SHILLONG, July 27: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has sought the intervention of the Centre to initiate action against Vice-Chancellor of North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Prof PS Shukla for allegedly indulging in “no to so meaningful activities” and his regular disappearance from Shillong.
“The HYC demands that the Centre should initiate a due monitoring and supervision on Prof PS Shukla’s not so meaningful activities. Centre should intervene and take immediate action on his regular disappearance from Shillong leaving the University to a set of even more unworthy followers,” HYC Education Cell secretary Enlang Sawian said.
Comparing Prof Shukla to the likes of Prof B Pakem and Prof Mrinal Miri, both former VC of the university, Sawain said, “We had seen towering academic personalities giving top priority to NEHU. By appointing Prof PS Shukla, the Centre has again sent an unqualified person as VC of a very prestigious central university of the region.”
The HYC has alleged that in his tenure so far, the NEHU VC has “taken a path of trepidation and shirking on most of the burning issues afflicting NEHU.”
Sawain said that starting with appalling infrastructure, funding academic programmes, maintenance of roads and buildings, Prof Shukla has been seemingly passing the buck on others without taking any responsibility upon himself.
“In last one year, the decline has been palpable. In NIRF ranking, NEHU slid seven places to 66 and in the combined institutional list of 100, NEHU was out,” Sawain said.
The HYC leader has accused the VC of taking all anti-student decisions in matters of admission, while pointing out that directives are implemented from New Delhi by Prof Shukla.
“University gates are shut for public for most of the time. University is spending huge revenue on unnecessary un-academic matters. Funding for research is almost zero impacting students’ academic performances,” he alleged, while also stating that Prof Shukla is yet to address any substantial issue of Tura campus.