Tuensang, July 31 (MExN): The Eastern Nagaland College Students’ Union (ENCSU) has urged Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio to intervene and expedite the construction of two New Model Degree Colleges at Noklak and Shamator.
In a representation submitted to the Chief Minister, the ENCSU President Mankap C Konyak and Secretary Pongo P Khiamniungan said that while the sanctioning of the two colleges was initially welcomed and brought renewed hope to thousands of students across Eastern Nagaland, “visible progress on the ground remains far from satisfactory.”
Any further delay in implementing these projects undermines the very objective of expanding access to quality higher education in one of the most educationally disadvantaged regions of the State, the union stated.
The student body pointed out that for decades, students from Eastern Nagaland have been forced to travel long distances or abandon higher studies due to grossly inadequate infrastructure, and that the new colleges represent “a long-overdue commitment to educational justice and equitable regional development,” rather than a routine development project.
The ENCSU has demanded that the government immediately release pending funds, clear all administrative and technical hurdles, set firm completion deadlines, and closely monitor the projects until both colleges become fully operational.
“Every delay adversely affects the future of countless students,” the representation stated, while assuring the government of the union’s full cooperation in advancing higher education in the state.
