Vice-Chancellor of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Prof SK Srivastava, has been accused today of failing to conduct recruitment for faculty according to central government guidelines.
In a press release, the NEHU Teachers Association (NEHUTA) and Meghalaya Tribal Teachers Association (MeTTA) said they are “disappointed” by attempts by Srivastava to conduct recruitment based on job advertisements that are nearly 18 months old.
According to NEHUTA and MeTTA, the job ads in question stated that the last date to apply for the posts was in October 2019. According to central government regulations, recruitment should be concluded within six months from the date of the advertisement, failing which a new advert should be issued.
“It is utterly unlawful to see that NEHU Vice-Chancellor Srivastava is openly challenging the directive of the government of India on his own,” the release stated. “The question is, how can Srivastava bypass GoI directives that deal with the protection of equal rights and opportunities in matters of public service? A case of more flagrant violation is made out when the GoI directive is put in abeyance without any application of mind. Can the Vice-Chancellor keep in abeyance a Government of India circular, which specifically applies to rules of recruitment?”
The move by Srivastava is deeply unfair to those academics who have gained further experience and improved their qualifications since the time the original advertisement was issued but who find themselves denied a chance to apply for the vacant positions.
“The context of recruitment at this eleventh hour by an outgoing VC when the selection process of the new VC is going on smacks of not only ethical and legal violation but a deeper rot in it,” the teachers’ bodies said.
They also mentioned that Srivastava is not allowed to carry out the recruitment process as he is a stand-in VC, since his full term expired in September though he was allowed to continue until a new full VC is appointed by the Union Ministry of Education.
“Given this transitional holding of office by Srivastava, it is entirely unethical to conduct recruitment, which has long-term impact beyond his term,” they said.
