NEHUTA slams VC for falsely terming it’s election “unconstitutional”

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 21, 2020

The North Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has slammed the incumbent vice chancellor Prof SK Srivastava for allegedly declare the association election 2020-21 as unconstitutional, null and void. 

“The unacceptable act of interference by falsely terming NEHUTA election 2020-21 as unconstitutional, null and void by NEHU Vice-Chancellor is itself null and void, as he has no power to interfere suo motto in the functioning of an independent association,” NEHUTA president Prof XP Mao said in a statement issued here on Sunday. 

Prof Mao also alleged that the VC is citing statute 44 wrongly to create hindrance in the constitutional functioning of a legally set up Association with the agenda of silencing the watchdog body of Teachers so that his administrative, financial and other misdeeds are not brought to the notice of Authorities and the public .

“It is worthwhile to mention that NEHUTA as the watch dog body has been raising various Statutory violations by incumbent VC, Prof. S.K. Srivastava.  

Misinterpretation and deliberate misrepresentation of NEHU statutes and NEHUTA Constitution is aimed at creating hindrances in the functioning of the watchdog body of NEHUTA as a likely strategy to get the second term as VC of this premier University in spite of abysmal inefficiency and failures to serve NEHU and get laurels for it,” he said. 

He said due to pandemic COVID19, there was imposition of complete lockdown and also curfew in Meghalaya with complete restriction of usual movement and closure of all the offices/markets/educational institutions etc. 

He said it was only during first week of May, 20 that the Meghalaya Govt. offices/ NEHU offices started opening partially.  

He said during that time before the completion of the term, the NEHUTA EC 2019-20 as per Regulation 2(2i) of the constitution of NEHUTA recommended the composition and constitution of the election committee which was in fact based on the decision of the first General body meeting. 

The composition of election committee was approved in GBM meeting conducted through online. 

“Thus, the notification dated 29th may, 2020 is fully as per constitution of NEHUTA. The election was smoothly conducted as per constitution, result was declared and NEHUTA EC 2020-21 took charge on 19-6-2020.

Thus, the unilateral declaration from the VC that the term of Executive Committee expired is baseless and the provision for the continuance of the incumbent Executive committee is provided in the very Clause-8 itself,” Prof Mao said.

Clause 8 states’:“The term of office of the EC shall be one year. If at the end of the year a new EC could not be constituted because of any unavoidable situation, the incumbent EC shall continue to hold office in care-taker capacity till the next EC takes over. The matter shall, however, have to be subsequently reported to the General Body for approval.”

He said as per Clause-8 the NEHUTA EC continued and the President and General Secretary had full constitutional powers to communicate with others. 

Non-conduct of regular University Court meeting, Board of Research Studies (BRS) meeting were raised by NEHUTA, he said adding these two bodies, namely Court and BRS are extremely important without which they University cannot move. Even till date not a single BRS meeting has been conducted by him. 

The conduct of University Court meeting is very important as the financial matters and Annual report of the University are discussed here, and only after its approval in the Court it is sent to the Parliament. 

Prof Mao however further alleged that the VC deliberately did not conduct any meeting during last 4 years of his tenure, only one meeting of the University Court was convened last year only after the repeated insistence by NEHUTA. Thus, this implies that the VC has not only violated the statutory provision but has misled the houses of the Parliament.  

Even prior to the Convocation, Court meeting is required and always it was being held. 

“Because of this violation of Court’s oversight on convocation and for not meeting various demands of the teaching community, the NEHUTA gave a democratic call to boycott the unstatutory Convocation without creating any obstruction,” he stated