Sikkim University set to reassemble next year after 16 years

NEW DELHI: Sikkim University is spread over 17 kilometres. Established as a central university in 2007, it is still operating from temporary premises spread all over Gangtok. The lack of a permanent home presents “logistical nightmares” as one student put it.

“Our yearly fest stretches for over a month. This is usually completed within a week in all other universities. So there is a setback in studies and academic loss keeps happening as we are yet to shift to the permanent campus,” said Anukul Limboo, president of Sikkim University Student’s Association and a postgraduate sociology student.

Sikkim University started functioning in 2008 with four departments – social systems and anthropology; peace and conflict studies and management; international relations or politics; and microbiology. Today it offers traditional programmes and also ones in forestry, mountain studies, vocational studies and more – all from temporary sites.

According to the report of an audit conducted in March, 2024, for the period 2019-20 to 2022-23, Sikkim University had 32 departments and 14 affiliated colleges; it was operating from 22 hired buildings “in and around Gangtok”. Two departments run from premises on Kazi Road and two others from 7th Mile Road, 17 km away.

The logistical problems and lack of facilities made it hard to find and retain teachers. This situation will change by next year as most departments will come together at the permanent campus in Yangang, South Sikkim, promise officials.

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Sikkim University: Temporary campus, delays

“The university started in 2007 and the restructuring of the campus started in 2018. The students are still residing in [privately] rented accommodation,” added Limboo. With a student population of around 2,500, many are forced to stay as paying guests.

According to the audit report, the university paid the state government for acquisition and allotment of 300 acres in Yangang, South Sikkim, in 2008 but 265.94 acres were handed over only in 2013; the remaining 34.06 acres had not been transferred to SU even by March this year.

The university started writing to the state for the land only in 2016 – which was also when it first floated a tender for construction of the new campus – and sent the last of the eight letters in 2018. “No further correspondence suggesting that the university had put adequate pressure on the state government to hand over the remaining land was found on record," says the audit report. "Furthermore, reasons why the university had waited for three years before deciding to finally start writing to the state government...and why it had abruptly stopped pursuing the matter in 2018 was also not found on record....Even after a lapse of 15 years the university had failed to take possession of 34.06 acre of land with a purchase value of Rs 1.7 crore."

Over that period the cost has also gone up and according to the audit, it is now “highly unlikely” that the state will be able to give SU the land “without seeking additional funds from the university”. According to officials, the COVID-19 pandemic further slowed progress.

All this while, students were forced to rent and the university community faced water and other shortages. Sanjay Dahal, professor and dean of students’ welfare, however, assured that work on the permanent campus is progressing “on a war footing” and that 75% of the classes will be held at the permanent campus from next year.

The main campus is coming up Yangang in Namchi district, about 56 kilometres from Gangtok. “20% of the students are being provided hostel accommodation and 75% of the departments will be shifting by this year’s end. So the bottleneck of hostel accommodation will be resolved by next year,” said Dahal.

But he also said that moving the science department will take more time. “We will have a problem shifting the science departments as there are laboratories and the equipment is costly,” he added.

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International students at SU

A central university, Sikkim University has students from as far as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and also international students from South Africa, Bhutan and Nepal.

“50% of the students are from Sikkim and the rest are from across the country. We are expecting more international students when we move to the permanent campus,” said Dahal.

SU: Affiliated colleges, problems

All colleges in Sikkim are affiliated to Sikkim University and most of them are also striving for funds and better infrastructure.

“Ours is a young institution and we have so many issues, and most importantly the basic facility of a library is also missing,” said the principal of a college who did not want them to be named. The college did not receive proper funding under the PM USHA scheme – formerly known as the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) which supported higher education in states – for the college, they said. “We have 1,500 students and our college was accredited by the NAAC and we have got permanent affiliation,” they added.

This college has also expressed interest in starting science programmes, in addition to humanities and commerce ones which it already offers. “We want to start with at least a BSc in psychology, mathematics, computer science and economics. These additions are crucial for complying with the national education policy (NEP) 2020,” they said.

A teacher of another college affiliated with Sikkim University said they are facing issues with retaining teachers. “We have 2,000 students but because of lack of facilities, there is a shortage of teachers – we are unable to retain them,” they said.

There are 18 affiliated colleges to Sikkim University of which one is the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, established in 1958. Other than that, there are colleges offering B.Ed and skill-based programmes as well as courses in law, pharmaceutical studies, nursing and others.

Namgyal Institute of Tibetology primarily functions as a research institute and cultural centre, focusing on Tibetan studies.