The state cabinet decided that the Capt Williamson Sangma Technical University will be Meghalaya’s first state university, which will enable it to bypass the controversial Common University Entrance Test (CUET).
The CUET applies to North-Eastern Hills University, a central varsity. However, thanks to state government lobbying, NEHU’s affiliated colleges were exempted from the CUET for 2022-23, though it did continue to apply to NEHU itself. Student groups have been opposed to the introduction of CUET, fearing that it would harm the chances of local students getting admission.
CUET would not apply to a state university and calls had grown for Meghalaya to have one such varsity. The government, however, was apprehensive about the costs involved but has now seen a way forwards.
“This is to allow our colleges within our state the option to affiliate to the state university rather than to NEHU,” Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma explained. “And once that does happen, then provisions at the national level, including the CUET exams, would not be applicable anymore once these colleges affiliate to Capt Williamson Sangma State University.”
Meanwhile, the cabinet also decided that the 5th Pay Commission is applicable to ad hoc colleges in the state.
Sangma said that grant-in-aid is given to the colleges – Raid Laban College, Women’s College, Tikrikilla College, Durama College, Mahendraganj College and Sohra College – against a particular post, where 75 per cent is borne by the government and the remaining 25 pe rcent by the college’s managing committee but the teachers were not receiving the 5th Pay Commission salary scale.
After much deliberation, the state government has decided that the pay scale is applicable to them and arrears of Rs 11 crore for the last four and a half years will be cleared.
The cabinet also approved the sanctioned posts for Shillong Government College of Engineering and the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tura. The CM informed that the infrastructure is almost complete and the government hopes that the first academic sessions will begin next July.
Twelve ‘People’s Colleges’ also received sanction by the cabinet today. They are Thomas Jones Synod College in West Jaintia Hills, Abong Noga College in West Garo Hills, Khraw Sing Christian College in Mawphlang, Ri War College in Pynursla, Loyola College in Williamnagar, Balawan College in Ri-Bhoi, Mawsynram Border Area College, Selsella College, Seng Khasi College in Shillong, Mendipathar College, Sngap Singh Memorial College in West Khasi Hills and Tikrikilla College in West Garo Hills.
The cabinet also decided to initiate BA & B.Com courses by creating 39 posts and other non-teaching staff posts in the College of Teacher Education, Tura.
“This is being done as per the New Education Policy, which requires colleges to have multidisciplinary courses,” Sangma said.
Apart from these educational issues, the cabinet also approved an amendment to the Meghalaya Health Service Rules and included the Meghalaya Medical Service Recruitment Board in the rules so that the MMSRB can function and conduct necessary exams and recruitment for vacancies in doctors’ posts in the state.
The cabinet also gave its nod to the delegation of financial powers under Schedule IV for the Meghalaya Public Service Commission to ensure the commission functions smoothly. Previously, the MPSC had to take permission for small expenditures and this decision will give it financial independence on such matters.
Finally, as the National Human Rights Commission has directed state governments to provide compensation on the deaths of prisoners, the cabinet approved the compensation which will be notified.
