Shillong, May 27: The state government has introduced a unified regulatory framework for approval, monitoring and regulation of private nursing institutions across the state, bringing them under the Directorate of Medical Education & Research (DME&R).
The new framework has been brought under the administrative control of the DME&R, according to an official notification.
The move bears significance in view of a sharp rise in the number of private nursing schools and colleges in the state in the past decade.
“Concerns had emerged regarding infrastructure standards, availability of qualified faculty, clinical training facilities, and transparency in admissions and fee structures in some institutions. The state said stricter compliance with the Indian Nursing Council (INC) and Meghalaya Nursing Council (MNC) norms had become necessary to maintain the quality of nursing education and ensure patient safety,” stated the notification.
Under the new framework, the Meghalaya Nursing Education Regulation Authority (MeNERA) will be constituted as a statutory body empowered to grant approvals, conduct inspections, regulate fee structures and enforce educational standards.
The government has also laid down a structured five-step approval process for private nursing institutions, including essentiality certification from the Health Department, recognition by the Meghalaya Nursing Council, statutory inspection by the Indian Nursing Council, university affiliation and inclusion of approved seats in the state counselling matrix.
To improve academic standards, institutions will now be required to comply with norms relating to faculty-student ratios, clinical exposure, laboratories, simulation centres and e-learning facilities.
The framework also mandates continuous faculty training and annual publication of student performance and placement records.
In a significant reform targeting employability, the government has made it mandatory for every nursing institution to establish a Placement and Career Guidance Cell with dedicated officers.
Institutions will also be required to maintain linkages with hospitals, NGOs and healthcare providers for structured placements and organise placement drives and job fairs.
The framework further introduces regulation of admission and fees through a state fee fixation mechanism, while banning capitation fees, unauthorised charges and multi-year upfront collections.
Merit-based admissions and centralised monitoring systems have also been proposed to improve transparency.
Officials said periodic inspections will be carried out by the Meghalaya Nursing Council and affiliated universities, with penalties including intake reduction, suspension or withdrawal of recognition for institutions found violating norms.
The government said the reforms would be implemented in phases with immediate enforcement of baseline standards, inspection mechanisms and disclosure norms. The notification was issued by Additional Chief Secretary Sampath Kumar.
