153
species of birds have left Deepor Beel
Deepor Beel had got the recognition of Wetland by Ramsar in 2002 as it is the open rangeland for various species of birds. According to the 2021 census, there are 2,424 wetlands recognized by Ramsar all over the world and, fortunately, India has 47 of them. Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as waterfowl habitat was first held on February 2, 1971 in the city of Ramsar of Iran. Since then, World Wetlands Day is being celebrated on February 2 every year. During the time of its recognition, Deepor Beel was the rangeland of 291 species of various birds. Unfortunately, among these only 66 species of birds are at present to be found in Deepor Beel. According to latest census of birds, almost 153 various species of birds have left Deepor Beel permanently. The census expressed its serious concern over the fact that polluted water, use as a dumping ground and encroachment of land and rail line through Deepor Beel are the root causes of disappearance of so many species of birds from this beautiful wetland. The State Government should pay heed to the matter as Deepor Beel may give huge revenue to the State through tourism.
Harsha Mohan Sarma,
Nalbari.
Politics and education
It is an irrefutable fact that every government in power tries to further the political vision of its party so that students' ideology can be aligned to favour that party. Moreover, they bring about drastic changes in curriculum in order to suit their political ideologies and in functioning of institutions, etc. It seems the regulating and funding bodies have become the handmaiden of the governments in power. Few will dispute the fact that varying political ideologies of the successive governments in power have been dominating the education system of India over the years, impeding its positive growth. Political control over the Indian institutions of higher learning has directly led to the erosion of their quality and transformed them into mere degree-granting machinery. The new Annual Employability Survey, 2019 report by Aspiring Minds has confirmed that 80% of Indian engineers are unemployable. Politics and education can, no doubt, strengthen each other provided they remain as two rivers, not impeding each other's flow.
Dipen Gogoi,
Teok.
Heat wave
A catastrophic heat wave has hit several parts of the country, affecting millions of people's lives and businesses. April is expected to become the hottest month on record. The extreme heat wave that has been searing areas of India for weeks is showing no signs of letting up. Temperatures soared across broad swathes of the country due to a scorching heat wave, with mercury levels reaching 44 to 47 degrees Celsius. Forecasts suggest that the situation will worsen in the next few days. The extreme heat has sparked a power outage, putting coal supplies under significant strain. It has also harmed wheat harvests in the United States, which might have a global impact.
Chandan Kumar Nath,
Sorbhog.