OPINIONS

CHINA CURBING HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE UIGHURS

The situation of Uighur Muslims in Chinese internment camps is appalling. Basic rights such as food shelter and education are dying a slow death. Being forced to change religion and criticise their own beliefs reflects the degree of intolerance of this super power towards this ethnic community. There’s a dire need for the world community to take staunch actions regarding the same.

TANIQSHA MALIK

July 19, 2020

Diplomatic role of Tibet: Amidst Indo-China Row

With several practices being adopted in the past to diplomatically harm China, role of Tibet also
turns out to be a significant one. As monitored in the past, after annexing Tibet when Atal Bihari Vajpayee legally recognized Tibet as Chinese territory, China overtly started to claim Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet. If fact for many diplomats Vajpayee’s decision was a major failure on the diplomatic governance of India. It is for the reason that anytime in a war like situation, it enables Chinese forces first of all to block the ‘chicken neck’ that connects the north eastern states with the rest of the India. With the existing sympathy left for Tibet in minds of people wherein they were promised autonomy turning out to be a mere sham. India while igniting the same let’s say by awarding Dalai Lama with a Barat Ratana can move forward with its agenda. This if not physically or economically it can surely damage China diplomatically, just like with any other attempt of banning Chinese Apps etc. All we need is a strong leader.

KUNAL

August 1, 2020

Distancing the Educational Sector

The pandemic struck a blow at the very core of the global education system, as it walks on a tightrope between offline and online classes. We busied ourselves proclaiming the internet as our make-believe panacea, refusing to observe how selective this cure is. E-learning has proved to be an abbreviated pathway too narrow to accommodate most students, especially in developing countries like India. With the pre-pandemic educational policies already a hit-and-miss, the seemingly successful transference came with pitfalls of insufficient bandwidth, tools and training with little change in fee structure, adding to the woes of students.
With our one-way ticket to a greater digital divide, lack of level-wise delivery and cyber-bullying in teaching trails along. Poor rural population and millions of workers constantly on the move for sustenance cannot be expected to offer the necessary technological access to their children. Urban-based middle-class families struggle to distribute the limited internet facilities and devices among their children. The justification for the rigmarole is indiscernible. While online tutoring firms like BYJU’s enjoy the sudden influx, the government fails to provide students their constitutional rights.
In such conditions, better access to education replaces imparting quality education. There should be considerable concessions for data plans, distribution of e-learning devices, safe cyber centres in schools to accommodate students and teachers facing logistical challenges. Reforms must be made before the next best alternative, premised on informed decision-making, becomes an easy surrender to expediency costing many capable students their future.

Haritima Kavia

August 3, 2020

GENDER EQUALITY

Despite revoking section 377 of IPC, harassments and brutality against LQBTQ communities remain a common sight in India. Recent reports of UNESCO and ICJ depict shocking treatment of students in schools. Instances of teachers beating male students for acting too effeminately displays the gruesome reality. Although the decision to scrap this section is praiseworthy, there is an imminent need to come up with concrete policies regarding the same. Gender equality should not just be reflected in our constitution, but also in our mindset and approach towards the same.

SHRUTI RAO

July 19, 2020

GRANTS UNDER PERMANENT COMMSSION TO WOMEN OFFICERS

The Hon’ble Supreme Court in its two recent judgments shattered the glass ceiling of women army and navy officers and paved the way for them to elevate for commanding roles. It enables Indian Women Army Officers under Short Service Commission to be considered for grant of Permanent Commission. An all-men bench refused to consider biased and sexist stigmas that only women have maternal and
household obligations. We must become conscious to celebrate that such decisions are based in the
root of our society, caste and religion, education, ideologies and sometimes even our personal
experiences and these things have evolved now.

VARUN SINGH

July 18, 2020

SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT WORKPLACE

Today, women working at workplaces are not safe. There are innumerable sexually harassing stories that women ignore in their everyday lives so that they don't become a hurdle in their jobs. Such conducts leads to mental harassment of the victims.
These victims submit to the violations of the right to equality and to live with dignity. The government has acted on these valid concers of women by enacting the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace ( Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. An Internal Complaints Committee is formed under this act which keeps the identity of the victims covert and provides them compensation keeping in mind the mental harassment caused. Women should no longer be afraid to report because that is not in line with the legalities

SHUBHRALI BEN

July 15, 2020

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YEMEN

With UN declaring Yemen as facing the ‘world’s worst human crisis’, where people live for subsistence,
and demand humanitarian aid and protection. At the same time, a sense of extremism exist witnessing
children even less than 12yr old holding guns and knives, driving cars and consuming addictive
substances. It’s not easy to change the mindsets of such population but one way out of it is education in order to see some sort of positive change. Since the economy has completely collapsed everyone must
work towards a negotiated political settlement enabling them to get the borders, airports, shops and
hospitals re-open. Because with all the solidarity their local population holds within, their lives can
simply be better.

SUKHRIT SINGH

July 19, 2020

WILL EIA 2020 DAMAGE INDIA?

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, after a trail of incidences like the
Vishakhapatnam’s chemical plant gas leak, Assam’s Oil Well fire tragedy etc, made changes with the
process of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) in 2020. By allowing Post-facto clearance, Strategic
Exemptions and disabling public consultation, they have attempted to destroy all remaining rules and
system in place. Contrary to the prior process, it withheld power from the public to raise contentions on
any project violative of the Environment Laws and allows immense power with the Regulators,
Government Authority or the Appraisal committee to seize control of irregularities in any biodiversity.

ROHAN SHARMA

July 18, 2020