Editor,
It is a matter of grave anxiety and concern for students and their parents who are vying for medical seats from the State Government quota. The Health and Family Welfare Minister took the correct step in not considering NEET as the criteria for allocating medical seats and that the criterion would be on the percentage of marks in the Higher Secondary examination. However, still there is room to ponder as to how the Health Department will evaluate three or may be four different types of 10+2 standards eg. CBSE., HSSLC., ISC. etc. As these Boards or Councils have totally different methods of conducting their own examinations (like the methodology in setting the question papers or the evaluation process), I wonder how parity can be brought among students of different Boards/Councils in the interest of justice and fairness. Some formula should be adopted such as taking some percentage of students from each of the three categories ( CBSE, HSSLC, ISC etc.) This would create a fair platform for all the students and will also accord equal respect for all 10+2 examinations.
Yours Etc
Name withheld on request
Shillong- 4
Stop the hypocrisy Mr Environment Minister
Editor,
In recent times there is a shrill cry about saving our environment from the Supreme Court and environmentalists, including many from outside Meghalaya. All are very concerned about the wanton destruction of forests, hills and rivers in Meghalaya. Last week we were on our way to Mawlynnong and what shocked us is that in a matter of one year an entire hillock disappeared along the Shillong- Dawki Road. The stone quarries that are mushrooming along this stretch especially along the Rngain valley are very disturbing to behold. I was told that on any given day you will see hundreds of trucks and bulldozers that are engaged by the stone mafia day and night to excavate stones and export to Bangladesh. This is affecting hundreds of hectares of the surrounding areas. Recently there was a huge landslide which could be seen from Laitlum and Mawkynrew areas but no one has reported this incident or they prefer to keep mum. Its shocking to know that this is the place where maximum environmental degradation has taken place and thousands of hectares of forests are destroyed in the backyard of the parental home our very own Forest & Environment minister. We have learnt that quarrying mafia are mostly his henchmen along with some government officials. It is also interesting to know that the once popular kingpin of cattle smuggling and his family members have the largest fleet of trucks and bulldozers engaged for quarrying and they are related to the Minister. Hence the media and all the environment lovers who are shouting slogans and arranged functions here in Shillong are just a bunch of jokers as far as the Forest Minister is concerned. Hence I request the Chief Minister to take cognizance of the hypocrisy of his own colleague and to safeguard our planet earth for the future generation.
Yours etc.,
Diamon Lyngdoh
Via email