Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday said that the state is undergoing a major transformation in the education sector in line with the National Education Policy 2020, which is to be fully implemented across all levels of education by 2030.
Inaugurating the 3rd edition of the Arunachal Pradesh University Festival 2026 at Pasighat in East Siang district, Khandu said significant reforms have already been undertaken to improve the 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 reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh University, the state's first state-owned varsity, remains a top priority for the Arunachal Pradesh government and assured the people of sustained support for its infrastructure expansion, academic growth, and institutional strengthening, an official statement said.
The chief minister expressed satisfaction over the pace of infrastructure development and said the campus was nearing a finishing stage, which would allow the university to scale up to a higher academic standard.
Responding to a memorandum submitted by the university's student fraternity and suggestions placed by the Vice-Chancellor Prof Tomo Riba, Khandu said that all genuine requirements and shortcomings would be addressed.
{{/usCountry}}Responding to a memorandum submitted by the university's student fraternity and suggestions placed by the Vice-Chancellor Prof Tomo Riba, Khandu said that all genuine requirements and shortcomings would be addressed.
{{/usCountry}}He said the government would continue to prioritise infrastructure development and assigned personal responsibility to the education minister for taking the university forward.
Khandu, however, stressed expanding the U's 100-acre campus for future growth and urged MLAs, officials, and locals to facilitate it. He called for a master plan review with architects to attract foreign students.
Stating that limited space would restrict infrastructure addition and academic expansion, he said that as the first state university, it must have 'unlimited scope' for growth.
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 CM said development must encompass every state, district, and village, and stressed that today's students would play a decisive role in achieving this goal.
Khandu urged students to actively participate in nation-building through diverse career paths in public service, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and other sectors.
He noted that Arunachal Pradesh is a resource-rich state with immense potential and said youth would emerge as the driving force by 2047.
The CM said that discussions are underway for student and faculty exchange programmes between educational institutions in Arunachal Pradesh and Japan.
Khandu encouraged students to actively participate in all academic, literary, cultural, and sports activities during UFEST 2026 and extended his best wishes for their future endeavours.
The Arunachal Pradesh University currently runs 11 academic departments and offers PhD programmes in disciplines such as Commerce, Economics, Education, Social Work, and Travel Studies.
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