Dimapur, Sept 29 (MExN): Nagaland Government’s proposal for sending 10 Naga students for OJT programme offered by Agri Studies, Israel has run into rough ground with the Ministry of External Affairs raising objections to the proposal on technical grounds and Ministry of Home Affairs failing to give clearance. While no reasons were specified, it was informed that the Ministries raised objections and withheld any clearances to the proposal pertaining to the memorandum of Understanding to be entered between Granot Agri Studies of Israel and the Nagaland University.
Expressing concern over the possibility of a “big embarrassment” should the initiative be stalled, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has written to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Union Minister for Agriculture “Shri Pawar Ji” to look into the matter to enable the selected students to join the aforementioned course which is set to commence from October 15. While informing that the state government has already selected 10 Naga students and forwarded their names and other details to Granot, the CM’s letter “failed to understand” that the clearances to be given by the Ministry of Home Affairs has not been forthcoming till date while the Ministry of External Affairs has raised some objections to the proposal on technical grounds.
“You may be aware that the normal admission quota for this year’s academic session has been exhausted. However, Granot Agri Studies, thanks to the initiatives taken by the Government of Israel and the Indian Embassy at Tel Aviv, had conceded to our request to accept 10 Naga students as a very special case. It will therefore become a big embarrassment to us, if at this stage we are to backtrack on the request made by us” wrote the Chief Minister. Rio felt that the proposal falls within the ambit of the Indo-Israel Work plan Agreement on Agriculture 2006-2007 even while he reminded the centre that the initiative is the first of its kind for India which would be of much benefit to expose local students to the latest agricultural technologies of “a country like Israel”. Rio maintained that the matter is all the more relevant to a state like Nagaland where almost 80% of her population is involved in traditional farming, although with low returns.
“I therefore fail to understand why instead of appreciating and encouraging such programme, the officials in the Central government are creating hurdles on technical grounds. Such an attitude will run counter to the declared government’s policy to boost the agriculture sector” Rio wrote while requesting that the matter be taken up with the concern ministries to enable the students to join the course which is set to commence from October 15.
