Serendipity : Musings of an Islander

By Debkumar Bhadra The decision to establish the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Institute of Higher Learning (NSCBIHL) as a deemed-to-be university marks a defining moment for higher education in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. For decades, the islands have aspired to build a locally administered university ecosystem. In principle, the creation of a university within the islands is a welcome and long-awaited step toward academic autonomy and regional development. However, the manner and timing of its implementation have pushed the island's students into academic uncertainty that merits thoughtful consideration rather than outright dismissal. The transformation from affiliation under Pondicherry University (a Central University) to a newly constituted Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Institute of Higher Learning (NSCBIHL), a deemed-to-be university represents a fundamental shift in the island's academic landscape. Establishing a university from scratch is not merely a matter of no...

Proposed ANCOL at C hakkargaon contravenes M aster P lan – 2030 There has been a large hue and cry  ever since it has been made public that the proposed G ovt college namely   ANCOL   (A ndaman C ollege) will have its permanent campus at C hakkargaon in P ort B lair. Members of the public, elected representatives, political organizations and their likes had opined that since P ort B lair town already has one G ovt college   (JNRM)   of the same type, the second one be established in rural area. The views expressed by the public however did not cut ice with the bureaucratic set up governing the islands. In a bid to assert itself the project proponents chose to overlook public demand and in doing so, it contravened the development regulations propounded in the M aster P lan for P ort B lair P lanning A rea   – 2030 . Notified in D ecember   2011 , the M aster P lan for P ort B lair P lanning A rea (PBPA)   rightly observes that P ort B lai...

ANCOL – Will it be Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, well the developments so far indicate No it’s Not! Never before in the history of Independent India has anyone given such a resounding and mature message of Unity with Inclusion unlike Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi did when he said : The only code of conduct of the Government should be “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas” [Collective efforts inclusive growth]. The paradigm reverberated in the Honble LG’s address delivered on June 18, 2014 during laying the foundation for a Multipurpose Indoor Stadium at Knappuram village in Wimberly Gunj. Reiterating his commitment of commencing a new college from the academic session (2014-15), the LG said demand to establish Andaman College (ANCOL) in Bambooflat/Wimberly Gunj area is genuine as it will benefit many rural students. He did keep his commitment. Two schools namely : Govt Secondary Senior School (GSSS) Haddo Hindi Medium and GSS Haddo English Medium has been elbowed out/merged with a third ...