Itanagar, Apr 7 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday announced that his government will begin financially supporting the inter-college youth festival from next year.

The chief minister made this announcement while attending the inaugural ceremony of the 13th inter-college youth festival at Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) at Doimukh near here.

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Highlighting the significance of such events, Khandu said, “These festivals are not merely a celebration of arts, culture, and sports, they reflect our unity in diversity, a spirit of collaboration, and our collective aspirations.”

The chief minister endorsed the idea of organising the festival in two stages from next year, starting with zonal-level competitions among affiliated colleges, with the top performers progressing to the university-level event at RGU, an official release said.

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Responding to a memorandum submitted by the RGU students' body, Khandu said he has forwarded a copy of this to the state education commissioner for consultations with university authorities on the issues raised.

He assured the students of personal follow-up with the central government since RGU is a central university.

For matters falling within the state government's jurisdiction, he promised swift and positive resolution.

Recalling his first visit to RGU as chief minister eight years ago, Khandu noted that the student strength then was around 2,500.

“I was surprised to learn that the university now serves around 5,700 students,” he said.

Acknowledging the urgent need for improved hostel facilities, the chief minister announced that a new hostel building with a capacity of at least 2,000 students will be sanctioned within this financial year.

Additionally, as president of the Arunachal Pradesh Football Association, he promised the establishment of a futsal court on the campus.

Futsal is a modified form of football played with five players a side on a smaller, typically indoor, pitch.

Khandu congratulated RGU for securing the first prize for ‘Best Practices' at the East Zone Vice Chancellors' Conference of the Association of Indian Universities held in March.

The recognition was based on the achievements of RGU's Centre for Endangered Languages under the Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies, its implementation of the National Education Policy, green and sustainable energy initiatives, and transparency audits, outperforming over 100 state and central universities.

Khandu announced that over the next three financial years, the state will implement transformative changes aimed at improving education quality, infrastructure, and opportunities for students.

“Arunachal Pradesh is blessed with an unparalleled wealth of talent and a unique cultural heritage. Our youth are the leaders, innovators, artists, and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. It is our collective responsibility to nurture their potential and empower them to take our state to new heights,” he said.

He added that the state government is making every effort to provide the environment, infrastructure, and opportunities for youth to excel in sports, arts, and academics.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)