Free speech in educational institutions

Free speech is the basic human right on which every other freedom is dependent. Without the freedom to express oneself, an individual cannot claim any other right. Educational institutions catering to students belonging to a diverse background have a duty to protect the freedom of speech on campus. In order to be inclusive, institutions need to be able to address the problems and issues pertaining to a particular group. Whether it is gender identity or ethnicity or race or disability, students belonging to every category have aright to express their needs and speak up against their violations. Any form of interference by the outside elements in the exercise of this freedom should not be tolerated by institutions in a free country which claims to be a protector and guardian of human rights. Once the freedom to express themselves and demand their rights is taken away from a group of individuals, it does not take long to take away their remaining rights. Freedom to speak up is the sole guarantee that their other rights are safe and protected. Therefore, institutions should take every possible step to protect the right to free speech and establish permanent committees to look into any incidents of violations. By protecting the fundamental freedoms of students, the institute can truly claim to be inclusive and open to all irrespective of their differences.

Science and pseudoscience

Science and mythology have no common base. Pseudoscience based upon mythology, superstitions, false beliefs and no real facts has no place in a society trying to make scientific progress. Scientific method involves making hypothesis, experimenting to prove and disprove it, forming theories based on experimental proofs and being open to scrutiny. Pseudoscience, therefore holds no place in a scientific gathering. Thus, when at a science conference, politicians made claims of 'scientific advances' inferred from mythology, then it makes no sense. Individuals should, therefore, abstain from making claims about science that are not based on any experimental evidence but are just figment of imagination.

A fight for equality

Gender equality or the fight for gender equality is an issue that is not taken seriously by the majority of people. Not only it is ignored but it is misunderstood as well. Gender equality means the right to be treated an equal in all spheres of social, cultural, professional or political life. Even in the twenty first century, women do not have equal rights over land or possessions, they are still not paid equal wages for equal work, they still do not get priority in education or health care, they still do not have an equal political voice. The result is that they have to fight for their rights and they continue to do so. Recently, women in Kerala formed a 620 km long human chain to stand up for equality in the religious sphere. Despite the court order, the women are still barred from entering a temple. But the issue is not of just one religious place barring entry of women, this discrimination is present across the world. Discrimination against women is actually discrimination against almost half the world. It has been a fact that cultures that do not discriminate against women have a better future. Studies suggest that the world hunger could be reduced if only women get an equal right over land ownership. Educated mothers bring up better children. Yet, the society bars them from the rights that they have. Gender equality is a right, it is not a privilege. Striving for the same could lead to a more peaceful and progressive future.

Lingering memories

Life is full of memories, sometimes of those people who have ceased to be part of our existence. Sometimes we wish for the people from our past to return but many times time and distance makes it impossible. I still remember friend I had when I had just started school. We were five year olds and were very close. But our friendship didn't last long as her family relocated to Bombay. Time passed and I even forgot her name but still thirty years later, I still remember my friend who was with me for just a couple of weeks. I often wondered if I can find out something about her from the school records but I know that she wouldn't remember me. In the years that passed, I met many people and made many friends some that have been with me for decades now, but still somewhere in my heart, I feel a desire to meet my childhood friend who was also my first friend that my mind recalls.

Winter mornings and Sherlock Holmes

The cold winter mornings with snow outside mean one simple thing: one cannot go out. They mean sitting inside, eating, drinking and not doing much else. But two things make a good pastime during such cold dreary times: board games and books. While games of any kind require company, books do not. And I personally love to read detective stories during such time. Of all the works on crime fiction, the most interesting and befitting one seems to be the stories of Sherlock Holmes. There is something about the atmosphere in the stories that matches with that outside and one of the most interesting things seems to be curling up and devouring those words that describe the fantastic crimes, though easily solved by the great mind of the detective. I have read these stories innumerable times, yet don't feel exhausted at the thought of re-reading them, especially when it is all white and grey outside and the stories just reflect the same back.

Genetic engineering

Researchers in China have recently claimed that they have led to the birth of first genetically modified twin girls. They claim that the girls carry genome that has been modified to protect them from HIV infection. However, they have not published their work in any peer evaluated journal or even revealed the identities of the twins or their parents. The genetic modification of human embryos is highly regulated in all countries and genetically modified human embryos are not allowed to grow and be implanted. The long term effects of modifying the human genome are unknown and the potential risks of the same outweigh any advantage of the same. The ethics regarding the modification of human babies is enormous and the scientists avoid entering into it. There are issues regarding taking consent of the donors and also the potential harmful traits that can be transmitted to future generations of the genetically modified babies. The claims made by the Chinese researchers need to be assessed before anything can be said about the genetic modification of human foetuses for eradication of diseases.

Ethics of genetic engineering

Genetic engineering can be broadly understood as adding or removing a gene from the cell of an organism in order to either impart a desirable trait in it or remove an undesirable one. Humans have been genetically modifying crops and animals since time immemorial by cross breeding different varieties in order to get higher yielding crop varieties or better domestic animals. In the modern days, however, there is an issue with the production of genetically modified organisms. The difference between old times and new are; one that now the advances in technology have made it possible to insert the genes of plants into animals and vice versa or of entirely different species into each other, and second are the large scale productions as well as the costs involved. While till date there is no evidence of genetically modified foods being harmful for humans, the fact remains that no evidence cannot be called good evidence and that makes people reluctant to try them. The issues regarding genetic engineering revolve around the fact that the long term repercussion of genetically modifying organisms are unknown. Another issue that arises is in regards to genetically altering human genome with a potential of creating 'designer babies'. Human experimentation is a sensitive issue with issues regarding the rights of the donors, patients and also the embryos (where they are used for research). Human life has always been considered 'sacred' and with that any experiments dealing with human beings are not always welcomed by the general majority of people. Genetic engineering is used for the production of medicines, vaccines, better crops or for understanding and preventing diseases. However, since the long term effects of the same are unknown, it will always remain an ethical issue.