Dr Bot
Sir — According to the World Health Organization, India’s mental health workforce is severely understaffed, with only 0.75 psychiatrists and psychologists for every 1,00,000 people. Unfortunately, this gap is being filled by Artificial Intelligence. Unlike humans who require rest and remuneration for sustenance, AI chatbots are available round the clock. They are also largely cost-effective and accessible both remotely and anonymously. Research has also found that some people feel more comfortable confessing their feelings to an insentient bot rather than a person. But thus far, AI can only mimic human emotions. Empathy remains a core human dimension that is impossible to encode in an algorithm. The human touch is key to psychological therapy.
Suhana Tamang,Siliguri
Speak up
Sir — The chief minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren, has written to the president, Droupadi Murmu, with the appeal of ensuring justice for violence-ridden Manipur (“Appeal to President: Speak up”, July 23). However, Soren has taken this step only after the formation of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, which includes his party, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. Soren’s letter thus appears to politicise the issue of Manipur and seems like an attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party instead of being truly humanitarian.
Ananda Dulal Ghosh,Howrah
Sir — The silence of the nation’s first tribal president has aggrieved the people of Manipur. Hemant Soren was thus justified in writing to her, requesting intervention. But if elected leaders are not putting any effort into dousing the flames in Manipur, what hope is there of a nominal head doing so?
Aayman Anwar Ali,Calcutta
Sir — The chief minister of Jharkhand is absolutely right in saying that “silence in the face of cruelty is a terrible crime.” The president should rise to the occasion and speak up on Manipur before it is too late.
Arun Gupta,Calcutta
Sir — Droupadi Murmu should not only speak up on the situation in Manipur but she should also visit the strife-torn state at the earliest.
M.T. Farooqi,Hyderabad
Long wait
Sir — The number of pending cases in courts across India has exceeded the five crore mark (“Courtly aid”, July 25). The government has attributed this pendency to several factors, including a shortage of judges and other judicial officers and a lack of definite time-frames for the resolution of cases. Frequent adjournments and ineffective monitoring and scheduling of hearings also cause delays.
The delay in appointing new judges adversely affects the timely conclusion of cases. The process of these appointments involves both the executive and the judiciary. It is thus important for them to work together to address this problem. Differences over recommended candidates should be promptly resolved. Justice delayed is justice denied and swift processes may increase people’s faith in the judiciary.
Bishal Saha,Murshidabad
Sir — The huge number of cases pending in various courts across the country is disconcerting. Inordinate delays in the judicial process cause tremendous emotional and financial drains. Authorities should take urgent steps to ensure speedy trials.
Jahangir Ali,Mumbai
Stressful deadline
Sir — Non-business income taxpayers and accounting professionals are under pressure owing to the July 31 deadline for filing taxes. Although there exists a four-month window at the end of a fiscal year for the same, in reality, the unavailability of several tax deductions and exemptions and a late fine complicate the process of filing taxes further. Floods and other extreme weather events this year have exacerbated the difficulties of taxpayers. The government should extend the existing deadline to August 31.
Kamal Laddha,Bengaluru
Slippery slope
Sir — This year, India’s export numbers are off to a rocky start despite touching a record $775 billion in 2022-23. June’s provisional export figure, around $33 billion, was the lowest in eight months. The decline in non-oil and non-gold imports grew to 16.7% in June from 2% in May. While this suggests that the goods trade deficit may not be as wide as last year, it also does not bode well for domestic growth drivers, which are India’s key weapons against the global recession.
Few areas, such as the export of electronic goods, might flourish in spite of the overall declining trend in Indian exports. Indian policymakers should thus increase their efforts to encourage competitiveness among Indian companies while watching out for other investors.
T.K.R. Noori,Hyderabad
Good samaritans
Sir — Twelve Calcuttans spent an hour on Saturday morning picking up trash from the city’s streets braving the intermittent rain. Their effort is praiseworthy (“Group of 12 collects waste from roads”, July 24). Most urban spaces are littered with plastic waste and this contributes to waterlogging in the city. The authorities should strictly enforce a zero-tolerance policy towards plastic goods.
Jayanta Datta,Hooghly
In the shadows
Sir — It is disheartening that although the television channel, DD Sports, had secured the rights to stream the Fifa Women’s World Cup, it has not been doing so. Most sports channels focus on cricket, whereas women’s football matches are hardly ever broadcast on TV.
Dyutiman Bhattacharya,Calcutta
