Students in North and Middle Andaman may have to travel to South Andaman to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), prompting ANTCC Campaign Committee chairman TSG Bhasker to seek the introduction of the course at Mahatma Gandhi Government College (MGGC), Mayabunder.
In a letter to the Chief Secretary, Bhasker said BBA is currently offered at two colleges in South Andaman District, while MGGC Mayabunder remains the only degree college serving the entire North and Middle Andaman District. He urged the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to introduce the programme at MGGC to address what he described as an educational access gap for students in the district.
According to Bhasker, students seeking a BBA qualification from North and Middle Andaman currently do not have the option of studying the course within their own district. Travelling to South Andaman, he said, can place additional financial and logistical demands on students and their families.
The request centres on expanding access to professional education closer to where students live. Bhasker said there is growing demand among students in North and Middle Andaman for the BBA programme, particularly since the course is already being conducted in South Andaman District.
He also linked the proposed course to the employment profile of the Islands, pointing to business and tourism as major pillars of the local economy and important sources of employment. In his representation, he said a BBA programme at MGGC Mayabunder could provide students with professional skills relevant to employment and entrepreneurial opportunities within the Islands.
Bhasker argued that students should have access to comparable educational opportunities regardless of which part of the Islands they live in. He said the absence of the course in North and Middle Andaman should not require students to relocate or travel to South Andaman solely to pursue the programme.
“Students of North & Middle Andaman should not be forced to travel to South Andaman simply because a course is not available in their district. Educational opportunities must be accessible to students across all parts of the Islands,” Bhasker said.
He has asked the Chief Secretary to consider the proposal and introduce the BBA course at MGGC Mayabunder at the earliest. He said the move would serve the interests of students and support the educational development of North and Middle Andaman District.
