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The Hindu
06-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Letters to The Editor — July 7, 2025
Alert over Nipah Once again, Nipah arrives, uninvited — Kerala's most persistent and punctual monsoon guest. While the Health Department's rapid containment is commendable, disease recurrence reflects gaps in epidemic foresight and community-level preparedness. Must we always greet viruses with press meets and panic? It is time our public health strategy moved from reactive mode to a resilience model. Until then, Nipah seems more punctual than policy. Azim Parayangattil, Vadakkekad, Thrissur, Kerala Trade deal with the U.S. India's upcoming interim trade deal with the U.S. may sound promising, but who truly benefits from it? Are we safeguarding our farmers, or are we silently surrendering to economic pressure? Can India's small-scale agricultural backbone withstand a flood of imports? And, are we evaluating national interest through long-term stability, or through short-term headlines? Trade must not be rushed under foreign influence. We need clarity, consultation, and care before we sign. Hasnain Rabbani, Mumbai A heave of 86.18 m Congrats to Neeraj Chopra, India's ace javelin thrower, who scripted history by winning the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic title ('Sport' page, July 6). We wish him all success. R. Sampath, Chennai
Hans India
10-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
MyVoice: Views of our readers 10th June 2025
US stares at crisis of conscience Scenes of personnel from the National Guard patrolling the streets of Los Angeles over immigration protests come across as a chilling image. Is this law enforcement or intimidation? These protests aren't random—they are desperate cries for dignity and reform. Clamping down may silence voices but not solve the crisis. Isn't America, the land of immigrants, turning against its roots? Borders need policies, not boots. Protesters demand humanity, not handcuffs. But will Washington ever listen without reaching for weapons first? Hasnain Rabbani, Mumbai Depositors bearing the repo cut brunt The 0.50 bps repo rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has forced banks to cut the deposit rates, including savings bank rates, by 0.50 per cent would render more harm to the depositors, especially the senior citizens who depend more on the interest earned on their deposits for their monthly expenses. This is a very harsh step on the part of banks. Depositors are denied more benefits and additional liability to pay taxes on the income earned. This should be removed. It will be in the fitness of things if senior citizens are provided a 10 or 11 per cent unchanged rate that is not linked to the apex bank's rate cuts. The lesser margin on interest earned on advances and interest paid to depositors is not the only reason for reduction of interest earned on advances. There are serious other factors-NPAs, which do not earn interest income, and loss of heavy interest income in the case of compromise proposals. Take the recent case of Bhushan Steel company wherein the lender lost a huge income loss because of a recent Supreme Court judgement. Another factor is write-offs, which on average runs into lakhs of crores of rupees every year, which, at the end of the day is loss of income. It is a tad unfortunate that instead of setting right the lacunae, banks are reducing the already low interest rates on deposits. One hopes that there would be a stable rate of interest to senior citizens and help them live happily. TSN Rao, Manager (Retd) Indian Bank, AS Rao nagar branch, Hyderabad Rate cut and growth The generous rate cut by the RBI may cheer the stock markets for some time but on the ground the growth prospects of the manufacturing sector may not pick up momentum due to the inadequate credit resources. We need to spur domestic demand first by focusing on employment generation in labour intensive sectors to counter job loss. Employment has taken a beating due to mechanization both in manufacturing and agriculture, which necessitates that we discourage monopolies. We also must promote proactive non-farm-based rural employment in village clusters. Brij B Goyal, Ludhiana Law for loudspeaker use should be equal for all If loudspeakers must be discontinued for Azaan in India, the same should apply for festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri. During these two festivals, loud music is played during the wee hours, which disturbs the sleep of patients and old people. I hope the court and the police department take note of this. Jubel D'Cruz, Mumbai India's rare earth supply crisis China's rare earth export restrictions, imposed in April have disrupted India's supply chains, particularly affecting neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets, which are vital for electric vehicle (EV) motors, defence systems, and aerospace applications. India, despite holding 6.9 million tonnes of rare earth reserves, remains 100 per cent import-dependent for most critical minerals, making the transition to self-reliance a long-term challenge. The auto industry, warned by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), faces potential production halts by late June while the electronics sector including smartwatches and wireless earbuds, is bracing for shortages and price hikes. The defence sector, reliant on rare earths for missile guidance systems and radar technologies, is also vulnerable. With China controlling 