Excelsior Correspondent
GUWAHATI, Mar 30: Addressing the 25th convocation of Gauhati University here today, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh announced the setting up of “Center for Brahmaputra studies” in the university and said ,he dreams of the day when students and scholars from far and wide would come all the way to Guwahati in pursuit of specialised learning and research.
Assam Governor P.B. Acharya and Chief Minister Tarun Gagoi were also present on the occasion.
Describing Guwahati as the premier seat of learning in the east, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, he has, over the years, personally known several great scholars and medical researchers who were the alumni of the Gauhati University and Gauhati Medical College attached to this university. It is a compliment to the brilliance and diligence of the scholars from this part of the country that after overcoming the constraints of inaccessibility and distance, some of them are today leaders in academic and scientific research in their respective fields.
Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for Northeast, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, the years to come may witness the region developing as an organic capital of India and when that stage is achieved, we will find scholars from far and wide coming to Northeast for research in organic science, organic flora and organic growth. In this context, he also referred to the work undertaken by DoNER Ministry as a follow-up to Prime Minister’s announcement for setting up six Agricultural colleges in the region and Rs.100 crore allocated exclusively for organic farming in the year 2014-15.
Referring to some of the recent initiatives of DoNER Ministry, he spoke of “Ishaan Uday” – special scholarship scheme for students of the region and “Ishaan Vikas” – a scheme to provide apprenticeship facility to students of the region in IITs, NIITs and NIFTs of other parts of the country. In this regard, he assured that DoNER Ministry will make every possible effort for comfortable and safe hostel accommodation for such students in other cities of India. Two such locations have already been earmarked in university campus area of Delhi, where hostels accommodating around 400 students each will be brought up at the cost of Rs.30 crore and Rs.40 crore, respectively. More of such hostels are also being contemplated in Delhi as well as in other cities like Pune and Bengaluru which are developing as favourite education hubs for students from this region, he further said.
Dr. Jitendra Singh called upon the Vice Chancellor and the senior faculty members to prepare a list of potential students capable of pursuing specialist course or higher studies and the DoNER Ministry will try to facilitate their entry into such universities. However, he appealed to the students that after pursuing their higher studies in leading universities in other parts of the country, they should come back to their respective States because by doing so, on the one hand, they will be rendering valuable service to their community and on the other hand, the university from where they pass out will also have a reason to always remember them as their distinguished alumni in Northeast India.
Expressing concern over the exodus of students and youth in search of jobs and higher studies outside Northeast, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, he proposes to work in close tandem with the HRD Ministry and requested to depute renowned faculty for universities in the Northeast by providing them extra incentives and perks. Similarly, he said, he has a plan to arrange Job Fairs and campus interviews by renowned Multi National Companies in the capital cities of eight States because this experiment he had even tried in his own constituency and the results were amazingly encouraging as more and more youth found employment at their doorstep and also placement in their respective native zones.
As a DoNER Minister, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, he would try to work out the feasibility of student exchange programmes with some of the leading foreign universities and referred to his meeting with Sir Leszek Krzysztof Borysiewicz, Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University who also happens to be a medical professional.
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