No, thanks: No shifting Global Open University to Dimapur

Lotha students dare authorities 

EMN Dimapur, March 14 The Lotha Students’ Union (LSU) has warned the authorities of stern consequence if the Global Open University campus in Wokha was shifted to Dimapur. The LSU issued a press release on Monday, March 14 stating that the Wokha campus was ‘ignored’ throughout its existence both in academics and infrastructure. As if everything wasn’t enough, the authorities are attempting to shift the Wokha campus to Dimapur, the press release implied. “The Lotha Students Union is aggrieved as Wokha campus was ignored throughout these period, without any visible development both infrastructural and academically, by the functionaries of the Global Open University in contravention to the MoU and the provisions of the Global Open University Act 2006,” the LUS stated. “In due course of time, the university moved for amendment of TGOU Act 2006 with the lame excuses that Wokha district was not accessible by rail or airport, hence not suitable for head campus, and with that plain argument, an amendment of the Act was passed by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly through the Global Open University (first amendment) Bill, 2011, wherein the main campus was shifted from Wokha to Dimapur.” The Lotha community is aggrieved even more “as the future students were deprived of their educational opportunities just to ensure the comfort of the university functionaries and to please the visiting dignitaries,” the organization stated. “It may be mentioned here that, Nagaland University, the only central university was established with its headquarter at Lumami, Zunheboto. The LSU would like to implore upon the functionaries of the Global Open University and the elected members of the state assembly that, can they use the same logic of connectivity and accessibility to shift all the university and educational institutes to Dimapur as in the case of the Global Open University?” The argument provided in the First Amendment Bill 2011 could be interpreted that no district other than Dimapur would be suitable for establishing any premier institutes and offices because of location and connectivity disadvantages, the union stated. “The Lotha Students Union considers such illogical explanation to shift the main campus from Wokha to Dimapur as an attempt to deprive the people of Wokha their educational benefit and opportunities,” the organization said. The students reminded that the members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and the functionaries of the Global Open University are aware of the fact that Wokha is not connected by Rail or Airport even in 2006 itself, when the Act was passed in the Assembly. “Hence, to wake up in 2011 to conclude that the university cannot prosper in Wokha due to its remoteness is a disgrace to the people of Wokha,” the union said. The organization stated further that that the headquarters of the university has been shifted to Dimapur “through the infamous Amendment Bill of 2011, satisfying the vested interest of some people” in the Global Open University. As if it were not enough, the Lotha Students said it was baffled to learn that the director of the Global Open University issued notice on February 16 to shift the Wokha campus to Dimapur headquarter for “the administrative convenience of the university.” Demands The union has set out a list of demands to the government: • The Lotha Students’ Union requests the authorities to direct the vice chancellor of Global Open University to revoke the order issued by the director of the university in the larger interest of the university. • The union also request impressing upon the functionaries of Global Open University to immediately acquire/procure appropriate assets and infrastructure at Wokha and develop the Wokha campus and make it fully operational within one year from the submission of this letter. The union assures that the Lotha people will give its utmost cooperation to the university and the Government for the progressive development of the Wokha campus. • The union demands that the Global Open University establish a permanent office at Wokha with an officer not below the rank of the registrar or the director to oversee and manage the Wokha campus within six month from the submission of this letter. “In the event of the University failing to comply to the request of the Lotha Students Union, the Union shall be compelled to take its own course of democratic action against the university, and for any such eventuality, the Global Open University and its functionaries shall be held responsible,” the organization stated. The Global Open University of Nagaland was established through an Act of the Nagaland State Legislative Assembly under the Global Open University Act 2006 (TGOUA 2006), which received the assent of the Governor of Nagaland on September 18, 2006. The main campus of the university was located at Wokha district under Chapter II (establishment of University) clause 5 of the Global Open University Act 2006 (Act No. 3 of 2006), and the same was inaugurated by Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu, the then Minister of Higher and Technical Education, on May 31, 2007, the union stated. “And whereas, the Global Open University was established with the objective to provide high quality professional, technical and technological education in the State of Nagaland with Wokha as its main campus,” the union stated. “And whereas, the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Government of Nagaland and the World Institution Building Program, New Delhi on 13th September 2005 envisaged, among other, a minimum investment of 50 crores within Nagaland overtime to set up the university.”