Whispers Forum

I fully agree with views expressed by Ipsha Sharma ji on lapse in PM security. But I have some questions. 100% over all charge of PM security is with SPG which too has many prescribed layers. The pilot car guides the cavalcade. Normally the pilot car is 500 meters ahead of main PM cavalcade. Why pilot car did not sound. The area belonged to BSF. What were local police personnel deployed on that road doing? It seems too many hands lead to breach of this security or divided responsibility with no fixed accountability has created this scenario. The basic principle of security "minimum need to know" has been violated too.
Harish Kumar

The lapse in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security arrangements, which left his convoy stranded on a flyover for around 20 minutes, near Ferozepur in Punjab on Wednesday is indeed a serious one. After all, a sitting Prime Minister, a former Prime Minister, and the leader revered as the father of the nation are among the list of the country’s assassinated leaders. The critical question that is that who made the decision that the Prime Minister could, and should, travel by road for more than 100 km, from Bathinda to Ferozepur and where and why the Punjab police and the intelligence agencies failed. This incident must also lead to a more efficient protocol for the Prime Minister’s travel, and a repurposing of the Special Protection Group (SPG) which with an outlay of around Rs. 600 crore and around 3,000 personnel has just one job — protect one person, the Prime Minister.
Ipsha Sharma

Of late, traditional and alternative forms of treatment like Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Unani etc. have been garnering a lot of popularity. People highly revere Ayurveda, because of its natural foundations and plant-based medication with no side-effects. This trend shift is visible not only in India but all across the globe. Similarly, homeopathy has also surfaced as a highly preferred alternative to the allopathy treatment. Insurance companies have also on the instructions of IRDA included AYUSH treatments in its mediclaim policies. But to claim coverage for AYUSH treatments, one has to be hospitalized for at least 24 hours in any government recognised Ayurveda hospital or institute whereas hospitalisation in Ayurveda and homeopathy is required in rare of the rarest case. All the more such government hospitals are not available everywhere in such a vast country. Then of what use is the coverage of AYUSH treatment under mediclaim policy.
Sanjay Sharma

Delhi University will hold entrance test from 2022-23 session to eliminate grade inflation in plus-2 marks by various state boards. It is a very welcome step. I hope they go one step further by giving admission by well designed computerised lottery. After all admission is only to BA, B.Sc pass and Honors courses, lottery is good enough and it gives equal chance to every applicant. Of course various reservations should be adhered to and lottery can be applied within each category. Applicants can be asked indicate their preference for three colleges and three courses. In each category admission for boys and girls should be in proportion to the applications received. I think this arrangement on the whole will do justice as well as make the entire admission process tension free.
Raghavan

The New Year eve tragedy at Vaishno Devi temple is very upsetting especially when this could have been avoided. Why so many people were allowed to go up? It has always been the system since the temple was taken over by Mata Vaishno Devi Board that from Katra a certain number of people were allowed to go up. The next batch could leave only when the earlier batch returns. This could help in managing the crowd in the vicinity of the temple. Where has that system gone ? Why so many people were allowed to go up? How the registration was done without an eye on the number. There is definitely failure to control the crowd there which resulted in stampede and death of 12 persons and injuries to many. Responsibility needs to be fixed for this mismanagement.
Aarti Khosla
Kudos to Mehrotraji
Mehrotra ji, Kudos to you for doing excellent job. You keep all of us informed and sometime predict the developments in the bureaucracy.
Kishori Lal

If anecdotal evidence is anything to go by, what is the reason that candidates are spending enormous amounts of money to win elections for Gram Pradhan? Does it have anything to do with the scope of corruption in rural areas? This angle will have to be examined while policies are being made. The poor, under privileged and weak are hardest hit by such things.
Vijay Kumar
Congratulations to CRB
Heartiest congratulations on your elevation as CRB, the biggest railways of the world.
CA R C Agrawal, Civil Lines, Prayagraj

With few months to Assembly polls in five states, former Congress president and MP Rahul Gandhi has again flown abroad on Wednesday morning on "a personal visit". Only recently, ahead of the winter session of Parliament, he had travelled abroad for almost a month and returned just a day before the commencement of the session. Rahul's visit abroad comes at a time when political parties are pacing up their campaigning for the upcoming polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, which are due next year. Rahul himself was scheduled to address a party rally in Moga district of Punjab on January 3 to kick start campaigning in the state. However, now it may be postponed. With a delay in campaigning, it could seemingly impact the party's vote bank in the state and bring down chances of the party retaining power.
Paraj Saxena