Teacher bodies demand Centre to appoint tribal woman prof as NEHU VC

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 8, 2021

Teachers under the banner of the NEHUTA and MeTTA-NEHU have demanded the Centre to consider the appointment of a tribal woman professor as the vice chancellor (VC) of the North Eastern Hill University.  

“We…demand immediate appointment of qualified local tribal woman professor as VC of NEHU, without any further delay, in the best interest of the university and the society,” NEHUTA president Prof XP Mao and MeTTA-NEHU president Dr Lakhon Kma said in a joint statement issued on Thursday.   

“Therefore, keeping in mind the unique matrilineal ethos of Meghalaya and the need for a healing touch to NEHU after nearly six years of not such an uplifting experience, we request the Union Government and the newly appointed Minister of Education to kindly consider the case of a tribal woman Professor, who figures in the consideration of search cum selection committee so that NEHU gets a VC who can not only lead but can bring in a healing effect to the mismanaged affairs of the University and can take it to the path of progress and all round development,” they added.

The Meghalaya Tribals Teachers’ Association (MeTTA-NEHU) and North Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) said the delay in appointment of a suitable candidate as new Vice-Chancellor of NEHU has affected the university.

“We reiterate that in the absence of a new Vice-Chancellor, the progress of the university is practically stalled, as NEHU suffers from serious administrative, academic and financial lapses over the last five years that brought down the status and the rank of the University,” they said.

“Given such an unwarranted slide of NEHU, the earliest central university for the North-Eastern region, the cause of higher education and specialized and professional training of talents from the region and the state of Meghalaya is stunted, as the institutional frame has wilted during the tenure of Prof SK Srivastava,” they added.

The two associations also urged the Ministry of Education to complete the statutory procedure of appointment of a new VC, as the process was completed by the search cum selection committee long back.