Meghalaya's first state-run university begins PG admissions without CUET

NEW DELHI: Meghalaya's first state-run university, Captain Williamson Sangma State University (CWSSU), has invited applications for postgraduate programmes for the academic session 2025-26, officials said on Tuesday. Various courses are being offered in the university's Tura and Shillong campuses, the University's Registrar, A Ch Marak, told PTI.

In the Tura campus, postgraduate programmes are available in Anthropology, Economics, Education, Environmental Science, Garo, Geography, History, Philosophy, Political Science and Sociology. The Shillong campus will offer postgraduate (PG) courses in Commerce, English, Khasi and Social Work, which are also simultaneously available at the Tura campus, he said. Established in 2011 through an Act of the state government, CWSSU operates from its permanent campus in Tura.

The campus was constructed under Special Plan Assistance with an allocation of Rs 16.96 crore and completed in December 2022. With academic blocks, hostels, and administrative facilities, the campus has an area of more than 90 acres. The university is recognised under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956, and is empowered to award degrees independently.

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Admissions open without CUET for PG programmes

The University Grants Commission (UGC) formally approved its degree-awarding status in December 2024. The institution began academic operations this year, with the Shillong campus set to open shortly. Admissions to CWSSU's PG programmes do not require the Common University Entrance Test (CUET), making the university an attractive option for students across the state.

At least 11 colleges from across the state have been granted affiliation with the University. These colleges also admit students without CUET, unlike those under NEHU, which are bound by the CUET requirement as per NEP 2020. According to official sources, admissions to the PG courses will remain open for at least two to three weeks, and the application procedures and course details are available on the university's website.

CWSSU's launch is seen as a significant milestone in Meghalaya's higher education sector, enhancing access and offering flexible admission pathways for students.