By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Oct 15: Dispur, for reasons best known to it, is yet to grab a chance to get a world class university set up in the State. Neighbouring Meghalaya, on the other hand, is ready to grab the chance.
The Indian Federation of United tions Association (IFU), a body affiliated to the UN Association headquartered at Geneva, is going to set up a United tions University in Guwahati or Shillong, considering the availability of land.
The proposed university, if set up in Guwahati or Shillong, will be the second such university in the world, next to only the one set up in Tokyo. The university will have courses like Arts, social sciences, magement, science and technology and UN courses. There is no such university elsewhere in the world imparting knowledge about UN and its specialized agencies and commissions. The range of studies at the university is graduation, post-graduation and research. Students from India and other countries of the world can avail the opportunities to be made available by proposed the UN University.
Addressing the press in the city today, UN Association, Assam secretary general Dr. Aswini Kumar Sarma, who is also the member secretary of the ad hoc committee for the proposed university, said: “The matter has been communicated to the Government of Assam – first in 2014, and then in August 2016. We sought land for the university or a building to start classes at the initial stage. However, no response has been received from Dispur as yet.”
Dr. Sarma, however, said: “Neighbouring Meghalaya is very keen to set up the University in Shilling. The Meghalaya Government has come forward with land and a building to start classes. However, we do prefer Guwahati as it is the gate way to the Northeast.”
According to Dr. Sarma, the detailed project report (DPR) for the university has already been prepared. “A tripartite agreement involving the IFU, UN and the Government of India will have to be reached. The process is going on smoothly,” Dr. Sarma said, and added: “Besides creating employment avenues, the University will boost tourism in Assam and other States in Northeast India.”
The University, according to Dr. Sarma, needs 15-20 acres of land. “If the building is made available, the classes can be started. When the land is made available, the buildings can be constructed within three years,” he said.
According to Dr. Sarma, the UNESCO Association, Guwahati has opened six UN/UNESCO library reading corners at District Library, Guwahati; Assam Administrative Staff College, Guwahati; Don Bosco School, Guwahati; UAG office at Khapara, Guwahati and Goalpara College. He said that books, jourls and other publications of UN/UNESCO, World Bank, UNDP, WHO etc., are available in the reading corners. UN Association, Assam secretary Ranjit Sarma was also present at the press meet.