USTM announced 50 exclusive scholarships for Nagaland students and will honour top institutions and NBSE HSSLC achievers in Dimapur
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DIMAPUR — In a major initiative to improve access to higher education for students from Nagaland, the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) on Friday announced 50 exclusive scholarships for students from the state, including 10 fully funded scholarships for meritorious candidates, as part of its outreach and commitment to educational empowerment in the Northeast.
The announcement was made during a press conference at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur, by USTM Chancellor Mahbubul Hoque in the presence of Vice-Chancellor Prof. GD Sharma and senior university officials.
During the press conference, the university also announced that it would confer the Institutional Excellence Award-2026 on selected educational institutions in Nagaland in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the field of education.
In addition, USTM will felicitate the NBSE HSSLC top achievers 2026 at a programme to be held at Dimapur Town Hall on June 20, which will be attended by Nagaland Minister for Tourism and Higher Education, Temjen Imna Along.
Addressing the media, Hoque said USTM, a NAAC 'A' Grade accredited university ranked among India's top 200 universities, is expanding its outreach across the Northeast to ensure equitable representation of students from all eight northeastern states.
He said the university has one of the region's most diverse student populations, with over 60 per cent of its students being women, while nearly 70 per cent of its faculty members are female.
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Announcing the scholarship scheme, Hoque said 10 students with outstanding academic performance in Class 12 or graduation would receive full tuition fee waivers for their chosen programmes.
Selection will be based on merit, with preference given to toppers and rank holders. However, professional programmes such as MBBS and certain other courses governed by NEET or statutory bodies are excluded.
He clarified that hostel fees are not covered under the full scholarship, as hostel facilities are managed by external agencies. However, meritorious students facing severe financial hardship may be considered for hostel assistance under special provisions.
Besides the fully funded scholarships, USTM will provide 15 scholarships offering a 50 per cent concession on tuition fees to another category of meritorious students.
Additionally, 25 students from economically weaker sections will be selected under a merit-cum-means category and awarded a monthly scholarship of INR 2,000 throughout the duration of their studies to help meet educational and living expenses.
Hoque said nearly 85 per cent of USTM's students come from rural backgrounds and stressed that no deserving student should be denied quality education due to financial constraints.
He also urged private educational institutions to reserve a portion of seats for deserving students from underprivileged backgrounds.
He informed that admissions for the current academic session are underway. While programmes such as BA LLB and B.Ed. have reached full capacity, admissions remain open for most undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Admissions to MBBS and BAMS programmes will commence after the declaration of NEET results. The university currently offers around 70 to 80 academic programmes.
Explaining why the scholarships are exclusive to Nagaland, the USTM Chancellor said the initiative aims to promote greater regional participation and strengthen ties among the northeastern states.
He described USTM's campus near Khanapara, about three kilometres from Guwahati, as providing students with a peaceful, safe and easily accessible learning environment.
Prof. GD Sharma said the university's primary objective is to ensure that financial limitations never become a barrier to higher education.
He said USTM was the first university in the region to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and offers multidisciplinary education supported by industry partnerships, free skill development courses through IBM, SWAYAM and MOOCs, along with the Academic Bank of Credits under the National Academic Depository.
Sharma added that the university currently supports more than 30 student-led start-ups with assistance from the Department of Science and Technology, which has provided over ₹4.4 crore for entrepreneurship development.
He further said USTM has produced more than 170 patents and over 4,000 research publications, while the Nature Index has ranked the university 38th in India for research performance.