Sikkim State University running without necessary amenities due to financial crunch

The Sikkim State University (SSU), the only in the state running with just 2 departments without a roof, without a single faculty, without permanent statutory official and in an acute shortage of fund.

Whereas the people are in the dire need of standard university, public hospitals, employment etc the ruling class is hell bent to keep people’s attention diverted in the issues like temple, church, pilgrimage centre, prayer tower, statue etc. Sikkim State University is running with just two departments currently namely Sanskrit and Nepali. Even in the subjects being taught presently, there is not a single permanent teaching faculty. Faculties from Under Graduate (UG) colleges were taking classes before the pandemic. However, after the pandemic there has not been a single class.

Reportedly, there is no appointment of permanent statutory officials like Controller of Examination (COE), Registrar, finance officer etc in the university.

The students of Sikkim University have been running post to pillar from last 2 years. However, except a few minor changes there has not been any substantial change in the ground zero.

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The students of SSU staged a week long Dharna in front of the Vice Chancellor’s Office in the premise of Nar Bahadur Bhandari Degree College with the demands of permanent campus, statutory officials, faculties, other departments. Following the protest, a dialogue had taken place between students and the Education Minister, MP Lok Sabha, and other brass level bureaucrats.  However, the assurances given in the dialogue are largely unfulfilled. In the month of August, the students also organised an online campaign with the same demands. Following the online protest, the Govt allocated a land for the construction of the campus.

The university is currently in such a financial crunch that it does not have the fund to start its website too. A university needs to be independent with the state Govt only providing it the budget to run it smoothly. However, the university has not been allowed to run independently. In the acute shortage of fund the University has not been able to carry its routine work too. The Govt must release the requisite fund to the university immediately.

The only university in the state is in a shamble, utterly neglected by the govt. The future of the university along with the students looks bleak. Instead of strengthening the only university in the state, the govt has decided to start Extended Campus for PG courses in 3 UG colleges of the state, where Nepali is also one of the subjects. It is baffling why the govt needs Nepali course in extended campus when it is already in the SSU? When the Govt has failed to appoint sufficient teachers in the lone university of the state, from where will it manage teachers in the extended campus? Will the extended campus be able prepare the students for research? Why there is no research facility in the SSU?The Govt is clearly neglecting higher education in the state. The Govt is neglecting the importance of Sanskrit and Nepali language in the state. All the democratic loving people, people in the favour of higher education, scholars of Sanskrit and Nepali must raise their voice for the Sikkim State University. Our movement for our rights as students shall continue until all our demands are fulfilled.

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