MyVoice: Views of our readers 7th April 2025

A fervent call for universal health care

The World Health Day 2025 carries a powerful message for the global community: “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures.” This year, the spotlight is on maternal and newborn health, underscoring the urgent need to end preventable deaths and support long-term well-being for women and infants worldwide. Despite advancements in medicine, pregnancy and childbirth still pose serious risks for many, with hundreds of thousands of women and millions of newborns dying each year—often from causes that are entirely preventable. The campaign calls for universal access to quality maternal care, skilled health workers at every birth, and a strong focus on mental health, nutrition, and inclusive support systems that listen to women and value every life. Beyond raising awareness, World Health Day 2025 aims to ignite global action. Governments, health systems, and individuals must collaborate to strengthen healthcare infrastructure, invest in early and compassionate care, and address inequalities that leave women and children vulnerable. Healthy pregnancies begin with proper nourishment, emotional support, and regular medical care. The time to act is now, as most countries remain off track to meet maternal and newborn health targets by 2030. This year’s campaign is more than a theme—it’s a movement toward a healthier, more just world where every mother and baby has a chance to thrive.

Dr Krishna Kumar Vepakomma, Hyderabad

A humorous take on politics

Hats off to the Hans India’s humorous cartoon (dated 6 April) on Artificial Intelligence, which is threatening all the professions, except politics, because AI cannot lie. This is a sharp and witty take. A lot of truth is wrapped in humour there. So in a way, politics is safe, not because AI cannot lie, but because it cannot lie like humans. In this regard, the Indian parliament, in an unprecedented way banned the very word JHOOT (lie) as unparliamentary. Hope the Nation bans ‘jhoot’ from India.

P H Hema Sagar, Secunderabad

Trump’s vendetta against law firms

Widespread protests are bieng organised against Donald Trump and his ally Elon Musk for the Executive Orders that targeted about 500 law firms. Jenner & Block LLP, Wharton & Garrison LLP are some such firms that were investigating or acting against Trump administration and were penalized through executive orders. Protesters aver that such orders trample the system of constitutional governance and the rule of law itself. It is felt that the targeting also aims to extract concessions from the legal community.

P R Ravinder, Hyderabad

The dark side of NAAC grading

The recent bribery scandal involving NAAC grading has brought to light the darker side of our education system. The focus on securing high grades has led to a culture of corruption, where institutions prioritize scoring well over providing quality education. This raises questions about the sanctity of such grades and the impact on our academic institutions. It’s time to re-examine the role of NAAC grading and ensure that our universities are truly temples of knowledge, rather than mere grade-chasers.

Sridevi Tejaswani K, Secunderabad

Minority placation with eye on votes

REF: “WAQF BILL: REFORM OR RHETORIC” (THI April 5). First all, it is not a surprise to anyone about the passage of of the Waqf Amendment Bill in both Houses of Parliament since NDA has sufficient majority supported by other parties in Rajya Sabha. Telugu Desam has to support the bill introduced by BJP, as there is no other go which need not be explained further in detail. All political parties are travelling towards appeasing minority groups not because of extreme love, but because of garnering votes. Waqf Bill gained support from some Muslim heads and antagonised by other groups. It is beyond one’s own imagination how their lands are getting extended?

N S K Prasad, Hyderabad