Even though Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma seems to really have something against the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), the varsity’s Chancellor, Mahbubul Hoque, has downplayed the constant brickbats of Assam’s CM, saying excellence has no enemy and once students excel in their lives, no one can stop them.
In the last few months, Sarma has made a slew of attacks on USTM, largely on religious lines. First he accused the university of “flood jihad”, blaming it for exacerbating flooding in nearby Guwahati. The attacks kept on coming after that and Sarma even went to the extent of announcing plans to make it harder for USTM graduates to apply for government jobs in Assam.
Hoque said that in today’s world, most jobs are based on competitive exams and students of the university are eligible for any university and any study.
“No one can restrict a student who passes out from any university located anywhere in the country or even globally,” he said.
Admitting that the recent attack of the Assam government has created apprehensions in the mind of the students, Hoque said that USTM is an A grade institute and one of the 200 best universities of the country, according to one set of rankings, with all certifications and accreditations given by none other than the central government.
Meanwhile, with the USTM receiving the go-ahead from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and National Medical Commission (NMC) for the PA Sangma International Medical College and Hospital, the university has announced that 40 seats will be allotted as state government seats out of which 25 will be according to the government fee structure and 15 will partly follow the university’s fees structure.
Hoque said that even for other paramedical courses, a similar allotment pattern shall be applicable for Meghalaya students.
This development allows the medical college an intake of 150 students for its inaugural MBBS programme, marking a new chapter in USTM’s commitment to providing top-tier education in the field of medicine.
The academic session will start from the last week of October and USTM invites applications from aspiring doctors from the state and across the country.
“This is a historic achievement for USTM and a crucial step in our journey to contribute meaningfully to the healthcare sector of the region and the nation. From now onwards patients and students need not go outside the state for healthcare services,” he said, adding that a super speciality hospital with organ transplant facility will be fully operational in the next six months and super specialist doctors from other parts of the country will join the medical college.
In terms of healthcare facilities, 50 per cent concession for super specialty services will be offered to patients from Meghalaya with free general treatment facilities.
