The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh has said that an exclusive new hostel for students from Northeast is likely to be ready in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus by 2017. Dr. Jitendra Singh disclosed this during a visit to the proposed site for the hostel in the premises of JNU campus here today. He was accompanied by Vice Chancellor, JNU, Prof S.K.Sopory, Secretary DoNER, Shri Ameising Luikham, Joint Secretary Shri V.B. Pathak and senior officials from JNU and Union DoNER Ministry.Dr. Jitendra Singh appreciated the active cooperation lent by Prof Sopory during his tenure as Vice Chancellor and hoped that similar coordination between the JNU authorities and DoNER Ministry will continue even after Prof Sopory relinquishes office later this year.
Describing this as one of the three new hostels for Northeast students in Delhi planned by the DoNER Ministry during the last one year, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, while the work on the construction of JNU hostel is expected to begin shortly, there is also a proposal for another two hostels in Delhi University campus of Ramanujan College and possibly also in the Hindu College premises. However, he said, there is an alternative proposal recently sent to Vice Chancellor Delhi University wherein, instead of constructing hostels at different sites like Ramanujan College or Hindu College, a common piece of land can be acquired at a location convenient to all and a large hostel complex can be developed there. In addition, the existing Northeast Working Women’s Hostel at Jasola near Apollo Hospital is also being upgraded with the inclusion of more modern amenities suited to present times, he informed.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said, JNU has a huge strength of students from Northeast and the number of students staying over here from each of North Eastern States is higher than the number of students from several other States of the Indian Union. The Northeast Study Center in JNU is also being advised to enlarge the spectrum of scholars and faculty persons associated with it in order to seek a healthy balance among all schools of thought, he added.On the occasion, Union DoNER Minister was informed that most of the formalities and paper-work with regard to the hostel project in JNU Campus are nearly complete and the construction work will start very soon. At the same time, there is unusual enthusiasm about this project not only among the students from Northeast in the campus but also among the students of the other parts of the country, he was told.Dr. Jitendra Singh appreciated the active cooperation lent by Prof Sopory during his tenure as Vice Chancellor and hoped that similar coordination between the JNU authorities and DoNER Ministry will continue even after Prof Sopory relinquishes office later this year.