Letters to The Editor — February 28, 2026

Court, textbook ban

The decision of the Supreme Court of India to ban an NCERT published Class 8 textbook for ‘selective reference’ about ‘corruption’ in the judiciary signals a troubling contraction of democratic pedagogy. Students must be enabled to understand how public institutions function in practice, reconciling constitutional ideals with structural vulnerabilities and ethical decay. Education that interrogates deficits while demonstrating lawful corrective mechanisms cultivates a resilient and participatory citizenship. Judicial impropriety is no longer speculative, as the discovery of burnt currency notes at the residence of a judge of the Delhi High Court. A former Chief Justice of India has also talked about ‘maintaining judicial legitimacy and public confidence’. Transparency, institutional accountability and principled reforms are indispensable to restoring judicial legitimacy.

N. Sadhasiva Reddy,

Bengaluru

Chepauk’s enduring glory

The hallowed Chepauk cricket ground has been witness to many classic battles. Two such events were, first, the famous tied Test in September 1986, where history was re-written moments after Australia’s Greg Matthews trapped Maninder Singh LBW on the evening of the last day. And, second, India’s agonising defeat against Pakistan in January 1999 when victory was in sight. (“Chepauk and its colourful legacy of delivering classics”, February 26). The Test against Pakistan is still remembered for Sachin Tendulkar’s heroic 136, battling back spasms, and for the excellent crowd behaviour despite India’s loss; fans gave the Pakistan players a standing ovation during their victory lap. It is no surprise that Ravi Shastri has waxed eloquent about the Chepauk crowd, calling it the “most knowledgeable”.

R. Sivakumar,

Chennai