Lakhon Kma, chairman of Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) teachers, non-teaching staff and NEHU students, has termed the recent press conference of the university Vice-Chancellor, Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla as “childish”, “very illogical” and “full of lies”.
Kma said that the JAC will hold a press conference on Wednesday to rebut the claims of the VC.
“We will cut each and every point to pieces. To show how this person has lied to the public, given them half-baked information vis-a-vis the power of the VC, vis-a-vis the rules that govern with the appointment of Rohit (Prasad),” the JAC chairman told reporters.
Prasad is a consultant appointed by the VC allegedly, according to the JAC, against university norms, though Shukla dismissed this at his press conference on Saturday.
Kma said that as per the NEHU statutes, Shukla has no power to appoint anybody except for teachers.
According to Kma, the act that allows a special mode of appointment in the university, is as per the statute 21, and it refers to a specific appointment.
It reads – “Notwithstanding anything contained in Statute 20, the Executive Council may invite a person of high academic distinction and professional attainments to accept a post of Professor or Reader or any other academic post in University, as the case may be, on such terms and conditions as it deems fit, and on the person agreeing to do so, appoint him to the post.”
The JAC chairman said that this appointment is of the highest level, like a distinguished scientist and is invited by a university and this power is for such appointment and not for non-teaching post appointment.
He also said that in the entire act, statutes and ordinances, there is no other power the Vice-Chancellor has for appointment.
Kma said that this provision has been kept only for academic interest of the university.
The JAC chairman said that Shukla has no power to appoint anybody by himself.
Kma said that the VC has misrepresented the facts by saying that the Executive Council has approved the appointment of Prasad.
“He has spoken lies and we will expose him fully in tomorrow’s press conference and we will show what the Executive Council can do and once it has done what you are supposed to do which he has not done. He has avoided the procedures which are to be followed even after he has received the approval of the Executive Council,” he added.
The JAC chairman said that it is amply clear that he has violated the rules of appointment of University Grants Commission.
He added that this was a blatant violation of UGC Model CRR (Cadre Recruitment Rules).
