Shillong: Meghalaya’s North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nirmalendu Saha, has said that the two-member central probe team will soon visit the university to investigate the alleged mismanagement and administrative failures.
Prof Saha said that the Ministry of Education has assured that action will be initiated based on the recommendations of the report of the inquiry committee.
“I requested the inquiry team to come as early as possible because students are on an indefinite hunger strike and they are adamant that they will not call off their agitation unless action is initiated against VC Prabha Shankar Shukla,” he said.
Prof Saha said that to facilitate the inquiry, the ministry has requested documents related to the grievances raised by various stakeholders of the university.
Notably, the NEHU has constituted an internal committee to prepare a comprehensive report on allegations of mismanagement and administrative failures against Vice Chancellor Shukla. The committee, headed by NEHUTA president Lakhon Kma, comprises members from various stakeholders including NEHUTA, NEHUSU, KSU NEHU unit, and senior professors.
The central committee will probe allegations such as NEHU’s declining rankings, controversial appointments, infrastructural neglect, and “non-responsiveness” of Prof Shukla.
He added, “After reviewing the submitted documents, the inquiry team will listen to all stakeholders before returning to Delhi to submit their report to the Education Ministry.”
The hunger strike by agitating students of Meghalaya’s North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) entered its 15th day on November 19.
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The students have raised several demands, including the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Professor Prabha Shankar Shukla, Registrar, Deputy Registrar, and other officials.
The significant drop in NEHU’s ranking in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is attributed to alleged administrative failures and negligence.
