Question : SPECIAL FACILITIES TO NORTH-EASTERN STUDENTS

(a): whether the Government proposes to provide special facilities lo the students of the North-Eastern States and Sikkim for making them capable of competing in the Government sector jobs; and

(b): if so, the details in this regard?

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION (SHRI MANI SHANKAR AIYAR)

(a) & (b): The Central Government is giving priority to the development of academic and technical education in the NE Region for making the youth of the Region capable of competing for both government and private sector jobs. The major initiatives taken in this regard are as under:

(i) The Directorate General of Employment & Training is implementing the Prime Minister`s package on the establishment of 22 new Ills and upgradation of 35 existing ITIs at a cost of Rs. 100 crore in the North-East States. The Planning Commission have also approved the establishment of three new ITIs- two in the State of Sikkim and one in Assam, with an additional allocation of 13.7 crore. Five ITIs from the NK Region are also being upgraded into Centres of Excellence (CoE).

(ii) Legislation for the conversion into Central Universities of the Rajiv Gandhi State University in Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura University, as also for the establishment of new Sikkim University has been enacted.

(iii) The Northern Eastern Regional Institute of Science & Technology (NERIST), Itanagar; the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT); Guwahati and National Institutes of Technology (NITs) in Silchar and Agartala are looking after the needs of technical and professional education in the North-East,

(iv) The Government have approved a proposal for the selling up an Indian Institute of Management in Shillong.

(v) The University Grants Commission (UGC) is providing financial assistance for the welfare of SC/ST/Minority students for making them capable of competing in Government sector jobs through their schemes viz., (a) Scheme of Coaching Classes to prepare for National Eligibility Test (NET); and (b) Coaching Classes for Entry in Services.

(vi) The North East Project (NEP) undertaken by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and funded by Prime Minister`s non-lapsable funds has been conducting several training programmes stressing on vacationalisation aimed at the upgradation of relevant skills.

(vii) The Ministry of DoNER under its Scheme of Capacity Building, and The North Eastern Council have also taken up a number of programmes for skill upgradation of the youth of the Region through National Level Institutes and Organizations.