Shillong, Nov 6: The Vice-Chancellor of North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Prabha Shankar Shukla, issuing a rebuttal to demands from the NEHU Students’ Union (NEHUSU) that recently called for the removal of several senior officials and the appointment of Pro-Vice-Chancellors at both the Shillong and Tura campuses, defended the integrity of the appointments.
Responding to NEHUSU’s call for the immediate removal of the Registrar, Deputy Registrar (Academics), Officer on Special Duty (OSD), and Guest House In-charge, Shukla said that these appointments, were made through a formal selection process. “The removal of officials like the Registrar and Deputy Registrar cannot be done on a whim or personal discretion,” he said, adding that “these positions are governed by institutional rules, and any action must adhere to due process.”
The VC also said that while NEHUSU and other associations, such as NEHUTA and NEHUNSA, have raised their grievances with government authorities, including the Ministry of Education and the President of India, no directive has been issued for action against these officials. “If there are legitimate concerns, the government may opt for an inquiry, but currently, there is no communication from the Ministry or the President’s office supporting these demands,” he added.
Further, he rebutted claims of administrative inaction regarding staff roles, stating that the challenges faced in filling positions like the OSD and Guest House In-charge due to a shortage of non-teaching staff. He said that attempts had been made to find qualified professors to take on the OSD role, but “no professor has expressed willingness.”
Regarding the Guest House In-charge position, the VC shared that recruitment advertisements had been issued, but after the National Testing Agency (NTA) declined to conduct exams, NEHU had to seek alternative agencies.
For appointing Pro-Vice-Chancellors for the Shillong and Tura campuses, the VC confirmed that the university had formally reached out to the Ministry for guidance. “We await the Ministry’s response, but if none is received by December 2024, I will appoint Pro-Vice-Chancellors from the local community for each campus,” he said.