Opinion
Everyone for himself or herself in electricity sector
By Eng Parakrama Jayasinghe
parajayasinghe@gmail.com
Sri Lankans have not forgotten the advice given by one of our former Presidents: “Citizens should look after their own security.”
It appears that the Electricity Consumers are now faced with this choice given the upheavals and shocks received in recent times, with the sword of Damocles of a further hefty tariff hike on the cards. The Minister of Power is expected to present his Cabinet Proposal asking for a further 86% increase on top of the 75% already imposed on the electricity consumer tariff as anew year gift to the nation.
Even with the hope that such most unwarranted price increase may not be allowed, the threat of continued increases cannot be ignored, given the total lack of any visionary approach to this issue for which there are enough and more solutions abound.
However, taking a lesson from past happenings, which led us to this quagmire, it is high time that the consumers accepted the fact that they will have to fend for themselves.
Fortunately, such options are now emerging, commencing from the very basic intervention of the consumers themselves individually, by conservation of energy and more vigilance in the use of the energy consuming equipment. This will provide immediate monetary benefits to the consumers as well as provide a modicum of relief to those less able to engage in such moves, by reducing the overall cost of generation of the CEB and hopefully averting any more ad-hoc tariff increases.
The word DSM- Demand Side Management is bandied about often by the authorities, but very little seems to be done to adopt same. It is an axiom that Nega Watts are much cheaper than Mega Watts . We the consumers can take up the challenge ourselves to help ourselves as well as the country. This is the lowest hanging fruit and will deliver dividends from the day one at practically no cost. Let us look at a few options. (See Figure 1)
The very detailed analysis done by the SLSEA in Kurunegala which I think is equally valid anywhere else in the country, is a good indicator on options available.(See Figure 2)
While opting for a more efficient inverter type refrigerator may not be feasible in these difficult times, even the existing one can be made to be less energy consuming by observing some simple rules. These are readily available in the SLSEA web site and only one illustration is given below to nudge you in the right direction.
Similar care can be taken in case of the use of the TV and Irons, etc. Even the Rice cooker, now an ubiquitous implement in most households, can be made to work energy efficiently.
When it comes to lights, there is no excuse but to convert to LEDS, even if you use CFL bulbs at present. It is reported that some years ago the promotions of CFL bulbs to be replaced with incandescent bulbs resulted in an annual saving of 450 GWh of electricity. Similar results can be expected now even by the change from CFL to LEDs. Of course one may argue that the current market price of LEDs have taken them out of reach of most people. Who can spare nearly Rs 1000.00 for a mere light bulb when you can buy few kilos of rice with that money. However, those who can spare little extra cash would find it a worthwhile investment as shown below. (See Figure 3)
But taken on a national scale the following is worth noting.
In 2018 the CEB made an award for 10,000,000 LED bulbs to a Vietnamese Company at an FOB price of $ 0.872. Nothing is known if this purchase was made and the bulbs duly distributed. If this had been followed up in a logical fashion the impact on the National grid and the CEB would have been significant. (See Figure 4)
Impact of conversion to LEDs from CFLs
The other relevant question to be asked is, if the price of LED bulbs was only $ 0.872 how come they are being sold at a price of Rs 1,000 in the market? A fair price would have been less than Rs. 500.00 even at the current devalued state of the rupee.
So while we await the state authorities to wake up , let us make our own contribution by changing over to LEDs even at the present black market prices, following the example set with the CFLs
The options available to the corporate sector are also significant as shown below, developed once more thanks to be efforts of the SLSEA. (See Figure 5)
The largest chunk of electricity consumption is by air conditioners. While there are many changes that can be done the cost of which can be recovered in a matter of months, one immediate step that can be done is by increasing the set point . It is often seen that the employees sometimes need be clad in warm clothing in the office , while stepping out to the scorching sun risking heat stroke. It has been proven that just 1 degree increase in the set point temperature of airconditioned spaces could result in a 6% reduction in energy consumption. That would mean a lot of Bucks with the current price of electricity.
While each employee is commited individually to switch off unnecessary fans and lights,etc., they must also collectively treat this as a national service, not merely a means of saving some expense to the employer.
There are many other simple good practices which can be adopted resulting in a significant saving of energy consumption. Details of these can be obtained from the SLSEA and are also published in their web www.energy.gov.lk
In this regard the assignment of the task of ensuring a pre-determined saving of consumption to an Energy Manager would be a good idea for any institution.
