Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Reader's Mail

Students in trouble

Sir, - The Kerala University's Sessional B.Ed programme is in a dead lock. The University has not published the rank list for admission to the Sessional B.Ed course 2003-04 even though applications were invited in December 2003, putting hundreds of students in trouble. When Pro Vice-Chancellor was contacted, he said that the rank list can be published and admission can be started only after the recognition of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) is obtained. The statement of the PVC may sound strange and it speaks volumes of the state of affairs of the University.

On enquiry it is understood that the University was adopting a casual approach in the conduct the course. The University has been conducting the course for the past 12 years in ad hoc basis and they did not bother to obtain the recognition of the NCTE though it is statutorily necessary for the conduct of the course.

The NCTE is understood to have given extended time to fulfil its conditions but the university was sitting on it all along. It is understood that there is no regular staff and infrastructure.

The so-called university Teacher Education Centre is functioning in the spare building of government schools. In spite of all these drawbacks as the course cannot be discontinued halfway and considering the academic interest of thousands of students whose only hope is the Sessional B Ed course, the University should take the responsibility to obtain the concurrence of the NCTE for the continuance of the course and to start admission for the year 2003-2004.

N Ramachandra Kurup

Attingal

Corporation's apathy

Sir, - The Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation has attained notoriety recently for its callousness in fulfilling the proposals in the annual budget. Every year when the budget is presented local residents would be happy to hear a lot of development projects for their city. But when the financial year draws to a close they would be disappointed as most of these projects remain unfulfilled. As usual the these projects would be included in next year's budget proposals and now it does not matter whether the proposal is again going to be filled or not. This continues irrespective of the party that is in the saddle.

The failure to utilise nearly 50 per cent of the plan fund in the budget provisions of the city corporations is the latest example. What ever may be the reason for this, be it official apathy or red tapism, it is criminal negligence and delinquency of duty on the part of the corporation authorities.

K.P. Ashok Kumar

Pattom

Sound pollution

Sir, - The annual festivals in most of the temples in and around the city are drawing to a close. But the distressing aspect of the whole process is the don't care attitude of the concerned in the effective implementation of the rules and regulations pronounced quite a long time back by the judiciary in the orderly use of loud speakers during the festival days. Recent experiences have proved that the trend is more towards violation of the rules than in their observation, as a result of which the general public and students preparing for various examinations are put to difficulties.

In this context if one tries to understand the real purpose of an annual temple festival he/she might infer that it is more or less a sort of compensation for all the shortcomings that would have happened knowingly or unknowingly in the day-to-day functioning of the temple and, therefore, to enhance its sanctity stress is laid on detailed rituals such as special pujas, homams and Vedic recitations strictly adhering to the aradhana rules and regulations during the festival days.

It is here that one fails to understand the significance of the music, aired through loud speakers, which only pollute the whole atmosphere for hours and days together. Most of the songs, expect a few sung by reputed musicians, do not meet the minimum standard of music suitable for the occasion. They, in effect, torture the people in the vicinity of the temple by their devilish loudness. It appears that a major part of the money collected from the public is spent lavishly on hiring sound systems.

L. Padmanabhan

Sreevarahom

Inconvenient bus stop

Sir, - For the city buses to Karamana, Kalady, Pappanamkode, Vellayani and Pravachambalam the first stop is in front of Sreekumar /Sree Visakh theatres at Thamapnoor. The Manjalikulam Road and Sree Subramanya Swamykoil Road meet here and the RMS office is just opposite. In addition to this many people visiting the above theatres park their vehicles here.

This being a busy junction, there is always a heavy rush and as such the elderly and women find it difficult to board buses.

If this stop is shifted to its earlier place in front of the G. Chandrasekharan Pillai building near the railway over bridge it will be more convenient to the public.

Karamana Manikantan Nayar

Vanchioor

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