The Meghalaya government has requested official recognition for the state-run Williamson Sangma University from the University Grants Commission (UGC), officials reported.

Education Commissioner and Secretary Syed Md A Razi stated that the state government has approached the UGC for 2F notification, which would include the university in the list of UGC-recognized universities.

“We are hopeful we will receive the 2F notification very soon,” Razi said.

The state government anticipates that UGC recognition will enable the transfer of all colleges currently affiliated with North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) to Williamson Sangma University, while private colleges will have the option to decide their affiliation.

Razi also mentioned that the government expects Williamson Sangma University to be operational by next year. This would eliminate the need for Meghalaya students to take the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) and prevent the state from repeatedly seeking exemptions, as the state university would not require CUET scores.

The Government of India had previously exempted Meghalaya students from the CUET to facilitate their admission into undergraduate programs.

The Union Ministry of Education issued a notification to this effect on May 29, 2024.

“The primary aim was to ensure that students seeking undergraduate admission in Meghalaya for the current academic year do not face difficulties,” Razi said.

The Chief Minister decided to seek a CUET exemption for all NEHU-affiliated colleges in Meghalaya, allowing them to continue direct admissions as in previous years, Razi added.

However, the influential Khasi Students Union has opposed the decision to shift the affiliation of all undergraduate colleges to Williamson Sangma University.

Source: PTI

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