Wages, pivot of good IR

This refers to the edit ‘Labour pangs’ (April 22). Its observation, “Wage adjustments in India are often driven by agitation rather than anticipation,” reflects the stark reality that stakeholders have ignored.

Wages settled after acrimonious negotiations fail to create real industrial harmony while fair and just wages ensure sustained industrial peace.

The labour codes too have failed to resolve this issue going by the recent violent workers’ protests in Noida. The diminishing role of trade unions has led to the changed laws favouring the employers more.

YG Chouksey

Pune

Apropos “Labour pangs” published (April 22). The Editorial highlights something that tends to get glossed over in growth narratives — that wage policy in India remains largely reactive. A national floor wage last revised in 2017 is simply indefensible given the sharp rise in living costs since then.

The five-year review cycle under the Code on Wages needs to be shortened considerably. Formal registration of contractors means little if workers still have no written agreements or enforceable rights.

Universal written contracts should be non-negotiable. Unrest driven by agitation rather than addressed through anticipation is a policy failure, not merely a law-and-order problem.

A Myilsami

Coimbatore

Rlys’ challenges

The discourse on the Indian Railways reveals a persistent tension between symbolic progress and systemic balance. Projects like the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor signal ambition, yet global lessons show that speed endures only when anchored in a resilient conventional network.

Handling over 20 million passengers daily and moving nearly 1.5 billion tonnes of freight annually, the system’s challenge is distribution of efficiency. Mixed-traffic operations convert minor delays into network-wide disruptions.

Ultimately, progress lies in compressing variability — where high-density operations deliver predictable outcomes, and reliability becomes systemic rather than exceptional.

Vijay Singh Adhikari

Nainital

Rupee dynamics

This refers to the article ‘Rupee can’t be defended from just one side’, (April 22). The concern raised about restricting domestic participants while leaving offshore markets untouched is valid.

A fragmented approach risks draining liquidity and widening the gap between onshore and offshore rates.

Instead of imposing rigid caps, the RBI could strengthen transparency in forex operations, encourage wider participation, and coordinate with global regulators to reduce arbitrage.

Building deeper hedging instruments and promoting long-term investor confidence would serve better than short-term defensive measures.

SM Jeeva

Chennai

Published on April 22, 2026