The new Capt Williamson Sangma University (CWSU), Meghalaya first state university, should offer courses that the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) does not in order to fully maximise the benefit to students in the state.
This was the opinion of Prof Sumarbin Umdor, from NEHU’s Economics Department. He pointed out that the initial plan of the state government back in 2011 was for an institute that provides industry-relevant education in areas of engineering, physical sciences, life sciences, technology and that is why the CWSU was meant to be called the Capt Williamson Sangma Technical University.
The nomenclature changed in 2023 when the Meghalaya government decided on a full-fledged state university so as to enable state colleges to be free from the purview of the Common University Entrance Test, which the central government-run NEHU will implement (now in 2025 after the state secured a further year’s exemption).
According to Umdor, there are many colleges in Meghalaya that offer courses in the general disciplines of science, arts and commerce and the Technical University would have filled a niche that has so far been ignored.
Professional and technical education is a must as it “can provide employment to our youths”. The 2023 amendment to the legislation to create the CWSU adds humanities, general sciences, engineering, physical sciences, life sciences, commerce, performing arts, etc.
The creation of the CWSU could also be a move by the state government to avoid implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Umdor opined. He also questioned whether colleges would want to swap their NEHU affiliation for that of the CWSU simply to avoid CUET or NEP.
Umdor said that the setting up of the state university is needed but its earlier vision to impart education in technology and professional courses was good since it is a need that NEHU does not fill.
Out of 82 colleges in Meghalaya, 75 provide courses in general streams and the other seven are for specific subjects like nursing and engineering. Colleges that impart teaching in technical education are few in number and CWSU would help if it offers courses in these subjects, Umdor said.
But this would require the state government to create a whole host of departments and spend a large amount of money on manpower and infrastructure, which Umdor estimated at Rs 100 to Rs 150 crore.
For a small and rather poor state, it would have been more prudent to create the technical university first before thinking of adding the other subjects, he opined.
The other matter he raised is that the CWSU is located in Tura but only 18 out of 82 state colleges are located in Garo Hills. Out of these 18, 12 are for arts only, three offer science and commerce, two are for teacher education and one for law.
Umdor said that there is a need to bring Garo Hills at par with the rest of the state and what the region needs is to set up more colleges offering courses in science, commerce and professional streams.
He also informed that 93 per cent of students in Garo Hills take up arts, 3.5 per cent take up science and just 2.5 per cent commerce.
The state government yesterday had also revealed that it plans for all government and government-aided colleges to shift their affiliation from NEHU to CWSU. However, Umdor pointed out that only seven out of 82 are actually full-fledged government colleges, while there are others whose salaries are borne by the state.
According to him, the government might feel that since it is funding them they can force the government-aided private colleges to affiliate with the CWSU. But he said, “The government of Meghalaya is not doing charity to these colleges by paying the salaries. In fact they are playing an important role by imparting education to our children.”
