EMN
KOHIMA, MARCH 29
The All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) while acknowledging the state government’s response towards its three-point demand in regard to alleged “mishandling in conduct and allotment of technical courses seats to the students for the past 10 years” by the Technical Education department, has rejected new guidelines chalked out by the state government against state reserved seats.
In a letter to the Chief Minister today, ANCSU president Zhoku Thuluo and general secretary Benjong Longchar stated that the organization has thoroughly deliberated the government letter Vide No. HTE/TE/10-10/08(Pt-IV) Dated 18th March 2016 and has resolved to stick to its (ANCSU’s) earlier demands. It reminded that the issue is of great concern for the students’ career.
On the constitution of a committee to examine the matter of amalgamation of the Technical Education Department with Higher Education, ANCSU assured that it will extend support to the government for the process. On the show cause notice served to “erring officers” of the department, the union stated that it would closely monitor the process of taking disciplinary action against the “erring officials” till logical end.
However, it pointed out that as regard to the notification of new guidelines for selection against state reserved seats for technical courses, the ANCSU will not accept the government notification in its present form vide letter No.HTE/TE/10-10/08 (Pt-IV) Clause 3 No RESERV/23-1/2012 Dated HTE/KOHIMA 16th March 2016, eligibility category (III).
ANCSU’s contention is that, despite emphasising on the authentication of the true identity of candidates before allocating seats in technical, medical and other allied courses, there are instances where the department had selected many candidates of “doubtful identity who had produced false and manipulated documents” for availing seats reserved for state quota. It stated that the avenues for obtaining seats for technical courses are very limited for Naga students in open competition due to high cut-off marks, which many students are unable to obtain. “Except for very few students lucky enough to be able to pay huge amounts as capitation fees to colleges for seats, for the rest of the students, the only option is to try their luck in the state reserved quota,” ANCSU stated. Towards this end, the union said that until further discussion is collectively viewed from different civil societies, it will not accept the mentioned eligibility category, and warned that the government shall be held responsible if any discrepancy arose out of the issue.
Copies of the letter were also forwarded to the Governor, Chief Secretary and the parliamentary secretary for Higher and Technical Education for intervention, and to different apex organizations including the Naga Hoho, Naga Students’ Federation, Naga Mothers’ Association, Eastern Naga Public Organization, and Eastern Naga Students’ Federation for information.
It may be mentioned here that the eligibility category in question deals with candidates belonging to non-indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland and children of non-local state government employee and children of all India service officers borne on Nagaland cadre. The selection criteria is that if seats are available after selecting all eligible and qualified candidates belonging to recognized indigenous ST on Nagaland, then selection of candidates under this category will be considered.
