By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 25: North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Vice Chancellor Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla has finally called for an emergency meeting of the Academic Council (AC) at 10 am on Thursday.
This comes after the Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising NEHUTA and NEHUNSA, had on Wednesday issued a three-day deadline to him to convene the meeting to discuss the stalemate arising out of the implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
For some time, he had been under intense pressure from the JAC on the issue. In a letter, JAC chairman Prof Lakhon Kma urged Prof Shukla to convene the meeting as requested earlier.
In October, the JAC had written a letter to him requesting him to discuss the inappropriate implementation of NEP 2020 at undergraduate (UG) level in the affiliated colleges of NEHU without the approval of the AC. The letter was signed by 100 bonafide and responsible members of the AC from the university’s Shillong and Tura campuses.
“We do hope that you would understand the gravity of the situation and the urgency to rectify the procedural flaws involved in the implementation after discussion and approval in the said emergency meeting and move forward for the sake of students at UG level in our affiliated colleges,” Prof Kma said.
According to him, this will be in accordance with upholding the NEHU Act, Statutes, Ordinances, Regulations and Rules, democratic norms and procedures and to protect the sanctity of the statutory body of the university – the AC.
Meanwhile, in a separate letter addressed to Prof Shukla on Wednesday, the JAC demanded the cancellation of the appointment of technical officer/senior consultant, Rohit Prasad.
“We demand that Rohit Prasad, who was appointed in a flimsy manner as technical officer/senior consultant without any advertisement or any due process of recruitment but unilaterally and authoritatively interviewed (online) by the Vice Chancellor, should be immediately removed,” Prof Kma said.
He observed that NEHU already has competent expertise in the field of technology for which the individual was appointed.
According to him, these experts can be easily utilised to perform the minuscule tasks for which Prasad was appointed.
He further observed that providing a hefty salary along with DA, to which consultants are not entitled, and that too from the recurring fund of NEHU, further raises eyebrows when the university is going through financial difficulties.
“This can be seen as a violation of the rules and regulations of the university for appointment and the Vice Chancellor is reminded that this university is not a private institute where anybody can be brought in, appointed and paid from the government account without following proper procedures and well-established due processes,” Prof Kma said.
In the light of this, the JAC demanded that Prasad be removed and that the latter should vacate the “illegally-allotted” quarters within a week from the date of receipt of the letter. The JAC will decide on its next course of action if the VC fails to remove Prasad.
Despite the emergency meeting which the VC has convened, Prof Kma said the deadline for Prasad’s removal by the midnight of October 26 stays.
He further stated that the meeting of the JAC, scheduled on Friday, will go ahead as planned as they have several other issues to discuss.
“We will continue our agitation till we achieve all our goals,” he added.