Need for Central institutions in North-East stressed

Tirupati: The Northeast region does not need packages, it needs more institutions and initiatives that could ensure sustained
development, opined said Prof Arun K Mishra director ASTEC and AEDA.

Speaking at a session on ‘S&T in Northeast Region’ on the last day of the five-day Indian Science Congress (ISC) here on Saturday, Mishra was candid enough to say that building up skills on priority basis and human resource development should be expedited in the northeast region to reduce the regional imbalance.

“More national institutions, laboratories should be set up in the northeast and mainstreaming of the development, academic and industrial process should be done as a rule and not an exception in the region,” he averred.

He explained the intense efforts being made by ASTEC (Assam Science, Technology and Environment Council) and also AEDA (Assam Energy Develop Agency) for science and technology development.

Prof Goutham Biswas director of IIT-Guwahati said though the scenario changed for a better after 1980 with the entry of private institutions offering higher education including professional colleges, the exodus of students from northeast to places like Delhi, Bengaluru and other States for higher learning has not rescinded.

Stressing on the need for more central institutions, he said that fifty per cent of the engineering seats in the colleges are filled by students from six States of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, AP, Telangana, Karnataka and West Bengal.

“The regional imbalance with regard to educational facilities is still persisting and affecting the 8 States in the northeast region. The centre should take steps for promoting more institutions both in the State and private sector in a big way to reduce the regional imbalance in education sector,” he added.

Prof Arunkumar of Manipur University said it is rather imperative to ensure law and order in the region for its development.

Insurgent groups for their vested interest indulging in violence to unleash a fear psychosis which is coming in the way of the progress of the state in the region while drug abuse, natural hazards like floods, bordering five countries China, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar adding more to problem of the states in the region despite having enormous resources.