Port Blair, March 22: The Member of Parliament, Shri Kuldeep Rai Sharma has raised the matter of Setting up a Central University in Andaman & Nicobar Islands during the Parliament session today. The MP mentioned, “The absence of a full-fledged University in Andaman & Nicobar Islands is depriving the students of our Islands since they have limited opportunities and have to travel to mainland for higher education purposes, which is a costly affair. In order to realize the true potential of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, there is a requirement to establish a Central University in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.”

Emphasizing on the need for Central University Sharma reasoned, “Andaman & Nicobar Islands already have Engineering College, Medical College, Law College, three Degree Colleges, Polytechnics and ITIs but they are affiliated to Universities of other states. We have the basic infrastructure; we only need a Central University to take the quality of education to the next level at par with the other states.”

It is to be noted that the Hon’ble Prime Minister during his visit in December 2018 had announced the setting up of a Deemed University after Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The MP further mentioned, “I request the Hon. Prime Minister to kindly take necessary steps in establishing a Central University instead of a Deemed University in Andaman & Nicobar Islands to revolutionize Higher Education in various streams and provide a level playing field to students so that they can avail of better educational opportunities and such a step will also facilitate economic and social development of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and also generate more employment.”