Need for change

Need for change
It is good news that there will be a uniform syllabus for all boards (‘Common syllabus for all boards from 2011’, DNA, February 17). There is no scope to the student to choose any particular subject in the current curriculum. This education does not make student a good citizen as he is not aware of his social responsibilities. Students should be exposed to real India so as to assess whether there is any role for him to play for the welfare of the society.
—Rama Rao, via email

Budget wish list
From a common man’s point of view, here is a wish list I want to present to the Finance Minister: Realistic figures: All figures mentioned for various tax purposes, like income tax exemption limit, Tax Deduction at Source (TDS), various exemptions and deductions must be raised to realistic amounts to match real intrinsic value of Rupee considering inflation and fall of Rupee in purchasing power in the market. Saral Form: Income Tax forms at present are most complicated. Even e- filing, supposed to make life easy for filing returns, is complex. The Property Tax form in Delhi is just one page long, and is user-friendly. It should be same for all Income Tax forms. Senior Citizens: Senior citizens must be given that status at 60 years and not at 65. Simplify taxes: Wealth Tax and Capital Gains must be abolished. Deadlines: IT Department must be given strict deadlines for each process.
—Mahesh Kapasi, via email

Safety precautions
While sympathising with the father of the boy who died when his Skoda crashed on the sealink, (‘Ojas would have lived if the airbags had opened’, DNA, February 19), I agree with the Skoda engineer’s observation that airbags are meant to deploy only in case of a frontal hit. Also motorists should not install ‘crash-bars’ on vehicles equipped with airbags, as such intervention disturbs the precisely designed calibration which responds to a frontal crash. Also, it is of crucial importance to wear the seatbelts in vehicles with airbags, as the sudden impact of the airbag on the head/chest would prove to be fatal if the body is not restrained by the seatbelt. It is for this reason that airbags are designed to save lives only in conjunction with seatbelts, and are not miracle devices as thought to be.
—Phiroze B Javeri, Mumbai

Agitation and its aftermath
The affidavit filed by Chandra Iyengar, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department of Maharshtra in the Bombay High Court on the investigation conducted on the allegation that senior leaders of the Shiv Sena, Mahahrashtra Navanirman Sena and Congress were responsible for the destruction of public and private property during agitations organised by them it was found out that the charge could not be established evokes derisive laughter (‘Govt wont move against Thackerays for vandalism’, DNA, February 19). Does it mean that recorded version of the instructions given has to be produced and in the event of failure the top leaders will not be held accountable.  Moreover, if the marauding masses cannot be controlled by their leaders then they should desist from organising agitations or make good the loss suffered by the aggrieved parties. It is hoped wisdom will dawn on the officials since politicians have lost it long ago.
—KRP Gupta, via email

Price of fame
I was pleased to read ‘Signs of Marathi’s decline are all round’, (DNA, February 10) by Neeta Kolhatkar.  This decline started when Shiv Sena came into being. Bal Thackeray is the only politician who has publicly condemned respected Marathi writers like Acharya Atre, PL Deshpande and Vasant Bapat. In spite of this Thackeray still commands popularity in Maharashtra. So then, who will care about the Maharashtra which was the land of Acharya Vinoba Bhave, Maharshi Karve, Jyotiba Phule and not to forget Bal Gangadhar Tilak?
—Suresh Tinaikar, Mumbai