Agartala, March 20:
High drama unfolded in the Tripura Legislative Assembly on Friday afternoon as Opposition parties CPI(M) and Congress staged a walkout, protesting the introduction of three Bills aimed at establishing private universities in the state, citing inadequate scrutiny and absence of regulatory clarity.
The protest erupted during the sixth day of the ongoing Budget Session when Higher Education Minister Kishore Barman tabled three legislations — the Science Technology and Allied Skill University, Tripura Bill, 2026; the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Skill University, Tripura Bill, 2025; and the International University, Tripura Bill, 2025.
Raising strong objections, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman demanded immediate withdrawal of the Bills. He argued that the proposed institutions allegedly fail to meet essential criteria required for establishing universities including one was already blacklisted in Manipur, warning that degrees awarded by such entities could jeopardize students’ future employability.
The Opposition Leader and CPI(M) MLA Jitendra Chaudhury alongwith other legislators echoed similar concerns, pressing for the Bills to be referred to a Select Committee for detailed examination before any passage.
Opposition members questioned the credibility of the educational trusts behind the proposals, pointing to the lack of publicly available information and alleging that approvals were being pushed without necessary clearances from the University Grants Commission (UGC), adequate infrastructure, or qualified faculty.
As tensions escalated, legislators from both parties trooped into the well of the House, raising slogans and seeking intervention from Speaker Rampada Jamatia.
Marshals were deployed to prevent further disruption.
With their demands unmet, the Opposition MLAs eventually staged a walkout, registering their protest against what they termed as a “hurried and opaque” legislative process.
Notably, earlier in the ongoing session, the Assembly had already passed three Bills for the establishment of new government universities, adding to the broader debate over higher education expansion in the state.
The developments signal intensifying political contestation over education policy in Tripura, with the Opposition flagging concerns over quality, regulatory compliance, and long-term implications for students.
