MyVoice: Views of our readers 19th May 2025
Hyd fire-a chilling reminder of urban neglect
The massive fire in Hyderabad that claimed 17 lives on Sunday is yet another reminder of our urban neglect. We build tall dreams on weak foundations—no fire exits, no alarms, no accountability. Safety norms go for a toss. The authorities conduct 'post-tragedy' inspections and in no time forget all about the tragedy that could have been avoided in the first place. People rent or buy properties without even finding out if safety measures are in place. Are we all not complicit? Fire safety in India remains a joke until it kills. We are virtually waiting for disaster to strike. Why are we still ignoring fire codes? Why are illegal structures still rising unchecked? India needs not just infrastructure but consciousness. Can we afford to sleep until flames awaken us?
Hasnain Rabbani, Mumbai
Buildings in narrow lanes forever at risk
It is quite shocking that 17 persons have lost their lives in a major fire mishap near Charminar in Hyderabad on Sunday. Buildings with narrow exits and entrances in an overcrowded area are vulnerable to disasters. It seems that the immediate deployment of fire brigade and rescue operations could not avert the great human loss caused by asphyxia. A very tragic incident.
Dr DVG Sankara Rao, Former MP,
Vizianagaram-535003
Despite ISRO setback, eyes still on the stars
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)'s PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission could not be accomplished on Sunday due to a technical glitch. Although it appears to be a failure, it serves as an opportunity to learn and move towards further improvement. ISRO's past successes are a testament to its capability, commitment and continuous development. Organisations should test the soundness of the technology that is in use more closely before each launch. Efforts should be made to promote international collaboration so that future missions are more sustainable. Temporary failures, if linked to research and improvement, become the basis for future successes.
Mohammad Asad, Mumbai
A blow to ISRO's calculations
ISRO's 101st mission from Sriharikota, an earth observation satellite onboard the agency's trusted PSLV rocket, could not be accomplished on Sunday following a pressure issue in the third stage of the launch vehicle. Although, the PSLV had a textbook lift-off at the prefixed time of 5.59 am, the mission objectives, however, could not be achieved. The PSLV is a four-stage vehicle and up to the second stage, the performance was normal. The third stage motor started perfectly but developed a problem and the mission could not be accomplished, stated ISRO chairman V. Narayanan. It is a setback to calculations as this all-weather, round-the-clock imaging is vital for applications ranging from agriculture and forestry monitoring to disaster management, urban planning and national security.
Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai
Remembering the 'Father of water
management and agriculture'
Every May 18 is a reminder of the engineering genius Dr KL Rao, who passed away on this day in 1986. Under his visionary leadership many dams were constructed across rivers, including the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, Srisailam Dam, Pulichintala Dam (also known as KL Rao Sagar). These projects generated electricity, helped channelise water for irrigation and helped us control floods. He was Union Minister for Irrigation and Power for ten years from 1963 to 1973. Andhra University honoured him with a Doctorate in 1960, while the Government of India honoured the distinguished personality with the Padma Bhushan. He is reverentially hailed as the 'Father of water management and agriculture'.
Kantamsetti LakshmanRao, Visakhapatnam
Heed SC plea for POCSO-centric courts
The Supreme Court has asked the Union and State governments to create dedicated courts for handling POCSO cases on a priority basis. This direction shows that the apex court is quite concerned about protecting children from falling victims to sexual offences. It is a very regretful irony that children must live in fear of such barbaric acts. A country will never grow if its children feel insecure. The governments must create dedicated courts on a priority basis. This can help in speedy disposal of such cases, in punishing the perpetrators and shed the fear-psychosis that haunts innocent children.
Abdullah Jameel, Mumbai
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Hans India
19-05-2025
- Hans India
MyVoice: Views of our readers 19th May 2025
Hyd fire-a chilling reminder of urban neglect The massive fire in Hyderabad that claimed 17 lives on Sunday is yet another reminder of our urban neglect. We build tall dreams on weak foundations—no fire exits, no alarms, no accountability. Safety norms go for a toss. The authorities conduct 'post-tragedy' inspections and in no time forget all about the tragedy that could have been avoided in the first place. People rent or buy properties without even finding out if safety measures are in place. Are we all not complicit? Fire safety in India remains a joke until it kills. We are virtually waiting for disaster to strike. Why are we still ignoring fire codes? Why are illegal structures still rising unchecked? India needs not just infrastructure but consciousness. Can we afford to sleep until flames awaken us? Hasnain Rabbani, Mumbai Buildings in narrow lanes forever at risk It is quite shocking that 17 persons have lost their lives in a major fire mishap near Charminar in Hyderabad on Sunday. Buildings with narrow exits and entrances in an overcrowded area are vulnerable to disasters. It seems that the immediate deployment of fire brigade and rescue operations could not avert the great human loss caused by asphyxia. A very tragic incident. Dr DVG Sankara Rao, Former MP, Vizianagaram-535003 Despite ISRO setback, eyes still on the stars The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)'s PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission could not be accomplished on Sunday due to a technical glitch. Although it appears to be a failure, it serves as an opportunity to learn and move towards further improvement. ISRO's past successes are a testament to its capability, commitment and continuous development. Organisations should test the soundness of the technology that is in use more closely before each launch. Efforts should be made to promote international collaboration so that future missions are more sustainable. Temporary failures, if linked to research and improvement, become the basis for future successes. Mohammad Asad, Mumbai A blow to ISRO's calculations ISRO's 101st mission from Sriharikota, an earth observation satellite onboard the agency's trusted PSLV rocket, could not be accomplished on Sunday following a pressure issue in the third stage of the launch vehicle. Although, the PSLV had a textbook lift-off at the prefixed time of 5.59 am, the mission objectives, however, could not be achieved. The PSLV is a four-stage vehicle and up to the second stage, the performance was normal. The third stage motor started perfectly but developed a problem and the mission could not be accomplished, stated ISRO chairman V. Narayanan. It is a setback to calculations as this all-weather, round-the-clock imaging is vital for applications ranging from agriculture and forestry monitoring to disaster management, urban planning and national security. Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai Remembering the 'Father of water management and agriculture' Every May 18 is a reminder of the engineering genius Dr KL Rao, who passed away on this day in 1986. Under his visionary leadership many dams were constructed across rivers, including the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, Srisailam Dam, Pulichintala Dam (also known as KL Rao Sagar). These projects generated electricity, helped channelise water for irrigation and helped us control floods. He was Union Minister for Irrigation and Power for ten years from 1963 to 1973. Andhra University honoured him with a Doctorate in 1960, while the Government of India honoured the distinguished personality with the Padma Bhushan. He is reverentially hailed as the 'Father of water management and agriculture'. Kantamsetti LakshmanRao, Visakhapatnam Heed SC plea for POCSO-centric courts The Supreme Court has asked the Union and State governments to create dedicated courts for handling POCSO cases on a priority basis. This direction shows that the apex court is quite concerned about protecting children from falling victims to sexual offences. It is a very regretful irony that children must live in fear of such barbaric acts. A country will never grow if its children feel insecure. The governments must create dedicated courts on a priority basis. This can help in speedy disposal of such cases, in punishing the perpetrators and shed the fear-psychosis that haunts innocent children. Abdullah Jameel, Mumbai
NDTV
23-04-2025
- NDTV
Indian Woman Compares Life With UK Cousin, Asks If West Is Better
A 21-year-old woman from Gujarat has sparked a discussion online after drawing a sharp contrast between her life in India and her cousin's life, who relocated to the United Kingdom at a young age. In her post on Reddit, the woman, who claims to be an engineer, revealed that her cousin enrolled in a good aerospace engineering programme, always travelled with friends, and even received an offer from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). But she went on to say that, in comparison, her life was filled with daily struggles. 'Personally I would say yes. My cousin and I are the same age. Both 21. She moved to the UK with her family when she was 14 and I stayed in india. We both are really close since childhood as we are the same age and practically grew up together. We still talk to each other every week without fail. We both are studying engineering. She lives in Wales and I live in Gujarat. We both are good students but not topper by any means,' the Redditor wrote in her post, titled 'Is life in western countries actually better than in India?' Is life in western countries actually better than in India? by u/BubblyDamage4746 in nri The woman then went on to point out how different their lives have become in terms of quality of living, education and social life. She claimed that her cousin has two internships that pay her well and promote work-life balance, while she is stuck working a 10-hour internship that pays Rs 12,000 a month. "I struggle to get good internships. At my last internship, I worked 10 hours a day and was paid 12k a month.(plus an hour commute) College workload is a lot, and I have to spend time completing useless files and assignments. Teachers aren't the best, and I get judged by everyone because I wasn't able to crack JEE. It's hard to find good jobs, and most pay really low, like some offer 15,000-20,000," she said. "A lot of people tell me that living abroad is terrible and how it is getting really bad. But I think it is still better than India," she said as she concluded her post. Since being shared, the post has accumulated several likes and comments. 'You're just comparing life because you grew up together. Though it looks green on the other side, you can achieve more than her. But you just choose to blame the external conditions. A student in Beijing or Tokyo might do even better. Use all the available resources to the best and try to navigate your life. No point in comparing which one is better. You can literally go to any country you want and do a Master's if you believe the West has better opportunities. Don't focus on the wrong things,' commented one user. '100%. It's not an opinion. It's a fact,' wrote another. 'Yes, it is better,' said a third user. 'The cost of quality of life is very high in India. India is not exactly cheap. If you can immigrate, it will be a higher quality of life for sure. You will add at least 5 years to your lifespan,' one user wrote.
Hindustan Times
22-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
‘Is life better abroad?' Indian compares life with UK cousin who has internships with ‘good pay, work-life balance'
A woman's question, 'Is life in Western countries actually better than in India?' while comparing the quality of her life with that of her cousin who relocated to the UK at a young age, has sparked debate on Reddit. The 21-year-old woman claimed that her cousin enrolled in a good aerospace engineering programme, always travelled with friends, and received 'an offer from ISRO.' She went on to claim that, in comparison, her life was filled with daily struggles. 'Personally I would say yes. My cousin and I are the same age. Both 21. She moved to the UK with her family when she was 14 and I stayed in India. We both have been really close since childhood as we are the same age and practically grew up together. We still talk to each other every week without fail. We both are studying engineering. She lives in Wales and I live in Gujarat. We both are good students but not topper by any means,' the woman wrote. She painted a picture that shows the differences between her life and that of her cousin—in terms of quality of living, education, and social life. The woman claimed that while her cousin has two internships that pay her well and promote work-life balance, she is stuck working a 10-hour internship that pays a ₹12,000 stipend. An individual posted, 'The cost of quality of life is very high in India. India is not exactly cheap. If you can immigrate, it will be a higher quality of life for sure. You will add at least 5 years to your lifespan.' Another commented, 'You're just comparing life because you grew up together. Though it looks green on the other side, you can achieve more than her. But you just choose to blame the external conditions. A student in Beijing or Tokyo might do even better. Use all the available resources to the best and try to navigate your life. No point in comparing which one is better. You can literally go to any country you want and do a Master's if you believe the West has better opportunities. Don't focus on the wrong things.' A third expressed, '100%. It's not an opinion. It's a fact.' A fourth wrote, 'Yes, it is better.'
