stops and young boys are sensitised towards women’s position in society.
Gaurav Badhwar, Rohtak
India’s exam-obsessed education
Refer to ‘Is India becoming one big exam centre’; the system’s obsession with security measures, encrypted question sets and surveillance address the problem only at the surface level. The academic environment stifles curiosity, pushing students into rote learning and exam-centric thinking. The writer offers a glimmer of hope: integrating practical projects, credit for extracurricular engagement and IT-enabled, foolproof question repositories could shift the focus from fear to competence. Education should be about cultivating analytical skills, resilience and innovation, not merely navigating a gauntlet of exams. We must ensure that examinations serve as a tool, not become a tormentor.
Sanjeev Kumar Garg, Rampura Phul
Computer-based exam better
The National Testing Agency is conducting computer-based entrance exams in most other fields, except for the most prestigious and noteworthy National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Making it computerised on the pattern of the JEE Main exam, which is held in multiple sessions with different online papers, will help. It will improve the overall efficiency of the examination process, thereby increasing students’ satisfaction. Although computer systems are not immune to malpractice, these issues can be mitigated by using enhanced AI models.
Varinder pal Singh, Patiala
Let AIIMS Delhi hold NEET
The government’s decision to entrust an important task of conducting national-level exams to an autonomous body, the National Testing Agency (NTA), is questionable. The students’ demand for getting the exam conducted by AIIMS Delhi is genuine. Merely registering cases against suspects or unscrupulous elements, is nothing more than an eyewash. Under the current circumstances, the Union Education Minister has no right to stay in office. After all, the lives of lakhs of students are at stake.
Raj Kumar Kapoor, Ropar
Need early warning system
Apropos of ‘Man flung 50 ft into air as fierce storm kills 104 in UP’; nature’s fury cannot always be stopped, but timely preparedness can certainly reduce the scale of devastation. The first necessity is a stronger and faster warning system. Weather alerts through mobile phones, television, radio and loudspeakers must reach people hours before a storm strikes. Local administrations should identify old buildings, unsafe electric lines and vulnerable trees beforehand. Public awareness is equally important. Climate change is making extreme weather conditions more frequent and severe. Therefore, disaster management can no longer remain limited to relief efforts after a tragedy strikes. Investment in resilient infrastructure, scientific forecasting and public education can offer lasting solutions.
Vandana, Chandigarh