This is a requirement now for institutions consuming more than 50,000 kWh/month of electricity under the SLSEA regulations to appoint an Energy Manager. Unfortunately the request to the Cabinet to make this mandatory has been turned down in their wisdom. With the recent hike in consumer tariff , even those with lower consumption may find employing an energy manager a prudent investment.
While the above are efforts that can be made by individual and institutional consumers to reduce their consumption, and thereby mitigate the already implemented and impending further tariff hikes, it is also now possible for them to embark on ventures to gain further independence and insulation against the risks of ad hoc tariff increases by the utility and the ministry, to cover up their past sins and the ongoing honeymoon with imported fossil fuels, at the consumers expense, even to the extent of trying to add one more imponderable by way of LNG.
Surya Bala Sangraamaya
The vibrant progress of the SBS until mid 2022, created a most visible impact on the RE contribution amounting to over 650 MW of Roof Top Solar power and PROSUMER base of over 45,000. The saving in oil based electricity generation thereby reached of 71,500 MWh per month and thus a direct reduction of $ 230.6 Million or Rs 85.33 Billion annually from the drain of foreign exchange expenditure on oil based generation. (See Figure 6)
The true potential was not realised, which would have even raised this contribution to over 1,000 MW by now with the comfort of 1,752 GWh per annum added to the national grid, being 12% of the demand, at a constant cost of Rs 19.09 per kWh for the next 20 years. The Utility lacked the foresight to profit from that bounty.
But as it may, the financial parameters changed drastically in 2022 making it impossible for any investor to enter the industry at the former feed in tariff. The deliberations of the Tariff Committee over many months came out with a damp squib offering only Rs 37.00 per kWh for units up to 500 kW and even less at Rs 34.50 per kWh for larger systems, which the members of the Committee was well aware are not adequate to attract the required investments. On a more positive note the Utility did remove some technical barriers and also publicly announced the feasibility of absorbing up to ,2500 MW of Solar and Wind power to the grid without the need for major investments on the transmission system. This was a welcome attitude change which failed to garner the desired result due to the external influences which resulted in the declaration of the non viable Feed in Tariff. This is particularly so for the larger systems which are urgently needed to overcome the present financial and energy supply crisis by addition of large amounts of Solar PV in a short time at no expense to the CEB or the state.
Near 50% of the 650 MW of Solar PV penetration came from Net Plus accounts which were relatively larger systems adding directly to reduce the burden on the Grid. This has now come to a stand still due to the failure to provide a commercially viable FIT offered for the larger systems. And thus dried up a possible source of foreign investments to a sector which could have offered immediate short term solution to the current crisis
However, the provisions of the SBS , even at the declared FIT of Rs 37.00 may prove acceptable to some larger individual and commercial customers, when considered in relation to the already increased tariff.
A sample calculation based on the two systems Net Metering and Net Accounting are given below. (See Figures 7 and 8)
Both systems assume debt funding up to 50% over a seven-year payback and a concessionary interest rate of 15%. While this may appear fanciful in comparison of the insane market interest rate of over 30%, some banks have come forward to commit some limited funds at such rates in the interest of the national need.
But the Net Accounting option appears attractive even if more equity funds are committed, as there is a healthy return for such commitment. Fortunately for Sri Lanka there had been such individuals who did not purely go by the possible financial returns on the funds committed when the roof top Solar PV system was initiated without any concessionary debt funding from ADB etc., and even before the launching of the SBS. It is due to their generosity that the industry was able to survive and thrive for the great benefit to the country. One could only hope that there would be even more of such people who could spare a million or two in a truly a national venture as shown by both the personal returns and the even greater contribution to the grid. This number which cannot be refuted would answer the type of objections that could come from the CEB that this would wean away their high-end customers. Obviously, their gain would far exceed such reduction in income by eliminating the need for oil-based generation. Hope they could appreciate this and would not try to pose any barriers on those who are willing to come to their assistance, instead of the proposed Ad Hoc tariff increases as the only means of survival.
