14 hours ago
MyVoice: Views of our readers 30th June 2025
Stampede, Rath Yatra, Crowd Management, CBSE Two-Exam Policy, Indian Railways, Public Safety
Stampedes have become disturbingly routine
Three lives were tragically lost in a stampede during the world-famous Rath Yatra in Puri's Jagannath Temple, casting a grim shadow over what should have been a spiritually uplifting occasion. This horrifying incident, coming close on the heels of the stampede during RCB felicitation in Bengaluru, once again exposes the authorities' woeful incompetence in crowd management. Despite repeated tragedies, little seems to change. The painful truth is that stampedes have become disturbingly routine—largely because it's always the common man who pays the price. If there's anything treated as dispensable in India, it is the life of an ordinary citizen. Year after year, warnings go unheeded, protocols remain on paper, and accountability is conveniently absent. Until systemic reforms, strict enforcement, and a genuine respect for human life are prioritized, these mass gatherings will continue to turn into scenes of chaos and death—leaving families shattered and the nation shamefully unmoved.
N Sadhasiva Reddy,Bengaluru-56
Officials oblivious of fatalities during festive events
Every religious gathering has become a potential disaster in the country because of the huge unmanageable crowds. Indians have always lacked discipline. Pushing and jostling to have a darshan of the deity inevitably creates chaos. Three lives were lost in the Puri Rath Yatra stampede on Sunday. The condition of six more is reportedly critical. A couple of days back, there was a glitch in the chariot's wheels and 600 persons suffered injuries. This should have alerted the state administration, but apparently, they failed to take any further precautions. Before every such popular festival, huge claims are made about the use of drones, AI technology and intensified police deployment to ensure that no untoward mishaps happen. But all these measures have proven ineffective as people continue to lose lives.
Anthony Henriques,Mumbai
CBSE's two-exam policy is unviable
The CBSE's 2two-exam plan, which allows students to make a second attempt at board exams and offers scope for improving their scores in up to three subjects will have logistical hurdles. The mandated first attempt will be held in mid-February. The second attempt option will make the students go easy with their preparation for the first attempt. The first attempt's results will be declared in April, which can possibly hasten the evaluation process and thereby create doubts about the evaluation's fairness. Primarily it will put an additional burden on teachers, who get only one month of vacation in May. If the second attempt is to be held in May, then teachers will have to work during their vacation and complete the second evaluation in time. It would have been better if the CBSE Board had opted for the semester system. The entire syllabus could be divided into two parts. This would go a long way in reducing stress on students. The two-exam plan for class 10 board exams from the next academic year does not offer anything new to students and teachers. In fact, this will add to teachers' stress as regards the evaluation process.
Parimala G Tadas, Madinaguda, Hyderabad-50
A safety wake- up call for railways
It's a joyful moment for us that a potential disaster vis-à-vis the Vande Bharat Express was prevented, when it was halted when a 'hot axle' was noticed. One express gratitude to the vigilant gatekeeper, whose presence of mind saved the train from a near-certain accident. He deserves our highest praise and public recognition. Meanwhile, this shortcoming in our railway monitoring systems raises many questions. How could such a serious mechanical issue arise in one of India's most advanced trains? Why was there no automated alert system to detect the abnormal axle temperature before a human eye caught it? This incident must not be forgotten as a one-off case. Rather, it should serve as a wake-up call to invest in real-time safety sensors and AI-based monitoring.
Raees Haneef,Haryana
Railways deserve appreciation
Of late, Indian Railways has been taking incredible efforts to alleviate the sufferings of the commuters in its ticket booking system. One such move that came into force on June 16 is capping the waitlisted passengers at 25 per cent to avoid crowding in trains. The other pertains to online booking of Tatkal tickets only after Aadhaar verification, an initiative that will become effective on July 15. As only Aadhaar authenticated users only will be able to book Tatkal tickets, the role of agents will be duly curbed. Also beneficial for the passengers is the decision to prepare the reservation chart 24 hours prior to the train's departure, as against the current practise of doing so four hours before the train's scheduled departure. The Indian railways deserve appreciation for such passenger-friendly measures.
S. Sankaranarayanan,Chennai-40
