Govt brings back CMJ, takes up Maharashtra University
SHILLONG: The Opposition will bring amendment to the hurriedly introduced bills to regulate several private universities in the state.
When Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui stood up in the Assembly on Friday to introduce the bills to regulate private universities by way of amendment, Congress MLA and former education minister Ampareen Lyngdoh informed the Deputy Speaker Timothy Shira that the bills were not circulated in the House.
Shira assured that they will be circulated.
After the session, Ampareen also wondered as to how the CMJ University Bill has surfaced while the government also brought Maharashtra Institute of Technology University of Meghalaya which is a new entrant among the universities set up in Meghalaya though it was shown to have been enacted in 2011.
The previous government had taken up a case against CMJ for awarding degrees allegedly violating norms.
Ampareen said she will move an amendment in the House against the way the bills were introduced when they will be taken up for passing next week.
“It is strange that the bills were not circulated in the House in time”, Ampareen said.
She also questioned as to how the members will know various provisions in the bills if they are not made available to the members.
She, however, added that the intention to regulate the private universities is a good move on the part of the government.
Sources said even the Assembly Secretariat got information about the introduction of the bills only on Thursday night.
According to the sources, the Assembly Secretariat did not get enough time to circulate them as the decision was made by the government only during the cabinet meeting held on Thursday evening.
When asked, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said the copies of the bills were distributed though there was a little bit delay.
Besides introducing Meghalaya Private Universities (Regulation of Establishment and Maintenance of Standard) Bill, 2019 proposed to replace the existing Meghalaya Private Universities (Regulation of Establishment and Maintenance of Standard) Act, 2012, the government also introduced CMJ University (Amendment) Bill 2019, Maharashtra Institute of Technology University of Meghalaya,2019, Techno Global University (Amendment) Bill, 2019, University of Science and Technology (Amendment) Bill,2019, Institute of Chartered Financial Analyst of India (Amendment) Bill,2019, Mahatma Gandhi University (Amendment Bill), 2019, Martin Luther Christian University (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and William Carey University ( Amendment) Bill, 2019.
According to the statement of the government, the proposed bills were introduced for regulating the private universities and to ensure that it is in conformity with the observations of the Supreme Court passed in case of Prof Yashpal versus State of Chhattisgarh. The provisions of the bills are for regulating the private universities established under the Acts of the state government and also other private universities offering courses in India in collaboration with foreign universities, formal and non formal or distance education made by such private universities to ensure that such private universities maintain the standard of infrastructures, teaching, research, examination and extension and services, fee structure, safeguarding the interest of the state as a whole and in particular of the student community.