Rono Hills: Acknowledging the need for improved hostel facilities at the Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday announced that a new hostel building with a capacity to accommodate at least 2,000 students will be sanctioned within the current financial year.
As president of the Arunachal Pradesh Football Association, Khandu also assured the construction of a futsal ground on the University campus.
The chief minister made the announcements while attending the inaugural ceremony of the three-day XIII inter-college youth festival at RGU in Doimukh, near here.
He also declared that the state government would begin providing financial support to the inter-college youth festival from next year onwards.
Highlighting the significance of such events, Khandu said they were not just platforms for arts, culture, and sports, but also a celebration of unity in diversity and collective aspirations.
“These festivals are not merely a celebration of arts, culture, and sports, they reflect our unity in diversity, a spirit of collaboration, and our collective aspirations,” he said.
Khandu endorsed the idea of organising the festival in two stages from next year, starting with zonal-level competitions among affiliated colleges, with top performers progressing to the university-level event at RGU, an official communiqué said.
Responding to a memorandum submitted by the university’s student body, the chief minister said he had already forwarded a scanned copy to the state education commissioner and directed consultations with university authorities on the issues raised.
He assured swift resolution of issues falling under the state government’s jurisdiction and a personal follow-up with the Centre for matters concerning the university, which is under the central government.
Recalling his first visit to the university as chief minister eight years ago, Khandu noted that the student strength then was about 2,500 and has now increased to nearly 5,700.
Congratulating RGU for securing the first prize for ‘Best Practices’ at the East Zone Vice-Chancellors’ conference of the Association of Indian Universities in March, Khandu said the recognition was a result of several achievements.
These included the work of RGU’s Centre for Endangered Languages under the Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies, implementation of the National Education Policy, green energy initiatives, and transparency audits—outperforming over 100 state and central universities.
“RGU holds a unique and crucial place in the development of higher education in the state. As the premier institution, it is responsible for not only academic excellence but also for contributing to the socio-economic development of the region,” he said.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to education, Khandu said that over the next three financial years, transformative changes will be introduced to enhance infrastructure, education quality, and opportunities for students.
“Arunachal is blessed with an unparalleled wealth of talent and a unique cultural heritage. Our youth are the leaders, innovators, artists, and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. It is our collective responsibility to nurture their potential and empower them to take our state to new heights,” he said.
He added that the state government is committed to creating an enabling environment for youth to excel in academics, arts and sports.
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