Mizoram assembly clears bill to establish state university

AIZAWL: The Mizoram assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill to establish the first government-run university in the northeastern state. The Mizoram State University Bill, 2025, introduced by Higher and Technical Education Minister Vanlalthlana is aimed at meeting the norms set by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, to establish a teaching-intensive university to cater to affiliation of colleges within 15 years of the implementation of the policy.

Vanlalthlana said the lone Mizoram University (MZU), 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. "It is imperative to have a teaching-intensive state university to grant affiliation to the existing colleges in the state," he said, adding, it will also cater to the needs of students in pursuing higher studies in post-graduate courses as seats are limited in MZU. If a state university is established, all state-run colleges will be constituent colleges, and private colleges can become affiliated ones, he said.

The state university, after its establishment, will also help increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education, including vocational education, as aimed by the NEP, the minister said. Vanlalthlana said the state university would be established in a cluster model combining various colleges and institutions to function under a single framework, and it will be initially set up in Aizawl.