What the JPC must ensure

The concerns surrounding the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act amendments extend beyond their impact on civil society organisations. The deeper issue is whether regulatory power can be exercised without adequate safeguards for due process. Preventing the misuse of foreign contributions is a legitimate state objective, but automatic forfeiture of assets, denial of a hearing before non-renewal, and the absence of an effective appeal against such decisions risk making executive discretion disproportionate to the alleged violations. The Joint Parliamentary Committee should ensure that national security and financial accountability are balanced with natural justice, transparency, and the protection of legitimate institutional property (Front page, August 13).

Aadil Ghulam Bhat,

Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir

The next horizon

The reported ‘leadership transition’ at the Tata Group should not be viewed merely as the departure of an individual. As markets, technologies and challenges change, institutions too need fresh thinking and new energy. The transition could also create an opportunity for a leader with a different perspective, greater risk appetite and the ability to shape the next chapter for the Tatas. The challenges ahead — from artificial intelligence and semiconductors to green energy, electric mobility and global supply chains — are markedly different from those of the past. The real question, therefore, is whether the ‘new Chandra’ can illuminate the Tatas’ next horizon (Business page, August 13).

Tushar A. Rahatgaonkar,

Thane, Maharashtra

English and India

While the upper and middle classes have long recognised the importance of English, the aspirations of the marginalised, the rural poor and those who have historically lacked access to opportunities are equally significant. Across India, parents from these sections are desperate to send their children to English-medium schools. For them, English is not a symbol of colonial domination; it is a royal road to social mobility, opportunity and emancipation from inherited constraints. Earlier generations of Indians used English to transcend social and economic barriers and gain access to education, employment and public life (Editorial page, August 11). Does the English language belong to India? The aspirations of successive generations of Indians have already answered that question.

B.S. Yadav,

Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh