Mizoram reverses decision, state university’s main centre to come up in Lunglei

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on November 20 announced that the main centre of the proposed state university will now be established in Lunglei, reversing the government’s earlier decision to set it up in Aizawl. 

According to an official statement, the Chief Minister made the announcement during a meeting of the Lunglei High Powered Committee (HPC) held in the southern town. He said that the move was aimed at fulfilling the long-standing aspirations of the people of Lunglei and other southern districts, who had strongly urged the government to locate the university’s centre in the region.

The Mizoram State University Bill, 2025, was passed by the state assembly in March this year with the initial plan to install the university’s main centre in Aizawl. However, Lalduhoma said the government decided to revise its decision out of respect for public sentiment. He added that if the law requires an amendment to facilitate the establishment of the centre in Lunglei, the government is prepared to undertake the process.

The bill aims to establish a teaching-intensive state university to meet the requirements of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which mandates that all colleges secure affiliation under a university within 15 years. During the introduction of the bill, Higher and Technical Education Minister Vanlalthlana had explained that the new state university would operate using a cluster model, bringing various colleges and institutions under a unified academic framework.

He noted that Mizoram University (MZU), currently the state’s only central university, will be transformed into a research-intensive institute by 2035 under NEP guidelines. As a result, the 21 existing colleges in the state will no longer be able to seek affiliation with MZU. According to the minister, only three colleges in Mizoram meet the eligibility criteria for autonomous degree-granting status, while the rest would otherwise be compelled to seek affiliation from universities outside the state—a situation he described as potentially embarrassing for Mizoram.

The establishment of a state university, he said, is therefore essential to provide affiliation to the existing colleges and prevent educational disruptions. 

The proposed university is also expected to help increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education, including vocational courses, and offer more opportunities for postgraduate studies, ensuring that students in the state have improved access to advanced academic pathways.