Chapter V RESPONSIBILITIES AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY

1. (1) The tuition fees for professional courses such as Information Technology, Mass Communication, Science, Education, Management, Engineering, Commerce, Law, etc., in the University shall be determined by the University under the supervision of the Regulatory Body notified by the State Government from time to time.
2. (2) Admission in the University shall be strictly on the basis of merit. Merit for admission in the University may be determined either on the basis of marks or grade obtained in the qualifying examination and achievements in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities or on the basis of marks or grade obtained in the entrance test conducted at State level either by the University or an association of the Universities conducting similar courses or by any agency of the State Government: Provided that, the admission in professional educational colleges or institutions of the University shall be governed under the provisions of the Regulatory Bodies.
3. (3) The University shall allow merit scholarship to at least 5
   • (five) percent of the total strength, to the students belonging to poor and economically backward classes. The relevant criteria for determining the poor and economically backward classes shall be such as may be determined by the State Government from time to time.
4. (4) The University shall compulsorily make provisions for reservation of seats for the students domiciled in the State of Sikkim to the extent of at least 25 (twenty-five) percent of the total students in the University. The reservation of seats shall be regulated by the prevalent laws and orders of the State Government from time to time.
5. (5) The University shall make provisions for reservation of non-teaching posts in the University for the persons domiciled in the State of Sikkim to the extent of at least 50(fifty) percent of the total number of non-teaching posts of the University. The reservation of seats shall be regulated by the laws and orders of the State Government from time to time.
6. (6) The University shall appoint adequate number of teachers and officers in the University for maintaining the academic standards specified and shall ensure that the qualifications of such teachers or officers of the University shall not be lower than that prescribed by the relevant Regulatory Bodies.
7. (7) The University shall compulsorily place in the public domain every information in relation to the University which would be of interest to the students and other stakeholders inter alia, including the courses offered, number of seats under different categories, fees and other charges, facilities and amenities offered, faculty in place and such other relevant information as deemed appropriate by the State Government and other Regulatory Bodies.
8. (8) The Convocations of the University may, for conferring degrees, diplomas or for any other purpose, be held in every academic year in the manner as may be prescribed by the Statutes.
9. (9) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the University shall be bound to comply the conditions mentioned in all the rules, regulations, norms, of the Regulating Bodies of Government of India and State Government and provide all such facilities and assistance to such bodies as are required by them to discharge their duties and carry out their functions.

1. (1) The objects of the University shall be as follows, namely: —
   • (a) to provide learning, teaching, capacity, capability and skills development and research and development in Higher and Technical Education covering Liberal Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Life Sciences and Bio-technologies, Nano-Sciences and Technologies, Professional Disciplines such as Engineering, Technology, Management, Law, Business and Commerce, Applied and Creative Arts, Vocational Education, Media, Information and Communication Technology and Education per se and their inter-disciplinary, multi-disciplinary studies and development;
   • (b) to provide instructions, teaching and training in Higher and Technical Education, Arts, Sports, Culture, Film, Space Technologies, Himalayan studies and make provisions for research;
   • (c) to create higher level of cognitive, affective and psychomotor (head, hearts and hands) abilities;
   • (d) to create higher levels of intellectual abilities;
   • (e) to create and deploy new educational programs to promote creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship for inventing new ways for development and social reconstruction and transformation;
   • (f) to establish state-of-the-art facilities for education and development;
   • (g) to carry out teaching and research and offer continuing quality education programmes;
   • (h) to create centres of excellence for research and development in Science and Technology and Socio-Economic development, and for sharing knowledge and its application;
     • (i) to use modern and post-modern processes, mechanisms and technologies for governance and management of learning, teaching, researching, evaluating, developing, organizing and creating socio-economic wealth for individuals and society in twenty first century;
   • (j) to provide professional and development services to the industry and public organizations and society;
   • (k) to start higher education programs and courses in new and emerging areas with innovative approaches;
   • (l) to establish links, collaborations and partnerships with other higher education and research institutions in India and abroad;
   • (m) to institute degrees, diplomas, certificates and other academic distinctions on the basis of examinations, or any other methods of evaluation;
   • (n) to establish innovative approaches for creation of seamlessness in academic structures, learning time-frames, and working and continuous evaluation processes for nurturing and cultivation of creativity and entrepreneurship;
   • (o) to pursue any other objectives as may be suggested by the Government;
   • (p) to ensure that the standard of the degrees, diplomas, certificates and other academic distinctions conferred by a University are not lower than those laid down by the All India Council for Technical Education established under the All India Council for Technical Education Act, 1987 (52 of 1987) or the National Council for Teacher Education established under the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 (73 of 1993) or University Grants Commission established under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956) or the Pharmacy Council of India constituted under the Pharmacy Act, 1948 (8 of 1948) or the Bar Council of India constituted under the Advocates Act, 1961 (25 of 1961) or any other Statutory Body, as the case may be.
2. (2) The State Government may, by notification, notify the special objects of the University.

1. (1) No person shall be discriminated against or be excluded from any office of the University or from membership of any of its authorities or from admission to any course of study leading to a degree, diploma or other academic distinction on the grounds of sex, race, creed, class, caste, place of birth and religious belief or political or other opinion.
2. (2) The University shall adopt the general policy of the State Government in regard to the welfare of various categories of weaker sections of the society and minorities as directed by the State Government, from time to time.

