Centre focussing on development of N-E region: Rangarajan

The Centre is giving special attention to the all round socio-economic development of the North East region, Chairman of Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, C Rangarajan said today.

For the region's all round development, the flood and erosion problem which was breaking down the socio-economic infrastructure has to be checked, he said.

Rangarajan was speaking after inaugurating a Post Graduate programme exclusively for domiciled North-East students at the N-E centre of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Tezpur University.

"If the Assam government comes forward with a helping hand, then the ISI is committed to having a project like the Mahanadi Dam in Odisha for a permanent solution of the long pending issues of flood and erosion in the region", said Rangarajan who is also the president of the Statistical Institute.

He said the Institute has been carrying out research activities in the region through projects and workshops during the last ten years to address the problem.

In this regard, various research organisations and universities in North-Eastern region are associated with the ISI, Rangarajan said.

"It is, however, clear that to enhance the activities in the North-East region and to provide better opportunities to the students here, a new initiative is needed if the benefits of the Centre are to reach the students", he said.

From the current academic year 2013-14, the N-E centre is offering a one year post graduate diploma programme in 'Statistical Methods and analytics' exclusively for the domiciled students from the North East.

The programme was offered through an MoU with Tata Consultancy Services under which any student who successfully completes the course in the first attempt with 60 per cent or more marks will be offered direct placement by TCS, while other students may also be considered for placement on certain parameters, he said.

The selection of the domiciled students for the programme is based on an admission test and interview, and there is no tuition fees for the course.

Rangarajan also said the NE centre of the premier institute temporarily operating from the central University, will be shifted next year to it's permanent campus at Punioni, about 5km from Tezpur University.