The Assam government on March 21 introduced Bills in order to set up three universities and proposed amendments to the Acts governing eight others.

 The Bills were introduced in the House by Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, including two additional Bills seeking amendments to the Assam Private Universities Act, 2007, and the Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences Act, 2007.

One of the Bills proposing the setting up of a new varsity is the EdTech Skills University Bill, 2025, which aims to create a private university focused on advancing learning, assessment, and research in line with the New Education Policy.

 Sponsored by the World Education Mission, the proposed institute will be located in Tinsukia.

 With similar objectives of promoting higher education, advanced learning and fostering research, the ‘Swami Vivekanand University Bill, 2025’ and the ‘Maa Kamakhya University Bill, 2025’ were introduced by the minister.

 Sponsored by the Social Action and Research Foundation, the proposed Swami Vivekanand University will have its permanent campus at Odlaguri in Chirang district and an operation campus at Kokrajhar.

 The proposed Maa Kamakhya University, sponsored by the Gabeshona Eduversity Foundation, will be located in Sipajhar.

 The ‘Assam Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2025’, also introduced by Pegu, imposes restrictions on varsities from involving in any activities relating to the conversion of students, faculties and other staff.

 It also proposed that the university shall not open any new technical, medical, para-medical, nursing and other technical courses related to agriculture, veterinary, dairy and other allied subjects with effect from April 1, 2025.

The amendment further proposed a security clearance report in respect of the antecedents or precedents of the sponsoring body from the Home and Political Department, the government of Assam.

 It also proposes a provision for inspection of the university by the state government once every three years to verify whether the conditions imposed during its establishment have been adhered to.

 Any deviation in compliance with conditions may lead to the dissolution of the university, the amendment Bill added.

 ‘The Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2025’ was introduced by Pegu on behalf of the chief minister, who also holds the medical education and research department.

 It seeks to ensure that ‘institutes/organisations/bodies applying for affiliation from the Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences do not pose a threat to national security, are secular in nature and are using legal funding for setting up the institutes’.

 The minister also introduced ‘The North Lakhimpur University (Amendment) Bill, 2025’, ‘The Kokrajhar University (Amendment) Bill, 2025’, ‘The Nagaon University (Amendment) Bill, 2025’, ‘The Jagannath Barooah University (Amendment) Bill, 2025’, ‘The Gurucharan University (Amendment) Bill, 2025’, ‘The Bongaigaon University (Amendment) Bill, 2025’, ‘The Sibsagar University (Amendment) Bill, 2025’ and ‘The Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University (Amendment) Bill, 2025’.

 The eight Bills propose that the first vice-chancellor of these varsities will be appointed by the state government, with the chancellor to appoint the subsequent VCs on the recommendation of an advisory board.

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