Jharkhand Assembly passes bills to set up Azim Ji Premji University, Skill University

Jharkhand Assembly on Thursday passed three bills within an hour before adjourning the house for an indefinite period due to the ‘unruly’ behaviour of BJP MLAs.

The three bills include Kaushal Vidya Entrepreneurship, Digital and Skill University Bill 2022, Azim Premji University Bill 2022 and Jharkhand Excise (Amendment) Bill 2022.

Minister in charge of the Higher and Technical Education Department Mithlesh Thakur presented all the bills, which were passed in the absence of the main opposition party of the state, the BJP.

MLA Vinod Kumar Singh (CPI) and Lambodar Mahto (AJSU), while presenting the proposed amendment, demanded a direction to send the bill to the Select Committee to submit its report within 30 days.

The minister did not accept his amendment saying that this was brought after thoroughly reviewing and taking permission from the personnel and law department and there is no justification for sending it to the select committee.

He said that the Skill University will be run from the Polytechnic College in Khunti.

In 2018, a total of eight polytechnic colleges were set up in Jharkhand. These colleges have been set up in Khunti, Lohardaga, Palamu, Chatra, Jamtara, Godda, Bagodar and Hazaribagh. All these will be operated under Skill University starting in Khunti Polytechnic College, he said.

While presenting the proposed amendment in Azim Premji University Bill 2022, MLAs Vinod Kumar Singh and Lambodar Mahto again asked to send it to the Select Committee with a direction to the report within 30 days.

Vinod Singh also said there is no discussion on the proposal of the amendment brought by us.

Dr Lambodar said raising objections said there are already 16 private colleges running in the state. Its status is not hidden from anyone. The Governor had also raised the question after reviewing the situation of private universities in the past. The government has permitted to open the university, but there is no looking back. Universities are busy earning money by distributing degrees instead of sharing knowledge.

The minister in charge in its reply said the Azim Ji Prem Ji Foundation, which opened the university, is a charitable organization. This institution has already opened universities in Bangalore and Bhopal. If it opens in Jharkhand, then the standard of higher education will rise in the state and the youth of the state who migrate to other states for education will be curbed.

At Azim Premji University, the minister said, studies will be done in a modern way. This will be the third university to be opened across the country by the Azim Premji Foundation, he said. Earlier, universities have been opened in Bangalore and Bhopal. Before Ranchi, there was an idea to open Azim Premji University in Bhubaneswar, but Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren took interest in it and the foundation decided to open it in Ranchi.

The minister said world-class educational facilities will be provided to the students in the Azim Premji University Educational Institute, which is going to be opened on the lines of Bangalore and Bhopal. Research-based course material will be available at this university by experienced teachers. All those subjects will also be taught in this modern university, in which Azim Premji University has a specialization.

While objecting at the time of discussion on the Jharkhand Excise (Amendment) Bill 2022, MLAs Vinod Kumar Singh and Lambodar Mahto proposed an amendment and asked for the direction to send the bill to the Select Committee to submit the report within 30 days.

Vinod Singh pointed out loopholes in the bill saying it is not justified that the person dying consuming illegal and adulterated liquor will get compensation of Rs 5 to 10 lakhs after a court order. He was of the opinion that if the government is running the liquor shop it is its duty to look into the matter on its level.

Singh said the bill provides officers nabbing people with less than 20 litres of liquor with the power to release that person or send him to jail. He said this gives bargaining opportunities to the offices and this provision should be replaced by fixing a minimum fine amount as punishment.

Mahto called for sending the Select Committee for the demand of complete prohibition.

The minister in charge said that this bill has been brought to save the innocent people associated with the liquor business. The amendment of this bill will also check the illegal manufacturing of liquor in the state.