SHILLONG: The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) said that the vice chancellor, NEHU, SK Srivastava, has ordered removal of the Heads of Department (HoD) of two academic departments — English and Political Science — on the “untrue” pretext of their non-compliance with filling up some formats about online classes.
In the most “insensitive and high-handed manner”, NEHUTA alleged that the vice chancellor, by violating all academic propriety and administrative probity, removed the two HoD on his purported difference on reporting about online classes in a “desired” format.
“The NEHUTA condemns such vitiation of academic atmosphere of the university by the vice chancellor by insisting on blind observance of directives related to online courses, which is not mandated by the academic council of the University,” the association said in a statement.
The NEHUTA held that online classes have created a “digital divide” and deprived the underprivileged students of the university from equal opportunity and access to learning materials, widely contended by students’ bodies and NEHU students’ union as well.
The vice chancellor, according to NEHUTA, made online classes mandatory and ordered filing reports in a specific format for teachers and the Heads of Department. Going by statute 7(3) and subsequent ones, the heads cannot be removed unless they themselves resign or retire from university services, while their term of three years is fixed by the same, the NEHUTA said, adding that the vice chancellor has chosen a very crucial time to punish the department heads when the entire nation is affected by the crisis due to COVID-19.
In a letter jointly written with NEHU students’ union to the Union human resources’ ministry, the NEHUTA sought proper intervention not to make online courses mandatory in the interest of students and teachers. The NEHUTA has further demanded repeal of “illogical and illegal” order of removing the two department heads.
