SHILLONG : The Meghalaya Cabinet has approved six education-related Bills, including amendments to three existing private university laws, proposals for two new universities and the repeal of an Act ahead of the upcoming session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
The decisions were taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.
Cabinet Minister and MDA spokesperson Wailadmiki Shylla said all six agenda items discussed during the meeting were related to the Education Department.
“Today we have six formal agenda items for discussion and all six agendas are from the Education department. Mostly these are bills — three are amendments, two are new bills to be placed in the House and one is the repeal,” Shylla told reporters.
Three private university Acts to be amended
The Cabinet approved the Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Meghalaya (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Mahatma Gandhi University (Amendment) Bill, 2026, with the proposed changes aimed at bringing the institutions in line with University Grants Commission (UGC) norms.
Under the amendments, the Governor will become the Visitor of the universities instead of the sponsoring body.
The proposed changes will also increase government representation in the governing bodies. Representation will rise from one to two members on the Board of Management and from two to three members on the Board of Governors.
The Cabinet also cleared the Martin Luther Christian University (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
According to Shylla, the amendment will restrict the university’s operations to Meghalaya, remove distance education provisions that are not permitted for private universities and prevent the university from affiliating colleges, in accordance with UGC regulations.
Two new universities proposed
The Cabinet also approved two Bills seeking to establish new universities in Meghalaya.
The Sister Nivedita University, Meghalaya Bill, 2026 proposes the establishment of a university at Byrnihat.
The Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian University, Meghalaya Bill, 2026 proposes a university at Sohiong.
Both Bills are expected to be introduced in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly during its upcoming session.
Cabinet approves repeal of International Open University Act
The sixth proposal approved by the Cabinet was the International Open University (Repeal) Bill.
Shylla said the Act was originally passed in 2011 but never became operational.
He said some individuals later came forward in 2022 with a power of attorney, but the government subsequently found that there was a conflict.
The Cabinet therefore decided to repeal the Act, particularly because its name and provisions were considered inconsistent with UGC norms.
Shylla said the use of the terms “International” and “Open University” could create regulatory complications, prompting the Cabinet to recommend its repeal.
All six Bills will now be placed before the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly for consideration during its next session.