Port Blair: The Andaman & Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee (ANTCC) has launched a fierce attack against the proposed Andaman & Nicobar Islands Private University Regulation, 2026, calling for the draft move to be immediately placed in abeyance. In a stern communication addressed to the Lt. Governor of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands on Tuesday, G. Bhasker, Chairman of the ANTCC Campaign Committee and AICC Member, has voiced intense opposition to the newly published draft Andaman & Nicobar Islands Private University Regulation, 2026.
Highlighting widespread apprehension among local students, parents, and teachers following months of student protests and a island-wide bandh over recent educational changes, Bhasker demanded that the proposed draft be kept in abeyance immediately. The Congress leader warned that introducing a private framework risks handing the local higher education system over to private capitalists and raised serious political concerns over potential “saffronization,” cautioning against giving preference to individuals with RSS backgrounds in managing these institutions without thorough background checks.
Bhasker warned that introducing private university regulations paves the way for handing public education to capitalists. He raised grave concerns regarding the potential preference of individuals with RSS backgrounds in setting up and managing these universities, urging that the backgrounds of interested private sponsors be thoroughly verified.
The party strongly challenged the necessity of introducing private universities, pointing out that the administration has failed to disclose any demand assessments, enrollment projections, course fee structures, or details on potential sponsors.
Expressing fear over the privatization of public assets, Bhasker cautioned that decades of public investment in local college infrastructure could end up compromised. He noted that student satisfaction has plummeted under the recent Deemed University model—citing sharp drops in admission percentages at institutions like DBRAIT—and called for the immediate re-affiliation of all local government colleges back to Pondicherry Central University.
Rather than corporate entry, the Congress party reiterated that the islanders’ primary aspiration remains a publicly funded Central University equipped with specialized streams like Marine Sciences, Oceanography, Disaster Management, and Tribal Studies.
Criticizing the administration for giving a brief 10-day window for public feedback, Bhasker demanded at least a one-month extension for consultations, while sending copies of the objection to the Prime Minister, Union Education Minister, and top UT administrative officials.”The future of our youth deserves a policy that promotes affordability and academic excellence. A Central University would fulfill these objectives while strengthening the educational and developmental aspirations of these strategically important Islands.”
Bhasker observed.
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Copies of the objection letter have also been dispatched to the Prime Minister, the Union Education Minister, and top officials of the A&N Administration for urgent intervention.
