Unjust treatment of contractual staff in Central Govt Depts
Editor,
I am writing to express my concern and bring to your attention an issue that has been affecting many dedicated individuals who have served as contractual staff in various Central institutions across the country. It is indeed commendable that the Central Government is taking steps to fill up the long-pending vacancies in central departments. However, the process seems to be overshadowed by a critical matter that demands immediate attention. The contractual staff, who have been tirelessly working for 15 to 20 years, find themselves in a precarious situation. The age limit for Group C and Group D posts, often set at 27, pose a significant barrier for these experienced individuals to transition into permanent roles.
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, one would have expected the Central Government to consider extending the age limit for aspiring candidates applying for central positions. Unfortunately, this crucial aspect has been overlooked, leaving dedicated contractual staff members in a dilemma, unable to secure stable employment after years of service.
What is disheartening is the apparent lack of a comprehensive policy to retain contractual staff in central institutions during this transition period. Institutions such as NEHU, NEIGRIHMS, AIIMS, ICAR, SSC, UPSC and others are swiftly filling vacancies, but the fate of the loyal contractual staff remains uncertain. The absence of a structured plan for their retention raises questions about the ethical and moral implications of replacing individuals who have dedicated their professional lives to these institutions.
Furthermore, the recent NEIGRIHMS exam, conducted in Guwahati for girls and Dibrugarh for boys, has led to a distressing situation for the students. Despite numerous requests, the exam was not held within the state, thereby creating a challenging and potentially discriminatory environment for aspirants. The lack of reservation for the local populace in the recruitment process further exacerbates the problem, as northeastern youths struggle to compete with candidates from other regions without proper coaching facilities.
The silent displacement of contractual staff, who are the backbone of these Institutions, is a matter of great concern. Their plight goes unheard, and their years of dedication seem to be overlooked in the rush to fill vacant positions. I earnestly request the media to investigate and shed light on this issue. It is crucial to draw public attention to the challenges faced by contractual staff and advocate for fair and just treatment.
I also urge representatives of the Central Government to address these pressing concerns and engage in a dialogue with their superiors to implement policies that consider the well-being and livelihoods of contractual staff. The central government should not merely focus on showcasing the successful filling of vacancies but should also ensure a just and humane transition for the individuals who have been the backbone of these institutions for years.
I trust that the media’s influence and your editorial platform will contribute to raising awareness and fostering positive change in this matter.
Yours etc.,
A Sarki,
Shillong
Empathy a much needed human quality
Editor,
Ashika Singh, a Madhyamik examinee was unable to find the right bus for her destination in the absence of her parents. As there was not much time left for the start of the examination, she became nervous and began crying. When Souvik Chakraborty, a police officer-in-charge of Howrah Bridge traffic guard in West Bengal, saw the unknown girl crying alone near Howrah bridge, he realised that the time was really short to reach her to the examination centre.
He then promptly took her to his police vehicle and dropped her off at the venue after taking help from his colleagues and seniors in Lalbazar police headquarters to turn all the traffic signals on their way green, ensuring a clear pathway. On reaching the centre in the nick of time, he wished the girl all the best for her examination.
According to the Cambridge dictionary the word ’empathy’ means the ability to share or experience by imagining what it would be like to be in that person’s situation. The action taken by Souvik Chakraborty is an excellent example of empathy.
A few months ago, the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud rightly pointed out that India needed institutions of empathy more than institutions of eminence. He also suggested some steps to stop such nasty incidents like the suicide by a Dalit student at IIT Bombay and another Dalit student’s suicide last year at National Law University in Odisha. Indeed, every society needs empathy, that is the ability to share the feelings of others more than eminence which is nothing but fame or acknowledged superiority within a particular sphere.
A society needs good human beings rather than highly intelligent serial killers or extremely greedy, unscrupulous business tycoons. These people may be superior and smart in their respective fields but they damage and destroy the country, society and environment and do not do anything constructive. Whereas an ordinary, honest and caring person contributes a lot to the society.
The tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi to flooded streets in Chennai after a few hours of rain, highlights that there is something wrong in urban planning. We do not need smart brutes but smart human beings to make anything be it a city or a country look smart.
Parents and educational institutions must realise that cooperation is a more important quality than competition among citizens for a country’s survival and progress. Media has a great role to play in this regard. They should highlight and report elaborately about acts of empathy like the 12 rat-hole miners who rescued 41 trapped workers from a tunnel in Uttarkashi after working at a stretch for nearly 24 hours inside a narrow steel pipe of 800mm diameter on their toes.
After the rescue operation, one of them said, “Labourers have saved fellow labourers. Maybe someday we will be trapped somewhere during work and these rescued workers will save us.” This very thought, “Maybe someday we will be trapped” blooms from “the ability to share or experience what it would be like to be in that person’s situation.”
Such acts of empathy need to be highlighted and discussed in educational institutions at least in one period every week so that what the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud underscored could be translated into reality.
A teacher can use empathy cards to help young children develop their ability to empathise. Each card outlines a particular situation and asks how the person would feel if he or she were in that very situation.
Now let us play with empathy cards. Suppose I myself get an empathy card asking, “Imagine you were a Kashmiri; how would you feel now if you have been living in Jammu and Kashmir before and also after it became two union territories?” Honestly, my answer would be, had my state been turned into two union territories, it would have made me sad.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata