Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 17 June 2023
The National Students Union of India (NSUI) State President for Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Mr. M.A Sajid, met with the Secretary of Education on Friday to voice his opposition to the proposed establishment of a Deemed University in the region. Expressing discontent over the Lt. Governor’s decision to hold a general body meeting in favour of the Deemed University amidst youth unrest, Mr. Sajid criticised the lack of consultation with student unions, teacher unions, stakeholders, and expert academicians.
During the meeting, Mr. Sajid highlighted that the proposal to establish a Deemed University was approved without considering the repeated representations and protests by NSUI since 2019. He expressed concern that under the proposed plan, prominent colleges such as JNRM, ANCOL, DBRAIT, MGGC, TGCE, Andaman Law College, and ANIIMS would be affiliated with the Deemed University.
Mr. Sajid emphasized that these colleges have been affiliated with Pondicherry University, a Central University with a prestigious rank of 68th in the All India NIRF ranking. He cautioned that the establishment of a Deemed University would commercialise higher education in the Islands, potentially leading to unregulated fee structures that could exclude students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Furthermore, Mr. Sajid raised concerns about the appointment of teachers, warning that it could limit opportunities for local teachers in the university, prioritising mainland teachers instead.
Instead of establishing a Deemed University, Mr. Sajid proposed the establishment of a Central University to enhance the quality of higher education and promote research in the Islands, with a focus on maintaining a low fee structure for students.
Mr. Sajid urged the Secretary of Education to reconsider the proposal for the Deemed University and preserve the existing system of affiliating colleges with Pondicherry University, emphasising the benefits for students and the preservation of higher education in the Islands.
Highlighting the potential consequences, Mr. Sajid cautioned that if the Administration proceeds with the Deemed University proposal, NSUI will engage in continuous agitations that could disrupt the education sector. Additionally, the organisation plans to conduct campaigns to educate youths about the disadvantages of enrolling in the Deemed University.