RONO HILLS, 23 Sep: The two-day national seminar themed ‘Education: Affirmative Action and Inclusion in North East India’, organised by the education department of Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), in collaboration with the ICSSR-NERC, Shillong, concluded here on Friday.
Addressing the valedictory programme, RGU Education Department Head Prof PK Acharya said, “The outcome of the seminar would bring affirmative action with a view to include various issues and challenges and their solutions of socially and economically disadvantaged people in the broad based curriculum at school and higher level.
“This would help for policymakers and stakeholders and curriculum developers of the Northeast India at the local level,” he said.
Prof Mukut Hazarika said that “there are over 200 languages speaking groups in Northeast India.”
“These groups have been facing various problems in personal, social, economical and professional life. So, it is the need of the hour to refocus on equity along with equality among these groups.
“Still the present plural societies of India are not ready to accept inclusion due to lack of infrastructure, manpower, comprehensive curriculum and other supporting system. Basically, we need to fulfil the fundamental needs in order to follow the inclusion in pragmatic way, so that the objectives of the inclusion would be achieved in the light of NEP-2022,” he said.
Dr Vivek Singh informed that 80 papers were presented during the technical sessions of the two-day seminar.
RGU registrar Dr NT Rikam suggested publishing “all the thematic and empirical papers in a book form, so that all stakeholders would benefit.”
RGU VC Prof Saket Kushwaha in a video message reiterated that “affirmative action is must for the disadvantaged sections of the society and should continue till social inclusion is achieved.”
RGU Pro-VC Amitava Mitra also spoke.
