Letters to The EDITOR: Endurance level

Endurance level

We all know that everything has an endurance limit, be it a machine or a living thing. Recently, we watched a grand slam tennis final, the Australian Open, played in Melbourne, where two players battled for the title in a final match lasting more than five hours in a scorcher, like two gladiators fighting for their lives. The whole world watching that epic marathon duel termed it a superhuman effort not seen earlier.

The recently concluded general election also produced two super humans named Narendra Modi and Himanta Biswa Sarma. Right from early morning until late night, they were moving from one end of the nation to the other, addressing public rallies and attending press conferences without any break. I do not want to say anything about the outcome of their efforts, as I feel one must admit the endurance limit of the above-mentioned gentlemen.

They no doubt have lifted the bar of endurance to a certain level.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati

Unusual outcome of NEET

The National Testing Agency (NTA) suddenly announced the NEET 2024 results on June 4, 2024, coinciding with the vote-counting day of the 18th Lok Sabha election. This year’s NEET result had a surprising outcome that left many aspiring students in disbelief. Notably, sixty-seven students achieved the top All India Rank (AIR) of first by securing a perfect score of 720 out of 720. Among these top-ranking students, six were from the same exam centre and had the same roll number sequence—a highly unusual occurrence considering that in previous years, only a few students typically achieved this top rank. Adding to the unusual circumstances, NTA introduced a grace mark system, though it remained unclear how these marks were allocated and to which students. This new system led to an unexpected inflation of AIR rankings, raising concerns among the student community. In a separate development, thirteen individuals were apprehended in Bihar in May 2024 in connection with an alleged paper leak. However, this incident did not receive significant attention on a national scale, despite its potential impact on the fairness of the examination. Considering these irregularities, it is vital to address these issues to uphold the integrity and fairness of the NEET exam, which is crucial for the future of the 23 lakh students who took the test. As a concerned citizen, I strongly urge the government to intervene promptly and ensure transparency and equity in this significant examination.

Mintu Sarma

Ranigate, Guwahati

Diminish effects of global warming 

The temperatures in India have soared to unprecedented levels. In this scorching heat, getting to work is hard. The reason behind this increase in temperature is global warming and the emission of greenhouse gases. Many factors contribute to global warming. Some of these include the consumption of fossil fuels, deforestation, emission of greenhouse gases and urban sprawl. The need of the hour is for the government to diminish the lethal effects of global warming. This includes facilitating the switch to renewable energy, promoting electric vehicles, preventing deforestation and preserving other green spaces. It is also our moral duty to assist the government in addressing this issue so that the coming generations are protected from the drastic effects of climate change.

Jubel D’Cruz,

(jubeldcruz@yahoo.com)

Bird strikes

Incidents of birds striking moving aircraft are not uncommon. There were more than 4,500 bird-hit cases in the country between 2018 and 2023. After an Emirates passenger flight hit a flock of flamingos and killed as many as 39 of them while landing at the Mumbai airport late at night on May 20, other airports in the country that are susceptible to bird hits are taking seriously the possible threats to both passengers and the birds. It is said that the path deviation of the pink birds that migrate to Mumbai around November, due to power cables, may have brought them into the firing line of the mighty aircraft. At the Delhi international airport, authorities are scanning a radius of 10 km around the airport to identify issues that attract birds towards the airport, like those offering food, water, and cover. 

Similarly, the Kempegowda International Airport authorities in Bengaluru are busy identifying the feeding and roosting sites for birds around the airport. The airport also has a dedicated department to address the matter. In general, effective technological signals to point out the presence of birds along the aircraft’s takeoff or landing path can be very useful. Subsequently, scaring away the birds, either through technology or manual methods, has to be carried out. Additionally, bird repelling sounds, scarecrows, and bird netting are commonly employed methods to shoo the birds away. All said, effective sanitation measures would be the most important step to halt the birds in their tracks. Dumping of garbage and slaughtered animal remains within a specified area across the airport should be stopped. 

Dr Ganapathi Bhat 

(gbhat13@gmail.com)