Easy to spot
Sir — Many of us would remember the booming announcements on microphones in melas calling out the names of children separated from their families and directing parents to contact the help desk. This might soon be a thing of the past. Authorities at the Mahakumbh mela in Uttar Pradesh have turned to Artificial Intelligence-backed facial recognition technology to trace and reunite people lost in the fair. While this is heartening, film-makers will now no longer be able to bank on the tried-and-tested Bollywood trope of twins being separated at the Kumbh mela only to be reunited years later.
Rajesh Sapru, Meerut
Escape artist
Sir — Unlike on the silver screen, the bad guy seems to have got away with his villainy in real life. Donald Trump, who has never been shy about expressing unpopular opinions on issues like immigration and taxation, got elected to America’s highest office with a thumping majority. He will be the first president of the United States of America who is a convicted felon. Although his crime was proved and recorded, he got away unscathed (“Rare reprieve”, Jan 15). While the court may not have given the best resolution in Trump’s case, at least it pronounced him a felon. This will surely taint the American president’s position.
D.V.G. Sankara Rao, Andhra Pradesh
Sir — The unconditional pardon granted to the president-elect of America, Donald Trump, by Justice Juan Merchan despite records that incriminate Trump for paying hush money to an adult film actress is nothing short of a travesty of justice. On the other hand, the leader of the Opposition in India, Rahul Gandhi, had been disqualified as a member of the lower House of the Indian Parliament for being convicted in a defamation case.
K. Nehru Patnaik, Visakhapatnam
Sinister changes
Sir — The University Grants Commission draft regulations, 2025 seem to be an attempt to centralise and corporatise the higher education system (“Learn less”, Jan 15). According to the education ministry, the proposed changes aim to promote flexibility, inclusivity and innovation in the education sector. However, amending the minimum qualifications required to be appointed as an assistant professor ignores academic merit, competence and subject specialisation. Moreover, the draft rule to appoint vice-chancellors poses an imminent threat to the federal character of the higher education system. With such a bureaucratic chokehold on education, it is unsurprising that no Indian university has ever been ranked in the top 100 of the QS World University Rankings.
Prasun Kumar Dutta, West Midnapore
Sir — The proposed UGC draft regulations have sparked widespread concern among state governments, academic faculties, and universities. The attempt to centralise power by granting governors the authority to appoint vice-chancellors without the input of state governments undermines the latter’s autonomy and may lead to increased political influence in higher education. Further, doing away with the need for teaching experience for being appointed vice-chancellor will compromise academic integrity and allow non-academics to occupy key educational positions. The Union government’s intentions are clear: to assert financial and academic control over institutions. The UGC would do well to study how progressive, global educational institutions consult all stakeholders — faculty bodies, domain experts and even student associations — while choosing their heads.
S.S. Paul, Nadia
Bright prospects
Sir — The Union minister of commerce and industry, Piyush Goyal, has inaugurated the National Turmeric Board in Telangana which will make decisions regarding the production of turmeric. Turmeric farmers have been demanding such a board for a long time. The southern states are leading producers of turmeric in India, producing over three lakh tonnes of turmeric annually. India’s turmeric export revenue is set to reach $1 billion by 2030. The board can push for more research and development, assistance for farmers and price stability. The spice might now bring in adequate profit for farmers.
Kirti Wadhawan, Kanpur
Life is a stage
Sir — Residents of apartment buildings are often privy to the sounds of neighbours doing their laundry, renovation work, religious rituals and even the conversations of passers-by speaking on mobile phones (“Din that drowns”, Jan 14). Besides giving a glimpse of such modern living spaces, Ruchir Joshi’s article is also a reminder
of the ever-persistent change that accompanies life. Joshi must have also noticed that living in close quarters with one’s neighbours means that people become aware of the true nature of their neighbours. Like in Alfred Hitchcock’s films, we too become hyper-observant. Like a theatre, the stage remains the same but the cast of the play keeps changing.
Sukhendu Bhattacharjee, Hooghly