SHILLONG, Oct 23: The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) on Wednesday said if Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla is so clean, then he should prove it by facing an independent inquiry committee, comprising stakeholders from NEHU and leaders from student bodies, pressure groups and politicians cutting across party lines from Meghalaya.
Recently, the VC defended all the work he has done and dismissed the allegation that he is “anti-tribal”.
NEHUTA president Lakhon Kma said such a committee is needed, as Prof Shukla is allegedly playing with the Act, statute, ordinance, rules and regulations of the university by violating all set procedures and standards.
“We are concerned due to the VC’s baseless defence of the issues we raised before various statutory organisations,” Kma said, adding that the VC’s remarks that he is not a politician are laughable.
Kma said Prof Shukla was appointed by his political masters. He said more than half of the professors of NEHU are far better than the VC in terms of experience, quality, exposure and academic credentials and a vision and concern for NEHU, yet they do not get a chance to be the VC.
“Therefore, his so-called rebuttal is only perfunctory and irrelevant as it leaves all the issues unaddressed. Instead of doing serious introspection and course correction, Prof Shukla is trying to save his face and defending the indefensible,” the NEHUTA president said.
He said the works that the VC has done are “chronic” deterioration of the academic atmosphere and the administrative functions of NEHU.
Kma said there is zero accountability from the top, zero maintenance of vital infrastructures such as roads, streetlights, normal lightings, buildings, hostels, quarters, transportation etc and zero addition of new buildings, hostels, and quarters. He said there is also a very poor support system for research and innovation.
He alleged that there was nepotism and favouritism in appointing people to various positions such as deans and merit was ignored. Further, he alleged that there is complete lack of direction which resulted in NEHU not figuring among the top 100 varsities in NIRF rankings since he was appointed as the VC.
“We are sure that if he continues, he will push NEHU into a deep gorge and coming up will be impossible for the next 10 to 20 years,” Kma said.
Citing Prof Shukla’s “blatant” anti-local and anti-tribal acts, the NEHUTA president said the VC filled up four posts of Deputy Registrar by completely ignoring qualified local candidates. He said the four appointed do not have any familiarity with NEHU, NEHU’s Act, statute, ordinance etc.
He said the result is a crippling blow to the functioning of academics, administrative, scientific, research-related and other necessary works.
Kma mentioned that Prof Shukla appointed a 62-year-old professor in the Department of Education after he had retired from his parent university by ignoring qualified tribal and other candidates in NEHU. He preferred to bring his “yes man”, Kma added.
He said the VC also appointed a professor in the Department of Zoology who does not qualify to be a professor under any rule and the matter is in the High Court of Meghalaya.
“In the departments of Mathematics and Biomedical Engineering, he has appointed the same person as Associate Professor and Professor in their respective departments in the same interview which defies all logic. There is certainly more than meets the eye,” Kma said.
Citing another act of alleged nepotism, he said a retired Army colonel, Omkar Singh, was appointed as a Controller of Examinations by a selection committee that Prof Shukla constituted. And then within six months, the person was appointed as a Registrar.
“Omkar Singh has had no previous experience in academic institution of higher learning and his stint in Examination was a gross failure. A selection committee chaired by Prof. P. S. Shukla found Omkar Singh to be the successful candidate despite his very poor track record in the Examination Department,” the NEHUTA president said.
Alleging that the idea was to deny appointment to the qualified candidates including locals in the post of Registrar, he said the question which now arises is who were the members of this selection committee that found Singh qualified for the post.
Kma alleged that soon after Singh became the Registrar, he appointed himself as Supervisor of the NTA exam in NEHU Centre, adding the exam was a complete catastrophe, creating a situation of stampede and chaos that was reported by the media.
“His only contribution to NEHU is bringing down whatever was left of after the disastrous six years of misrule by Prof SK Srivastava. Though initially he started with good promises, but after nearly three years, he showed how NEHU could be brought down on every front, be it research, maintenance, due payment of gratuity to retired staffers, payment of medical allowances,” Kma said.
