Use of cell phones by children has become a common phenomenon in present times. In most cases, school and college students resort to misuse of cell phones. Instead of using much of their precious time for studies, they remain busy exchanging messages and pictures amongst friends and colleagues. 

With the availability of Facebook and internet facility, cell phones have become a toy at the hands of children. We come across students attending schools and tuition classes remaining busy on their cell phones even while crossing and walking along the road. Such a practice not only distracts their attention from studies, but also turns risky for their precious lives. Vehicles proceeding along the road are bound to knock them down in the process. 

As far as possible, parents should avoid giving cell phones to their minor children studying in schools. Such a tendency would enable their wards to concentrate more on studies and secure a higher percentage of marks in the examinations. Recently a 17-year-old girl from Maina-Navelim

(in Bicholim taluka) committed suicide by setting herself ablaze after her father refused to buy her a mobile phone handset. 

It is absolutely necessary for children to understand their parents in any matter and not resort to unjust acts that might turn detrimental to themselves or their parents.

 I hope better understanding would prevail among children in dealing with elderly persons in the respective households.

Pravin U Sardessai, Adpai

Mapusa is one of the beautiful towns of Goa but in recent years with the increase in migrants, the Mapusa bus stand is one of the dirtiest bus stands in Goa. 

The article titled ‘Students protest garbage dumping at Mapusa bus stand’ in Herald dt. October 16 is a shame for the Mapusa Municipality, Mapusa Police and the MLA and CM of Goa all of whom reside in Mapusa. 

The proposed new bus stand is taking ages to materialise and the traffic congestion and dumping of waste and urination in public has reduced this important bus stand into a pig sty.

Matias Lobo, Oman

Most Indian parents wish their children to study in private schools and colleges, and for this they would go to any extent to seek admission and pay for the education through their noses. In government schools the medium of education would be in the state language while the parents prefer their children to study in English medium. Also, the parents believe that government educational institutions have poor facilities, teaching staff etc. 

 May be this is true to some extent but not always. Yet there are several government-run institutions that perform quite well. Once a child passes the 12th standard and having written and passed successfully the entrance exams for professional courses, the parents want their children to study in government colleges (medicine, engineering, architecture etc)! This is because the fees in such colleges are pretty low than those in private colleges! At this stage the parents do not bother about so-called poor facilities in government colleges! 

Once a child becomes a graduate or post-graduate, he/she or the parents wants the child to get a government job! This is because it is presumed that government jobs are well paying and secure. Is it not our double standard that on one hand we want the children to study in private schools but seek seats in government’s professional institutions and jobs?      

Sridhar D. Iyer, Caranzalem    

The Supreme Court of India's recent landmark verdict on child marriage now needs to be complemented by necessary legislative and administrative actions to immediately stop the menace. 

According to the recent report by Save the Children, 23.3 girls per 1000 in India have to give birth between the age of 15 and 19 years. These child brides are always at a greater risk of experiencing dangerous complications in pregnancy and child birth. 

So, to complement the SC order, substantial educational scholarships must be provided for unmarried and poor girl children upto the age of 21 years to make child marriage totally a less attractive option in both of its negative (punishment) and positive (rewards) outcomes.

Sujit De, Kolkata

Who killed Aarushi?

If the parents of Aarushi Talwar did not kill their daughter and their domestic help, Hemraj, then who killed them?  Like the movie, 'No one killed Jessica', it's high time somebody made a film on 'No one killed Aarushi and Hemraj'.    

Now that the parents of Aarushi have been declared innocent by the top court,  who will compensate them? Does the court have an answer? 

Such shoddy investigations by the CBI landed them in jail for so many years. The police and the CBI should be held responsible for this.

 Jubel D'Cruz,  Mumbai

It is shocking to hear from our Chief Minister that he is going to appeal to the Supreme Court against the order of the High Court judgement shifting NGT from Pune to Delhi, saying that his good lawyers are in Delhi. I want to ask, is it dictatorship or a democracy? 

In a democracy a Government means ‘By the people,  of the people and for the people’.  The High Court has given a good judgement for the people of Goa. The High Court rightly said that it's greatest asset is environment, it's ecology, rivers, beaches, lakes, forest and fields. 

When the son of our soil became the defence minister people of Goa were happy and thought that he would do something and destroy our enemies there at the border. But instead of doing that he took an U-turn and brought war tankers and other ammunition to Goa in Betul which left the people shocked. He was supposed to take these war tanks to Pakistan border and not in Goa. And now he is trying to convert our Goan rivers into national rivers and NGT from Pune to Delhi. And what about our assembly hall?  

I hope and believe,  he will not shift our assembly hall to Delhi saying that the Prime Minister Modi and party president  Shah are in Delhi.

Cyril Leitao, Chinchinim