The Meghalaya Private Colleges (Promotion and Regulation) Act, 2025 (Act No. 20 of 2025)

 
The Gazette of Meghalaya 
EXTRAORDINARY 
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY 
  No. 195             Shillong,  Friday,  October  31,  2025               9th  Kartika,  1947  (S. E.) 
PART-IV 
GOVERNMENT OF MEGHALAYA 
LAW (B) DEPARTMENT 
------- 
NOTIFICATION 
The 31st October, 2025. 
No.LL(B).28/2025/2 . – The Meghalaya Private Colleges  (Promotion and 
Regulation ) Act, 2025 (Act  No. 20  of 2025 ) is hereby published for general 
information. 
 
MEGHALAYA ACT NO. 20 OF 2025 
 
(As passed by the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly)  
Received the assent of the Governor on the 28th October, 2025 . 
Published in the Gazette of Meghalaya Extra-Ordinary issue dated 31st October, 2025. 
 
MEGHALAYA PRIVATE COLLEGES (PROMOTION  AND REGULATION)  ACT, 2025 
An 
Act 
 
   to provide for the promotion and regulation of Private Colleges in the State of Meghalaya. 
 
Be it enacted by the Meghalaya Legislature in the Seventy-Sixth Year of the Republic of India, as follows:- 
 
 
 

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CHAPTER I PRELIMINARY 
1.  (1) This Act may be called the Meghalaya Private Colleges 
(Promotion and Regulation) Act, 2025. 
 (2) It shall extend to the whole of the State of Meghalaya. 
 (3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by 
notification in the Official Gazette, appoint. 
2.  In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, - 
(a) "Act" means the Meghalaya Private Colleges (Promotion and 
Regulation) Act, 2025; 
(b) "aid" or "grant -in-aid" means any sum of money paid by the 
Government, by whatever description called; 
(c) "Aided C ollege" means a private college which is or has been 
receiving grant-in-aid from the Government; 
(d) "College" means any Institution, whether known as such or by 
any other name which provides for a course of study for 
obtaining any qualification from a U niversity and which, in 
accordance with the rules and regulations of such university, is 
recognized as competent to provide for such course of study and 
present students unde rgoing such course of study for the 
examination for the award of such qualification; 
(e) "Competent authority" means authority, officer or person, 
authorized by the Government by notification, to be the 
competent authority and different competent authorities m ay be 
appointed for different provisions or for different areas or in 
relation to different classes of private colleges as may be 
specified in the notification; 
(f) "Director" means the Director of Higher & Technical Education 
(DHTE); 
(g) "educational agency" mean s any person or body of persons  
permitted or deemed to be permitted under this Act to establish 
and maintain any private college; 
(h) "fee" means all fees including tuition fee and other charges, by 
whatever description called; 
(i) "Government" means the Government of the Meghalaya; 
(j) "notification" means a notification and the expression "notified" 
shall be construed accordingly; 
(k) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act; 
(l) "private college" means a college maintained by an educational 
agency and approved by, or affiliate to a university; 
(m) "UGC" means the University Grants Commission established 
under section 4 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 
(3 of 1956). 
Short title, extent and 
commencement. 
Definitions. 
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(n) "university" means any University established or incorporated by 
or under a Central Act, or by an Act of State Legislature of the 
State of Meghalaya. 
 
CHAPTER II 
ESTABLISHMENT, PERMISSION FOR 
ESTABLISHMENT OF PRIVATE COLLEGES 
3. No person shall, without the prior permission of the Government and 
subject to the terms and conditions specified in such permission, 
establish, on or after the date of commencement of this Act, any private 
college. 
4. (1) The educational agency of a private colle ge seeking permission 
to establish on or after the date of commencement shall make an 
application to the Government in the prescribed form for 
permission to establish a private college. 
  (2) Every such application shall:– 
(a) Be accompanied by such fee as may  be notified by the 
Government; and 
(b) Contain the following particulars, namely:- 
(i) the name of the private college and the name and address 
of the educational agency; 
(ii) the courses offered for study for obtaining any qualification 
from a university; 
(iii) the amenities available to students and teachers; 
(iv) the equipment, laboratory, library and other facilities for 
instruction; 
(v) the sources of income of the private college; 
(vi)  the situation and description of the buildings in which such 
private college is proposed to be established; 
(vii) a statement showing compliance with the requirements 
and regulations framed by UGC and University; 
(viii) such other particulars as may be prescribed. 
(3) The educational agency of every private college in existence on 
the date of commencement of this Act, shall within such period 
as may be notified, submit to the Government a statement in  the 
prescribed form containing.– 
Private College to obtain 
Permission. 
Application for permission 
and submission of 
statement. 
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(i) the particulars specified in clause (b) of sub-section (2); 
(ii) the names of the members of the teaching and non -
teaching staff and the e ducational qualifications of each 
such member; and 
(iii) the number of students enrolled in each of the courses 
offered for study for obtaining any qualification from a 
university, on a yearly basis, for the last five years. 
 
5. (1) On receipt of an application under sub-section (1) of section 4, 
the Government may, after considering the particulars contained 
in such application, grant or refuse to grant the permission within 
a period of six months from the date of such receipt: 
  Provided that before refusal of permission under this section, an 
opportunity to rectify the defects, if any, shall be given to the 
applicant. 
 (2) The decision of the Government under clause (a) of  sub-section 
(1) shall be final; 
6. No permission would be required for existing private colleges: Provided 
that the existing private colleges would be required to submit a 
statement under sub -section (3) of section  4 of the Act within a period 
of six months from the coming into effect of this Act failing which, the 
private college would be deemed to have no permission under the 
provisions of the Act. 
7. The Govt. shall on or before the first day of July each year, publish on 
the official website of the Education Department, a list containing the 
names of all Private Colleges established under this Act together with 
such particulars and in such manner as may be notified. 
 
CHAPTER III 
REGULATION OF PRIVATE COLLEGES 
8. Every private college shall be managed and maintained in accordance 
with the norms and standards as prescribed by the Government, UG C 
and other concerned statutory authorities. 
9. Whenever there is any change in the constitution or management of 
the educational agency, the educational agency shall inform the 
competent authority in such manner and in such time as prescribed of 
such change. 
10. (1) The Government upon an application from educational agency, 
may, in its discretion, extend to the private college such aid at 
such amount and in such manner, as it may consider appropriate 
in terms of its policy; 
(2) The Government may withhold permanently or for any specified 
period the whole or part of any aid referred to in sub-section (1)  
Grant of permission. 
Permission deemed to be 
granted in certain cases. 
Publication of list of 
Private Colleges. 
Management of Private 
Colleges. 
Information regarding 
change in the management 
of Educational Agency. 
Grant of aid. 
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in respect of any private college that fails to duly comply with any 
of the provisions of this Act or any rules made or directions 
issued by the Government. 
11. (1) In every aided college, there shall be a fund, called 
“Aided College Fund" and there shall be credited thereto – 
a. any aid received; 
b. income accruing to the college by way of fees, charges or 
other payments, and 
c. any other contributions, endowments, gifts and the like. 
(2) The Aided College Fund shall be accounted for and utilized by 
the educational agency in accordance with the rules as ma y be 
prescribed. 
(3) Income accruing to private college by wa y of fees, shall be 
accounted for and utilized only for such purposes as may be 
prescribed; 
(4) Charges or other payments and any other contributions, 
endowments and gifts received by private colleges shall be 
utilized only for the sp ecific purpose for which they were realized 
or received and shall be accounted for as may be prescribed. 
12. The Government may prescribe norms for fixation of fees of the aided 
private colleges. 
CHAPTER IV 
ACCOUNTS, AUDIT, INSPECTION AND RETURNS 
13. Every private aided college shall maintain accounts in such manner 
and containing such particulars as may be prescribed. 
14. The accounts of aided college shall be audited at the end of every year. 
15. The Government may, from time to time,  cause inspection of a private 
aided college, including its administrative and financial activities as and 
when the Government deems it necessary. 
16. Every educational agency shall, w ithin such time as may be fixed by 
the competent authority in this behalf, furnish to the competent 
authority such returns, statistics and other information as the 
competent authority may, from time to time, require. 
CHAPTER V 
PENALTIES AND PROCEDURE 
17. If any person, when required, by or under this Act, to furnish any 
information, omits to furnish such information or furnishes any 
information which he knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, to be 
false, or not true, he shall be punishable with fine which may extend to 
one lakh rupees. 
18. (1) If any person willing ly contravenes, or attempts to contravene, or 
knowingly abets the contravention of, any of the provisions of this 
Act or any rule made thereunder, he shall be punishable with fine 
which may extend to one lakh rupees and in case of continuing 
contravention with an additional fine which may extend to five 
thousand rupees for every day during which such contraven tion 
continues subject to a maximum of five lakhs. 
College Fund. 
Fees. 
Accounts. 
Annual audit of accounts 
of Aided College. 
Inspection. 
Furnishing of returns, etc. 
Penalty for not giving 
information or giving 
false information. 
Other penalties. 
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(2) If any person willing ly obstructs any authority, officer or person, 
from entering any private college, in the exercise of any power 
conferred on it or him by or under this Act, he shall be punishable 
with fine which may extend to two lakh rupees, or with both. 
19. No court shall take cognizance of an y offence punishable under this 
Act except on a report in writing of the fact constituting such offence 
made by an authority or off icer authorized by the Government in this 
behalf. 
CHAPTER VI 
MISCELLANEOUS 
20. The Government may  by notification authorize any authority or officer 
to exercise any of the powers vested in them by or under this Act 
except the power to make rules and may, in like manner, withdraw 
such authority. 
 Provided that the exercise of an y power delegated shall be subject to 
such restrictions and conditions as may be prescribed. 
Provided that the Government shall also have power to control and 
revise the acts or proceedings of any authority or officer so 
empowered. 
21. Every authority and every officer duly authorized to discharge any duty 
imposed on it or him by or under this act shall be deemed to be a public 
servant within the meaning of Section 2(28) o f the Bharatiya Nyaya 
Sanhita, 2023. 
22. No Civil Court shall have jurisdiction to decide or deal with any question 
which is by or under this Act required to be decided or dealt with by any 
authority or officer empowered under this Act. 
23. (1) The Government may make rules to carry out the purposes of 
this Act. 
(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the 
foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the 
following matters, namely: - 
(a) all matters expressly required or allowed by this Act to be 
prescribed; 
(b) the form of applications and the statements under this Act 
and the particulars which such application and statement 
shall contain; 
(c) the establishment and maintenance of private colleges; 
(d) the giving of aid; 
(e) the grant of permission; 
(f) the manner in which accounts, registers and records shall be 
maintained in private colleges and the authority responsible 
for such maintenance; 
(g) the submission of returns, statements, reports and accounts 
by educational agencies of private colleges; 
(h) the purposes of the private college for which the premises of 
the private college may be used and conditions subject to 
which such premises may be used for any other purpose; 
Cognizance of Offences. 
Delegation of powers of 
Government. 
Competent authority, etc. to 
be public servant. 
Civil Court not to decide 
questions under this Act. 
Power to make rules. 
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(i) the conditions subject to which donations or contributions 
from the public may be accepted for the purposes of private 
colleges and the naming of private colleges; 
(j) benefits which should be granted to the employees of aided 
college; 
(k) the inspection of college; 
24. (1) The Government shall have the power to remove any difficulty as 
may arise in applying the provisions of this Act to any college 
covered under this Act. 
(2) The decision of the Government shall, in every case, be final in 
regard to any dispute in between the State Government and the 
college or university in effecting the provisions of this Act. 
25. Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law or in any custom 
or usage for the time being in force, or in any Statutes, ordinances, 
Rules and Regulations made by any authority under any law for the 
time being in force that is repugnant to the provisions of this Act, the 
provisions of this Act, to the extent of such repugnancy, shall  have 
overriding effect against any such law, custom, usage, Sta tutes, 
Ordinances, Rules and Regulations. 
26. Anything done or purported to have been done in pursuance of any law 
for the time being in force by the Government immediately preceding 
the date of coming into effect of this Act, shall have effect to the extent 
it is not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, as i f this Act had not 
yet come into effect. 
 
 
D. LYNGDOH, 
Joint Secretary to the Govt. of Meghalaya, 
Law (B) Department. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SHILLONG: Printed and Published by the Director, Printing and Stationery, Meghalaya, Shillong. 
(Extraordinary Gazette of Meghalaya) No. 389 - 680 + 50 – 31 – 10 - 2025. 
website:- http://megpns.gov.in/gazette/gazette.asp. 
 
Power to remove 
difficulties. 
Overriding effect of this 
Act. 
Savings. 

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