Distance Education in North Eastern Hill University

Introduction

North-Eastern Hill University was set up by an Act of Parliament and notified on 19th July 1973. The objectives of the University, as laid down in the act, are "to disseminate and advance knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities in such branches of learning as it may deem fit; to pay special attention to the improvement of the social and economic conditions and welfare of the people of the hill areas of the North-eastern region, and in particular, the intellectual, academic and cultural advancement".

The jurisdiction of the University extended originally to the states of Meghalaya and Nagaland and the erstwhile Union Territories of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram. With the establishment of the Nagaland University on 6th September 1994, the jurisdiction of NEHU ceased over Nagaland. Likewise with the establishment of the Mizoram University the jurisdiction of NEHU over Mizoram also ceased from June, 2001. Arunachal Pradesh has its own university. However the North-Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology located in Arunachal Pradesh is affiliated to NEHU.

Initially, the academic departments and administration of the University at Shillong functioned from hired buildings. Very soon, however, NEHU acquired two prime properties in the city, one belonging to the former Maharaja of Mayurbhanj and the other to the Rani of Bijni. The academic departments then moved to these two sites. Meanwhile, the Government of Meghalaya acquired, for the University, a substantial plot of land (measuring about 1225 acres) in Umshing, a little outside the city limits, for setting up its permanent campus. This picturesque land, gently undulating and thickly wooded - a perfect location for the University - was a gift from the Government of Meghalaya. The survey of the land and the master plan for the University were completed during the VI Five Year Plan; and construction activities began in a modest way during the VII Plan period. By the year 1991, with the completion of the construction of several residential quarters for the faculty, hostels for men and women, a ring road, a modern workshop for the University Scientific Instruction Centre, a building for the Regional Sophisticated Instrumentation Centre, and Guest House-cum-Seminar Complex, a complex of buildings for the science departments and with our own electricity and water supply system in place, the campus took the visible shape of an attractive University in the making.

In 2005, following the shifting of the departments to the Permanent Campus at Umshing, Mayurbhanj Compex at Nongthymmai was disposed off to the Government of Meghalaya. At the moment, barring a few Centres located at Bijni Compex, almost all departments of the University are housed in the buildings on the permanent campus. We now have Internet connectivity through our own VSAT to which all the departments located on the campus are linked. Efforts are on to enhance the range of our Internet connectivity. The telecommunication department has set up a fully automated telephone exchange on the campus. This is first of its kind in any University in the region. Much of the developmental work on the campus in the past couple of years or so has been made possible by the generous grant that the University has received from the Government of India from its "non-lapsable pool".

Centre for Distance Education

Contacts:
 
Dr. D. Roy, Head
Centre for Adult and Continuing Education,
North-Eastern Hill University
Shillong : 793 022
Phone: 2226822