Budgetary support to madrasas

Apropos of ‘Boost to madrasas’; one aspect of the Supreme Court judgment not covered in the editorial is that the state government can ‘regulate’ madrasa education to make it broad-based, thus enabling their students to coexist meaningfully in a multi-religious society/country as well as qualify, on merit, for job opportunities offered by the government. In other words, it can extend conditional budgetary support to madrasas which expand their curriculum instead of limiting it to Quranic and other Islamic texts.

Tejendra Khanna, former L-G, Delhi

Reaffirming secularism in India

Refer to ‘Boost to madrasas’; the UP Government had framed the Madrasa Act to regulate education in institutions where modern subjects are taught with Islamic texts. But questions were raised because the state was found violating the constitutional principle of secularism by trying to regulate institutions imparting religious instructions. By upholding the UP Board of Madrasa Education Act, the SC has reaffirmed secularism in India. It observed that just because an educational institution is managed by a minority and professes some of its teachings, it doesn’t mean that teachings in such schools fall outside the ambit of education. Thus, it held that establishing madrasas is quite consistent with the constitutional rights of minorities to set up educational institutions. The SC has endorsed the need for a law to regulate the standard of education offered by these institutions.

Mona Singh, by mail

Conform to local laws

With reference to ‘Wikipedia vs India’; the editorial is spot-on about the importance of an equitable balance between free speech and content responsibility. Today, politics and profit-making have a bearing on the credibility and bona fides of media operations, digital media in particular. But sometimes, damage is done irreversibly before truth exerts itself against planted narratives and perceptions. The onus is on the government to ensure that global platforms operating in India stringently conform to local laws and cultural expectations.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

Need for editorial scrutiny

Refer to ‘Wikipedia vs India’; the editorial rightly highlights Wikipedia’s conflict with India about its role in spreading information. While Wikipedia promotes free knowledge, its open-editing model allows misinformation and bias, undermining reliability. The Centre’s call for stricter regulations is warranted, as Wikipedia’s lack of oversight breeds manipulated content. Measures such as fact-checking, editorial scrutiny and accountability are essential to address these issues. India must balance freedom of expression with content accuracy, treating Wikipedia as a publisher to ensure that it remains a trustworthy source for citizens.

Chanchal S Mann, Una

Empower women in workforce

With reference to ‘Women’s woes on the labour front’; women face several challenges in the labour sector that impact their work-life balance. Achieving stability and equality in this sector still remains a big struggle for them. For women’s empowerment in the workforce, steps such as policy reforms, equal pay, a safe environment at the workplace, sensitivity towards child care responsibilities and greater leadership opportunities are necessary. Overall development of society will only be possible by empowering women, and treating them equally at all levels.

Sikandar Bansal, Shimla

Pivotal moment for AAP

Apropos of ‘Punjab byelections a litmus test for Mann government’; the bypoll result will show whether the voters are satisfied with the AAP government’s performance on several key issues. Since coming to power, the party has faced criticism over the drug menace and a sluggish economy, with promises of change now being questioned. A victory would reinforce AAP’s standing and validate its reformist agenda, while a loss could signal public disillusionment, not only weakening Mann’s hold on Punjab but also casting doubts on the party’s credibility as a national alternative. This byelection is a pivotal moment for both Mann and AAP.

Laxman Mehra, by mail

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