Nil enrolment in Government Polytechnic Peren for three years

Morung Express News
Kohima | August 10

With the vision to empower students with the requisite skills, nurture creativity, inspire ideas to excel as innovative Interior Designers, the Government Polytechnic Peren (GPP) was established on March 2021. However, there has been nil enrollment for three consecutive years.

As reported by the Hindustan Times (HT), this year, three students were selected through the diploma entrance exam (DEE) conducted by the state technical education department, to undergo three years diploma programme in interior designing. Out of the three, only one student turned up for admission, but later had a change of mind and did not take up the seat.

Chronology
According to the website, the foundation stone for GPP was laid in 2015, marking the beginning of the institution’s development. The building was subsequently completed by 2019 and in 2021 GPP was officially established under the Department of Technical Education, Nagaland, Kohima, paving the way for its operationalisation and the commencement of academic activities.

However, due to the pandemic the inauguration and starting of the academic session was delayed. GPP situated in New Peren is located in the landlocked mountains of old Peren which is about 15 kms from Jalukie town and 30 kms from Old Peren town. 

An All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) approved, the course offered in GPP is Interior Design in residential design, commercial design, design software, project management and client interaction.

Altogether, Nagaland has nine Polytechnics in Atoizu, Kohima, Mokokchung, Seithekiema, Tuensang, Phek, Mon, Wokha and Peren offering soft skill trainings and trade specific skill trainings for re-skilling and upskilling.

Not an ideal location?
Speaking to The Morung Express on condition of anonymity, an official from the Technical Education department, viewed that the location and the course offered may not be an ideal combination.

He further opined either interior designing course may be shifted to other polytechnics, or some other courses be offered along with the current course. However, added that it all depends on the prerogative of the government to make the necessary alternative and arrangement.

Zeliangrong Students’ Union Nagaland (ZSUN) President, Kingsalt Hegwang also commented that this type of courses in a far flung area is not very rational. He also commented that this may be either shifted in Dimapur or Kohima or some other courses be introduced which can encourage students for admission.

He also cited lack of advertisement from the department/government for lack of any takers while stating that even the people of the district were not aware of the existence of Polytechnic until the later end of 2021.

Another reason, he pointed out was the location of the institute in a far away ‘jungle’ with pathetic road condition with no populace. Although the Deputy Commissioner’s office has been shifted, he said, there is no residents and the employees come and go.

Man power and infrastructure
The total strength of teaching and non-teaching staff is 15 while the institute has two smart classrooms fully geared with required facilities, a conference hall, a library and two general classrooms with basic amenities. 

GPP also has a computer classroom with twenty computers and a workshop room for carpentry, electrical and fabrication equipped with machines and basic tools for training with hostel facility (men) with an intake capacity of thirty students per academic session.

Sharing its findings during an inspection on August 8, ZSUN informed that the electricity is satisfactory with two generators for backups. 

However, it noted that there is no cellular network in and around the institute, and the road leading to the institute is in dilapidated conditions which required major repairing. To this end, it has stated that it should be the top priority of the concerned authority to provide good cellular network and road for the smooth functioning of the institute. 

As per HT report, GPP was established through central financial assistance to state governments for setting up of new polytechnics in unserved and undeserved districts under the scheme of sub-mission on polytechnics under coordinated action for skill development.

Under the scheme, a one-time financial assistance is to be provided to the state governments for meeting the capital cost in establishment of new polytechnics in the districts which do not have any government/government aided polytechnic and in other educationally backward and underserved districts where it may not be easy to establish new polytechnics under public private partnership (PPP) mode or under private initiative.

Under the scheme, the states are sanctioned Rs. 12.3 cr per polytechnic to meet the capital costs of setting up such institutions in districts identified as un-served or underserved. The central grant of Rs. 12.3 cr is to meet the non-recurring costs – Rs. 8 cr for civil works and Rs. 4.30 cr for equipments, machinery, furniture, vehicle etc. while the state government shall provide the land required as per All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) norms, and also meet any additional requirement of non-recurring expenditure over and above the ceiling of Rs. 12.30 cr, and further bear all the recurring expenditure in running the polytechnic.