Shillong: Shillong: Meghalaya’s “small population” (2,966,889 as per 2011 census) should not determine its future, CM Conrad K Sangma said on Wednesday, stressing that the state’s productivity would be determined by quality rather than quantity.“My commitment is that govt will continue to sustain SPARK (School Programmes in Articulation, Resilience and Kindness) as a long-term handholding programme, because the confidence we build in a child today is confidence Meghalaya will draw upon for decades to come,” Sangma said.He was speaking at the District Talent Event 2026 under SPARK Meghalaya at the district headquarters in Tura, where he felicitated SPARK ‘Campus Stars’, including students and teachers from West Garo Hills district.Addressing students, teachers and parents, the CM said the state had invested substantially in academic and physical infrastructure. However, SPARK represents a “different kind of investment, in the human capabilities” that allows young people to make better use of the facilities created for them, he said.The CM said SPARK began in 2024 as a small pilot programme covering 5,143 students across 25 govt schools in all 12 districts, with 73% girls. The programme was later supported through funding under the Union Ministry of Education’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan across 28 campuses, reaching more than 8,000 students. It was also recognised by the ministry as a “Best NEP Practice”, he said.
