The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : Corrections and clarifications

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 04, 2006

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

Corrections and clarifications

Two articles — "India Inc., liberalisation, and social responsibility" by Sushma Ramchandran (Editorial page, April 25, 2006) and "The ideological debate in China" by Pallavi Aiyar (Op-Ed, April 25, 2006), have a reader asking: Ms. Ramachandran says that the divide between the rich and the poor is wider in India than in other Asian countries such as China. She does not, however, quote any references. Ms. Aiyar quotes the UNDP's 2005 report and the Gini indices from the said report to underline her point that the divide is wider in China than in India. Which of these assertions is valid? Sushma Ramachandran says her statement was a broad comment based on meetings with China observers and cites the Hong Kong-based Editor of Time International, Michael Elliott, saying in an interview to The Hindu ("India needs to open up retail, media sectors", May 1, 2006) that China has eliminated grinding poverty even from rural areas unlike India." Pallavi Aiyar clarifies: "My source, as quoted, was the UNDP Human Development Report 2005."

With reference to the articles "`Discovery of a century' in Tamil Nadu" and "Significance of Mayiladuthurai find" (May 1, 2006, page 1 and back page) — on the discovery of a Neolithic stone celt with the Indus Valley script, in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, T.S. Subramanian clarifies, in response to a reader: "The particular Neolithic stone celt was not found as a singlet. Another stone was found in the same pit dug by V. Shanmuganathan [the school teacher who discovered the celt], but this stone had no script on it. It is a plain celt, a hand-held axe. This celt, without the script, measures 7.2 cm by 2 cm by 4 cm by 5.2 cm and weighs 158 grammes. The State Department of Archaeology has not done any corroborative tests such as radio-carbon dating to confirm the age of the artefact with the script. It plans to do so."

Can V.K. Shunglu be referred to as the retired Comptroller and Auditor-General of India, asks a reader, in "Getting serious on rehabilitation" (Editorial page, April 28, 2006). (It was on the Prime Minister's decision to appoint a three-member Sardar Sarovar Project Relief and Rehabilitation Oversight Group, of which Mr. Shunglu is a part.) The Election Commissioner and the C&AG are said to demit or renounce their office and do not retire, says the reader. The website of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India says: "He [C&AG] shall hold office for a term of six years from the date on which he assumes such office, provided that where he attains the age of 65 years before the expiry of the said term of six years, he shall vacate such office on the date on which he attains the said age and that he may, at any time, by writing under his hand addressed to the President, resign his office." It would have been best to refer to Mr. Shunglu as the former Comptroller and Auditor-General of India.

In "Australian wheat in the dock" (April 30, 2006, page 1), a reader says that there was an error in reporting the pesticide content of the consignment. (It was on the first consignment of Australian wheat, now at the Chennai port.) It said "... the pesticide content was 0.25 per cent, hundred times over the permissible limit of 0.02 per cent." It is only 12.5 times more.

It is the policy of The Hindu to correct significant errors as soon as possible. Please specify the edition (place of publication), date and page.

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