Grim picture of education sector
The 2023-24 report by the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE +), shows a grim picture of India’s school education sector. It shows a steep dwindle of 37 lakh students in school enrolment. This situation calls for working out corrective solution to the problem. It is a matter of concern that there is a sharp decline in the enrolment of girls, minorities and marginalised communities. Unless we provide good education to these sections, our efforts to empower and uplift them will fall flat. The lowest enrolment in Bihar, UP and Maharashtra indicates the socio-economic barriers to education. Infrastructure deficiency, lack of technology, inaccessibility, ignorance and poverty – all these are contributory factors in low enrolment. Measures must be taken to stop dropouts and increase retention. NEP 2020 envisages universal education by 2030. Measures must be taken for the inclusiveness and equality in providing education.
Venu G S, Kollam
Scourge of child lifting
Although human trafficking has hit the headlines again, children and young girls are the primary targets of human trafficking for years. Article 23(1) of the Constitution prohibits forced labour and human trafficking. Human trafficking in India was, till July 2024, largely controlled by Section 370 of the IPC and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956 also known as ITPA, and is now regulated by Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). There are quite a few laws that are aimed directly or indirectly at preventing human trafficking. But not many have been successful in protecting children from being exploited. Prostitution, child labour, begging, domestic work, farm work and child marriage are the offshoots of child lifting. Breaking criminal-anti social mafia, tracing and addressing the roots of the causes of trafficking, engaging all stakeholders to provide more teeth to the existing laws, balancing contempt towards offenders with compassion towards the affected, are all important.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Timely break for Rohit
Finally the suspense and debates over our Captain Rohit Sharma’s inclusion in the playing XI, was put to rest with his resting the Test. It was a wise decision by the Captain to sit out of the Test, as another failure at Sydney would have been the final curtains for his captaincy and even from all formats of the game. With this, he has ensured his captaincy, for the ensuing ICC Champions Trophy. We sincerely hope that Rohit regains his form during the Championship Tournament and retain his yearly contract with BCCI. Incidentally, if we go through the dismissals of our batsmen during the series Down Under, they either gifted their wicket, just before lunch, tea and at the fag end of the day and even the beginning of each session. None of them seem to have any patience to grind the bowlers and wait for them to tire and score runs.
Vinay Mahadevan, Chennai
A new beginning
New Year is a time to celebrate the start of something new. It is a time to make new promises, some to be broken, some to be kept. It is also a time to look ahead and try to change things for the better. It is also a time to look behind and see what we may have done wrong, and how to change it. It is also an occasion to start new friendships and request for forgiveness from your enemies. New Year is a joyous time because we feel like we get to start all over again. On New Year’s Day, people are happy, laughing, giggling and sharing about events of the past year and those before. A Happy New Year to one and all.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
Depreciation of Indian Rupee
The steep fall of Indian Rupee which has gone down to touch 86 against the dollar is unprecedented in the history of India. Rupee would have fallen further to manifest its real value if the Reserve Bank of India had not intervened many times and gave crutch-support to it. It will not be out of place here to mention that only Indian currency withstood the onslaught in the 1997 Asian Currency Crisis when all other Asian currencies went for a toss and struggled for years together to regain their original values. This was on account of the preparedness of our central bank financial wizards to face such a Crisis with well insulated balance of payments supported by trade liberalisation, financial discipline, tax reforms and right mode of fiscal reforms and more importantly, the freedom they had to act as the real controllers of Indian economy. Not that we don’t have such eminent performers in the system but the problem is that they are put under unwarranted tests and pressures by the powers that be. It is to the credit of former RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das that on time he dismissed BRICS currency as just an idea in the air and saved Indian currency from the wrath of American President Donald Trump. We should not forget that he will go to any extent to see that the supremacy of the American Dollar is maintained among the world currencies, including annihilation of Indian Rupee if only we had tried to promote the BRICS currency.
Tharcius Fernando, Chennai
Well merited honour
A proud moment for Goa that the Global Society for Health and Educational Growth has honoured the Dean of Goa Medical College Dr Shivanand Bandekar with the National Achievement Award 2024 for being the Best Dean in Academic Administration. A well-deserved honour for the very meritorious Dr Bandekar, whose commitment and dedication to patients and to the efficient administration of the GMC has been extraordinary. Due to the tireless efforts of Dr Bandekar, the Goa Medical College has seen a huge growth over the last few years. He has successfully carried forward the hard work of his illustrious predecessors to ensure the betterment of medical care at Goa Medical College. It is a mammoth and strenuous task given the sheer magnitude of the institution. To lessen the burden on the Goa Medical College with the sheer number of patients with a variety of illnesses it has to grapple with, it would be prudent for the government to provide quality medical care in every taluka so that lives are saved by people having easy and quicker access to medical facilities.
Aires Rodrigues, London
