Chief minister Neiphiu Rio Saturday regretted that fifty years of ‘dealing with the Naga political issue and insurgency’ had conversely resulted in the neglect of higher education in the state.
Speaking at the inaugural function of ICFAI university campus here at Sovima, Dimapur, the Rio said that ‘we have neglected so much on institutions’ that today we do not have a single ‘National Institute, Regional Institute or Technical Institute’ worth its name.
“And today all of our students go out of the state for higher studies,” he said while adding that on an average of twenty-five thousand Naga students studying outside, the ‘conservative estimate of expenditure’ per year is Rs 360 crores.
For a ‘consumer society and a salaried-economy’ like Nagaland’s, Rio said that if such an amount is ‘drained off’ annually like that, then it becomes a case scenario of ‘whatever money comes from Delhi is taken out.’
“We have no resources of our own and we are not exploiting our natural resources. It is a one way traffic,” he said.
Against this backdrop, the Rio felt that the entry of ICFAI university into the higher education scene in Nagaland was ‘very important.’
“Therefore it is very important to have private institutions to impart technical and job-oriented education to our youths,” Rio said.
He lauded ICFAI university for their ‘commitment to the people of Nagaland and their sincerity to promote this backward region.’
“People of Nagaland would like to say thank you for coming to our doorstep and I hope that the university will be able to change the attitude and mindset of the people,” said Rio.
He also assured to instruct the Road and Bridges department to construct a ‘nice two-lane road from the highway to the campus.’
Parliamentary secretary for Higher and Technical Education, Deo Nukhu encouraged the university to introduce bank loan system for students who are ‘brainy and sincere’ but cannot bear the cost of their studies.
Pointing out that ‘Nagas are careless in management’, Nukhu hoped that the ICFAI university would help ‘the next generation to have better sense of management in every aspects of their life.’ He also observed that judging by the ‘standard of construction’, ICFAI university would ‘overtake our own state central university (Nagaland University).’
Vice chancellor of ICFAI university, Dr VRK Prasad, informed that the present building has the capacity to accommodate 500-600 students. “After the completion of the first floor, our university will be able to accommodate 1500 students,” he added.