Port Blair, Oct. 4: The much awaited Andaman Law College has started functioning with its inauguration by the Lt. Governor, A&N Islands, Prof. Jagdish Mukhi at Transport Bhawan premises here this morning. The Member of Parliament, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray, Chief Secretary, Shri Anindo Majumdar, PBMC Chairperson, Shri B. Eshwar Rao, Secretary Law (Vice Chairman, ANILES), Shri Sandip J. Jacques, Additional District & Sessions Judge, Siddharth Khanjilal, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Hr. Education, Shri Sanjiv Khirwar, Deputy Commissioner, Senior Officers of the Administration, Members of A&N Bar Council, Lecturers and Students were also present on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, soon after lighting the ceremonial lamp, the Lt. Governor congratulated the Islanders on the inauguration of Andaman Law College at Port Blair on the auspicious day today, with the beginning of Navratri festival.

The Lt. Governor said, the need for a Law College in Isles was a long pending demand of the Islanders as well as students and today, their long cherished dream have been fulfilled and the Islands can now be enriched with imparting legal education. “Earlier, students who wished to pursue Law had to go to mainland, but now the facility has been made available for them here in the Islands itself”, said the Lt. Governor.

Speaking about the challenges faced in starting any educational institution here in the Islands due to infrastructural shortage, the Lt. Governor said, all such issues will be sorted out soon. 

About legal education and its importance, the Lt. Governor remarked that ‘Law’ is an important aspect of education and Law graduates have the potential in leading the people. The Lt. Governor stated that Legal education is essentially required not only to practice law in various Courts, but also, in various other ways to render legal advice to commercial organizations, Government Departments, Litigants and the general public at large.

The Lt. Governor further stated that advocates played a major role in the country’s freedom struggle. “Our Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, first Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Pt. Moti Lal Nehru were all big lawyers, this proves that legal knowledge can mould the fate of any country/place”, said the Lt. Governor. He said we need to strive to make not only our Law College excel in academics and be at par with National Law Schools, elsewhere in the country as well.

He expressed happiness that the Administration has been paying attention to providing higher education to students in Isles and starting of an Engineering College, a Medical College and now a Law College is definitely a positive step in the development of this Union Territory in the field of higher education. An eminent educationalist himself, the Lt. Governor, based on his vast experience in the field of education, and having established the prestigious GGS Indraprastha University for Professional Courses himself, stressed that A&N Island should have its own University and announced that very soon, a Central University will be created in Isles and the problems faced in opening new colleges in Isles will come to an end.

Speaking about quality education, the Lt. Governor remarked that any college/ educational institution are known by its faculty. With the establishment of a Central University in Isles, good and efficient faculties will be able to join, which will ensure a better quality education to our children.

Sharing his observation of the Island in a short span of time, the Lt. Governor said he is proud of the fact that the Islands’ per capita expenditure, per capita income and literacy rate are much higher compared to any other states on the mainland. He also expressed his happiness that the people of the Islands have great faith in the Govt. Hospitals and its services.

The Lt. Governor also lauded the Islands’ spic and span environment beside it being a beggar free place. He lauded the Islands’ true representation of a mini India being reflected through the essence of true nationalism and secularism prevailing in the Islands. “People of different linguistic background/ community reside here in A&N Islands, but ‘Hindi’ remains the main lingua franca, which is indeed a good thing and credits should go to all Islanders”, said the Lt. Governor.

He also congratulated the Chief Secretary and his team for having achieved this milestone and bestowed his best wishes to the Andaman Law College, its teaching and non teaching faculty, especially the first batch of the law students of this College, a very bright future.

In his address, the Member of Parliament, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray informed that with the sanctioning of OFC project by the Government, the problem of poor connectivity will come to an end. The OFC Project with a cost of Rs. 1100 cr. will connect Chennai with Port Blair and other Islands, thus strengthening the communication and connectivity in Isles. The MP expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for the sanctioning of OFC project and the Lt. Governor for his efforts in getting the project sanctioned at the earliest. He informed that the tender will be floated by this December and OFC Project will be completed within two years time. The MP further informed that BSNL will get Rs. 222 cr. for the next five years for implementing IT projects in Isles. He also urged the faculty of Andaman Law College to include law subject in the first year itself.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Secretary remarked that the inauguration of Andaman Law College today, indeed marks the fulfillment of a long pending dream. Earlier, students had to go out to seek law education and through the establishment of a Law College, steps have been taken in strengthening our education system, he said. He stated that Law schools give well grounded education coupled with legal knowledge, so that students can handle all subjects.

The Chief Secretary further stated that there is a shortage of legal advisors in various sectors like Intellectual Property Rights, International Relation etc and expressed hope that Isles students would be well equipped to handle all these challenges. He said, Law students should look at the country as a whole and first year Law students must take up legal education immediately. He expressed hope that this law college would grow into a college of excellence in the coming years under the able guidance of the Lt. Governor. The Chief Secretary also lauded the genuine consensus received from all quarters in starting of this Law College. 

In his welcome address, the Secretary Law (Vice Chairman, ANILES), Shri Sandip J.Jacques said with the inauguration of this Law College, a long pending dream/ desire has been fulfilled and students can now seek legal education in these Islands itself. He informed that the Law College has an initial intake of 30 students with 5 years integrated Law Course leading to the award of BA LLB (Hons) degree. He said Pondicherry has given provisional affiliation for this academic year and the Administration in a very short span of time has worked out and outlined the modalities for the establishment of a Law College by establishing a Society called as the 'Andaman & Nicobar Islands Legal Education Society' (ANILES), under which the College would be administered. He further informed that the Administration has allotted 2 hectares of land at Attam Pahad for the Law College permanent campus. With the inauguration, classes for the first year students of Law College also commenced today.

At the outset, a welcome song was presented by the students of ANCOL. The programme concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by OSD Law College, Dr. R. N. Rath. He also informed that five tribal students have also been admitted in the Law College.