Read in comfort
Sir — One of the oldest bookshops in Calcutta, Das Gupta & Company (established in 1886), is set to convert a part of its premises into a free library. With a decline in bookstore sales due to online platforms, the ready availability of e-books that cost less than printed ones and the general apathy towards reading, perhaps the prospect of a free reading space will bring in more readers and customers. Further, for readers and young students who cannot afford to buy books and covertly read in bookstores, the days when they need to look around furtively while finishing the books as soon as possible would now be over.
Dipti Dolui,Calcutta
Fly high
Sir — India has successfully launched its third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3 (“Chandrayaan-3 seeks to place lander on the moon”, July 14). Launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Chandrayaan-3 aims to conduct in-situ scientific experiments on the moon’s surface. It consists of Vikram, an improvised lander to withstand a high-velocity landing, that carries four payloads and Pragyan, a rover bearing two payloads. A successful soft landing would demonstrate India’s capability for space explorations and open up new technological opportunities. Each Indian Space Research Organisation mission contributes to the data pool about the moon and space, bringing India closer to unravelling various mysteries of the universe.
Bishal Saha,Murshidabad
Sir — Chandrayaan-3 has set off on its voyage to the lunar south pole. The significance of this expedition lies not only in demonstrating Isro’s capabilities of making a soft landing on the lunar surface but also in accruing global investments to create a ‘moon economy’. This would include sending astronauts to the moon, building infrastructure for research, commercialisation of lunar data and, possibly, the establishment of human civilisation on the moon.
If Chandrayaan-3 is a success, India — a signatory to the Artemis Accords and one of the four nations to have made a soft landing on the lunar surface — will be able to stake a claim in the global space market by monetising its data. This will also givean impetus to private space players like Skyroot and Agnikul Cosmos.
Shayan Das,North 24 Parganas
Sir — Before Chandrayaan-3 made its much-anticipated flight, a team of Isro scientists reportedly visited a temple with a miniature model of the rocket to offer prayers for its safe landing. While the ‘dugga dugga’ chant is not uncommon among Bengali parents wishing their children a safe journey, the scientists’ prayers for their project have been subjected to derision and sarcastic comments on social media.
S.S. Chaudhuri, Calcutta
Sir — The ability to make a controlled and safe landing on any planetary bodywill unlock new vistas in space exploration and space-based science and research for Isro.
Rehan Ahmed,Mumbai
Strong ties
Sir — The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, was accorded a red carpet welcome on his arrival in Paris and was bestowed with France’s highest civilian and military honour, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, affirming the strong bilateral ties between the two countries. The defence agreements between the two countries, including India’s purchase of 26 Rafale marine fighter jets from France, are fitting tributes to 25 years of strategic partnership (“Rafale nod as PM goes to France”, July 14).
France is a major nuclear power with significant economic clout in Europe and its relation with India, a prominent player in the Global South, would augur well for international peace, stability, and development.
M. Jeyaram,Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
