Letters to THE EDITOR: Now Suicidal Parents?

Now Suicidal Parents?

Apropos of the article titled "Marks can't be More Important than You the Person" (The Sentinel, 7 June 2018) by Dr Dimpy Mahanta, I think the role of parents is also crucial but they are playing a destructive role in the educational life of their children. Firstly, they enrol their children in the best school they can afford, and then they provide them with tuition in all subjects or coaching if their children are in Class 11 and Class 12, thus keeping them busy throughout the day.

It seems that education is not to shape up the future of children but a matter of prestige for parents (social media plays a big role here). A few days ago, I rang up one of my colleagues to know the Class 12 result of his daughter. But to my surprise, he refused to give the exact result and instead gave a random number like less than 90%. I was really perplexed by his reaction.

Thus, considering the money spent on education and the prestige involved, the days are not far away when parents will start committing suicide instead of children!

I request Dr Dimpy Mahanta to come up with an article on the role of parents in shaping up the life of their children.

Dayal S. Sandhu,

Jayanagar, Guwahati-22.

Income Tax Hassle

This year's income tax return e-filing is more cumbersome and time-consuming as compared to last year's. Last year's pre-filled information was available more conveniently at the opening of ITR forms only. Yes, login was rightly required for it. But this year, one has to login at the income tax e-filing site and download separately first xml and then import the relevant form. Similarly, for uploading IT form, one must again visit and login to the e-filing site. Both these steps are avoidable. Why has such a change been made? Even information like bank accounts of the last year etc is not available in the pre-filled information. Why?

It will be more convenient if all the information with the income tax department about an assessee collected from various sources including AIR etc - linked with PAN - is also made available in Form 26AS and automatically uploaded in the income tax pre-filled forms at the time of e-filing, with the option to edit it if the assessee wishes so.

And it would be much better if the entire previous year's IT return is made available with those changes, which are not relevant in the current assessment year, also made available in the pre-filled forms with, of course, editing facility to update and correct it. This facility would help the assessee in giving correct figures too as compared to last year's figures. Such a facility would reduce the burden of the IT department to issue even scrutiny notices as the assessees would be more vigilant and fill correct information in their IT Returns.

Mahesh Kumar,

Gulmohar Park, Delhi.

Learn from the Thais

Thailand, one of the foremost countries of Southeast Asia, had a cultural revolution under the government at the time of ex-Prime Minister Marshal I. Piboonsangrahm. During the revolution, the Prime Minister ordered prohibition of chewing of betel nut, among others. Making reference of this information has a reason which is explained below.

Sachchhata Abhiyan is going on in our country. In the beginning, the impact of the Abhiyan was effective. But it became redundant to some extent and people no more bother about it. Cigarette smoking is prohibited in public places. This is obeyed by the public. Why should not chewing of betel nut and gutkha be banned in public places? The condition of the public toilets in our State is horrible. People – the gutkha and paan chewers – use basins and commodes as their spittoons. Walls, staircases and corners of educational buildings and religious places are also not spared by them. This uncultured and disgusting habit is responsible for making public places and buildings dirty and abhorrent. This has polluted not only the public places, but also our culture.

We always take pride in our country's age-old civilization and rich cultural heritage. But where is that culture of cleanliness and refinement in our public behaviour? There are references in history that we Indians were the teachers of the Southeast Asian people and introduced civilization among them in ancient times. Nowadays it is completely opposite. We should learn from the Thais of Thailand mainly discipline, etiquette and cleanliness in public life. When I recently visited Thailand on a research programme, I got this firm impression.

Dr Nripen Chandra Das,

Kaliabor College, Nagaon.