SHILLONG: In the midst of a simmering affiliation row between North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) and the newly established Captain Williamson Sangma State University (CWSSU), twelve newly created colleges in Meghalaya are set to receive direct affiliation with the state university beginning with the 2025–26 academic session.
Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma said that colleges seeking affiliation with CWSSU must first complete the de-affiliation process from NEHU.
“Colleges that wish to affiliate with the new state university must follow due procedure. They have to de-affiliate from NEHU before being accepted under CWSSU,” the Education minister stated.
The clarification comes after the Registrar of CWSSU issued a communication to principals of 22 colleges, informing them that affiliation could not be granted unless they officially sever ties with NEHU. The development followed a meeting between state government officials and NEHU representatives, where it was resolved that affiliation changes must strictly comply with the NEHU Act.
However, referring to a previous example, Sangma pointed to the Regional Institute of Science and Technology (RIST), which successfully de-affiliated from NEHU and later joined the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), allowing students to complete their semesters without disruption. “This precedent shows that the process is possible without compromising students’ academic continuity,” he said.
The controversy began after the 22 colleges were exploring affiliation with CWSSU, prompting NEHU to issue a clarification that dual affiliation is not permissible under existing regulations.
Sangma said, the CWSSU currently houses 15 academic departments.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya College Principals’ Council (MCPC) President Eureka F. P. Lyngdoh said, “The decision to seek affiliation with NEHU was taken independently by the colleges.”
She added, “We welcome the state government’s move to establish CWSSU. There was a meeting with the Commissioner and Secretary of Education, and we have submitted our responses. If the state university is well-equipped with all departments and courses, we have no issue affiliating. But NEHU is a well-established university, and that cannot be denied. Our state university is still very young. We must think of the students. If everything is in place, there is no problem in affiliating with the state university.”
According to NEHU’s statutory provisions, colleges currently affiliated with it must undergo a formal de-affiliation process reviewed by its Academic Council, after which a No Objection Certificate (NOC) may be granted. NEHU officials have conveyed their inability to process these applications in time for the 2025–26 academic year due to procedural limitations.
To avoid delays in the future, the Education Department has directed colleges intending to shift affiliation to CWSSU to begin the de-affiliation process without delay so that the transition can be completed by the 2026–27 academic year.
Meanwhile, newly established colleges that have not previously been affiliated with NEHU will be allowed direct affiliation with CWSSU from the upcoming academic session, provided they obtain a formal NOC from the state government in line with NEHU’s jurisdictional norms.
12 New Meghalaya Colleges to Join State University Amid Affiliation Row
