Port Blair, July 21: PCC President, Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma has requested the Lt Governor to consider establishing a Central University in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Sharma during his visit to all the parts of these Islands, felt an acute necessity of a Central University for these Islands for the upliftment of education, generation of employment and for improved living conditions.
According to Sharma, the establishment of a central University for these Islands is justified as it is the far eastern outpost of India with a population of nearly 4lakhs, 3 districts and 501 villages, a high literacy rate of about 86% and the isolated nature of this area.
“The pass outs from all Senior Secondary Schools of these Islands cannot go to the mainland colleges for further studies, therefore establishing of a university is the only solution,” Sharma said.
Accordingly, Sharma in his letter addressed to the Lt Governor has written that many new initiatives will take place in the years to come under the dynamic leadership of the new Lt governor and stated that the AN Administration has been quite positive on the issues raised by Sharma from time to time and hopes that the present proposal for establishing a central university may also be granted by the Administrator.
Sharma has further wrote that the Prime Minister has already stated that every State should have atleast one Central University and in view of the special needs of AN Islands, a separate University for AN Islands must be set up.
The Vice Chancellor of Pondicherry University to which all the colleges of these islands are affiliated has already recommended to the Ministry of Human Resources Development of such establishment of an exclusive University for these islands.
Sharma has also stated that Professor VB Shastri, a retired Professor of Bhuvaneshwar who has keen interest in education of these islands, has submitted a proposal in the month of March, 2013 for taking up the matter with the appropriate authority, may also be taken into consideration.
Sharma batting for the student community and unemployed youths, has requested the Administrator to take up the matter with the Government of India as a part of 12th five year plan initiative and stated that if the proposal is considered, these islands would certainly find a place in the Global education map and sort up the unemployment problem to a maximum extent.