The main driving force behind this widow of opportunity is of course the current average cost of electricity for the high-end consumers as seen below. (See figure 9)
If the proposed additional tariff increase is imposed it will further drive the high-end consumers away from the grid, as their seeking none dependence from the grid with the added advantage of security against extended power cuts, by the addition of some batteries. The above two systems do not give them this protection against the power cuts, which will be here to stay for a while, in spite of the rhetoric of the Minister and the CEB officials. The costs of this option is not prohibitive as the CEB engineers continue portray. This option will be examined in detail in a later article. In the meanwhile, those interested can contact the author for discussions. My colleagues at the Solar Industries Association will also be pleased to assist you to evaluate the options available.
You are on your own
As a popular Sinhala saying goes, ‘the only shade to be expected for your head comes from your own hand’. This certainly appears true in the case of the Electricity Sector in Sri Lanka.
by Dr B.J.C.Perera
MBBS(Cey), DCH(Cey), DCH(Eng), MD(Paed), MRCP(UK), FRCP(Edin),
FRCP(Lon), FRCPCH(UK), FSLCPaed, FCCP, Hony FRCPCH(UK), Hony. FCGP(SL)
Specialist Consultant Paediatrician and Honorary Senior Fellow,
Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Joint Editor, Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health
In an age of unprecedented global development, technological advancements, universal connectivity, and improvements in living standards in many areas of the world, it is a very dark irony that child food poverty remains a pressing issue. UNICEF defines child food poverty as children’s inability to access and consume a nutritious and diverse diet in early childhood. Despite the planet Earth’s undisputed capacity to produce enough food to nourish everyone, millions of children still go hungry each day. We desperately need to explore the multifaceted deleterious effects of child food poverty, on physical health, cognitive development, emotional well-being, and societal impacts and then try to formulate a road map to alleviate its deleterious effects.
Every day, right across the world, millions of parents and families are struggling to provide nutritious and diverse foods that young children desperately need to reach their full potential. Growing inequities, conflict, and climate crises, combined with rising food prices, the overabundance of unhealthy foods, harmful food marketing strategies and poor child-feeding practices, are condemning millions of children to child food poverty.
In a communique dated 06th June 2024, UNICEF reports that globally, 1 in 4 children; approximately 181 million under the age of five, live in severe child food poverty, defined as consuming at most, two of eight food groups in early childhood. These children are up to 50 per cent more likely to suffer from life-threatening malnutrition. Child Food Poverty: Nutrition Deprivation in Early Childhood – the third issue of UNICEF’s flagship Child Nutrition Report – highlights that millions of young children are unable to access and consume the nutritious and diverse diets that are essential for their growth and development in early childhood and beyond.
It is highlighted in the report that four out of five children experiencing severe child food poverty are fed only breastmilk or just some other milk and/or a starchy staple, such as maize, rice or wheat. Less than 10 per cent of these children are fed fruits and vegetables and less than 5 per cent are fed nutrient-dense foods such as eggs, fish, poultry, or meat. These are horrendous statistics that should pull at the heartstrings of the discerning populace of this world.
The report also identifies the drivers of child food poverty. Strikingly, though 46 per cent of all cases of severe child food poverty are among poor households where income poverty is likely to be a major driver, 54 per cent live in relatively wealthier households, among whom poor food environments and feeding practices are the main drivers of food poverty in early childhood.
One of the most immediate and visible effects of child food poverty is its detrimental impact on physical health. Malnutrition, which can result from both insufficient calorie intake and lack of essential nutrients, is a prevalent consequence. Chronic undernourishment during formative years leads to stunted growth, weakened immune systems, and increased susceptibility to infections and diseases. Children who do not receive adequate nutrition are more likely to suffer from conditions such as anaemia, rickets, and developmental delays.
Moreover, the lack of proper nutrition can have long-term health consequences. Malnourished children are at a higher risk of developing chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity later in life. The paradox of child food poverty is that it can lead to both undernutrition and overnutrition, with children in food-insecure households often consuming calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foods due to economic constraints. This dietary pattern increases the risk of obesity, creating a vicious cycle of poor health outcomes.
The impacts of child food poverty extend beyond physical health, severely affecting cognitive development and educational attainment. Adequate nutrition is crucial for brain development, particularly in the early years of life. Malnutrition can impair cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Studies have consistently shown that malnourished children perform worse academically compared to their well-nourished peers. Inadequate nutrition during early childhood can lead to reduced school readiness and lower IQ scores. These children often struggle to concentrate in school, miss more days due to illness, and have lower overall academic performance. This educational disadvantage perpetuates the cycle of poverty, as lower educational attainment reduces future employment opportunities and earning potential.
