NEHUSU rejects appointments
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 13: In an attempt to appease the agitating students, the NEHU administration on Wednesday appointed Pro Vice-Chancellors for the Shillong and Tura campuses.
The Assistant Registrar in charge of planning, Devendra Biswal stated that Vice-Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla appointed SM Sungoh of the Department of Education as the Pro VC of NEHU Shillong Campus with effect from November 13 subject to the approval of the Executive Council.
Similarly, the order stated that Fameline K Marak of the Department of Garo has been appointed as the Pro VC of NEHU Tura Campus with effect from November 13 subject to the approval of the Executive Council.
The term of the office and other terms and conditions of the above appointment of Pro-VCs shall be according to the university’s Act and statutes, as amended from time to time, the order added.
However, the NEHUSU and NEHU unit of the KSU on Wednesday rejected the appointment of the Pro-VCs while deciding to continue with their indefinite hunger strike.
NEHUSU president Sandy Sohtun told reporters that they are firm on their stand and that they will discuss other issues only after the VC is removed. “We have nothing to do with the incumbent VC. We will not accept any of his decisions,” he said.
He also said the Assistant Registrar in charge of planning is not authorised to issue the order for the appointment of the Pro-VCs.
The NEHUSU president said such an order is normally issued by the Registrar, Joint Registrar or the Assistant Registrar in charge of Establishment.
Sohtun alleged that the VC is using his close aide since he was responsible for promoting him recently from the position of an assistant lab technician in the Bio-Informatics Department to an assistant professor in the Zoology Department.
“We will not allow the VC to run the university from outside the campus through his close aide. We do not want him in the university anymore,” he said.
Sohtun further said the appointment of the Pro-VCs is not the top priority of the student bodies at the moment.
According to him, the VC should first step down to pave the way for discussing other issues such as the appointment of the pro-VCs.
The NEHUSU president said they have appealed to both the teaching and non-teaching staff not to cooperate with Prof Shukla.