October 12, 2024
October 12, 2024
By Staff REPORTER
NAHARLAGUN, Mar 07: The state assembly on Tuesday passed two important government bills by voice votes giving more teeth to streamline the education and health sectors, the priority areas of the state government.
The Arunachal Pradesh Private Educational institutions (Regulatory Commission) Bill 2017 which was tabled in the house on Monday by Education Minister Honchun Ngandam, was passed after much deliberation by the members suggesting various points.
Responding to the suggestion, Ngandam while appreciating the members said that mushrooming of private universities and colleges in the state are a cause of concern and the bill was aimed at regulating the quality of education before it is too late.
“There might be a few loopholes which can be rectified but the bill has a holistic noble intention,” he said and added that two private universities namely Global university and Arunodaya University were not functioning properly while the Arunachal University of Studies was extremely doing well.
Assuring that the Commission would not be a stumbling block for investors, the education minister said that all the loopholes in the bill would be rectified.
The bill aimed at providing establishment of a regulatory commission and regulatory mechanism in the state for the purpose of ensuring appropriate standard of admission, teaching, examination, research and protection of interest of students in private educational institutions (Universities and colleges) and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Earlier taking part in the discussion education parliamentary secretary Pani Taram informed that the bill was aimed at monitoring all private educational institutions offering +2 above courses, whether they are following the state and central guidelines.
There should be no political interference in education sector to maintain quality, he said adding, violation of the prescribed guidelines for the first time would invite penalty to the tune of Rs one crore and for subsequent violations the penalty would rise to five crore.
The state has total of 10 universities including eight private, 22 degree colleges (7 private), three private professional colleges, eight private Bed collages and seven polytechnique institutions including one private.
While BJP member Kento Rina supported the bill terming it as ‘praiseworthy’, Independent MLA Paknga Bage said that private educational institutions are mostly commercial and concentrate only on quantity education.
Bage advocated for grading of educational institutions based on availability of teachers and facilities and fee should be decided by the state government.
Agriculture Minister Wangki Lowang suggested the government to check whether the private universities were recognized by UGC, BJP member Phosum Khimhun termed it as timely bill to regulate the budding private institutions in the state who were functioning whimsically depriving the students from quality education.
Former education minister Tapang Taloh informed that most of the private universities in the state were running from rented houses that too in polluted environment and their basic aim was to sell certificates.
Animal husbandry and veterinary minister Dr Mohesh Chai alleged that the private varsities in the state were imparting quantitative education instead of quality while deputy chief minister Chowna Mein suggested for reducing the penalty incorporated in the bill.
Senior BJP MLA Wangling Lowangdong called for regulating the educational institutions with zero tolerance as enormous resources were mobilized for these institutions.
The house also passed the Arunachal Pradesh Anatomy Bill which was introduced by Health & Family Welfare Minister Jomde Kena on Monday.
The Bill would provide for supply of unclaimed bodies of deceased persons or donate bodies or any parts of deceased persons to hospitals and medical institutions for the purpose of anatomical examination and dissection and other similar purposes.
Advocating for passing of the bill, Kena informed that the bill would facilitate legal occupation of unclaimed bodies for study in the Medical College being established in the state.
As the state government is working on establishment of Medical College shortly, various procedures have to be followed under the Medical Council of India (MCI) including recruitment of various faculties for the college, he said and informed that members of MCI are visiting the state on May/June next for starting the Medical College at the Assembly building.
