Clean and green
Sir — Do we care enough about the environment to fight our own insecurities? Apparently not. A recent research has shown that feelings of disgust and shame encourage excessive clothes washing even among those who care about their carbon footprint. Determined not to wear sweaty clothes, people wash them after wearing them just once. It is high time to look at the culture of social bullying, which forces people to act or dress in a way that is acceptable to the majority. Fast fashion, unsustainable diets and over-washing — all of which lead to ecological damage — result from the fear of being labelled an outcast.
Srimanti Barua, Guwahati
Flawed test
Sir — The Supreme Court’s observation on the sanctity of the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test being affected amid the allegations of paper leaks highlights a deeper issue: the test has failed to ensure a level playing field (“All in one”, Jun 14). Several discrepancies — from paper leaks to technical glitches — have jeopardised the NEET’s integrity. The rise of coaching centres exacerbates inequalities, favouring urban, affluent students over the rural and economically disadvantaged ones. True meritocracy means providing equal opportunities for all students. The National Testing Agency must take steps to amend the situation. The future of lakhs of students is at stake.
Shovanlal Chakraborty, Calcutta
Sir — The Centre informed the Supreme Court that the results of the 1,563 students who had received grace marks in the NEET would be cancelled. The students will be given a choice to accept their results without the grace marks or sit for a re-test. The medical aspirants and their concerned parents who pursued this issue doggedly must be lauded. The NTA, which is responsible for conducting the NEET, has caused embarrassment to the government. The system of grace marking cannot be allowed as it lacks transparency. Considering the efforts of the aspirants, the government needs to cancel the current results and conduct the examination again.
Janga Bahadur Sunuwar, Jalpaiguri
Sir — The NEET should have been organised more securely without the risk of paper leaks. The NTA has proven to be incompetent in handling such a vast examination. The results showed irregularities in scores and ranks. The government must take responsibility for such a faux pas and plug the loopholes.
D.V.G. Sankara Rao, Andhra Pradesh
Sir — Lakhs of students appear for competitive exams like the NEET. Artificial Intelligence and other computing tools can be used to quickly assess these tests, which are based on objective, multiple-choice questions. It will be difficult to find a more efficient process.
R. Narayanan, Navi Mumbai
Act fast
Sir — One must applaud the Congress’s decision to field Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli and K.L. Sharma from Amethi in the general elections (“Q: Will Priyanka? A: Buffering”, June 14). Before the poll results, people speculated that this decision was an indication of Rahul Gandhi’s fear of losing against Smriti Irani, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate in Amethi. However, this was a strategic decision to address the public perception that the Congress was overdependent on the Gandhi family. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should now actively participate in the national politics and contest from Rae Bareli or Wayanad.
Amit Brahmo, Calcutta
Sir — Rahul Gandhi must retain the seat in Wayanad and the Rae Bareli seat should go to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. This will not disappoint the voters as Vadra is competent and has proven her mettle while campaigning in Uttar Pradesh.
K. Nehru Patnaik, Visakhapatnam
