By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 11: All hopes of reconciliation between the two warring factions — NEHU Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla and the Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA) — over the National Education Policy, 2020, were dashed on Monday when the former refused to recall the notification dated July 12, 2023, instructing the colleges affiliated to NEHU to implement the NEP and the latter making it amply clear that they continue with their non-cooperation movement.
As the MCTA sat for a meeting with the NEHU VC, expectations were high about a possible resolution of the month-long stand-off over the implementation of the NEP but neither of the two factions was willing to relent.
The MCTA wanted the NEHU authority to withdraw the NEP notification to the colleges while the VC insisted that the university has no intention of reversing the decision to implement NEP.
The meeting, which spanned three hours, discussed the technical flaws in the notification. MCTA general secretary Airpeace W Rani emphasized that the notification had not been officially passed through the Academic Council.
Rubbishing the allegations, the NEHU VC cited adherence to proper procedures and approvals.
The VC maintained that the notification followed the natural course of action after receiving approval from relevant authorities. It asserted that there are no procedural flaws that would deem the notification illegal.
The NEHU VC also issued a statement outlining the procedure leading to implementation of NEP, stating that the 104th Academic Council meeting held in September 2020, resolved to establish a task force for the effective rollout of NEP. This resolution was subsequently presented to the Executive Council in October 2020, which then constituted the task force to ensure smooth implementation.
In a parallel effort, the 109th Academic Council meeting in October 2022 called upon its members to submit suggestions to the coordinator of the implementation committee.
The statement highlighted substantial deliberations and discussions preceding the July 12 notification.
The statement also clarified the distinct roles of the Academic Council (AC) and Executive Council (EC). While the AC plays a significant role in framing and supervising principles, it is the EC that has the authority to execute the principles formulated by the AC.
“The AC never frames any policy keeping in mind a starting date. Any policy framed by the AC is expected to be implemented by the EC without any delay because a policy is framed and adopted for the greater good of the stakeholders,” the statement read.
NEHU also clarified that none of the affiliated colleges have officially communicated to NEHU, citing their inability to implement NEP from the upcoming academic year.
Meanwhile, addressing concerns about the students’ fate until the next Academic Council meeting, MCTA president BH Buam expressed uncertainty regarding the legitimacy and recognition of the courses.
“The MCTA’s primary focus is on the long-term implications for the students, even though the situation may seem protracted. We want to establish the NEP’s legal standing before proceeding with it,” added Buam.
She said they will wait for a fresh notification to address these issues, and also disclosed that the MCTA will hold an executive committee meeting on Tuesday to determine their next steps in this stalemate.