Students in Karbi Anglong demand admission for all in Diphu Government College

Our Correspondent
Diphu, Sep. 20 (EMN): Diphu Government College (DGC), the only government degree college and a prime institution in the hill district of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong, has been facing acute admission problems causing the students, whose names were not found in the merit lists, to agitate in front of the college entrance gate demanding admission for all on Monday.

Student bodies like Karbi students Association (KSA) have supported the agitation. Informing the media KSA President, Timung stated that DGC is set up by the state government to facilitate the underprivileged hill students of both the districts of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong. It is the only college, where parents of underprivileged students from rural areas can send their wards. It therefore demanded that all the Karbi students seeking admission should be admitted.

Timung reminded that the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) should take responsibility for those students and discuss the matter with the state government to solve the issue within five days.

Timung said, “When the state government has made college admission free for all this year. However, the authority of DGC is still charging the students. We request the KAAC to direct the DGC authority to return the amount taken from students. The matter should also be informed to the Education minister, Ranoj Pegu”.

Principal of DGC, Dr. Nirab Kumar Sarma said that the college authority has processed the admission according to merit basis. As per government’s instruction, an increment of 25 percent for admission has also been made. The seat capacity is 600 and with the 25 percent increase, it will be 750. 

Dr. Sarma stated that apart from the 750 seats for admission, he has written to the state government and apprised the CEM of KAAC for an increase of another 25 percent. If it is granted, there will be 900 seats for admission. Similarly, in the Commerce stream, the seat capacity is 120 seats. As per increment of 25 percent, it will be 150. If another 25 percent demand from the college authority is granted, it will be 160. Likewise, in the Science stream it will be 180.

“I also feel we need to accommodate as many students as possible considering the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the huge number of students, there is a shortage of teaching staff in the college. The last teacher recruitment process was done in 1994 and since then no recruitment has been done,” Dr. Sharma added.