By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 18: Following similar criticisms from the non-teaching staff, the North Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC) Prof Sumarbin Umdor. The association accused him of being a “loyalist” to Vice-Chancellor Prof. Prabha Shankar Shukla and held him responsible for further destabilising the university.
In a statement, NEHUTA president Lakhon Kma said Prof. Umdor’s actions had added “more mess to the already messed-up situation” at NEHU. The association expressed relief over his resignation, stating his tenure failed the purpose for which the associations had originally agreed to a PVC appointment.
NEHUTA alleged that Prof. Umdor failed to perform his duties according to the NEHU Act and Statutes. “It always appeared to us that he was working more for Prof. Shukla than for the University,” Kma said, describing the PVC’s reported list of achievements as “ridiculous.”
Clarifying its stance, the association argued that a single Academic Council meeting could not be credited to the PVC, as it was a collective effort. Regarding the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) promotions, NEHUTA termed the PVC’s claims misleading. It noted that only a limited number of junior promotions were processed, while hundreds of senior teachers continue to wait for long-pending promotions because the PVC failed to convene an Executive Council meeting for final approval.
The association further rejected claims regarding hostel construction and academic events, stating that the girls’ hostel project began years before Prof. Umdor took office. Similarly, it noted that seminars and the Smart India Hackathon were the result of months of work by departmental committees, not the PVC’s initiative.
NEHUTA also criticised Prof. Umdor for failing to address severe financial cuts imposed by the Ministry, which have hampered the university’s daily operations. The teachers’ body held him and the VC responsible for the “haphazard and hasty” implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 at the undergraduate level, claiming faculty intervention was the only thing that prevented a complete disaster.
Other grievances included the failure to appoint a regular Dean for the School of Social Sciences and the neglect of staff quarters and infrastructure maintenance. NEHUTA dismissed the PVC’s media statements as “self-glorification without substance.”
The association also raised concerns over administrative irregularities, specifically the continued payment of salary to a Deputy Registrar who has allegedly been absent for over a year without show-cause notice.
Finally, NEHUTA criticised Prof. Umdor’s decision to hand over charge to the PVC of the Tura campus, arguing it violated NEHU Statute 2(A)(5)(i), which mandates that charge be handed to the senior-most professor. The association reiterated its demand for strict adherence to university statutes to restore governance at NEHU.
