MyVoice: Views of our readers 25th September 2021

Today National Daughters Day

It is so gratifying to watch little girls playing, cycling and making their own gangs of the locality. I remember our time when having two daughters in the same family was a matter of agonising. But time has changed. Parents now-a-days wish to have daughters who will care for them more than a son. Education, proper security, volition to marry, etc. have become essential priorities and not issues. Hence, 25th September is worth celebrating as 'National Daughters Day'.

Anushka Jaiswal, Ujjain

Call to pursue research

'Nobel laureate advises students to take risk' (THI, Sept.24), an inspiring gist of deliberation by Dr M Stanley Whittingham enthuses the student community. By saying, 'May be one of you will have my experience this what you can anticipate,' he exalts the students to go ahead with scientific pursuits and be among the laureates. Paradoxically,it's not that encouraging scenario in India as he expressed satisfaction. Any worthy Indian students like Abdus Salam (he was in undivided India), Chandrasekharan, Venky Ramakrishnan had to go abroad to realise their dreams. Hargobind Khurana couldn't get a demo's post in India but got first medical nobel. I wish Dr Stanley's pat would push students onto scientific research rather than Civils which is the sorry tale as decried by Prof MGK Menon, CNR Rao et al. USA is still the topper in encouraging research and no yard stick of single path unlike we.

Dr T Ramadas, Visakhapatnam.

PM CARES not a govt fund?

PM CARES website contains government logo, PM's photograph and donors are entitled to 100 % exemption under section 80G of the Income Tax Act, but amusingly Centre gives an affidavit that same is not a government fund but a charitable trust (PM CARES fund is not a Govt. of India fund, HC told, September 24). It is a mystery that Centre maintains secrecy with regard to PM CARES from the beginning. According special exemptions from the purview of RTI, CAG and FCRA gives suspicion about the objectivity of fund. Entire episode appears to be another scam after demonetisation to procure funds for elections and other political activities.

Kshirasagara Balaji Rao, Hyderabad

Give succour to sr citizens

Net income in the hands of senior citizens of the country has gone down sharply. Due to current lowest interest rates both on savings as fixed deposits and inflation rate surpassing senior citizens are eroding their net worth with the passing of each day.

High health insurance costs are dampener to purchase the cover for any medical emergencies. There should be a suitable tax exemption on bank deposits for senior citizens as their deposits are built out of lifelong savings.

To start with, all non-pensioner senior citizens' interest income up to Rs 5 lakh be totally tax-exempted and for pensioners 50% of their interest income be exempted.

Brij B Goyal, Ludhiana

Supreme directive commendable

The Supreme Court finally persuaded the GoI to grant Rs 50,000 ex gratia to the kin of Covid dead, including medical fraternity who also died in service of Corona-affected patients within 30 days of application. How and where to apply and documennts needed, etc., are to be formulated. Many family members of the Covid dead who refused to collect the corpses for final rites should be excluded from payment.

Governments have to take utmost care that no manipulations, corruption to take place for the unethical and immoral people eyeing Covid compensation.

Dr NSR Murthy, Secunderabad

Follow CEA's advice

It is laudable that Chief Economic advisor K V. Subramanian has exhorted all state governments to focus on ushering in supply side reforms and increase capital expenditure to attract private investment, instead of spending taxpayers' money on revenue expenditure in the form of freebies and doles with special reference to Tamil Nadu which decided to distribute television or mixer-grinders .

Now a days during election time more and more freebies are announced and to fulfil those the expenditure spent on them is nothing but revenue expenditure.

More states are announcing to write-off bank loans to farmers despite objections raised by RBI, experts and banks. This has become a dent on the recovery front of banks.

Already banks are passing a critical stage with high NPAs and shortage of capital. The Covid has aggravated the situation.

The politicians should keep this in mind before announcing freebies to the public in addition to the vote for money. It is presumed that in Tamil Nadu politicians prefer today's benefit to investing for the future.

TSN Rao, Bhimavaram