Points to ponder | know about some major concerns in our world today

Points to ponder

 

1. Child labour

Child labour

Around 150 million children in the world are engaged in child labour. Many of them

under hazardous work

conditions, be it in mines, with harmful chemicals, pesticides,

dangerous machinery. Many or with

children, mostly girls, work

Africa, than as domestic help. In sub-Saharan

more one in five children are engaged in child labour.

work under In India,

hazardous conditions many children

in firecracker factories, and

accidents many of them die because

every year. Why do of

you think children

significant are forced to work? Perhaps the

reason is poverty. single

Poor most

families need extra

instead income,

of being sent to school. so the child is sent

In to work

many cultures,

help it is believed

in the that

trade children

of their should

parents learn and

from a young age, even if that trade is strenuous or unsafe.

Do you know any such children ? Find out what circumstances

force them to work, and discuss how their problem

can be tackled.

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2. Tainting the Taj

One of the most recognized and famous landmarks of the
world, the Taj Mahal, has mesmerized visitors for centuries
with its beauty. However, its gleaming white walls are
becoming yellow under the effects of pollution from nearby
factories and workshops. To tackle this problem of pollution,
the government has ordered several factories and plants
in the area which do not conform to the pollution control standards to close down. This also
means that many workers would be losing their jobs. In some cases, factory owners ignore
the court order to bring the factories up to standard because of the cost involved. At times,
because of the frequent power cuts experienced in the area, the pollution control devices do
not work efficiently. These issues have often pitted the interests of the business owners and
workers against the environmentalists.
What do you think should be a bigger concern to protect the environment and the cultural
heritage or to provide jobs for the citizens? Find out how the Indian government is dealing
with this problem. Do you know of a similar problem from any other part of the world?

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3. Animal testing 

Amal testy

Animal testing, though heavily regulated, is very much a part of medical

research today. Be it a new antibiotic or methods of organ transplantation,

vaccination, chemotherapy, and bypass surgery, many methods of prevention,

treatment, and control of diseases are based on knowledge attained through research on laboratory

animals. In the hunt for vaccines and therapies for AIDS, cancer, Parkinson's disease, and many other

human diseases, animal research is used. It is estimated that more than 150 million animals and

innumerable invertebrates are used worldwide annually, many of which are put to death after the

experiments. Many of the Nobel Prizes for Medicine have been awarded to scientists who have used

animals in their research.

Do you think it is ethical to experiment on animals? With the recent developments in cell cultures and

computer simulations, do we still need to use living creatures to drive medical science forward?