Rot in the system

With reference to Dilip Cherian’s All bark, no bite? (Jan. 22), it is disturbing to note that the Central Vigilance Commission is unable to get bureaucrats to follow its directives. This shows how deep the rot in the system goes. As Mr Cherian points out, had the CBI not moved against the bureaucrat in question, he would have stayed in his position because he obviously seems to have backers in the finance ministry. Now the question is: who is it in the ministry that wants to protect him?
Atif
Via email

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Fairer sex ratio

The government’s plan to revisit the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, which aims to check the rising incidence of female foeticide, is timely. Even though measures have been taken in recent years to correct the imbalance in the sex ratio, there has been little change on the ground. In fact, neither fear of the law nor positive incentive schemes have been able to deter dishonest medical practitioners from aborting female foetuses.
Vani. A
Hyderabad

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Meeting of minds

The Jaipur Literature Festival faced a lot of flak all over the world. First, the video conference of Salman Rushdie was called off, and then the staging of a play by theatre artist Mukesh Verma was disallowed. The festival, meant for the meeting of literary minds to promote art as art, lost its primary objective in the welter of accusations and threats from various political and the Islamic groups.
Suchana Patel
Via email

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Hole in the wall?

Rahul Dravid’s poor show continued in Australia as he was bowled for the sixth time in four Test matches. Are the reflexes of one of the most technically accomplished batsmen giving way or is he simply failing to adapt and improvise? A hole seems to be developing in “The Wall”.
Aakash Gupta
Via email