PASIGHAT, 29 Jan: Chief Minister Pema Khandu reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh University (APU), the state’s first state-owned university here in East Siang district, remains a top priority for the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, and assured sustained support for its infrastructure expansion, academic growth and institutional strengthening.
Inaugurating the 3rd edition of the Arunachal Pradesh University Festival (APUFEST) 2026, the chief minister said that, although the Arunachal University Act was passed in 2012, the institution remained dormant for several years. He said that, after the present government assumed office, the university was revived from scratch, with focused planning on location, infrastructure and functionality.
The chief minister said that the university became operational in 2022, beginning with the inauguration of its administrative block, followed by the appointment of its first Vice Chancellor, Prof Tomo Riba. He noted that academic sessions commenced the same year, and that the first batch of students has already graduated, with the convocation presided over by the governor, who is also the chancellor of the university.
Complimenting the vice chancellor, Registrar Nani Darang and the entire faculty and staff, Khandu said building an institution from the ground up is challenging, but the university has made significant progress in a short span of three years. He expressed satisfaction over the pace of infrastructure development and said the campus is nearing the finishing stage, which would allow the university to scale up to a higher academic standard.
Referring to a memorandum submitted by the university’s student fraternity and suggestions placed by the vice chancellor, the chief minister assured that all genuine requirements and shortcomings would be addressed. He said the government would continue to prioritise infrastructure development and assign personal responsibility to the education minister for taking the university forward.
With the chief secretary, education commissioner and other senior officials present, the chief minister said the timing was appropriate as the state budget is approaching. He assured that all identified shortfalls would be reflected in the upcoming budget provisions.
Highlighting the need for land expansion, the chief minister said that the university was initially planned on around 100 acres, but available land appeared inadequate for future growth.
He urged local MLAs, the district administration and community leaders to intervene and facilitate land expansion, stating that limited space would restrict infrastructure addition and academic expansion. As the first state university, he said, APU must have “unlimited scope” for growth.
Khandu also called for review and reorientation of the university’s master plan in consultation with professional architectural firms, with the objective of developing a campus capable of attracting foreign students. He emphasised the need to simultaneously strengthen infrastructure and faculty quality.
He directed the education commissioner to immediately assess faculty and staff shortages and move proposals for necessary additions through the cabinet in a time-bound manner.
Speaking on broader education reforms, the chief minister said that the state is undergoing a major transformation in the education sector in line with the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020, which is to be fully implemented across all levels of education by 2030. He said significant reforms have already been undertaken to improve education quality, including the rationalisation and closure of unviable schools, noting that around 700 schools have been shut down to address issues of poor planning and quality.
He said that the APU currently runs 11 academic departments and offers PhD programmes in disciplines such as commerce, economics, education, social work and travel studies. He said the government has made substantial investments in the university and would continue to do so.
Khandu also said that sports infrastructure development at the university campus would be taken up, with provisions to be reflected in the upcoming budget.
Referring to the vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047,” the chief minister said that development must encompass every state, district and village, and stressed that today’s students would play a decisive role in achieving this goal. He urged students to actively participate in nation-building through diverse career paths in public service, entrepreneurship, agriculture and other sectors.
He noted that Arunachal is a resource-rich state with immense potential, and said that the youths would emerge as the driving force by 2047. He also informed that discussions are underway for student and faculty exchange programmes between educational institutions in Arunachal and Japan.
Khandu encouraged students to actively participate in all academic, literary, cultural and sports activities during APUFEST 2026, and extended his best wishes for their future endeavours.
Earlier, on arrival at the university, Khandu inaugurated the newly constructed Academic Block A in the campus.
Also present were Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, Law & Justice Minister Kento Jini, several legislators, district administration officials, and faculty members and officials of the university.(CM’s PR Cell)
