ANSAM holds meeting with hill colleges' Principals
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 26 2015: The All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM), in an effort to ensure quality in higher education in all the hill districts, held an intensive discussion with the principals of all Government colleges situated in all the hill districts.

This is the second such initiative taken up by ANSAM, according to a statement issued by Education Secretary of ANSAM, AC Thotso.

The meeting mainly focused on identifying shortages within the given provision and guidelines under higher education institutions in India and to authenticate ANSAM findings through direct interaction with the heads of the colleges from all the hill districts.

The principals submitted short description of the College profile and highlighted their difficulties due to shortages of basic provisions and entitlements in their respective colleges.

The oldest college in the hill districts, William Pettigrew College in Ukhrul which was established in 1965 has 13 departments but there are only 12 regular teaching faculty members including the principal and this is the only Government run college in the district.

Tamenglong College has 16 teachers against 35 sanctioned post, which means there is a shortage of 19 teaching staff.

United College, Chandel has 15 departments and there is a shortage of 40 teaching staff.

Hill College , Tadubi has 6 Depts and there is a shortage of 17 teachers.

Churachandpur College which has 15 Depts is short of 21 teachers.

Cases of acute shortages in all the basis educational infrastructures are noted, it said.

However, over a period of time the State Government has been consistently investing and developing colleges based in the valley districts, it said.

Of nearly 80 colleges including private Government aided colleges in the State, around 50 colleges are located in four valley districts which is less than the total geographical size of Phungyar constituency of Ukhrul district and Tamei constituency of Tamenglong, it pointed out.

So it is not surprising to see Manipur as one of the top performing State in higher education enrolment with 33 pc (for ST it is approx 24 pc), ANSAM said.

The current enrolment at the national level is 18 pc.

This excellent performance cannot happen without Government colleges in the State.

Unfortunately, the achievement is limited only in the four valley districts.

If the State gives equal important in the hill based colleges by at least fulfilling basic provisions entitled to higher education institutions as per UGC guidelines, the story would be different today in the hill districts as well, ANSAM noted.

ANSAM urged the Government to look into the prevailing situation and problems in order to ensure its objective to provide quality in higher education.

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