The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) team that was recently in Delhi for a North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) programme met the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Thursday after an interaction with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
The meeting with Rijiju was on State-specific issues and a representation was submitted in this regard. Deliberating on the long-pending issues concerning Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), the lone Central University in the State, the AAPSU general secretary Tobom Dai urged Rijiju to expedite the process of calling the premier institution by its original name.
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Reminding Rijiju of his demand to rename the university during his days as an Opposition MP, Dai said the people of Arunachal Pradesh would be “grateful” if the matter is sorted out before the 2019 general elections. He also demanded converting the RGU into a fully residential campus in line with other reputed universities of India.
The AAPSU team also made a strong demand for a separate cadre of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and other Central services for Arunachal Pradesh, currently clubbed with Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT cadre). Although Arunachal Pradesh attained Statehood in 1987, development in true sense of the term has still not percolated down to all parts of the State, the team said.
Due to the absence of a separate cadre of IAS, IPS, IFS, etc., many Central schemes could not be implemented and executed properly as AGMUT officers come to the State for a short period and are not able to understand the tribal cultures and sentiments. “By the time they get the basic idea, it is already time for them to leave for a new posting place,” the team said.
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“There is lack of institutional memory and absence of dedicated bureaucracy due to which the State has not yet reached its full potential. Arunachal Pradesh is strategically located sharing international borders with Bhutan, China and Myanmar. The Centre, especially the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), should immediately consider the creation of a separate and dedicated State cadre for IAS, IPS and other Central services for Arunachal Pradesh,” it said.
Dai, meanwhile, urged the State Government to pass a resolution in the State Assembly regarding changing of the nomenclature of the Rajiv Gandhi University, Doimukh, and send it to New Delhi before the start of the Winter Session of the Parliament. It was also reiterated that the Union would be rigorously pursuing the matter.