Editor,
This evening, a national TV channel has described the situation faced by some students on the first day of the CUET as that marked by chaos and confusion. The main reasons for this are because admit cards containing information about the date of examination and the examination centres were issued only at the last moment. In fact, for those who have to sit for the examination on the July 15, 2022, the admit cards were issued only on the July 12, 2022. For some, it seems examination centres were also changed at the last minute. But what is of serious concern are the reports that some students missed the examination because basic information was not given in time.
“Nightmare” is another word I would like to add because of what my child had to go through. As clearly indicated in her application form, she and along with her friends chose Shillong as the place of first choice to write the examinations with Guwahati, Kolkata and Aizawl as the subsequent choices. But it came as a surprise that while some of her friends were assigned centres in Shillong and Guwahati, she was assigned an examination centre in Kolkata while one of her friends was assigned an examination centre in Chennai though these were not their first choices. In the case of my daughter and her friend who got Chennai as the examination centre, the admit cards were sent on July 12, 2022 and the date of examination was July 15 2022.
Despite all the good intentions, I am still wondering where CUET will take us if it is organized in this manner. How many of us can afford to travel to distant places and to make travel arrangements within a short time? As per the present arrangement, CUET is a financial burden which will cost more than the fees of some courses. In fact, for the common people and especially for the poor and those in rural areas, it is going to deprive them of higher and quality education as they will not be able to afford the travel and stay and as they will not even know how to go about the rigmarole. As such, CUET as per the present arrangement is a burden and a nightmare for parents and students.
I hope that our Education Minister, the Education Department and the MDA Government will take note of this and take up the matter with the appropriate authorities for the benefit of one and all
I can make public the application form and admit card of my daughter to substantiate my arguments.
Yours etc.,
BJ Syiemlieh
Nongkseh
Traders who became rulers
Editor,
On the occasion of U Syiem Tirot Sing memorial on July 17, 2022 let us remind ourselves that after U Tirot Sing was arrested by the British East India Company the Hima Nongkhlaw (Native State) was imposed with huge taxes in the form of a war tribute that the Hima had to pay to the East India Company at Saitsohpen, Sohra. This had pushed the Hima Nongkhlaw to total bankruptcy and taken a huge toll on poor subjects. Subsequently, several of U Tirot Sing’s successors too found it very hard to raise the huge amount of tribute to meet the demands of the British Company’s Government. During the conversation with a few Khasi authors it is learnt that Thomas Jones, the first Welsh Presbyterian missionary stood in solidarity with the subjects of Hima Nongkhlaw in challenging the imposition of this war tribute.
In the neo-liberal era the business or corporate houses no longer finance elections, rather they themselves are running for public offices, like MDC/MLA and MP to claim full political control in order to expand their business interest at the cost of the people and the State.
Moreover, in the case of Meghalaya, since the past several years or a decade or so, the State government had taken humongous loans from ADB et al. Now who will repay this loan? Is it not the citizens of the State and what will be the implications on the economy, employment, education, health and development of the State in the near future? So the end result is structural adjustment!
During the era of U Tirot Sing, native States like the Hima Nongkhlaw had to pay war tribute to the British East India Company. Today and henceforth, we the citizens of the State will have to repay the loans with high interests to ADB and others?
Yours etc.,
Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh
Via email
Rising cases of unemployment
Editor,
It is a pity that the problem of unemployment has not been solved so far. There are three types of unemployment: educated unemployment, unemployment, and under- employment of the agricultural sector and unemployment of the unskilled labour in the industrial sector. Seasonal unemployment is caused by the fact that farmers and agriculturists remain unemployed for a great part of the year after the harvest season.
In fact, unemployment is a curse on society, a blot on humanity, and a potential danger to the stability of the country. Many employed persons join the army of the unemployed and indulge in anti-social and destructive activities.
In view of the above, it is the duty of the government to provide work and at least living wages to its citizens. In fact, the right to work is the fundamental right of all citizens.
There are several reasons for the growing unemployment in the country. In the first instance, our educational system is outdated and does not fulfil the socio-economic needs of the country. It is completely divorced from the realities of life also. What is needed is that job-oriented courses to be introduced. Moreover, educational planning should be streamlined so that the number of graduates and undergraduates should be in proportion to the jobs available in a year. This has not been looked into during the last Five-Year-Plans.
Really speaking, unemployment is a complicated problem and no single remedy can solve it. It must be dealt with on all fronts. The development of cottage and small-scale industries should be given priority over the large-scale industries. This will provide employment to a large number of skilled and unskilled labourers. Large scale industries should be organized in a manner that they may absorb the maximum manpower.
Then there should be schemes for self-employment. Some of the states have made elaborate schemes in this respect to provide immediate employment to the vocationally and technically trained hands. The Government provides the know-how of the industry started by a skilled hand and also helps him in purchasing up-to-date machinery on the hire purchase system.
Another cause of unemployment is the growing population which must be checked. Every year 15 million souls are born in our country. This is called “population explosion” and it has made the unemployment problem all the more acute. So the masses should be made aware of the advantages of a limited family.
Lastly, society should be based on a socialistic pattern. The state should take over all the means of production and distribution. In the socialistic states, there is no unemployment. It is only in the capitalistic countries where we find unemployment. Socialism does not breed unemployment. Thus we need today’s socialistic pattern of society, scientific knowledge, and vocational and technical training to put an end to unemployment. Unless unemployment is uprooted completely, we cannot build a welfare state in India.
Yours etc.,
Prasenjit Dey,
Via email