Pursuit of knowledge
The news article, ‘Turn your failure into teachers: PM Modi to students at Pariksha Pe Charcha 2025, published in your esteemed daily on February 11, drew our attention as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rightly emphasized the importance of holistic development of the future of the nation, and this can be possible when students grow amidst their favourite activities, but, sadly, in the current educational landscape, there is increasing emphasis on achieving high marks in academic examinations. This trend often overshadows the fundamental goal of education. Although good grades are important and can open doors to further educational opportunities, they are not the sole indicator of a student's understanding or potential. During the interaction, the PM advised the students to turn their failures in the exams into lessons, as their main objective should be to succeed in life and not to be robots. This will be possible when they open their eyes wide, explore their passion, and share their thoughts with someone without hesitation, more particularly in the family, which the PM has termed a university in itself. While speaking on time management, the PM said that everyone has 24 hours a day, but when we list daily tasks at the beginning of the day and tick them off upon completion, many impossible tasks can be completed effectively within the stipulated time management. So, students appearing in various board examinations need parents' well-intentioned guidance to foster love for lifelong learning about acquiring knowledge and developing critical thinking, which aims at understanding concepts and applying them to real-life situations to showcase them as models for others. Therefore, we must encourage our students to shift their focus from mere examination preparation to nurturing skills for a holistic educational experience through practicing pranayam and breathing, which immensely helps reduce anxiety driven by the pressure-cooker examination environment.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.
Brahmaputra Carnival
The Brahmaputra Carnival is going on at Lachit Ghat, Guwahati. Organised by Awesome Assam, the Department of Tourism, this 90-day-long winter festival, running from December 15, 2024, to March 15, 2025, has become a major attraction for tourists and locals. The carnival offers a wide range of activities, such as rides, zip-lining, sports, shooting, archery, speed boating, and hot-air balloon rides. Alongside these thrilling experiences, visitors can enjoy a variety of delicious traditional foods and fast food, making it a perfect blend of fun and culture. The music and lights at Lachit Ghat create a vibrant atmosphere, especially during sunset, which provides a breathtaking beach-like view.
Such events showcase our rich culture and cuisine to people from across the country and support local businesses. Vendors and small-scale entrepreneurs get a platform to share their products and earn a livelihood, boosting the local economy. I believe this kind of carnival should be organised every year in several parts of the state, as it promotes tourism, preserves cultural heritage, and brings communities together. Kudos to the organisers for creating such a memorable event!
Ramkrishna Sarkar
Gauhati University
Pupil-teacher ratio
Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) or Student-Teacher Ratio (STR) in schools has always been a debatable issue. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, has set certain ideal PTR yardsticks. At the pre-primary level, between classes 1 and 4, a 30:1 ratio and from classes 6 to 8, a 35:1 ratio is recommended, while for secondary school children, again a ratio of 30:1 is advised, though different institutions have varied benchmarks on the matter. In the United States, a 15:1 PTR is widely favoured, and a broad consensus is that in India anything below 30:1 can be regarded as very good and anything above 40:1 can be said to be imperfect.
Better teacher-student interaction and individual student attention, heightened student learning and participation, and an overall increase in discipline are offshoots of a low PTR. Here, the stress should be laid on the augmentation of the quality of education. Rather than raising the number of teachers, the focus should be on their correct deployment and necessary training. Without funds, resources, and infrastructure, a mere increase in number may not cement the education system. Teachers should be guaranteed that their career opportunities will be protected and promoted. A recent Niti Aayog report has said that while the PTR is low in states like Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Karnataka, the ratio is high in Bihar and Jharkhand, among others.
Dr. Ganapathi Bhat
(gbhat13@gmail.com)