On March 8, 2017, the Legislative Assembly of Assam passed a bill, which will play a significant role in merging of renowned and historic Cotton College in the state with the existing Cotton College State University. The Bill enables the formation of the new university.
The name of the Bill is ‘The Cotton University Act, 2017’. Through this Act, the Cotton College, which was established in the year 1901, will give away all its existing assets, properties and funds to the new CU or Cotton University. Himanta Biswa Sharma, Education Minister of the state revealed that the formation of new Cotton University would end the continuous clashes between the two institutes.
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The Educational Minister further revealed that the problems that were prevalent between the two institutes for the past few years have been cleared and he hoped that faculty, students and all the staff of new Cotton University would play a significant role in the development of the university. Cotton College State University Act, 2011 shall stand repealed with the new Act, i.e., The Cotton University Act, 2017’ coming into effect.
The state government established Cotton College State University (CCSU) in the year 2011. The aim of the government behind the establishment of CCSU was to give a boost to Cotton College and develop the infrastructure.
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The passing of the Bill received criticism in the State Assembly. However, the Education Minister responded that the Cotton College has not been abolished and instead it has been upgraded as a university that means that the college has received university status.
The new Cotton University will be set up based on the recommendations of a government committee that was headed by Mihir Kanit Chaudhari, Vice-Chancellor of Tezpur University.