Port Blair, May 31: Lt Gen (Retd) Bhopinder Singh, PVSM, AVSM, Lt. Governor, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has requested the Union Minister of Human Resource Development to reserve atleast 60 seats exclusively for the students of the islands in various NITs across the country from the academic year 2012-13 onwards. Prior to 2010-11, Ministry had been reserving 44 supernumerary seats for the islands. However, after the establishment of new NIT with an intake of 90 seats at Puducherry, 50% of the seats i.e. 45 seats were earmarked for the students of these islands and Puducherry combined.
During the last year, out of this 50% Home Quota, only 12 seats were allotted to the islands initially on the basis of combined merit list of the A&N Islands and Puducherry. The Lt. Governor has, therefore, approached the Ministry to exclusively reserve 60 seats as the students of islands cannot compete on merit with the mainland students due to remoteness of the islands where high quality teaching facility is not available in such a challenging and difficult environment. On the other hand, there are large number of potential candidates who aspire to pursue engineering courses and as such there is a need for increasing the number of NIT seats exclusively for students of these remote islands.
The Union Minister of Human Resource Development has informed the Lt. Governor that the request of the Administration is being examined, keeping in view the above aspects.
