Assam Tightens Private University Rules, Imposes Strict Oversight

The Assam Legislative Assembly has passed a landmark bill imposing strict restrictions on private universities, barring them from engaging in activities related to religious conversion and prohibiting the introduction of new medical, technical, and agricultural courses. In another major development, the government has suspended Class 11 examinations due to gross irregularities in question paper handling, leading to the derecognition of multiple schools.

Private University Amendment Bill 2025: Key Provisions

Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu introduced the Assam Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which mandates that private universities maintain a secular character and refrain from any activity linked to religious conversion of students, faculty, or staff.

Additionally, the amendment bans private universities from offering technical, medical, paramedical, nursing, and agriculture-related courses, effective April 1, 2025. Moving forward, such programs can only be run under state universities, ensuring greater oversight and regulatory control.

To tighten scrutiny over private institutions, the amendment mandates a security clearance report from the Assam Home and Political Department, verifying the antecedents of the sponsoring body. Furthermore, the state government will conduct inspections every three years to ensure compliance, with non-compliant institutions facing dissolution.

In addition, the Assembly passed the EdTech Skills University Bill, 2025, which will establish a private university in Tinsukia, focusing on higher education, research, and assessment in line with the New Education Policy.

Class 11 Exams Suspended Amid Question Paper Leak

The Assembly session also addressed the suspension of Class 11 examinations, following serious lapses in question paper security. Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu revealed that the exams were postponed due to the mishandling of question papers, with sealed bundles being opened a day before the scheduled exams.

"The question papers were meant to be stored at police stations but were instead kept in schools," Dr. Pegu stated. "Fifteen schools illegally accessed the question papers before the exam—twelve private institutions and three government-affiliated schools," he added.

As a consequence, the government has revoked the recognition of the implicated schools and postponed new enrollments for Class 11 until further notice.

"The postponed examinations will be rescheduled once the Panchayat election dates are announced," Dr. Pegu confirmed.