Shillong: North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla on Monday officially resumed office from New Delhi.
According to reports, Vice Chancellor Shukla contacted the acting Registrar of NEHU to confirm his resumption of duties.
He also informed the Registrar that he will be in Delhi for official work from March 3 to 5. This indicates that while he has formally resumed his post, he will be away from the Shillong campus for a few days.
Prof. Shukla’s assertion that he resumed duties on Monday has drawn sharp criticism from the North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA).
NEHUTA President Lakhon Kma stated that Prof. Shukla’s virtual resumption of duties while still on three and a half months of earned leave is unprecedented in NEHU’s history.
Kma accused the VC of blatantly violating NEHU act, statutes, ordinances and Government of India’s rules, despite being the custodian of the university.
“Despite his repeated irregular earned leave application from which he never joined his duties, his claim that he resumed his duties sounds totally out of order, as he remains away from the headquarters. The fact remains that there had been an inquiry on his wrongdoings in the university and until the inquiry report was made public, he was advised to remain on leave,” Kma said.
He said, “We consider this claim to be a violation of university procedures and regulations, particularly given the track record of Prof. Shukla, whose misconduct has severely damaged NEHU’s reputation, for which the inquiry was conducted.”
Notably, Professor Nirmalendu Saha, the senior-most professor, took over as Acting Vice Chancellor of NEHU after Prof. Shukla went on leave until November 29, amidst the university’s ongoing crisis.
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Prof. Shukla, in an email leave application to the NEHU Registrar, requested Earned Leave from November 17 to 29, 2024, citing “unavoidable circumstances” and indicating the possibility of extension.
Subsequently, he has extended his leave multiple times, each time referencing the same “unavoidable circumstances.”
