Steep loss

Sir — According to reports, government-owned banks suffered a net loss of Rs 17,993 crore in 2015-16. Such a huge loss is due to the rise in non-performing assets. One wonders why the government and the Reserve Bank of India allowed the banks to accumulate bad debt. It has been reported that bad loans worth Rs 1.14 lakh crore have been written off by public banks between 2013 and 2015. The authorities must declare the name of the wilful defaulters. The Union government led by Narendra Modi has demonetized high-value currency notes in an effort to clean the economy and counter the menace of black money. But the government should not stop there. It should now clean the banking sector. Necessary measures must be implemented to control the growing liabilities of state-owned banks. If policies are not devised immediately, then huge amounts of money have to be allotted from the exchequer to help these institutions survive. 

Yours faithfully, Paramananda Pal, Calcutta 

 

Play on

Sir — The eminent jurist and former attorney-general of India, Soli Sorabjee, has rightly demanded a review of the Supreme Court’s order on the playing of the national anthem in movie theatres. The court must take into consideration its earlier verdict in Bijoe Emmanuel & Ors versus State of Kerala & Ors (1986) where it had ordered a school in Kerala to readmit three students, who were expelled for not singing the national anthem. 

Yours faithfully, Subhash Chandra Agrawal,Dariba, Delhi

Sir — The Supreme Court’s decision to make it mandatory for cinema halls to play the national anthem before a film begins is welcome. Incidentally, last year, the Madras High Court had said that the audience need not stand when the national anthem was being played. The court had cited the Union home ministry’s circular to states which said that if the audience were to stand up, it would interrupt the screening of the film and “create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the anthem”. 

In the 1960s, cinema halls played the national anthem after a movie ended. But people often left the hall before the completion of the anthem. It is a relief that from now on things would proceed in a proper way. 

Yours faithfully,K. Ravi, Bhubaneswar

Sir — Love for one’s own country comes from within. It cannot be kindled by legislations or judicial verdicts. During our childhood, we used to sing the national anthem during the morning prayer in school. It was also sung on special occasions, such as Independence Day, Republic Day and on Gandhi Jayanti. Even today when we hear the anthem being played, we stand up as a mark of respect. 

Earlier, it was mandatory to play the national anthem at the end of every movie. But the practice was discontinued. In 2003, the Maharashtra government made it compulsory to play the national anthem in cinema halls. However, not everyone will be able to abide by the instruction. But such individuals must not be abused. Recently, a differently-abled man was assaulted in a multiplex in Goa for not standing when the national anthem was being played. The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, talks of punishing those who insult the anthem with a fine and imprisonment. 

Yours faithfully,Sambhu Nath Chowdhury, Hooghly

 

Different tune

Sir — The Donald J. Trump presidency will be different from that of Barack Obama. The latter had rightly decided to withdraw American soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. He also normalized relations with Iran by signing a nuclear deal. But Trump’s dislike for Muslims is well known. His policies might end up destabilizing the Middle East. On the domestic front, Obama introduced a medical insurance policy that covers millions of Americans. But Trump intends to repeal the law partially.

The American economy, which was hit by financial recession in 2008, is now growing at 3 per cent. During his election campaign, Trump had severely criticized multinational companies and claimed that powerful corporations were robbing America’s working class. Yet, he has named the former Goldman Sachs partner, Steven Mnuchin, the treasury secretary. Obama had not been able to guarantee safety to Japan and the Pacific Rim countries against China. Trump has already irked China by taking a call from Tsai Ing-wen, the president of Taiwan. By choosing James Mattis as the defence secretary, Trump has indicated that he would prefer military might over diplomacy. 

Yours faithfully,R. Narayanan, Ghaziabad

 

 

BIHAR

Dubious claims

Sir — I am amused by the claims made by the chief minister, Nitish Kumar, during his Nishchay Yatra. He claimed that the sale of milk, sweets and various kinds of vehicles has increased after the imposition of prohibition, and that the latter has helped promote communal harmony. He makes it sound as though the liquor ban is the solution to all the problems plaguing the state. However, the trading and business communities do not seem to agree with his views that the market has witnessed an upswing after the liquor ban. The fortunes of some sectors, such as hospitality and transportation, have taken a nosedive. The liquor ban has also led to unemployment and bootlegging. I remember that there was communal tension during Durga Puja in several districts of Bihar in spite of the liquor ban.

Kumar’s claims are hard to believe because his own government’s report has indicated a drop in revenue collection between July and September this year. The decline has been massive — more than 16 per cent. This drop took place before demonetization was announced. After the announcement, most sectors have claimed that their businesses have drastically suffered. I am certain that this, too, will have a negative impact on revenue collection in the state. Even property registration has dropped to a negligible level. All of this presents a bleak picture of our economic prospects, with Central revenue collections also declining and adversely effecting the state’s share. 

Bihar has already witnessed the squeezing of funds in development projects. The payment of salaries to school and college 
teachers has been delayed. The state government has already hinted at a steep rise of about 20 per cent in the power tariff. 

In such a depressed economic situation, I believe that the chief minister is misleading the people by painting a rosy picture of the state. He would do well to tell people of Bihar the truth and take the necessary steps to ease their suffering rather than waste time trying to fool them.

Yours faithfully,Sharad Kumar, Patna

 

Valid points

Sir — I would like to draw attention to the dharna that was staged by the former minister and well-known social activist, Parveen Amanullah. The hunger strike outside Gardanibagh hospital lasted weeks; yet, the government initially failed to take cognizance of her demands, let alone sending someone to talk to her. The issues raised by Amanullah were genuine. Health services have steadily deteriorated in Bihar. People do not get the free medicine promised to them, and doctors are unavailable in government hospitals. The lack of basic infrastructure in hospitals leads to the exodus of patients from Bihar to other states in search of medical treatment.

In recent times, basic amenities like the availability of ambulances and free medical tests have disappeared. Payments to these services — most of which which have been outsourced — have stopped. The agencies which stepped in to help with medical care in the state have to go to court to fight for their payments. Ambulance drivers were recently caned outside the Bihar assembly building for demanding the payment of salaries. Chaos prevails even in the well-known health hubs of Bihar, such as the Patna Medical College and Hospital and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences. 

Strangely, Nitish Kumar has remained a mute spectator to the downfall of the health sector. The reason for his reluctance to speak on the issue openly is evident: the health department is headed by the son of the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief, Lalu Prasad. He needed to be reminded that health services affect all the people in the state. It is heartening that the government has finally agreed to take steps to address the issues raised by Amanullah.

Yours faithfully,Sarita Das, Patna

 

 

ODISHA

High ranks

Sir - It is heartening to note that Utkal University has been rated A+ by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council after a gap of 11 years ("NAAC grants A+ rating to Utkal varsity", Dec 4). It is surprising that it took the NAAC 11 years to give Utkal University this rating, given the fact that this institution is one of the premier varsities of Odisha. Lack of proper infrastructure and frequent unrest at the university remain a matter of concern. The authorities must take advantage of the rating and use the opportunity to improve the infrastructure and teaching standards at the university.

Yours faithfully,Manisha Panda,Bhubaneswar

Sir - Although Utkal University has been granted an A+ status by the NAAC, several issues at the university still need redressal. Frequent unrest, caused by outsiders' interference in the affairs of the hostel, continues to be a source of disturbance for students. It is a fact that a number of outsiders have illegally made the hostels of the university their home. Checks and raids by the authorities and the police have failed to address the issue. Students need a congenial atmosphere to study and discuss matters of academic importance. This is lacking at present in Utkal University.

Yours faithfully,Sanatan Mohanty,Kendrapara

Sir - Utkal University has a high standard, which has been confirmed by the A+ rating given by the NAAC. Over the past few years, Utkal University has started some new courses, including the Japanese language classes, which are a boon for students. The university has also improved its infrastructure and other facilities. Part of the success of Utkal University should also be attributed to the state government, which has helped the institution regularly with grants. Now that the university has got the high ranking by the NAAC - which means that more grants are on their way - the university authorities should focus on developing the institution further.

Yours faithfully,Mihir Nanda,Bhubaneswar

Sir - I was happy to learn that most of the premier educational institutions of the state have got good grades from the NAAC. The NAAC team ended its three-day visit to Ravenshaw University on December 8. Everybody is worried about the outcome of the inspection because this educational institution has been crippled by a shortage of manpower for a long time. The work on the second campus has also been getting delayed for a long time.

Yours faithfully,Ramesh Chandra Mishra,Cuttack

Sir - It is a matter of pride that the National Institute of Technology in Rourkela has got the coveted NAAC accreditation. NIT Rourkela has got an A rating with a cumulative grade point average of 3.12. It is thus lagging behind Utkal University (with a CGPA of 3.53) and BJB Autonomous College (with a CGPA of 3.19). NIT Rourkela has been in the news for being the only NIT among the top 800 universities of the world, according to The Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Considering this, it is surprising that NIT Rourkela could not get an A+ rating.

Yours faithfully,Abhijit Mohapatra, Rourkela

Think again

Sir - The Supreme Court's decision to make it mandatory for cinema halls to play the national anthem before a film begins is welcome. Incidentally, last year, the Madras High Court had said that the audience need not stand up when the national anthem was being played. The court had cited the Union home ministry's circular to states which said that if the audience were to stand up, it would interrupt the screening of the film and "create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the anthem".

In the 1960s, cinema halls played the national anthem after a movie ended. But people often left the hall before the completion of the anthem. It is a relief that from now on things would proceed in a proper way.

Yours faithfully,K. Ravi, Bhubaneswar