Kohima: Nagaland hosts the inaugural North East Education Conclave starting September 18. The two-day event takes place in Chümoukedima. Attendees will focus on the theme: Implementation of NEP 2020: Vision, Challenges & Opportunities for the North Eastern States.
Minister for Higher Education and Tourism Temjen Imna Along confirmed the summit on September 17. Delegations from across the region, Union Education Ministry officials, and university vice-chancellors are gathering to build a common roadmap. They plan to submit this unified action plan to the Union government. Funding remains the biggest hurdle.
The policy demands more money for schools and colleges, but the path to cash is murky. Along warned that states cannot dump these costs onto students. He also noted that national metrics ignore regional realities. Colleges in Nagaland are considered large with 1,000 to 2,000 students, while schools elsewhere boast enrollments exceeding 5,000. Many students still leave the state for higher education.
Despite poor infrastructure and transport issues, officials dismissed claims that the policy is a failure. Improvements in administrative transparency and ongoing polytechnic upgrades remain priorities. A new engineering college is also planned for Kelhoshe Polytechnic in Zunheboto.
Secretary for Higher and Technical Education Sarita Yadav defended the policy against critics. "Whenever a policy comes into being, and this is a new policy, we cannot just discard a policy saying that it is a failure. There are challenges," she said. States will present their cases as a collective block.
Additional Secretary V Lovitoly Sema expects 36 senior officials from seven neighboring states to present departmental reports. Between 300 and 400 participants will represent local institutions. Joint Director Dr. Medongoi Rhakho confirmed the goal is moving from theory to execution. The team will compile regional issues for the Central Advisory Board of Education.
Updated at 18th September 2026 at 10:00am
The event will take place at Naga United village. Along stressed that the state needs to pour investment into physical growth, specifically by building more colleges and universities to expand institutional capacity. Beyond the budget, organizers plan to use the summit to hammer out a framework for mentoring institutions and providing them with direct management training and capacity-building support.
The conclave will feature parallel plenary sessions. Four states are scheduled to present their specific case studies each day.
Updated at 18th September 2026 at 2:00pm
The summit is held at the JP Park and Banquets in Naga United village. Beyond the funding debate, organizers intend to use these sessions to hammer out a framework for mentoring local institutions, specifically focusing on providing them with direct management training and capacity-building support.
Along pushed for a shift toward tangible physical growth. He called for state investment to build new colleges and universities to boost institutional capacity. The agenda includes parallel plenary sessions covering higher, technical, and school education, with four states scheduled to present specific case studies each day.
Updated at 18th September 2026 at 9:49pm
Nagaland University Vice-Chancellor Jagadish K Patnaik called for an inclusive transformation that turns indigenous knowledge into academic strength and leans heavily on tech for skill upgrades. He pointed out that while the policy promises big spending, the mechanism to actually pull those funds remains a mystery.
Mizoram Education Minister Dr. Vanlalthlana slammed current regulations, noting that the Right to Education Act and NEP standards were built for flat ground, not the Northeast. He proposed that state ministers meet twice a year under the North Eastern Council to submit joint proposals. He also pushed for a separate index and specific construction norms tailored for hill states, highlighting that in Nagaland, government schools hold 80 percent of the total school count but attract only 33 percent of the student body.
Along hinted at integrating Christian studies into university curricula in Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya, stressing the focus is on academic study rather than religious institutions. Meanwhile, Assam Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu pushed for media and technology literacy as mandatory 21st-century skills. Arunachal Pradesh MLA Mutchu Mithi warned that current policy decisions carry long-term weight for future generations.
Updated at 19th September 2026 at 1:48am
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, absent due to policy talks in Delhi, sent a message to the conclave calling for a shared educational ecosystem to equip youth for global demands. Tripura Higher Education Minister Kishor Barman pushed for an education hub model, urging schools to shift from test-based assessment to measuring what students can actually solve.
Mizoram Education Minister Dr. Vanlalthlana slammed the current one-size-fits-all approach, pointing out that despite a solid teacher-student ratio of 1:11, the state sees a primary dropout rate of 6.35 percent, which is four times the national average. He noted that over 1,600 schools in his state are running with fewer than 50 students. He proposed the creation of a joint regional multi-disciplinary university serving all eight states.
Arunachal Pradesh MLA Mutchu Mithi warned of a massive funding gap, claiming that changes to tax devolution under the 16th Finance Commission left his state with an annual shortfall of Rs 4,000 crore. He emphasized that building in hill states costs significantly more than on the plains.
Assam Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu argued that the current system neglects the 97 percent of students who do not land spots in medicine, engineering, or civil service. He highlighted Assam’s move to introduce mother-tongue instruction in 14 languages and noted that 32,000 students are now taking Bihu dance as a credited academic subject. He wants degree exit diplomas tied directly to trades like copy editing and translation.
Updated at 19th September 2026 at 9:47am
Mizoram officials pointed to UDISE+ data showing that despite a teacher-student ratio of 1:11, the state struggles with staffing imbalances. Nearly 46 percent of villages lack higher secondary schools under current norms, and 55 percent of students are jammed into foundational and preparatory stages where only 25 percent of teachers are deployed. To fix this, state leaders proposed a joint multi-disciplinary university and a regional forum to present unified funding requests to the Centre twice a year.
Arunachal Pradesh flagged a 4,000 crore annual shortfall in tax devolution from the 16th Finance Commission. The state has already poured 500 crore into its own Mission Shiksha program to keep pace with building costs that dwarf those on the plains. Meanwhile, officials in Assam noted that their four-year undergraduate program saw a massive drop-off, with only half the students reaching the seventh semester. To keep students engaged, Assam is pushing trade-linked credentials for roles like proofreading and translation.
Tripura’s leadership insisted that the policy’s success hinges on moving beyond test scores toward tracking what students can actually build and solve. They are pushing to turn universities into hubs for research and industry partnerships. Nagaland University added that theological institutions in the region need to be part of the academic conversation, specifically regarding curriculum integration and affiliation.
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