Of festivities
It is well-known to
all that after the harrowing covid-19 pandemic, the academic session of the
schools of our state start from the month of April to March. And as per
education department guidelines the annual examination of the schools should
start from the last week of February and evaluation and result procedure should
be completed within the month of March. During this period, the HSLC and HS
examinations also commence almost simultaneously. But at the same time, our
people celebrate fairs and festivals expeditiously one after another, which
breaks the concentration of the examinees. Specially the high decibel of
loudspeakers and DJs irritate and hamper the studies of the brilliant students
and disturb the guardians as well. Nobody seems to have any problem celebrating
fairs and festivals. But the conscious people of the society should come
forward to control the noisy situation in order to create conducive atmosphere
for the examinees. Fairs and festivals are necessary for our mental peace, but
at the same time we have a responsibility to give a conducive and anxiety-free
atmosphere to the examinees so that they can flourish their talents. It is a
bitter truth that only fairness and festivals can make a nation prosperous
unless we produce talented people in various sectors. So, it is our primary
duty to maintain a calm and peaceful atmosphere in society so that the students
do not feel disturbed in their studies. The local administration should also
look into the matter seriously.
Harsha Sarma
harshasarma183@gmail.com
Cancer capital
The Northeast, which is infamously known as the “Cancer Capital of India,” is witnessing an alarming rise in cancer cases. The number of new cases will reach a new high by 2025, according to a report published by the ICMR. Timely detection of cancer can go a long way in reducing this burden. People in India tend to ignore small changes in their bodies if they are not troubling them, which later turn out to be cancer of some kind. So we should listen to our body if it is trying to tell us something that is foreign to its understanding and is asking for our help to get rid of it. Unusual weight loss, frequent fevers, and unusual bumps in the body can all be symptoms of cancer that should never be ignored. People in India generally do not like to go to the doctor, but people in countries like the US and the UK go through a full body checkup once a year because of which their early cancer detection rate is much higher than India’s. Health is the greatest wealth. We must not let cancer rob us of this wealth.
Noopur Baruah,
Tezpur
A friend in need
In one of the worst natural disasters in centuries, a massive earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, measuring around 8 on the Richter scale. Two aftershocks of the same intensity hit both nations within an hour, which was unprecedented in recent history. Along with the two nations, the entire world was shell-shocked at the magnitude of the natural calamities faced by the two nations. Immediately after the natural disaster, the entire world started sending relief materials along with trained manpower for rescue operations. India was one of the first nations to send huge amounts of relief materials to Turkey, a nation known for its anti-Indian stand on many previous occasions.
Turkey should remember that a friend in need is indeed a friend. This act of huge relief to an unfriendly nation shows and proves India’s magnanimity to the world which our hostile nations should try to emulate. From now onwards, Turkey should consider India a “dost” nation.
Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,
Guwahati
Sex education
In our society, sexual conversations are still considered to be secret discussions. From ancient times in India, we have various texts about sexuality, sexually explicit paintings of some temples, and some sculptures that have given us examples of literary and artistic expressions of sexuality in India throughout the ages. Personally, I have always been against free sex. However, in view of the changing environment and circumstances, there is a great need for sex education in our educational system. Many children face physical and mental problems due to a lack of proper sexual knowledge, especially during adolescence. During this time, children should be taught sex education in a disciplined manner with a scientific mindset and an emphasis on ethics. I think it will make them aware of the dangers of child marriage, birth control, various sexually transmitted diseases from unprotected sex, rape, etc. Because the right knowledge at the right age makes a person’s life beautiful,
Bhushan Ray,
Bijni, Chirang.
A crucial find
A few days ago, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) gave cheering news that it had found lithium reserves in India for the first time. Lithium is the main ingredient required for making fuel-substitute batteries, an essential power component for electric vehicles. So far, lithium requirements are completely met through imports from China and Australia. About 59 lakh metric tonnes of lithium deposits are estimated to have been found in the Reasi district in the Jammu division of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In hindsight, it transpires that the discovery of lithium deposits was made as early as 1997, in a report submitted to the then government when Deva Gowda was the Prime Minister. But his brief spell in power was followed by another government headed by Indra Kumar Gujral, which was also short-lived. The report was kept in cold storage thereafter during the rule of Vajpayee’s term (1999–2004) as well as the ten-year period of the UPA Government (2004–14).
This discovery has placed India in the 7th position for lithium reserves in the world and has established the mining site in the Salal-Haimana rural area of Reasi district in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir as an Eldorado of resourceful lithium deposits in India. As the Modi government has set a target of 30 percent production of environment-friendly electric vehicles by 2030, the GSI discovery augurs well for the domestic auto-mobile sector.
Pannalal Dey,
Guwahati