AGARTALA, September 18 (TIWN): Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani on Friday presided over the Zonal Consultation meeting of North Eastern states on the new education policy by the Ministry of Human Resource Development at Pragna Bhawan.HRD Secretary V.S. Oberoi (Higher Education) and S.C. Khuntia (School Education) and senior officials of the education departments of all the eight northeast states attended the meeting. Tripura Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty said Friday's meeting was held as the follow up meeting of the 63rd meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) that was held in New Delhi on August 19. This meeting has been conducted as a part of the Centre's initiative to involve all stakeholders in formulation of the new higher education policy.The union minister has been accompanied by two union secretaries, V.S Oberoi and SC Khuntia, Joint Secretary Rakesh Ranjan, Under Secretary S K Pandey, Joint Secretary Ishita Rai, UGC Director Amit Shukla, Joit Director of UGC Venkatesh Kumar, Joint Advisor (planning) D: Pritam Singh and others.During the meeting, Tripura demanded increase the allocation of fund from the Centre to improve the higher education country from two per cent of the Gross Domestic Product to six per cent.

Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty welcomed Union HRD Minister Smiriti Irani at Pragna Bhwan.

Reportedly, Last Tuesday, Minister Irani had held video conferences with the higher education secretaries and officials concerned regarding the new higher education policies of the Centre, before her meeting with the ministers of the region.
The National Policy on Education has been formulated by the Government of India to promote education amongst India's people. The policy covers elementary education to colleges in both rural and urban India.

The first NPE was promulgated in 1968 by the government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and the second by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986.

During the visit at Tripura, Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister also visited NIT Agartala and met the students

While delivering speech at NIT Agartala, Union HRD Minister said that Government of India has taken several initiatives to upgrade the quality of the technical education in the renowned institutes like NIT and IIT.

However, Minister Irani also mentioned that among the initiatives one of the initiatives is that where the students and the faculty member can discuss among themselves and can coordinate a professor or a person from any international Universities.  

Minister Irani further mentioned that required cost will be bear by the Government of India with few limitations as only 90 days will be the maximum limit for the cost to be bear by central government.