Sikkim: Prof. Mahendra P. Lama of the School of International Studies, JNU, at the Centre for South, Central, South East Asian & South West Pacific Studies, has assumed the office of the first Vice Chancellor of Sikkim University. The Central Government also notified the coming into force the Sikkim University Act, 2006 (10 of 2007).

Sikkim University would be the 23rd Central University established by an Act of Parliament. With the coming into force of the Sikkim University Act, the North Eastern region of the country now has at least one Central University in each State, thereby delivering on the commitment of the Central Government to remove disparities in access to higher education and addresses the issue of regional imbalances thereto.

While the university being autonomous would chalk out its own plan of action and developmental design in respect of faculties and disciplines, it is expected that the university would also reflect the unique ambience of Sikkim.

Prof. Mahendra P. Lama is an authority on political economy and has been associated with policy research in the specific context of South Asia.

Many of his research publications have been major policy inputs for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

He has a large number of publications to his credit and has been an active researcher at the JNU.

Prof. Lama is also one of the few authorities on Sikkim having piloted the publication of the first ever Human Development Report of the State in 2001 and was also instrumental in completing the first ever Economic Survey of the State recently. PIB