From classroom to the newsroom
Taking a strong view of how children are being engaged in sale of raffles and lotteries for school fundraising activities, the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (GSCPR) called for prohibition of such practice. This is a step in the right direction since the practice of engaging children in commercial activities for school fundraising contradicts the rights, dignity and wellbeing of the children.
Schools should engage the students in activities which will be a motivational factor for the students to scale greater heights in different fields. In this context, it would be in the fitness of things for educational institutions to have their own school newspaper. Running a student newspaper can help students develop a wide range of skills, such as writing, editing, graphic design, photography, etc. Introduction of the school newspaper improves their writing skills. It keeps students abreast with local and global news.
School newspaper boosts confidence, improves communication and introduces the spirit of teamwork. It can also help school authorities to understand the mindset of the students and their needs. It could be the first step towards producing quality journalists. School newspaper could be the first step from the classroom to the newsroom. In an age of social media and digital content, it might seem like school newspapers are a thing of the past. However the significance of the school newspaper can never be underestimated.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Travelling by buses is a nightmare
Buses are one of the most important and cheapest modes of transportation, used by a large part of the population however it has its disadvantages with the most frustrating one being overcrowding. Firstly buses do not leave until the conductor has filled every single inch possible
of the bus with passengers. In fact, sometimes the bus is so crowded that it becomes difficult for the conductor to move around to collect the bus fare.
Crowded buses are generally uncomfortable for everyone but young girls in particular, are forced to squeeze against strange men as they have no space to stand properly. Despite the bus being filled to the point where people are left hanging out of the door, bus drivers drive so recklessly that everyone in the bus finds it difficult to keep from falling onto each other. The buses should stick to the carrying capacity specified.
Passengers should sit in the places assigned for them ,seats reserved for ladies should be occupied by ladies and seats reserved for the senior citizens and differently abled people should be occupied by them.
They should keep the front half for women and back half for men so everyone can stand comfortably. For example in Bangalore the men enter from the back and women from the front to avoid uncomfortable situations. Bus drivers should adhere to the road safety rules and be conscious of the speed limits. Efforts should be made to allocate more buses to the routes that are used by people everyday such as routes to educational institutions, offices, markets, and other public spaces. Traveling by bus can be a very pleasant and enjoyable experience. If rules are adhered to, all the passengers will be able to experience a safe and comfortable journey to their destinations.
Amber Furtado, Margao
Indians pushed into Russia-Ukraine war
Indians are going over to Russia when they face unemployment in our own country and are lured by the incentives offered by a desperate nation at war.
The plight of some of those from the Telangana region who had allegedly been hoodwinked by agents into going to the Ukraine border as “army helpers” with the promise of Rs 1.9 lakh per month as salary. Some sources claim that there are many more Indians that are working in Moscow’s war effort. And two have been killed while working as members of the support staff of the Russian Army.
It is said that several Indian nationals have been swayed by offers made by agents for support jobs with the Russian army. Citizens are facing unemployment in our country and are lured by the incentives offered by a desperate nation at war. This is a disturbing trends. The voluntary unemployment could be a bigger headache for India in the coming years.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Curb accidents by proper policing
Concerned at the large number of road accidents involving rented cars and 2-wheelers, the traffic department has issued a set of rules and regulations. Henceforth those renting a vehicle will have to sign an undertaking containing a set of 10 regulations. One copy of the undertaking will be with the renter and the other with the vehicle owner.
This is a move in the right direction. But the moot point is that will the said regulations even be read by the renter who has come to Goa for a brief period of time.
The majority of renters are from neighbouring states. In most cases, they do not own vehicles in their home states. If they had a car they would drive down from neighbouring states. My point is that those who rent a vehicle are not good drivers as they are not regular users of vehicles in their home states. Hence the number of accidents. However, since renting is a source of income for Goans, we cannot impose a blanket ban on renting vehicles. Hence we need to curb accidents by strict policing. But we do not have the manpower to do so.
The traffic cell should enlist many traffic wardens to assist during the mornings and evenings. However, the traffic wardens must not work independently. There must be a policeman for every group of wardens. They must work in teams and assigned a specific area. For example, there must be a police personnel at all important intersections with 2-3 wardens assisting. The same should apply at important stretches of road. I live in Calangute. There should be some police personnel from Calangute market to the beach during the evenings. The same must be the case with the Baga stretch. If policing with wardens is stepped up, traffic violations will decrease considerably. The fines imposed by these teams will help defray wages of the wardens.
Robert Castellino, Calangute
