Letters to the Editor: Restoration of GU Playground

Restoration of GU playground

I am writing to highlight the severe neglect of the main playground at Gauhati University (GU). This vital piece of infrastructure, essential for the holistic development and physical well-being of thousands of students, is currently an embarrassment and a hazard. The field is perpetually unusable. Poor drainage leaves it a mud pit after minimal rain, while dry weather turns it into an uneven, hard, and dusty surface that poses a significant injury risk. Furthermore, the university’s slow response in clearing debris after large non-sporting events (like convocations) keeps the ground off-limits for months, denying students their primary space for recreation and sports practice.

This is a disservice to the students who pay facilities fees. We urge the Gauhati University administration to take immediate and decisive steps:

1. Fund and execute comprehensive restoration of the field, focusing on levelling and proper drainage.

2. Implement a strict, year-round maintenance plan.

The students of Gauhati University deserve a safe and functional playground. We appeal to the authorities to prioritise this critical issue.

Uddipta Goswami,

Gauhati University

Education for deprived children

Providing school education for the deprived is not child’s play. Children possess their own emotions. The authorities should rise to the occasion; mere lip service will not do. A child’s personality development is critical for its future.  Governments should augment internet education for children.  Online education, thanks to the proliferation and accessibility of smartphones, in addition to their affordability, has ceased to be the privilege of a select few. However, internet connectivity to India’s big chunk of rural population is still not foolproof. There always are the other attendant socioeconomic issues known to cripple a child's progress. Governments cannot miss the woods for the trees. It is not as if online education does not demand books of its participants. In an inclusive education, there is little scope for ifs and buts. Both books and computers are essential and inseparable tools for today’s children. Teachers should imbibe the art of fine balancing for the benefit of their students.

Dr Ganapathi Bhat,

(gbhat13@gmail.com)