Kohima: The All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) on Friday warned the state government not to sit idle when the “future of the students are at stake”. It warned that the state government “should not always wait for the students to protest or agitate but address the matters on priority to avoid any kind of democratic confrontations”.
In a memorandum addressed to the chief minister and the minister of higher & technical education, the student body questioned the sincerity of the directorate of higher education in regard to the demands of the students’ community. It appealed the department “not to sit out comfortably when the students are facing shortage of lecturers” putting the “future of the students at stake”.
Serving a 40 days’ ultimatum with effect from February 22, the student body has demanded the government to implement and address its demands on priority. It “strongly demands that the state government uphold the assurance and notification for setting up of Common Nodal Cell for all kinds of scholarship schemes which was already notified on, dated 25th October 2019”. It said that while the students were given a hope of the nodal cell, the establishment of the cell is yet to be implemented in action.
The ANCSU also demanded that 110 sanctioned assistant professor posts under higher education department to Nagaland Public Service Commission must be made at one go. “While a portion of the posts were advertised in the year 2019 and now kept on hold, the ANCSU strongly demand that the remaining post (110 posts in total) be sent to NPSC within the 40 days time period,” it added.
It demanded that within the allotted timeframe, the department must appoint a principal in all colleges that are functioning without one.
Furthermore, the student body pointed the “incompetency of the department officials” saying that most colleges are “suffering from various problems”. The ANCSU said that the students’ matters must be addressed “on priority” to avoid any kind of “democratic confrontations with the state government”. “While the primary responsibility of the students’ is to attend classes, the government should not compel the students to hit the streets,” it added.
The ultimatum was signed by its president Vimeyiekho Vitso and general secretary Imnameren N Jamir.
An official statement issued by the student body said that the decision to serve the 40 days’ ultimatum was resolved during the first presidential meeting of the ANCSU for the tenure 2019-21 held on Friday at NSF Conference Hall, Naga Club Building.
Besides the ultimatum, the house also resolved that “in order to bring a settlement to the decade-long pending Kohima Science College, Jotsoma land issue and other district colleges land issue”, the state government must “call for a joint meeting for settlement with all the stakeholders (college-wise)“ within a period of 30 days with effect from February 22.
It expressed hope that its charter of demands, the state government would “set up the Academic Council for Higher and Technical Education as asked in the memorandum submitted on 19/12/19 addressed to the Hon’ble Chief Minister and Minister, Higher and Technical Education, Tribal Affairs”.
