SHILLONG: The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has issued a stern advisory to political entities, specifically the Voice of the People Party (VPP) Youth Wing, to refrain from engaging in political activities within the university campus.
In a press statement released on Sunday, the association warned political groups to remain vigilant against being misled by the current university administration, emphasizing that the campus should remain a sanctuary for academic pursuits rather than a battleground for electoral politics.
The clarification from NEHUTA comes in response to a news report published on May 8, which alleged that the VPP Youth Wing was responsible for delaying the recruitment process at the university.
NEHUTA has categorically condemned the statements made by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC), Prof. S. Umdor, and the President of the VPP Youth Wing, Marbud Dkhar, who claimed that internal unrest and student agitations were the primary causes for the recruitment lapse.
The association termed these claims as factually incorrect and an attempt to shield the administrative inefficiencies of the Vice-Chancellor.
Setting the record straight, NEHUTA explained that the advertisement for 154 Group B and Group C posts was issued by VC Prof. P. S. Shukla in November 2023. This marked the third time these positions were advertised. Although the application window closed in December 2023, the university administration failed to complete the process, leading the advertisement to lapse in November 2024.
The teachers’ body asserted that the students’ hunger strike, which began on November 5, 2024, could not have caused the delay as the recruitment cycle had already expired due to the VC’s frequent absences and apparent lack of interest in the university’s welfare.
The association further highlighted alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group A posts, including positions for the Finance Officer and Controller of Examinations. NEHUTA pointed out that the VC hastily appointed an “unqualified” Deputy Registrar, Amit Gupta, who reportedly remained unauthorizedly absent from the headquarters for 540 days without any leave on record.
Despite this, Gupta continued to draw a full salary without facing a single show-cause notice, the release stated. Additionally, the appointment of Rohit Prasad as a senior consultant was labelled as “illegitimate” and in violation of UGC Model Cadre Recruitment Rules, a move that eventually led to Prasad being chased away from the campus by aggrieved students and stakeholders.
Critiquing the leadership style of Prof. Shukla, NEHUTA accused the VC of conducting himself like the CEO of a private company rather than a responsible head of a Central University governed by the rule of law.
The association reaffirmed its role as a watchdog for the university’s integrity and called upon the PVC to “call a spade a spade” instead of misleading the public.
NEHUTA reiterated that political parties have ample room to fight elections outside the campus and urged them not to jeopardize the future of students by bringing external politics into the administrative and academic functioning of NEHU.
