By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 31: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Friday launched the first academic session of the Shillong Government College of Engineering (SGCE) on its permanent campus in Mawlai Kynton Massar, marking a milestone for Meghalaya’s higher education sector.
The SGCE, Meghalaya’s first state-run engineering college, received approval from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) earlier this year.
The SGCE has launched two undergraduate programmes — Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering — with an initial intake of 30 students each for the academic year 2025-26. In line with state policy, an additional 10% of seats have been reserved for candidates from the economically weaker sections.
In his address, the Chief Minister described the day as “truly historic” for Meghalaya, stating that years from now, people would look back at this as the day the state’s first government engineering college began.
He expressed gratitude to all who contributed to realising the long-awaited project, including the Education Department, ministers, officers, and faculty members.
“Starting late does not mean we will be left behind,” he said, emphasising that technology can help Meghalaya leapfrog in development, just as India did in the banking sector through innovations like UPI and Aadhaar.
The Chief Minister also shared that the second phase of the Shillong IT Park will be inaugurated by December, featuring around 3,000 seats, and that a company from the UK has expressed interest in starting operations before its official launch.
Highlighting Meghalaya’s growing presence in the tech space, he announced that the National Artificial Intelligence Conference for the Eastern Region will be held in Shillong on December 3-4.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, in his address, congratulated the principal, faculty members, and the first batch of 50 students of the college.
Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui expressed happiness at witnessing the rapid expansion of higher and technical education in Meghalaya.
He said that over 650 posts have been sanctioned for various colleges and that student scholarships have grown significantly, from 5,000-6,000 recipients before 2018 to around 45,000 today.
Later, SGCE Principal Comingstarful Marthong expressed happiness over the commencement of the first academic session.
“We are very happy to start the new courses in Civil and Electrical Engineering. This has been a long-pending goal. We had been pursuing AICTE approval for some time, as it required fulfilling several parameters such as land area, building infrastructure, faculty recruitment, laboratory setup, and library facilities. We received it after several rounds of evaluation,” he told reporters.
Prof. Marthong further said that SGCE had obtained affiliation from the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in 2022, but classes could not begin without AICTE’s approval.
“Now, with both approvals in place, we have officially started the two branches. All 30 seats in Civil Engineering have been filled, while 20 out of 30 have been filled in Electrical Engineering,” he said.
He added that the remaining seats would likely be filled next year through the lateral entry system for diploma graduates, with some seats in both branches reserved for such candidates.
The first academic session began in August 2025, in sync with NEHU’s academic calendar. At present, first-year students are attending courses in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Humanities, Surveying, Workshop Practice, and Basic Electrical Engineering.
Due to space and infrastructure constraints, the college is currently sharing resources and facilities with the Shillong Polytechnic, including laboratories and faculty support.
“Some of our faculty members are drawn from the Polytechnic, while others are engaged as guest lecturers,” Prof. Marthong said.
The principal said that advertisements for permanent faculty recruitment have been issued and that the recruitment process is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
“We have also begun setting up dedicated laboratories and improving facilities. Progress is being made day by day,” he said.
During the programme, the Chief Minister also unveiled a plaque commemorating the inauguration of the first academic session and the foundation stone for the construction of a new RCC building at Shillong Polytechnic.
The project includes workshops, laboratories, an examination centre, a smart classroom, and teachers’ rooms, funded by the North Eastern Council under the Ministry of DoNER.
The launch event was attended by Arts and Culture Minister Sanbor Shullai, Chief Secretary Shakeel P. Ahammed, and Commissioner and Secretary of Education Vijay Kumar Mantri.
