Govt mulling management varsity in Bengal

KOLKATA: The state government is planning to set up a management university in the state, the process of which has already begun.

While delivering his lecture on the first anniversary of the foundation day celebration of St Xavier's University in New Town on Monday, state Higher Education minister Partha Chatterjee said a Bill will soon be introduced in the Assembly proposing to set up state's first management university.

"We are already in the process of having a management university in the state. It would require some time. The Bill will soon be introduced in the Assembly for setting up the university," Chatterjee said.

While talking to the reporters on the sideline of the foundation day celebration of the university, Chatterjee further clarified that his department is yet to take the final decision on whether the existing management college run by the state government would be elevated to the status of a university or a new management university will be set up.

The minister announced that a research centre of international standard will also be set up in the state where research scholars can have access to research journals from all around the world. The state government is considering setting up the research centre on a piece of land owned by the West Bengal Higher Education Council.

"Students pursuing various streams of higher education may be able to get their study materials at the centre which will have world class infrastructure. It would come up as a centre of excellence. Once the infrastructure is in place, a panel will be set up to monitor the functioning of the proposed research centre," Chatterjee maintained.

While delivering his address, the minister said as soon as the state government received the proposal for setting up the second campus of St Xavier's University in New Town, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee instructed the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HIDCO) to provide them with the land after considering the aspiration of students who are willing to study in this prestigious institution.

Stressing on the importance of providing best quality education at one's doorstep, Chatterjee said a formula of '4E' has to be implemented that starts with 'Expansion' of education.

"The state government has set up 47 new colleges in the state in a manner so that each district gets at least 2-3 colleges. In addition to that 23 more universities have come up in the state. Around 4.55 lakh seats have been created at the post graduate and undergraduate level apart from that of engineering," Chatterjee said.

Giving more thrust on 'Equity' in education, he said one of the main purposes of the government is to provide education to the students belonging to backward classes and also to female students. "Around 40 lakh girls have enrolled their names to get financial benefits from the Kanyashree project, a brain child of the Chief Minister," he said.

Talking about 'Excellence', he said students cannot compete unless they achieve excellence. Infrastructure should be built in all educational institutions to achieve excellence. According to the minister, the fourth one is 'Employability'. Skills must be enhanced in order to make one employable, he said.