Through the back door

Sir ? With all the fuss being made over quotas in unaided schools and colleges, it surprising that nobody has pointed out that there is no such thing as an ?unaided? educational institution. Every educational institution affiliated to a university enjoys tax breaks, though many of them earn considerable profits and are ?aided? in an indirect sense. While the efficacy of reservations as a social engineering tool may be subject to debate, the judges of the Supreme Court can not ignore this point, even though it may seem like a technicality.

Yours faithfully,
Ramakrishnan, Shillong

Faith cure

Sir ? Herbal medicine being a huge success the world over, the drug industry?s concern over ayurveda is understandable. The American FDA has banned herbal products from being sold over the counter and the Indian drugs industry is itching to follow. If this does come about, then millions of Indians will be deprived of an effective alternative to allopathy.

But suggestions, like the one by Raghunath Mashelkar, of making ayurvedic medicine more acceptable by isolating the ?active ingredients? of herbs and then finding a chemical equivalent for them, will not work (?Herbal warning falls on deaf ears?, Aug 20). Using herbs is not all there is to ayurveda. It is a proven method of preventing illness and treating the sick with medicines derived from minerals and the plant and animal kingdom, based on certain principles and depending on the physical and mental make-up of individual patients.

Yours faithfully,
Jagannath Chatterjee, Bhubaneswar

Sir ? Now that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority of Britain has questioned the safety of many herbal products made by reputed Indian companies, they must be banned, at least for some time, and tested in reliable laboratories. Ayurveda is the pride of India. But people cannot be taken for a ride in the name of ayurveda.

Yours faithfully,
Ashok Agarwalla, Tezpur

In working order

Sir ? The report,?Get your smart card, or fine ahead? (Aug 11), states that the smart card can be collected ?at the single-window counter?. Actually, I had to visit four counters located on the first, second and ground floor of the building to collect it. But the process is comparatively fast and I got the card in reasonable time.

Yours faithfully,
Alok Ghosh, Calcutta

Sir ? Knowing the reputation of the public vehicles department, I was filled with apprehension at the thought of going to its offices to collect my smart card. But I was in for a pleasant surprise. The first shock was when a tout near the red building, on learning my business, turned away after pointing the way to the office ? three floors of an apartment building, of which 2 floors were air-conditioned. The office was teeming with helpful young men, whose behaviour is the exact opposite of the babus. My car was identified, money taken and the smart card issued ? all within 20 minutes. I discovered that the operation had been sub-contracted to an e-commerce outfit. I did not have to fill up any challans, as all paperwork was done on computers. I paid no bribe anywhere, except for the Rs 220 the public vehicles department took, besides the Rs 340 the contractor charges for running the show, including making the smart card, which I find reasonable.

Yours faithfully,
L.N. Roychoudhury, Calcutta