SHILLONG: In response to the demands of a protesting group at the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), the university administration has issued a statement to clarify their stance on the charter of demands and the issues raised by the protesters.
NEHU's Vice-Chancellor, Prabha Shankar Shukla, highlighted that he had previously addressed the appointment of Rohit Prasad during a press conference held the week before. He further informed that interviews for the positions of Statutory Officers and University Engineer are scheduled for November 20th and 22nd, 2023, with preparations well underway.
Regarding other demands raised by the Joint Action Committee (JAC), the Vice-Chancellor mentioned that the university has taken appropriate steps concerning the university Health center. The necessary purchases have already commenced through the GeM portal, following the Central Government's mandate.
For procurement and purchases in various academic departments and sections of the university, the university has adopted the GeM portal. Three training-cum-exposure sessions have already been conducted to sensitize the staff on the GeM procurement process. More than 50 secondary users have been listed and registered, with more in the registration process. A statutory officer of the university has also been registered as a primary user in the GeM portal.
In response to the demand for the relieving of teaching and technical staff from ministerial duties, the Vice-Chancellor clarified that teaching staff's additional involvement in administrative tasks is to ensure the smooth functioning of routine university operations, preventing delays. Once the vacant positions are filled through the ongoing recruitment process, these teaching staff members will be automatically relieved. The Vice-Chancellor also acknowledged that teaching faculty undertake these additional responsibilities with their consent and expressed gratitude for their cooperation in administrative work.
The Vice-Chancellor went on to address other demands, emphasizing that university teachers play a crucial role in the Academic Council. In this council, various important matters, such as the Marking System, inclusion of elected student representatives, and admission processes, are discussed. Policy decisions are made with the collective interest of all stakeholders in mind.
Highlighting the university's current academic activities, including syllabus coverage and upcoming examinations scheduled for the first part of December, the Vice-Chancellor expressed concern that indefinite strikes and protests without factual verification could disrupt these essential academic processes and affect the university's academic atmosphere negatively.
The university administration appealed to the concerned parties to engage in constructive dialogue and verify the status of the points raised and the steps taken by the university. The administration emphasized that the protesting groups are part of the university and are aware of the progress being made in response to their demands.
Additionally, the university appealed to the students and their parents, urging them not to be alarmed by any misinformation being circulated by protesting groups. They encouraged students to continue with their academic activities as scheduled, assuring them that the university is committed to addressing the genuine concerns of all stakeholders and working toward creating a conducive academic environment for all students.
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