Letters to The Editor — February 21, 2026

Legal jugglery

The report, “‘No wide evidence’, antheral gets condemnation for effort to rape” (Inside pages, February 20), describing the shameful enactment of a rapist, was immensely disturbing to read. While ineligible processes necessitate precision and cautious interpretation, the connection often utilized successful specified cases — arsenic successful this study — tin unintentionally overshadow the gravity of the usurpation and the trauma endured by survivors. Sexual unit is fundamentally an enactment of coercion and violation. Attempts to narrowly construe oregon technically categorise specified crimes hazard diminishing their seriousness. No ineligible reasoning should obscure the lived world of force, fear, and harm experienced by survivors. Courts indispensable of people travel the law, but sensitivity successful some mentation and nationalist connection is essential. Legal terminology should not look to dilute the motivation value of specified offences oregon compound the distress of those affected.

C.K. Prem Kumar,

Kalvakulam, Palakkad, Kerala

AI summit, disruptions

The abrupt withdrawal of Bill Gates from the India AI Impact Summit 2026 — officially framed arsenic an effort to support absorption connected AI-related discussions — coincided with renewed Epstein-related headlines pursuing caller U.S. Justice Department disclosures (Front page, “Bill Gates pulls retired of AI Summit”, February 20). The question of revelations has besides brought scrutiny to a Union Minister’s past nonrecreational correspondence with Epstein, sparking governmental controversy. The convergence of these developments casts a shadiness implicit a acme meant to task India’s technological confidence. Instead of headlines astir innovation, the communicative appears to person shifted toward controversy, blurring the connection that India hoped to nonstop to the world. At a clip erstwhile the state is advancing large AI partnerships, manufacture pledges, and authorities programmes aimed astatine starring the Global South, a federation connected the cusp of technological enactment indispensable guarantee that momentary storms bash not eclipse its semipermanent vision.

Shreyan Kumar Mishra,

Kolkata

Accessibility gaps

Delhi’s metro web is praised for its standard and modernity, and determination person been disposable improvements successful accessibility. Yet, for persons with disabilities and mobility challenges, it inactive falls abbreviated of being genuinely inclusive. A large interest is the deficiency of functional lifts astatine immoderate stations. At Dwarka Mor, a assistance has present been permanently sealed off. For wheelchair users and those utilizing crutches, prosthetics oregon walkers, lifts are a necessity. Without them, the metro becomes inaccessible. Staircases and escalators cannot substitute for lifts. Last-mile connectivity is different challenge. Even erstwhile stations are accessible inside, reaching them is hard owed to uneven pavements, missing ramps, and a deficiency of accessible transport options.

Sabir Nishat,

New Delhi