Shillong, May 25: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today called on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi and addressed him in the most diplomatic language on the need for change in North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU).
The central university is looking for a new Vice-Chancellor to replace the embattled and highly unpopular Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla. Although the university is situated in Shillong, the Meghalaya government has no real power over it, with the Union Ministry of Education getting to decide who the new boss will be.
Shukla, who was appointed by the central government in 2021 for a five-year term, has been absent from Shillong for more than a year after he was forced out through sustained and intense protests against the way he was running the varsity. While university stakeholders are hopeful of a positive change, they are also mindful that the same Ministry of Education that appointed Shukla could appoint someone just as divisive and controversial next.
In a letter submitted to the Union Minister, Sangma said that the process for the appointment of a new VC has “brought much-needed reassurance and has been widely welcomed across the university community. It is important that this momentum is now carried forward with both urgency and thoughtful care.”
He also urged the Education Minister that the selection process be conducted with the utmost diligence, while ensuring that the appointment is not unduly delayed, in the larger interest of the institution.
“Equally important is the need to identify a candidate who brings not only strong academic and administrative credentials, but also the experience, judgment and leadership required to guide NEHU through its current challenges,” he said in his letter.
Meanwhile, the CM also took the opportunity to seek the Union Minister’s intervention on the five projects sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) for the NEHU Tura campus, which are yet to be implemented. An amount of Rs 35 crore has been released by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs for the development of infrastructure. Shukla had been accused by the NEHU Teachers’ Association of corruption in the allocation of work regarding these projects.
“These projects remain critically important not only for the university but also for the larger Garo Hills region, as they are integral to improving higher education infrastructure and fulfilling the aspirations of students and the community,” he said.
The Chief Minister also briefed the Union Minister on Captain Williamson Sangma State University (CWSSU), which is being developed as a greenfield development model, and has sought financial assistance for infrastructure creation, academic expansion, laboratories, student hostels, faculty development and professional education programmes.
He submitted a request to the minister for the sanction of financial assistance to CWSSU under the MERU (Multi-Disciplinary Education and Research Universities) vertical of PM-USHA, under which state government universities are eligible for grants of up to Rs 100 crore each.
