By Zaidul Haque, Twocircles.net,
Kolkata: The Aligarh Muslim University began the academic activity of its upcoming Murshidabad centre on 6th March with classes for B.A.LLB and MBA at a rented two-story house in the West Bengal district of Muslim domination. The main campus of the centre whose foundation has been laid at Ahiran near Farakka in the district will come up in 10 years time.
For now AMU has started two courses – B.A.LLB and MBA – with equal intake capacity of 60 students at the Murshidabad centre. The temporary building is located inside the Howrah Bidi factory premises at Ghorshala near Raghunathganj town. The factory is owned by renowned businessman and social worker Sajahan Biswas.
Dr P K Abdul Azis
However, what is not encouraging is that in the first year the intake capacity is not fully utilized. While 57 students have got admission for the five year course of B.A.LLB only 13 could be enrolled for MBA which also had the capacity of 60 seats.
Sumaiya Kabir of Raghunathganj village told reporters she is happy at the start of AMU campus in Murshidabad district. Same view was expressed by Alfaz Firdaus, an MBA student from Kolkata.
Vice Chancellor of AMU Dr P K Abdul Azis said, within 10 years the main campus project will be completed. It is a Rs 1300-crore project. In future AMU will introduce classes from Nursery Standard to Higher degrees.
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has allotted Rs.50 crore for the Murshidabad campus in the Union Budget for 2011-12. The last year budget had Rs 25 crore for the campus.
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee last year laid the foundation stone of the campus. Mukherjee is the Lok Sabha MP from Jangipur constituency in Murshidabad district.