India is a vast country and the Government of India should take steps cautiously so that not a single State is deprived of getting equal opportunities. But some sort of disparity is seen in case of northeastern States. The people of this region have to raise their voice for fulfilment of some basic demands like higher technical institutions, new universities, engineering colleges etc — but their cries never bear fruits. The question is: Why this disparity?

In the absence of any definite policy of the Government, the infiltration gradually assumed an alarming proportion and the aliens became politically so strong that no political party in this state is in a position to form the government without their support.

The location is such that if Dhaka wanted, they could have annexed the region militarily too. But they were clever enough not to waste blood and bullets and instead took the sublime route of sending its population over the poorly guarded Indian border.

Duke President Richard H. Brodhead presided over the ceremony in the university’s Wallace Wade football stadium and General Motors Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner delivered the commencement address.

The following local student was among those to receive degrees:

Meenakshi V. Chivukula
Medfield, Massachusetts (USA)
Bachelor of Arts, International Comparative Studies

Daughter of Suresh and Lakhimi Chivukula of Medfield, Massachusetts.
Grand daughter of Smt. Komol Kumari Baruah (social worker) and the late Sri Hem Chandra Baruah of Jyotinagar, Guwahati.

No doubt, it is a matter of pride for us but it is further observed that socio-economic progress in India is not directly proportional to the vast educated and trained manpower. There is lack of value-based education in the higher institutions. Add to this fact that rural sectors are given less priority for socio-economic development. As a matter of fact, the proportion of our population in the relevant age group (17-21) that enters the world of higher education is only about 7 per cent.