NEHU teachers slam education ministry's 'indifferent attitude' towards VC-ouster demand

The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers' Association (NEHUTA) has criticised the education ministry’s "indifferent attitude" in addressing their demand to remove vice-chancellor PS Shukla despite his prolonged absence, administrative lapses, and corruption allegations during his tenure.

Citing the swift action against the VC of Tezpur University, the association said that the Meghalaya government is “helpless in the matter" and urged the ministry to intervene in the NEHU VC’s issue. It also said that the situation at NEHU is “no different from” that of Tezpur University.

“In spite of the fact that the stakeholders of NEHU-students, teachers and non-teaching staff and the entire community has been demanding his removal for more than a year now, professor PS Shukla-the VC in absentia has been continuously absent from his duties at the NEHU headquarter in Shillong for 390 days now, yet he is being paid full salary and not removed yet,” the teachers’ association said.

'Remove NEHU VC immediately': Teachers to MoE

Hence, NEHUTA has urged the ministry to remove him ‘immediately’ and initiate the process of appointment of a new VC for NEHU.

The charges framed by NEHUTA against PS Shukla include absence from office, large-scale corruption, and misuse of university funds and authority for lavish foreign trips. During his tenure of 3 years and 4 months as NEHU’s VC, Shukla was absent from his office for an average of 144 days per year, amounting to a total of 480 days, the NEHUTA said.

“His visits also largely to Delhi, foreign trips, etc. for no reasons and with zero outcome for NEHU except draining its limited resources to cover his TA/DA expenses,” the association said.

The teachers also raised concerns regarding the appointment of unqualified and undeserving faculty members and highlighted that a non-teaching staff, who does not meet the minimum eligibility criteria set by the UGC regulation 2018, was directly recruited as professor in the Zoology department. The matter has been filed in the Meghalaya High Court.

Despite the presence of 18 eligible professors, the VC reappointed CA Mawlong in the School of Social Science who had served the full term of 3 years as a dean of the School. This, they said, is in violation of the “NEHU Statute and also violating the faculty member’s Right to Equality as guaranteed under Article 14-16 of the Constitution and even this matter is also in the High Court of Meghalaya,” the statement read.

In addition, NEHUTA has highlighted alleged planned corruption by PS Shukla of projects worth Rs 98 crore at Tura campus, NEHU. The association claimed that the VC signed an agreement with the Manipur Tribal Development Corporation Limited (MTDC), Imphal without the mandatory approval of the Finance Committee and the Executive Council.