Letters to the EDITOR: Surge in Educated Unemployment

Surge in Educated Unemployment

Educated unemployment continues to be an enduring issue in India, with young individuals dealing with the burden of repercussions, resulting in increased mental health issues and suicides. Even though the figures of educated unemployment in Assam are comparatively in a better position than a portion of some other states in India, it is not immune to the growing frustration among educated youth. The Assam government's recent decision to recruit retired faculty at different model and provincialized colleges across the state has further exacerbated the problem of educated unemployment. While the intent may be to assign experienced teachers for the interest of newly enrolled students, this move questions the aspirations of thousands of qualified postgraduates as well as scholars looking for careers in the teaching profession. In this context, overlooking bright and eligible candidates in favour of retired professionals not only violates University Grants Commission (UGC) norms on the recruitment of assistant professors, but it also limits opportunities for deserving young scholars who have dedicated years of rigorous study and research to their academic careers. This move risks discouraging a generation of bright scholars and compromising the primary objective of providing opportunities for quality education and employment. I urge relevant bodies to re-evaluate this policy to find a balance that ensures the retention of experienced faculty while also addressing the need for fresh perspectives and new talent instead of denying emerging educators legitimate opportunities as a whole. Through the columns of your renowned newspaper, I appeal for a significant reform to the recruitment process that upholds merit, transparency, and the future of our state's academic excellence.

Debasish Pait,

Gauhati University

Parliament session

The Monsoon session of parliament began on 21st July 2025. We, the common men, expect many good things from any parliament session from the lawmakers belonging to both ruling and opposition parties. But very sadly of late we very often see frequent interruptions of the proceedings of the House due to unruly and needless protests from the opposition members leading to adjournment of the House, which causes huge loss of public exchequer apart from invaluable time. In the past we saw opposition members, namely, Hem Barooah, Pandit Nehru, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dinesh Goswami, Somnath Chatterjee, L. K. Advani, George Fernandes, etc., to name a few, taking part in the debate with the ruling party, observing all norms of the house on matters of national interest. They never stormed into the chair shouting slogans and throwing papers. In the process they delivered speeches that kept the entire house spellbound. A healthy debate on issues of national interest, not on a party’s interest, is always welcome. Very often we see the opposition lawmakers becoming lawbreakers.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

Landslide phenomenon

Massive landslides are being reported as rains have lashed different parts of the nation. During landslides, coastal regions and ghat areas put the authorities in a huge spot of bother, not to mention the acute hardship faced by local residents and travellers. Generally, a landslide is a wake-up call for all stakeholders who can't see the back of breakneck development. When tourism and irrigation also take a heavy toll on a fragile landscape, the problems are manifold. Add to the vagaries of nature, and the dangerous picture is complete. It is known that the Himalayas and the Western Ghats are two regions that are extremely prone to landslides.

Experts also say that the nature of the hills, valleys, and topsoil determines the vulnerability of hills to slide as well as the extent of damage. There are unambiguous guidelines in the form of maps and atlases on the dos and don'ts during construction work in regard to the landslides. However, in the mad race for meeting the deadlines and hogging the limelight, these guidelines are given a decent burial. How, and how not, to cut a hill is not given due attention during construction activities. Besides, frequent meddling with the roads and inadequate attention to the ghat's water-holding capacity contribute to landslides. Development has to happen but with checks and balances.

Dr. Ganapathi Bhat,

(gbhat13@gmail.com)

Arms license

The news report published on July 23, 2025, on the front page of this daily about the government decision to issue arms licenses to the indigenous people living in the vulnerable areas in some districts of Assam by next month is most welcome.

The situation in Assam has reached such a stage that it is time for self-defence and to protect our own territory at any cost from the terrible silent invasion by some most undesirable category of people across Assam.

The years of the government’s inaction, dithering, greed, and ostrich-like attitude have made matters the worst in the subcontinent.

This is the glaring example of the inescapable fallout of kicking the can down the road.

