Judicial independence

Refer to ‘Judicial service’; the proposed all-India judicial service, or a similar arrangement, has been the demand of almost every government, as none has been comfortable with an independent and active judiciary’s checks and balances. Brilliant and deserving youngsters are supposed to be selected for the IAS and IPS. However, what have politicians made of these elite services? Upright officers with impeccable credibility, it seems, are few and far between. Unless there is a system that guarantees the independence of the judiciary, the present collegium system must continue. The need is to spare the overburdened judiciary of ‘political interest’ litigation.

Hira Sharma, by mail

Streamline selection process

Apropos of ‘Judicial service’; the President has rightly opined that an all-India judicial service is the need of the hour to select youngsters and nurture their talent. The main reason for the falling standard of lawyers is that many of them have fake degrees. It is widely felt that the legal profession has experienced a shift from a commitment to ideals to a focus on financial gains. Without a doubt, there is a noticeable decline in every facet of this profession. Efforts should be made to streamline the selection process of judges.

Ramesh Gupta, Narwana

Academic freedom a must

Refer to ‘Academic freedom in peril’; it is true that academic freedom is a must to protect democracy. Academic institutions’ main duty is to identify the individual inclination of a student, groom his inherent abilities, nurture his ideological thinking and prepare him to serve society as a good human and a perfect citizen to contribute to national and global progress in his own way. This is possible only if he is provided a safe and conducive environment to hold opinions about all subjects. Instead of keeping youngsters away from politics, we should inculcate in them patience and tolerance to listen to each other’s views and respect them, even though they are different from their own.

Sadhna Saini, by mail

Governor is just a titular head

Refer to ‘Governor-govt discord and the power of the unwritten word’; but for the timely and forceful intervention of the Supreme Court, Governors in Opposition-ruled states would have become parallel centres of power, aiming to subvert the public mandate with the intent of ousting duly elected governments sooner or later. In recent times, Governors have been keen to appease their appointing authorities and demonstrate loyalty to them, forgetting their primary responsibility to defend and preserve the Constitution. Our Constitution makes it abundantly clear that the Governor is just a titular head, and all executive powers rest with the elected representatives. The essence of the matter is that the Central Government aims to seize powers in Opposition-ruled states through the agency of the Governor.

Roshan Lal Goel, Ladwa

Ambedkar’s statue

Apropos of ‘Not just Dalit leader, Ambedkar belongs to entire nation, says CJI’; Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud rightly asserted that BR Ambedkar was not just a Dalit leader; he was a part of the nation’s mainstream and belonged to all citizens of this country due to his efforts to mobilise people for social justice, which is not confined to the marginalised alone. He is remembered by the nation for his role in drafting the Constitution of India. His statue has been unveiled on the Supreme Court premises to underscore his efforts for justice.

Vijaya Sharma, by mail

Happiness is not readymade

Apropos of ‘Culture at the core of Mizo happiness’; the secret of happiness is not in belongings, but in belonging. The World Happiness Report declared Finland as the happiest country six times in a row. Mizoram is India’s happiest state, with 100 per cent literacy, a factor that brings one closer to compassion, universal brotherhood, equality, humanity and contentment. Mizoram’s social structure and cultural practices contribute significantly to the happiness of its youth. Happiness is not readymade; it springs from your thoughts and positive actions.

BM Singh, Amritsar

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