The Joint Action Committee (JAC) at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), formed by teachers, non-teaching staff and students, has decided to launch an indefinite strike from November 13 over its fight with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof PS Shukla.
The decision was taken at the JAC meeting today where a need for an intensification of the ongoing agitation was felt necessary.
The JAC was formed primarily over the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 but other issues have now taken priority, chief among them being the drive for the removal of a technical officer/senior consultant by the VC, which the JAC has deemed illegal.
Other demands include the appointment of statutory officers and university engineer; fix the “deteriorating condition” of the NEHU health centre; relieving teaching and technical staff from “ministerial duties”; upload NEHU acts, statutes and ordinances on the university website; need to hold “regular” convocations; changes to the marking system; inclusion of elected members of the NEHU Students Union on the Academic Council; and review of educationally backward area quota from block to village level.
The JAC has exempted “essential services” (those concerning buses, water, electricity, health, recruitment and pension) from the strike.
