By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 28: At a time when the North-Eastern Hill University is facing a crisis with the NEHUSU and NEHUTA up in arms against the alleged dictatorial attitude of those in chair and the gross violation of the university’s Statutes and Acts, NEHU Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla has gone on leave till November 4.
NEHU Registrar, Colonel (retd) Omkar Singh and Deputy Registrar (Academics) Amit Gupta, who are also facing the heat over their controversial appointments, have also gone on leave till October 31.
The NEHUTA and NEHUSU have asked the Vice Chancellor to terminate the service of Singh as “he is not fit and competent to hold” the position of the registrar.
When contacted, NEHUTA president Lakhon Kma expressed surprise that the VC decided to go on leave especially after the incidents that transpired on Friday during the 113th Academic Council meeting of the varsity.
“We had expected the VC to take steps to resolve the stalemate but he chose to go on leave,” Kma said.
Kma further recalled that the VC had gone on leave on earlier occasions when the university had faced crisis.
He mentioned that Prof Shukla had gone on leave when teachers and students had agitated over the decision to implement the NEP, 2020 for the undergraduate courses without the approval of the Academic Council.
The NEHUTA president also mentioned that the VC was not in town during the CUET debacle in May.
“He (Prof Shukla) was on leave when the university was in darkness without electricity for three continuous days,” Kma said, accusing the VC of resorting to taking leaves to avoid facing agitation by teachers or students.
“The VC is never there to address the situation whenever there is a student-centric issue,” Kma claimed.