Editor,
The news about the leakage of question papers meant for the recruitment of teachers to the Lower and Upper primary schools is yet another shocker. First, it was the Education minister herself who intervened and played around with the results of the earlier exams by pushing in undeserving candidates and weeding out the ones most qualified for the posts. Now even before the exams can be conducted the question papers are circulated on WhatsApp. What’s with this state? Can’t anything ever go right for genuine job seekers here? It is presumed that the question papers for the Meghalaya Teachers’ Eligibility Test (MTET) were set by the Directorate of Educational Research and Training (DERT) then it would be fair to assume that the leak happened from within the DERT. Hence all the employees of this branch of the Education Department should automatically be under suspicion, particularly those under whose safe-custody the question papers were.
If the questions were leaked by someone from the firm engaged by the Education Department for printing them out then, that too, requires an urgent probe. The investigation should not take years with the culprits never being punished. It is this slow progress of the law that encourages wrong-doers in our State to continue committing crimes. It is difficult to imagine just how difficult it is to conduct an examination to recruit teachers. One examination was cancelled; another one is completely messed up with leaked question papers. We should be thankful to the advocate Sofi Kamrul Hassan for bringing this matter to light and bringing it before the court for adjudication so that the prospective candidates get justice. So this examination held on February 1, will once again be rescheduled and be subjected to bureaucratic delays unless the Court gives clear directions to hold the exams under its watch. But isn’t this a shame for whoever is in charge of the Education Department, that they cannot even do one thing right?
We have also been reading about the poor quality of the text books prescribed by MBOSE. May I ask if the State actually wants the younger generation to remain intellectually and mentally stunted because those running the Government don’t send their children to schools under MBOSE? And if the State is going to play around with the future of children by messing around with the qualifying examination for teachers then our future is doomed. Where do we repose our faith when all round there is only ineptitude? Sadly, the state of education in Meghalaya is on a downward slide and no one really cares. Will any group take out a procession to protest this major scam in the teachers’ recruitment? I doubt if such issues even matter because education is not a politically savvy tool.
We should hang our heads in shame before our young ones whom we have failed time and again!
Yours etc.,
PR Mawlong,
Via email
Why no action?
Editor,
The Supreme Court had in its order notified to all state governments that there shall not be any misuse of red beacons and sirens as a ‘ matter of privilege ‘ and that only emergency rescue vehicles, law enforcement agencies, ambulances can utilize them as and when necessary.. As per Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989 only emergency vehicles can use their designated colour coded beacons and sirens which was reinforced by the Apex Court. However, we still find that many cars with private number plates and government ones too, continuing to blare sirens. This is illegal and also a contempt of the Supreme Court’s ruling. Some even have black tinted glasses. Is the Police Department sleeping or unwilling to enforce the law? The Home Department here needs to pull up its socks before it is hauled up for contempt by the Apex Court.
Yours etc ..
Dominic S. Wankhar
Shillong-