It should be noted that the gross enrolment rate of higher education in India is roughly 6 per cent. This will need to touch 15 per cent by 2015 if India dreams of joining the pantheons of super powers by the next decade. This will involve thousands of crores of Rupees of investment and since the Government will not be in a position to meet the huge financial requirement, all other sources of funds will need to be tapped.

In the given scenario of well defined constraints on public funding of education, the role of the private sector especially in the provision of higher education and technical training has become increasingly important.  Keeping the above backdrop in mind and to bridge the considerable gap between the huge demand and supply in the technical education field, a group of like minded denizens of Meghalaya founded the North East India Trust for Education and Development (NEITED) in 1999 and through their tireless efforts were able to establish the first private Engineering college of North East India-Shillong Engineering & Management College (SEMC). Considering the situation in 1999, with frequent bandhs, shops and commercial establishments closing at 4 in the evening, insurgency induced fear psychosis and unviable investment environment, the thought of establishing a private Engineering college in Meghalaya was nothing short of foolhardiness at that point of time. However to the immense credit of the trust and its secretary Dr. C.M Jha, they were able to overcome myriad hurdles and difficulties and even managed to shift the Engineering College to its permanent campus with a built up area of more than 1,00,000 lac sq ft in a couple of years from its inception. Within a span of more than a decade, the institute has established itself as a pioneer in the field of technical education. Till date, more than 4000 students have graduated from this venerable institution and are currently placed at some of the top MNCs and reputed companies all over India and the success of SEMC has prompted numerous private technical institutes to come up in Meghalaya and its neighbouring states. In the process, this near boom in the technical education sector has benefited a large number of indigenous students of North East who now have the option of studying near their home states at a fraction of the cost compared to the students who earlier had to pursue their higher education far from their home states.

In order to sustain this trend, and to ensure that our state in particular and North East region in general do not lag behind in the new Knowledge era, it is imperative that we continue to produce a critical mass of highly skilled manpower at an accelerated pace. Keeping this objective in mind, Dr. Jha decided to set up one of the first private universities in Meghalaya- CMJ University in 2009, where the highest quality of education with the best of facilities could be provided to every student. The University is situated on a 40 acre Campus on a scenic hillock in Jorabat on the Guwahati-Shillong Highway with spectacular 360 degree views of picturesque hills. It has a built up area of more than 1, 50,000 sq ft with well furnished modern classrooms, fully quipped laboratories, well stocked library with broadband connectivity and well qualified faculty. It is a fully residential university boasting of superior accommodation for Boys & Girls.

CMJ University is offering academic programs in Engineering & Technology, Management, Art & Social Sciences, Journalism & Mass Communication, Finance & Commerce, Computer & Information Science and Basic & Applied Sciences at graduate, post-graduate and doctoral levels. The courses are designed to meet the challenges of the new millennium with a balanced mix of theory and practical in order to make them relevant and responsive to the realities of the new economic and social order. Dr. C.M Jha, Chancellor, CMJ University says that the mission statement of the University is to endeavour to provide world class education which can mould the students into a new generation of leaders who not only have deep technical knowledge in their respective domains but also knowledge to collaborate effectively with and lead others.

CMJ University aims to help the students in their holistic growth which in turn will create individuals who have confidence, integrity and respect for our cultural and social norms and healthy concern for our environment. The students will be encouraged to think analytically and inculcate ethics and morals which will create value in society at large.

Further, slowly but surely E-learning has permeated even to the school level all over India. E-learning is not only inexpensive, but also convenient. The students are not forced to relocate or give up earnings from full time or part time employment that the student may be engaged in. Realising its immense potential, NEITED has been at the forefront of introducing E-learning at various schools in Meghalaya, in the process benefiting hundreds of students and charting a new course with considerable success. As far as Meghalaya is concerned, on-line education can prove a boon for the students of the state with its harsh terrain and large parts of the state which are still inaccessible by road. As more and more parts in Meghalaya are coming within the ambit of high speed cyber-network, the concept of e-education should be viewed seriously.

It goes without saying that this has to be combined with the setting up of a regulatory mechanism that guarantees that there is no compromise when it comes to students’ welfare and quality educational standards are sustained.