Port Blair, Sept. 9: When everything has been said and done by the students whose careers are at stake, two of Andaman’s oldest associations i.e. Local Borns Association (LBA) and the Andaman Mopla Service Organisation (AMSO) have finally decided to take a call. The two associations are non-political and have come forward in true spirit to save the future of the students of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The associations in a letter addressed to the Minister of Education, Govt. of India with copies to the Hon’ble Lt. Governor, Chief Secretary, A&N Administration and the Secretary (Education) have submitted that the students of DBRAIT have demanded withdrawal of all pending Court Cases before the Hon’ble High Court for affiliation of DBRAIT with Pondicherry University. Due to the pending Court Cases, around 328 students are affected in getting their University results. The students have alleged that Dr. Utpal Sharma, Principal, DBRAIT has misguided the A&N Administration to file the cases against a reputed Central University for not following the provisional conditions.
The students have also demanded to fulfil all the 17 norms and affiliation conditions as pointed out by the Pondicherry University, which are in favour of the welfare of students. The associations also informed that since the year 2009, the Pondicherry University has been regularly instructing the authorities of DBRAIT as well as the A&N Administration to comply with the university norms and conditions at par with the Degree Regulations of AICTE but Dr. Utpal Sharma deliberately and intentionally defying those directions convinced the A&N Administration to file the case before the Hon’ble High Court for his vested interest, it was alleged.
Further the Diploma Programs must be affiliated to a valid Board, explained the associations. MSBTE has its jurisdictions limited to Maharashtra State only and no Diploma/ Polytechnic Institute of any state should be affiliated as per the MSBTE Act, 1997. Moreover, the lateral entry students have been restricted by the Pondicherry University to appear in the Degree Examinations due to the affiliation issued.
The associations also pointed out that according to reliable sources they have come to understand that Dr. Utpal Sharma is interested to bring DBRAIT under the ambit of Deemed University. The associations demanded that no Deemed University for these Islands or any Deemed University status should be given to DBRAIT.
Further, the students of DBRAIT who had joined in the year 2020 and 2021 for B.Tech, Civil, Electronics and Computer Science have not been registered yet under the Pondicherry University and they are not being allowed for the Semester Examination since the last two years.
Moreover, for the regular students of 2021 as well as the students who have taken Lateral Entry Admission after 2020 and 2021, the University Examinations has not been conducted till date. The matter was never informed to the parents and the students by any Authority from DBRAIT, it was alleged.
It is also noticed that in spite of having full knowledge that the Pondicherry University has withdrawn the affiliation from DBRAIT, the Principal has invited applications for admissions from students under various trades, which is absolutely illegal, the associations observed.
Concluding the letter, the associations demanded that if the Vice Chancellor, Pondicherry University visits these Islands, a meeting should be convened in the presence of the representatives of LBA, AMSO and the student representative of DBRAIT to sort out all the issues for a better future of the students. The associations have also called upon the officials to look into the matter and take an immediate action to sort out the issues relating to DBRAIT.