Senior-most professor Nirmalendu Saha takes over as VC in-charge
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 15: Senior-most professor Nirmalendu Saha on Friday assumed charge as the Acting Vice Chancellor of the crisis-riddled North-Eastern Hill University after the incumbent Vice Chancellor, Prabha Shankar Shukla went on leave till November 29.
In his leave application submitted via email to the NEHU Registrar, Prof Shukla said he was leaving the campus on Earned Leave with effect from November 17, 2024 to November 29, 2024 which may be extended if required, “due to some unavoidable circumstances”.
Prof Saha from the Department of Zoology and Dean of the School of Life Sciences, has the distinction of having 37 years of teaching experiences at the PG level and 41 years of research experiences in the field of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
He joined NEHU as professor in 1988 after completing his PhD from the university in 1987.
After assuming charge on Friday, Prof Saha was accompanied by members of the NEHUTA, MeTTA-NEHU, NEHUSU, KSU NEHU Unit and NEHUNSA to his chair.
In his maiden address to the teachers, students and non-teaching staff, Prof Saha said he will try his level best to solve the problems in collaboration with teachers, students and non-teaching staff with whatever limited power he has as the VC in-charge.
“I will not be able to solve the problems in one day. We have to look for step-by-step solutions,” he said.
Stating that he has been associated with the university since 1980, first as a student and then as faculty, he said, “In my 37 years of service, I have seen several ups and downs of the university. I have seen the best and the worst part of it. It is very sad to see the university in this turmoil today,” the VC in-charge said.
Concerned over their suffering in the cold weather, Prof Saha urged the agitating students to call off their indefinite hunger strike.
Meanwhile, the NEHUSU and KSU NEHU Unit welcomed Prof Saha’s appointment as the VC in-charge.
NEHUSU general secretary Toniho S Kharsati said they appreciate the efforts that have been taken by the teachers’ union, especially the Deans, as well as the teachers who have been with them since day one.
They, however, slammed Prof Shukla for going on leave while indicating that he is not involved in any irregularity or wrongdoing in the university.
“We all know what this person did to NEHU. He (Prof Shukla) has taken the earned leave despite an order from the Ministry that they will be sending a two-member committee to probe into the irregularities in the university,” Kharsati said.
He claimed that the VC’s decision to go on leave on his own clearly shows that he is above and beyond the Ministry. “There should have been a directive from the Ministry asking the VC to remain on leave as he is under scrutiny,” Kharsati added.
The NEHUTA on Friday made it clear that they will not allow Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla and Registrar, Col (retd) Omkar Singh to remotely run the affairs of the university.
“Both of them are absconding but are trying to run the university through WhatsApp. We have heard about WhatsApp University. But these two ‘jokers’ are trying to make it a reality,” NEHUTA president Lakhon Kma said.
He expressed happiness that senior-most professor of the university, N Saha has taken over as the VC in-charge.
“We will now have a responsible man as the VC (in-charge) who will be responsive to the teachers, students and non-teaching staff and also towards the society. We are heading in the right direction. This should be the end of Prof Shukla’s tenure in NEHU,” Kma said.