QUOTA SYSTEM: The quota system was introduced in Pakistan during the 1950s initially for 15 years to help alleviate the people of underdeveloped areas. The main purpose was to help candidates from backward areas in joining the civil services. Almost seven decades later, all that the quota system has done is to encourage brain drain from Pakistan. This needs to stop immediately.

Abid Mahmud Ansari
Islamabad

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS: Scholarships provide life-changing educational opportunities to deserving students. In Pakistan, public universities face severe financial challenges, necessitating increased investment in higher education. Currently, only 1.5 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is spent on education, which is far below the 4-6pc recommended by world bodies and less than what other countries in the region are spending. Increasing scholarships from 4,000 to 25,000 is a vital step towards helping many individuals achieve their educational aspirations. These scholar- ships not only offer financial support, but are also a ray of hope for a brighter future, driving the growth and progress of the education sector in Pakistan.

Amreen Noor
Turbat

WATER CRISIS: The residents of Sharif Colony in Karachi’s Landhi area have been suffering from acute water shortage for a very long time. Supply disruptions and unreliable access to clean water have become a part of their lives. In this season of intense heat, they are forced to live without drinking water. Those with means have spent exorbitant money on boring to meet their water needs, but not everyone has the same financial capacity. Water conservation campaigns, investments in water infrastructure, such as upgrading old pipelines and installing modern water management systems, and adopting rainwater harvesting systems, are the kind of measures that the government should take to end the crisis.

Ramsha Zahid
Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2024