News from 2084, Issue 5: Odd-Even Starts Again

★20 January 2084, Agencies, Indraprastha★

Government today began the implementation of its election promise to fight pollution in the capital. People will henceforth be categorised as 'Odd' or 'Even' based on their looks.
The govt estimates that the Odd/Even Card will restrict 50% of the population from stepping out of their houses, thereby cutting traffic by half. The Classification Centre in South Indraprastha saw long queues of citizens eager to get classified. People coming out of the centre reported that those with beady eyes, scars, dimples, tattoos, piercings, uneven teeth, funny laugh, too fat or thin, too tall or too short, too dark or too fair, and so on, are being classified as Odd. Whereas people who looked boringly plain were classified as Even. It looked like almost 8 out of 10 citizens are being classified as Odd. Some Odd folks were upset that on Odd days, they will have to face overwhelming Odds. Some Even professionals were foreseeing a very boring time at their workplaces. The Opposition called this programme a political stunt, and said that the government should instead focus on tried and tested measures like renaming cities, blaming the Opposition, or building places of worship.