Andaman students protest against proposed deemed university, seek clarity on degrees and fees

Medical, Law and Engineering students from the premier institutions of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, along with four other departments, are striking against an unclear proposal that would convert their existing facilities into a deemed, to, be university, the sources quoted on a Wednesday.

Besides these, seven colleges in the island geography, i.e. Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya (JNRM), Andaman Law College, Andaman College (ANCOL), Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS), Dr BR Ambedkar Institute of Technology (DBRAIT), Tagore Government College of Education (TGCE) and Mahatma Gandhi Government College (MGGC) have their affiliation with Pondicherry University.

The students have turned up for a demonstration deciding on the Centre's plan to switch the affiliation from Pondicherry University to the proposed Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Institute of Higher Learning which will be a deemed, to, be university.

"We have been protesting against this decision for a few days now. "We are demanding that the proposal be withdrawn and the current affiliation be continued because we fear that the change might cause disruption to courses and examinations, increase the fee and there might be a problem with degree recognition, " one of the students on strike said.

Student leaders said they are seeking written guarantees from the authorities that academic continuity will be preserved and that there will be no extra financial burden arising.

"We want clarity and transparency. Any decision that affects thousands of students must be made only after a proper consultation, " a student leader said.

Several political parties, including the Congress and CPI(M), have also supported the students along with student unions like NSUI, ABVP, and SFI.

TSG Bhasker, chairman of the campaign committee, Andaman and Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee (ANTCC), said he stands with the protesters and requested the administration to reconsider the decision for the sake of the students from the remote island territory.

On the other hand, the Andaman administration in a statement said that there would be no fee hike and that the academic transition would be carried out smoothly.

Officials said consultations are ongoing and students' concerns are being examined.

"Students should not be worried as there will be no fee hike. Fees will remain nominal to ensure accessibility. The constituent colleges shall continue to function as they are with the existing infrastructure. We will ensure further augmentation of infrastructure for improving the quality of education under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Institute of Higher Learning," Director (Education) Vikram Singh told PTI.

On whether stipends paid to students of the constituent colleges would be stopped, he said, "It will not be stopped, and the UT administration shall continue to fund the Institution Deemed to be University even after the five years of its establishment. Not the least, it will be NIRF and NAAC accredited as it is a mandatory requirement as per UGC (IDTBU) Regulations, 2023."