India inching towards success
This refers to ‘ISRO successfully performs fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft’ (July 21).
It was highly encouraging to learn that ISRO on Thursday successfully performed the fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre (Earth-bound perigee firing) of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft from the ISTRAC Network in Bengaluru.
While the next firing of Chandrayaan-3 is planned for July 25, this time around, every Indian must be anxiously and optimistically wishing the entire team of the ISRO scientists luck and are keenly awaiting India also joining the elite group of nations which have already achieved glory.
Kumar Gupt
Panchkula (Haryana)
Rupee trade momentum
The rupee today is modestly negotiating bills of exchange, more as a bilateral barter trade. For this to succeed trade flows have to be in reasonable balance to give rupee credence and stability. The Rupee-Rouble transaction is facing headwinds precisely on this score. From long term perspective and looking to the current rupee based trade with the Middle East region, , we need to propel increased bilateral transactions
As trade volumes go up the rupee must be maintained at stable value through fiscal discipline and CAD management, not to speak of ensuring health and transparency in our stock markets.
R Narayanan
Navi Mumbai
GST on gaming
‘Is tax regime for online gaming fair’ (July 21) has convincingly argued that the GST rate of 28% on the entire transaction value ‘seems justified’. It is well-known that such gaming with betting is addictive and has caused much loss and suffering to many families. Some States have even banned them.
The industry argument differentiating game of skill and game of chance is nebulous. Outcome of card games depends on cards dealt to each participant, a random event. Hence it is a game of chance.
Another article in the same issue argues that horse racing is a sport and must be promoted. But since betting is involved they must be taxed.
V Vijaykumar
Pune
Surging tomato prices
Tomato prices have skyrocketed thus putting a heavy burden on the common man. With proper and modern storage facilities, the authorities could have stored tomatoes when we had a bumper stock last month.
Due to a lack of proper storage facilities, food items, vegetables, and fruits are allowed to rot when there is a bumper production. The government must build modern storage facilities to stock fruits and vegetables which can be released during times of shortage. New techniques should be encouraged for storing our buffer stocks.
Secondly, smooth transport of tomatoes and other vegetables, removing bottlenecks or middlemen from interfering in the inter-State flow of food items will also go a long way in curtailing prices of tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables.
Thirdly educating farmers on modern ways of farming to increase yield and modern ways of storage of fruits and vegetables will go a long way in arresting the prices of essentials. Finally, we can reduce the consumption of commodities whose prices shoot up discouraging hoarders.
Veena Shenoy
Thane