By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 7: The Education Ministry is facing mounting criticism for allegedly adopting double standards in addressing crises across central universities in the Northeast. While the Ministry moved swiftly to resolve the leadership vacuum at Tezpur University, the situation at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) remains unresolved—despite Vice Chancellor Prof. PS Shukla being absent from the campus for more than a year.
University sources warn that the Centre’s prolonged inaction risks plunging NEHU into deeper administrative paralysis, with fears of long-term academic decline. Many within the academic community have questioned why Meghalaya’s oldest central university is being allowed to deteriorate “simply to accommodate one individual”.
In sharp contrast, Tezpur University—where the Vice Chancellor has also been absent for over three months—has seen rapid intervention, with the senior-most professor, Prof. Dhruba Kumar Bhattacharyya, already appointed as Acting VC, helping stabilise the institution after months of unrest that began in mid-September.
At NEHU, the crisis continues to intensify. Reports indicate that Prof. Shukla has been challenging decisions taken by officials striving to restore order on campus. He has reportedly been issuing directives from a self-declared “camp office” located in a Guwahati guest house—well outside NEHU’s legally defined jurisdiction.
His repeated attempts to convene Executive Council (EC) meetings in Delhi have sparked fresh concerns among faculty members, who argue that such meetings must be held at the Shillong main campus, especially when the senior Pro-Vice Chancellor (PVC) is empowered to chair them during the VC’s absence. Several key decisions, including confirmation of staff services and advertisement of non-teaching posts, remain stalled due to the impasse.
Presently, NEHU continues to grapple with severe cuts in recurring grants, vacancies in all three statutory offices, nearly 60% shortage of sanctioned staff, a rising number of affiliated colleges seeking de-affiliation and difficulties in implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Despite these urgent concerns, Prof. Shukla has remained away from the university, leaving the responsibility of ensuring academic continuity and student safety to the PVC and a small group of senior faculty.
Sources confirm that several teachers who initially agreed to take up administrative roles have since stepped down due to mounting pressure and lack of institutional support.
The PVC in charge of Shillong is also reported to have expressed frustration over being left to manage full operations of the university without cooperation from higher authorities.
It may be mentioned that the crisis at NEHU escalated in mid-October 2024, when students launched a mass agitation against Prof. Shukla, accusing him of mismanagement, financial irregularities and anti-local biases in appointments. The protest garnered support from teaching and non-teaching staff and the broader local community.
Following the agitation, senior officials from the Ministry of Education visited the NEHU campus and engaged with stakeholders. This led to the appointment of Prof. Sumarbin Umdor as PVC to ensure smooth academic functioning.
A senior professor stated that under Prof. Umdor’s supervision, academic and administrative activities—including undergraduate and postgraduate examinations and CUET-based admissions to affiliated colleges—have proceeded without disruption.
