SHILLONG: North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has expressed its displeasure over the ‘style of functioning’ of the present Vice Chancellor, S.K. Srivastava and as a mark of protest, the teachers body on Wednesday organized a ‘silent protest’ in the university campus.
The members of the NEHUTA observed the ‘silent protest’ by carrying placards outside the multi-purpose hall where the University Court meeting was supposed to be held.
NEHUTA general secretary, M.M. Khymdeit said that they wanted to send a strong message that the teaching community were not happy with the ‘style of functioning’ of the present Vice Chancellor,” NEHUTA general secretary, M.M. Khymdeit told reporters.
According to him, the Vice Chancellor has not given the annual grant to the NEHUTA due to the decision of the teachers to boycott the last convocation.
He also said that the Vice Chancellor had tried to invoke statute 44 (3) by accusing NEHUTA of trying to damage the university.
“We had called for boycott of convocation because the Vice Chancellor had not called the meeting of the University Court. It is mandatory that the meeting of the university court should be convened to place all the accounts and budget estimates of the university. The accounts and budget estimates of the university would be placed before the Parliament after the approval of the University Court,” NEHUTA general secretary said.
Khymdeit alleged that the VC had sent the annual report, audit and the account of the university to the Parliament bypassing the University Court.
Stating that the VC has no right to block the annual grant of the NEHUTA since he is just an executive officer, he informed that such major decision could be taken either by the Executive Council or the University Court
“In the University Court meeting, all the annual report of the university has to be place. But the VC has failed to place the annual report for the year 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 and he is violating the Act of the university by failing to table the annual report,” NEHUTA general secretary said.
He said that all these years the vice chancellor had done nothing and had not even called the meeting of the Board of Research Studies to look after all the research work in the university even as he added that the meeting of the board was mandatory to be convened every year to look into the research work being done in the university.
Khymdeit also said that the VC was not taking initiative for the academic growth of the university.
“There are so many departments in the Science Block which are struggling since they are not receiving any funds. The fund which was earmark has been reduced and curtailed,” he said.
He also alleged that the VC has done nothing for the promotion of teachers and he is promoting some teachers whom he favours,” Khymdeit further alleged.