Pro vice-chancellor of Nagaland University, Meriema Campus, Prof GT Thong said despite numerous problems plaguing higher education in Nagaland, government colleges had progressed well and produced prominent personalities in diverse fields.
Addressing as a special guest at the concluding day of the two-day Triennial Conference-cum-National Seminar organised by the All Nagaland Government College Teachers’ Association (ANGCTA) in collaboration with the Dimapur Government College Teachers Association (DGCTA) at the DGC Central Library here on Friday, Thong expressed optimism that the conference would serve as a catalyst for further advancements in higher education in Nagaland.
Speaking on the theme “Higher Education in Transition”, he reflected on the state’s educational journey since Fazl Ali College was established at Mokokchung in 1959 with 43 students and three teachers. He acknowledged the remarkable growth since then, citing that today the state had 17 government colleges and more than 600 teachers.
Referring to the history of higher education in India, Thong noted the transition from welfare approach to a neoliberal market philosophy, highlighting the recent reforms. He emphasised monitoring private players to prevent corruption, while lauding the improvements in governance and accreditation mechanisms resulting from these reforms.
He also appreciated the positive changes brought by the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 to higher education, particularly in areas of skill development, curriculum redesign, and creation of educational hubs.
However, he also highlighted challenges such as poor infrastructure and funding, urging the state government to enhance budget for addressing shortages in teachers and classrooms.
He observed that implementation of NEP 2020 in Nagaland faced hurdles and appealed to stakeholders to not panic, emphasising the transformative nature of education and the importance of value-based education in the new education policy.
Highlighting the need for research in higher education besides academics, Thong emphasised PhD qualifications among faculty members and called for increased efforts to encourage and ensure non-PhD faculties earned their degrees, as research projects could bring substantial financial resources to institutions.
Commenting on the low Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Nagaland compared to the national average as per the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), he called for attracting more students, even from neighbouring states, to meet the NEP 2020 target of 50% GER by 2035. He stressed the role of quality education and the necessity of highly qualified teachers in achieving this goal.
As per the AISHE data, Nagaland had only 18.7% GER as opposed to national GER of 27.3% in 2020-21. He lamented that currently the state had only one Central university and four private universities and no state university, urging the state government and academicians to chart out a roadmap to establish at least one state university. In this regard, he urged the ANGCTA to play a major role.
He also urged the government to support the autonomy of more government colleges.
Delivering the presidential address, ANGCTA president A Moamongla Aier underscored the transformative potential of education and pivotal role the association played in shaping the higher education landscape in Nagaland.
She noted that with 611 teachers, including 149 contractual, serving 17 government colleges, ANGCTA was a formidable force in the realm of academia.
Reflecting on the challenges faced by India’s education system, Aier acknowledged the significance of NEP.
Recognising the multifaceted challenges, she said the association proposed the Triennial Conference as a platform for educators, policymakers, and researchers to collectively address the inclusive vision of NEP.
She drew attention to the state’s unemployment rates, stressing skill development programmes as crucial for self-reliance. She also termed DGC as a skill hub, providing training in trades such as tailoring, advanced beautician training, home appliances, and computer application, while advocating incorporation of diverse skill training into NEP curriculum to ensure a balance between theoretical and experiential learning.
She acknowledged the challenges in implementing NEP, particularly infrastructure development and faculty resources, and proposed collaboration among colleges, skill training institutes, and private enterprises.
Highlighting the visionary nature of NEP, Aier stressed its successful implementation. She called for concerted effort from all stakeholders to create workable institutional mechanisms, ensuring that the policy benefited both the industry and society.
The programme was chaired by assistant professor in the department of English, DGC, Dr Maongkala Longchar, while welcome address was delivered by DGC principal Prof Sanjay Sharma and vote of thanks by ANGCTA vice-president Dr Lilongchem Thyüg.
Meanwhile, the ANGCTA submitted one representation each to Higher Education and Tourism minister and Nagaland University.
Representation to the minister was on the subject “Representation on Service of Government College Teachers”, with contents Age of Superannuation, Professorship, PhD increment, and Guest faculty provision.
The representation to the Nagaland University was on the subject “Representation on FYUGP Curriculum framework”, with contents Assessment and evaluation pattern, Common pool for interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary and common value added courses, Minimum number of teacher requirements, Course allocation and modalities unmatched, Syllabus content, Distribution of papers for common pool courses need a relook, and Skill Enhancement Courses.