[caption id="attachment_108460" align="alignleft" width="550"]
Chief minister Dr. Shurhozelie along with other officials during the first meeting of the NSCHE in his office chamber on April 7.[/caption]
Kohima, April 10 (EMN): State chief minister and chairman of Nagaland State Council for Higher Education (NSCHE), Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu expressed happiness on the progress of education sector in the State particularly the 15 government colleges that were covered under Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhigyan (RUSA).
The chief minister said this at the first meeting of Nagaland State Council for Higher Education (NSCHE) under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) held in his office chamber on April 7.Addressing the meeting, Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu said we have made good progress in the education section despite being a late starter. Referring to the 15 government colleges that are under RUSA programme, he said many of these colleges are still very young but added, “We are lucky that we have this programme to cover all these 15 colleges for infrastructure development and improvement in different ways.”
While noting that “we are still lagging behind in the education sector,” he emphasised that there are so many rooms for improvement. “The credit for the achievement we have made so far goes to those of you working in the department, for your time and energy,” he said. He also impressed upon that with the new funding pattern, the State budget has become very small adding we now have to depend on the centrally sponsored schemes heavily. He urged the departments “to judiciously spend the money for the project for which it is meant.”
Dwelling on the importance of RUSA, Parliamentary Secretary for Higher & Technical Education, Deo Nukhu, highlighting on the features of RUSA, said it was implemented in the Higher Education as a flagship programme after the successful implementation of SSA and RMSA.
Stating that Nagaland does not have a State university so far, he informed that there are 13 government general degree colleges and 2 colleges of teacher education covered by the RUSA scheme.
He said UGC has granted autonomous status to Kohima Science College (Autonomous), Jotsoma, with the permission to run post graduate courses and accordingly the college has started the first batch of M.Sc courses in 6 subjects in the last academic session of 2016-17, while the second batch of M.Sc will start in this academic session 2017-18.
In the meantime, he informed that the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has sanctioned a New Model Degree College (science stream) in the educationally and economically backward district of Mon and said the work is in good progress at Wakching.
Parliamentary secretary further said that he will be presenting two new proposals at the upcoming National Mission Authority meeting at Delhi scheduled on April 17. They include setting up of a centralised library with computer centre, digitisation of college libraries with RIFD technology and internet connectivity in 16 RUSA beneficiary institutions and seeking the approval to start an engineering college in the State. He also informed that MHRD has agreed to sanction the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in the State on a basis of 100% central assistance.
Earlier, State Project Director, RUSA, Menuokholie Kire, gave a power point presentation on physical and financial progress of the ongoing RUSA projects. He also highlighted on the fund/project monitoring systems through geo-tagging/ GIS mapping, Public Financial Management System (PFMS) and online RUSA fund tracker.
The meeting was chaired by Secretary for Higher & Technical Education, R Asenla Keitzar, who also delivered the welcome address. Director of Higher Education, I Alempokba, who proposed the vote of thanks, emphasised on the quality of education and not the growing number of institution. He further called for upgrading and uplift of higher education in the State.
