Pro-VC of Tura Campus demanded to take charge of Shillong headquarters
Shillong, Jan 12: Students, teachers and staff of North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) have sought the state government’s intervention to end the stalemate in the central university.
In a memorandum to education minister Lahkmen Rymbui, representatives of the NEHU organisations demanded action to ensure that the Pro Vice-Chancellor of NEHU Tura Campus takes charge as Pro-VC of NEHU Shillong headquarters “in absence of” several heads of administration.
“There is no VC, no Pro-VC, no Registrar, no Finance Officer – nobody is there, and the university is running on autopilot mode with no one to take decisions,” said Prof Lakhon Kma, president of NEHU Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) after meeting the minister.
The joint delegation comprising representatives of NEHUSU, KSU Unit, and NEHUNSA highlighted the “422-day absence” of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Prabha Shukla.
The delegation has warned that if the Pro-VC failed to assume her responsibilities (in Shillong), she should step down, allowing the senior-most professor to take over as Acting VC.
Kma emphasised that statutory provisions clearly outline the succession process, with the Pro-VC assuming the VC’s duties in their absence. However, the current Pro-VC, Prof F Marak, has not reported to the Shillong headquarters despite being requested to do so.
“The onus is on her to come and perform the duty of the VC in the headquarters. If she doesn’t want to, she has to resign from the post of Pro-VC Tura campus,” Kma said, adding that stakeholders had written to her 15-20 days ago, but she chose not to respond.
“The Education Minister has been urged to intervene and impress upon the Pro-VC to either assume her duties or resign, allowing the senior-most professor to take over as Acting VC,” he said.
“When she is the Pro-VC, she cannot say I will remain Pro-VC in Tura but I will not perform the duty in the headquarter because the statutory provision says that you have to perform the duty of VC when VC is not in station and we all know the VC is out of station for the last 422 days and enjoying full salary and we don’t know where he is staying,” Prof Kma added.
