The teachers’ body has opposed any extension of incumbent VC Prabha Shankar Shukla’s tenure
SHILLONG, May 13: The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has urged the Union Ministry of Education to immediately initiate the process to appoint a new Vice-Chancellor for North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), while opposing any extension of the tenure of the incumbent V-C Prabha Shankar Shukla.
In a petition submitted to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the NEHUTA president, Lakhon Kma, expressed concern over the delay in issuing the advertisement for the post of V-C, although the Ministry of Education directed the university to initiate the appointment process.
According to Kma, the Ministry’s Department of Higher Education had, through a letter dated February 18, instructed the NEHU Registrar to set in motion the process for the appointment of the next V-C as Prof. Shukla’s tenure is scheduled to end on July 26.
He alleged that even after more than two-and-a-half months, no advertisement for the post has been issued in the public domain.
In the representation, Kma criticised Prof. Shukla’s tenure, alleging administrative inefficiency, lack of vision, favouritism, nepotism, and repeated violations of the university rules and government regulations.
He also alleged that the V-C remained absent from the NEHU headquarters in Shillong for the past 540 days, while continuing to draw a full salary.
The NEHUTA president further claimed that the university’s academic atmosphere has deteriorated under the present administration and alleged that several decisions taken during Prof. Shukla’s tenure have resulted in litigations before the High Court of Meghalaya.
He also raised concerns over the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 at the undergraduate level, claiming that there is still no clarity regarding the fourth-year programme and its linkage to postgraduate and PhD courses for the first batch of NEP students.
Highlighting the university’s declining NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) performance, he stated that NEHU’s ranking steadily dropped over the years during Prof. Shukla’s tenure.
Kma also referred to alleged irregularities in the allotment of projects worth ₹98 crore on the Tura campus and claimed that construction works were handed over without following due procedures under the General Financial Rules.
Stating that the university urgently requires a “competent and visionary” leader, he appealed to the Ministry of Education to appoint a new V-C capable of restoring the institution’s academic environment and reputation.
Copies of the petition were submitted to President Droupadi Murmu, who is the Visitor of NEHU, and Vineet Joshi, the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Education, for necessary action.
