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...

Celebration in the time of pandemic By Debkumar Bhadra Festivals and festivities are an integral part of Indian culture. In the words of Sadguru significance and importance of festivals in Indian culture was such that there was a time when there used to be a festival every day of the year. If today is ploughing day, tomorrow will be planting day, day after tomorrow weeding day - 365 days, 365 festivals. The sole purpose of these festivals is to bring peoples closer to one another, break the monotony, socialize, celebrate and unite into a fabric appreciating and rejoicing each other’s tradition, festivals and cultural diversity . In the coming month, we have Durga Puja between 22-26 October, 2020. Celebration of Sharadiya Durga Puja in the islands and elsewhere in the country is unique in the sense that more than those five auspicious puja days, preceding months spent in preparation are also an event in itself. Secondly almost all Durga Puja is performed in temporary pandals put ...

Dated : 29/03/2020 To Shri Mohammed Tabraiz Member, Court Monitoring Committee (COVID GoI SOP implementation related matter) By email : mttabraiz@gmail.com Sir Being a concerned citizen, I consider it my responsibility to bring the problems faced by fellow men rendering their service during the covid lock-down. I am therefore submitting the following few lines before you. Let me come straight to the point, according to the MHA NDMA Order # 4-30/2020-DM-I(A) dated March 24, 2020 Private Security Service has been exempted from closure (See annexure to the MHA NDMA Order, Point # 4 (j)). As such a good number of personnel employed as private security guards are rendering service amid the corona lockdown. They mostly come from remote locations and security service being a 24X7 affair, are often required to report for duty during odd hours. Similarly they get relieved off from duty again during odd hours. Due to non availability of transport, these securi...

In the High Court at Calcutta Constitutional Writ Jurisdiction Before : Hon’ble Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan, the Chief Justice And Hon’ble Justice Dipankar Datta Dated : 28 th March, 2020 W.P. No.5324(W) of 2020 Court on its own motion : In Re : COVID 19 - Relief and services at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Letter dated 27th March, 2020 received from Mr. D. C. Kabir, Advocate, treated as a petition) The Court : The extraordinary jurisdiction of this Court is being invoked in view of the extraordinary situation pointed out through this letter petition. The matter relates to the reportedly grim state of affairs in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Various facets of the challenges faced by the people are pointed out in the letter petition. Access to justice is multifaceted assistance to the people. It is not confined to mere access to courts. It spreads out and trickles down multifarious inalienable necessities for human exi...