MyVoice: Views of our readers 2nd November 2025

All eyes on Climate Change Summit COP30

The30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), scheduled for 10–21 November 2025 in Belém, Brazil, marks a pivotal moment in global climate diplomacy. Its central aim is to accelerate efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

The key priorities include transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy, ensuring a just transition for workers and vulnerable communities, and urging countries to submit clearer, stronger, and measurable climate plans—known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

COPs remain the only global forum where nearly 200 nations convene annually to negotiate climate action. Over the years, they’ve produced landmark frameworks like the Kyoto Protocol (COP3), the Paris Agreement (COP21), and tools such as the Global Stocktake (COP28) and climate finance pledges (COP16, COP29). COPs also amplify critical concepts like net-zero emissions, just transition, and nature-based solutions, while providing space for civil society, youth, and vulnerable nations to voice concerns.

Despite their importance, COPs face significant hurdles. Their decisions are not legally binding, allowing countries to delay or dilute their pledges without consequence.

Major emitters, including the US, China, India and Russia, often prioritise energy security and economic growth over climate commitments. Domestic politics, armed conflicts, and financial instability frequently derail progress. Moreover, wealthy nations have failed to deliver the promised $100 billion annually to support developing countries, breeding mistrust and weakening participation. While adaptation efforts are expanding, mitigation—cutting emissions—remains severely underfunded.

Even if current pledges are fulfilled, global temperatures could still rise by 2.4–2.7°C, far exceeding the safe threshold. Many countries submit vague NDCs lacking clear targets or timelines.

Fossil fuel use persists, buoyed by subsidies and fresh investments in coal, oil, and gas. COP28’s call to “transition away” from fossil fuels was non-binding, and nations like India are increasingly focused on adaptation due to insufficient global support.

China has surpassed its clean energy targets, coal usage continues to rise, and its current climate pledges could result in a temperature increase of 3 to 4°C. The United States has pledged to cut emissions by 50–52 per cent by 2030. However, existing policies are projected to lead to warming above 4°C. India has made significant progress in renewable energy, but short-term mitigation efforts remain underfunded.

The European Union has reduced emissions by 37 per cent compared to 1990 levels. Nonetheless, it needs to accelerate its emission cuts to meet climate goals. Russia relies heavily on land-based carbon sinks and has made limited progress in reducing industrial emissions. Its current pledges align with warming above 4°C. It shows the world has to do much more to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and limit global warming to 1.50C or even 20C.

COP30, occurring a decade after the Paris Agreement and just before 2030 targets take effect, must restore climate credibility. It should demand short-term NDCs for 2025–2030, convert the Baku Finance Goal into binding commitments with timelines, and set firm deadlines to phase out fossil fuels.

Promoting nature-based solutions, bridging the Global North–South divide, and proposing an independent body to monitor emissions and finance gaps are essential. COP30 must move from promises to performance. Without urgent action, the Paris Agreement risks becoming a broken pledge pushing humanity to climate disaster.

Dr O Prasada Rao,(Retired scientist-CSIR)

Silencing voices of women scribes in the digital age

Observedevery November 2 as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI), it is endeavoured to promote safety and justice for journalists.

In today’s digital world, technology has become part of everyone’s life. But sadly, the same technology is now being used to harm women journalists. Online platforms that should help them share news and ideas are being turned into tools of abuse. Many women journalists are facing online harassment, fake videos (deepfakes), cyber-stalking, and lewd comments that instil fear.

Being a journalist means showing courage, honesty, and responsibility. Yet, in the digital world, women journalists are often attacked for doing their job. They face abuse such as trolling, spreading lies, and personal threats — all meant to silence them and stop their work. This endangers women journalists and press freedom.

This kind of abuse is called Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). It includes any act done through digital tools or artificial intelligence that harms women.

UNESCO’s The Chilling (2021) report found that 73 per cent of women journalists have faced online threats, and many of them were also attacked offline.

IDEI’s theme for this year is “Chat GBV: Raising awareness on AI-facilitated gender-based violence — protecting women journalists.”

To solve this issue, governments, media houses, technology companies, and the public must work together. As an effective preventive measure, online platforms should make safety a basic part of their design and not something that is added later.

IDEI 2025 supports the UN ‘Plan of action on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity’. Protecting women journalists is not just about their safety — it is also about protecting truth, justice, and freedom. When women journalists are safe, society becomes stronger and better informed.

Dr Krishna Kumar Vepakomma,Hyderabad-45

Mobile Cacophony

‘’With

My emotions amplified into anxiety

Feelings into anonymity

Heartstrings vibrating no longer

Privacy precious being pirated

Friendship fed on missing calls

Love no longer sweet and silent

But louder and louche

A noisome noise invading my solitude

My little chubby slipping off my embrace

Hugging the mobile phone

And hurling the toy

Into the dustbin of memories

And my dear bros and sisters so near but yet so far

And the ‘Athidhi Devobhava’ at home

Awaiting in vain a smiling host with a sweet plate

Oh! In this wide world of mobile robots

Making merry sounds in hurry and worry

In this ever bulging world

I am lonely but never solitary

Oh! For those days gone by

When I carried no mobile phone

But only a mind alert

And a heart laden with soundless sound emotions.

