China vs AUKUS
China is weaving a web of alliances through its many multilaterals, BRI-Maritime and Digital silk route projects in the Indian Ocean Region. The Chinese muscle-flexing and wolf-warrior diplomacy is one of the prime reasons that made India to forge closer maritime ties with the U.S., Japan, and Australia in the Quad. It is well known that the Indian Ocean forms one of the world’s most important maritime routes. China has shown an undue interest in the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, and the Arabian Sea. With China planning to be the dominant power in Asia, only India and the AUKUS partnership have the potential to face China.
H.N. Ramakrishna,
Bengaluru
Medicine and quota
The writers of the article, “Rulings that impact a State’s medical infrastructure” (Editorial page, September 23), by arguing in favour of a State service quota for super-specialty admissions in Tamil Nadu, have not given adequate thought to the concept of equity and fairness. How is it fair that while students of Tamil Nadu can compete for all vacant seats in any other State (e.g. Andhra Pradesh or Maharashtra), their own State does not reciprocate in a similar fashion to aspirants from other States? Does not the introduction of a 50% quota for in-service doctors amount in effect to reserving 50% of the seats for locals, thus reintroducing the concept of domicile? This was something that was frowned upon by the Supreme Court of India in 2016. Either all States should introduce similar measures in their jurisdiction (as correctly permitted by the Constitution Bench in 2018) or none should.
A better system to provide super-specialty care in State-run hospitals is to insist on a service bond of one to two years provided the bond period is not too widely variable across States. This alone will be fair to students from all States while providing the required manpower.
Dr. V. Suresh,
Tirupati
Duty time
The suggestion made by the Minister for Road Transport and Highways (“Truck drivers must have fixed hours, says Nitin Gadkari”, September 22) may be opposed by truck owners on multiple fronts. But, before a decision is made, some ground realities must be addressed. Truck drivers prefer night driving as there is no two-wheeler traffic and the almost negligible presence of pedestrians which enable them to cover the distance marginally faster. Night driving also reduces the number of road accidents involving two-wheelers and pedestrians. There is less heat and drivers are not exhausted that quickly. For shorter destinations, goods are loaded in trucks only after sunset so that they reach their destinations before daybreak and this is one reason for the increased number of trucks plying at night. All these can be set at rest if every truck is ordered to have two drivers.
V. Lakshmanan,
Tirupur, Tamil Nadu
