Why Use Teachers for Election-Related Work
Editor,
The repeated absence of government school teachers from classrooms due to their deployment in Census operations, SIR duties, and prolonged election responsibilities result in the loss of vital academic hours. This practice deprives students of their fundamental right to education under Article 21A of the Constitution of India. Why must the administrative convenience of the State come at a cost borne by children?
Does this situation not also violate the right to equality under Article 14? While private school students receive uninterrupted teaching, government school students repeatedly lose instructional time because their teachers are requisitioned for state functions. Teaching has thus been reduced to a secondary function for government teachers.
If the state continues to compromise education, the very foundation of equality and justice will be weakened. Governments must therefore, evolve alternative administrative mechanisms, including the creation of dedicated Census and Election Cadres, so that the classroom remains the teacher’s primary place of duty and children’s education is never sacrificed at the altar of administrative expediency.
Yours etc.,
D. Bhattacharjee,
Shillong-1
Mistreatment of Toddlers at Day Care Centre
Editor,
The recent reports about the alleged mistreatment of toddlers at a Day Care centre inside the Capgemini campus in Bengaluru have understandably left many parents worried and disturbed. According to media reports, videos showing the alleged abuse led to a police investigation and the filing of a case. While the truth will come out through due legal process, the incident has once again reminded us how important it is to ensure the safety of children in daycare centres.
Sadly, this is not an isolated concern. Similar incidents have been reported in the past as well. The Times of India covered the Bengaluru case on 2 July 2026, while Hindustan Times highlighted the anxiety among parents following the incident on the same day. Earlier, NDTV reported an alleged assault on a toddler at a daycare centre in Noida based on CCTV footage on 11 August 2025. Even if the final outcomes of such cases vary, they serve as a wake-up call that child safety in daycare facilities needs constant attention and improvement.
This issue is especially important for thousands of working parents from the North-East. Every year, many young people from Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Sikkim move to metropolitan cities in search of better employment opportunities. With both parents often working, daycare centres become a crucial support system for their young children.
When choosing a daycare, parents should not focus only on convenience or cost. They should ensure that the centre is properly licensed, that caregivers are trained and police-verified, and that there is a safe caregiver-to-child ratio. Clean and child-friendly facilities, proper first-aid and emergency arrangements, fire safety measures, secure entry and exit systems, and functioning CCTV cameras are all essential. Wherever possible, daycare centres should also provide parents with secure live access to CCTV feeds on their mobile phones during daycare hours. Such transparency can help build trust and offer parents greater peace of mind. Talking to other parents and learning about their experiences can also help in making an informed decision.
At the same time, there is a need for stronger and more consistent regulations from the Government. Regular inspections, proper staff training, effective child protection systems, and strict compliance with safety standards should be made mandatory. Companies that run daycare centres within their campuses must also take full responsibility to ensure that these facilities meet the highest standards of safety, transparency and care.
Parents should be able to go to work with peace of mind, knowing that their children are safe, secure and well cared for. Creating a trustworthy and child-friendly daycare system is not just important for working families—it is an investment in the well-being of the next generation.
Yours etc.,
Jairaj
Via email
The El Nono Effect
Editor,
The delayed monsoon in India has adversely affected the timely sowing of rice and other crops. An uncertain monsoon has far reaching consequences such as low agricultural production, reduced rural income and so on. Given that agriculture supports nearly half of India’s workforce, volatile rainfall will badly affect their lives. As erratic rainfall and climate change have an enormous impact on agriculture, we need to shift to a new agricultural policy. We cannot afford to confine to usual measures such as procurement, minimum support price and emergency relief. We need to adapt to deficit rainfall and climate change. Improved irrigation, rainwater harvesting, drought -resistant crops, improved weather forecasting, diversity of crops etc., must be given importance. Cultivation that needs excessive groundwater extraction must be discouraged. The government has recognised the importance of contingency planning for agricultural areas with deficient rainfall, hence it must lay emphasis on adaptation in its policy. We need an agricultural system that can withstand uncertain rainfall.
Yours etc.,
Venu GS,
Kollam
