By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 5: Major stakeholders of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) have urged the Ministry of Education to immediately appoint an in-charge Vice-Chancellor to restore administration at the Shillong campus.
In a joint representation to the Ministry on Monday, university bodies sought permission for the senior-most available professor to discharge the duties of the Vice-Chancellor until a regular appointment is made. They proposed that Saroj Kanta Barik be allowed to take charge, as provided under NEHU Statute 2(A)(2).
The representation was signed by the NEHU Students’ Union, Teachers’ Association, Non-Teaching Staff Association, Meghalaya Tribal Teachers’ Association (NEHU unit), and the Khasi Students’ Union NEHU Unit.
The organisations said the university has been facing a serious administrative vacuum. They pointed out that the regular Vice-Chancellor, Prabha Shankar Shukla, has been away from the Shillong headquarters for the past 415 days. This, they said, has badly affected governance and accountability.
“As a result, there has been no functional Vice-Chancellor or Acting Vice-Chancellor at the NEHU Headquarters,” the letter stated.
The situation has worsened due to the absence of a Registrar at the Shillong campus. Stakeholders said this has paralysed both academic and administrative work. They warned that scholarships, fellowships and research projects funded by agencies such as the Department of Biotechnology are at risk due to missed or pending deadlines.
They also noted that the post of Pro Vice-Chancellor, Shillong Campus, has remained vacant since December 15, following the resignation of S. Umdor. No official notification has been issued so far to appoint an Acting Vice-Chancellor.
The bodies said that they had earlier requested the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Tura campus to function from Shillong to ensure continuity. However, she has not reported to the headquarters, and the situation remains unchanged.
Citing NEHU statutes and established practice, the stakeholders urged the Ministry to allow Prof. Barik to perform the duties of Vice-Chancellor with immediate effect.
They appealed to the Centre to act urgently to protect the functioning and credibility of the university.
