sentinelgroup@gmail.com
B.Ed’s financial burden on poor students
For many young people in Assam, becoming a teacher is not merely a career choice but a dream of building a secure future and contributing to society. However, the rising cost of professional education can make this dream difficult to achieve. Apart from tuition and admission fees, students often have to bear the expenses of study materials, examinations, transportation, accommodation and other academic requirements.
The burden is particularly severe for students whose families depend on agriculture, daily-wage work or small and irregular incomes. Those coming from remote villages may also have to move to towns or cities for their studies, adding considerably to their financial difficulties. Consequently, deserving students may have to delay their education, incur debt, or even give up their dream of becoming teachers.
Teacher education deserves special attention because teachers are essential to the educational and social development of the state. The government and educational institutions should therefore strengthen scholarships, fee-waiver schemes and financial assistance for students from economically weaker sections. Such support should be easily accessible, transparent and timely. Affordable fee structures and adequate hostel facilities could also significantly reduce the burden on rural students.
The ability to pay should not determine who gets the opportunity to become a teacher. I hope the concerned authorities will take meaningful steps to make B.Ed education more affordable and accessible to deserving students, irrespective of their financial background.
Jerina Ahmed
Kamrup, Changsari
Life after death
Organ donation is akin to life after death for the donor. Nothing can be more salutary than donating an organ to the needy because one's decision today can save a life tomorrow. Some organs can only be donated after death, but a kidney, lung, or part of the liver can be donated while the donor is alive. "World Organ Donation Day" aims to allay plenty of misconceptions surrounding organ donations as well as infuse awareness and knowledge among the common man about the noble cause so that more voluntary organ donations are forthcoming.
After all, the idea of life is not to live forever but to help another live a little longer. India leads the world in living organ transplantation, yet it falls significantly short in the rate of deceased donations. When considering overall transplantations, China and the United States rank first and second, respectively, while India holds the third position. This reflects the excellent medical facilities in the country, and, at the same time, the lack of public awareness is glaringly obvious.
Dr Ganapathi Bhat
(gbhat13@gmail.com)
Waning
reading habit
It's observed with utter dismay that nowadays, many people have quit the habit of reading newspapers, magazines and books, and instead they are preoccupied with the digital platforms to quench the thirst of knowledge. We acknowledge the positive changes brought about by the digital age, which has transformed the world in a more progressive way; however, there remains a significant gap in our reading habits, particularly as younger generations are primarily engaged with smartphones and laptops to stay informed. Despite the sale of lakhs of books at book fairs, the importance of reading remains questionable, as evidenced by the alarming decline in readers of newspapers, magazines, and books. As such, an awareness movement must be initiated to motivate people to renew trust in newspapers, magazines and books, besides digital ones, and then only an intellectually conscious society will sustain it.
Benudhar Das
Galiahati- No.2, Barpeta