It appears that the Government of India has suddenly woken up to the fact that 59 Chinese apps pose a threat to India’s security and sovereignty (Page 1, “TikTok among 59 Apps banned by the Centre”, June 30). The government has also not explained how these apps were considered to be “engaging in activities prejudicial to the security of the state and public order”. It seems the government has acted in haste by pandering to ‘popular sentiments’.

Hyderabad

App bans are notoriously hard to execute. Usually, app firms upload their official version of their apps on to the App Store and Play Store. However, even when applications are taken down from these platforms, users will still be able to download their unofficial versions from the web. So, it would require Internet service providers to blacklist every host name and domain name associated with these apps. This poses further security threats and may be exploited by cyber criminals. A simple ban will not work. Since many of these apps are a part of routine life, relevant and similarly efficient alternatives are a must.

Hyderabad

The CBSE policy to choose in the case of students who have appeared in more than three subjects, the average of the marks obtained in best three performing subjects to be awarded in the subjects whose examinations have not been conducted, and, for students who have appeared in only three subjects, the average of the marks obtained in the best two performing subjects to be awarded in the subjects whose examinations have not been conducted, may not be fair for many students. In our case, the lockdown happened after the English, physics and chemistry exams (for the science stream). The marks obtained in these subjects have practically no relation to maths and computers, the most scoring subjects for which the exams have been cancelled. Some students may be very good in physics/chemistry/English while others may not be so. Hence, totally ignoring the performance of a student in a specific subject and awarding marks on the basis of some other subject does not seem to be justified. Therefore, the subject performance in maths, computers (or other subject exams that were supposed to have been held and were cancelled) should also take into account the average marks obtained in the internal exams. A better way may be to : calculate the average of the best two of the last three internal exams conducted by school (of the same subject for which marks are being awarded); make a comparison with the marks as in the present scheme (average of best two or three subjects); award the greater of the two. A re-exam is not a good option because there are around 250 schools abroad apart from the number of States in India. It may not be conducive to hold exams on a wide scale. Second, students cannot be made to study the same course repeatedly for an indefinite period of time because they have to join universities and move on.

State of Kuwait

This is not the first time we have come across custodial deaths in India, but the gruesome death of a father and his son in Sathankulam, Tamil Nadu has shaken India’s conscience. One expects a proper inquiry monitored by the High Court. I am also reminded of the golden period when under the leadership of inspectors general of police in Tamil Nadu like F.V. Arul, S.M. Diaz and E.L. Stracey, the police were the real friends of the people. Their ‘Ungal Nanban’ programmes were well-received. It is rare to find such officers today.

Chennai

The proposed restart to the 2020 Formula One season is hard to fathom (‘Sport’ page, “Hamilton eyes Schumacher’s record”, June 30). With most of Europe and parts of the U.S. scrambling to reimpose restrictions following a resurgence of the novel coronavirus, this move defies logic. It seems rather desperate to run the races without fans, behind closed doors in a ‘paddock bereft of human contact’.

Vellore, Tamil Nadu