Shillong: Congress MP from Tura, Saleng A Sangma, has sought immediate intervention of President Droupadi Murmu to address the ongoing crisis at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Meghalaya.
In a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, MP Sangma requested the President to review the grievances of the students and faculty members.
“In light of this ongoing crisis, I join the NEHU community in respectfully requesting your immediate intervention to review these grievances comprehensively and take appropriate steps to address the leadership challenges at NEHU. This includes, if necessary, the replacement of the current Vice-Chancellor to restore NEHU’s integrity, uphold its founding principles, and meet the expectations of the students, faculty, and local community it was established to serve,” he stated in a letter to the President.
He said, “Recent communications from the North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) and the Meghalaya Tribal Teachers’ Association (MeTTA) highlight numerous issues that require your esteemed office’s intervention to restore NEHU’s academic and administrative integrity.”
He also informed President Murmu of the appointment of alleged underqualified individuals to critical administrative positions by the Vice-Chancellor (VC).
“Qualified local candidates were reportedly denied Deputy Registrar positions, which reflects an apparent bias against indigenous representation and has caused widespread dissatisfaction within the community,” he said.
He asserted that the university’s reputation has suffered due to the disorganised handling of major national examinations, resulting in significant public backlash.
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Sangma has urged the President to consider replacing the current Vice Chancellor, Prabha Shankar Shukla, to restore the university’s academic and administrative integrity.
He further emphasized the university’s shortcomings in research, infrastructure, and student welfare, highlighting concerns such as inadequate hostel facilities, unclean water supply, insufficient Wi-Fi connectivity, and outdated library resources.
“The Vice-Chancellor is accused of violating university governance norms and has been frequently absent during critical times, resulting in administrative delays and affecting NEHU’s overall stability,” he added.
He asserted that the cumulative impact of these issues has significantly undermined trust in NEHU’s leadership, negatively affecting the institution’s standing and the morale of its faculty, staff, and students. He further said, “The NEHU community, along with the local population, now sees the administration’s actions as a threat to the institution’s mission and its responsibility toward Meghalaya and the Northeastern region.”
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Earlier the Congress accused the RSS and BJP in Meghalaya of attempting to “capture” the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU).
The Congress claimed that they were making the attempt by appointing individuals with RSS and BJP affiliations to key positions.
