Over 85,000 UG, PG students stare at uncertainty as ongoing impasse may impact semester exams beginning November 16
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 4: The indefinite pen-down and tool-down strike of the NEHU Non-teaching Staff Association (NEHUNSA) against the unprecedented delay in recruiting people for the posts advertised last year disrupted normal university operations on Monday.
The indefinite protest left classrooms in various departments empty, primarily because there were no buses to ferry students.
The administrative building, too, saw minimal activity with only a few contractual staff members present.
The chamber of Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla also wore a deserted look as none of the staff were present. The VC is not in town and is expected to resume work on Tuesday.
The ongoing impasse is also likely to have a severe impact on the conduct of postgraduate (PG) and Undergraduate (UG) semester examinations.
Around 80,000 UG students and another 5,000 plus PG students will be affected in case the examination is not conducted due to the indefinite protest by the non-teaching staff.
A section of the students on Monday said the VC will need to resolve the present crisis in the university at the earliest in the larger interest of the students.
They also observed that the state government needs to intervene if necessary since the failure to conduct the examination will affect 80% of local students who are studying at the university.
It is understood that without the non-teaching staff, the university cannot conduct the examination.
WORRIES OVER CONDUCT OF EXAM
When contacted, NEHU Controller of Examination, Sumarbin Umdor said the practicals of the UG odd semester exams are scheduled to begin on November 16. The exams will continue until the second week of December.
Umdor also said that the PG exams are due to commence in December.
He said that the examination department is making every effort to conduct the UG exams from November 16 as per the academic calendar.
“However, the ongoing agitation, if prolonged, may impact both the preparations and the timely conduct of the exams, including the results of the postgraduate examinations of the 2022–24 batch,” Prof Umdor said.
He said currently, the examination department is operating with a skeleton regular staff, and there is an urgent need for additional regular appointments at various levels, particularly at the supervisory level, given the confidential and time-sensitive nature of the assignments.
“As the Controller of Examination (in charge) and a senior faculty member of the university, I have written to the competent authority, urging consideration of the current challenges and necessary measures to prevent disruptions in the forthcoming examinations. Addressing staffing and other concerns raised by stakeholders is essential for maintaining the integrity of the examination process and adhering to the academic schedule,” he said.
Prof Umdor said he is extremely concerned about the future of the students.
He said that since the implementation of new courses under the National Education Policy in 2023, significant preparation and coordination efforts have been undertaken by the examination department in collaboration with the colleges to ensure the smooth conduct of exams, particularly for skill courses, online courses, and vocational courses.
“With the support of all stakeholders, the 1st and 2nd semester UG exams were successfully conducted in April and July, despite the 1st-semester exams being postponed from last December,” Prof Umdor said.
He stated that to further ensure clarity and uniformity in the conduct of the vocational course exams — which the university is offering for the first time to more than 20,000 3rd-semester students — a meeting with all principals has been scheduled for November 5 to discuss examination guidelines.
NEHUNSA LIKELY TO MEET VC TODAY
Earlier, NEHUNSA president WR Synrem told reporters that the VC is expected to invite them for talks at 4 pm on Tuesday. He said they will continue with their protest if the discussion with the VC is not fruitful.
Synrem said they fear that the advertisement for filling up the vacant posts published on November 3, 2023, might lapse after a year if the Ministry of Education does not extend its validity.
“We are forced to carry out this protest since the strength of the non-teaching staff in the university on the Shillong and Tura campuses is dwindling,” he said.
The NEHUNSA president said the ratio should be 1:1.1 according to the University Grants Commission norms, which means the strength of the non-teaching staff should be at 512.
The two campuses of the university have about 250 non-teaching staff after some 50 retired this year. Synrem said a few more non-teaching staff will retire in 2025.
He said the university administration is being run by a handful of regular staff. “The university may come to a standstill if the recruitment is not done, thereby jeopardising the education and career of the youths in the state,” he added.
Synrem said it is expected of the VC to be in station when the situation in the university needs immediate attention. “Unfortunately, he is away during a crisis,” he said.
The NEHUNSA had set an October-end deadline for the university authorities to publish the syllabus and the date of the written exam.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) was supposed to conduct the recruitment but it told the university on July 16 that it would be unable to do so.