IMPHAL, May 24: “Setting up of Guwahati Campus of the prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Deemed University, to cater to the North Eastern Region is one of the most positive development in education sector in the Region” in the recent past , said B.K. Handique, union Minister of DoNER at New Delhi. “
It is heartening to learn that without waiting for physical infrastructure to come up, TISS has already chalked out a programme to begin two Masters Programmes from July-August, 2011 and 5 years integrated Masters Programme on Social Sciences from June, 2012,” he added.
According to an emailed statement of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, when government of Assam, at the initiative of Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam, proposed to the ministry of DoNER for allotting funds under NLCPR towards the infrastructure cost of the institute at Guwahati, B.K. Handique, Minister of DoNER readily agreed and approved, in principle, to release Rs.81 crore towards the project.
Assam Government has already identified the land required for the above purpose, it stated. Five years integrated Masters Programme on Social Sciences will have 120 students per year. Thus, there would be 600 students in five years. This programme is scheduled to start from June, 2012. During 4th and 5th year of the Course, there will be specialization in inter- disciplinary areas like Human Resource Management, Social Enterprises, Public Health Counselling, Education, Social Work and Sustainable Mountain Development. In addition to above programmes, TISS is also finalizing to take up several Certificate and Diploma Programmes from August, 2011, it added.
“Meanwhile, the University Grants Commission has already approved the proposed setting up of Guwahati campus by TISS” said the Minister of DoNER. He also said that out of the 220 total seats, (120 for Under Graduation and 100 for Post Graduate) per year, 2/3rd of the seats will be reserved for students from the NE States.
Thus, it makes 146 seats available for the students from the Region i.e. 80 for Under Graduation and 66 for Post Graduation, the Minister said. B.K. Handique has also stated that he would like TISS to start Campus in other States of North Eastern Region in phases over a period of time so that the required skills for the North Eastern students can be imparted over the development of the region, it maintained.
~ Imphal Free Press