Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Monosodium Glutamate
I was reading an article on a website called IFL Science about Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and as a medical student, I was intrigued to learn that MSG is safe for human consumption; there’s very little evidence to show that it causes any health concerns. For instance, one study in the year 2000 collected 130 people who reported having a sensitivity to MSG; some were given a placebo while some were administered MSG.
While it did find that large doses of MSG given without food elicited some mild symptoms, these responses were not seen when MSG was given with food. Further, most health authorities agree that MSG is perfectly fine to eat. Even the US Food and Drug Administration set up an independent inquiry into MSG in the 1990s, ultimately concluding that MSG is safe.
You will be surprised to know that our dietary intake as a nation is the sole reason why there are so many heart-related diseases. Salt – and its high sodium content – is the root cause of some of the most concerning cardiovascular diseases. As a medical research student, I think we should use MSG as an alternative to salt. It has nearly 13% of sodium content compared to salt.
Replacement of salt with MSG may reduce these health concerns. It is high time that relevant authorities, policy makers, and society as a whole pay heed to these obvious health red flags and take appropriate steps to navigate this health crisis.
NEHA KHAN
Islamabad
Another diet staple out of reach
Fish, being the staple food of many an Indian household, has today fallen out of the reach of the common man due to an overzealous fishing industry.
The pressure to feed the growing population has led to dangerous levels of overfishing along the country’s coastlines. Catches are falling while the prices are rising. Local fishermen, using country boats, are in danger because of an increase in the number of mechanised fishing boats.
Quality fish like surmai, pomfret and prawns are sourced to hotel industry at a premium and the rest is packed for export. What ultimately comes to our kitchen is the rejected lot, at a price unworthy of its taste and smell. Ordinary people can only watch, as the precious marine resources are siphoned off by the trawler owners.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
Out of the box
In today’s world everyone is quickly moving forward and making their way in the race of life irrespective of gender. Women are equally participating in every discipline and challenging themselves with tough career choices as men do. At the same time still there are some parents who consider their 20 years old children naive and clueless about today’s rapidly changing world and don’t allow them to choose the career of their choice.
They always consider certain conditions before allowing their children to go in a particular field. They always feel comfortable with certain conventional career options. They don’t let their children explore new horizons of life. They are destroying the uniqueness and creativity of their children with their own hands. There is nothing wrong if a girl/boy wants to become an Artist. It’s equally challenging and respected like other professions and should be taken serious. Our parental generation needs to understand that “interest” is really something worth considering.
The solution to this issue is Communication. Instead of compromising on your aspirations, students need to convince their parents with facts and figures that how important it is to make a right career decision. Our media is already doing well by breaking the stereotypical concept of “Sinf e Nazuk” which was previously a label on women. But more and more work needs to be done through this platform to make parents aware of the right parenting and more understanding towards their children.
SYEDA FIZA MUBBASHER
Rawalakot, AJK
Financial crunch
The Sword of Damocles is hanging over our heads. Many questions are swirling in my mind. Will our economy survive or will it collapse? Is Pakistan on the brink of economic collapse? Has Pakistan’s economy reached its nadir? The answer is somehow dismaying but we should be highly optimistic. It’s not all doom and gloom, if we make a real effort, we could still get our country out of this crisis. Let’s talk about the challenges that Pakistan is confronting.
Pakistan is suffering from a double-digit inflation which is expected to cross 15% by summer. Pakistan is head and ears in debt. The situation in Sri Lanka, which has gone bankrupt, is a wake-up call for us. How did Colombo lose all his money? Amid this situation, we must learn from Colombo’s fatal mistakes.
Shehbaz Sharif is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Should he use populist measures or strong necessary steps? The need of the hour is to hike prices, especially of fuel and fuel levy. However, Sharif must take politically tough and unpopular decisions. My suggestion is that new government should take these steps in fits and starts because proponents of the charismatic former PM Imran Khan are bent to take the country on the verge of civil war.
SYEDA TATHEER FATIMAH
Rawalpindi
Recruitments in Kohsar University
Recently, in Kohsar University, Murree, many Lecturers, Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors in various disciplines were appointed. There is a noticeable display of lack of transparency, nepotism and favouritism in these appointments. A candidate with PhD degree in Environmental Science has been appointed as an Associate Professor in Tourism and Hospitality.
A candidate having degree in physics has been hired on an IT position. Likewise, a candidate with degree in zoology has been appointed as a lecturer in Environmental Science, while the deserving candidates with the relevant academic qualifications and with more experience have been rejected on one pretext or another.
The locals strongly condemned the hiring and even protested against these appointments. Silence of the concerned authorities, including the Higher Education Commission, on such blatant display of nepotism in appointments in the University raises questions on their sincerity as to promoting transparency and merit in the institutions of higher education. They should initiate inquiry with regard to the recent appointments in the university and should take necessary measures to uphold merit.
MUHAMMAD ILYAS
Sindh
Recycling
Recycling has become the need of time in this era. We can observe the flood of inflation in the world. Therefore, the developing countries are suffering a lot. They can’t afford the pressure of imports. The best way to reduce the pressure is to “recycle the things “. They should be used again and again in different forms for the distinct purposes.
The typical things that can be recycled include iron, steel scrap, aluminium cans, glass bottles, paper, wood and plastics. The use of non-renewable resources has been increasing overtime. They will deplete soon because of continuous consumption. So, recycling will provide the raw material that proves as substitutes for the natural products like coal, petrology and natural gas.
FATIMA JAMIL
Islamabad
