Assam Enhances Higher Education Scenario

Nava Thakuria

Soon after the results of 10 & 10+2 examinations are declared, few thousand aspiring students start leaving Assam for higher education in mainland Indian cities like New Delhi, Pune, Chennai Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai etc. Many of the parents never prefer to send their growing children outside northeast India, but they observe little space for technical educations in the State. Of course, the situation is slowly changing.

Assam no longer remains as the land of some separatist armed militants, who used to wage a war against the Union government in New Delhi. The developing State of the region has slowly emerged as an important place of happening in education, health and business avenues. Guwahati also emerges as the virtual capital of the region with slowly expanding its reaches to various opportunities in various South & Southeast Asian nations.

The State with 30 million populations has witnessed the emergence of few private universities in the recent past those are catering the need of aspiring students in medical, engineering, information technology, management streams etc. Those institutions have already attracted students from various localities of the region with few neighboring countries as well.

Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU) is recognized as the first private university of the region, which offers job-oriented courses unlike the conventional degree programs run by government sponsored universities. Initiated by the Khasi-Jaintia Presbyterian Assembly the university was first led by Dr Glenn C Kharkongor, a former professor of pediatrics and public health.

In a recent interview the MLCU pro vice-chancellor Dr Glenn said, “We would like to prepare our students for careers that may take them back to their villages or on the other hand, propel them into multinational corporations.  They will be well-balanced individuals, combining the richness of their heritage with the modern-day skills required in a global economy.” On the other hand, Assam Don Bosco University is identified as the first private university of Assam. Until a full-fledged campus emerges, the Don Bosco Society has decided to run its classes in Don Bosco Institute of Management at Kharguli of Guwahati. On the other hand the Don Bosco College of Engineering & Technology at Azara in the outskirt of Guwahati has been used for engineering classes.

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