Shillong: The Meghalaya Cabinet has approved the Indian Institute of Public Health Shillong Bill, 2026, paving the way for the upgradation of the Indian Institute of Public Health Shillong (IIPH Shillong) into a full-fledged State University.
With university status, the institution will gain the authority to award academic degrees in public health, a move expected to strengthen its academic independence, expand research capacity and significantly enhance higher education in the public health sector.
The decision is being seen as a major boost not only for Meghalaya but for the entire Northeast, with IIPH Shillong positioned to evolve into a regional centre of excellence for training, research and institutional capacity building in public health systems.
Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla said the institution would play a transformative role in building a skilled public health workforce across the region.
“This will become an important institution for the whole Northeast. It can help build a strong public health cadre not just for Meghalaya, but for the entire region,” he said.
Currently the only dedicated public health institute in the Northeast, IIPH Shillong’s elevation to university status will allow it to formally confer degrees on public health graduates and scholars, strengthening professional training and academic pathways in the sector.
Shylla highlighted the institute’s role in research-driven healthcare initiatives, pointing to its work in areas such as CPR training, vaccine hesitancy, behavioural health studies and data-based health interventions.
ALSO READ: Meghalaya: Shipra Kumali LP School in Garo Hills marks 100 years
“It will function more like a research university. We can guide healthcare systems functionally and take evidence-based public health action,” he said.
The minister added that the proposed university would operate on a self-sustaining model while supporting the state in building a resilient health workforce capable of responding to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alongside the IIPH decision, the Cabinet approved a series of other policy and project proposals.
These include a 30-year lease extension for the Orange Root restaurant in Sohra, restructuring of lease rental payments under a public-private partnership model, and issuance of an NOC for furnishing and maintenance of the expanded Eco Resort Nongkhlaw infrastructure.