The powers and functions of the University shall be: -

1. (1) to administer and manage the University, for research, education, training, extension and outreach at its campus within the State of Sikkim;
2. (2) to collaborate in the work of existing and functional organizations that have stated goals and purposes similar to that of the University;
3. (3) to provide for research, higher education, professional education, teaching training, extension and outreach including continuing education and e-learning in the fields of science, technology, humanities, social sciences, education, management, commerce, law, pharmacy, healthcare and any other fields;
4. (4) to conduct innovative experiments in educational technologies, teaching and learning methods, to collaborate with national and international institutions and to offer joint programmes with such institutes to constantly improve the delivery of education and to achieve international standards of education;
5. (5) to serve as a forum of exchange of ideas and experience and collections and dissemination of information on institution building practices and technique;
6. (6) to design the program structures, curricula, credit system teaching learning methodology, evaluation pedagogy and adopt all measures in respect of study, teaching and research relating to the courses offered by the University, to keep the programs outcome skill based and in line with industry requirement;
7. (7) to hold examination and confer degree, diploma or grant certificate and other academic distinctions or title on persons subject to such condition as the University may determine and to withdraw or cancel any such degree, diploma or certificates and other academic distinction or titles in the manner prescribed by the regulations;
8. (8) to design courses on subjects and topics generally not covered by other institutions but are of great importance viewing the changes in the society;
9. (9) to confer honorary degrees or other distinction on the manner prescribed by the Statutes;
10. (10) to conduct the programmes and courses of study as are in the opinion of the University, necessary for the furtherance of its objects;
11. (11) to provide for printing, publication and reproduction of research, educational material and other works and to organize exhibitions, conferences, workshops and seminars;
12. (12) to establish knowledge resource centre;
13. (13) to sponsor and undertake research and educational programmes in the fields of science, technology, humanities, social sciences, education, management, commerce, law, pharmacy, healthcare and any other allied areas;
14. (14) to collaborate or associate with any educational institution with like or similar objects;
15. (15) to establish campuses including virtual campus for the purpose of achieving the objectives of the University;
16. (16) to undertake research and to obtain registration in respect of such research in the nature of patents, design rights and such or similar rights with the competent authorities;
17. (17) to maintain linkages and collaborate with educational or other institutions in any part of the world having objects wholly or partially similar to those of the University, through exchange of students, researchers, faculty and staff and generally in such manner as may be conducive to their common objects;
18. (18) to render services of research, training, consultancy and such other services as required for the purposes of the University;
19. (19) to develop and maintain relationships with faculty, researchers, administrators and domain experts in science, technology, humanities, social sciences, education, management, law, commerce, pharmacy, healthcare and allied area for achieving the objects of the University;
20. (20) to make special arrangement in respect to women and other disadvantaged students as the University may consider desirable;
21. (21) to regulate the expenditure and to manage the finances and to maintain the accounts of the University;
22. (22) to receive funds, movable and immovable properties (on lease), equipment, software and other resources from business, industry, other sections of society, national and international organization or any other source by transfers or as gifts, donations, benefactions or bequests for the purposes and objects of the University with prior approval of the State Government;
23. (23) to establish, maintain and manage halls, hostels for students and quarters for the residence of faculty and staff;
24. (24) to construct, manage and maintain centres, complexes, auditorium, buildings, stadium for the advancement of sports, cultural, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities;
25. (25) to supervise and control the residence and regulate the discipline of students, faculty and staff of the University and to make arrangements for promoting their health, general welfare, social and cultural activities;
26. (26) to fix, demand and receive or recover fees and such other charges as may be prescribed by the Statutes;
27. (27) to purchase or to take on lease or accept as gifts, bequests, legacies or otherwise any land or building or works which may be necessary or convenient for the purpose of the University and on such terms and conditions as it may think fit and proper and to construct or alter and maintain any such building or works, subject to the local laws of the State;
28. (28) to exchange, lease or otherwise dispose of all or any portion of the properties of the University with prior approval of the Government, movable or immovable, on such terms as it may think fit and consistent with the interest, activities and objects of the University;
29. (29) to draw and accept, to make and endorse, to discount and negotiate promissory notes, bills of exchange, cheques and other negotiable instruments;
30. (30) to raise and borrow money on bond, mortgages, promissory notes or other obligations or securities founded or based upon all or any of the properties and assets of the University or without any securities and upon such terms and conditions as it may think fit and to pay all expenses out of the funds of the University.
31. (31) define norms of examination or any other measure of assessment of knowledge and competency of a student including modalities of industry-based assessment, industry-based projects, internships, on the job training and any related activities of students admitted to the University of institutions of skills education affiliated to it;
32. (32) to identify and recognize industries or training centers for the purpose of practical or hands on training of students in skill and to define norms for recognition of competency attained by students in practical training in industry or training centre for the purpose of earning credits;
33. (33) to offer Unified Vocational model offering short term training, Industrial Training Institute
    • (ITI) Certificate and Diplomas, Polytechnic Diplomas, Advanced Diploma, Bachelor of Vocational Education (B.Voc.), Bachelor of Skills (B.Skills) Degrees;
34. (34) to appoint, either on contract, or otherwise, visiting Professors, Emeritus Professors, Consultants, Fellows, Scholars, Artists, Course Writers and such other person who may contribute to the advancement of the objects of the University;
35. (35) to reach out and partner with Central Ministries, State Governments, National bodies, international bodies for accessing funding, grants, resources via applying to various schemes which can help further the objects of the University;
36. (36) to provide for the preparation of instruction materials, learning resources, workplace training practices, knowledge repositories, e-learning platforms, digital learning experiences, including films, digital media, video, streaming content, multimedia content, visualization, simulations and other software;
37. (37) to strive to acquire international prestige for the University;
38. (38) the convocation of the University shall be held every academic year in the manner, as may be specified by the statutes for conferring degrees, diplomas, awards or for any purpose;

The University shall have no power to affiliate or otherwise admit to its privileges any other institution.