Shillong: Captain Williamson Sangma Technical University has received recognition from the University Grants Commission, making it the first state-owned varsity in Meghalaya to be empowered to award degrees to students, an official said.

It also empowers the university to award degrees as specified by UGC requiring it to follow the UGC notifications issued from time to time and was permitted to operate its campus within Meghalaya, the official said.

"The name of the university has been included in the list of universities established as per Section 2(f) of UGC Act, 1956. The University may note and adhere to the following - the university is empowered to award degrees as specified by the UGC under section 22 of the UGC Act 1956 by conducting courses through its own departments, its constituent colleges and/or through its affiliated colleges in regular mode only," the UGC said in a letter to the registrar of the university.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma posted on X, "With the Captain Williamson Sangma State University getting recognition from UGC, our colleges have the option to affiliate to the state university so that students applying to those colleges affiliated to state university won't have to appear for CUET in the future."

The Captain Williamson Sangma Technical University was established through an Act in 2011.