'Handloom Mark' The news of introduction of 'Handloom Mark' for the handloom products of Assam must be greeted with a big sigh of relief. We, the consumers, are always at a loss in recognizing the real handloom products. While we want our handloom industry to thrive, we seem to buy the power loom products from the market because of our failure to differentiate them from genuine handloom products. People from outside Assam come here to buy pure Assamese mekhela chador, sari, shawl etc. A 'Handloom Mark' on the products will certainly make them happier and prouder owners of such things. Indira Das, Mother Teresa Road, Guwahati 20. Special exam centres The Assam Government has extended the deadline for online applications for examinations for the upcoming recruitment for 26,000 posts. There are many disabled unemployed people who have applied to distant districts like Guwahati and Tezpur due to delays in attaching Employment Exchange centres and Aadhaar cards. Four per cent of reserved posts should be allocated to persons with bone disabilities, deafness etc. In the past, it has been seen that deaf candidates got more jobs. The Government should take this issue seriously and provide separate examination centres for the disabled in their home districts. Otherwise, the real disabled candidates will face harassment while appearing in the examinations. Paban Kumar Borah, Puranigudam, Nagaon. Objectionable advertisement A deodorant company's advertisement has sparked uproar among the public for its content stuffed with innuendos and has a tinge of misogynistic and women-insulting remarks. It is really surprising how come these advertisements get through the ASCI's scanner and hit the media screens. The Delhi Women Commission was one among the first to bring this to the notice of the Central ministry and, eventually, the department pulled up the advertisement agencies and the companies for airing such matter. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has ordered suspension of all such controversial deodorant advertisements and said that an inquiry is being held as per the advertising code. The public has objected to this advertisement as the dialogues used are in very bad taste and insinuates atrocities on women. It is high time that the authority concerned remains alert and ensures that such filthy advertisements are never aired as these may psychologically influence some persons and result in real-life crimes in society. Especially when atrocities against the fair sex are increasing, such advertisements and even scenes in serials and movies should be pruned. It is really surprising that when there are thousands of subjects and ideas for creating beautiful advertisements, how come the creators go for such cheap ideas? Aren't they creating such ads for cheap publicity? It is good that a majority of the public has risen to the occasion in alerting the agency and also this backlash against the company and the ad creators is a warning that the public is vigilant and watching. M Pradyu, Kannur. Kudos to ASHA workers It is a matter of pride and self-esteem that women comprising India's 1 million Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) have been recognized by the WHO with the Global Health Leaders Award at the 75th World Health Assembly held in Geneva recently. ASHA workers are a vital bridge between the public health system and communities. They have been instrumental in not just improving crucial maternal and child health indicators, but also in collecting important data that underpins the healthcare system. In times of unprecedented pandemic, these women have proven to be indispensable. It is imperative that ASHA workers, who are essential to securing the lives of millions in India, are brought within the social and legal protection guaranteed to healthcare workers. This apart, these women volunteers are reportedly paid very low for their services. And what is even more painful is that these insufficient payments are often delayed, leaving the already vulnerable workers scrambling to make ends meet. It naturally echoes the pain and pang when an ASHA worker in Maharashtra asked naively: "Will this award help us to put food on the table for our families?" Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai - 600091. .