L E T T E R S    T O    T H E    E D I T O R

Provide jobs in MSME sector

India, primarily, has been an agricultural economy since ages. Till today, more than 60 percent jobs are provided by this sector alone, though the share of this sector in the country's GDP has reduced considerably. So, there is already a situation of over-employment in agriculture sector.

There too is a limitation in the service sector such as information technology (IT), education, insurance, automobile, banks and financial services, as the skills required to qualify for jobs in this sector are taught in institutes of higher learning which are either costly or need academic excellence (editorial ‘Job creation dips’, December 28). One important area which can provide jobs is the MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) sector.

The government should focus on small-scale industries and make arrangements for cheap technical education to the poor by opening more ITIs and polytechnic institutes. It must provide courses in accordance with the requirements of local industries so that people can get employment near their native places.

Skilled education should also be provided for fulfilling demand in aviation, insurance and telecom sectors. Our education policy should be framed in accordance with the current requirements that could create good human resources brimming with knowledge and confidence. Corporate sector should be persuaded to open technical educational institutions in rural India.

At present, there are approximately 2.5 crore micro, small & medium enterprises in India, which have provided direct employment to more than 8 crore people.

The indifferent attitude of government departments dealing with MSMEs has failed to give a boost to this sector. US President Barack Obama has described this sector as the engine of growth of a country's economy. This sector has the capacity to provide jobs to the unskilled rural and semi-urban youth.

ARVIND DHUMAL, Jalandhar.

Spare the innocent

It is good that the government has appointed two committees to amend and bring about changes in the laws that deal with women’s safety. However, we are also aware of the fact as to how blatantly the laws related to dowry i.e. Section 498A as well as those relating to domestic violence are misused.

In certain cases, women -- who lodge false and frivolous complaints -- and their family members have been punished.  Hence, both Justice Verma Committee as well as Justice Usha Mehra Committee have to be extremely careful and cautious while proposing changes in laws which could severely affect the lives of people. It should be done in such a manner that the “real victims” get justice and the “real culprits” get the gallows. In “rarest of rare” cases, the guilty should be punished immediately. 

If innocent people are falsely trapped and implicated, it ruins the lives of other members of the family too. This would again be injustice to women. 

MOHIT JHANGIANI, New Delhi

Remove contradictions

People feel the emerging “social structure” is gradually failing to provide physical, social and economic security to the common people. In fact, there is a basic contradiction between the “progressive” and the “conservative” forces. The need is to resolve this “contradiction”.

Forces of progressive change must come together to accelerate the pace of change through objective and scientific ways. Social institutions like educational institutes, family, media and all the democratic institutions must be oriented in the right direction. Conservative forces are always highly resourceful, clever and sometimes heartless. What they need to do is to check the progressive tendency from going haywire, shed some of its inflexibility in sync with the times and work in collusion with the progressive forces to keep the bad elements in society at bay.

SUDESH KUMAR SHARMA, Kapurthala

Prove decisions right

Ratan Tata has rightly said, “I don’t believe in taking right decisions....I take decisions and make them right”. Tata group is the only group which has catered to all classes from middle class to high end group (editorial “Ratan, he is”, January 1). The Tata group has played an important role in the development of India. The Tata brand can be compared to any big international giant without any doubt. A man who has given his entire life in building the conglomerate is surely a name to be remembered in the success of Indian business.

NAVDEEP KAUR BASRA, Ludhiana

II

As per reports, Tata Motors recently rejected Pakistan’s proposal for supplying 380 Tata Sumo Grande for the Pakistan police. The board decided not to accept the proposal due to Pakistan's involvement in the 26/11 terror attacks. The attitude and decision of Ratan Tata was very practical and blunt, something which the Indian government must take a cue from.

MAHESH KAPASI, New Delhi

Ugly face of India

Reporting the death of Delhi rape victim in Singapore, this is what a popular newspaper of Sacramento (California) has written about our great nation – “ India's legal system is notoriously creaky and enforcement lax. Families are often afraid to report rapes earful of being asked for bribes to fill out police reports or being publicly humiliated. There is a national rape conviction rate of 25%. In rural communities where the stigma is greatest amid concerns that victims are 'tainted goods', women are sometimes pressurised into marrying their attackers'. 

ASWANT KAUR GILL, via e-mail

Driver's manual It is about time for the authorities concerned in India to make it mandatory for all states to have their own driver's manual at the earliest possible (editorial ‘Lost to fog’, January 1). This would definitely help motorists/drivers to understand and follow what is expected of them while driving. A driver's manual is the need of the hour in saving precious lives on highly unsafe Indian roads. In the US, all states have their own driver's manuals in form of a booklet which spells out rules and regulations related to automobile driving in detail alongwith road signs to be followed by motorists.  SUBHASH C CHAUDHRY, Indianapolis (US)