NESO demands attention to education sector in NE

Guwahati, Nov 5 (UNI) The North East Students' Organisation (NESO) today reiterated its demand for more higher education institutes in North East, claiming that the region had been neglected in the sphere of education.

Talking to reporters here after the 4th general conference of the NESO concluded in Agartala, NESO chairman Samujjal Bhattacharjya said, ''The region has very few technical and vocational institutes, not to speak of the out-dated courses and curriculum of the universities.'' Quoting a study conducted by the NESO, he informed that NE had only 15 universities, including deemed universities. As against this, Maharasthra alone has 42 varsities, Tamil Nadu 35, Uttar Pradesh 34, Karnataka 23, West Bengal 20 and 17.

''Even Jammu and Kashmir, considered to be a highly disturbed state, has seven universities,'' he noted.

In case of engineering colleges, the entire NE region has 10 such colleges, excluding the few private players, while Tamil Nadu has 254 engineering colleges. Among other states, Andhra Pradesh has 236 engineering colleges, Maharasthra 155, Karnataka 118 and West Bengal 54.

NESO Secretary General N S N Lotha claimed that Rs 100 crore flows out from the region annually through students who go out for engineering studies.

''The NESO will conduct more seminars to discuss the reason of this massive outflow and also arrive at a figure of students who leave the region for studies in absence of better facilities here,'' he said Mr Lotha claimed that if colleges and facilities were improved in the NE states, most students would prefer studying here.

Pointing out that region had a lone science college with only three departments at Jorhat in Asom and the medical colleges were also facing the threat of de-recognition, he urged the government to take concrete steps in the education sector urgently.

Dr Bhattacharjya demanded special economic packages for self-employment avenues and recruitment drive for the youth of the region.

''Proper planning of human resource development and utilisation should be done,'' he said.

A national commission for unemployed youth, with focus on NE, could solve the problem of unemployment scene of the region to a great extent, Dr Bhattacharya said.

UNI SG JYN SK BS1535