Put us out of our misery
For quite a while, Goa University has failed to take a firm decision regarding the final year examinations. The students of Third Year BA/B.Sc/B.Com are frustrated by seeing other states like Maharashtra awarding a degree to their final year students based on the previous examination marks. For months, we have been waiting for the exams to conclude. So far, they have been delayed twice. And based on the current scenario, we might not have them anytime soon as the risk of transmission is higher than ever.
The University and the Government must act swiftly as students from other states and countries are stuck in Goa. Exams are keeping them from reuniting with their families in such crucial times. Besides that, students can use this precious time to apply for work from home internships and even upskill themselves through MOOCs. However, they cannot do so unless they are freed from the burden of exams. For how long will we wait? For how long does the University want us to study and stress over the same material over and over again? It's time to move on.
We need a decision and we need it now. Either end the tension of exams by cancelling them or conduct them online within a month.
Shantanu Mayenkar, Aldona
Care for the elders
There is a global youth population boom. However, the number of elderly people is not negligible. Across the world, there is an upward trend in the 60-80 age bracket. A chronological age of 65 and above can define an 'elder'. Age is a number; an active life must always be kept. Many elders are verbally and physically abused. Elderly abuse can take various shapes-- physical, psychological, financial, and sexual.
Financially dependent elderly, and health deprived, weak adults are prone to be mishandled by their own. Dependency in old age can be a person's big enemy. Such elders are driven to despair for no fault of theirs. Society should make sure the old and neglected do not feel they are a burden. Dignity and self-respect are non-negotiable; lax laws have emboldened abusers who target the old.
Worldwide, only one in twenty four cases of violence against the elderly are reported. India and Australia have a large number of elderly sufferers. "World Elder Abuse Awareness Day", on June 15, which hopes to tackle the abuse faced by elderly ladies and gentlemen. Identification of injured, anxious, elders is paramount to tackle the scourge of abuse.
Unburdening the adults of their worries is equally important. Wrinkled oldies, with a sparkle in their eyes and a toothless smile, are natural gifts to the youngsters who have to love, care and treasure them. It is, however, laudable that many of the elderly think they are never old, with the strength of the spirit, though their body may fail.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Wearing the mask properly
Over the past couple of months police in the state have fined thousands of people for not wearing the mask in public places in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Wearing a mask in public places has been made compulsory in Goa since April 27. However it is observed that just as people wear the helmet only to avoid having to pay the penalty, many appear to be wearing the mask only to avoid being fined by the cops.
The only difference being not wearing a mask can put the lives of others in peril as well. Some are seen with a mask hanging from one ear-lobe. Besides wearing a mask, the way it is worn is also important. Some wear the mask below the chin only to be pulled up occasionally. Ideally the mask should be covering the nose and the mouth. The mask should fit tightly. However many wear the mask in such a way that it covers only the mouth leaving the nose open. This way of wearing the mask does not provide any protection from the virus. The mask needs to fit tightly on the mouth and the nose leaving very little space for the passage of air. Besides cracking down on those not wearing the mandatory mask, police should also penalise people who do not wear it in a proper manner.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Reservation is not a fundamental right
It refers to Supreme Court justified observation made on June 11, 2020 that right to reservation is not a fundamental right while rejecting pleas challenging decision of Central government to not grant 50 per cent reservation to OBCs in Tamil Nadu medical colleges. Interestingly too many politically rival parties were united to contest the plea in favour of reservation.
Complete policy of reservation is in itself a big failure when it could not homogeneously mix people of reserved-categories in the society in stipulated 15 years initially fixed by constitution-makers and now for about seven decades after independence.
In present era, policy of reservation is itself responsible for alienating persons of reserved categories from normal society by making them identified separately.
Reservation if to be continued indefinitely, all reserved categories like SC, ST or OBC should be merged into one single category with an annual review of progress or benefits made by different casts or tribes by virtue of Reservation. Communities with maximum postings or admissions may be deleted from reserved categories by taking these as creamy layers. Also since backwardness in reserved categories is due to their generally having large families, benefits of reservations may be reserved for persons or families with upto two children only.
Reservation to caste-based categories should be provided only for families having annual income less than Rs 5 lakhs, agricultural land less than 5 acres, residences less than 1000 square-feet and residential plot less than 100 square yards in notified municipal area and 200 square yards in non-notified municipal area. Present system makes professional politicians (and their family-members) from reserved categories enjoy fruits of reservation-policy despite their being ultra rich and influential in politics and society.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal, Delhi
Arrogance of Mangor locals
The scenes of dry ration being dumped by the Mangor Hill Containment Zone, locals on the streets were disturbing and displayed their arrogance. The Government had provided them rice and dal, but they seemed to not value the same. The rice and the dal is not of substandard quality (as claimed by them), and also, the same is being allotted to the people through the Fair Price Shops.
The containment zone has been declared so that further transmission of the COVID does not happen among the people. But these people in the Containment Zone seem ludicrous in their approach, which has to be condemned strongly.
Rajaram Sawant, St. Inez
Cascading effect on financial system
The Centre’s plans to decriminalise minor economic offences such as cheque bounce and delays in the payback of loans could have a cascading effect on the financial system. With resources already strained, such a move is fraught with grave risk, besides, wreak havoc on financial discipline.
Tweaking the Negotiable Instrument Act to help businesses tide over financial difficulties caused by the nationwide lockdown could also lead to a surge in bad loans, thereby giving lenders anxious moments. Putting money in people's pockets through pragmatic means is the need of the hour.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru