SHILLONG, DEC 13: The state Cabinet on Tuesday passed an ordinance for setting up a state university.
“The cabinet has approved the ordinance where the Captain Williamson Sangma Technical University will be changed to Captain Williamson Sangma State University,†Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma told reporters after the meeting.
He said this has been basically done because the state does not have a state university of its own and hence all the colleges have to affiliate to the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU).
“In view of this, the cabinet has decided to expand the scope of the Captain Williamson Sangma Technical University into a state university to give colleges within the state the option to affiliate to the state university rather than to NEHU,†Sangma said.
The chief minister said once all the colleges are affiliated to the state university, provisions at the national level which include the CUET exams would not be applicable anymore.
Meanwhile, the cabinet has also decided to create 39 posts of teaching and non-teaching staff for starting BA and B.Com courses in the College of Teachers’ Education, Tura.
Sangma said this was done as per the new education policy that requires the colleges to have multi-disciplines.
“Therefore, in order to enable the College of Teachers’ Education to be able to move forward in the lines of the new education policy, these courses of BA and B.Com will start as well as 39 posts will be created for this purpose,†he added.
Govt sanctions 12 people’s colleges: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the government will extend financial support to all 12 People’s Colleges.
“Specific posts will be sanctioned by the government. We will be paying for those teachers and the lecturers and some of the non-teaching staffs in these colleges,” he told reporters.
The 12 colleges include: Thomas Jones Synod College, Jowai (West Jaintia Hills), Abongnoga College, Tura (West Garo Hills, Khrawsing Christian College, Mawphlang (East Khasi Hills), Riwar College, Pynursla (EKH), Loyala College, Williamnagar (East Garo Hills), Balawan College, Umsning (Ri Bhoi), Mawsynram Border Area College, Mawsynram (EKH), Selsella College, Selsella (WGH), Seng Khasi College, Jaiaw (Shillong), Mendipathar College, Mendipathar (North Garo Hills), Sngap Sing College, Mawkyrwat (South West Khasi Hills) and Tikrikilla College, Tikrikilla (WGH).
The chief minister further informed that the financial implication for implementing the government’s decision will be Rs 17.94 crore annually and Rs one and a half crore will be spend monthly.
Sangma said that the decision would also to a great extent address concern for seats in the different colleges.
“Hence with this the entire concerns of our youth who are not able to get access to college seats and every year we hear these kinds of problems that are there, we are hopeful that as per the government’s mandate and our commitment to the people that education will be given priority therefore these aspects are being done,” he stated.
“Therefore if you notice today in the cabinet majority of the agendas are related to education. With these decisions we take, close to about Rs 40 crore plus of financial impact that is there will go towards education. Hence, this is another indication of how we as a government take education as important and priority,” he further added.
