Letters to the EDITOR: Glitches in GU registration, Samarth platforms

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Glitches in GU registration, Samarth platforms

Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I wish to draw the attention of the authorities concerned towards a rather frustrating and, at times, unintentionally humorous, experience faced by students during the recent Gauhati University Post-Graduation Entrance Test registration process.

Although digitalisation is a positive step, the university's registration portal and the Samarth platform appear to be overly literal, frequently rejecting applications for illogical reasons. It has become a recurring ordeal for students to see errors such as "Mother's Name Invalid", "Subject Name Not Valid", or "Login Authentication Failed" when neither their mother's name nor their chosen subject has changed since high school.

A student survey involving 122 respondents revealed that over 33% faced issues with name fields, 18% struggled with payment failures, and others encountered problems with programme selection, document uploads, or simply logging in to download documents or check updates. The Samarth portal, too, often refuses to cooperate during crucial moments like admit card downloads and post-exam result updates - leaving students either stuck in an eternal loading loop or greeted by the all-too-familiar "Server Error. Try Again Later" message.

In an academic ecosystem striving for transparency and efficiency, such technical lapses only add unnecessary anxiety to students already grappling with competitive exams and deadlines.

I sincerely urge the university administration and IT departments to audit these portals, fix these glitches, and establish a responsive technical grievance cell. After all, students deserve to worry about their exam performance - not whether their mother's name will be 'invalid' next time they try to log in.

Prabal Jyoti Sarma

Gauhati University

No career counselling in Assam colleges

Through your esteemed column, I am trying to draw focus on a predicament that usually remains under the radar: there is no opportunity for career counselling in almost every institution purporting to be a centre of higher learning all over Assam.

Thousands of students graduate every single year with simple degrees in hand but without a road map. Most of them go by hearsay, societal pressure, and what seems to be the trend. I have watched some bright youngsters in the face of friends or siblings diverge into paths that neither made any sense to them, nor did they fancy because of the lack of somebody to guide them: somebody who would assist them in exploring their aptitudes and understanding whether their strengths could be an amalgamation of their ambition with reality.

Amidst a contemporary world that is generous in opportunities and yet scarce in clarity, one would almost find it demeaning to be devoid of structured career guidance. Why should the youth of the state have to lurch in the dark when a little glimmer can transfigure their lives?

I earnestly request the educational authorities to get career counselling cells started at every college and university. The students of the state may not only require mark sheets; they need guidance, some compassion, and a roadmap.

Joydeep Paul

Cotton University

Rise in rape cases in Guwahati

I'm writing this not just as a resident of Guwahati but as someone who's beginning to feel afraid for the women around me-friends, sisters, mothers, and even strangers on the street.

The recent reports about the rising number of rape cases in our city are heartbreaking - approximately 69 cases in the year 2024 - is that just a statistic? Or is it 69 stories of pain, fear, and shattered dignity? Honestly, it makes me wonder: how many more remain unreported?

It's deeply unsettling that even in broad daylight, women in Guwahati often feel unsafe walking alone. At night, it's worse. What kind of progress are we celebrating if basic safety isn't guaranteed? We talk about women's empowerment, education, and equality-but all of it feels hollow when they still have to check over their shoulder every few steps.

Yes, more reporting may mean people are becoming braver in coming forward-but what's the point if justice is slow, if society still questions the survivor, or if nothing changes on the ground?

We need better street lighting. We need working CCTV cameras. We need police who are sensitive, responsive, and available. But more than anything, we need to change our mindset-starting at home, in schools, and in conversations with our children.

I just want Guwahati to feel safe again-not just for women, but for all of us who care about them.

Himashree Ghosh

(kaurpriyanka140@gmail.com)

 The cost of clean childhoods

There was a time when children returned home with mud on their knees and stories on their tongues. Games weren't scheduled; they happened between school and sunset, on fields where arguments and friendships grew side by side. Outdoor sports taught us how to lose with grace, win without arrogance, and get up every time we fell. Outdoor games didn't just teach us to win. They taught us to fall. To lose. To argue and reconcile, to know that pain wasn't permanent and joy wasn't owed. The body learnt rhythm, and the mind learnt resilience. And somewhere in that tangle of sweat and sunset, a soul began to form. But now, I see children behind screens that do not let them fall. Their days are too curated, their joys too clean. They know more buttons than bruises, more passwords than playgrounds. Their victories come in pixels, their defeats in silence. I don't blame them, not really. The world has changed. Safety is a concern, time is a thief, and ambition now wears a tie at age ten. But something essential is slipping through our fingers like the last warmth of dusk: the raw, imperfect education that only scraped knees and scolded afternoons could offer.

What we are missing is not just exercise. We are missing the shaping of the self.

Noopur Baruah,

Tezpur

Khatara Satra library: A treasure trove

The Khatara Satra of Darrang district has been preserving a few invaluable manuscripts in its own library. These manuscripts are original ones which were written on xanchipat by Vaishnavite sages, Darrangi poets and others centuries ago. Among them, the 'Gobind Charit' by the 17th-century Darrangi poet Bhabananda Mishra (Dwija) is worthy of mention. 'Gobind Charit' is a life story in verse on the founder of Khatara Satra, Lechakoniya Gobinda Ata or Gobinda Atoi. According to the history of Khatara Satra, Gobinda Atoi, a loyal disciple of Shri Shri Madhabdeva, established the xatra in 1568 in Dipila Mouza of Darrang. 'Bordoa Gurucharit', a famous Charit Puthi or life story of the Gurus, written by Puwaram Mahanta, a ninth-generation successor of Gobinda Atoi, is also an asset of the Khatara Xatra library. 'Bordoa Gurucharit', written by him, was first published by Xahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaruah in Banhi magazine from the 1st issue of the second year to the 11th issue of the 5th year. Later, Dr Maheswar Neog published it as a book, which proves to be a masterpiece of the xatra history of Assam. Along with these manuscripts and books, a royal stock list, known as 'Borkakot', is also preserved in it. This stock list, or 'Borkakot', was endorsed by the then King of Darrang, Dharyya Narayan. This 'Borkakot' is probably the largest document on xanchipat ever found in the xatras of Assam. The 'Borkakot' measures 197 cm in length and 28 cm in breadth. Besides these properties, other Vaishnavite scriptures and devotional books are kept in the library for the devotees and readers. The xatra management committee has also been doing some publication work to promote spiritual and Vaishnavite culture in the state. The publication works include books and journals which have enriched the library to some extent. A literary sub-committee has been formed with the secretary, Kamalakanta Deka, an experienced writer and a book lover, to enlarge the xatra library. With the initiative of the sub-committee, the library has taken a new shape as hundreds of valuable books are collected from the donors. It is expected that the oldest xatra of Darrang district would be able to serve the readers and researchers with books and materials in the library of Khatara Satra premises.

Kulendra Nath Deka

Dighirpar, Mangaldai