SHILLONG: The North Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has called upon the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, to step in and direct the NEHU Vice-Chancellor, Prof PS Shukla, to withdraw a contentious July 12 notification that mandated affiliated colleges to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 without the prior approval of the Academic Council.
NEHUTA President Prof Lakhon Kma submitted a report citing violations of the NEHU Act, Statutes, and Ordinances by the vice-chancellor.
“In view of the violation by Prof PS Shukla as the vice-chancellor of NEHU, Shillong, we would like to request your good office as the visitor of NEHU to intervene and ask him to withdraw the letter dated July 12, 2023, issued to the principals of all affiliated colleges of NEHU. This letter was hasty, unilateral, illegitimate, grossly misleading, and inappropriate. Immediate action is required to prevent further harm to NEHU,” Prof Kma was quoted as saying by the press.
The association further requested the President to issue essential instructions aimed at preventing the vice-chancellor from operating unilaterally and in a “dictatorial manner”, while also curbing the misuse of his authority as the VC. Highlighting the importance of this action, they underscored its critical role in safeguarding NEHU, its statutory entities such as the Academic Council, the academic pursuits of the University, its affiliated colleges, and particularly the tribal students, along with the broader interests of the state of Meghalaya.
Prof Kma accused the vice-chancellor of attempting to enforce the National Education Policy (NEP) at the undergraduate level in NEHU-affiliated colleges, effective from August 1, 2023, through a letter issued on July 12, 2023, without the requisite approval of the Academic Council.
Prof Kma also highlighted that during the 110th Academic Council meeting, differing opinions arose on the timing of NEP implementation in affiliated colleges. As a result, a motion was moved to implement NEP at the undergraduate level from the 2023-24 session, but this motion was defeated, as the majority of members wanted implementation, at the earliest, from the 2024-25 session. Strangely, this resolution was not properly recorded in the minutes.
“The VC deliberately manipulated the circulated minutes without recording it properly as per the discussions and resolutions in the above-mentioned Academic Council meeting, with malicious intentions for hasty and forceful NEP implementation at the undergraduate level, even when colleges across Meghalaya were ill-equipped and unprepared due to various constraints,” Prof Kma stated in the report.
