Gangtok: The prolonged failure of Sikkim International University (SIU), established under a State Act in 2021, to develop a permanent campus has exposed gaps in Sikkim’s earlier higher education regulatory framework, prompting the State government to introduce a unified and more stringent law to regulate universities.
Principal Secretary, Education Department, Sandeep Tambe said the state’s policy has consistently emphasised that universities approved through legislation must establish permanent campuses—preferably in rural and semi-urban constituencies—to drive local socio-economic development.
“When a university-specific Act is passed, there is a clear commitment, particularly to set up a permanent campus within a defined timeframe. The objective is employment generation, local development, and access to contemporary, career-linked courses for students,” Tambe said.
However, he acknowledged that SIU has made no progress towards establishing a permanent campus even as the five-year period stipulated under its Act draws to a close. The absence of physical infrastructure, he noted, undermines the state’s vision by limiting teaching-learning activities and negating the purpose of legislative approval.
In response, the state has repealed individual university-specific Acts and replaced them with a single, comprehensive “mother Act” to regulate the higher education sector. “All individual Acts have been done away with. There is now one unified law applicable to all universities operating in the state,” Tambe said.
According to him, the new law mandates proactive disclosures, introduces multiple student protection measures, and establishes an independent regulatory commission with full authority to monitor compliance, enforce standards, and take corrective action. “Regulation will now be more efficient and more stringent, with a common platform and a uniform regulatory yardstick,” he added.
Officials said the framework is designed to prevent situations where universities remain non-functional despite legislative approval, and to ensure that commitments related to campus development, faculty recruitment, and academic delivery are tracked within defined timelines.
SIU was established under The Sikkim International University Act, 2021 (Act No. 13 of 2021) and received the Governor’s assent in June 2021. The Act required the university to establish a permanent campus within five years. Earlier this month, the Education Department stated that SIU has not undertaken any academic activity since its inception. It has neither built a campus nor appointed faculty, constituted statutory bodies, or conducted admissions and classes.
The department also flagged a website operating in the university’s name for carrying “fraudulent and misleading” information that could potentially mislead students. SIU is promoted by the Research and Gyan for Noble Upliftment Trust, which the department said it has been unable to contact despite repeated attempts. Further action will be initiated after issuance of a formal public notice.
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The same trust also promoted Sangai International University in Manipur, established through a State Act in 2015. That institution was delisted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in May 2024 following repeated non-compliance, including failure to submit mandatory information for inspection, and was barred from offering academic programmes.
Officials said the similarities between the two cases have reinforced the need for uniform, continuous oversight rather than institution-specific legislation. The new unified law, they said, aims to ensure accountability, protect students, and prevent delays or non-compliance through ongoing monitoring rather than post-facto intervention.
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