- Sujal Pradhan, NET Correspondent, Sikkim
The Bhoomi Poojan for the development of the Sikkim University Campus at Yangang, Phase I Package II, worth Rs 325 crore, has begun. Responding to the same, an inaugural ceremony was organized which was attended by the state education minister – Kunga Nima Lepcha.
He was accompanied by the Lok Sabha MP – Indra Hang Subba; Yangang legislator – Raj Kumari Thapa; Vice Chancellor – Prof. Avinash Khare; Registrar; Head of Departments (HoDs); Secretary from the Education Department; and villagers.
Addressing the gathering, Vice Chancellor (VC) Avinash Khare asserted “We are confident that work will advance in the next six months, allowing us to begin non-lab oriented courses such as languages during the following academic session. However, we must speed up our efforts and enlist the help of local folks, and we will make every effort to meet this deadline.”
The Chief Guest and State Education Minister – Kunga Nima Lepcha shared “The university was founded in 2007, and the campus was supposed to be built in five years. It is still pending, and the current work progress is also under our government’s control. The CM himself visited the campus and took stock of the construction work, urging us to start non-lab-based courses, which we are attempting to complete, so that we can start lab-based courses by next session.”
While, the Vice Chancellor – Avinash Khare shared that “We have begun work on Phase I Package II, which is costing Rs 325 crore and will comprise a lab-based course building, a hostel, and faculty housing. The CM has also promised all possible assistance, and if all goes well, we aim to start non-lab based courses.”
Indra Hang Subba, the Lok Sabha MP who is also a PhD student at the institution, gave his thoughts “I’m delighted the university is gradually putting in place all of the necessary facilities. We are hopeful that the university will be operational on its new site soon.”
Sikkim Central University is the state’s only central university, and its development has been delayed for a variety of reasons. The university was founded in 2007 and currently has 32 departments under six schools offering graduate, postgraduate, and Mphil programmes. It has a total of 2300 students and is affiliated with 18 other colleges.
In terms of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranking, it lists along the range of 100 to 150, with a B+ in the NAAC ranking due to the lack of a campus. The institution employs 156 full-time faculty, as well as contract and guest instructors, and 120 non-teaching personnel. Its library houses 18000 volumes as well as subscribing publications in a variety of fields.
