Our Correspondent
Kohima | May 15
Parliamentary secretary for Higher & Technical Education Deo Nukhu today stated that it is the policy of the Government of India that alteast 5% of the state total budget should be given to higher education.
He, however, lamented that as per last year's figure, the department of higher education was allotted a fund of only 0.06% of the total State's budget, and the department was finding it very difficult to manage its affairs with less fund.
Addressing a press conference here, Nukhu said in most of the colleges in the state there is no sufficient teacher, adding that the department is also not happy for not posting sufficient teachers.
He said that department has already submitted proposal for creation of teacher posts two three times in various subjects.
It is learnt that the department has given proposal for creation of 100 plus posts but due to fund constraints the government is not in position to create post.
He expressed gratefulness that the present chief secretary has been quite liberal in approving the creation of post of teachers in various colleges.
The parliamentary secretary, however, said that formality is yet to be completed. The department is working hard to address the shortage of subject teachers in the whole state in higher education, he added.
Meanwhile, citing example where B.Sc. students opting for Maths is only 1 in Phek College and 3 in Tuensang, he said whether there is one, two or 10 students, the department need to give teacher to teach that subject.
The department felt that we should send less teacher where there is less enrollment, he said adding that the department is not going to cancel the subject on the basis of the less number of students enrolment.
He said another science college is also coming up in Nagaland. He said that taking the consideration the relatively backward districts should also take maths and science, the government have already proposed the setting up of Model Degree College in Wakching under Mon district so that students from Eastern Nagaland can also study science in that college.
Optimistic that the academic session in the College will start by next year 2018-19, Nukhu said the building is under completion and he will be visiting it by this month.
The parliamentary secretary said that he will be going to Punjab next week to see some of the technical institutes to explore the possibilities of sending Naga students to study more technical and professional studies in Punjab.
On ENCSU cautioning that it would not allow colleges in the area to function till sufficient teachers are available from the next semester, he felt that it is not the duty of students to stop the running of colleges.
