NEHU teachers move PM over laxity in holding varsity court meetings

SHILLONG: The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA), a statutory body formed under the North Eastern Hill University Act, 1973, has dispatched a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that the incumbent Vice-Chancellor has failed to hold mandatory meetings of the University Court between 2015 and 2018.
“Members of both houses of Parliament are members of the University Court and it is the highest decision making body of the University.
Not convening the Court amount to an infraction in the very functioning of the University in matters of budget, finance, academic quality and such other statutory matters that comprise the essential functions of the University’, the memorandum read.
The Court also has members and representatives from the Visitor, who is the President of India. Not convening Court amounts to undermining the office of the Visitor, NEHUTA alleged.
As per section 19 (1) (a) of the North Eastern Hill University Act, 1989, the Court reviews the functioning of the University and suggest for its improvement and as per 19 (1) (b), the Court is supposed to consider and pass resolutions on the. Annual Accounts (…) and the Audit Report on such Accounts’. So not convening Court amounts to impropriety to the extent that Annual Accounts and audit report cannot be accepted, it said, adding that without accepting these, they cannot be placed before the Parliament, as these reports are to be gazetted in due process.
NEHUTA also stated that the annual accounts, budget and balance sheet of the University which are to be placed mandatorily before the Court meetings, has not been done since 2015.
Without supervision and approval of the Court, the University cannot spend public funds and even if it spent the funds, accounts and audit reports could not have been accepted without Court’s approval.
Pointing out to reports of violation of Financial rules in the process of tender and issuance of work order by the University during the period which were published in local newspapers, NEHUTA questioned if there was any ulterior motive behind not convening the meetings.
The memorandum sought the Prime Minister’s intervention in fixing the responsibility of violation of Act, statute and ordinance of the University to the level of violation of mandatory parliamentary oversight.