Sikkim to focus on education: Minister K.N. Rai

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

CHANDIGARH, May 17: The Government of Sikkim has projected a total requirement of Rs 30,000 crore to the central government for over-all development of the north-eastern state.
Stating this while interacting with the media during his visit to the Central Scientific Instruments Organisation, Sector 30, today, Sikkim Education Minister K.N. Rai added that he expected about Rs 1,500 crore to come through soon under the Rs 3,000 crore package announced by New Delhi for the seven north-eastern states. Rai, who belongs to the Sikkim Democratic Front, said that as per their calculations, Sikkim's share in the Rs 1,500 crore package comes to about Rs 100 crore.

Rai said education was the top priority in Sikkim and the teachers were paid the highest as compared to other states. He said that education, including text books, was totally free up to Class V, while free books were provided to students up to Class XII. No tuition fee is charged till graduation.Though he termed the recent nuclear tests conducted at Pokharan as a big achievement for the country, he refused to elaborate further or comment on the China factor in the context of Sikkim being a border state.

In response to a question, Rai said the Sikkim Government is against opening any land trade routes to China through the state as the state has come into the main stream after 28 years and the people wanted a peaceful existence.While ruling out any political or socio-economic victimisation at the national level, he said that as per Article 371, the state should get more autonomy.

Earlier, addressing students and staff of the Indo-Swiss Training Centre and CSIO scientists at a symposium on the CSIO-Sikkim venture of setting up an advance technical training centre near Gangtok, Rai said that rural development, agriculture and health were his government's main thrust areas. He added that the percentage of women workers in all spheres in Sikkim was of great significance.

While saying that the youth were passing through a highly competitive phase where only the best survive, Rai said what mattered was the inherent qualities of the youth and not just academic certificates.

Earlier, in his welcome address, CSIO director Dr S. Mohan highlighted the background of the project and its envisioned implementation.

ISTC Principal P.S. Malhotra gave a presentation about the role and functioning of the ISTC, which is the model for setting up the Sikkim institute.

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