'Remove Vice-Chancellor': Huge Students' Protest In Top Central University In Meghalaya

Tension continues to emergence astatine North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) successful Meghalaya's superior Shillong arsenic students person launched an indefinite hunger onslaught extracurricular the Vice Chancellor's office, demanding the removal of Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla.

The hunger strike, led by the NEHU Students' Union (NEHUSU) and the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) NEHU Unit, accused the Vice Chancellor of "misuse of power" and mismanagement. The students are besides calling for the removal of the Registrar and Deputy Registrar, assignment of a pro-vice chancellor for the Tura campus, and improvements successful indispensable amenities, including revised hostel fees, cleanable water, Wi-Fi, and ambulance services.

Banners with slogans specified arsenic "No More Delays, Vice Chancellor Must Go" and "We Demand Fairness, Not Abuse of Power" reflected the students' increasing vexation with the administration. NEHU Assam Students Association is besides participating successful the hunger strike.

"I person been present for much than 3 years. Our university's prime has been degrading and going down and down," a protesting pupil said. Another pupil said Mr Shukla came successful 2021, and students person been protesting since 2022. "I deliberation this is the champion clip for him to measurement down," the pupil said.

Another pupil astatine the protestation tract said the Vice Chancellor has "misused and mishandled the assemblage according to his will."

"He has done that by appointing a Registrar and a Deputy Registrar... which indicates foul play successful the recruitment, and possibly a governmental docket down the recruitment of these officials. These officials are not wholly competent successful what they are expected to do," the pupil said. "The Deputy Registrar is not adjacent susceptible of penning a elemental letter," helium alleged.

The latest agitation by the students comes connected the heels of an indefinite onslaught launched by the NEHU Non-Teaching Staff Association (NEHUNSA) since yesterday.

The students said their hunger onslaught volition proceed until the Vice Chancellor, Registrar, and Deputy Registrar measurement down. This latest student-led protestation follows an indefinite onslaught by the NEHUNSA implicit hold successful recruitment for advertised positions. NEHUNSA said repeated requests to expedite the recruitment process person gone unanswered by the administration.

The NEHU Teachers' Association (NEHUTA) has voiced enactment for the students' demands, calling for the removal of Registrar Omkar Singh and Deputy Registrar Amit Gupta, labelling them "errant, irresponsible, and inefficient."

NEHUTA successful its wide assemblage gathering connected November 1 resolved to backmost NEHUSU's demands to support the university's integrity. Additionally, the Meghalaya Tribal Teachers' Association (MeTTA) of NEHU has expressed afloat enactment for the protesting students.

This bid of agitations bespeak wide dissatisfaction crossed NEHU's student, non-teaching, and teaching communities, who person accused Mr Shukla of regularisation violations and actions that undermined the university's payment since his assignment arsenic Vice Chancellor.

Mr Shukla connected Wednesday said helium volition not measurement down arsenic his assignment was made by the President of India, who holds the authorization to marque immoderate decisions regarding his tenure. Mr Shukla added helium has communicated the existent issues to the Education Ministry and dismissed accusations of being "anti-tribal."

Mr Shukla said the removal of truthful galore officials cannot hap done arbitrary decisions. These officials were appointed done a formal, rigorous enactment process, governed by modular procedures, not idiosyncratic discretion, helium said.

Mr Shukla acknowledged that concerns raised by associations specified arsenic NEHUTA, NEHUNSA, and NEHUSU person been forwarded to the government, including the President of India. However, nary directive oregon connection has been received from the Ministry of Education oregon the President's bureau indicating immoderate enquiry into the matter.

He said immoderate enactment to region authorities employees would necessitate a ceremonial probe and cannot proceed without important reasons. Discussing the Director of the College Development Council role, Mr Shukla mentioned his attempts to name a prof to the position, though nary person agreed to instrumentality it.

He said helium remains unfastened to assigning the relation to immoderate prof consenting to instrumentality up the responsibility. Regarding the impermanent location incharge position, Mr Shukla pointed astatine the university's shortage of non-teaching unit for which recruitment ads person been issued. However, with the National Testing Agency (NTA) declining to behaviour the exams, alternate agencies are being considered, helium said, adding immoderate advancement is expected erstwhile the Registrar's bureau reopens pursuing caller protests.

On the assignment of Pro-Vice Chancellors for some NEHU campuses (Shillong and Tura), Mr Shukla said the assemblage has sought guidance from the Ministry of Education. If nary effect is received by December, helium said helium is committed to appointing Pro-Vice Chancellors from the section assemblage for each campus.

He noted helium has been successful discussions with the Non-Teaching Staff Association, which has requested assurances successful writing, though helium has been incapable to contented these owed to the ongoing closure of the Registrar's bureau by protesters. He assured the non-teaching unit that helium volition supply written connection erstwhile the concern normalises.

Mr Shukla expressed willingness to initiate a dialog with pupil representatives to code their concerns.