GTA urges NBU to increase number of seats in hill colleges

GTA yesterday held discussions with representatives and principals of different hill colleges, GTA  Chief Anit Thapa requests for increase in the number of seats in honours courses in humanity stream in colleges of the GTA region to accommodate more students,

SNS, DARJEELING. 26 SEPTEMBER 2020: Chairman of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Anit Thapa has written to the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar of the University of North Bengal, requesting them to provide more seats for students in colleges in the GTA region.

"In the pandemic situation, it has become difficult on the part of our Hill students to continue higher education in other parts of the country..I, therefore, humbly request you to kindly consider increase in the number of seats in honours courses in humanity stream in colleges of the GTA region to accommodate more students," Mr Thapa has said.

Given the rush in college admissions in some colleges in the hills owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the GTA yesterday held discussions with representatives and principals of different hill colleges, where some representatives, however, said seats were still available in their colleges.

"In the meeting, we learnt that it was only a few colleges that were facing this problem of surplus applicants for new admissions, with other colleges in the hills still having seats vacant," Assistant Professor of St Joseph's College in Darjeeling Vikram Rai said.

On 22 September, the president of the United Students' Front (USF),Deepika Mukhia, had observed a 12-hour hunger strike here, demanding increase in the number of seats for admissions in hill colleges for the 2020-2021 session after applications flooded for new admission in the Darjeeling Government College (DGC).

She had withdrawn her hungerstrike the next day after assurances from the DGC principal.

According to Mr Rai, it was a good sign that the number of applicants had increased in the colleges here, as earlier, most students opted to study outside due to which the hills were facing a 'brain drain.'

According to Mr Rai, maximum rush for admission was seen in the DGC and St Joseph's College here, while colleges in Kurseong, Bijanbari, Sonada, among others, still had seats.

"We request students to apply to colleges that are near their locality so that they can get admissions. On the other hand, in the meeting, it was decided that a request will be made to the NBU to increase the seats of some colleges which have the infrastructure," said Mr Rai, adding that a meeting has also been scheduled on 8 October with the department of Higher Education to discuss issues related to colleges in the GTA.

Principal of Kalimpong Government College, RP Dhakal, who is also the NBU Executive Committee member, said, "There is confusion among students that there are less seats in colleges, but that is not the case. The rush is only being seen in a few of them. For example our college has seats in some Honors courses. However, being a member of the executive council of the NBU, I will raise the issue of increase of seats in some colleges and feel that 4 to 5 seats can be increased."

Mr Rai further said that the state government has kept online admission portals open till 30 October and it was free of cost.