The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has kept up its attack on the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), with the state party’s general secretary now questioning the level of support the varsity is receiving.
Wankitbok Pohshna was responding to Meghalaya Chief Secretary Donald P Wahlang, who was quoted as saying that USTM is a “state university” and is supported by the state government.
The Meghalaya BJP in recent days has taken up the cudgel swung by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has made several allegations over the past year against the university. His latest one, without providing a shred of evidence, is that USTM hands out fake degrees. Wahlang defended the university, saying that its degrees are recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and are therefore genuine. USTM has also categorically denied all the allegations.
Pohshna, however, said that UGC recognition does not ensure that all degrees awarded by a university are not fake. “The degrees can always be given to people who pay for them, without the candidate going through a proper evaluation process that judges the extent of the candidate’s knowledge; as is mandated under a recognised education system. We would like to know if USTM is following the prescribed process or is it simply flooding the market with unqualified candidates holding degrees”, Pohshna said.
He also questioned how Wahlang could describe USTM as a state university, as this implies that it is state-run, when it is a private institute that was set up through an act of the Meghalaya Assembly. The BJP also wanted to know the level and kind of support USTM receives from the state government, especially whether this includes subsidies or other financial support.
