SHILLONG, Nov 11: Vice chancellor of the North Eastern Hill
University (NEHU) Prof PS Shukla recently appealed to the
Joint Action Committee (JAC) not to go ahead with its
indefinite strike without verifying the status of their charter
of demands so that the academic atmosphere in the
university is not affected.
In a statement, Prof Shukla has exhorted that the university
during the current period is at the peak of academic activities
with syllabus coverage and examinations scheduled during
the first part of December and disruptions in the form of
indefinite strikes and protests without verifying the facts will
hamper these activities affecting the academic atmosphere
of the university.
“The University appeals to the concerned to come across the
table, discuss and verify on the status of the points raised
and the steps taken by the university rather than going out
and protesting without updating on the same as the
protesting groups are also part of the university and are
aware of the progress and steps taken by the university on
the charter of demands,” he said.
He said this will help the university to function normally and
deliver our tasks which is for the academic and overall
benefit of our students in general having amicably sorted out
the issues concerning the implementation of NEP 2020.
“Any disruptions at this time of the academic year will disturb
not only the timely completion of syllabus but also the
smooth conduct of examinations which concerns the
students’ community for which the university is primarily
established for,” Prof Shukla added.
Under the banner of the JAC, the NEHUTA, NEHUNSA and
NEHUSU on Thursday decided to intensify their ongoing
agitation by calling for an indefinite strike from November
13, as a mark of protest against the NEHU VC’s adamant and
non-responsive attitude towards their 9 charter of demands.
They include the immediate removal of illegally appointed
technical officer/senior consultant, immediate appointment
of Statutory Officers and University Engineer, deteriorating
condition of the University Health Centre, relieving of
teaching and technical staff from ministerial duties, re-upload
of NEHU Act, Statutes and Ordinance in the NEHU official
website, holding of regular convocation, marking system,
inclusion of elected members of NEHUSU as representatives
in the Academic Council and review of Educationally
Backward Area Quota from Block Level to Village Level.
Responding to the demands of the protesting groups, the
Vice Chancellor stated that “he has clarified the position on
the appointment of Mr Rohit Prasad during the press
conference held last week”.
He further added that, “as far as the appointment of
Statutory Officers and University Engineer are concerned, the
interview for the posts have been slated for November 20
and 22, 2022 and the preparation for the same is ongoing.”
About the other demands, the Vice-Chancellor said,
“Concerning the university Health centre, committee has
taken appropriate steps and the required purchases have
been started from the portal as per the mandate of
Government of India, the approval to which accorded on 1 st
November itself.
For the purchases and procurements in different academic
departments and sections of the university, GeM portal is
adopted and three trainings-cum-exposure sessions have
already been conducted to sensitize the staff on the
purchases through GeM. The university have listed and
registered more than 50 secondary users and more are in the
process with a statutory officer of the university registered as
a primary user in the GeM portal”.
Regarding the demand on the relieving of the teaching and
technical staff from ministerial duties, the Vice-Chancellor
stated that “the Teaching staffs performing additional duty in
the administration is for smooth transaction of routine work
of the university so that university functioning does not get
delayed and the teachers will be automatically relieved once
the posts are filled up for which the requisite advertisement
and recruitment process is ongoing.
Also, that the teaching faculty with their consent only is
requested to undertake additional responsibilities and the
university is grateful to them for their cooperation in helping
with the administrative work”.
As far as the Non-teaching staff given additional
responsibility in the administration are concerned, they have
been executing their responsibilities even before his joining,
he added.
“As far as the statutes and Acts matters are concerned, the
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same are available in the university webpage in the section
about the university and making issues out of non-issues can
only tarnish the image of the university and concerned are
appealed to verify the facts before declaring them as protest
agenda,” the NEHU administration said.
The administration also stated that the University
Convocation is a routine work for which the consent and
schedule of the Chief Guest and Chancellor are important
and the required correspondences have been made since the
beginning of the year to get the dates finalised for which the
Ministry is yet to confirm.
Furthermore, the Marking System in the university
examinations is a policy decision adopted as per the NEP
2020 regulations and any amendments required thereon
have to be placed in the Academic Council.
The Vice-Chancellor also clarified that “the University
teachers are the main stakeholders of the Academic Council
where the discussion on issues related to Marking System,
Inclusion of Elected Members of Students as representatives
in the Academic Council, Admission process along with
weightages given in admission are discussed and policy
decisions are taken as deemed fit and beneficial for all
concerned”.
