'Mecca-like gate', 'flood jihad': NE university criticized by Assam CM celebrates NIRF ranking success

University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya

University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya is the only private university from the Northeast to get the national rank honour, days after Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma gave it a "flood jihad" tag.

Sarma had said last week that the architecture of the building resembles 'Mecca' and the domed gate was a sign of 'jihad'.

The Ministry of Education has announced the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 on Monday and the institute featured in the list of top 200 universities. NIRF evaluates institutions on five key parameters — teaching, learning and resources; research and professional practice; graduation outcomes; outreach and inclusivity; and perception.

According to an Indian Express report, on Tuesday afternoon, the university administration held a short celebration in its 5000-seat auditorium where Chancellor Mahbubul Hoque addessed the students.

Assam government that is fighting flashfloods in Guwahati has blamed the construction work at the university. Himanta Biswa Sarma said the university, situated in Meghalaya's Ri-Bhoi district, indulged in deforestation and cutting of hills, leading to the flash floods. He also said thaty the architecture of the university’s main gate, which has three domes atop, is a sign of “jihad”.

The Indian Express report said that Hoque who was wearing his white cap and dressed in a white kurta-pyjama told his students and staff, “I am away from all politics. I am aware that I look like a religious man, but I am very much away from all religious activities. I only see the students’ faces… The students make this institution. I never thought that we would be facing such negativity at any point of our journey.”

Hoque is a Bengali Muslim from Assam’s Karimganj district who started his career by launching a computer training center under the Manipal Group and later founded the Education Research and Development Foundation. His contributions to education earned him significant recognition, culminating in the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service, presented by then Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik in 2022.