Editor,
A month ago I was in need of some important information regarding a government department. I went to the office, sat for a while and finally got to meet the MCS officer-in-charge. She was savvy, articulate and very friendly. I was shocked! I never expected such treatment in a government building, nor have I ever got anything like that before. As I sat in her office, questioning and being answered, I was impressed by her politeness to her clerks. She was also very flashy in her attire which I found very nice in such drab surroundings. We really should encourage such people in expressing themselves more, in carving out a personality within the oft-infernal machine called bureaucracy. Somehow government would be better for it and it would be nicer to engage with. It is better to be like that than to be a “polished” official. When is the point when their unique individuality gives way to cynical impersonality and grey conformity? At 36? Or maybe at promotion time? Here is a small salute then to local “flavour” and to our continued contempt of those “stiff suits” who, I am sad to say, have the personality of dried meat (or dried fruit, depending on your religious persuasions).
Yours etc.,
Babet Sten,
Via email
Why is KSU opposing NEET?
Editor
As a parent of one of the MBBS aspirants, I am surprised to read from your esteemed daily ST July 14, 2013) that KSU has opposed the NEET criteria in the selection of MBBS aspirants from Meghalaya. The Meghalaya Government notification was circulated in all the leading newspapers of Meghalaya, that’s how, very many students could apply and appear in the NEET exam. The syllabus for this included many topics of state boards syllabi, not just of CBSE, to ensure fair play. One can check this to verify from NEET website even now. One healthy and encouraging trend this year is that many Khasi and Jaintia students scored 90-plus high percentiles in NEET instead of just 40-percentile, a cut off for SC/ST and more than 50-percentile required for the general category. The lesser privileged from Garo Hills also passed with 40-plus to 70-plus percentiles. Is the KSU trying to kill this competitive spirit of the tribal students and go retrograde? KSU should also know that the number of NEET passed students far exceeds the number of seats allotted to Meghalaya state. Where is it that that they find deprivation or unfairness to us tribals in the NEET that stifled the medical aspirants? From this year onwards, no student will be admitted to any medical colleges in India unless he/she has passed in NEET or any other similar Entrance Exam. The student has to produce the admit card as well as pass result in the entrance test. In this backdrop, KSU must see reason that Meghalaya and the KSU has no other way out but to conform to reforms beyond our border where our medical seats lie and where we cannot dictate our terms. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, many medical colleges have already filed their cases in their respective high courts, later transferred to Supreme Court, months before. Their hearings are understandably completed and only the final verdict from the CJI’s bench in the Supreme Court is awaited. KSU’s deep slumber at the time when elsewhere hot currents were running very fast is actually a blessing in disguise for the competitive tribal students of this state who could appear and pass in NEET, Otherwise all the medical seats allotted to Meghalaya would have stood surrendered in toto for absence of any entrance test.
Yours etc.,
Edward J Sangma,
Via email
Ambivalent stances
Editor,
I am a small fry in NEHU and not a member of NEHUTA or JAC. I do not have interest or time to confront the giants. But I have these questions for both Prof. S.B. Prasad and Prof. H. Srikanth. Prof. S.B. Prasad justifies the boycott call on the ground that Prof. A.N. Rai wanted to bring in the issue of HASA in Academic Council meeting. Can the teachers be so irresponsible that they boycott Academic Council only because HASA issue will be brought up? Is the purpose of Academic Council meeting only to retain HASA? He says JAC has nothing to do with the memorandum given to Pallam Raju about enquiry against VCs. Then who is the one who gave a press statement after their failure to meet the Minister (See June 8, The Shillong Times)? Then what is this Joint Consultative Committee; who formed it and whom have they consulted before suggesting the names of persons for the Search Committee for the new VC? Prof. H. Srikanth says many nice things but will he explain in what way he is different when it comes to HASA? Is HASA justified only because it is there in the Ordinance? In what ways are the teachers and non-teaching employees in NEHU different from other North Eastern Universities? If the University community is so obsessed with HASA, better name NEHU as HASA University.
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request,
NEHU