North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) has been without a full-fledged Vice Chancellor (VC) ever since the previous VC, Prof AN Rai left his job half way in June 2013 to join as Director, National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bangalore. AN Rai’s tenure at the NAAC however was short-lived as he quit in April this year after the Chairman Dinesh Singh, former VC, Delhi University was asked by the NDA Government to put in his papers. Rai and Singh were both appointed by the UPA Government. Since June 2013 NEHU has been running on an ad-hoc basis because an acting VC cannot perform various statutory duties. As a result normal academic and administrative activities have suffered. Major decisions on vital issues have been left pending. The NEHU Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) had made a representation to the Ministry for Human Resources Development (MHRD) in November last year asking for appointment of a regular VC but to no avail.
When the NDA Government took over in May 2014 there were great expectations that it would work differently and fill in vacant posts in different strategic institutions of the country including in universities with individuals having excellent track records. This expectation is belied. Whenever and wherever the Modi Government has appointed people to head institutions, those appointments have drawn flak because of various reasons. The appointment of Gajendra Chauhan, a small time actor as Chairperson of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune has brought the Institute to a standstill as students have gone on strike for nearly two months. Prof XP Mao, President, NEHUTA has expressed grave concern over the inordinate delay in appointing a VC which in turn has led to several irregularities. The acting VC cannot take major financial decisions even while promotions of the faculty members has been kept on hold for over a year. Several other important posts in the university are also being clubbed together and vested upon one or two individuals, further affecting normal functioning. While one individual is functioning as Controller of Examinations and Registrar apart from teaching in his parent department, another individual is holding dual charge as Deputy Registrar as well as Finance Officer. Dr Mao rued the apathy of the Centre towards the affairs of NEHU – the Northeast’s first and oldest central university.
The intervention by the KSU – a students’ body is appropriate. We can only hope that the Centre does not ignore the pleas of the students’ body and that a person with sound academic credentials is appointed at the earliest. After all, there is no dearth of such individuals befitting the stature of a VC of NEHU in this country.