Shillong, Dec 17:Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui today expressed concern over the state of affairs in North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) and the central government’s apparent silence on the subject.
Speaking to reporters, Rymbui said that the state is grappling with the issue at NEHU, where students, teachers and other stakeholders are at loggerheads with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof PS Shukla.
“The silence of the central government baffles me,” Rymbui said.
The minister also questioned how one can improve the education system if one does not listen to stakeholders. He maintained that all stakeholders in the university are opposed to Shukla and there is no rationale in the Union Ministry of Education in keeping him on.
As a central university, the state government has little say in the running of NEHU. However, Rymbui said that Meghalaya is urging the Centre to address the impasse for the benefits of the students and education in the state.
Meanwhile, the minister defended the state government’s attempts to address various issues raised by school teachers from time to time.
Recently, the Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers Association (KJDSTA) demanded that the government give them a dearness allowance at par with government employees.
Rymbui said that, currently, the government is tied up with the issue of a Supreme Court ruling that makes teacher eligibility tests (TETs) mandatory for all in-service teachers. The state government is concerned that if the Supreme Court’s ruling stands many teachers will lose their jobs.
