The Meghalaya Cabinet on Wednesday decided to restrict the jurisdiction of Martin Luther Christian University to within Meghalaya, while removing provisions allowing distance education and affiliation of colleges, as part of efforts to bring the university’s legal framework in line with University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations.
Meghalaya Government spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Wailadmiki Shylla said the Cabinet approved the Martin Luther Christian University Amendment Bill, 2026, along with amendments aimed at ensuring that the university operates within the jurisdiction permitted under State legislation.
“Martin Luther Christian University Ammendment Bill 2026, this also we are following the UGC regulations. Right now in the present act the Martin Luther Christian University can functions other the Meghalaya but as you all know the state legislature cannot give permission for outside the jurisdiction of the state. So that’s why we are limiting the Martin Luther Christian University within Meghalaya.”
Explaining the other amendments, Shylla said, “Secondly, in the original act they have a clause mention that they have distant education, which is not allowed in the private university. That also we are doing away with it, the distant education. Thirdly, affiliating the college, in the present act the Martin Luther Christian University affiliates colleges, which is not allowed as per the UGC norms.. That also we are doing away, we are not allowing the affiliation of college. This is with the Martin Luther Christian University Ammendment Bill.”
The Cabinet also approved two new university Bills. Shylla said, “4 and 5 agendas are the new bill. The sister Nivedita University Meghalaya Bill 2026, this is a new University which have come forward for approval. This will be in Byrnihat. The next one is the Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian University Meghalaya Bill 2026. This will be in Sohiong.”
The Cabinet further approved the International Open University Repeal Bill, 2026. Shylla said, “The last one is International open University Repeal Bill 2026. This act came to the state legislature in 2011, but after 2011 till 2022, no body has come forward , they have not done anything. After 2022, some people have come forward with the power of attorney but later we came to know there is a conflict, at the same time we feel from the cabinet that if you see the name itself that it is International open University which is like contradicting, international word is there, other one is open University which is not allowed as per the UGC norms.”
On the Maharashtra Institute of Technology of Meghalaya, Shylla said, “Maharastra Institute of Technology of Meghalaya ammendment Bill 2026, in the original bill, the visitor is decided by the sponsoring body, but in all other university the visitor is the Governor. We have ammended it, Now Governor will be the visitor in this university. We are ammending it as per the UGC norms as per the act which is at par with all the other universities in the state. Board of management we are increasing the representative from the government from one to two and in the board of governor from two to three.”
Shylla also said the Mahatma Gandhi Amendment Bill, 2026, was approved with similar changes to bring its provisions in line with the governance framework applicable to other universities in the State.
The Cabinet decisions mark a wider effort to align Meghalaya’s university legislation with UGC regulations while strengthening the State’s oversight of private higher education institutions.