The emotional and psychological effects of child food poverty are profound and are often overlooked. Food insecurity creates a constant state of stress and anxiety for both children and their families. The uncertainty of not knowing when or where the next meal will come from can lead to feelings of helplessness and despair. Children in food-insecure households are more likely to experience behavioural problems, including hyperactivity, aggression, and withdrawal. The stigma associated with poverty and hunger can further exacerbate these emotional challenges. Children who experience food poverty may feel shame and embarrassment, leading to social isolation and reduced self-esteem. This psychological toll can have lasting effects, contributing to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety in adolescence and adulthood.
Child food poverty also perpetuates cycles of poverty and inequality. Children who grow up in food-insecure households are more likely to remain in poverty as adults, continuing the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage. This cycle of poverty exacerbates social disparities, contributing to increased crime rates, reduced social cohesion, and greater reliance on social welfare programmes. The repercussions of child food poverty ripple through society, creating economic and social challenges that affect everyone. The healthcare costs associated with treating malnutrition-related illnesses and chronic diseases are substantial. Additionally, the educational deficits linked to child food poverty result in a less skilled workforce, which hampers economic growth and productivity.
Addressing child food poverty requires a multi-faceted approach that tackles both immediate needs and underlying causes. Policy interventions are crucial in ensuring that all children have access to adequate nutrition. This can include expanding social safety nets, such as food assistance programmes and school meal initiatives, as well as targeted manoeuvres to reach more vulnerable families. Ensuring that these programmes are adequately funded and effectively implemented is essential for their success.
In addition to direct food assistance, broader economic and social policies are needed to address the root causes of poverty. This includes efforts to increase household incomes through living wage policies, job training programs, and economic development initiatives. Supporting families with affordable childcare, healthcare, and housing can also alleviate some of the financial pressures that contribute to food insecurity.
Community-based initiatives play a vital role in combating child food poverty. Local food banks, community gardens, and nutrition education programmes can help provide immediate relief and promote long-term food security. Collaborative efforts between government, non-profits, and the private sector are necessary to create sustainable solutions.
Child food poverty is a profound and inescapable issue with far-reaching consequences. Its deleterious effects on physical health, cognitive development, emotional well-being, and societal stability underscore the urgent need for comprehensive action. As we strive for a more equitable and just world, addressing child food poverty must be a priority. By ensuring that all children have access to adequate nutrition, we can lay the foundation for a healthier, more prosperous future for individuals and society as a whole. The fight against child food poverty is not just a moral imperative but an investment in our collective future. Healthy, well-nourished children are more likely to grow into productive, contributing members of society. The benefits of addressing this issue extend beyond individual well-being, enhancing economic stability and social harmony. It is incumbent upon us all to recognize and act upon the understanding that every child deserves the right to adequate nutrition and the opportunity to thrive.
Despite all of these existent challenges, it is very definitely possible to end child food poverty. The world needs targeted interventions to transform food, health, and social protection systems, and also take steps to strengthen data systems to track progress in reducing child food poverty. All these manoeuvres must comprise a concerted effort towards making nutritious and diverse diets accessible and affordable to all. We need to call for child food poverty reduction to be recognized as a metric of success towards achieving global and national nutrition and development goals.
Material from UNICEF reports and AI assistance are acknowledged.
By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana
The colossal failure of not a single opinion poll predicting accurately the result of the Indian parliamentary election, the greatest exercise in democracy in the world, raises the question whether the importance of opinion polls is vastly exaggerated. During elections two types of opinion polls are conducted; one based on intentions to vote, published during or before the campaign, often being not very accurate as these are subject to many variables but exit polls, done after the voting where a sample tally of how the voters actually voted, are mostly accurate. However, of the 15 exit polls published soon after all the votes were cast in the massive Indian election, 13 vastly overpredicted the number of seats Modi’s BJP led coalition NDA would obtain, some giving a figure as high as 400, the number Modi claimed he is aiming for. The other two polls grossly underestimated predicting a hung parliament. The actual result is that NDA passed the threshold of 272 comfortably, there being no landslide. BJP by itself was not able to cross the threshold, a significant setback for an overconfident Mody! Whether this would result in less excesses on the part of Modi, like Muslim-bashing, remains to be seen. Anyway, the statement issued by BJP that they would be investigating the reasons for failure rather than blaming the process speaks very highly of the maturity of the democratic process in India.
