Dr Asangba Tzudir
As a sequel to the piece ‘defeating FYUGP’, but as a point of departure, the attention now moves to Nagaland Government’s proposal for 6 more model colleges under PM-USHA (Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan) initiatives. PM-USHA is a centrally sponsored scheme to fund States/UT’s institution with the vision to attain higher levels of access, equity and excellence in the state higher Education System with greater efficiency, transparency, accountability, and responsiveness. Earlier under RUSA, the scheme has now been launched as PM-USHA in the light of the new education policy 2020.
In 2023 two new model colleges, one offering science stream at Wakching, and the other at Mangkolemba offering Arts stream started. However, both the colleges are plagued by very less enrollment because of the dual problem of lack of feeder school and migration to colleges in districts like Dimapur, Kohima and Mokokchung. Now, the director of Higher Education has also viewed that all stand-alone and single stream HEI’s will be phased out in Nagaland, and move towards becoming vibrant multidisciplinary and cross- multidisciplinary teaching, learning and research across fields institutions. The present itself reflects the future of these two model college which is not going to have overnight windfall of students. This also has a lot to do with how policies are framed.
The biggest challenge under NEP 2020 is to have colleges offering multidisciplinary streams/courses in order to tailor into the structure of the new education policy, and one big challenge is the lack of funds to build robust infrastructures to introduce multidisciplinary institutions. To cite an instance, it’s been more than two years since the Academic building for Science Block in Dimapur Govt. College has been completed but it is yet to start because it requires equipments and laboratory materials and most importantly post creation and new appointment. But that seems distant because even to start the new model colleges, some teachers had to be ‘borrowed’ from other colleges and transferred to the two model college in order to start. Also presently there are 145 Assistant Professors appointed on contract based on the need of the situation in the 17 Govt. colleges in Nagaland and who are teaching like the rest regular teachers but with a meager fixed pay. And except for service extension, govt. is delaying even the PIMS extension and therefore forced to work without pay. This is an outright exploitation on the part of the government to be denied even their fixed pay. How can one expect quality education or delivery under such circumstances?
Now, under the new Four Year under Graduate Programme of NEP 2020, the starting of the 4th year has been made conditional by Nagaland University. However, the fulfillment of the conditions requires the up-gradation and expansion of infrastructure to start the 4th Year as well as Post-Graduate program. Within such compelling circumstances, comes the proposal for the 6 new model colleges. One may just hope that these newly proposed model colleges are placed at locations where it will really grow. If not, while most of the govt. colleges have low enrollment, colleges especially in Fazl Ali College Mokokchung, Kohima Arts College and Dimapur Govt. College will only get more crowded.
HEI in every district is also needed so as to streamline the number of students in each college and which will also lessen the burden of those colleges that have student’s enrollment over and above the capacity. However, the new FYUGP is a fast paced program and which calls for development of infrastructure, and appointment of more teachers according to the nature of the specialized courses at the earliest so that multidisciplinary program can also be introduced at the earliest which is the larger objective of the New Education Policy 2020.
However, the ground realities and the way things work attests a sorry state of affairs so much so that, under the present circumstances delivering quality education and evolve in tune with the rest of the world and which will also give confidence to each and every student to provide a good life becomes a challenging proposition. There is more to the infrastructure in the building of a system that will delivery not just quality but smart education.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
