Lost time

Sir — Handling the pressure of the ticking clock during examinations is cumbersome. South Korea, for instance, goes out of its way to ensure that the concentration of students appearing for the college admission test, Suneung, is not disturbed by halting flight take-offs on exam day. This year, however, the exam ended 90 seconds earlier than the scheduled time at one of the centres when the invigilator accidentally pressed the alarm. The final moments of an exam are too valuable. Students have thus rightly sued the government. The controversy on timekeeping reveals the emphasis on discipline in that country.

Srishti Nagar, Mumbai

Turbulent waters

Sir — The Israel-Hamas conflict has spilled over into one of the world’s busiest trade routes affecting the global economy (“Houthis attack ships in Red Sea”, Dec 28). The Houthi rebels backed by Iran have been firing missiles on Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with the Palestinian terrorist group, Hamas. But now, it has started targeting non-Israeli vessels as well; two vessels bound for India were recently attacked. This raises concerns about the safety of maritime trade.

The United States of America has launched a multinational naval force to guard against maritime attacks in the Red Sea. However, several important countries have refused to be a part of this force. Moreover, Egypt, which stands to be the biggest loser from the disruptions in the Red Sea, has not yet condemned the Houthi attacks. World leaders should deliberate on a resolution to the conflict and restore peace in the straits.

Khokan Das, Calcutta

Sir — It is disconcerting that global trade has begun to experience the repercussions of the Israel-Hamas conflict (“Red alert”, Dec 22). For Indian exporters, the escalation of the crisis could spell a rise in expenses for sending goods for export. This financial strain, particularly burdensome for smaller businesses, will impact profitability. Disturbances in the Red Sea could create ripple effects across global supply chains, leading to fluctuations in the prices of essential commodities.

Exporters should closely watch the developments in the conflict to assess risks to their businesses. Further, they should consider diversifying trade routes to circumvent potential disruptions in the Red Sea.

Amarjeet Kumar, Hazaribagh

Sir — As 2023 comes to a close, wars continue to ravage different parts of the world. The Israel-Hamas war, the recent one in the line of conflicts, has already led to a record-high civilian death count. Significantly, the extermination of Hamas, which is Israel’s ultimate goal, appears to be a distant possibility (“Scepticism grows over Israel’s ability to dismantle Hamas”, Dec 28). One of the reasons for this is that Israel is surrounded by hostile states and terror outfits that are backed by rival countries such as Iran. Israel thus seems to have bitten off more than it can chew. This also means that the war will be protracted and continue to take a heavy toll on innocent civilians on both sides.

Amit Brahmo, Calcutta

Flawed choice

Sir — Earlier this month, Argentinians elected the far-Right, extreme nationalist leader, Javier Milei, as their president to fix the country’s economy. But within a fortnight, many of them have taken to the streets to protest against the privatisation of the economy by Milei. Like any other nationalist leader, Milei has introduced reforms
that will help the rich and the crony capitalists and erode protections for workers and consumers. Argentinians should continue protesting until the policies have been withdrawn.

Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur

Votes matter

Sir — Following a resounding victory in the recent round of assembly elections, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, has been wooing minority communities with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls (“Modi’s minority symbolism ahead of hard Hindutva pitch”, Dec 27). After hosting a Christmas lunch at his official residence, Modi participated in a Sikh event. Such overtures do not negate the fact that the saffron party has been at the forefront of the intimidating attacks on minority communities — from the vandalism of churches in Karnataka to the heinous crimes committed against Muslims. The government must ensure that the upcoming grand inauguration of the Ram temple does not lead to violence against minorities.

Aayman Anwar Ali, Calcutta

Welcome back

Sir — It was heartening to learn that the tennis icon, Naomi Osaka, has hit the practice court ahead of her much-anticipated return to the game with the Brisbane International (“Osaka at practice”, Dec 28). Rafael Nadal is also set to make a comeback after a gap of a year owing to an injury. One hopes that the two tennis greats will mesmerise admirers and make their comebacks memorable.

Sourish Misra, Calcutta