I was intrigued by this failure of opinion polls as this differs dramatically from opinion polls in the UK. I never failed to watch ‘Election night specials’ on BBC; as the Big Ben strikes ‘ten’ (In the UK polls close at 10pm} the anchor comes out with “Exit polls predict that …” and the actual outcome is often almost as predicted. However, many a time opinion polls conducted during the campaign have got the predictions wrong. There are many explanations for this.
An opinion poll is defined as a research survey of public opinion from a particular sample, the origin of which can be traced back to the 1824 US presidential election, when two local newspapers in North Carolina and Delaware predicted the victory of Andrew Jackson but the sample was local. First national survey was done in 1916 by the magazine, Literary Digest, partly for circulation-raising, by mailing millions of postcards and counting the returns. Of course, this was not very scientific though it accurately predicted the election of Woodrow Wilson.
Since then, opinion polls have grown in extent and complexity with scientific methodology improving the outcome of predictions not only in elections but also in market research. As a result, some of these organisations have become big businesses. For instance, YouGov, an internet-based organisation co-founded by the Iraqi-born British politician Nadim Zahawi, based in London had a revenue of 258 million GBP in 2023.
In Sri Lanka, opinion polls seem to be conducted by only one organisation which, by itself, is a disadvantage, as pooled data from surveys conducted by many are more likely to reflect the true situation. Irrespective of the degree of accuracy, politicians seem to be dependent on the available data which lend explanations to the behaviour of some.
The Institute for Health Policy’s (IHP) Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey has been tracking the voting intentions for the likely candidates for the Presidential election. At one stage the NPP/JVP leader AKD was getting a figure over 50%. This together with some degree of international acceptance made the JVP behave as if they are already in power, leading to some incidents where their true colour was showing.
The comments made by a prominent member of the JVP who claimed that the JVP killed only the riff-raff, raised many questions, in addition to being a total insult to many innocents killed by them including my uncle. Do they have the authority to do so? Do extra-judicial killings continue to be JVP policy? Do they consider anyone who disagrees with them riff-raff? Will they kill them simply because they do not comply like one of my admired teachers, Dr Gladys Jayawardena who was considered riff-raff because she, as the Chairman of the State Pharmaceutical Corporation, arranged to buy drugs cheaper from India? Is it not the height of hypocrisy that AKD is now boasting of his ties to India?
Another big-wig comes with the grand idea of devolving law and order to village level. As stated very strongly, in the editorial “Pledges and reality” (The Island, 20 May) is this what they intend to do: Have JVP kangaroo-courts!
Perhaps, as a result of these incidents AKD’s ratings has dropped to 39%, according to the IHP survey done in April, and Sajith Premadasa’s ratings have increased gradually to match that. Whilst they are level pegging Ranil is far behind at 13%. Is this the reason why Ranil is getting his acolytes to propagate the idea that the best for the country is to extend his tenure by a referendum? He forced the postponement of Local Governments elections by refusing to release funds but he cannot do so for the presidential election for constitutional reasons. He is now looking for loopholes. Has he considered the distinct possibility that the referendum to extend the life of the presidency and the parliament if lost, would double the expenditure?
Unfortunately, this has been an exercise in futility and it would not be surprising if the next survey shows Ranil’s chances dropping even further! Perhaps, the best option available to Ranil is to retire gracefully, taking credit for steadying the economy and saving the country from an anarchic invasion of the parliament, rather than to leave politics in disgrace by coming third in the presidential election. Unless, of course, he is convinced that opinion polls do not matter and what matters is the ballots in the box!
By Prof. Kirthi Tennakone
ktenna@yahoo.co.uk
Thoughtfulness is the quality of being conscious of issues that arise and considering action while seeking explanations. It facilitates finding solutions to problems and judging experiences.
Almost all human accomplishments are consequences of thoughtfulness.
Can you perform day-to-day work efficiently and effectively without being thoughtful? Obviously, no. Are there any major advancements attained without thought and contemplation? Not a single example!
Science and technology, art, music and literary compositions and religion stand conspicuously as products of thought.
Thought could have sinister motives and the only way to eliminate them is through thought itself. Thought could distinguish right from wrong.
Empathy, love, amusement, and expression of sorrow are reflections of thought.
Thought relieves worries by understanding or taking decisive action.
