IMPHAL, February 20: Members of the select committee of Manipur Legislative Assembly today inspected eight different places in Churachandpur District for the proposed establishment of private university, Sangai National University.
In an aim to establish private universities in the State like other states of the North East region, Education Minister Moirangthem Okendro had tabled the bill, for establishment of a private university, in the last session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly.
However a select committee of the Assembly was assigned to check if anything was left out in the bill tabled.
Education Minister, Moirangthem Okendro is the chairman of the select committee and its members are PHED Minister I Hemochandra, Works Minister Dr Kh Rattankumar, Hill Areas Committee Manipur Chairman Dr Chaltonlien Amo, Manipur Pollution Control Board Chairman Dr Ng Bijoy, MLA Dr I Ibohalbi, MLA Dr Alexander Pao, MLA Samuel Risom, MLA L Ibomcha and MLA Y Surchandra.
But in today`™s inspection tour, Minister I Hemochandra, Minsiter Rattankumar and MLA Dr I Ibohalbi could not make it.
On the other hand, even thought not a member of the committee, Saikot Kendra MLA TN Haokip joined the inspection tour today.
In all 7 or 8 places in the interior part of Churachandpur were inspected during the visit today which started from morning till 1 pm.
The places which were inspected are Boljang village, Vajing village, Mongjang village, Vaison, Mata village where Khuga Dam is, Thingkhangphai, Mual Vaiphei and S Kotlien village.
According to the bill tabled, the headquarters of Sangai National University should be located in Churachandpur and its branch campuses will be opened at Moreh and other places.
Some of the places inspected today are located not far from National Highway 150, some are on top of the hills while some encompass few villages. However, the committee members expressed their desire to setup the university at a place not far from National Highway and where there would be no security concerns.
Speaking on the sideline, Education Minister Okendro informed that the total seat intake at Manipur University for postgraduate is only 1240 while Indira Gandhi National Tribal University admit only 120 students.
But on the other hand 8000 to 9000 finish their graduation from 71 colleges in which 40 are Govt and Govt Aided Colleges and 31 are Private Colleges, the Minister said.
Poor students who cannot afford to go outside the State and who failed to secure a seat at the Manipur University but who are promising students have no choice but to leave studies, he said.
In Arunachal Pradesh there are five private universities, Assam has three, Meghalaya has eight, Mizoram has one, Nagaland has two, Tripura has one and Sikkim has four, making a total of 24 private universities in the whole North East region, he said.
Manipur is the only state in the whole of North East which does not have a private university, he added.
The Minister also informed that the proposed Sangai National University will have many new subjects which the Manipur University and IGNTU does not have and will provide more room for research which can benefit the State as a whole.
All the expenses for establishing the said private university will be borne by the Higher & Technical University according to their high ranking officials, the Minister said.
The State government only has to provide potable water, electricity, telecommunication services and to make sure all the rules and regulations are followed, he said.
The Minister further informed that a registered trust named Research and Gyan for Noble Upliftment is responsible for setting up of the university. The trust has already established two universities in India. They are Manav Bharti University, Solan Himachal Pradesh and Madhav University, near Mount Abu in Rajasthan, he said.
It may be mentioned here that government is trying to pass the Sangai National University Bill, 2014 in the coming Assembly session. Cabinet meeting held on February 21 had given its consent to establish the university.