More green, please

Sir ? It was good to see Laxmipathy Balaji knocking over the Pakistani wickets in the first day of the test match at Mohali (?I worked really hard and it has paid off?, Mar 9). But despite his good showing, poor Balaji may find himself on the sidelines for the next two games, considering the dustbowls that await the teams in Calcutta and Chennai. Balaji?s performance ought to make us realize that Indian speedsters are as good as our spinners when it comes to winning matches. All they need is truer pitches which would assist them in going about their jobs. Come to think of it, greener tracks would also help Indian batsmen ? known for their mastery over spin bowling ? handle fast bowlers with equal ease on tour. After all, what is the point of having bowling academies with expensive coaches when their wards, once selected, are made to toil on brown, lifeless tracks ?

Yours faithfully,
Laxman Singhania, Calcutta

Tilted scales

Sir ?P. Chidambaram is surely counting his blessings from working women and senior citizens after raising their income tax exemption levels (?More money in salaried pockets?, Mar 1). But other than the elderly and women professionals, few would be happy with his decision. Taxation is a tool in the hand of the government for promoting equality and justice. But that has not been the case, at least in this budget.

Most women taxpayers in India belong to ?double income households? where the husband and the wife both hold jobs. And under the new regulations, a double income household would enjoy a bigger exemption (Rs1 lakh for the husband and Rs 1.25 lakh for the wife ) in the assessment of taxes on the family income compared to their single income counterparts. Instead of increasing the threshold level for women taxpayers, the government would have been better off providing incentives to housewives in recognition of the hardships they face while running an Indian family.

Yours faithfully,
Tapan Pal, Batanagar

Sir--- The finance minister?s decision to raise the basic income tax exemption limit to Rs 1.25 lakh for women, as against Rs 1 lakh for men, is perhaps an attempt to remain politically correct even while computing our taxes. One feels like asking P. Chidambaram whether employed Indian men spend their salaries on the upkeep of only the menfolk of their family? Similarly, women, who are often the sole bread-earners in many families, also spend their incomes to take care of every family member, irrespective of their gender. Thus, the logic behind introducing such a sop for women employees alone is confounding. It is a pity that the finance minister chose to overlook the pitfalls of such a policy ? the camaraderie between male and female colleagues is bound to suffer because of this. But then, he is too busy wooing women voters to notice the flaws in his budget.

Yours faithfully,
Asoke C. Banerjee, Calcutta

Sir ? Tax sops for women employees is definitely good news. Women encounter numerous obstacles at work ? unsupportive families, low wages, even sexual exploitation. A mere increase in tax exemption would surely not change things for the better. But it might encourage more women to take up jobs, thereby restoring some parity in the skewed ratios between working men and women employees.

Yours faithfully,
Shomik Basu, Calcutta

Sir ? Working women, and not senior citizens, have benefitted from this year?s budget. With the removal of standard deduction and tax rebates under section 88B, chances are that senior citizens would end up paying more taxes now. Section 88B should be reinstated immediately to bring the smiles back on elderly faces.

Yours faithfully,
Nirmal K. Roy, Kharagpur

Always at fault

Sir ? The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, is in the news again, that too for all the wrong reasons (?Paedophile on IIT campus?, Mar 4). But can one really blame the entire institution for the wrongdoings of this one man, Iqbal Mohammad? For instance, does anybody blame University College, Oxford, Bill Clinton?s alma mater, for his affair with the Whitehouse intern, Monica Lewinsky?

IIT Kharagpur, like other IITs in India, is meant to impart quality education to students. It is not meant to rid depraved individuals of their maladies. In this particular case, it is Mohammad and he alone who is responsible for this unpleasant episode. There is no need for our media to jump the guns and point an accusing finger at a centre of excellence.

Yours faithfully,
Aneesh Jain, Kharagpur

Sir ? A paedophile research scholar in IIT Kharagpur makes it to the front pages of our newspapers. But the news of scientific and technological breakthroughs, many of which are achieved by IIT students, is often relegated to the back pages of a daily. It seems that the members of the fourth estate have a bone to pick with this hallowed institution. What else can explain their perverse pleasure in deriding one of India?s national treasures?

Yours faithfully,
Sumit Kumar, Kharagpur