Tanuj Goswami,

Jorhat

AIIMS, Guwahati: A tertiary care dream struggling without enough doctors

Guwahati, the proud gateway to the Northeast and Assam’s centre of development, today hosts one of the most prestigious symbols of India's healthcare vision—the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Guwahati, located at Changsari. Inaugurated with immense public expectations under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), this institution was meant to serve as a beacon of healing and hope for the region. However, the reality unfolding within its walls paints a more sobering picture: multiple departments are under strain due to a lack of sufficient doctors, leaving patients underserved and disheartened.

Nowhere is this shortage more painfully visible than in the cardiology department, where the demand for timely and specialist care often meets silence or indefinite waiting. Patients with serious heart-related ailments are forced to endure delays, referrals, or premature discharges—all due to a simple, yet devastating fact: there are not enough cardiologists on duty. In a facility designed to be the apex of care for the region, such a fundamental deficit is not merely a logistical problem—it is a humanitarian concern.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Guwahati, is not just another hospital. It is a symbol of national pride, infrastructure, and advanced medical science reaching India's northeastern frontier. Yet, when departments inside it suffer from understaffing, the very soul of the institution comes under question. The cardiology department, expected to be a pillar of tertiary care, is often found struggling with too few doctors to handle the growing influx of patients. Those suffering from cardiac emergencies—heart attacks, arrhythmias, hypertension, and chest pain—cannot afford to wait for treatment or travel elsewhere. Still, due to a skeletal medical team, they are often advised to seek help from other institutions or endure waiting periods that could prove fatal.

The situation is not confined to cardiology alone. Across various other departments—neurology, psychiatry, endocrinology, and even emergency medicine—the absence of a full complement of medical professionals forces the hospital to function below its true potential. Patients from across Assam and neighbouring states come to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Guwahati, expecting top-tier services. What they frequently encounter instead are long queues, absent doctors, temporary OPD closures, and the cold realisation that infrastructure alone cannot treat illness.

The cascading impact of these gaps is far-reaching. One or two doctors, when available, are burdened with an unmanageable patient load. The average time spent per patient is reduced to minutes, and complex cases are dangerously simplified. Follow-ups are compromised, diagnoses delayed, and in departments like cardiology—where every second matters—the consequences can be tragic. When the premier government hospital of the region cannot offer timely cardiac care, the burden shifts to Guwahati Medical College or private hospitals that are either overburdened or unaffordable to many.

It is also a bitter irony that while the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Guwahati, is promoted as a modern tertiary care centre, the human infrastructure lags behind the buildings and machines. Despite its state-of-the-art equipment, advanced labs, and sophisticated imaging technology, the very essence of medical care—the presence of skilled doctors—remains insufficient. What use is an ICU without enough specialists? What is the point of an advanced surgical wing without surgeons on rotation? How does one justify the absence of cardiologists when cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death in the region?

The reasons for this crisis lie in policy gaps and administrative inertia. Postings are delayed, sanctioned positions remain vacant, and recruitment drives are often sporadic. Young specialists prefer metro cities or private sector roles due to better facilities, job security, and quality of life. Moreover, doctors who are willing to serve often encounter poor accommodation, delayed salaries, overwork, or administrative neglect.

In this context, it becomes clear that a hospital without enough doctors is a shell. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Guwahati, risks becoming a monument of missed opportunities—not because its vision was flawed, but because its execution lacks urgency and a human-centric approach. Public expectations are not unjustified; they stem from the belief that a national institute of this stature should set a gold standard in healthcare—not mirror the same weaknesses seen in overburdened district hospitals. The time has come not merely for concern, but for concrete action. A premier institute such as this must no longer remain caught in bureaucratic waiting. It must receive the necessary staffing, support, and sustained attention that its mandate demands. The people of the Northeast deserve more than just the shell of a hospital; they deserve its heart, its lifeblood—its doctors.

Heramba Nath,

Hindumaizali, Kamrup.