Down and out...

N C Bipindra / TNN / Nov 23, 2006, 02:35 IST

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The death of a Manipuri student has raised serious questions about the UT's readiness to woo students from outside.

CHANDIGARH: The death of Manipuri student L M Albertson has raised serious questions about the UT's readiness to woo students from outside and its ability to look after them.
Ironically, though the city is rated best in educational infrastructure, it is far behind in providing corresponding allied facilities such as proper accommodation, counselling and help during emergency to outstation students be it Manipuri, Ladakhi or Tibetan flocking to the city. Just the kind of attention that Albertson, a private school student, did not get.
The controversial death of Albertson has brought out the plight of the students who live away from their parents and relatives and left to fend for themselves during exigencies.
As a solution to their problem, the outstation students demand a UT administration-sponsored "central helpdesk", on the lines of the Dean (Student Welfare) available in Panjab University (PU) and Punjab Engineering College (PEC).

Guesstimates have it that there are about 5,000 students from faraway places studying in city's 28 government and 25 private schools, and four government and eight private colleges.
"The city is the best place in terms of colleges and schools. Maybe as best as the country's metro cities. No other city can boast of so many students from the faraway seven sister states of the North East or from Ladakh,"says former Manipur Students' Association president Shanta Singh.
According to insiders in the Manipur, Tibetan and Ladakhi students' associations in the city, there were about 1,000 students from each of the three communities studying here in the city colleges and schools.
Another 2,000 students come from places outside the regions from UP, Uttaranchal, Rajasthan and areas around Delhi.

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