S M Kompella,Kakinada

Revanth must prioritise 2nd pay revision

Itis gratifying to note that the central government has given its assent to the 8th pay panel, which will become effective in January. This announcement has quite expectedly brought smiles on the faces of an estimated 1.2 crore employees and pensioners.

As regards Telangana, the 2nd pay revision was due on July 1, 2023. The then BRS government constituted PRC in October 2023 under the chairmanship of former finance secretary N Shiva Shankar and IAS officer B Ramaiah as a member. As per the terms of reference, the commission was to submit recommendations within six months, and they did some groundwork towards the same. However, the Congress government that came to power in December 2023 kept all issues pertaining to employees and pensioners on the backburner as it had to prioritise implementation of its six guarantees. As things stand, many pensioners have not received their dues from 2024. They are struggling to cope up with post-retirement financial commitments, ill-health and the spiralling costs of treatments and hospitalisation. Procrastinating decisions on pay revision, pending DAs and pension dues is causing frustration among millions of staff and pensioners. We hope that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will take cue from the Union Government move and emulate the same. Implementing electoral promises must also be given priority so that employees and pensioners from the State can heave a sigh of relief before the end of the year.

Dinanath Shenolikar,Hyderabad

The classroom 'revolution' makes for a welcome and timely change

As I read your article on "The classroom revolution: Turning lessons into living experiences," I was struck by the potential of experiential learning to transform the education system. The traditional method of rote memorization is no longer sufficient in today's rapidly changing world. Instead, we need to focus on developing skills like critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the CBSE competency-based learning framework are steps in the right direction. By incorporating project-based learning, design thinking, and hands-on assessments, we can make education more relevant and engaging. Experiential learning is not just about academics; it also nurtures essential life skills like empathy, leadership, and collaboration. By adopting this approach, we can create a generation of learners who are equipped to adapt, innovate, and thrive in an ever-changing world.

I believe that it's time for a mindset revolution in education. We need to shift our focus from marks to mastery, from instruction to facilitation, and from results to reflection. By doing so, we can make education more meaningful and empowering. As India stands at the threshold of an educational renaissance, I urge educators, policymakers, and parents to embrace experiential learning and work together to create a brighter future for our children.

Raju KolluruKakinada

Digital maps can ensure civic accountability

It’sfascinating that we can now zoom into any Indian street using satellite maps, yet citizens often remain “digitally invisible” in official planning. Many government projects — from roads to drainage — are announced on paper, but there is nothing happening on the ground. Why can’t public maps display real-time progress of taxpayer-funded works, just as we track deliveries and movement of trains? Such “transparent mapping” could revolutionise civic accountability. Citizens would see where money flows, and governments would gain public trust through proof, not promises. India’s digital revolution must now place governance on the map, literally.

K R Gagan,Tumakuru

PPP healthcare- bane or boon

Thegovernment shirking its responsibility towards people’s health is a matter of serious concern. The move to promote public-private-partnership (PPP) in healthcare is but a prelude to leaving healthcare completely in the hands of corporate managements. On the one hand, healthcare is privilege of the affluent. On the other hand, it is being entrusted to private players for whom it is nothing but a commercial activity. The touch of service has faded away long back, something that was exposed during the Covid pandemic. Ironically, even though the need for healthcare spending is increasing, the government’s budgetary allocation has not been increasing to proportionate levels. Today the government is not in a position to settle the claims of the private hospitals, forcing them to refuse treatment under the scheme. The government of Andhra Pradesh says it does not have the financial resources to maintain government medical colleges forcing them to promote the PPP mode. Many such institutions put on PPP mode have failed to excel in extending service to all sections of people. One wonders how a government that has no funds to maintain medical colleges, plans Singapore in Amravati. Spending huge amounts for capital city formation is a misplaced priority. The government must focus on developing healthcare and the education sector as productivity of the state and the nation depends on the quality of education and healthcare it provides.

If the government is incapable of maintaining a few hospitals and medical colleges, how can it be expected to effectively run the state administration? Healthcare should be free of cost for all, including the rich. Neglecting it amounts to punishing the people who elected them in the first place. Members of legislative bodies should feel ashamed to avail treatment in private institutions as they are the custodians of public sector hospitals and medical colleges. Moreover, the aspirations of students from the weaker sections will be grossly affected under PPP mode. Weighing the pros and cons pragmatically, the government must do away with PPP mode in healthcare and restore the long-forgotten humane touch at the earliest possible time.

A G Rajmohan,Anantapur-515004