Meghalaya Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Indian Institute of Public Health Shillong Bill, 2026, for the proposed upgradation of the Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH), Shillong into a State University. The decision, taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, is aimed at strengthening public health research, academic autonomy and specialised training across the Northeast, including structured initiatives such as CPR training and programmes addressing vaccine hesitancy.
Once notified, the upgraded institution will be empowered to award degrees to public health graduates and scholars, significantly widening its academic mandate. The government said the move will enhance the institute’s capacity in epidemiological research, training, data-driven policy inputs and public health interventions, while contributing to the development of a skilled public health cadre in the region.
MDA government spokesperson and Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla said, “Indian Institute of Public health, So as the public health has become very important in today’s time especially with the recent unfortunate incident that happened to our late MP Dr Ricky AJ Syngkon, so thought that it is very important. At the same time if this institute will focus on research, so it is very important to have people who do research in terms of Epidemiology, and other disease, so that’s why the government has approved that to make this Indian Institute of Public Health, as a state university.”
Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Sampath Kumar, highlighted the regional significance of the move. “Indian Institute of Public Health is the only institute of public health in North Eastern Region, so by granting the status of University, the IIPH can actually give degrees to the public health graduates and scholars,” he said.
He added, “At the same time, it will be an important institute for North East and help to build the public health carder, that is required not only for the state but also for whole North Eastern Region. So far we have got in Gandhinagar one Indian Institute of Public Health, it has university status recognition and in entire North Eastern Region we are actually providing that one.”
Emphasising the academic orientation of the proposed university, Kumar said, “It will be more of a research university which contributes to lot of training, lot of data sp that we can actually guide the health care functionaries not only medical health related things but public health action. Kind of a Kind of a Of important institution at the whole not. Not this because it’s been really built the public health that is required for the totally for the state.”
Referring to outreach and training efforts, he further said, “For example, last year they have trained a lot of people on CPR. such kind of things like vaccine hesitancy why vaccine hesitancies. Addressing the root cause of vaccine hesitancy.”
Officials clarified that despite attaining State University status, the institution will continue to function on a self-sustaining basis, in line with its existing operational model.
