Mizoram University's Review and Verdict by CollegeDekho

Campus at a Glimpse

The erstwhile North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Mizoram campus started functioning as Mizoram University in 2001. Located in the capital city of Aizawl, the Mizoram University campus is spread across 978 acres of land. The university was accredited with an ‘A’ grade by NAAC in 2014 and 2019. Apart from that, it received ISO certification in 2018.

During its days as a NEHU campus, Mizoram University comprised 7 PG departments in Economics, Education, English, Forestry, Mizo, Psychology, and Public Administration. Currently, the university has 39 departments offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral-level courses under 10 Schools of Study. Moreover, 40 colleges are affiliated to the university. It has one constituent college, Pachhunga University, with 2759 undergraduate and 77 postgraduate students. Mizoram University admissions are primarily based on entrance exams like CUET, JEE, NATA, GATE, and the MZU Entrance Test based on the course chosen.

Infrastructure-wise, the university boasts about receiving an ‘A’ grade in the Green Audit of the university campus conducted by the Mizoram State Pollution Control Board in 2023. The university claims to be one of the first universities in India to run on Solar Power System. According to the official website, all the electrical needs of academic buildings, hostels, administrative blocks, and streetlights within the campus are met by the university's Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant.

Along with its glories, there are a few setbacks that need serious attention. Students have opined about the high mess fees and poor hygiene of the hostel mess. They have also added that communication barriers are prevalent as students and teachers communicate mostly in the Mizo language. Apart from all the bitter-sweet facts, read CollegeDekho's take on Mizoram University in detail below:

Mizoram University Ranking

NIRF Ranking: Thriving!

Other Rankings

Our Take:

Mizoram University has performed well in the NIRF Rankings 2023, achieving 76th place out of 200 in the ‘Universities’ category. The growth is commendable. In the ‘Overall’ category, it has been placed in the same rank band for three consecutive years. It is apparent that the university is performing well across all NIRF parametres, from Teaching to Learning and Resources to Peer Perception.

Mizoram University Academia and Batch Size

According to the official website, Mizoram University has implemented the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) since 2013, therefore, allowing students to select their choice of course. The university has also adopted the NEP 2020 and claims to have introduced broad-based, multidisciplinary, and holistic education through the UG and PG programmes.

Academic Composition

Mizoram University academia is a mix of classroom learning, assignments, and assessments.

Batch Size

As per the NIRF report 2023, the following data were extracted that represent the approved intake and actual intake of students at the university.

Our Take:

A comparatively higher percentage of students were provided admission in the university above the sanctioned intake criteria, not to mention that despite null seats being sanctioned for PG Integrated courses, 25 students were enrolled. Also, the total number of students studying at the university is very low, at only 2,581 students, considering the fact that Mizoram University is a central university.

Fees

The fee structure for Mizoram University courses is as follows:

Mizoram University Infrastructure

Classrooms and Seminar Halls

According to the Mizoram University SSR Report 2019, Mizoram University has 173 wi-fi-enabled classrooms. It has 20 seminar halls for conducting conferences and seminars. The university claims that 100 classrooms are ICT-enabled, and 153 classrooms have LCD facilities.

Laboratories

In its Self Study Report 2019, Mizoram University claims to have 20 computer laboratories spread across all departments. In addition to that, the university boasts about having 98 laboratories with high-end equipment used for research and academic purposes. Apart from that, Mizoram University claims to have the following:

• Meteorological Station
• Soil Erosion Detection Centre
• Water Measuring Instrument
• GPS Station (Trimble)
• Atmosphere Sensor sending to VSAT INCOIS
• Horticulture Farm (1.5 hectares)
• Forestry Garden (2 hectares)
• Plant Herbarium Chamber
• Botanical Garden (7 hectares)
• Bamboo Setum
• Arboratum Horticulture Garden
• Animal House (2000 sqm.)
• Tribal Museum

Auditorium

According to the Self Study Report 2019, the university has a fully air-conditioned auditorium with a seating capacity of 864 people. Apart from that, the university also claims to have a multipurpose hall spacious enough to accommodate around 1,000 people. Apart from that, the report mentions having 2 open-air theatres. The one with a seating capacity of 300 is located near the central library, and the other is located on the 5th floor of the academic and sports complex.

Library

As per the information shared in the university’s Self Study Report 2019, the university has 25 departmental libraries and 1 central library. Mizoram University Central Library has over 1,07,000 books and 13,188 volumes of journals. Apart from that, the library has subscriptions to 219 journals, 41 general periodicals, and 20 newspapers. In terms of e-resources, students are provided access to 7,506 e-journals from 22 publishers.

Our Take:

Students have opined that they are not provided access to good-quality journals and databases. Apart from that, electricity and internet issues are other problems, they further added. Out of 7,506 e-journals and 13,188 volumes of journals, if the students struggle to find quality journals to study, it is evident that they do not get the knowledge they are looking for.

Sports

Mizoram University provides both indoor and outdoor sports facilities to its students. The facilities available to Mizoram University students as per the Self Study Report 2019 are as follows:

Indoor Games: 3 Badminton Courts, Table Tennis

Outdoor Games: 2 Volleyball Courts, 1 Basketball Court. A well-equipped gym is available for students in the university’s multi-purpose hall.

Our Take:

Students at Mizoram University receive the needed exposure in terms of sports. This statement can be justified by the fact that the university takes part in East Zone Inter University Sports and All India Inter University Sports every year. The university also boasts about hosting the East Zone Inter University Sports in October 2014.

Canteen

The university has a total of 8 canteens, as mentioned in the Self Study Report 2019. Considering the huge university campus, the food facilities provided to the students are enough to provide their necessary food intake in between class hours.

