Withdraw letter issued to college principals on NEP implementation within five days, says NEHUTA
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 26: The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has given five days to Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla to withdraw a letter issued on July 12 pertaining to the implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 or it will boycott all meetings of the Academic Council of the university in the future.
The letter in question was written to the principals of all colleges affiliated to NEHU, stating that the varsity would implement NEP in the four-year undergraduate programme starting from the 2023-2024 academic session.
The NEHUTA unanimously adopted a resolution on the five-day deadline at a meeting held on Saturday. The agenda of the meeting, presided over by NEHUTA president Prof Lakhon Kma, was “illegitimate implementation of NEP at UG level”.
After a thorough discussion, the meeting resolved that the VC’s ‘unilateral’ implementation of NEP at UG level from the 2023-24 academic session was not only illegitimate, hasty and in gross violation of NEHU Act, Statutes and Ordinances, but that it also did not have the approval of the Academic Council of the university.
It was resolved that infringement on the rights of NEHU statutory bodies, such as the Academic Council, will not be tolerated at any cost.
According to the minutes of the meeting, NEHUTA decided to boycott the setting/moderation of any papers of first semester based on NEP syllabus which was implemented “unilaterally, hastily and illegitimately by the VC”.
The teachers’ body said the issue of model question papers based on NEP for first semester was neither discussed nor approved by the Academic Council and therefore, the same will make all examination-related matters based on NEP for first semester in 2023-24 illegitimate and null and void and put the careers of the students in jeopardy.
It was decided that NEHUTA will write to the Controller of Examination, NEHU, to immediately remove the items based on NEP for first semester from setting/moderation of question papers in the ensuing meetings of different Moderation Board for UG Examinations.
The meeting also resolved to urge the Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA) not to participate in the setting/moderation of question papers of first semester under NEP.
Further, it was decided that in case some non-NEHUTA members want to go ahead with moderation based on NEP, the NEHUTA members should register their protest and walk out of the meeting.
It was also decided that the NEHUTA will be watchful on the days of moderation meetings to ensure that the resolutions are implemented in letter and spirit.
“If the VC fails to withdraw the letter dated July 12, NEHUTA will be forced to write a detailed report on violation of NEHU Act,
Statutes and Ordinances by the Vice Chancellor to President of India, who is the Visitor of the University; Prime Minister’s Office, Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Governor Phagu Chauhan, who is the Chief Rector of the University, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma among others,” the NEHUTA warned.
The meeting also decided that if the VC does not withdraw the letter by the Officer on Special Duty, Debasish Chowdhury, within five days, NEHUTA will boycott all Academic Council meetings in future.