Ampati, Jan 14: In a historic moment for the people of the State in general and Garo Hills in particular, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma inaugurated Meghalaya’s first State University – the Captain Williamson Sangma State University (CWSSU) – and its newly constructed building in a scenic sprawling campus at Balalgre village of South West Garo Hills district on Saturday.

Colleges in Meghalaya have been affiliated to NEHU all these years & this will give them the opportunity to affiliate to our State’s own University.

— Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) January 14, 2023

Chief Adviser to the Chief Minister, Thomas A. Sangma, Commissioner & Secretary, Education, B.D.R. Tiwari, Secretary, Education, Ambrose Ch. Marak, Vice-Chancellor CWSSU, R.D. Shira, Tura Municipal Board Chairman, J.D. Sangma, Chairman KVIB, Subir Marak, Registrar, CWSSU, Heads of various educational institutions & academicians, officials of South West Garo Hills district administration and nokmas and public of the area were also present during the impressive inaugural function.

The Chief Minister dedicated the first State University of Meghalaya, named after the first Chief Minister of the State, Captain Williamson Sangma, to the people in this 50th year of Meghalaya’s statehood.

In his inaugural address, the Chief Minister said this was a technical university with limited courses but because of different circumstances and challenges that we faced during previous years and also to ensure that we have our own State University, the Cabinet has decided that this Technical University should be converted into a full-fledged State University. “Necessary steps have been taken and process is on for official ordinance to be notified by the Governor,” he said.

Responding to the issues raised by the VC on inadequate infrastructure for the University, the Chief Minister admitted that the infrastructure is not sufficient. “We need to work towards creating a proper blueprint and a master plan to ensure that this University has all the necessary facilities that are required by the students and for a university to function in a proper manner. Let me assure all of you that is exactly what our plan is,” he said.
Sharing information on the development of the campus, he said, “Apart from basic things like the boundary wall which has been sanctioned now and expect the work to start soon, we have already sanctioned the road connectivity from the main road up to the campus and this building out here, for which we expect the work to start very soon. As suggested, we have already started working on a larger picture, a larger plan, on where this University should go in the coming years.”

“More steps will have to be taken to ensure that we strengthen the overall system and the process to make this University, our first State University into one of the better and in the future, the best University of the region,” he added.

Having a full-fledged University would enable it to bypass the controversial Common University Entrance Test (CUET) and also give colleges within the state the option to affiliate to the State University rather than to NEHU.