Assam Information Commission needs an overhaul
Currently, the minimum wait time for a second appeal petition or complaint to be heard before the Assam Information Commission is twelve months or one year. The reason for the long delay in hearing is inadequate staffing and functioning of the Commission with only two Information Commissioners.
The RTI Act is one of the tools to bring about transparency in the government. It is understood that there are instances of the Act being misused, and so is the misuse of the IPC. The Himanta Biswa Sarma government, whose campaign of ‘zero tolerance against corruption’ is urged to have an eye and ear on the huge pendency of cases at the Assam Information Commission. The complaints filed by this writer before the CID, Vigilance & Anti-Corruption, Assam Human Rights Commission, filing of FIRs, and PIL are results of the documents obtained under the RTI Act.
It is known that the Assam Information Commission has been functioning without any stenographer for the past many months. Employing an adequate number of staff and appointing a minimum of three Information Commissioners shall expedite cases before the Commission, thereby bringing more transparency in the government.
Longkiri Timung,
Diphu, Karbi Anglong
Nijut Moina scheme: A historic step
The Assam Government's recent disbursement of monthly financial assistance to meritorious girl students from backward, poor, and middle-class communities through the Nijut Moina scheme will definitely receive a new momentum towards the development of girls' education in the state. Empowering girls requires focused investment and collaboration, like providing them with services and safety, education, and skills, and collective societal and governmental contribution to the achievement of specific results. The ongoing initiative of the government will be a game changer to fight child marriage while incentivising positive social outcomes, funding and supporting higher education, and thereby reducing family expenses. While we celebrate the new era of women-led development in India, investing in girls' education is of utmost importance for accelerating progress. It is well said that when we give education to a girl, the whole family is educated, but when a boy is educated, he is only benefiting, not the family. Therefore, providing girls with access to quality education and training is of the utmost necessity. In this techno-savvy world, they must be digitally literate. The launch of Njut Moina will directly benefit the least advantaged section of girl students to climb up the ladder of academic achievement. Other steps that need to be strictly implemented are nutrition provision, iron and folic acid supplementation, periodic health check-ups and referral services, mainstreaming of out-of-school girls to join formal schooling, etc. India is planning to become the world's third largest economy. This will be possible only when girls get over all setbacks on the path of higher education. Let us hope that the state government's much-appreciated scheme will not only eradicate child marriage by 2026 but will turn Assam into a progressive state in terms of girls' education in the near future.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.
Conserving flora and fauna
The flora and fauna of the globe is dangerously threatened by natural and manmade factors. Many animals are on the verge of extinction due to a host of reasons. There has been a steady decline of vertebrate species since the 1970s. About two-thirds of animals could disappear from the earth in the not-so-distant future. The danger is especially pronounced for the freshwater species like fish and reptiles. The global biodiversity has decreased over the years, and we are consuming as if we have two earths at our disposal. Habitat loss and degradation due to man-animal conflict and unsustainable agriculture and development are the principal causes of the above. Secondly, the change in food habits has resulted in different ways and means of agricultural production that have hurt the ecosystem.
Then there is the climate change. Development work in cities has polluted air and water in a big way. Animals are forced to move away from their natural territories due to excessive carbon emissions in nature, thereby putting the ecosystem out of gear. Lastly, overexploitation of animals, forests, and water resources has threatened biodiversity. The natural resources are overharvested to the point of diminishing returns and, therefore, environmental degradation. The governments and environmentalists must plan cohesively to ward off the threat looming large on our ecosystem. There has to be balanced consumption in every field, and our natural resources cry for judicious use.
Dr Ganapathi Bhat
(gbhat13@gmail.com)