On Telangana
The report, “Telangana needs twin-engine govt.: PM’ (Page 1, July 4), is certainly a clear admission by the Prime Minister himself that Opposition-ruled States do not get the same support as National Democratic Alliance-ruled States. Such a statement is not only against federalism, which has been held to be a basic feature of our Constitution, but also exposes the hollowness of the leader’s call for cooperative federalism.
What is worse, such statements in election-bound States, for instance, evidently amount to undue influence over voters, vitiating the need for free and fair elections.
S.N. Shukla,
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Courses and caution
Private universities in Karnataka have begun introducing new courses and subjects, the justification being that they are more relevant to the current job scenario (“Pvt. varsities introduce new courses and subjects, July 4). First of all, these courses are branches of the existing curriculum. When the basic curriculum itself lacks quality teachers in most colleges, where will colleges find qualified and experienced teachers for these courses?
This only seems to be a ploy by these universities to generate more revenue at the expense of quality. The onus is on the parents not to let their wards be misled by such courses and claims.
G. Padmanabhan,
Bengaluru
Tackling rabies
The unexpected death of a girl student in Palakkad from rabies is shocking. Following this incident, there are some voices now demanding that all stray dogs should be culled. This is not a solution. Instead, people should be more vigilant about this disease and vaccination procedures.
Municipal authorities must undertake a massive campaign to vaccinate animal at regular intervals. This must also be done in combination with dog sterilisation programmes. There also needs to be an audit of stray animals.
K.A. Solaman,
Alappuzha, Kerala
The problem of stray dogs seems to be growing. It is not just bad roads that are a cause of road accidents. Stray dogs too have became a potential threat especially for bikers. Another serious problem is that stray dogs are often not vaccinated and are a source of rabies. Stray dogs must be caught and kept in shelters. They must also be vaccinated. The government needs to make provisions for a special fund to take care of dogs in shelters.
A. Rohan,
Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu
