The article is absolutely correct (“Why India must decolonise the rigid naming format required for official documents”). In the age of computers and AI, there cannot be any excuse on capturing names in a fixed format for easy management. Convenience may have been the reason for this rigid format. Many, including myself, prefer to have names as initials followed by the first, or given, name. That is choice and freedom. We should not be forced to adapt because of a system. The system should be accommodating to society and citizen’s conventions and needs. I wholeheartedly support the move to change the naming format. – MG Suraj
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The article is exceptionally timely. The authorities must give immediate effect to the individual preference of names as opposed to the European convention. – GS Suryanarayana
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This is a great article. It is high time this problem is addressed. We have encountered serious problems in international flights, in renewing passports and other procedures. The entire system has to be redesigned to match Indian practices and sentiments. Thanks for this article. – NS Sreenivasa
Indian philosophy
How far is it correct to comment on Indian Philosophy thought or rather the absence of the same based on two foreign writers (“Did Indian culture recognise an independent field of study called philosophy?”)? Does the author wish to conclude there is no scholarship on Indian philosophy beyond these two and the author himself? – Abhay Kher
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Words are discrete points that approximate a continuum of ideas. One will not find exact equivalents for a given word in various cultures. I don’t think it is important to find a word that has exactly the same connotation as the Greek word philosophy. Furthermore, the Advaita Vedanta makes assertions that are supposedly based on experience and the practice of meditation. It also explicitly states that rational thought cannot prove the correctness of these assertions. Using words such as vague and superficial to describe Advaita shows lack of insight. Finally, chauvinism exists on both sides so we shouldn’t bring that up in such discussions. – Balachandran Sathiapalan
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The word “Upanishads” doesn’t find a place in this article which says India doesn’t have any philosophical thoughts in its culture. Aren’t the Upanishads about asking deep questions on existence and life while also answering some of these questions and leaving some open for further debates? Isn’t that what philosophy is all about? Also, isn’t the Bhagvad Gita, with its 700 shlokas of which every single one that can be interpreted in multiple ways, itself comprehensive enough? All the Western philosophical thoughts put together are shallow when compared to the Upanishads and Bhagvad Gita, which is the essence of the Vedas or Vedic thought. – Murali Bhanu
Delhi air pollution
I don’t agree with this article. (“Not stubble burning, cars are the main villain in Delhi's apocalyptic air pollution”). Data from Wikipedia clearly shows that Delhi has the poorest Air Quality Index in November-December every year. First, why would the AQI level around November and December be the worst if vehicular pollution is the top cause? After all, the number of vehicles in Delhi is the same throughout the year. Second, stubble burning, on the other hand, is seasonal. Third, I am a Delhi resident and my experience has been that I suffer from asthma around the last week of October which was at its worst around mid-November. My asthma seemed to be directly after the poor AQI in the city. Had vehicular emissions been a bigger cause of air pollution in Delhi, I would have had asthma all year round. – Neeraj Jain
Super rich Indians, poverty
This book is important, relevant and much needed (“A new book shows why the super-rich in India must strive to alleviate poverty and reduce inequality”). But the excerpt was practically unreadable . And as someone who follows the subject, my concern is that its message will be limited to the tiny cohort of already committed people. Please simplify this message and get it out there to the public who needs to understand the dynamics of poverty and affluence and experience its repercussions. – Maja Daruwala
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Makes no sense. Too much English. – Shabare Kp
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