Shillong, May 27: The Achik Holistic Awakening Movement (AHAM), Adokgre Regional Unit has sought recognition of the Adokgre C&RD Block as an independent block for DIET admissions in North Garo Hills District.
In a letter to the Directorate of Educational Research and Training (DERT) AHAM, along with the farmer producer cooperative society, Sardar association, students, and aspiring teachers trainees said there is a grave administrative anomaly that has resulted in continued injustice, inequality, and exclusion of students belonging to Adokgre Block from availing admission in the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) Resubelpara.
Prior to the establishment of the block in 2022, the region fell under the jurisdiction of Kharkutta. AHAM said the administrative transition appears to have created barriers preventing students from accessing necessary educational services.
AHAM unit president Marchborn R Marak stated that students belonging to Adokgre block have been deprived of the opportunity to avail DIET admissions, as they continue to be erroneously reflected as belonging to Kharkutta Block in the online application system.
According to Marak, an information request under the Right to Information Act has unveiled significant administrative deadlocks affecting seat allocation systems within the district. He said that there is no separate seat allocation mechanism for the Adokgre block in the online admission system, which has led to systemic exclusion and has denied equal opportunities for students in this region.
Marak said that the persistent inaction on behalf of the Directorate of Education and Research Training (DERT) not only undermines Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law, but also breaches Article 21A, which mandates the state to provide access to education.
AHAM has called for immediate recognition of the Adokgre block to rectify the ongoing inequity. The group urged the DERT to implement special admission measures, including the recovery and restoration of seats, to counterbalance the losses faced by previous students.
Furthermore, the group wants enhancement of the number of DIET seats in proportion to population growth, ensuring access to teacher education, and empowering students within their own district.
