Shillong: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has referred the complaints lodged by the North Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) against Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla to the Ministry of Education and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) for further action.
Lakhon Kma, the president of NEHUTA, informed the media that the association had received a letter from the Prime Minister’s Office last week in this regard.
Kma stated that the association received the response following the submission of their grievances on the PMO’s grievance portal.
He stated that the NEHUTA had also received a communication from the President of India’s office that the association’s grievances had been referred to the Ministry of Education.
The NEHUTA president stated that the association is also waiting for a response from the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
Kma further informed that the association is internally exerting pressure on the Vice Chancellor to rectify all his errors.
NEHUTA had accused the NEHU Vice Chancellor of acting against the interests of locals by appointing individuals from outside Meghalaya to various positions within the university.
In a complaint sent to NCST member Nirupam Chakma, the NEHUTA said, “He (Prof. Shukla) has attempted to completely change the harmonious tribal, ethnic and other Indian character of NEHU into a monolith of Hindu Brahminical University.”
NEHUTA alleged that Prof. Shukla appointed retired Army Colonel Omkar Singh as Controller of Examinations, overlooking qualified, academically experienced, and intellectually sound candidates from tribal and ethnic backgrounds in Meghalaya.
NEHUTA criticized Prof. Shukla for appointing a candidate with limited credentials in academic administration and examination management. “Omkar Singh, a retired school teacher with no college or university experience, was selected despite the availability of highly qualified tribal candidates with decades of experience in university and college teaching,” it said.
The association accused Prof. Shukla of favoritism and nepotism in this appointment. “Due to his lack of understanding of university systems, the declaration of results has been repeatedly delayed, jeopardizing the careers of thousands of tribal students,” the association claimed.
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NEHUTA further alleged that Omkar Singh was subsequently appointed as Registrar of NEHU. His incompetence led to significant chaos during the CUET undergraduate examination at NEHU on May 15, 2024, as he was the supervisor of the CUET centre at the university.
