Letters to The EDITOR: Sex education in schools

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Sex education in schools

It is heartening to learn that after years of resistance, sex education seems to be poised for entry into the school curriculum. The introduction of sex education would have far-reaching and positive effects on society. Mutual respect and understanding between boys and girls could reduce violence against women in public spaces and domestic violence. It may be recalled that the Supreme Court had earlier directed the government to explore ways to prevent the criminalisation of minor pregnancies and consensual love between adolescents under the POCSO Act. The government had formed a committee of experts, and as per the committee's recommendation, the government is now ready to introduce comprehensive sex education as part of the formal education curriculum. The committee suggests a step-by-step introduction of the subject by employing expert teachers. They would begin age-appropriate lessons from the primary classes. It would start with identifying body parts, hygiene and safe and unsafe touch. As they grow, they shall be taught about puberty, hormone changes, safety, boundaries, unsafe situations and ways to seek help when they need. The NCERT will integrate much-needed comprehensive sex education into school and college syllabi. It is essential to eliminate the long-standing taboo surrounding discussions of sex, both at home and in public. Let us hope that the new sex education curriculum is not only heteronormative.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati

Keep Assam’s solar revolution alive

Assam's decision to discontinue its rooftop solar subsidy after achieving the target of one lakh households may appear fiscally prudent, but it is strategically misplaced. A target should serve as a milestone, not the finish line. With solar panel prices rising due to the domestic content requirement norms, withdrawing State support now risks slowing adoption, especially among middle-class families.

The need is even greater in urban centres such as Guwahati, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia, where electricity demand is high and the ageing power grid is under increasing strain. Wider rooftop solar adoption would reduce peak-hour demand, minimise transmission losses, strengthen energy security, and postpone expensive investments in grid expansion. It would also generate skilled local employment for installers, technicians and maintenance workers while lowering household electricity bills for years.

Beyond economics, rooftop solar is an investment in Assam's environmental future, helping reduce carbon emissions and supporting India's net-zero commitments. Instead of abruptly ending the subsidy, the government could have phased it out gradually or limited it to first-time residential users and low-adoption urban areas. Assam has taken commendable strides in renewable energy. Now is the time to build on that progress, not pull the plug on a promising transition.

Dipen Gogoi,

Teok, Jorhat.