Mizoram to establish state university's centre in Lunglei: Lalduhoma

Aizawl, Nov 20 (PTI) Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Thursday said that the main centre of a proposed state university will be installed in southern Lunglei town, an official statement said here.

The CM informed a meeting of Lunglei High Powered Committee (HPC) held in Lunglei town that the government has reversed its decision and decided to establish the state university's centre in Lunglei, the second largest town in the state after Aizawl, to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Lunglei and other southern districts, the statement said.

He said that the Mizoram State University Bill was legislated by the state assembly in March, and it was initially decided that the main centre would be installed in Aizawl.

"As we respect the aspirations of the people of Lunglei and other southern districts, who wish that the proposed state university's centre be established in Lunglei, we decided to install the same in the southern town even if amendment of the law is required," Lalduhoma was quoted as saying in the statement.

The Mizoram State University Bill, 2025 was passed by the state assembly on March 4 to establish a teaching-intensive university to cater to the affiliation of colleges in the state within 15 years as demanded by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

State Higher and Technical Education minister Vanlalthlana, who introduced the bill, had said that a state university would be established in a cluster model combining various colleges and institutions to function under a single framework.

He had said that the lone Mizoram University (MZU), which is a central university, will automatically be converted into a research-intensive university by 2035, and no more affiliation could be done by the existing 21 colleges in the state as per the NEP.

According to the minister, the NEP recommended two types of colleges - autonomous degree-granting colleges and constituent colleges of a university - but only 3 out of 21 colleges in the state are eligible for autonomous degree-granting college, and the rest will have to apply for affiliation from universities outside Mizoram, which will be an embarrassment for the state.

He had said that a teaching-intensive state university was necessary to grant affiliation to the existing colleges in the state.

The state university, after its establishment, will also help increase Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education, including vocational education, and also cater for the needs of students pursuing higher studies in post-graduate courses, Vanlalthlana had said. PTI COR RG