Universities in Mizoram | Image Resource : i0.wp.com
In Mizoram, most students attend online classes and appear for online exams from their homes. But 45 students from a remote village in Mizoram’s Siaha district are hoping that they will get to attend online classes and appear for exams.
The remote village of Mawheri lacks proper mobile internet connectivity in their locality. It is located about 70 km from the Siaha district headquarters and is surrounded by hillocks and located under the Tips RD block. Students are hoping that the state government will help them access proper mobile internet connectivity.
The 45 students are taking online classes on a hilltop in a forest area in the Saha district. Last year the students appeared for online exams in a temporary hall and hut which was made by the Mara Students Organisation. The hall was made using bamboo, banana tree leaves and tarpaulin inside the dense forest located on a hilltop.
An examination hall was built by the Mawheri village branch of the Mara Students Organisation. Network signals are available at the hilltop which are suitable for conducting online classes and exams for the students. This hall is located at Mt. Tlaotlah and is accessible through a 3 - 4 km uphill trek through the forest. However, this is the only spot where mobile network connectivity is available.
An undergraduate student of Mizoram University said that they have to trek for an hour in the forest area to reach the hilltop to attend online classes. The students from the Chapi village which is situated near the Mawheri village also decided to attend online classes from the temporary hall.
Lack of internet connectivity
The Tipa Sub Divisional Officer, Lalhmingliana and APO RD Department, J. Vanlalramengzauva visited the online classes that run from the makeshift hut.
The leaders of the Mara Students Organisation told the news reporters that there is a mobile tower in the area but the internet signal is very poor and inadequate for online classes. The students are forced to trek for 3 km every day to access better signals.
They talked about the difficulties they have to face due to poor signals with the visiting officers. Lalmingliana assured the students that he would help them to eliminate their sufferings and offered Silpaulin for 4 makeshift huts and Rs. 2000. The leaders said that students from other villages were also facing similar problems.
The two universities in Mizoram offer undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses.