NEHU VC extends leave yet again

HILLONG, Dec 16: NEHU Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla has again extended his earned leave till December 29.
“In continuation of my email dated 1st December 2024, regarding my earned leave, I request an extension of the same from till 27th December (with suffix 28 & 29 December) due to unforeseen circumstances,” he said in an email addressed to the university’s Registrar on Monday.
Prof Shukla stated that in case of any urgent academic or administrative matters, the Registrar may reach him via phone or online/email.
He further stated that the senior-most professor or Pro-Vice Chancellor shall look at the routine work of the university during his absence.
A two-member committee constituted by the Ministry of Education to probe the alleged irregularities in the university sought a 15-day extension on November 29 to submit its findings.
The extended deadline ended on December 13 but there is no word from the ministry on whether the report has been submitted.
The VC went on leave after the students began agitating in the first week of November with the support of both teaching and non-teaching staff due to his alleged mismanagement and autocratic style of function.
The students also staged a hunger strike for more than two weeks.
Earlier, the VC wrote to the Ministry of Education seeking “adequate security support from the central government” to resume his duties in NEHU from December 2 but extended his leave till December 13.