SHILLONG/GUWAHATI, Feb 19: The Meghalaya government on Wednesday dismissed the allegations levelled by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that the degrees conferred by the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) are “fake”.
“USTM is a state university. It is mandated by the State Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya. The degrees are recognised by the UGC. Therefore, there is no question of the degrees being fake. It is a genuine university, and it is supported by the Government of Meghalaya,” Chief Secretary DP Wahlang said on Wednesday, days after the Assam CM had claimed that the institution has been “issuing fake certificates and degrees” to students.
Wahlang emphasized that the qualifications awarded by USTM are entirely legitimate.
This is not the first time Sarma has targeted USTM. In the past, he blamed the university for large-scale water logging in Guwahati terming the hill-cutting by the university as “flood Jihad”.
Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma had stressed the need for proof before any action can be taken against the University.
“Without verifying the facts, I cannot comment on the Assam CM’s allegation. Anyone can make allegations, but they must be supported by evidence. It may be true, or it may not be, but I cannot verify without proof,” Sangma had said.
USTM refutes allegation as unfounded
The USTM has categorically refuted the recent statement of the Assam Chief Minister labelling the university as “fraudulent”.
“We categorically reject the unfounded accusations against USTM. Such statements not only tarnish the image of a credible educational institution but also demoralise thousands of students, faculty members and researchers striving for excellence,” a statement issued by USTM to the media on Wednesday, said.
“We urge the honourable chief minister to engage in a fact-based discourse, acknowledging the contributions made by USTM towards higher education. USTM remains steadfast in its mission to serve the nation through quality education, research and social empowerment,” it read.
“Further, we openly welcome any inquiry or investigation by any authority for cross-verification of facts and figures,” it said.
“USTM, with all statutory credentials, has been contributing immensely to higher education, research and social welfare since its inception in 2011. Such statements not only defame the university but also question the credibility of the highest statutory and accreditation bodies of the Government of India, which has recognised the quality and educational standard of the university over the years,” it added.
The statement further referred to USTM’s credentials being established with the accreditation of ‘A’ Grade by NAAC in the very first cycle of assessment, and also as the only private university in Northeast India to be ranked among the top 200 universities of the country by NIRF, Ministry of Education, Government of India, for the past three consecutive years.
“Also, the Meghalaya Private University Regulatory Board is constantly reviewing the quality of education and other parameters of USTM. These achievements reflect our commitment to academic excellence and are evidence of the rigorous standards maintained by the university,” it said.
The research process involves multiple levels of scrutiny, quality assurance and every level of evaluation is done in presence of an external expert from premier institutions like IIT Guwahati, Tezpur University, North-Eastern Hill University, Aligarh Muslim University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Gauhati University and other premier institutions of the country.
“Till date, 111 PhDs have been awarded under the guidance of faculty members of USTM with sound research credentials. USTM holds 140 patents, which have been published/granted, while 1,085 research papers have been published in reputed national and international journals in recent years,” it said.
