North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) will get a new Vice-Chancellor by the New Year, Union Education and Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has assured Meghalaya cabinet minister A L Hek.
The assurance was given today while Hek met Pokhriyal in New Delhi.
The position of the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Prof SK Srivastava, has grown increasingly contentious, with a coalition of university staff (teaching and non-teaching) and students pushing for his withdrawal, citing several alleged irregularities and failings on his part.
Despite this, Srivastava, who does have his supporters in NEHU, saw his appointment extended by the university’s Visitor and President of India Ram Nath Kovind following the expiration of the former’s term last month.
According to Hek, Pokhriyal assured that the matter of the new Vice-Chancellor will be considered as a priority and all official procedures will be completed by the end of 2020, with “if possible, a new Vice-Chancellor will be appointed latest by the New Year of 2021.”
Kovind had extended the service of Srivastava for a period of one year or until a fresh appointment is made.
