The war between North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Vice-Chancellor Prof PS Shukla reached another level today with the preparation of a dossier that details his faults, at least those that the NEHU Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has found in him.
Shukla has been under fire, though admittedly still with his supporters, over the way NEHU has gone about introducing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in the state’s colleges.
The three-page dossier, signed by NEHUTA president Prof Lakhon Kma and general secretary Marbhador M Khymdeit, listed 13 points against the VC, prime among them the NEP issue.
The NEHUTA leaders said that Shukla went over the heads of the varsity’s Academic Council (AC) in pushing through the implementation of the NEP this year. However, it has been the argument of the Shukla camp that the AC had in fact duly endorsed the NEP 2020’s implementation.
Many college teachers have been up in arms against the NEP’s introduction this year, saying that their institutions are unready in terms of infrastructure, staffing, etc. The Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA) have been boycotting first semester classes and “all NEHUTA members have abstained from setting and moderating question papers of the first semester under illegitimately implemented NEP at UG (undergraduate) level”.
NEHUTA said that the VC has “exhibited extreme arrogance” in his stubborn refusal to entertain the demand to call an emergency meeting of the AC to resolve the issue. The association said it was not seeking a roll-back of the NEP implementation but to correct “procedural flaws” in the way it was introduced.
Other allegations listed by NEHUTA include the non-conduct of “CAS interview for stage 5 and 6”, which has hurt retiring faculty; the appointment of an officer on special duty in the College Development Council against relevant norms; manipulation of minutes of meetings by the VC; and appointment of a Controller of Examinations who lacks the appropriate experience, which has led to students’ futures being thrown into doubt as examination results are delayed.
The sixth point alleges that Shukla gave a job in the VC’s office to a non-resident “without any advertisement, screening committee, interview by selection committee nor any terms and conditions of his employment”. This has been costing the university Rs 75,000 per month in salary plus other benefits and the said individual has also been allotted university quarters “which is highly illegal”. NEHUTA added, “This appears to be an act of nepotism and favouritism against the norms and a violation of Rights to Equality as enshrined in our Constitution. The VC’s office already has enough staff and this is a waste of university money which is already very scanty.”
Other apparent sins of the VC include, according to NEHUTA, the “bungling” of direct recruitments; delays in appointing statutory officers such as Finance Officer, Registrar and University Engineer; appointment of a Campus Director for NEHU Tura even though such a role does not have any statutory provisions according to NEHU rules; and lack of seriousness in finding a Chancellor for the university.
NEHUTA also questioned how one Prof G Singaiah had been appointed as the Dean of the School of Economics, Management and Information Science when he is based in Tura while most of the school’s work is done in Shillong. There is also a case of alleged misappropriation of Rs 98.69 lakh against Singaiah that has yet to be cleared. Similarly, the association accuses Shukla of protecting the Executive Engineer, Jose Cherian, who has been accused of various irregularities.
Summing up, NEHUTA said that Shukla is “illogical, arrogant and insensitive and ready to violate all well-established procedures” and NEHU rules and is one of the worst VCs in the university’s history. He had been given a deadline until October 9 to call for the emergency AC meeting but without heeding it. Therefore, NEHUTA will hold a rally and dharna against the VC starting at the NEHU library at 3pm on Thursday.
