Agartala: The Tripura government Wednesday announced the setting up of an education hub here to attract students from adjoining northeastern states and neighbouring Bangladesh.

"We want to create an education hub in Tripura," the state's chief minister Manik Sarkar told reporters.

"We have ambitious plans to set up institutions of higher education of national repute so that students from other north-eastern states and Bangladesh are attracted to come here for pursuing studies," he said.

Tripura's capital Agartala has two medical colleges and a National Institute of Technology (NIT).

The chief minister also informed that the Tripura University was upgraded into a central university last week.

"We have decided to set up a 240-seater Tripura Institute of Technology (TIT) and it would start functioning from this academic session," Sarkar said. The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has already given its approval to the new institute.

"A full-fledged dental college and an agricultural college are also in the pipeline, while degree and diploma level computer courses are being introduced in more government colleges," he said.

"Private institutions are also being encouraged to supplement efforts of the government in establishing higher educational institutions in Tripura," the chief minister said.

Sarkar said setting up of a science college and a college of education by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and the Tripura private medical college are some of the highlights of private collaboration in the state. IANS

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