Agartala, March 23: Members of the opposition Indian National Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a walkout from the Tripura Legislative Assembly on Monday, strongly protesting the state government’s move to introduce yet another Bill for establishing a private university.
According to opposition leaders, this marks the fourth such Bill tabled during the ongoing Budget Session, triggering concerns over the rapid approval of private higher education institutions. Earlier, on March 20, the treasury bench had passed three similar Bills despite objections, prompting a walkout by opposition MLAs on that day as well. However, the legislation was cleared by a majority.
The latest Bill, proposing the establishment of the Dhanvantari Skill University, was introduced shortly after the lunch break on Monday, sparking immediate resistance from the विपक्ष benches. Opposition leaders argued that the government was pushing through these proposals without adequate scrutiny of the credentials and track records of the organisations involved.
Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury launched a sharp attack on the government, alleging that some of the entities seeking to set up universities have questionable backgrounds. “We have opposed this Bill because organisations with a history of cheating students should not be allowed to operate in our state. Many of these institutions are either blacklisted or carry a tainted past. Allowing them to run universities will jeopardise the future of our youth,” he said.
Echoing similar concerns, a senior Congress MLA argued that if the government is genuinely committed to promoting higher education and a startup ecosystem, it should encourage credible local educationists to establish institutions. He also pointed out that several private colleges in the state charge high fees for professional courses but fail to provide degrees with meaningful value in the job market.
The ruling bench, however, remained firm on its stance, continuing to push forward its legislative agenda. The repeated walkouts underscore a growing rift between the government and the opposition over education policy, with the issue likely to remain a key point of contention in the days ahead.
