Nothing but a professional degree will do!

UMESH GHAERA in his article "Nothing but a professional degree will do!" (June 26) has rightly stated that a majority of the students getting top ranks in the Civil Services examination these days, are from professional colleges. The results of civil services exam for 1998, show that candidates with an engineering background continue to hog the prime positions in the order of merit. In the civil services exam for 1997, out of the first 20 candidates in order of merit, 18 were engineers. Even in 1996, IAS probationers included 32 engineers, 8 doctors, 7 MBAs, 3 Ph.Ds and 6 science graduates/postgraduates, a total of 56 professionals — a staggering 70 per cent.

The trend shows that the first choice of professionals (engineers, doctors etc) is IAS, instead of the professions for which they had been specifically trained, at a great cost to their parents and the government. This is because during the last 15-20 years, the IAS has entered into all the branches of the government, including the public sector undertakings, which should have been better left to technocrats and specially trained professionals.

This domination by the IAS, prevents talented technocrats, specialists and professionals from making to the top of the hierarchy, breeding frustrations among the best and the brightest. If this trend continues, the day may come, when the government may not find suitable professionals/specialists to man the posts specifically created for them.

The trend can be checked by upgradation of the posts and the encouraging technocrats, professionals and specialists in the specialised departments, by promoting them to the rank of secretaries at states and Central level.

O.P SHARMA
Faridabad

Astrology

Apropos of "Garbage called astrology" (June 26) by Khushwant Singh, astrology is an authentic science practised and patronised since time immemorial. The heavenly planets do effect the life on earth e.g. the occurrence of tides is influenced by the waxing and waning of the moon each month. However, astrological predictions, at times, do go awry.

BANSI LAL SHARMA
Ambala Cantt

Evils in society

In his write-up "Tulsi’s dismal picture of society" (June 26), Pramod Sangar says that Tulsi blames Kaliyuga for all the evils that he notices in his contemporary society and he, perhaps, could not visualise the transition of society due to the impact of muslims with which emerged various social evils.

What Tulsi said in his times, can be heard even today in religious discourses. Everything that it bad according to their ethno-centric world view is attributed to kaliyuga. That is why when social reformers in the last century raised their voice against social evils like caste system, widow burning, child marriage, etc, they too were declared the product of kaliyuga as they were considered ‘bad people’ by the ‘holy’ religionists.

In fact, Hindu view of time is cyclical. The four yugas come turn by turn. In kaliyuga everything bad is bound to happen. This pre-determinism of the cycle of yugas leaves no scope for human initiative and understanding the causes of the malady. Until and unless we adopt the lineal view of time, our psyche cannot change and we cannot see the things in their proper perspective.

SURENDRA AJNAT
Banga

Traffic sense

H. Kishie Singh’s "What ails Chandigarh traffic" (June 19) was a well-written peice. He has given detailed guidelines to be followed by car-owners, but said virtually nothing about our racing scooterist.

Despite Chandigarh’s wide roads and more and more slip roads coming up, the accident rate is on the rise. Its all because of lack of traffic sense, non-observance of traffic rules by the car/scooter owners. There is a definite need to educate these people.

Over-speeding, particularly by young scooterists, also leads to road accidents. The scooterists don’t care to know that they have to slow down while negotiating a left-turn on a road. Often the overspeeding motorists reach the extreme right of the road which can cause an accident with a speeding vehicle coming from the opposite direction. Challans for overspeeding is no punishment. The vehicles should be impounded for some time,if necessary, by amending the traffic law. Courts would also do well to punish such defaulters severely. Drunk-driving must be dealt with a harsh hand.

S.S. JAIN
Chandigarh

Bravery of soldiers

This refers to the article: "Life is hell on those icy tops" by Himmat Singh Gill (June 26). I whole-heartedly join the author in making a plea to all patriotic citizens of my mother-land to kindly spare a thought, for our brave soldiers who are now climbing up the heights of Kargil. The writer has painted before us the picture of the battle field and the posts that our troops man on the LoC in Kargil. We get a first-hand feel of the inhospitable terrain in which our troops are operating. The writer has also acquainted us with the tough operational routine of our brave soldiers on these posts guarding the LoC.

The need of the hour is that heart and mind of each true Indian should be with our soldiers. I fully share the feelings of the author that the brave soldiers who lay down their lives for the nation must be continuously assured that in case they do not return, their families and near and dear ones will be the complete responsibility of the Government of India. And assurances once given, reliefs once announced must be honoured in action and deed. Injured/disabled soldiers have to be fully taken care of.

ONKAR CHOPRA
Ludhiana

Benefits of meditation

Harkiran Sodhi’s write-up "Can you call back? She is meditating" (June 26) seems to be highly valuable for the people who practise meditation in daily life. They generally complain of the vagaries of mind. They say that when they sit for meditation a train of thoughts rush into their mind and they fail to concentrate. The reply to this complaint is that the mind is engrossed with the ideas of the world and its attachment towards wordly objects becomes a habit.

In order to win over the mind we have to act very cautionsly and wisely. The simplest way is to get up early in the morning before sunrise and sit in a secluded place, neat and clean, calm and free from noise, either away from your house or in a separate area in the house reserved for meditation only. Have a pure neat and clean dress for this purpose which should not be used on any other occasion. Sit on the asana and first talk to your mind, advising it to the effect that it should be absolutely calm and quite at the time fixed for meditation.

When you first talk to your mind in this way it is very likely that it would get calm. It is therefore, necessary that during the practice of meditation you should be alert against the entry of external thought into your mind.

The main object is to keep the mind in its proper balance. Mind possesses both qualities. If inclined towards the world, it ties you down in bondage and if inclined towards God, it secures a complete freedom for the soul, and it is for this reason that mind is said to be the cause of both bondage and liberation.

K.M. VASHISHT
Mansa