Agartala, June 10:
In a significant push towards strengthening the higher education sector in Tripura, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has assured that the appointment process of a regular Vice-Chancellor for Tripura University will be completed soon. He also directed his office to constitute a high-level committee to prepare a comprehensive roadmap and vision document for the future growth of higher education in the State.
The assurance came during a meeting held in New Delhi between the Union Minister and a Tripura delegation led by Higher Education Minister Kishor Barman, accompanied by senior officials of the State Higher Education Department including Special Secretary Raval Hamendra Kumar.
During the discussion, the Tripura delegation raised several key issues concerning the expansion and improvement of higher education infrastructure and academic administration in the State. It sought early resolution of affiliation-related issues of newly established Government General Degree Colleges under Maharaja Bir Bikram University to facilitate smooth functioning and wider access to quality higher education.
The State government also requested the nomination of a representative from the Ministry of Education to be included in the Search Committee for appointment of the Chairman of the State Higher Education Council as per the prescribed guidelines.
A major focus of the meeting was the proposed introduction and expansion of skill and vocational courses in Government Degree Colleges in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. The initiative aims to enhance students’ employability and industry readiness in line with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The delegation further sought special financial assistance from the Centre for the development of two new Government Universities and four new Government Degree Colleges in Tripura, aimed at strengthening educational infrastructure and improving access to higher education.
During the meeting, Dharmendra Pradhan reportedly highlighted the need to identify skill gaps in higher educational institutions and introduce new courses in central institutions aligned with Tripura’s economic growth.
He stressed the importance of inclusive education, particularly encouraging tribal students to pursue higher studies and research, with the broader goal of achieving 50 percent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education by 2035 and reducing the outflow of students to other States. At present the GER of Tripura at higher education in accordance to the 2011 census is 21.2 percent.
The Union Minister and officials of the Ministry appreciated the initiatives undertaken by the Tripura Government to strengthen the higher education sector and assured that the issues raised during the meeting would receive due attention.
The meeting reflected the shared commitment of the Centre and the State Government towards transforming Tripura into an educational hub and contributing to the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047 through enhanced educational opportunities, institutional expansion and skill development for the youth.
