Gurucharan University gets land for permanent campus at Istampur

Land for the permanent campus of Gurucharan University has been identified at Istampur in Assam's Cachar district, a step that allows work to begin on a detailed project report (DPR) for the new campus, The Times of India reported on Tuesday.

The site was marked out on Tuesday in the presence of Udharbond MLA Rajdeep Goala, university officials and representatives of the district administration. Udharbond circle officer Pranabananda Deori identified the proposed plot, with officials handling the preliminary DPR work also present.

What happens next

Goala discussed the DPR and the university's development plans with Vice-Chancellor Niranjan Roy. According to officials, the DPR will work out:

• the infrastructure the campus needs,
• the estimated cost of the project, and
• a plan for carrying out the work.

The proposed campus is expected to have academic and administrative buildings, laboratories, research facilities, libraries and other basic infrastructure. No cost estimate or construction timeline has been announced yet.

Why a new campus

The university currently functions from the former Gurucharan College campus in Silchar, where limited space has held back expansion. Officials said a permanent campus would make room for new academic programmes, more research and a larger number of students.

From college to university

Gurucharan College, one of the oldest higher-education institutions in the Barak Valley, was founded on July 15, 1935. It was upgraded to a university under the Gurucharan University Act, 2023, which was published in the Assam Gazette on December 8, 2023.

The university started working as a full-fledged institution from the 2025-26 academic session. Niranjan Roy took charge as its first Vice-Chancellor on July 28, 2025.

Why it matters for Barak Valley

Students from Cachar, Karimganj (Sribhumi) and Hailakandi have long had fewer options for higher education than those in the Brahmaputra Valley. A dedicated campus with room to grow could let the new state university add courses and research programmes closer to home, reducing the need for students to move to Guwahati or outside the state.

The project will now depend on the DPR being prepared and approved, and on funds being sanctioned for construction.