JAC suspends indefinite strike after NEHU VC assures to fulfill demands within 5 days

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 16, 2023

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the NEHUTA, NEHUNSA and NEHUSU on Thursday decided to suspend its indefinite strike after the University’s vice chancellor Prof PS Shukla sought five days’ time to look into the charter of demands including removal of the technical officer/senior consultant.

After a meeting the VC, JAC chairman Prof Lakhon Kma said, “We have decided to temporarily suspend our agitation and from tomorrow classes will resume, teaching staff can take their respective classes and non-teaching staff can go back to their respective offices.”

He said the decision was taken after the VC had requested five days’ time to address all demands made by the JAC which includes termination of Rohit Prasad as technical officer/senior consultant of the university.

The meeting was a success although the VC could not provide the official letter of terminating Prasad.

Prof Kma also informed that the VC has agreed to form a committee to address the issue related to the marking system and relating to grievances of the hostel facilities and health care.

“The VC had left it to the students to select a chairman who will head the committee to look into the demand to revisit the marking system of the university,” he said.

He added the VC also assured to address the demand to appoint Statutory Officers and University Engineers and to relieve teaching and non-teaching staff from ministerial duties.

On the demand to review the educationally backward areas quota, Prof Kma informed that the VC had agreed to form a committee which will be decided by the AC on its chairman and members.

“The VC had promised the JAC that the next AC meeting will be held in the first week of December where most of these issues will be discussed and a decision will be taken for the same” he added.

Regarding the inclusion of students as members of the academic council (AC), NEHUSU general secretary Banpynbiang Riang said that the VC had agreed to allow the students to decide on the member who will represent in the council.

“On the demand to hold convocation, the VC had informed that this year the university could not organize as it still awaits the response from the President of India whom the university had invited as this year marked the 50th Anniversary of the NEHU” said Riang.

Riang informed that the VC had also assured that from next academic year, there should be a calendar event for the university to hold convocation every year.