This refers to the report ‘Declining interest in arts, humanities undesirable: VC’ (The Hindu, Sept.21). Bharathiar University Vice-Chancellor G. Tiruvasagam has rightly observed that there is a noticeable decline of interest among students in humanities, social sciences, languages and arts.

Though subjects like IT, biotechnology and electronics and communication are important for the rapid development of our nation, they should be ably supported by the growth of the mind in terms of character, qualities and values. Such growth can be achieved only by strengthening arts and humanities.

The rush for technical education has relegated to the background the once famous traditional and life sustaining courses.

M. Vathapureeswaran,

Erode.

I am listing some of the problems customers face in banks. Because of the centralised token system even small work, such as submitting a cheque for outstation clearance, takes hours.

Withdrawal of money too takes a lot of time.

Previously a cheque book could be obtained across the counter. Because of ,one has to submit a requisition form for the cheque book and wait for courier/postal delivery.

This involves inordinate delay. I had applied for PIN of my ATM card one-and-a-half months ago. I have yet to receive it, in spite of many reminders. Reforms should be carefully introduced in our country where 80 per cent of the people are illiterate. In India very few people use ATM since many do not know the procedure. Changeover to new systems should be smooth without eliminating the existing ones.

P.K. Ramachandran,

Coimbatore.

Nowadays getting an information technology job is a cake walk for engineering students. Of late it is observed that most of the IT companies recruit the engineering students by the end of the third year.

Most of the placement cells of colleges ask students not to participate in the interviews or written tests of other companies if they have already been short-listed by an IT company. So the students are left with no choice but to join the company. After completion of the final year, the short-listed students expect their placement order. Alas, the IT companies forget them, busy in recruiting third year students from the same college.

The student waits endlessly sometimes nine months to a year (or maybe more) to get their placement order, wasting their time and their parents’ efforts.

I do not understand why the IT companies do this. On one side the IT companies are saying that they are not getting people to fill vacancies and are going on mass recruitment but they forget to invite the short-listed candidates.

It looks like each one of them grabs the best students on first-come-first-served basis and keep them guessing.

Coimbatore Ratnam,

Kuwait.

The bold and correct statement of INTUC President Mr. P.L. Subbian (The Hindu, Sept. 7) on the auto fare in Coimbatore has prompted me to give vent to my feelings on the issue as one of the “fleeced and tortured public”.

When I read about the decision to fix Rs.14 as the minimum fare, as in Chennai, I could not but laugh because I was sure that the attempt to discipline the recalcitrant automen would be futile.

This is precisely what has happened. And this time their resistance was by creating ‘a martyr’ and they succeeded in getting the decision revoked.

While in Kerala and Karnataka automen have accepted the fare fixed by the government, in Tamil Nadu the drivers themselves decide the fare and fleece passengers. There is a fare structure for any public transport system and autos being a public utility service cannot be an exception to this. If the auto drivers change their attitude and become more friendly with people, more and more passengers will utilise their service and this will definitely fetch them more income. I feel counselling will help them change their attitude. E. Raghunathan,

Coimbatore.

A conductor in a bus running between Sathyamangalam and Erode abused a passenger for not having sufficient bus charge i.e. one rupee less. After a week, the passenger and people from Arasur near Sathyamangalam stopped the bus, dragged the conductor out and demanded an apology from him. After heated exchanges between the bus crew and the villagers. the conductor apologised.

There is a lesson here for conductors and bus drivers: they should behave politely with the passengers.

G.N. Devaraj,

Erode.

Readers can mail to cbereaders@thehindu.co.in with address and telephone number.

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