Cabinet minister Paul Lyngdoh today expressed concern over the decline in ranking of North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) as top university in the country.
“It is disturbing to see the decline. Earlier NEHU used to be among the 50 best universities in the country, but now it has slipped below 100,” Lyngdoh told media persons after visiting the protesting students at NEHU today.
He also said that when he was studying MA (English) in NEHU the department was among the top 10 in the country.
Lyngdoh said that the students have a valid reason to protest even as he added that the way the incumbent vice chancellor, Prof. Prabha Shankar Shukla is running the university in an authoritarian way and who has now gone on earned leave shows that there is a lacuna in manpower like teachers while the standard of teaching has gone down by appointment of unqualified teachers.
“I want to make sure that the demands do not stay within the campus of the university and the hunger strike of the students is not wasted. Therefore, I want to make it sure that the internal report is compiled by the students, a copy of which should also be given to me so that I can take this up with the chief minister and through him to the Centre,” he said.
The minister also said that the two-member enquiry committee set up by the Education Ministry to find out the actual reasons for the NEHU imbroglio should come down to the university to find out the facts for themselves.
Stating that the State government does not have much say in the day to day affairs of the university, Lyngdoh said that the State government can only intervene if there is a breakdown of law and order.
He also said that he was not only concerned with the health of the protesting students but also with the well being of NEHU.
