Itanagar: Students of the North East Regional Institute of Science and Technology (Nerist) in Arunachal Pradesh have decided to step up the fight for the appointment of regular director at the institute from Tuesday.
The standoff between them and the ministry of human resource development (MHRD) continues despite the students' agitation reaching its seventh day on Monday.
Addressing the students who have been on a relay hunger strike for a week under the banner of the Students' Union of Nerist (SUN), Banta Natung, the union president, said they would start a silent march to Raj Bhavan on Tuesday morning.
"If the authorities fulfil our demand by tomorrow (Tuesday) then we will end our agitation. If that does not happen, the capital will witness an extreme agitation," said Natung.
Union minister for home Kiren Rijiju assured the students that he met Union home minister Rajnath Singh regarding the director's appointment.
Natung made it clear that their agitation would continue till the time proof of an appointment order of a director is not made available to them.
All higher-level educational institutes of the state were shut down on Monday by the All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) which has been extending its support to the students of Nerist.
"The higher-level educational hubs of the state remained closed, in all districts with students boycotting all academic and non-academic proceedings in protest against the delay in the appointment of a full-time director for Nerist," said AAPSU's vice-president (admin) Meje Taku.
AAPSU on Saturday announced the statewide shutdown as its first phase of agitation against the Union ministry of human resource development.
Taku said they would initiate the next phase of agitation if the ministry fails to appoint a regular director soon.
Extending his support to the students, Congress Lok Sabha member, Ninong Ering, has written a letter to HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar.
"The 34-year-old institute has been without a regular director for more than four years now, in addition to the shortage of faculty members. Therefore, I would urge you to appoint a full-time director to the institute and bring back education to life on campus," wrote Ering in his letter.
Ten PhD scholars, namely Taku Muni,Chungni Sono, Debashi Pal, Sonu Kumar, Dayal Shill, Prem Ranjan, Tagam Doni, Nabam Papu, Dhon Bagang and Mudang Taro joined the relay hunger strike on Monday. The trio of Ige Rikam, Dikkar Taji and Rakesh Roy who initiated the indefinite hunger strike are still carrying on with their protest.
