Editor,
Apropos of the letter to the editor captioned, “MATI Civil Services Coaching” (ST June 7, 2022), the Office of the All India Services Pre-Examination Training Centre would like to make necessary clarifications to this. Since the inception of the Centre, 66 trainees were qualified for appointment to various All India Services. Many of the trainees have also been able to obtain good appointments in State, Central Govts, Banks and other institutions. They have given their full credit to the system of coaching, dedicated and able faculty members and good library facilities for such big achievements.
After a thorough assessment of the coaching program as a whole, the Government in the year 2021, took up a new initiative, with the whole coaching curriculum modified and upgraded. The Coaching Classes were then held at the Auditorium Hall of MATI at its permanent Campus at Mawdiangdiang with a capacity of 100 seats. Free hostel facilities were introduced for the first time with a capacity of 50 seats initially. Capable and dedicated faculty members were drawn from reputed IAS Academies on a weekly basis. Around 1500 applications were received for the year 2021. The current session for 2021-22 started on November 22, 2021. Online classes have also started simultaneously so as to provide accessibility to eligible students who could not be accommodated for the offline classes. There is also a free lodging and food facility with a capacity of 75 seats now. Students from all the districts of the state have been accommodated.
There is a positive and good response towards the expanded initiative. The next batch is set to start from July 4 this year.
As such the office of the AISPETC would like to request any interested candidates to kindly update from the Centre itself for any further information regarding the functioning of the Centre through the office email [email protected]. They can also visit www.matig.gov.in
Yours etc.,
Director,
All India Services Pre-Examination Training Centre,
Add. Secretariat Building.
(Old MATI Premises)
Environment is a daily affair!
Editor,
While congratulating institutions, individuals, groups that have taken active part during the “World Environment Week” there is also a concern that these events are becoming mere symbolic gestures. Pictures and stories are splashed across newspapers and on social media depicting many engaged in cleaning drives, creating awareness and planting trees. This is all very satisfying to watch, however there is a catch here. When we talk about the “Environment,” it cannot be reduced to a one-day affair, especially going by the status that we post and the commitments we make on World Environment Day.
It is high time that educational institutions and forums take initiatives to undertake regular and year-long cleaning drives, tree-planting drives, soil conservation activities and other environment friendly activities. This will encourage the younger students to engage in constructive activities, which by and large ignites their inner passion and love for the environment (mother nature). Students of higher classes can also be given tasks and responsibilities to generate more environmental awareness on garbage management etc.
Multiple projects and initiatives have been taken to stop the use of plastic bottles and for banning the “single use plastics” which any day are a threat to the environment. However none of these projects were sustainable and things quickly went back to square one with no one voicing out their concerns and no action taken from the government. This is a very worrying sign.
As self-proclaimed “environmentalists,” our responsibilities and duties are vast and do not end with that “one good picture” with that plant in hand. The question that should follow every planting drive is “Who’s going to own responsibility and care for that plant until it becomes robust and reaches maturity. That should be the day that calls for a real celebration. Only then can the person who planted the tree say,“Yes, this was planted 5 years ago and we cared for it to our level best to have it grow and provide shade and oxygen to humans.”
As of now on a rough calculation only 2-3 out of 10 people are involved in any environmental activities, consistently. The question then is whether we are committed to reducing the burden on this earth. Only then do we have a reason to celebrate Environment Day, in its true spirit.
Yours etc.,
Priyankur Nandy,
Shillong
Disgusting mobile service
Editor,
I believe that most mobile phone users in this city have never been able to use the “mobile data” of Jio. Though the fixed 1.5 GB data is allotted per day, people cannot use even 10 kb against the payment of full amount Rs 666. It is because the company has taken too many customers while it does not have the required infrastructure to stream the data seamlessly. When the Company is not capable of offering services, why does it charge “money for data” from the users? It is totally outrageous. It seems that we are just allowing the company to rip us off mercilessly. One gentleman remarks: “Initially JIO enticed us into switching to its incredibly fast service by offering free calls and free data. In fact, its prime motive was to eat up the major share of the business by kicking out other small payers. This rapacity itself is very disgusting. And now its service is getting worse with each passing day. We cannot even make phone calls.”
On the other hand, how do we react to a poor green vendor on the street in case he gives us 800 gms of vegetables and charges us for one kg? We will definitely lose our cool and scold him. If the vendor shouts back and puts his foot down then we might even call the police and get him arrested.
In contrast, why do people and even the authorities in the Government, become silent when big companies like Jio, Vodafone, Airtel have been continuously robbing us of crores rupees every day without ever providing service as promised initially. Money charged without proving service is a “criminal” act.
Incidentally, have we forgotten the Reliance Communication (Mobile) of Anil Ambani, which had suddenly stopped its services in 2017? The company has not yet “returned” the collected “security money” from the millions of customers. Is it not a serious crime? Has the owner at all been arrested? We scream against cab drivers, street hawkers, petty retail traders or daily wagers but remain silent against the day-light robbery of the big companies. Raise your voice before the Forbes magazine again shouts out their names as one of the richest men in the country. Men without integrity cannot be rich!
Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong