SHILLONG, MAY 10: The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) on Sunday urged political parties to keep politics out of the university campus while refuting the Pro Vice-Chancellor’s claims on delayed recruitment.
NEHUTA president Prof Lakhon Kma was responding to a report citing VPP Youth Wing president Marbud Dkhar’s statement on PVC Prof. S Umdor’s remarks about recruitment delays in NEHU.
“On the part of political parties, NEHUTA would like to urge not to play politics in the university,” Prof Kma said in a statement.
“Outside the campus, there is ample room to play politics and fight elections.”
NEHUTA accused PVC Prof S Umdor of “misleading the public” and the VPP Youth Wing on why 154 Group B and C posts advertised on November 3, 2023 lapsed.
The last date for hard copies was December 12, 2023, and the advertisement lapsed on November 2, 2024.
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“It was factually incorrect for the PVC to state that the recruitment process could not be completed and got lapsed due to disruption of the functioning of the university by internal unrest,” Kma said.
He pointed out that the student hunger strike began only after the posts had lapsed.
“The hunger strike by the students which was fully supported by teachers and non-teaching staff started on 5/11/2024 and ended on 21/11/2024,” he said.
“The advertisement got lapsed for the third time not by agitations but by the frequent absence of the VC at that time, his complete lack of interest in the welfare of the university and complete detachment from NEHU affairs during his entire tenure,” Kma alleged, referring to former VC Prof PS Shukla.
“Between the last date i.e., 12/12/2023 and 2/11/2024, Prof. Shukla did nothing to fill the posts and Prof. Umdor is trying to mislead the public,” he said.
“Prof. Umdor is only trying to shield the total failure of the VC in completing the recruitment process for the third time.”
On the VPP Youth Wing, Kma said, “Their lack of information and facts has allowed the PVC to mislead them if the reports are true as appeared in the newspaper. I only wish that they could have done their homework properly before approaching the university authority, who will then not mislead them and the public of Meghalaya.”
NEHUTA reiterated its role as a watchdog in the university. “NEHUTA has always maintained itself as a watchdog of the conduct of the Vice Chancellors and other officials of the University and will continue to provide checks and balances needed for the well-being of the University,” Kma said.
“We would like to request the PVC to have the guts to call ‘a spade a spade’ and stop misleading the people of Meghalaya,” he added.