Letters to the EDITOR: Resume garbage collection

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Resume garbage collection

Through your esteemed daily, I would like to draw the attention of the GMC authorities that, in the last  week, it appears that GMC has abandoned the task of door-to-door garbage collection. As a result, all the residential premises have become full of garbage disposed of by the residents, which is creating severe health and hygienic problems for the residents of Ward 31 and other adjoining areas.

While GMC is said to be planning an overhaul of the garbage collection system for the better, something has to be done immediately to clear the garbage dumped in different residential complexes, as the situation is becoming worse by the day in the rainy season.

GMC has already banned garbage disposal at the roadside disposal sites, with the promise to collect the same from each residential complex or house, which has also come to a standstill.  Now, the hapless residents of GMC have no alternative but to hope for the good senses to prevail upon the GMC authorities to act immediately.

Joykishon Choudhury

Jatia, Guwahati

Separate time zone for Northeast

Northeastern India welcomes the sun every day, almost 2–3 hours earlier than other parts of the country, but northeasterners have to accept the same time as the rest of India, which does not make any sense. It is a waste of prime daylight hours, which could have been put to good use if Northeast India had its own time zone. The people of the Northeast have been asking for a time zone, but no government has done anything in this regard. A separate time zone for the Northeast would save close to 3 billion units of electricity in a year, which means the Northeast would become a self-sufficient region in power generation. The saved-up power can also bring revenue as it can be sold to states like Jharkhand, Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh, which are going through a supply shortage. There should be a time difference of 4 minutes for every degree of longitude change, and as the longitude difference between Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh is 30 degrees, the time in Arunachal Pradesh should be 120 minutes ahead of the Indian Standard Time. I hope the Indian government will mull over this.

Noopur Baruah,

Tezpur

Ensuring integrity and transparency in national examinations

Through your esteemed daily, I am writing to express my concern and thoughts regarding the recent cancellation of the UGC-NET June 2024 examination due to indications that the integrity of the exam was compromised. This decision by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Ministry of Education highlights a significant issue that demands immediate attention and action to restore trust in our national examination system.

As a candidate who invested considerable time and effort in preparing for this examination, I find the situation disheartening. The UGC-NET is a critical assessment for determining eligibility for 'Assistant Professor' and 'Junior Research Fellowship' positions, and any compromise in its integrity not only affects the candidates but also the credibility of the entire educational system.

While the Ministry’s decision to conduct a fresh examination and involve the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is commendable, it is imperative that we also look at long-term solutions to prevent such occurrences in the future. The implementation of more robust security measures, enhanced surveillance during exams, and stricter penalties for those found guilty of malpractice are essential steps towards safeguarding the integrity of these examinations. Additionally, transparent communication from the authorities is crucial to keeping the candidates informed and reducing anxiety among them. The sudden cancellation of an exam impacts the mental and emotional well-being of thousands of students, and timely updates can help mitigate some of this stress.

I urge the Ministry of Education, NTA, and all relevant bodies to prioritize these concerns and work towards a foolproof examination process. Ensuring the highest standards of transparency and sanctity is not just about maintaining the credibility of the exams, but also about respecting the dedication and aspirations of millions of students across the country.

Ashmita Nandi

(ashmitanandi6799@gmail.com)

Increase in elephant attacks in villages

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I seek to express my concern about the increase in elephant attacks in our village. In recent months, our village has experienced an alarming increase in encounters with elephants, resulting in property damage, crop destruction, and even danger to human lives.

Elephants are magnificent creatures but can cause significant risks when they are in human settlements. Their size and strength make them difficult to control. The increase in deforestation and other human activities leads elephants to attack the nearby villages in search of food and water as they get attracted by the crops and farms of the villages.  I request that the concerned authorities take the necessary measures to prevent elephant attacks in villages.

Dhiraj Boro

(borodhiraj65@gmail.com)

Old warhorses

As the United States' (US) presidential election in November promises to be neck and neck, both Joe Biden and Donald Trump are leaving no stone unturned to throw muck at each other. Democrat Biden is 81, and Republican Trump turned 78 the other day. The oldest American president ever, Biden is now famously known as an "old man with memory problems" in the US. Of late, the President has committed one gaffe after another while recollecting the names and dates. The Egyptian president was referred to as the Mexican president by Biden in February, and it is even said that the president cannot recall the period he was the country's vice president. The US is famous for its opinion polls, and in an NBC News poll conducted early this year, 76 percent of Americans felt Biden did not have the physical and mental health to return to the White House for a second term.

At the recent G7 summit in Italy, videos of Biden fumbling were freely aired. In contrast, although only three years younger than Biden, Trump's flair and flamboyance have masked his decline in cognition. The former president famously got the name of his wife, Melania, wrong some time back. Fellow Republican Nikki Haley was confused for Nancy Pelosi, a former Democratic House speaker. Although experts say difficulty remembering names does not necessarily indicate an unhealthy brain, Biden and Trump give two hoots because each's aim is to outrival the other for the White House.

Dr Ganapathi Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)