Shillong, Aug 19: The state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday approved six bills, all related to Education department, for further tabling in the upcoming autumn session of the assembly.
The bills include two proposals for new private universities, three amendments, and one repeal.
All the six agendas of the cabinet were from the education sector.
MDA spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Wailadmiki Shylla informed that Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Meghalaya (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was cleared to bring it in line with UGC norms.
The original Act allowed the sponsoring body to decide the Visitor, but the amendment mandates that the Governor will be the Visitor, as in other universities in the state, he said.
The bill also proposes increasing government representation in the Board of Management from one to two members and in the Board of Governors from two to three.
A similar amendment was approved for the Mahatma Gandhi University (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
Shylla said both institutions were earlier following a provision where the Visitor was decided by the sponsoring body, and the amendment corrects this while also increasing government nominees in the governing bodies.
The cabinet also approved the Martin Luther Christian University (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
Shylla said the amendment restricts the university’s operations to within Meghalaya, removes the provision for distance education which is not permitted for private universities, and does away with the power to affiliate colleges, which is also not allowed under UGC regulations.
Two new university bills were also given cabinet approval.
The Sister Nivedita University, Meghalaya Bill, 2026 proposes setting up a university in Byrnihat, while the Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian University, Meghalaya Bill, 2026 proposes a university in Sohiong.
The last item approved was the International Open University (Repeal) Bill.
Shylla said the Act was passed in 2011 but remained non-functional till 2022.
“Then in 2022, some people came forward with a power of attorney, but later we came to know there was a conflict,” he said.
He added that the cabinet decided to repeal it as the name violated UGC norms.
“If you see the name, it is ‘International Open University’. The word ‘International’ is there, and ‘Open University’ is also there, which is not allowed as per UGC norms. So the Cabinet felt it is better to avoid any kind of problem in the future. That is why we are repealing this Act.”
All six bills will now be tabled in the upcoming session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