Despite the universal virtue of thoughtfulness, some advocate an idea termed mindfulness, claiming the benefits of nurturing this quality to shape mental wellbeing. The concept is defined as focusing attention to the present moment without judgment. A way of forgetting the worries and calming the mind – a form of meditation. A definition coined in the West to decouple the concept from religion. The attitude could have a temporary advantage as a method of softening negative feelings such as sorrow and anger. However, no man or woman can afford to be non-judgmental all the time. It is incompatible with indispensable thoughtfulness! What is the advantage of diverting attention to one thing without discernment during a few tens of minute’s meditation? The instructors of mindfulness meditation tell you to focus attention on trivial things. Whereas in thoughtfulness, you concentrate the mind on challenging issues. Sometimes arriving at groundbreaking scientific discoveries, solution of mathematical problems or the creation of masterpieces in engineering, art, or literature.
The concept of meditation and mindfulness originated in ancient India around 1000 BCE. Vedic ascetics believed the practice would lead to supernatural powers enabling disclosure of the truth. Failing to meet the said aspiration, notwithstanding so many stories in scripture, is discernable. Otherwise, the world would have been awakened to advancement by ancient Indians before the Greeks. The latter culture emphasized thoughtfulness!
In India, Buddha was the first to deviate from the Vedic philosophy. His teachers, Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputra, were adherents of meditation. Unconvinced of their approach, Buddha concluded a thoughtful analysis of the actualities of life should be the path to realisation. However, in an environment dominated by Vedic tradition, meditation residually persisted when Buddha’s teachings transformed into a religion.
In the early 1970s, a few in the West picked up meditation and mindfulness. We Easterners, who criticize Western ideas all the time, got exalted after seeing something Eastern accepted in the Western circles. Thereafter, Easterners took up the subject more seriously, in the spirit of its definition in the West.
Today, mindfulness has become a marketable commodity – a thriving business spreading worldwide, fueled largely by advertising. There are practice centres, lessons onsite and online, and apps for purchase. Articles written by gurus of the field appear on the web.
What attracts people to mindfulness programmes? Many assume them being stressed and depressed needs to improve their mental capacity. In most instances, these are minor complaints and for understandable reasons, they do not seek mainstream medical interventions but go for exaggeratedly advertised alternatives. Mainstream medical treatments are based on rigorous science and spell out both the pros and cons of the procedure, avoiding overstatement. Whereas the alternative sector makes unsubstantiated claims about the efficacy and effectiveness of the treatment.
Advocates of mindfulness claim the benefits of their prescriptions have been proven scientifically. There are reports (mostly in open-access journals which charge a fee for publication) indicating that authors have found positive aspects of mindfulness or identified reasons correlating the efficacy of such activities. However, they rarely meet standards normally required for unequivocal acceptance. The gold standard of scientific scrutiny is the statistically significant reproducibility of claims.
If a mindfulness guru claims his prescription of meditation cures hypertension, he must record the blood pressure of participants before and after completion of the activity and show the blood pressure of a large percentage has stably dropped and repeat the experiment with different clients. He must also conduct sessions where he adopts another prescription (a placebo) under the same conditions and compares the results. This is not enough, he must request someone else to conduct sessions following his prescription, to rule out the influence of the personality of the instructor.
The laity unaware of the above rigid requirements, accede to purported claims of mindfulness proponents.
A few years ago, an article published and widely cited stated that the practice of mindfulness increases the gray matter density of the brain. A more recent study found there is no such correlation. Popular expositions on the subject do not refer to the latter report. Most mindfulness research published seems to have been conducted intending to prove the benefits of the practice. The hard science demands doing the opposite as well-experiments carried out intending to disprove the claims. You need to be skeptical until things are firmly established.
Despite many efforts diverted to disprove Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, no contradictions have been found in vain to date, strengthening the validity of the theory. Regarding mindfulness, as it stands, benefits can neither be proved nor disproved, to the gold standard of scientific scrutiny.
Some schools in foreign lands have accommodated mindfulness training programs hoping to develop the mental facility of students and Sri Lanka plans to follow. However, studies also reveal these exercises are ineffective or do more harm than good. Have we investigated this issue before imitation?
Should we force our children to focus attention on one single goal without judgment, even for a moment?
Why not allow young minds to roam wild in their deepest imagination and build castles in the air and encourage them to turn these fantasies into realities by nurturing their thoughtfulness?
Be more thoughtful than mindful?
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