SHILLONG, May 13: TMC state president Charles Pyngrope has urged the Ministry of Education to immediately remove Prabha Shankar Shukla from the post of Vice Chancellor (VC) of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU).
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Pyngrope stressed that the interests of the university must take precedence over those of any individual. “No one is irreplaceable. The university should not suffer because of one person’s arrogance,” he said.
Reiterating his demand for Prof Shukla’s removal, Pyngrope emphasised that personal interests should never overshadow the needs of the institution. He also expressed disappointment over the Ministry’s delay in responding to students’ calls for the VC’s removal, stating that the inaction has negatively impacted the university’s functioning.
“I hope the Ministry will make a decision regarding Prof Shukla’s removal as soon as possible,” he added.
Earlier, BJP Cabinet Minister Alexander Laloo Hek revealed that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had directed the concerned department to take appropriate action on the demand for a new Vice Chancellor at NEHU. “He (the Union Minister) has informed me that the matter has been forwarded to the appropriate department for necessary action,” Hek said, adding that this was in response to a letter he had written.
Hek stated that he had written to the Union Minister seeking his intervention in the demand raised by the NEHU Students’ Union (NEHUSU) and the KSU NEHU Unit for the immediate removal of Prof. Shukla and the appointment of a new VC.
Dismissing claims that the Centre is not taking the NEHU issue seriously, Hek said, “If they were taking the matter lightly, they wouldn’t have replied to my letter.”
