By Firstdespatch Desk Aug 28, 2026
Agartala, Aug 28 (FD) The Tripura government has accorded greater priority to research and innovation in the higher education sector, Higher Education Minister Kishor Barman informed the Tripura Legislative Assembly on Friday.
Responding to a question raised by MLA Ranjit Das, the minister said several initiatives have been introduced in government colleges to increase students’ interest and participation in science, technology and research.
As part of the new curriculum, Biotech Clubs have been established in 17 colleges to encourage students to engage with modern scientific studies, develop innovative thinking and gain hands-on research experience.
Barman said students are being provided opportunities to participate in seminars, workshops, lectures, field visits, social surveys, laboratory-based experiments, field studies, electronic technology and desktop publishing projects, as well as visits to industrial establishments.
Undergraduate students are also being introduced to literature reviews and research methodologies, with access to electronic journals, books and other research materials.
The minister further informed the House that construction of new science buildings is underway at Netaji Subhash Mahavidyalaya in Udaipur and MBB College in Agartala. Legislation has also been enacted to facilitate the transformation of the Tripura Institute of Technology into a Technical University.
Over the past three years, a total of 14,302 students at degree and diploma levels have participated in various research and innovation-related activities in colleges across the state, he said.
In a written reply to another question by MLA Sudip Roy Barman, the minister said the government had allocated Rs 89.77 crore for infrastructure development in government colleges during the past three financial years, of which Rs 85.27 crore has been spent.
The funds were used for constructing new buildings in five colleges, laboratories in seven colleges, a library in one college and smart classrooms in 15 colleges.
The government has also planned new buildings in several colleges during the next financial year, including Rabindranath Tagore Mahavidyalaya in Bishalgarh, Michael Madhusudan Dutta College, Swami Vivekananda Mahavidyalaya in Mohanpur, Ambedkar College in Fatikroy, Advaita Mallabarman Smriti Mahavidyalaya in Kamalpur, Bir Bikram Memorial College in Agartala, Dasarath Deb Memorial College in Khowai and Government Degree College in Kakraban.
Replying to another written question by MLA Ashok Chandra Mitra, Barman said Tripura currently has 41 government colleges under the Higher Education Department, comprising 29 general degree colleges, five professional colleges, six polytechnics and one technical college.
These institutions currently have a combined student enrolment of 69,677, the minister added. FD SB