ITANAGAR, Sep 4: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) expressing shock over the Rajiv Gandhi University PhD Entrance Test (RGUPET) result termed it ”anti-tribal and against the interest of the state” and has demanded immediate suspension of ongoing Ph.D admission, rectification of RGU ordinance and reconstitution of committee members.
Out of a total 138 vacant seats, only 56 APST students made it to the final list of the RGUPET which has resulted in huge uproar among the student community.
We express our absolute and sheer disappointment over the reservation system adopted by RGU this year. The results are not in accordance with the university's objectives as enshrined in the RGU ACT, 2006-. i.e To take appropriate measures for promoting innovations in teaching learning process, inter-disciplinary studies and research; to educate and train manpower for the development of the state of Arunachal Pradesh; and to pay special attention to the improvement of the social and economic conditions and welfare of the people of the state, their intellectual, academic and cultural development."
As per the Rajiv Gandhi University Act, 2006, the university is meant to stand for improvisation of intellectual and academic development for the state of Arunachal Pradesh. However, going through the recent result of Rajiv Gandhi University PhD Entrance Test (RGUPET) one can easily make out that the native and tribal students of Arunachal Pradesh has been deprived of their academic privileges by giving priority to other reserve categories like OBCs, SC etc. This is a systematic deprivation orchestrated through the RGU ordinance, 2021, which needs to be immediately rectified, the AAPSU said in its representation to the Vice Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University. 
In a 100 percent tribal state like ours, this is not only discouraging but a deliberate attempt to deprive the local students of pursuing higher education in the state's lone central varsity. Whereas APST students could have easily made to the final list, had they been selected in the UR category. Therefore we request the university authority to hold back the PhD admission till native Arunachalee students are given due academic privileges to pursue research in various courses, the Union said.
Seeking rectification of RGU Ordinance, AAPSU blamed it is the root cause of these unprecedented anomalies and said it must be rectified. A fresh committee should be set-up to rectify the ordinance as we have learnt from reliable sources that the previous committee did not have any local faculty representation. In such a case, it is obvious that the final report would be biased and anti-tribal. We demand the RGU authority to insert a special clause in the amended ordinance giving priority and exclusive preference to APST students, so that our local students who wish to pursue research are given 'state special' entitlement.
The apex students’ body also demanded to reconstitute committee members with at least 80% native tribal representatives of Arunachal Pradesh to be headed by a native employee as Chairman. The incumbent chairman is a non-native and it is a deliberate attempt to from the top officials to marginalise the APST.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
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