90 per cent of global rare earth processing, India's strategic response includes securing alternative supplies from Vietnam, the US, and Australia, alongside domestic initiatives to boost rare earth magnet production. To counter these disruptions, India is accelerating domestic rare earth processing and drafting a fiscal incentive scheme to bridge the cost gap between local and Chinese-made magnets. Apart from Midwest Advanced Materials Private Ltd's commencement of commercial production within six months, the National Critical Mineral Mission, launched in April, underscores India's commitment to achieving self-reliance in strategic minerals. However, sustained investment and policy support will be crucial for success. While these initiatives mark significant progress, India's transition away from Chinese dependence will take time, requiring a combination of government intervention, private sector investment, and international collaborations to secure a stable supply chain. Amarjeet Kumar, Hazaribagh
Hans India
19-05-2025
- General
- Hans India
MyVoice: Views of our readers 19th May 2025
Hyd fire-a chilling reminder of urban neglect The massive fire in Hyderabad that claimed 17 lives on Sunday is yet another reminder of our urban neglect. We build tall dreams on weak foundations—no fire exits, no alarms, no accountability. Safety norms go for a toss. The authorities conduct 'post-tragedy' inspections and in no time forget all about the tragedy that could have been avoided in the first place. People rent or buy properties without even finding out if safety measures are in place. Are we all not complicit? Fire safety in India remains a joke until it kills. We are virtually waiting for disaster to strike. Why are we still ignoring fire codes? Why are illegal structures still rising unchecked? India needs not just infrastructure but consciousness. Can we afford to sleep until flames awaken us? Hasnain Rabbani, Mumbai Buildings in narrow lanes forever at risk It is quite shocking that 17 persons have lost their lives in a major fire mishap near Charminar in Hyderabad on Sunday. Buildings with narrow exits and entrances in an overcrowded area are vulnerable to disasters. It seems that the immediate deployment of fire brigade and rescue operations could not avert the great human loss caused by asphyxia. A very tragic incident. Dr DVG Sankara Rao, Former MP, Vizianagaram-535003 Despite ISRO setback, eyes still on the stars The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)'s PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission could not be accomplished on Sunday due to a technical glitch. Although it appears to be a failure, it serves as an opportunity to learn and move towards further improvement. ISRO's past successes are a testament to its capability, commitment and continuous development. Organisations should test the soundness of the technology that is in use more closely before each launch. Efforts should be made to promote international collaboration so that future missions are more sustainable. Temporary failures, if linked to research and improvement, become the basis for future successes. Mohammad Asad, Mumbai A blow to ISRO's calculations ISRO's 101st mission from Sriharikota, an earth observation satellite onboard the agency's trusted PSLV rocket, could not be accomplished on Sunday following a pressure issue in the third stage of the launch vehicle. Although, the PSLV had a textbook lift-off at the prefixed time of 5.59 am, the mission objectives, however, could not be achieved. The PSLV is a four-stage vehicle and up to the second stage, the performance was normal. The third stage motor started perfectly but developed a problem and the mission could not be accomplished, stated ISRO chairman V. Narayanan. It is a setback to calculations as this all-weather, round-the-clock imaging is vital for applications ranging from agriculture and forestry monitoring to disaster management, urban planning and national security. Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai Remembering the 'Father of water management and agriculture' Every May 18 is a reminder of the engineering genius Dr KL Rao, who passed away on this day in 1986. Under his visionary leadership many dams were constructed across rivers, including the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, Srisailam Dam, Pulichintala Dam (also known as KL Rao Sagar). These projects generated electricity, helped channelise water for irrigation and helped us control floods. He was Union Minister for Irrigation and Power for ten years from 1963 to 1973. Andhra University honoured him with a Doctorate in 1960, while the Government of India honoured the distinguished personality with the Padma Bhushan. He is reverentially hailed as the 'Father of water management and agriculture'. Kantamsetti LakshmanRao, Visakhapatnam Heed SC plea for POCSO-centric courts The Supreme Court has asked the Union and State governments to create dedicated courts for handling POCSO cases on a priority basis. This direction shows that the apex court is quite concerned about protecting children from falling victims to sexual offences. It is a very regretful irony that children must live in fear of such barbaric acts. A country will never grow if its children feel insecure. The governments must create dedicated courts on a priority basis. This can help in speedy disposal of such cases, in punishing the perpetrators and shed the fear-psychosis that haunts innocent children. Abdullah Jameel, Mumbai
