Directorate of Higher & Technical Education, headed by Head of Department (designated Director of Higher & Technical Education) has been established as a separate Department as a result of the trifurcation of Education Department in April 1989 with the Administrative Head of Department being headed by the Secretary to the Govt. of Mizoram, Education & Human Resource Development, Higher & Technical Education Department. This Directorate deals with Higher Education from Collegiate level upwards including Science & Technical Education in the State with the approval of Administrative Head of Department. At present, under the jurisdiction of Higher & Technical Education, there are as many as 8 (eight) Govt. Colleges, 12 (twelve) Deficit Colleges, 5 (five) Private Colleges including 1 (one) Law College and 2 (two) Open University Colleges. There are two Teacher Training Colleges and one of which is of Mizoram Hindi Training College. Altogether, there are 27 Collegiate Institutions under this Department. Proposal for provincialisation of 12 Deficit Colleges is submitted to the Government through Administrative Head of the Department. Mizoram ScholarshipBoard which looks after the Post Matric Scholarship of Centrally Sponsored Scheme, for students belonging to Scheduled Tribes of bonafide residents of Mizoram, is also under the Charge of this Directorate.
Again, as the name implies, this Department handles Technical Education in the State. There are 2 (two) Polytechnics Institutes viz Mizoram Polytechnic, Lunglei, which imparts a 3 (three) years Diploma Course in Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering recognized by All India Council for Technical Education for such Courses, and Women Polytechnic, Durtlang, Aizawl, which is established with the approval of All India Council for Technical Education since 1998. This Institute has building of its own and imparts Courses like Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering, Modern Office Practice, BCC and Garment Technology etc.
This Department also looks after the students of NERIST, Arunachal Pradesh and also about 100 engineering Students are admitted against the reserved seats for Mizoram State Quota. Students pursuing various Technical Courses are given assistance in the form of Stipend, Book Grants etc.