Assam CM considers restricting Muslim-owned university graduates from applying for state gov't jobs

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, yesterday, August 21, announced that he is exploring the option of barring graduates from the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), from applying for state government positions, according to The Indian Express.

The University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), located in Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya, is managed by Mahbubul Hoque, a Bengali-origin Muslim from Assam’s Karimganj district. Sarma's statement follows his allegation from earlier that the university contributed to the flash floods in Guwahati on August 5. He alleged that the campus’s construction, which involved deforestation and hill cutting, made the flooding much worse, calling it a “flood jihad.”

Furthermore, Sarma noted that students graduating from the USTM acquire a certificate from another state. “Our students from Guwahati and Dibrugarh University are suffering because of this,” Sarma said. 

He also mentioned that his dissatisfaction is not limited to USTM but extends to graduates from universities outside Assam as well, including those from West Bengal, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. “My anger against USTM is a little more because they are throwing water at us,” Sarma added.

Moreover, Sarma said he has discussed the issue with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma the issue of rainwater runoff from Meghalaya affecting Guwahati. An expert committee from the Netherlands and experts from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) in Roorkee and Guwahati will analyse resolutions, including redirecting water to Deepor Beel Lake.

Sarma also noted that Conrad Sangma has suggested forming a joint committee between the Assam and Meghalaya governments to address the water issue from Jorabat. Despite some Assam political leaders supporting USTM, Sarma claimed the Meghalaya government has not defended the university.