Parliamentary secretary SCERT and higher & technical education (H&TE) Deo Nukhu on Tuesday disclosed that more technical institutes including engineering and medical colleges were expected to begin in the state soon.
Speaking at the one-day workshop on ‘Quality Enhancement Initiatives’ for principals and coordinators of secular colleges at Capital Convention Centre here, Deo Nukhu said the Amity University Campus at Kohima was expected to begin any time while the North Eastern Christian University (NECU) in Dimapur was also likely to start functioning from the academic session 2017-18.
He also said that Ministry of Human Resource Development has not only laid the foundation of Model College at Wakching (Science Stream), Mon, but also approved establishment of “Indian Institute of Science Education & Research” (USER). He expressed optimism that courses would begin from next academic session 2016-17 in a Transit Campus.
Further, parliamentary secretary said besides National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Chumukedima, the department of technical education was preparing to start an engineering college in the state very soon.
According to Nukhu, hectic preparations were on to commence the Medical College in Kohima from the academic session 2016-17.
He said department was also hoping to set up a department of law for LLM course under Nagaland University while proposal for establishment of an Institute Advanced Studies in Education in Kohima was under process.
Stating that owing to technical problems, M.Sc programme could not be started this year, Nukhu was however optimistic that the programme would be started early.
Parliamentary secretary highlighted that Nagaland has only 10 government Colleges covered under “2 (f) and 12 (b)” and 21 private colleges under section “2(f) & 12 (b)” of UGC Act 1956.
So far, Nukhu said four government colleges and six private colleges were already NAAC accredited and three colleges had undergone ‘second cycle’ of accreditation with improved results. He encouraged the principles of the colleges to get self assessed.
Nukhu said once NECU was established most of theological colleges in the state affiliated to different universities within India and abroad could be affiliated to the new University in Dimapur.
Also, addressing the workshop, Nagaland University vice chancellor Prof. B.K Konwar said NAAC assessment was about knowing where the college/institution stood and consequent planning on how to improve.
He allayed the apprehension concerning college assessment and said there was no need to fear as there was no punishment for failure to obtain higher grades.
Lamenting that many teachers did not have NET qualification, Prof.Konwar, however, also expressed regret that most of the colleges in Nagaland paid low salary to the teachers.
NU vice chancellor further said the teachers and principals should initiate in getting respective colleges autonomous status.
Pointing out that nine colleges in the state were almost ready to become autonomous, Prof. Konwar said the NU was also prepared to help more colleges attain autonomous status.
In his keynote address, former vice chancellor of Bharathidasan University Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, Thangamuthu appealed to the principals not to have apprehensions of getting affiliated to universities and getting assessed.
Thangamuthu called upon the colleges to focus on quality education. He said teachers must maintain professionalism in colleges and must be able to teach and inspire students while ensuring that students were not “intellectually disturbed”.
Earlier, in his welcome note, commissioner and secretary H&TE, F.P Solo briefed the benefits of getting assessed and said all colleges should strive for NAAC accreditation.
Principals of 64 colleges in Nagaland and department officials attended the workshop.