Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Reader's Mail

Amend manual for

Science fairs

The manuals of the school youth festival and the science fair were amended by the Education Department recently. Most of the still models, working models and projects exhibited in science fairs by students are not actually their own creation. Professionals, engineers, teachers and other experts are behind these great efforts.

A huge amount is spent by financially sound students to get the work done by experts and make the displays a great success.

This apart, the experts impart good training to the students to explain the features of the exhibits before the visitors in an impressive way. Consequently, financially backward students are deprived of an opportunity to display their talents.

In this background, the Education Department should amend the manual of the science fair to stipulate that creative works displayed in the science fair should be the creation of students themselves. Poor students who cannot afford huge amounts for their exhibits will not get neglected then.

Also, brilliant students from economically backward schools will be able to participate in the fair and display their ability and latent talents in a big way. Then only will the multifaceted talents of all students be evaluated.

Bal Payyannur

Thiruvananthapuram

Go in for various modes of transport

The arterial highways of the State are terribly choked with vehicles of all sorts. This makes road journey a hazardous venture in the State.

Kerala enjoys the second place — the first being Maharashtra — in the sale of motorcars. And these private vehicles are used for the benefit of a person of two in most cases.

With every car sold in Kerala a huge road tax is collected by the Motor Vehicles Department, but this is seldom used for the maintenance and development of roads which bear the brunt of the vehicular boom.

It is time to think about alternate modes of transport and waterways offer the best means as in the past. Goods and cargo can easily be transported by waterways and the risk of time lag is worth taking.

With speedboats and other innovations, passenger traffic also can be augmented along water bodies.

Kerala is the only State blessed with 41 perennial rivers, but hardly any worthwhile attempt has been made to utilise these precious resources to mitigate the transport problems on the road.

Even the national waterways which would have greatly benefited water transport in the State is in the doldrums.

Every local body on either side of the proposed national waterways should accord top priority to providing land required for widening the canal. The loss can be easily made up by appropriate projects. A comprehensive and integrated approach is necessary in this regard.

K.P. Karunakaran Nair

Thiruvananthapuram

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