Nagaland’s oldest college fending for itself

Mkg’s Fazl Ali College carrying out development mostly through internal funding

Morung Express News
Mokokchung | May 7

Fazl Ali College (FAC), Mokokchung, the oldest college in Nagaland, has been for the most part left to develop its infrastructure through internal funding. This was revealed by college authorities to a team of journalists from the Mokokchung Press Club who visited the college on May 6 as part of the club’s annual social concern initiative.

It was informed that most of the ongoing developmental activities in the college were internally funded without assistance from the government. Augmentation and renovation of existing facilities as well as new infrastructure development were found to have been undertaken rapidly, the funds for which were raised internally.

FAC, established in 1959, was the first government college in the state to be accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2009. The college was again assessed and accredited with Grade B by NAAC in 2015. The third peer visit to the college by NAAC was supposed to have been in 2020 but was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The college is noticeably gearing up for the next NAAC peer visit as can be seen from the ongoing developmental works.

All of the ongoing developmental works, including those that have been completed, were funded through funds raised by way of contributions by faculty members, ministerial stall, Mokokchung village council, Alempang Baptist Church, LADP, Sungkomen Baptist Church, Chuchuyimpang land donors’ association, as well as two individual donors–Jemtimenba Mollier and Lipokmeren Jamir.

The Chuchuyimpang Village Council is also constructing an Ao Naga morung in the college premises while repainting of the college front yard was sponsored by FAC Campus Union. Meanwhile, students of the college, hostel boarders and well-wishers have been doing their bit for the development of the college. The college authority conveyed that the active participation of the alumni and parents of students were highly solicited for development of the college.

Apart from infrastructure development, the college has also been undertaking other works like formalizing of FAC 2040 vision document, digitization of education, installing 10 kw solar power to sustainably migrate towards a green campus, e-library with vernacular language section, a translation center, museum, smart classrooms etc.

Besides, the college is also in the process of communicating with the National Testing Agency and TATA Consultancy Service which, if successful, would open opportunities for students of the region to appear online exams for JEE, NEET-UG, CMAT, CPAT and UGC-NET. The college has also written to the State Government to permit the college to have an IGNOU study center.

Meanwhile, the soon-to-be introduced Choice Based Credit System (CBCS), a new syllabus as mandated by UGC, would require more classrooms for the college. As per preliminary assessment, the college would require at least 42 classrooms and 6 more labs to conduct regular classes conveniently as and when CBCS is fully implemented. As of now, there are only 22 classrooms.

During the journalists’ visit, it was discovered that the road leading to the college campus from NH-02 was in a debilitated condition.

It was observed that a building construction funded by Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) worth Rs 1 Crore, which is being implemented by the engineering wing of the Higher Education Department remains incomplete and abandoned. The college authority expressed apprehension that delay in construction of the building, which is a time-bound project, was likely to attract negative repercussion from the funding agency thereby blocking future financial assistance.

Works completed:
• Construction and furbishing of new Principal’s chamber, visitor’s lounge, HA Chamber, Accounts & Establishment room with cubicle and Office pantry
• Painting and repair of Athena Hostel, Valley View Hostel
• Electrification of Nathan Boys hostel
• Road construction to Valley View hostel
• New Fencing and gate Valley View Girls hostel
• Painting of College, library and auditorium
• ICT (LCD projector wifi enabled) in 22 classrooms
• 5 laptops for classroom teaching
• Painting and repair of all students’ chairs, desk and benches (more than 700 nos)
• Ceiling and drainage repair
• College beautification and establishment of garden
• Construction of ramp for PWD and car parking lot in Science block
• Painting of College front yard by FAC Campus Union

Work in Progress:
• Arju by Chuchuyimpang Village Council
• Ao literature Section donated by Mokokchung Village Council
• Installation of 10 KW Solar lighting (Rs 50,000 donated by Lipokmeren Jamir)
• Language translation Center with Rs 3 lakhs donated by Jemtimenba Mollier
• Digitalization of Office for Student Database, Office Management System and Learning Management system
• Digital auditing vide Tally software
• Computerization of Library
• Botanical Garden with special focus on cultivation of ethnobotanical plants.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/nagalands-oldest-college-fending-for-itself