Nagaland envisions higher intake rate in higher education

Kohima, July 14 (Agencies): Nagaland has recorded five per cent intake at institutes of higher education against the national average of 11 per cent during the 10th plan. The Nagaland government plans to increase the intake rate to 16 per cent in the 11th plan by augmenting all necessary physical and social infrastructure, state Higher and Technical Education minister Shurhozelie told the Assembly on Monday.

The minister said the government was aware of various anomalies and lacunae in administration of higher education in the state and assured the members to take action against erring officials if specific complaints are lodged. Shurhozelie said he was aware of the fact that some college teachers sometimes stay outside their places of posting hampering academic activities in those government colleges.

Moving cut motions on demand for grants by departments of Higher and School Education, the opposition Congress members today drew attention of the government towards dismal picture of education both at school and college levels in the state. Replying to the cut motion, the school education minister Neiwang Konyak informed the House that so far 2,060 bogus school teachers had been identified by the SIT of state vigilance commission which was probing the cases of bogus appointment.

However, the exact number of bogus teachers would be known only after completion of the investigation, the minister said, adding erring officials would be punished. He also told the members that SIT and other officials involved in the probe would be provided adequate security whenever necessary taking into consideration the reported threats to them over phones by various elements.

Opposition leader Chingwang Konyak said the officials, including teachers, do not stay at their places of posting in rural areas and asked the government to check this problem. Senior Congress member H Chuba Chang informed the house that a pastor from Dimapur was functioning as the principal in absence of the appointed principal in a government college in a border district. He also complained that many of the college teachers do not take classes in remote districts because they stay most of the time either at Dimapur or Kohima.

Former Chief Minister and Congress legislator K L Chishi asked the government to do away with the prevailing practice of attaching too many teachers at offices of school Inspectors, demanding that those attached teachers should immediately be sent to schools.