GUWAHATI, Jan 11 - The closure of the Nagaon Paper Mill under the Hindustan Paper Corporation has given birth to fresh challenges for Jagiroad College, which is finding it tough to continue the Pulp and Paper Technology course introduced in 2015-16 with an aim to produce skilled manpower for the paper industry.
The course was introduced under the UGC-funded Community College scheme under which the institution used to provide certificates � diploma and advanced diploma to its students. The Nagaon Paper Mill is the industry partner for the Jagiroad College in this course.
Already three batches of students have completed the course. In the first batch, the number of students was 53 and in second and third batches, the enrolment was 29 and 15 respectively.
�The Pulp and Paper Technology is a promising course to create a hub of skilled youths for the paper mills. At first, we received good response from students where the technical staff of the paper mill were the trainers for this course as part of the technical support. Unfortunately, from last year the course was discontinued as the uncertainty over the future of the paper mill loomed large,� NN Swargiary, a faculty of the course told The Assam Tribune.
Swargiary stated that the future of the promising course solely depends on the fate of the Nagaon Paper Mill as it needs technical support and employment opportunities for the students.
�We hope that the course resumes and are waiting for government�s decision vis-�-vis the fate of the paper mill,� he said.
The faculty informed that students from different parts of the State had got enrolled in the course and some of them even got appointments in the private sector outside the State.
Rijumani Borthakur, a student of the course, sharing her experience, said, �We had learned all the technical procedures used in a paper mill under the course. Unfortunately, many of the students including me are unemployed even after completing it. Now our future remains uncertain as we have not seen any positive response from the Government in regard to revival of the paper mill.�
She stated that revival of the paper mill is the only option to provide employment to the youths trained under this course.