From the Editors: Job-seekers beware of unscrupulous recruitment agents

JOB-SEEKERS BEWARE OF UNSCRUPULOUS RECRUITMENT AGENTS: Indian Missions in the UAE have recently raised an alarm over a sudden spurt in incidents where job-seekers from India have been duped by unscrupulous recruitment agents. A secretary with India’s Ministry of External Affairs has raised concerns about “unscrupulous agents exploiting Indian citizens and putting them at risk abroad”. It is incumbent upon all those who look for overseas employment opportunities to check the credentials of recruitment agents before making any financial or other commitments to them. Leaving near and dear ones behind and setting sail for some unknown land can itself be a traumatising experience for many. Over and above that, to be a victim of fraudulence should be the last thing one should be worrying about. It is time all stakeholders come together to prevent the hapless from being cheated of their money and mental peace. [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

INTERESTING FEW WEEKS OF US POLITICS AHEAD: US President Donald Trump has been impeached for the second time in his four-year term. He is still in office and will continue to be president till his term expires on January 20. The trial will continue after Joe Biden takes over as the next president, but by then Trump would have left the White House. The focus now turns to the Senate to see if two-thirds of its members will vote to convict Trump. But the focus will also be on whether Trump will be barred from politics. We are in uncharted territory here, but that is what makes the next few weeks interesting. Bridging the deep political divide and healing the nation will take more time. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING JASPRIT BUMRAH: Will he, won’t he? The question mark over the availability of India’s pace ace Jasprit Bumrah for the fourth and final Test at the Gabba that begins on Friday has assumed a huge significance for the team. India’s ‘Smiling Assassin,’ who is suffering from an abdominal strain and is a doubtful starter, is required not just because he is the only pacer left from the battery that won India the Test series last time in Australia in 2018-19. He is also needed because he is the only one who can more easily adjust to the length needed on the Gabba wicket. [COMMENT BY: Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor]

CHILDREN DESERVE PRIVACY: Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma and her cricketer husband Virat Kohli have sent out gift hampers to paparazzi in India, urging them to not take pictures of their newborn daughter. The gifts might convince photographers to give the family their privacy, but it should be common practice to avoid taking pictures of babies and children without their parents’ consent. These kids didn’t ask to be ‘celebrities’ and it’s not fair for them to have their images strewn across the internet, probably for eternity. Some celebrities parents are more lax about these issues, but when someone says ‘no pictures’, that should be respected. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor]