Education is the backbone of society and only education can guide the society towards the right direction, said Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha after inaugurating Sri Aurobindo General Degree College at the old DIET building, Kunjaban in Agartala on Tuesday.

Education is the backbone of society and only education can guide the society towards the right direction, said Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha after inaugurating Sri Aurobindo General Degree College at the old DIET building, Kunjaban in Agartala on Tuesday.

He said the college is the first government English medium College of the state. This is a mentionable step towards higher education in the state, said Dr Saha and added that English language is important for attaining higher education and a new chapter has been started in higher education in the state through inauguration of the English medium college.

The Chief Minister said, opening a new college is not an easy task. It was possible to open the college with the tireless efforts of the Education Minister and the department despite all challenges. The government will make more efforts in future towards infrastructural and academic development of the college.

Addressing the students, the Chief Minister said, only academic knowledge is not enough but practical education is also necessary. One has to build himself up as a human in society. One has to be good not only in academic learning but also in extra-curricular activities. One has to involve himself in social activities. The juniors must learn to respect their seniors. Only then, a student can build himself up as a true human being. Addressing the teachers, the Chief Minister said, the teachers must also keep themselves ready with new knowledge and information. This will only enhance teaching. The Chief Minister advised the parents to be mindful of their children to keep them away from the reach of drugs. He said, the state government is also continuing its efforts against addiction. The Chief Minister had paid tribute to Hrishi Aurobindo.

Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath in the programme said, only through education, one can achieve success in life. The present state government is playing its role responsibly towards development of human resources. It is possible to build human resources through proper education and improved healthcare services. The government is giving equal importance to these two factors. The Education Minister said, there are 128 pre-primary schools in the state at present. 21 colleges out of 25 colleges in the state have been recognized under NAAC. Lakhsya scheme has been started for national level skill development for students of the state. he said, Master Degree Courses in Bengali and English languages have been started in six General Degree Colleges.

Principal of Sri Aurobindo General Degree College Dipankar Chakraborty delivered a welcome speech. Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) Dipak Majumdar and Director of Higher Education department N. C. Sharma also spoke on the occasion.