Centre to promote Northeast study centre at JNU

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, March 3: The Centre has decided to promote a Northeast Study Centre in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as a part of its initiative to obtain a better understanding of the peculiar characteristics of the region through institutiolized research based on evidence and data.

DoNER Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said this during an interactive semir held at JNU focusing on the areas and concerns of students from Northeast.

JNU Vice Chancellor Prof. SK Sopory and other senior faculty members were also present on the occasion.

“The picture is not as pessimistic as it is sometimes made out to be,” Dr. Jitendra Singh said. In this context he referred to the figures and stated that many people are not aware of the fact that out of a total strength of over 8000 students in JNU, around 500 belong to Northeast, which accounts for nearly around 6 per cent of the total student population in the campus. On an average, there could be 60 students each from the eight Northeastern States studying in JNU. “This number is quite remarkable when compared to the students in JNU from other peripheral States like Jammu & Kashmir or Himachal Pradesh,” he said.

Dr.  Singh said the students had an advantage of serving as active ambassadors of Northeast because at this age, they are endowed with energy, activism and urge to perform. He advised them that after having completed their studies in JNU, they should prefer to go back to Northeast and enrich their tive State with the knowledge and academic empowerment obtained from here.

He said it is for the young members of the community, and particularly students, to make an extra effort to highlight all the good work and good contribution being made by the Northeast community living at the tiol capital, so that the media is compelled to project Northeast only for good reasons and never otherwise.

Dr. Singh called upon the student community from Northeast to feel free to communicate with him and said that after setting-up two hostels in the JNU and the Delhi University South Campus respectively, DoNER Ministry will work on identifying other places also for similar projects.