By Our Reporter
Shillong, Dec 9: The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) on Tuesday accused the Ministry of Education of double standards and “complete indifference” in dealing with the prolonged absence and alleged misconduct of NEHU Vice-Chancellor Prof. P.S. Shukla.
In a scathing statement, NEHUTA president Prof. Lakhon Kma pointed out that while the Ministry swiftly removed Tezpur University’s VC from administrative duties and ordered an inquiry, it has ignored similar — and in many cases graver — charges against Prof. Shukla for over a year.
Prof. Shukla has reportedly remained absent for nearly 480 days during his tenure (averaging 144 days per year) and 390 consecutive days at present, yet continues to draw full salary. Most absences, NEHUTA claims, were for trips to Delhi and abroad that brought “zero benefit” to the university while exhausting funds through TA/DA.
The association levelled serious allegations including administrative collapse, arbitrary and underqualified appointments (one case is already in the High Court), financial irregularities, and violation of GFR 2017 in awarding contracts worth Rs 82 lakh and Rs 98 crore to Manipur Tribal Development Corporation without mandatory approvals.
NEHUTA also blamed the falling NIRF rankings, crumbling infrastructure, financial instability and “open propagation of casteism” on the VC’s leadership.
Criticising the Meghalaya government for not pressing the Centre the way Assam did in the Tezpur case, Kma said the current Pro-Vice Chancellor arrangement has proved ineffective.
Demanding immediate removal of Prof. Shukla, initiation of an inquiry, and appointment of the senior-most professor as Acting VC until a regular Vice-Chancellor is selected, NEHUTA warned that the university “cannot be run on autopilot any longer.”
