Arunachal Students' Union seek closure of all defunct schools, integration of low-enrollment schools into one

The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) while briefing its demands before the Arunachal government through Chief Minister Pema Khandu, has sought the closing down of all defunct schools and integrating all low-enrollment schools within a certain radius into one school.

The student union also informed that the coaching institutes in the Itanagar Capital Region have agreed to provide free enrollment to five meritorious students belonging to economically weaker sections of the society.

Ritum Tali, General Secretary of AAPSU & President Tana Doji Tara while addressing the media at Arunachal Press Club, said, "The concerned district student unions will also approach the coaching institutes in their respective districts,” adding that the demand was among various such submitted to the government on Thursday, September 23, through a memorandum. 

It has also demanded reintroduction of hostel facilties, “No hard and fast rule for a concrete building, but even if it is a kutcha one, the hostel should be there,” Tali said, adding that community-based organisations “should help out in this endeavour.”

It has also demanded cabinet approval for mandatory transfer of teachers after every three years within the district, and “minimising the political influence in transfer and posting of teachers.”
“We want reshuffling of teachers every three years,” Tali added.

AAPSU urged for regulating the fee structure of privately funded education institutes; mandatory enrollment of one child of all the legislators, bureaucrats, technocrats, officers, and officials of the state in government schools of the state for at least a year; a separate CBSE sub-centre for the state to be set up in Itanagar; mandatory LPC and mapping of all government school areas; establishment of a library-cum-career counselling centre in all district headquarters; introduction of science stream in the GHHS in Dibang Valley HQ Anini; and establishment of a government degree college for Shi-Yomi district, in either Monigong or Mechukha.

With regards to the health sector, the AAPSU demanded “compulsory rural posting of all employees for a minimum of three years duration,” and revamping of the health sector in the state by “increasing the number of dialysis centres in every district headquarters.”

On the interstate boundary issue, AAPSU has sought “provisions of ILP issuance to be followed strictly; strict ILP drive on regular intervals to be organised to check illegal settlement of Bangladeshi immigrants; early deportation of Chakma-Hajong refugees from the state; immediate settlement of the Assam-Arunachal boundary issue; installation of AI-based cameras or CCTV cameras in the sensitive areas of the state; deployment of central paramilitary forces and state police along the disputed interstate boundary areas; and taking up all international border issues with the central government with proper demarcation and deployment of additional security forces at the border posts.”
The union also reiterated “modification of Article 371 H, in line with Nagaland and Mizoram; de-reservation of reserved forest areas in various settlement areas; a separate UPSC cadre for the state to be placed in the cabinet for subsequent approval; regional offices of NEEPCO and NHPC to be stationed within the state; and non-enrollment of all non-APST workers engaged in mega/hydropower projects and MNCs within the state in the electoral list of any ST assembly constituency of the state.”

It also demanded an investigation into the involvement of the NSCN in the recently concluded AAPSU election and the booking of the person(s) involved under appropriate provisions of the law.

Its other demands include “collaboration with the state government to launch a widespread awareness programme on drug menace prevalent in the state; establishing five major drug rehabilitation/de-addiction centres in the state; putting up complaint drop boxes for issues related to girls in educational institutes; assigning a separate officer to constantly check on the complaints received; installation of sanitary napkin vending machines in every educational institute of the state; speeding up all ongoing hydropower projects in the state and cancellation of the defunct ones; expediting the ongoing works of the general football ground in Aalo; establishing a state-of-the-art engineering college in the state; and construction of new academic blocks at the Arunachal University in East Siang HQ Pasighat.”

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