Port Blair, Aug 11: Expressing concern over growing number of left out students, the Congress unit of Andaman and Nicobar Islands today demanded a new Degree College for this remote Union Territory.
“Present numbers of institutions for higher education are insufficient to cater to the needs of increasing student’s population of plus 2 pass outs. Two degree colleges of these Islands, the JNRM, Port Blair and MGGC, Mayabunder added together has an intake capacity of 1485, where as in the academic year 2012-13, the JNRM, Port Blair alone received a total of 1700 applications for admission in various under graduate courses,” Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma the President of Andamans’ Congress unit told media today.
In 2012, as an interim measure second shift was introduced in Port Blair’s JNRM in six undergraduate disciplines to accommodate 360 left out students but this year till today no decision has been taken yet about second shift, putting left out students at high sea.
“During the current academic session 2013-14, it is learnt that the JNRM, Port Blair has received 2100 applications for admission in the under graduate courses, which is much beyond the sanctioned capacity of the existing degree colleges. Hence, in the prevailing scenario, an appreciable number of students aspiring to pursue higher education will not be able to get admission in our colleges and for most of them it will be beyond financial capability to get admission in the Colleges at Mainland and pursue the same by incurring heavy expenditure on study, hostel and travel to & fro mainland India,” Sharma added.
In a pres release Sharma said that in the current annual plan of A & N Administration, a plan provision has been made to establish a new Degree College which would certainly be a welcome step for the aspiring youths who cannot afford higher education on mainland colleges.
Meanwhile, the President of Andaman’s Congress unit has also written a letter to the Lt. Governor of A & N Islands urging him to establish a new degree college during the current academic year, so that legitimate aspiration of the student community of the Island Territory, particularly the less privileged ; to pursue education within the realm of our Island Territory at an affordable cost get realized.
“Establishment of one more degree college is the need of the hour as it will facilitate the student’s community as well as open employment opportunity for the job seekers,” Sharma added.
In the year of 1967 the rays of higher education reached these islands under the active captaincy of then Chief Commissioner Late Mahavir Singh, IAS with a beginning of Govt Degree College, now Jawaharlal Nehru Rajakiya Mahavidyalaya(JNRM) augmented by evening classes for some years. Due to increasing demand for higher education some PG Courses also been added in the same College. To train the local youths in the field of teaching, a teacher’s training college was started in 1981 which has been functioning in the name of Tagore Govt College of Education.
To augment scope of higher education in the Islands, a new college was also established in 1993-94 at Car Nicobar which was subsequently shifted to Mayabunder and named as Mahatma Gandhi Govt College (MGGC) catering to the needs of the students of North and Middle Andaman as well as some students of Nicobar Groups of Islands.
To fulfill the needs of Technical Education, a Polytechnic imparting three years Diploma courses in Engineering was established during the year 1984 and during the year 2009 an Institute of Technology named as Dr BR Ambedkar Institute of Technology got established in our territory.