Hostels

Mizoram University claims to provide separate accommodation facilities for boys and girls. The hostels at Mizoram University are known as Halls of Residence. Out of 12 hostels, 5 are dedicated to women, and the rest are for men. Mizoram University hostel fees range between INR 4,410 - INR 1,260. Here is the list of Mizoram University’s Hall of Residence:

Our Take:

Taking into consideration the student comments found on Quora and other social media platforms, it is found that the food provided in hostels is not of the best taste. Mizoram University's mess is privatised. Therefore, the mess fee is high despite the deteriorating food quality. Also, students do not get the mess menu. Food hygiene is also an issue. This signifies that the mess facility is a failure in every aspect, such as taste, quality, and price!

Mizoram University Internships and Placements

Internships

As per the Self Study Report 2019, the internship statistics at Mizoram University are as follows:

Our Take:

It is evident that a considerable percentage of students undertake internship facilities. This shows that students are willing to take advantage of the internship opportunities provided by the university.

Placements

According to the NIRF 2023 report, the statistics for Mizoram University placements are as follows:

UG 4-Year

Our Take:

With a placement percentage of 21.7% for UG 4-year students, Mizoram University has a lot of room for improvement.

UG 5-Year

Our Take:

Mizoram University UG 5-year students achieved a 100% placement percentage, which is commendable. However, the university needs to work on its industry exposure to increase the median salary.

PG 2-Year

Our Take:

With only a placement percentage of 9.03%, it is evident that Mizoram University PG 2-year students have not received adequate placement opportunities. One major reason that the students have highlighted is the university’s location, which the recruiters are not comfortable visiting. Therefore, the university needs to work more on this aspect by building strong relationships with industries.

PG Integrated

Our Take:

With a 50% placement percentage, the placement statistics of the PG Integrated programme show mediocre performance. The median salary offered is also lower.

Mizoram University Diversity and Demographics

Mizoram University states that it provides adequate facilities for disabled and visually challenged students and staff. According to the official website, all university buildings have ramps for wheelchairs, along with disabled-friendly washroom facilities in the hostels.

As per the NIRF Report 2023, the following data has been extracted that shows the Mizoram University student's gender ratio index and diversity:

Mizoram University: Gender Ratio Index

Our Take:

Except for the PG 2-year programme, there are considerably fewer female students than males. The female percentage of PG-Integrated and UG 5-year programmes is 40%. For the UG 4-year programme, the female percentage is very low, with only 19.9%, contrary to 59% of females in the PG 2-year programme. This signifies that females prefer Mizoram University’s postgraduate programmes more than undergraduate programmes.

Mizoram University: Diversity Demographics

Our Take:

From the data mentioned above, native students are comparatively more in number than those from outside Mizoram. With only 516 students from outside Mizoram and 10 international students, 79.6% of students are from Mizoram. It is evident that the university’s location is one factor in such a low percentage of students outside Mizoram.

Mizoram University Faculty and Administration

Mizoram University Faculty

As per the NIRF Report 2023, the university has 252 faculty members. With a total of 2,581 students, the student-to-faculty ratio is satisfactory at 10:1. Moreover, in the self-study report 2019, the university mentioned that 76% of the faculty are PhD holders.

Here are the faculty details extracted from the NIRF Report 2023:

Our Take:

It is evident that Mizoram University has more assistant professors than full-time professors, which highlights the fact that faculty members keep changing more often. This affects the quality of teaching, as teachers have their own teaching methods and students take time adjusting to their teaching habits. Moreover, the university has also stated its weakness in its Self Study Report 2019: that it has failed to attract and retain talented faculty in certain subjects, which raises questions about the university’s quality of teaching.

Mizoram University Administration

Tabulated below is the data regarding administrative staff as stated in the Mizoram University admission brochure 2023:

Our Take

With 33 Group A, 69 Group B, and 264 Group C staff, it is indicative that Mizoram University has employed the necessary staff to carry out the administrative functions adequately.

Mizoram University Location

Located at a distance of 15 km from the capital city, Aizawl, Mizoram University is well-connected to major cities like Guwahati and Silchar. The closest airport, Lengpui Airport, is at a distance of 28 km from the university campus.

Students at Mizoram University experience a delightful climate characterised by mild summers and moderately cool winters. Winter temperatures range between 11°C and 21°C, while summer temperatures typically span from 20°C to 29°C.

Our Take:

Mizoram University provides transportation facilities to its students at nominal rates, which makes it easy for students to travel in and out of the university. Despite the university’s peaceful location, adorned with rich flora and fauna, the following issues prevail due to its location:

• Graduating students have limited mobility to explore better career prospects in other regions of the country.
• The campus lacks continuous water resources, leading to substantial expenses for water provision.
• Industrialization in Mizoram progresses slowly, resulting in limited opportunities for student placement in the region.
• There is a constrained opportunity for interaction, collaboration, and consultancy with the industry due to limited scope.

Mizoram University Expectation vs Reality- College Dekho Verdict

Mizoram University’s progress in the NIRF Ranking 2023 is a testament that the university has progressed as one of the best universities in the northeastern region of India. The infrastructural facilities provided to students, like ICT-enabled classrooms, canteens, ATMs, transportation, sports, etc., have earned a lot of appreciation from the students. However, the university struggles in a few areas, which they also acknowledged in their Self Study Report submitted in 2019, which unfortunately still stands as a challenge. Some of them are:

• Mizoram University placement report is not satisfactory due to its limited scope for interaction, collaboration, and consultancy with the industry and Mizoram’s slow pace of industrialization.
• The university has not succeeded in attracting well-known companies to conduct campus recruitment due to the growing misconception about its remote location and lack of connectivity.
• The university’s library facilities and mess facilities need an upgrade. However, the university has accepted the fact, citing the high maintenance cost of physical infrastructure on campus as a reason.

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