Real monsters

Sir — It is ironical that while people are ready to believe in mythical monsters like dragons and vampires, the very real threat of climate change is something that many continue to deny. Interestingly, the British satirist and singer, Oli Frost, recently released songs on the climate crisis, fossil fuels and so on using fictional monsters as metaphors for these phenomena. Frost’s unique approach in songs like “The Vampire Conspiracy” and “The Dragon of Climate Change” has garnered support from fans who believe that this combination of fantasy and facts is just what climate sceptics need. The real-world implications of climate change can be scary. Seeing them as fictional monsters that can be vanquished will make it easier to acknowledge the dragon in the room.

S.S. Chaudhuri, East Midnapore

Family time

Sir — The Assam government has approved special casual leave for its employees to spend time with their parents for the second consecutive year. This is an admirable initiative and is worth emulation by other states. The traditional joint family set-up has been replaced by nuclear families. This affects the living conditions of elderly citizens who face abuse and isolation. The Assam government’s initiative will perhaps bridge this generation gap and inculcate feelings of respect and understanding for the elderly.

M. Pradyu, Kannur, Kerala

Resistant bugs

Sir — The World Health Organisation has expressed concern about rising antibiotic resistance in human infections. Misuse of antibiotics by unqualified doctors and self-medication by patients in countries where prescription drugs are sold over the counter are major reasons for this. Many medical practitioners prescribe antibiotics either in the wrong dosage or when they are least required. The resultant antibiotic resistance is responsible for higher medical costs and increased mortality.

Sunil Chopra, Ludhiana

United front

Sir — To prevent the rise in crimes owing to an increase in digital transactions, the government has launched a security initiative, Project Pratima. At least 60,000 complaints of digital crimes through fraudulent transactions, costing millions of rupees, were lodged with the Centre between April and May 2022. Project Pratima has taken up the task of unifying the icons used by varied payment interfaces of different financial institutions. If this is successful, it will certainly be an important step towards realising the dream of Digital India.

Dattaprasad Shirodkar, Mumbai

Game changers

Sir — Ishan Kishan’s outstanding knock against Bangladesh during the third and final one-day international deserves praise (“Apt message in record innings”, Dec 11). The young wicketkeeper-batsman has broken several records at Chittagong, playing one of the most remarkable innings by a batsman. Kishan has also emerged as a contender for the World Cup squad for next year. He must be lauded for salvaging India’s pride.

Tushar Anand, Patna

Sir — It is heartening to know that Abhimanyu Easwaran, a prolific opening batsman, has been selected to replace an injured Rohit Sharma in the first Test match against Bangladesh. This is an opportunity for Easwaran to prove himself. Although the announced team appears to be strong, it remains to be seen if this translates into a good performance.

N.V. Krishnan, Chennai

Quality concerns

Sir — Several petroleum companies have introduced high-octane petrol in their retail outlets in India given the rise in the number of high-end cars. This premium fuel comes at a higher cost. But there is no visible difference in colour and texture with regular petrol. This makes high-octane fuel more susceptible to tampering by unscrupulous dealers, especially given the lack of means to verify density and so on in most retail stores. In India, where adulteration is rampant, efficient technology is needed to prevent it. Colour-coding — dyeing the product in a specific colour, such as green dye for aviation gasoline — can be considered as well.

Kunal Kanti Konar, Calcutta

Medical miracles

Sir — This year has seen two medical researches with seemingly miraculous outcomes — the transfusion of human blood manufactured in-vitro and Alyssa, a 13-yearold girl with blood cancer, getting completely cured in a one-of-a-kind treatment for leukemia. These are milestones in the history of medical science.

Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur

Lost tunes

Sir — The death of the Marathi lavani singer and Padma Shri recipient, Sulochana Chavan, is a loss for the musical fraternity. She had crafted a unique style of singing lavani, one of Maharashtra’s most popular folk forms, and used to sing in Hindi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Tamil and Punjabi as well. She had been conferred the title of Lavanisamradhni (Queen of Lavani).

Anil R. Torne, Talegaon, Maharashtra

Read more

Sir — Reading is a way of exercising the mind. Regular reading improves memory functions, communication skills, empathy and focus. It also reduces stress and has a positive impact on mental health. Readers have sharpened critical thinking skills and a heightened sense of imagination. The more one can learn, the further one can get ahead in life.

Ishika Asodiya, Ujjain

Sir — Reading is a lost habit these days. People are always rushing from one place to another, making reading impossible.

Tripti Das, Calcutta