This refers to ‘Reforming domestic work’ (March3). The Supreme Court is right in refusing to entertain a PIL seeking minimum wages for domestic workers, as there is so much subjectivity involved in it. But it cannot be denied that domestic workers are being exploited at every nook and corner of the country.

The Goa experience is a good pragmatic approach where families don’t face the hassle of finding a good domestic worker and domestic workers are also getting paid well. The same model can be replicated in other cities where different companies can set up their base and cater to residences within a certain geographical limit.

Bal Govind

Noida

Urban expansion

Apropos ‘Easing key bottlenecks in cities’ (March 3), incessantly expanding cities are no longer arenas of opportunity.

Despite public expenditure, outcomes remain perversely disproportionate, diluted by fragmented planning, politicised procurement, and systemic corruption. Policy favours visible mega-projects over resilient neighbourhood systems, spectacle over sustainability, and electoral optics over evidence. Mobility collapses, green buffers disappear, and public services fracture along social fault lines.

The deepest loss is institutional credibility. Citizens no longer expect reform; they merely endure dysfunction.

Governance becomes performative and hollow. Unless these basic obstacles are eliminated, urban liveability stagnates for citizens.

N Sadhasiva Reddy

Bengaluru

Revised GDP series

Apropos ‘Strong base’ (March 3). The revised GDP series is a step in the right direction. Shifting the base year to 2022-23 and incorporating GST data, employment surveys, and high-frequency indicators brings our national accounts closer to economic reality. The uptick to 7.6 per cent real growth is encouraging, though the puzzle of a smaller nominal GDP despite richer data sources deserves a clear official explanation. If new datasets genuinely capture more economic activity, the nominal size should logically be larger, not smaller. The government would do well to publish a detailed reconciliation note so analysts and policymakers can work with full confidence. Good statistics are not merely technical achievements — they underpin every serious policy decision. India’s credibility rests on transparency, not just methodology.

M Barathi

Bengaluru

Published on March 3, 2026