The North Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has termed as “ridiculous” the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Prabha Shankar Shukla’s allegations that the ongoing unrest in the university is due to personal agendas of certain professors.
The NEHU teachers stated that for a man with “very limited academic or other credentials” who came with a “political mission through political channel”, is the only cause of problems in the university.
“A glance at his academic calibre vs. any candidate of the recommended list for the VC of NEHU when he was appointed about four years ago, or for that matter vs. any professor of NEHU, will indicate that except for his blind loyalty to a particular ideology, he has nothing in him that is worth mentioning,” NEHUTA stated.
The association also said that because of his “narcissistic behaviour”, he appointed unqualified and undeserving Registrar, Deputy Registrars, and faculty members including retired teachers.
“It is known that his own qualifications are far lesser than Professors of NEHU and he came through backdoor political manipulation as a political appointee with a mission to alter the tribal and ethnic character of NEHU into a backyard of mainland Hindi-Hindu-Brahminical hegemony,” the teachers said.
“Such is his audacious tenor that he is sermonizing students about academics…after about 4 months out of office; suddenly he is overflowing with love for students and concern for NEHU. What a shame! Neither the students nor the teaching and non-teaching staff are naïve to get entrapped by his pretence. It is pleasing to see his desperation,” the NEHUTA quipped.
According to the association, Prof. Shukla has done nothing notable in his three and half years of the tenure as VC NEHU, except few “routine things.”
NEHUTA stated that more than 15 professors, much more deserving than him in all aspects, retired without getting their due share of promotions to Senior Prof. because of his insecurity, frequent absence from the station and nefarious design and many more are retiring in the next few months.
The association also alleged that the VC never wanted flourishing of researchers and teachers and set over all the cases of deserving promotion so that NEHU’s rank goes down.
“This is how Shukla destroyed the very fabric of NEHU. He stands out as one who only spoiled NEHU with blatant violation of all rules, nepotism and other such nefarious hidden agenda,” the NEHUTA said.
According to NEHUTA, Prof. Shukla has openly displayed anti-tribal, anti-local and anti-Meghalaya attitude and even Scheduled Castes got shabby unfair treatment from him in matters of promotion and recruitment as he match-fixed all recruitment and brings his own chosen lot.
The association also alleged that infrastructure in NEHU campuses is crumbling, parked several crores of NEHU’s fund meant for development works with CPWD for more than three years without following it up since he was completely detached from NEHU and the state of Meghalaya.
The association alleged that the latest to add is his “sold -out of development works” worth Rs. 93 crores in Tura campus to Manipur Tribal development Corporation, Imphal bypassing Meghalaya and GFR rules as well as of Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which is a serious offence and can be termed as an act of omission and commission.
“He denied genuine Meghalayans and its competent bodies to execute the work and surreptitiously nominated MTDC, Imphal for the work indicating quid pro quo between them,” the NEHUTA stated.
According to the teachers’ association Prof. Shukla’s incompetence and ill-gotten designs resulted in complete destabilisation of NEHU.
It pointed out that there is no regular Controller of Examinations, Finance Officer, Registrar and no regular VC as well.
“In the last three and half years, he did not conduct the recruitment of non-teaching posts whose advertisements have already lapsed and the applicants are demanding the refund of the fees,” the NEHUTA added.
The NEHUTA also stated that the report of the enquiry committee on his wrong doings is under examination by Ministry of Education and that this can be confirmed by the letter from National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, dated March 7, 2025 sent to Prof. Lakhon Kma president of NEHUTA on his complaint dated August 16, 2024 to regarding Prof. Shukla’s anti-tribal and anti-local activities.
In response to the notice of NCST sent to the Secretary, UGC and Secretary, Dept. of Higher Education on the complaint, it was conveyed by the Ministry to NCST, Regional Office Shillong that a two member committee to investigate the alleged mismanagement and administrative failures within NEHU Shillong was constituted and that the committee has submitted its report to the Ministry, which is currently under examination.
“This clearly shows that Prof. Shukla has not been absolved from the charges levelled against him and he is trying to give a clean chit to himself. By claiming to have virtually resumed his duties from Delhi, he lies to the world that he joined back as VC, while University community and students are awaiting the Inquiry report, which is still not brought to the public by the Ministry. NEHUTA is ready for a faceoff with him anywhere at any time and the dialogue time with him is over,” the NEHUTA said.
