EIILM UNIVERSITY
SCALING THE ZENITH OF EXCELLENCE
- Neha Sikka

The system of higher education in India has witnessed tremendous expansion and transformation during the past five decades. The North-Eastern region is also no exception to this phenomenon. The North Eastern Region of India makes headlines for countless insurgencies and ethnic battles, although it would hardly represent the series of varied issues these states need to address. Education, which is one of the core features of any state or country's infrastructure, is inadequate in these states. Every year hundreds and thousands of students have to go out of their homes to other states in the country to be able to achieve standard higher education . This would also mean that the educational agencies both in the public and private sectors would have a big scope for expansion in this corner of the world. Every year hundreds and thousands of students from the North East come to the universities and colleges of Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore etc. for education in various fields. Keeping a tab on this outgoing stream would make a fascinating data pool for the academic agencies aspiring to spread higher education in the north east.

However, it needs to be mentioned, that the purpose of this article is not to advocate the spread of private academic institutions in the region; rather it seeks to point out one such Institution of Higher Learning in the State of Sikkim namely the EIILM University, Mallabasey, Sikkim and reviews the initiatives taken by the Institution to inject a new lease of life to Higher Education for the students of Sikkim, North Eastern Region & students from rest of the country. The recommendations of the 11th Plan of Government of India in increasing GER from 10 to 15%, increasing enrolment in distance education from 24% to 40% and Knowledge Commission for emergence of Public Universities to be innovative in their approach and functioning are the guiding factors for EIILM University, Sikkim.

A visit to the EIILM University’s website gives only a partial idea of its uniqueness until we visited it in person and saw with our own eyes its physical environments and felt, after holding discussions with the Registrar, teachers, students, administrative and service staff, and some others interested in the Progress of the University, the kind of idealism and vision with which the University is planned and given shape. Located in a spacious and attractive natural setting at Mallabasey, a place, which, in spite of its economic backwardness today, still retains the high glory of the Himalayan Kingdom. The university is placed far away from the humdrum of urban existence, on a hilly terrain that provides an ideal milieu for undisturbed intellectual pursuits.

The Registrar of the University Col Alok Bhandari stated that EIILM University is sure to ultimately emerge as a significant contributor in fulfilling the objectives and integrating all sections of the society in the higher education net. He further stated “that the ever increasing enrollments at the University has always posed varying challenges of improved Governance and Administration that the University continuously strive to meet. Therefore, as a reputed academic institution we are also expected to contribute in enabling qualitative sustainable growth that we have always deeply cherished. Governance and academic excellence has been our hallmark, along with engaged faculty and students it should serve as bedrock that instills a high degree of professionalism fortifying our credibility. We have laid many milestones in terms of students' enrollment, expansion, diversity and richness of academic programs, academic collaborations, industry-university linkages, research contribution, and addition to infrastructure & support services. All these developments have further added richness to the campus life besides reflecting value as seen by our students and the society.”

The University has expressed its desire to be assessed and accredited by NAAC and is in the process of submitting its Self-Study Report to NAAC.

It should be pointed out at the outset that the various programmes of research & teaching developed by the University are fully in keeping with the overall mission with which it was set up. Secondly, research orientation of the University is broadly what can be termed as its foundation of strength. Thirdly, the University has established strong linkages between research and teaching and is establishing certain innovative programmes. Fourthly, although much more needs to be done, the University in a short span of time has built up a good amount of physical academic infrastructure. Fifthly, the Pedagogy , the Examination & Evaluation System, Result Processing and the Degrees awarding process are totally in line with the norms and standards laid down by the University Rules & Regulations & the Guidelines laid by the respective statutory bodies of the Country. The Information & Documentation Centre of the University is also doing excellent work. Perhaps the most importantly, the Course-Ware publication activity of the University deserves special praise for the impressive quantity as well as high quality of its output and for its efforts to disseminate its intellectual output to scholars as to the general literate public

The natural resources and economic potential that the Sikkim State holds is the key driver for growing opportunities and markets for human capital and skills, building linkages within the local community and helping inclusive development. The NEC Vision 2020 document suggests developing vocational and higher education to create choices for employment locally and outside. We believe any action to strengthen the higher and vocational education system in this region needs to leverage local human talent and natural resources & are happy to observe that EIILM University is playing an active role in shaping the growth of the State & the country at large.