Mizoram govt reverses decision, state university main campus to shift to Lunglei

Guwahati: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma announced on November 20 that the main campus of the proposed state university will now be located in Lunglei, reversing the earlier plan to establish it in Aizawl.

The announcement was made during a meeting of the Lunglei High Powered Committee (HPC) in the southern town.

Lalduhoma said the decision responds to long-standing demands from residents of Lunglei and other southern districts, who had urged the government to situate the university’s main centre in the region.

The Mizoram State University Bill, 2025, passed by the state assembly in March, initially proposed Aizawl as the university’s main centre.

Lalduhoma stated that the government revised the plan in consideration of public opinion and is ready to amend the law if necessary to set up the campus in Lunglei.

The new university aims to be teaching-focused and align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which requires all colleges to affiliate with a university within 15 years.

Higher and Technical Education Minister Vanlalthlana explained that the state university will follow a cluster model, integrating multiple colleges and institutions under a single academic framework.

He added that Mizoram University (MZU), the state’s only central university, will be transformed into a research-intensive institution by 2035, leaving the 21 existing colleges in need of affiliation elsewhere.

Only three colleges currently meet the criteria for autonomous degree-granting status, and the rest would otherwise have to seek affiliation with universities outside Mizoram, creating a potential challenge for the state.

The establishment of the new state university is therefore crucial to provide local affiliation for colleges, avoid academic disruption, and expand higher education access.

The university is also expected to boost the Gross Enrolment Ratio, support vocational courses, and increase postgraduate study opportunities for students in Mizoram.