India needs to have a clear trade plan

Apropos ‘India stands to gain…, Donald Trump has managed to shake up the world in a manner few others have done before. The economic world can now be divided into two distinct phases, before Trump 2.0 and after Trump 2.0. The entire world is in a tizzy and it is hard to think America itself is going to come out unscathed. This may offer an opportunity for India if one believes every crisis can be converted into an opportunity. But India would have to have a clear long term vision and plan, nimble manoeuvres and an approach like Chanakya if it wants to stay ahead of the curve. A tall order; but not impossible.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

Discuss issues with Oppn

It is quite normal that the opposition demands a ‘debate’ on crucial policies impacting public good. The Special Intensive Revision in Bihar may be a requirement for Election Commission to eliminate refugees from Bangladesh, Myanmar but this must be debated in the House. Likewise, the Operation Sindoor and its outcomes also should be discussed in Parliament. The ruling party is unjust if they keep the major issues under wraps.

P R Ravinder, Hyderabad

AP govt move intriguing

It is surprising that Andhra Pradesh state government has introduced CBSE syllabus for all classes from 2023 but exams are being conducted basing on old state syllabus model. CBSE Syllabus which lays emphasis on literature is unfamiliar to the teachers here and their troubles in following it are unprecedented. The students who cannot identify themselves with the characters in the prose & poetry of English cannot make head & tail of the text. The overburdened teachers are feeling it to be a tight-rope walk. What is the meaning in teaching a professional syllabus with questions based on rudimentary learning? It is like asking golf practitioners to play cricket and testing equestrians to ride on elephants.

Teachers handbooks are distributed and they need extra time to fill in which is a far cry with respect to the time- table and floating allotment of classes. Asking teachers to scan and upload every page of every slip test written by every student is akin to asking mathematicians to count stars in the sky. These ridiculous systems need urgent revamp to avoid teachers from getting burnt out before even going to class.

M Chandrasekhar, Ontimitta

Too much speculation on V-P resignation

A debate is going on in the media on the invisible reasons behind Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar’s resignation. Many are reading “in between the lines”. Only Dhankar can clarify on this. He has already cited health reasons and became silent. Wishing him a healthy, peaceful long life. Let’s end this debate here and stop speculation. Many people are asking for an enquiry on VP resignation matter. Does constitution allow for the same.

P V P Madhu Nivriti, Secunderabad

Sports Bill can be a game-changer

The National Sports Bill, recently tabled in the Lok Sabha, marks a much-needed overhaul of India’s sports governance. For decades, sports federations have been dominated by long-serving presidents and opaque systems, often riddled with favoritism, mismanagement, and lack of accountability. The new bill sets strict term limits—three terms or 12 years—and caps the age at 70 for sports executives, breaking the monopoly of entrenched officials.

A 15-member National Sports Panel, with at least four women, and a powerful National Sports Board will oversee all federations. Annual audits will be mandatory, and a Sports Tribunal led by a Supreme Court judge- serving or Retired will ensure justice in disputes. Importantly, even the independent BCCI will be brought under the RTI Act and registered as a sports federation.

This bill is a vital step toward restoring credibility, ensuring transparency, and promoting merit-driven, athlete-first sports governance across India which will help develop trust in sportsperson’s heart.

RS Narula, Patiala