Letters to THE EDITOR: Google I/O 2026 makes tech more personal

Google I/O 2026 makes tech more personal

The recently concluded Google I/O 2026 conference marked a significant shift in our interaction with technology, transitioning from simple chatbots to the realm of helpful AI assistants. Newspapers and tech journals have highlighted that Google is redesigning its entire ecosystem to focus on tools that do not just talk, but actually get things done for us. The most exciting new tool is Gemini Spark, a digital assistant built directly into everyday programs like documents and spreadsheets. Instead of wasting time copying and pasting data or writing repetitive follow-up emails, this tool works quietly in the background to handle those chores for us. It can summarise updates, draft messages, and manage your calendar, stopping only to ask for your final permission before finishing big tasks.

This concept also extends directly into the way people search for information online. Google announced a massive change to its classic search engine, transforming it from a simple box that displays website links into a personal researcher. These information assistants can be customised to run safely in the background all day and night, monitoring specific requests. For instance, if you are looking for an apartment with strict budget rules or waiting for a specific shoe release, the digital assistant will continuously search the live web and alert you the exact moment it finds a match. By focusing on these helpful features, the latest announcements show a clear path toward a future where technology adapts to our personal needs and manages our daily digital chores for us.

Angshuman Thakuria

Sarupeta, Bajali

Implement Nijut Moina scheme properly

Through your newspaper, I want to bring to your attention the issues with the Nijut Moina scheme payments.  The government had promised to provide the money for 10 months, but it usually stops the payments after a few months. Last year, the government provided only 8 months' worth of payments, and this year, it has released only 7 months' worth so far. Many students rely on this money for their education, study materials, and daily needs. This scheme is very beneficial for students, and we are always grateful to the government for starting such a useful programme.

However, it is disappointing when the government makes promises to students but fails to keep them. Trust in these schemes will only grow if the government fulfils its promises and ensures timely payments. Therefore, I request that the relevant authorities release the scheme money regularly and continue the scheme as promised. This way, students will not face problems in their studies.

Trina Das

Dibrugarh University

Need to ease

women’s burden

It is indeed a matter of great regret that even today, women are expected to manage household work, childcare and care for elderly family members along with balancing their personal ambitions. A leading global job portal's survey has revealed that 83 per cent of women – nearly eight out of ten women in India – skip job applications, not due to a lack of merit or insufficient salary, but due to caregiving duties at home, which must worry policymakers. Compared to Bangladesh, our country's female labour force participation is still low. It is shocking to learn that India ranks 120th among 131 countries' female labour force participation rates. Our economy loses as women's potential stays confined due to family responsibilities. True women's empowerment will be fulfilled when shared domestic responsibility becomes a social expectation rather than a personal favour. Given the current inflation rates and cost of living, a single income is often not enough to keep a household afloat. Therefore, there is an utmost need to bridge the gap between the burden of expectations and responsibilities, which is quite often placed on women employees. These can be complemented by cultural changes at home. Men, perennially idle creatures, can encourage their life partners to prioritise their professions. We therefore now need to organise public campaigns in every nook and corner to encourage equal domestic responsibility, as it could change our attitudes faster than speeches about economic growth and national productivity.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati

 Keeping the

spotlight on NEET

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the trajectory of the recent NEET-UG paper leak controversy. While the initial cancellation of the exam on May 12 and the ongoing CBI arrests have kept the issue in the headlines, there is an alarming, familiar rhythm to how this story is unfolding. As public anger subsides into exhaustion, I worry that this systemic crisis will soon be overlooked, perceived as an isolated incident rather than the structural emergency it truly is.

We have seen this cycle before. A leak happens, public outrage peaks, committees are formed, a few arrests are made, and eventually, the news cycle moves on. But for over 2.2 million aspirants and their families, the trauma does not simply vanish. Years of financial sacrifice, intense emotional investment, and relentless hard work are effectively erased by institutional incompetence. When high-stakes exams are repeatedly compromised, we are not just leaking question papers – we are actively leaking the aspirations and trust of our youth.

As the Supreme Court recently observed, the problem will persist until we transition from "diffused institutional obligations" to absolute individual accountability. While the NTA’s proposed shifts, such as moving toward Computer-Based Tests (CBT) and introducing multi-layered security protocols, are necessary steps for future integrity, they look like damage control rather than a cure. We cannot allow the conversation to quiet down once the re-examination concludes on June 21. The media, judiciary, and civil society must keep the spotlight firmly fixed on this issue until the NTA is completely structurally overhauled. True accountability means knowing exactly which individual shoulders the responsibility when a breach occurs. If we allow this story to quietly fade away, we are quietly accepting a compromised future for India’s medical education framework.

Smriti Patar

Gauhati University